Prosista has acquired the two former Zentia ceiling manufacturing sites in Gateshead, securing premises, machinery, stock and intellectual property after the previous owner entered administration. The Turkish building products manufacturer intends to restart production at the facilities and is recruiting former employees, with plans to create opportunities for more than 100 workers. The acquisition follows the suspension of production in June and the loss of much of the previous workforce.
The multi-million-pound transaction brings an established manufacturing operation into a group already producing metal and acoustic ceiling systems for construction markets. Prosista plans to combine its metal ceiling expertise with the mineral ceiling tiles, suspension systems and acoustic products previously manufactured by Zentia. The purchase covers productive assets and intellectual property, allowing the buyer to work with existing machinery, product knowledge and plant arrangements rather than begin with an entirely new factory build.
Zentia Limited and Zentia Profiles Limited entered administration on 8 June 2026. Administrators Interpath attributed their financial difficulties to a combination of high energy costs and sales below forecast, following attempts to stabilise the business, including a £6.5m shareholder cash injection in the preceding year. Production at both Gateshead sites ceased and the administrators reported approximately 170 redundancies, with a small number of employees retained to assist during the insolvency process.
The Gateshead operation previously supplied mineral ceiling tiles, suspension grids, and floating ceiling systems. Zentia’s company history places mineral tile manufacturing at Team Valley from 1966 and the establishment of a separate grid factory in 1997. Tile production and metal grid manufacture have different process and quality requirements: panels must meet acoustic, fire, and dimensional specifications, while the supporting profiles need accurate forming and compatible connections. The acquired assets therefore represent more than factory buildings, incorporating equipment and manufacturing knowledge for two interdependent product ranges.
Ceiling panels are specified against a defined combination of sound absorption, surface finish, size, and reaction-to-fire requirements. Consistent panel dimensions allow tiles to be fitted into the supporting grid without gaps or excessive handling adjustments. The metal grid, in turn, must maintain its geometry and support the intended ceiling configuration. When production restarts, quality checks and current product documentation will be needed to demonstrate that the output remains consistent with relevant specifications and project requirements.
Prosista’s existing range spans metal ceiling systems, carrier and accessory products, acoustic panels and other interior building systems. The manufacturer describes production activities at its Turkish facilities covering a wide range of ceiling formats. Adding Gateshead’s mineral ceiling and grid capability could therefore broaden its output and provide a base for developing combinations of products across the two businesses. Any proposed new range will still need to meet the applicable technical specifications and supply requirements of its intended markets.
The purchase was negotiated with the administrators, with legal advisers RFB Legal handling issues involving property, machinery, intellectual property, and remaining employment arrangements. Restoring production will require the buyer to make the acquired plant ready for operation, recruit and train staff, and rebuild the flow of orders and materials. The companies have not published a date for the first commercial production run, so the completed asset acquisition and the operational restart remain separate milestones.
Mehmet Lacin, director at Prosista, has described plans to build on the factories’ established manufacturing knowledge while combining the company’s metal ceiling range with the Gateshead mineral and acoustic products. The buyer has begun recruiting former Zentia workers and expects to create opportunities for more than 100 people. That number is a recruitment ambition, not a confirmed count of employees already appointed, and future staffing will depend on how production is phased back into operation.
High energy costs and weaker-than-forecast demand contributed to Zentia’s administration, according to the appointed administrators. Those pressures remain relevant to any restart: mineral tile manufacture and grid production have separate equipment, material, and labour requirements, while the combined operation needs sufficient orders to keep the plants economically utilised. Re-establishing local supply may shorten delivery chains for UK projects, but a sustained manufacturing programme will require competitive production costs, qualified output, and reliable demand.
Zentia’s collapse interrupted production at two long-established North East factories. Prosista’s purchase preserves the machinery, product knowledge, and industrial sites needed for a possible restart, while extending the buyer’s product range beyond its existing metal ceiling systems. The acquisition price, detailed reopening timetable, and intended manufacturing volumes have not been disclosed. Recruitment, recommissioning, and the first confirmed customer deliveries will establish how quickly the sites resume their former industrial role.
