RTU is expanding through innovation, strategic acquisitions and customer-focused solutions while driving sustainable long-term growth
RTU has been operating for more than 35 years,” begins Alan Sproule, Managing Director. “We started as a small family business on a farm outside Belfast producing ready-mix concrete before growing into a purpose-built manufacturing facility in Newtownabbey. Originally, we supplied ready-to-use mortar and plaster to builders in tubs, which is where the name RTU comes from.
“At the time, it was a genuinely innovative way of working. Traditionally, builders would mix mortar themselves on site, but we batched it overnight and delivered it in the early hours. When builders arrived at 8am, the mortar was already there, ready to use. It solved a real problem for our customers.
“From there, the business evolved by listening to what customers needed. Builders began asking if we could supply concrete and other materials, and over the years we’ve continued expanding our range by responding to the needs of the construction industry.”
Performance-led products
At the heart of RTU is a straightforward idea: take core building materials and make them more consistent, efficient and easier to work with on site. The company’s range covers both essential construction materials and specialist, performance-led products designed to reduce uncertainty and improve speed of installation.
That range includes everything from ready-mixed concrete, mortar, plaster and screed through to more advanced engineered systems. Products such as Exposa® decorative concrete and coloured mortars are used where appearance matters as much as performance, while Ultraflo® and Ultracem liquid screeds are designed for speed, thermal efficiency and compatibility with modern underfloor heating. Alongside this, innovations like Ultrabead® provide insulating solutions, and Zircon® polished concrete delivers a finished floor straight from the pour.
“More recently,” Alan continues, “we acquired Colinwell Masonry Products, which we brought into the group around two years ago. They supply a fairly unique retaining wall system called Allan Block, along with architectural masonry and Martello stone walling blocks. We now sell that range across the UK and Ireland, supported by a dedicated sales team on both sides of the water.
“When you look across the two companies together, that gives us a complete product offering, from core ready-mix materials through to specialist masonry systems used in larger architectural and civil projects.
“Maintaining consistency and quality across such a diverse range comes down to three key things. First is our automated batching process. Every mix is based on a precise recipe tailored to the required strength. That process is fully automated, so each batch is consistent with no margin for manual error.
“Secondly, we rely on stable, local supply chains for our raw materials, so the inputs remain consistent over time. Finally, we have a highly experienced team, many of whom have been with the business for decades. Their knowledge and understanding of the products ties everything together and ensures quality at every stage.”
Growth strategy
RTU’s current four-year plan runs to July 2027, and then the company will move into the next phase through to 2031, with a target to double revenue. A big part of what’s enabling that ambition is having a clear, well-communicated plan.
“We’ve developed it collectively as a business and made sure it’s understood across the organisation and with our wider stakeholders,” Alan elaborates. “Alongside that, we’re seeing strong organic growth driven by more focused sales activity and a much more structured approach to marketing. We’ve recently built an in-house marketing team, which is a significant investment for us, and that’s already strengthening how we reach the market.
“We’ve also spent a lot of time building the plant capacity, vehicles and people needed to support expansion. On top of that, the acquisition of Colinwell, a business with a 130-year history and strong reputation, has added further strength to the group. We’re now actively exploring further acquisition opportunities as part of our wider growth strategy.”
In terms of expansion across the UK, RTU has defined three clear pillars of growth. “The first is focused on strengthening our existing business and increasing market share in core markets,” Alan explains. “The second is taking that model and replicating it in a different geographical location, most likely through acquisition. The third is expanding into adjacent sectors that still sell into the same customer base or align with our wider offering. It’s about broadening the range in a way that complements the core business.”
Engagement and education
Sustainability has become an increasingly important part of RTU’s long-term strategy, but rather than treating it as a standalone initiative, the company has embedded it into the way it operates. “In our experience,” Alan adds, “good sustainability practices drive good commercial performance. A strong example is the concrete waste recycling facility we invested in last year, which allows us to recover and reuse materials such as stone, sand, and water from our production process, significantly reducing waste and the need for new raw materials. That has obvious environmental benefits, but it also makes good commercial sense.
“The first stage of our ESG journey was understanding what we were already doing. We’d been making positive changes for years, but we hadn’t been formally documenting or measuring them. This led to the development of our ESG report, Our Plan for What Matters, which sets out our commitments, progress, and future ambitions. By benchmarking where we were and improving how we capture data, we can now provide customers with clear, measurable information that supports their own sustainability reporting.”
Alongside embedding sustainability in its processes, RTU approaches safety in a similar manner. “Culture is the key,” Alan explains. “Complying with legislation is the baseline. What matters is creating a culture where the commitment comes from the workforce, not just senior management.
“For us, that means focusing on engagement and education rather than enforcement. Through regular toolbox talks, sharing lessons from incidents and encouraging open communication, we’re building a culture where people understand why these things matter and take ownership of them.
“The industry recognition we’ve received reflects that approach. We’ve always had high standards, but we’re now much better at measuring, documenting and communicating what we’re doing.”
Looking to the future, Alan shares his priorities for the coming years. “We’ve already started work on our next four-year strategy, which we’re calling Project Horizon,” he says. “We believe the planning process needs to start early, so we’re carrying out a full review of the business, looking at everything from our performance and systems to our strengths, challenges and future opportunities.
“Our vision remains the same: to be the number one supplier of products and services within our chosen markets,” Alan concludes. “Whatever markets we decide to operate in, we want to be recognised for consistently high-quality products and unrivalled customer service. That ambition continues to guide everything we do.”
www.rtu.co.uk
www.colinwell.com