GRP helps create Thorpe Park ride
A Black Country building products manufacturer's innovative brick-effect cladding product has been used in creating a new ride at a leading theme park in Surrey.
Merlin Entertainments turned to GRP Building Products in Kingswinford for Thorpe Park Resort's new attraction.
GRP office manager Lucy Sermon said: "The new ride combines a rollercoaster with virtual reality.
"It has been created with Derren Brown to use mind control and environment to thrill and excite visitors."
GRP Building Products' buff coloured brick-effect panels have been fixed to a steel frame and then weathered and aged by specialist set designers to created the Thorpe Junction rail depot which forms part of the attraction, which is due to open in early May.
As well as brick cladding and wall panels, GRP, of Ham Lane, makes dummy chimney units, window and architectural features and extraction flue covers at its 28,000 sq ft factory and office unit.
Managing director Gess(COR) Hunt, who is from Brierley Hill, said that the work for Thorpe Park was completed at the end of January.
GRP, which celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2017, employs about 30 and has annual turnover of £1.5 million.
Mr Hunt said that all its customers came from the UK and it supplied all the major building companies. Its lightweight products were also in demand for restoration projects.
"We do a lot of bespoke work and do the designs for customers as well.
"We are constantly developing cladding," added Mr Hunt.
The full range of products that GRP offers is featured on its website www.grpbuildingproducts.co.uk
