In 2011, Ipswich, England could boast of a population of 133,384. Wikipedia notes in recent years, the town has undergone a revitalization campaign, particularly along the waterfront area. This urban renewal has created an influx of DINKS (dual income no kids) to the locality. Looking at these developments from point of view of, say, an urban planner or building contractor, the focus of our narrative will not be on the historical buildings, which give Ipswich its identity, but, rather, on the more practical needs of its citizens, not the least of which is concrete.
A rock in any direction
A Google search on concrete suppliers Ipswich, England’ yields nine returns for companies who operate in or near the town. Perhaps this is unremarkable to anyone who has never thought to query concrete suppliers, but based on Ipswich’s population, this is no small achievement. Not surprisingly, then, a similar search for ready mix concrete yields about the same number of results, though, I confess, many are duplicate results from the prior search.
Things are happening in Suffolk County
A September 2013 analysis of demographic change in Suffolk County revealed that throughout the County from 2011 to 2013, the population increased. According to the analysis’ Executive Summary, a planned house building program will not meet the demands of this growing population. For individuals, DINK or otherwise, this bodes ill, but for home builders, this is manna from heaven. And as go the fortunes of home builders, so go the fortunes of contractors, including concrete and ready mix concrete suppliers.
Home improvement in Ipswich
According to a March 2017 article in the Independent, Ipswich ranks as the seventh best place to live in England. While data on the number of people remodeling their homes is scant, the increase in the number of companies affiliated with home remodeling is significant. So much, so, that there are numerous websites that provide ratings on home improvement companies in Ipswich.
So things are mostly good in Ipswich (gentrification always has its naysayers). The population is growing; new homes are going up (even at a pace that lags behind the burgeoning population); and, at least in the foreseeable future, there are enough ready mix concrete suppliers to meet the demands of a town experience a building boom.