A truly rich life

We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give

It is a truth, universally acknowledged, that young men and women entering the UK building materials sector as a career either tend to be in and out of it, or they stay for life. All industries have their quirks and oddities, and this one of course is no exception. Basically, what I’m saying is that, if you ‘get’ merchanting and building materials, you tend to stick with it. If it doesn’t resonate with you somehow, you’ll move on elsewhere.

This is, of course, another one of my massive generalisations just to make a point. But that doesn’t mean I’m not convinced that its true. When I joined BMJ, back when there was a 19 in the dateline, I fully intended to stick at it for about five years and then move onto something else: The Times, maybe, or Wine-Drinkers Weekly, being neither stylish enough, nor thin enough, for Vogue.

I think we all know how that plan worked out. Somehow, something in the industry got under my skin, into my soul, and here I still am. Maybe, this being an industry that’s about who you know as much as what you know, it was more like ‘someone’ got under my skin. Lots of someones. Yes – that means you. And you. And him. And her. And them. Though to be fair, the industry itself also worked its way into my psyche. I love what we ‘do’ here. Shelter and security are part of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs; what does this industry do if not provide that?

So, I’ve been doing this for the best part of 35 years, but, compared to many others, I’m still something of a spring chicken. Not a phrase that really applied these days, but I’ll take what I can.

In a sector that is still populated in huge, huge numbers by the family-owned, and/or family-run independent builders and plumbers merchant business, there will be a great many people who have been around longer than I have. But one person really stands head and shoulders above the rest  in that sense, as a news story that landed in my inbox this afternoon (Tuesday) shows.

Step forward John Lawson, who took charge of the family business in September 1952 at the age of just 20 and he’s still actively involved at the age of 94. To put it, possibly ungallantly, in context – September 1952 is just seven years after the end of the war. Talk about sticking with something.

Last night, Lawson was named the winner of the 2026 National Lifetime Achievement Award by Family Business United. Ten other people were recognised for their longstanding contribution to their family businesses, but Lawson was the overall national winner.

According to the press release, part of the appeal was Lawson’s decision to gift his majority shareholding into an independent non-family employee benefit trust. The move, the judges believed, reflected the family values that have shaped the business throughout his leadership, and was designed to protect Lawsons’ independence and ensure its continuity for future generations.

And of course, ever the gentleman, Lawsons said that it wasn’t about him. “Lawsons has never been about one person. Everything we have achieved over the years has been possible because of the people who have worked alongside us and their families who have supported them. The mutual responsibility and interaction between the family and the business fosters relationships and lifelong friendships. Protecting that for the future and our people is very important to me, and I hope Lawsons will continue to provide opportunities and serve its customers and communities for many generations to come.”

Compare that, gentle readers, with the attitude of the gazillionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who sits in tax-exile in his Monegasque ivory tower, counting his gold, complaining that the UK is on the slide due to high taxes and immigration. Conveniently forgetting that a) much of his current Manchester United squad could reasonably be described as immigrants, and b) it was other people’s taxes that funded his education at a UK secondary school and university.

I know which one of these two gentlemen garners my respect and admiration.