Global building materials group Lafarge, owners of the Blue Circle cement brand, have reached their first has CO2 emissions reduction objective two years in advance.

Builders merchant group Travis Perkins have begun a £2m redevelopment of one of their two sites in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk.

Independent builders merchant chain MKM Building Supplies have opened a new branch at Lynn in Norfolk.

Builders merchants Travis Perkins might have to launch a £350m rights issue to see it through the rest of the downturn, according to analysts at Royal Bank of Scotland.

Security specialists ASSA ABLOY have launched a new range of Yale padlocks, merchandised in three colour-coded categories for ease of display.

Simpson Strong-Tie have launched a range of bead, mesh and arch-forming products designed for the plastering and dry-lining sector.

Richard Burbidge's online planning tool STAIRPLANNER has been used by nearly 40,000 people in just 12 months, showing the sales opportunities that exist for stockists with stair balustrades.

Around 12 parked cars and vans were crushed on Wednesday morning when scaffolding on the roof of the Minster Insulation branch in Exeter collapsed.

Heating and plumbing merchants HPS increased sales for 2008 by 10% to £30.88, although operating profits fell from £2.08m to £1.6m.

The Get Britain Building campaign, the coalition of builders merchants, builders and manufacturers, is being launched at the Welsh Assembly today.