Caltra Building Products, a leader in manufacturing professional building products for the construction industry, is proud to announce its 50th anniversary. Founded in 1975 in Antrim, Northern Ireland, the company has grown from its humble beginnings of supplying admixtures to concrete plants into a powerhouse offering a diverse range of high-quality, high-performance products across multiple sectors, including builders’ merchants, tiling, flooring, silo mortar, highways, and Streetscape.

For five decades, Caltrahas stayed true to its core values:

• Built For Professionals
• Trusted Reputation
• Technical Experts
• Customer First
• Support Local

These principles have driven the company’s vision: to provide customers with exceptional service and support while delivering quality products that meet the demands of the ever-evolving construction industry.

A Legacy of Innovation and Expertise

The journey of Caltra Building Products began in 1975 in Antrim, Northern Ireland with a focus on supplying admixtures to concrete plants, offering professional products that improved the quality and performance of concrete. Moving premises to Belfast Harbour Estate in 1984 saw the business expand into epoxy resins, wood preservatives, putty, and some powder products. In 1999, the West Bank Road factory was expanded threefold as the Caltrabrand diversified into manufacturing new building products. The company continued to grow and with the opening of the Caltrastate-of-the-art powder plant in 2008, the production capacity also grew significantly and triggered entry into the GB market.

Today, the company operates with a robust presence across Ireland and the UK, with sales divisions strategically located to support a growing customer base. As a family-run business, Caltrahas steadily expanded its product portfolio, providing cutting-edge solutions to meet the diverse needs of the professional, whether it be architect, contractor, builder, tiler or DIYer.

Caltra’s dedication to innovation remains at the heart of the company’s operations. With significant investment in its on-site research and development (R&D) and quality control (QC) labs at the Belfast headquarters, Caltracontinues to pioneer new products, utilising advanced experimental methods and equipment to develop tailor-made solutions that address the unique requirements of end users. This commitment to R&D ensures that Caltrastays at the forefront of the industry, providing high-quality products that enhance the performance and reliability of construction, tiling, flooring and Streetscape paving projects across Ireland and Great Britain.

Expanding for the Future

With multiple sales divisions in a state of growth, Caltrais making strides in establishing a solid brand position within each market. For the builders’ merchant division, Caltrais stepping up its in-store merchandising presence and enhancing on-shelf brand image. Across the tiling and flooring sector, the team are harnessing their extensive technical product expertise to advise on the best products required for various installations, from airports and shopping centres to swimming pools and even helicopter showrooms!

When it comes to the silos and bulk admixtures side of the business, Caltrais the go-to brand for supplying building materials direct to site either via pallet, silo, or tanker. Responsible for creating some of the most iconic landscape projects, CaltraStreetscape Eco BS 7533 paving mortar system delivers not only trusted, high performance priming, bedding and jointing materials, but also offers eco reduced carbon benefits. The product range is now available to add directly to specification through the NBS Source platform: Caltra Building Products | Overview | NBS Source

Sustainability at the Core

Looking ahead, Caltrais committed to sustainability, with plans to further introduce environmentally conscious practices into its operations and manufacturing processes. In 2025, Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) will be made available, and the manufacturing team will also be working towards achieving ISO 45001 Health & Safety Management certification. Both Caltrafactories, which are based in the Belfast docklands, are already powered by Green Energy, and operate with very little wastage due to computer-controlled production. The company also continues to offer bulk deliveries direct to site via the Caltratanker, thus reducing the need for any packaging. Watch this space for much more to come!

Celebrating 50 Years of Success

The 50th anniversary is a testament to the enduring dedication of Caltra’s employees, many of whom have been with the company for 20, 30, or even 40 years. These long-service employees have played an integral role in preserving the company’s product knowledge, technical expertise, and professional reputation, ensuring that Caltracontinues to thrive as a trusted name in the construction industry for years to come.

As the company celebrates this major milestone, the Caltrateam have also been looking towards the future. Significant upgrades have been made to the Belfast premises through the enhancement of the office, warehouse, factory, and canteen spaces to create a modern and comfortable working environment. With a newly designed conference room, Caltra’s headquarters in the heart of the Belfast docklands now stands as an inviting space for employees, customers, suppliers, and visitors alike.

In May 2025, the team celebrated this incredible milestone alongside customers, suppliers, and staff, all of which have played a key role in making Caltrathe trusted, professional brand that it is today. With guests attending from all over Ireland and the UK, the event kicked off with a light breakfast and brand presentation from Caltra’s Managing Director. Throughout the day, guests were treated to guided tours of both manufacturing sites, and never went hungry or thirsty with the pizza van, buffet lunch and plenty of refreshments available. The afternoon of celebrations came to an end with a Belfast city sightseeing bus tour, allowing guests to take in all the iconic landmarks where Caltrabuilding products have been used.

Looking Towards the Future

Caltrais excited to embrace the next chapter of its journey with a key focus on sustainability, product innovation, and expanding within the construction sector both domestic and further afield. The addition of a new marketing team means that the Caltrabrand presence is growing day by day, and marketing support is now available to customers across all divisions. With the creation of new point of sale materials, brochures, social media assets, product application videos, revamped packaging, and a new website underway, the future looks bright for the Caltrabrand!

Watch this space as Caltracontinues to set the standard for professional building products, shaping the future of construction for the next 50 years.

For more information about Caltra Building Products, please contact 028 9077 4000 or visit www.larsenbuildingproducts.com. Don’t forget to follow @LarsenBuildingProducts on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook! #Larsen50