At a time when industrial shutdowns continue to make headlines, Tioxide is rewriting history. Its Greatham site, owned by the LB Group since April 2026, was idled in the last quarter of 2025. Following LB Group’s purchase, the plant is now back up and running under the Tioxide name. It can manufacture all TIOXIDE and DELTIO pigment grades again, aiming to ramp up production back to its full nameplate capacity of 150,000 tonnes of TiO₂ pigment per year.
TiO₂ is a high-performance white pigment widely used in plastics to deliver opacity and whiteness, while providing the performance required for demanding processing conditions and prolonged outdoor exposure, as Justin Roe, Product & Technology Director, explained. TIOXIDE TR48 is the company’s best-selling product in its plastics portfolio, designed for masterbatch and compounding applications.
Visiting the facility was a great privilege, to say the least. The behind-the-scenes tour offered a glimpse into what it took to bring operations back up and running – extensive commissioning, testing and maintenance. But it’s getting to talk to the people who made it possible that always makes a story worth reading. Speaking to members of the Tioxide team revealed how different departments had worked together towards a shared goal.
Changing regulations mean customers have different priorities today than they did before. Julie Reid, Vice President of Commercial Operations, explained that innovation is driven partly by regulatory compliance and partly by the need to help customers meet their sustainability targets. For Julie, growth isn’t only about the number of tonnes produced; it also includes progress towards sustainability targets, sales growth and developing the business in every sense.
Alison Hill, Global Regulatory and Sustainability Director, and Paul Strefford, EHSQ & Technical Manager, reinforce the importance of sustainability as one of Tioxide’s core pillars. Caring for the environment is embedded into the business’s ethos, and initiatives like installing LED bulbs across the site and replacing boilers with more energy-efficient ones are proof. But Tioxide’s commitment to sustainability extends far beyond the plant itself; the company participates in various environmental projects, like the Tees Tidelands – aiming to remap and reshape the Tees Estuary – to ensure the local natural environment and its biodiversity continues to thrive.
The Greatham site has strong foundations in the community, making recruitment and retention crucial to the restart. The acquisition secured the continued employment of 131 employees, with the workforce targeted to reach 308 by 2027. Many of the people who lost their jobs during the administration returned, as Karen Askwith, Greatham site Managing Director, said, bringing their knowledge, capabilities and history with them. That institutional knowledge is difficult to replace and is an important asset as operations ramp up. For example, the R&D department, headed by Justin Roe, boasts over 300 years of experience combined. If this doesn’t paint a clear picture, I don’t know what will.
The North East, particularly Teesside, has a world-renowned skills base, and the restart creates a future for these skills. Universities and training providers work together to create a pathway between industry needs and education. Joanne Smith, CEO at NEPIC, reinforced this point, highlighting collaboration as one of the region’s greatest strengths.
Businesses support one another because they care about the area, want to sustain employment and recognise the importance of supporting local families and communities. Maintaining those connections will be vital to ensuring the region can continue to attract investment and develop the skills manufacturers need.
So, what does the short-term future look like for the Greatham site and Tioxide? Reconnecting with customers, rebuilding the order book and restarting the second production stream early next year, as Karen pointed out. Beyond these immediate goals, both Karen and Joanne emphasised the importance of continued growth across the sector. Raising awareness of the opportunities available in manufacturing from an early age can help young people see a future for themselves, supporting the skills pipeline that businesses will need in the years ahead.
Seeing steam coming from the plant on day one of the new beginning was a sight to behold. But Tioxide’s restart need not be a one-off story. With the right investment, skills and collaboration, it could become the standard for what’s possible in our industry: more plants restarting, more jobs secured and fewer closures making the headlines. If anything, Greatham reminds us that passionate people are the key behind every success story.
