Fiona Russell-Horne

Group Managing Editor across the BMJ portfolio.

Kilwaughter Minerals ramps up focus on R&D

RD Press Release 2021 lr

Building materials company Kilwaughter Minerals is extending their investment in R&D, to drive their core markets. The £40m revenue business includes core brands K Rend, K Systems and Kilwaughter Lime. The company has already made significant annual investment in production plants, most recently, the completion of a new business centre at …

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Plumbing pushes back to pre-pandemic proportions

plumber sink low res

Plumbers merchants are as busy as they were before the Covid-19 pandemic hit, according to the latest Plumbing & Heating Merchant Index (PHMI) report, based on data from GfK’s Plumbing & Heating Merchant Panel. Specialist plumbing & heating merchants’ sales in February were up 1.2% on February 2020, on an …

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Roofing reports positive 2021 start, but skill shortages start to bite

roofer low res

Roofing contractors reported a significant growth in workloads during the first quarter of 2021 but were hampered by recruitment difficulties and continued material shortages and price rises, according to the Q1 State of the Roofing Industry survey produced by Glenigan for roofing contractors’ association, NFRC. Over half of  contractors surveyed …

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WCoBM increases membership despite pandemic challenge

WCoBM welcomes 11 new Liverymen and Freemen

Since the first lockdown last April, the Worshipful Company of Builders’ Merchants has welcomed 11 new Liverymen and Freemen. All admissions and installations over the last 12 months took place via Zoom and now the Livery now has a very healthy 206 active Liverymen and 28 Freemen. Membership is by …

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Joseph Parr picks Talasey for new landscaping centre

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Builders merchant Joseph Parr has opened its newly refurbished Joseph Parr Landscape Centre and picked landscaping solutions supplier, Talasey Group, as the main supplier. The Landscape Centre,situated at Portrack Trade Park, Cheltenham Road, Stockton, TS18 2AD. is the first of its kind for Talasey, who have been trading nationwide for …

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BMF and IoBM to merge in May

BMF and IoBM logos

Three years after it was first proposed, the merger between builders merchants organisations  the Institute of Builders’ Merchants and  the Builders Merchants Federation is to go ahead with effect from May 1 2021. The Institute will be separately managed and operate as a brand within the BMF. Members approved the …

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Sofa, so (not very) good

Me edit pic for web

Whoever is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be trusted with important matters They got him for tax evasion in the end. Al Capone, that is. After years of violence, gun-running, whiskey bootlegging and general mafioso-type nastiness, old Scarface, Public Enemy No 1, was undone by his reluctance …

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BMF reveals training award finalists

Awards Training companies combined logos

Builders merchants E H Smith, Harlow, Huws Gray and LBS have been nominated for the title BMF Training Company of the Year 2021, part of the annual member awards made by the Builders Merchants Federation. Nominated by BMF Regional Managers, who work closely with members in their area to satisfy …

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Full construction recovery will take a further year, says CPA

low res builders on building site sstock

Double digit growth is expected for the UK construction industry this year, although it may take until next year before the industry recovers the output lost in 2020 and returns to 2019 levels, according to the latest forecast from the Construction Products Association. Construction activity continued throughout the first quarter …

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Selco spruces up urban farm

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  Selco Builders Warehouse has donated a range of materials to Woodgate Urban Farm, based on Doulton Close in Harborne, after being approached by customer David Cox, of Facilica Building Services.   The materials have been used to create a concrete path at the entrance to the farm to improve …

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