Independent plumbers merchants merchant John Nicholls (Trading) Ltd is joining buying group from January 1 2026, unifying its Heating, Plumbing, and Bathroom purchasing under PHG. Established in 1965 and led by Executive Chairman Andrew Nicholls, John Nicholls (Trading) Ltd operates a network of 17 branches. Following an MBO in 2023, …

You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it does. Social media has come a long way since Jack Dorsey, founder of Twitter (I’m not calling it X. That’s a stupid name) posted “just setting up my twttr”, and the Harvard students’ simple profiles …

Latest official figures from the ONS show total construction output fell 0.3% in the three months to October 2025. Repair and maintenance work fell 1%, and, although new work rose 0.1%, the private housing sector was the worst hit, with repair and maintenance work falling 2.3% and private new housing1%. …

Marsh Industries, the water and wastewater treatment products manufacturer, has relaunched its Sooey Miles for Smiles Christmas Campaign. In the previous Sooey Christmas campaign five years ago, the company donated £5,000 to each of four hospitals, in Birmingham, Belfast, Edinburgh and Cardiff. The aim was to help to bring a …

 Tobermore, the landscaping and construction product manufacturer, has restructured its senior leadership team.  and will be recruiting 10 new members of staff to support its next phase of growth. Glenn Robinson, formerly Tobermore’s general manager, has taken the role of CEO and will continue to work alongside owner, David Henderson, who …

To unpack the thinking behind the BMF’s Branch of the Future Report, Fiona Russell Horne sat down with Tom Diplock, partner at L.E.K Consulting, which conducted the research supporting the report. They discussed how the work originated, what it reveals about the sector’s evolution, and why the report should be …

Setcrete Latex self-smoothing floor levelling compound has been used to create a smooth and level surface to optimise the appearance of a Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT) installation in a kitchen/dining area refurbishment at a residential property in Chesterfield. The concrete subfloor was first prepared using Setcrete Acrylic Primer, which is …

The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong at the broken places. Hurrah and Huzzah. The Government is throwing £725m at the apprenticeship system to reset it and make it more fit for purpose. For construction, this is vital. We are never going to get anywhere near the 1.5million …

Independent Builders Merchants Group has announced today (December 10) that Martin Stables, CEO since 2021, is stepping down to pursue other opportunities.   Richard Robinson, currently CFO, has been appointed as Interim CEO, effective immediately, while maintaining his CFO duties during the brief transition. Together with Stables, IBMG’s Board of …

Hultafors Group UK has brought out a series of new tool ranges. The SCANGRIP TOWER 8 CONNECT Floodlight (RRP £234.90) is a new and improved version of its bestselling predecessor. Delivering 8,000 lumens – up to 60% more than the previous model – it is by far the most powerful …