Ibstock Brick Limited · Ibstock, Leicestershire United Kingdom

Ibstock Brick has literally helped build Great Britain (and its own bottom line) brick by brick. The company, which started as Ibstock Collieries in 1899 to quarry clay and mine coal for brick manufacturers, is now the largest brick manufacturer in the UK, ahead of #2 Hanson and #3 Wienerberger. With nearly two dozen brick and paver manufacturing plants located throughout the UK, Ibstock has an annual capacity of more than 900 million bricks -- about 15 per UK resident. Rather than doling it out to the populace, however, its brick is used primarily in residential housing construction. Construction giant CRH plc acquired Ibstock in 1999. To read the full description, subscribe now.