Home / About Matzen Tegl
A family of brickmakers.
Matzen Tegl makes facing bricks at two brickworks by Nybøl Nor in southern Denmark: Carl Matzens Teglværk in Egernsund and Gråsten Teglværk in Gråsten. The company traces its roots to 1750, and Carl Matzens Teglværk is still run by the Matzen family, now in its eighth generation.
One family has fired these bricks for 275 years.
Peter Matzen leads Matzen Tegl, which includes Carl Matzens Teglværk and Gråsten Teglværk. He is the eighth generation of a family that has made brick since 1750. Matzen describes it as Denmark's oldest industrial business, all within the same family line.
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1750Peter Matzen, eighth generation
- 1750
Roots at Egernsund
The family begins making brick in the Egernsund area of South Jutland, from local clay.
- 1903
Gråsten Teglværk founded
The second brickworks, today part of Matzen Tegl, is founded at Gråsten.
- 1988
Two works, one family
Carl Matzen acquires Gråsten Teglværk, and Peter Matzen takes over management.
- 2008
130 metre tunnel kiln
A new kiln is installed at Gråsten Teglværk.
- 2025
Carbon on the record
Third party EPDs to EN 15804+A2 issued for Matzen's bricks.
- 2026
Cleaner firing, a new continent
Flue gas cleaning begins at Gråsten. Prolific Stone brings Matzen Tegl to Australia.
Side by side in South Jutland.
Both works sit by Nybøl Nor in southern Denmark and use locally sourced Danish clay. Figures from Matzen Tegl.
Carl Matzens Teglværk
| Capacity | 18 million bricks |
|---|---|
| Clay | Pits around the works and 3 to 13 km away |
| Kiln | 90 metre tunnel kiln |
| Makes | Handstruck and waterstruck facing bricks, lintels and special shapes |
Gråsten Teglværk
| Capacity | 25 million bricks |
|---|---|
| Clay | Pits up to 40 km from the works |
| Kiln | 130 metre tunnel kiln, installed 2008 |
| Makes | Waterstruck facing bricks, lintels and special shapes |
From Danish clay to facade.
Matzen makes only handstruck and waterstruck bricks, by machine, from Danish clay.
Handstruck
Clay is formed in sand filled mould boxes. The sand leaves a textured face and natural variation from brick to brick, for a wall with pronounced character.
Waterstruck
Wet clay is pressed into shape. The face is smoother and the colour moves softly, for a calmer wall.
Colour
Colour comes from the clay and the firing. Several bricks are engobed, with a fine clay layer that adds or deepens colour. The Intense collection is fired twice.
A lower footprint, documented.
- Matzen holds certificates for biogas allocation covering all its bricks.
- Third party EPDs to EN 15804+A2 for its red, black and yellow bricks.
- Flue gas cleaning and heat recovery at Gråsten Teglværk, expected to cut energy use there by about 15% once fully in place (Matzen).
- Compact Brick: 87 mm deep instead of the standard depth, with up to 19% lower GWP and less mortar (Matzen).
Prolific Stone, exclusively.
Prolific Stone International, a natural stone importer in Croydon, Victoria, is Matzen Tegl's exclusive distributor in Australia. Matzen refers every Australian enquiry to Prolific Stone, the same loyalty it gives its partners in England and in the Netherlands and Belgium.
Matzen lists its partners on its own website: Tegelmäster in Sweden, Mur Direkte in Norway, STC in the Netherlands, European Building Materials in the UK, and Prolific Stone International in Australia.
We import each order, show Matzen samples at our Croydon showroom by appointment, and deliver Australia wide.
See the bricks in your hand before you specify.
Pick the bricks you are considering and we will arrange samples for your project, or send the Matzen Tegl Architect Folio. Prefer to see a wall of them? Book a time at our Croydon showroom.