70-year-old North East brickyard acquired by Leeds growth strategy firm

A North East brickyard that dates back seven decades has been acquired by a Yorkshire-based growth strategy firm.

Leeds company Alpaca has added W McGovern and Co Ltd of Gateshead to its portfolio of businesses.

As part of the deal, Alpaca has reinstated the former managing director Andrew Pickersgill to the family-run business.

Andrew, who ran the brickyard from 2018-19, commented: “I’m thrilled to be back. McGovern has a special place in my heart and I want to give the team the support they need whilst also nurturing the business to develop and grow.

“One of the things I love about this place is the depth of knowledge of the people who work here. The average length of service is 20 years and many of the employees are like brick encyclopaedias.

“We don’t just sell bricks to housebuilders, architects and self-build professionals, we make sure we match the exact style of brick to the area and the building it’s going to be part of. It’s a unique service.”

Founder of Alpaca, Richard Turner, added: “This is an exciting addition to the Alpaca family. In terms of difference, it’s about as far away from what people think we do as we can get.

“We’re putting our hand in our pockets to prove to our clients that if we can rapidly improve the fortunes of our own businesses, we can do it for you.”