It’s a big year for our West London plant, so we’re taking a trip down memory lane to reflect on the progress, challenges and changes over the years and to hear from our great people who were there from the very start.
As a business of families powered by a rich heritage and hardworking people, we invite you to reminisce with us as we celebrate 10 years at Heathrow.
In 2011, FM Conway commissioned its first asphalt plant in the Southeast of England, Erith, and just three years later, its sister recycling and asphalt plant, Heathrow, was born to boost its manufacturing and recycling capabilities.
New Beginnings
In 2013, FM Conway was granted planning permission for our most innovative plant yet, ready to support our self-delivery model. Construction began in 2014, and the plant was open for business in October, with an official launch party opened by the first female CEO of Transport for London, Dana Skelley OBE. The plant was designed and built to efficiently serve highways clients and partners in West London – providing 24-hour security of supply. You can look at the plant being built piece by piece in this timelapse video here.
Pushing Boundaries in Recycling
Building Heathrow gave us the chance to expand on the work we had already achieved at Erith, with a clear vision to push boundaries within recycling. We started operating using 50% Recycled Asphalt Product (RAP) and quickly moved to 80% RAP, proving the capabilities of the plant in a short space of time. Our West London location gave us a solid platform to work on London roads and highways, and we forged strong relationships with the likes of TfL and Westminster City Council where we have now changed specifications and standards in recycling.
Just three years after opening, Heathrow reached its first milestone – delivering 1 million tonnes of asphalt. Two years later, they reached 2 million tonnes, and despite the challenges caused by COVID-19, it delivered its third millionth tonne in 2022.
In October 2020, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the ‘Build Back Better’ government programme as we transitioned out of COVID lockdowns. He opened the Conservative Annual Conference from the Heathrow Yard, marking the first ever Virtual Party Conference as a result of COVID-19.
Award-Winning Asphalt and RAP Production
Heathrow has received awards for innovation, several MPA (Mineral Products Association) safety awards, including fume mitigation measures, and awards for manufacturing, such as developments for our hot RAP systems.
The team across Heathrow has worked on high-profile projects in the industry, such as high RAP trials, both with TfL and National Highways. More recently, a groundbreaking carbon neutral scheme was delivered in Elmfield Way, Westminster, laying a new road surface containing 92% recycled materials – the highest percentage ever used on a UK road.
Meet the People Behind the Scenes
Nostalgically, we can fondly say it’s been a labour of love, illustrated by the dedicated team members who were there to witness the early days and are still here standing strong. We’d love you to meet some of them in this video reel here, where they candidly share their experiences from the past decade.
Here’s to the Next 10 Years
In a single decade, we have grown as a company from one to seven plants, plus a bitumen terminal in Gravesend. Heathrow operates as a central hub for asphalt and RAP delivery in London and the South of England, and it’s fair to say, it has helped us make our name as an industry leader in the South of England.
Thank you to everyone for helping us get here, with a particular mention to our customers and the Aggregates and Asphalt team.
Congratulations Heathrow!
The Marketing team are always on hand to visit our Aggregates & Asphalt (A&A) plants to capture a behind-the-scenes look into the lifecycle of our products. Take a look with us as we uncover the journey of our aggregates before they reach their final surfacing destinations, taking a closer look at exactly how our products are manufactured, as well as how our plants are serving local businesses.
The Marketing team is back with another blog, this time paying a visit to our Aldershot asphalt plant for an exclusive behind-the-scenes look.
Located in Kent, Chelsfield Recycling is one of four recycling depots within the Aggregates and Asphalt division. Home to the management of road planings, we crush, and screen used materials to process them into high-quality RAP (recycled asphalt planings).