British tile manufacturer, Johnson Tiles, has invested £650k in two new inkjet machines for its factory in Stoke-on-Trent in order to enhance its existing processes for manufacturing ceramic wall tiles.

The new machines guarantee faster production, which Johnson Tiles says will mean it is able to produce a small-format product portfolio “more efficiently than anyone else globally”.

The company has more investment planned for 2020, and is currently exploring all avenues in terms of different tile formats and structures – focusing first on small format for the housebuilder sector, with a view to extend its offering.

Johnsons Tiles commercial director Nigel Stannard said: “As a British manufacturer that has stood the test of time for over 100 years, we continue to innovate for the future with our latest investment.

“Being based in Stoke-on-Trent, the world’s ceramic heartland, we are located exactly at the centre of the UK. Therefore, in addition to our high-quality product, when it comes to our warehousing and logistics capabilities, our facilities are second to none.

“This has become particularly important in light of the UK’s impending ‘Brexit’. While some manufacturers have struggled with distribution, we are very much ‘open for business’ – operating on a global scale with readily available stock held at our factory. This ensures no change to our customers in the coming months.

In addition to its Stoke-on-Trent factory base, Johnson Tiles has a showroom located in in London’s Mayfair, close to Oxford Street.

The showroom, dubbed the Material Lab, was set up in 2006 with a view to providing an inspirational space for the architecture and design community to explore products from Johnson Tiles, and a range of selected partners, alongside cutting-edge materials from the UK’s most promising emerging designers and makers.

Mr Stannard added: “Our heritage has afforded us a wealth of skill – our team is the best in the UK when it comes to tile manufacturing. However, we’re not resting on our laurels. We’re very much a future-facing company, continually pushing forward to enhance our product offering and tighten our operations. And as we approach Brexit, this is unchanged.”