Pictured above: Les Hunt
Building features made by a Kingswinford company may not be
antique but they have defied the doubters and stood the test of
time.
GRP Building Products supply fibreglass products such as
cladding, wall panels, window sills, arches and chimneys.
Les Hunt, who founded the company over 20 years ago, said: "In
those days, people felt that fibreglass was only a short term
solution. But many of our products are still going strong on
buildings throughout the Midlands after 20 years."
Specially made downspouts at the Lilleshall Hall National Sports
Centre, in Shropshire, show no signs of wear and tear 27 years
after being fitted by Les.
Even older are the Stourbridge Market balustrades and the church
spire at Lye, Stourbridge, which both date back to the 1970s.
GRP Building Products employs 30 people at Ham Lane,
Kingswinford. The company's highly skilled craftsmen can replicate
virtually any architectural feature in intricate detail.
Les has worked with fiberglass for more than 30 years and
started the business with just four employees in 1987.
"The grp industry was still very much in its infancy in those
days and many people in the building trade were unsure of its
lifespan" said Les.
"Now our products are regularly used on building projects. We
can exactly match building finishes in a range of materials
including brick, stone, slate and lead and popular products include
brick effect cladding, extraction flue covers, window arches and
sills and chimneys.
"Our products are made in the factory and transported either in
one piece or in large sections to the building site where they can
be easily fitted due to the lightweight nature of fibreglass.
"This also makes an ideal solution on aging buildings where the
weight of a replacement chimney or architectural feature may be an
issue as was the case at Lilleshall Hall where a replica solution
was needed for the original lead downspouts on the Grade 2 Listed
Building."
Tests by industry experts RAPRA Limited, an independent,
not-for-profit, organisation, have led to GRP Building Products
brick and stone cladding being accredited with a 10 year
guarantee.