Robert Lickley Refractories has welcomed Darren Hutchinson and Duncan Tomlinson to its technical and sales teams as part of a continued focus on strengthening expert-led support. Both join the business from Vesuvius. Hutchinson brings extensive experience from his role as technical sales manager, while Tomlinson joins as a globally recognised expert in steelmaking and tundish applications, having previously held the role of EMEA product manager.
In parallel with these appointments, the company has announced the construction of a new Innovation Centre at its UK manufacturing site. The facility is being developed with funding support from Dudley Council and the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and is scheduled to go live at the end of March 2026.
The Innovation Centre will provide a dedicated and well equipped environment for new product formulation, material characterisation, testing and validation, supporting more informed engineering decision making and closer alignment between laboratory evaluation and plant performance.
Combined with enhanced technical expertise, ongoing accreditations, advanced process capability and an in-house fabrication workshop able to manufacture steel frameworks, formers and associated assemblies at any scale, Robert Lickley Refractories is significantly strengthening the depth and quality of support available to its customers – from initial specification through to installation and ongoing performance.
CEO Rob Lickley commented:
“This is a pivotal moment in our 55-year history. The level of development, prototyping and quality testing we will bring in-house will rival that of major multinationals. With advanced particle size analysis, XRF, dilatometry and ultrasonic testing, we’ll be able to provide far deeper insights into our products—supporting smarter material selection and strengthening the QA procedures we are already renowned for.”
The Innovation Lab will also push testing into more extreme environments, enabling assessment under varied atmospheres and higher-than-ever temperatures. As part of this first phase, our prototyping capability will also take another major step forward with the installation of a large-format 3D printer. Rob Lickley added:
“Thanks to exceptional Government support, we can proudly say that world-class manufacturing continues to thrive at the heart of the Black Country. This is just the beginning. We are already working with additional stakeholders to expand our research capabilities further as we move toward full Industry 4.0 integration.”
Together with other investments to be announced in Q1 2026, this represent a major commitment to building a more efficient, greener and more sustainable future for refractories production in Britain.
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