Builders Merchants Journal – BMJ Publishing to Builders Merchants and the UK merchanting industry for more than 95 years
Colin Clark, the MP for Gordon, visited the Inverurie premises of builders merchant GPH on Friday 6 July.
He was shown around by chairman Mike Macauley and managing director Grant Shewan and directors Ken Findlay and John Glover.
The group discussed a number of issues relating to the merchanting industry, including Business Rates, Local Authority Contracts, Building of Affordable Housing and the Brexit Effect on NE Scotland. They also talked about the lack of support in public procurement for local SME suppliers and sub-contractors to benefit from large publicly funded construction projects, such as Aberdeen Exhibition & Conference Centre and Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route
Clark said “As MP for Gordon I am really keen to visit local companies to discuss issues that affect them. GPH is the largest independent merchants north of Dundee. A stalwart of the NE supplying trades people and keen DIY for over 30 years. Worryingly self builds are drying up and several local smaller scale builders have failed. I want to see the economy of the Gordon Constituency and the North East continue grow stronger. The message is clear Gordon is open for Business and I will always support local businesses who drive the local economy”
Shewan said “We are grateful to Colin for taking the time to visit our Inverurie depot. As a local business in the North East of Scotland with 120 employees, it is important that the challenges facing our business are heard by our local elected member. We look forward to working closely with Colin on these issues in the future”
The visit was facilitated by the Builders Merchants Federation and Graham Bolton, regional manager for Scotland, said: “It is good to see local politicians like Colin taking an interest in BMF members and appreciating the challenges which face our members not only in NE Scotland but throughout the UK”.
