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Hepworth Clay has been carved out of Wavin by its Mexican owners and sold to new owners.

Mexichem, a subsidiary of Orbia Building & Infrastructure, acquired Wavin in 2012, with Wavin becoming Orbia’s UK subsidiary.

Hepworth Clay is the only manufacturer in the UK of vitrified clay pipes and associated fittings used for drainage purposes. It manufactures from sites at Hazlehead (Yorkshire) and Forest Works (East Midlands) with 550,000 sq ft of manufacturing space sat on more than 100 acres, using material from its own quarries which hold significant clay reserves of over 18 million tonnes.

However, since the advent of plastics, clay pipes are now longer as popular with builders and civil engineers as they once were.

As well as its core range of drainage pipes, Hepworth also produces a range of terracotta products for the construction and ventilation of domestic flue and chimney systems, but old style chimneys are also out of fashion with the shift to smokeless non-fossil fuels.

However, the new private equity owners see value. 4D Capital Partners founder Alex Silk said:  “We are delighted to have invested in Hepworth Clay and very proud to become the custodians of this heritage brand. There is an excellent team in place with some exceptionally talented people who share our passion for high-quality manufacturing. We look forward to working with them to realise the full potential of Hepworth Clay.”

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