Also in the News...

• Ridgeons employee raises £800 for EACH on 75-mile cycle ride

  An employee from the Ridgeons branch in Halesworth has raised £800 for East Anglia Children’s Hospices (EACH) by cycling more than 75 miles in one day.

• Jewson Live returns for 2017 show

  The UK’s biggest builders’ merchant show, Jewson Live, is back for 2017 – and it’s going to be bigger and better than ever.

• ASSA ABLOY Access Control strengthens team with two key appointments

  ASSA ABLOY Access Control, a UK division of ASSA ABLOY, the global leader in door opening solutions, has strengthened its team by appointing a new Regional Sales Manager and Business Development Executive.

• Construction leaders call for greater industry unity over T-Levels

  Construction industry urged to collaborate now to successfully integrate the Post 16 skills plan reforms

• Old Chestnuts’ e-postcards dispel British timber myths

  Grown in Britain has launched a series of ‘Old Chestnuts’: electronic postcards intended to demonstrate that British-grown timber is a modern material.

• BMBI experts debate key issues and trends in construction

  In September, the Builders Merchants Federation (BMF) hosted the Builders Merchant Building Index (BMBI) second annual Round Table debate at its offices in Coventry.

• Apprentices the solution to the UK’s skills gap

  Apprentices are the solution to addressing the UK’s skills gap, say 82% of UK SMEs in results obtained from the Close Brothers Business Barometer, a quarterly survey that questions over 900 UK and RoI SME owners and senior management across a range of sectors and regions.

• Plumbase appoints new Managing Director

  National independent plumber’s merchant, Plumbase, has promoted Mark Bradley to the position of Managing Director.

• Buildbase stars in film on shaping the next generation of building supplies professionals


  Buildbase has collaborated with ITN Productions and the Chartered Institute of Builders (CIOB) to produce a video that highlights the role of apprenticeships in shaping the next generation of building supply professionals.

• Supertouch appoints new Operations Manager

  Personal protective equipment (PPE) and workwear specialist, Supertouch, has appointed Paul Tandy as Operations Manager.

• h&b Group's acquisition of TBG sees the dawn of a new strategy for merchant buying groups

  The h&b Group has acquired the Timber Buying Group (TBG), as part of its new strategy to support the industry’s small- to medium-sized merchants.

• Sage joins the BMF

  Sage, the market leader for integrated accounting, payroll and payment systems has joined the Builders Merchant Federation (BMF).

• Timber frame is re-shaping the UK housebuilding industry

  Recent developments in the housebuilding industry look set to stimulate the market for timber frame construction.

• Builders slam hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic, says FMB

  A hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic would be damaging to the NI construction sector, according to new research by the Federation of Master Builders (FMB).

• Capital investment supports brand realignment for Ultra Finishing

  Following the seven-figure capital investment by Business Growth Fund (BGF) earlier this year Ultra Finishing is accelerating its programme of reviews and improvements across its business and infrastructure, in particular its brand realignment, which commenced recently with the establishment of ROXOR Group Limited, the holding company for all of the company’s UK and overseas businesses.

• Wilo recruits two new merchandisers to its team in the UK

  Pump and pumping system manufacturer Wilo has appointed two new merchandisers to provide support for merchants and their customers up and down the country.