The UK’s leading manufacturer of clay bricks in the UK has scooped a prestigious award in recognition of its world-class apprenticeship programme. At the Training Journal Awards, held on December 3, Ibstock Brick beat off competition from major brands to win the Gold Award in the Best Apprenticeship Programme category. …

Nigel Evans, a Conservative Candidate for Ribble Valley, has visited Baxi Heating in Club Street, Bamber Bridge, Preston to see the hydrogen boiler that the heating manufacturer is developing. The prototype boiler, that has been developed in conjunction with Baxi Heating’s parent company, BDR Thermea Group, works using 100% pure …

The Builders Merchants Federation (BMF) has just launched its 30th Regional Centre of Excellence at Ideal Standard at Clerkenwell in London. The BMF launched the new centre during the Winter meeting of the BMF Young Merchants on 5 December. The BMF’s growing network of BMF Regional Centres of Excellence means …

The NMBS has declared its support for ETIM as the most appropriate data model for the standardisation and classification of technical product data for its members. The ETIM model, which simplifies the transfer of information between manufacturer and merchant, was first introduced to the UK’s electro-technical sector by the EDA, …

When Wendy Smith began her first job at Frank Key Group in Daybrook, Nottingham, Tony Blair was Prime Minister, the turn of the Millennium was just around the corner and Britney Spear’s ‘Baby One More Time’ was the year’s best selling single. Twenty years on Wendy, who started in the …

The New Community Men’s Shed, a social enterprise established in May 2019 teaches joinery skills using SMARTPLY OSB to male refugees in Waterford, Ireland. Members are drawn from the Viking House Direct Provision Centre for refugees in Waterford and are encouraged to engage in team joinery activities to build not …

Thompson & Parkes Stourport will be holding a free Santa Meet and Greet day for children on Saturday 14th December from 9am to 5pm. Stourport’s manager, Nikki Shipton, said: “Time has flown since we opened in September and business has been good, so we wanted to say thank you to …

CEMEX has set a new target in connection with its volunteering commitments for 2020, aligned with the company’s vision of building a better future while contributing to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Currently, 22% of CEMEX employees worldwide are performing diverse volunteering activities that directly contribute not only …

For the second quarter in succession, revisions to the Builders Merchants Industry Forecast of merchant sales show a drop in expected growth for 2019 over 2018.  The slowdown in growth is now expected to continue into Q1 2020. Published by the Builders Merchants Federation (BMF) values are forecast based on …

Jewson Live – the UK’s best event for builders – is returning to the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Birmingham for the fifth year this December. With over 2,600 tradespeople coming through the doors in 2018, Jewson Live is made for the trade and there is a packed calendar of …