Fiona Russell-Horne

Group Managing Editor across the BMJ portfolio.

Build, baby, build

p73btf

It looked as if it had once been a large house of entertainment; but the roof had fallen in, in many places, and the stairs were steep, rugged, and broken. In today’s least surprising news comes the headline at the top of The Times App: “Labour will miss 1.5m new …

Read More »

MP pitches up to Howarth Timber’s Thorne branch

DSC03320

A constituency visit by Lee Pitcher MP, organised by the Builders Merchants Federation, to Howarth Timber & Building Supplies in Thorne came at the end of Flood Action Week in which the Environment Agency and BMF members like Howarth’s are promoting ‘Be Flood Ready’ The MP for Doncaster East and …

Read More »

NMBS raises charity cash and pays tribute

The room 2

More than 1,000 independent builders’ merchants and suppliers came together to at the NMBS annual Dinner Dance on Saturday (October 25), in the Great Room, Grosvenor House, London. The event raised £10,000 for two charities CRASH, the construction industry charity tackling homelessness and hospice projects, and the Maddie Rose Foundation, …

Read More »

Pre-Budget uncertainty slows down construction output

Dart Tools warns of regional 'material bottlenecks'

Pre-Budget jitters have seen growth expectations for construction output revised substantially down in the Construction Products Association’s Autumn Forecasts published today (October 27). Total construction output is now only forecast to grow by 1.1% in 2025 and 2.8% in 2026, which is a significant revision down from the 1.9% in …

Read More »

Huws Gray gets re-brand on the road

new lorry branding

Builders merchant group Huws Gray Building Supplies & Solutions, has unveiled the first of its newly branded lorries, as part of the phased rollout of the company’s refreshed visual identity. First introduced in August alongside the PGMOL sponsorship, the new branding has already been rolled out across digital platforms and …

Read More »

Inclusion starts with… knowing the difference

Diversity and inclusion at NMBS 1

Chris Hayward, CEO, NMBS  Diversity and inclusion, though often spoken about in the same breath, are not interchangeable terms. Diversity is about representation, about who is in the room. Inclusion is about belonging, about who feels welcome, valued and able to thrive in that room. In the construction industry and …

Read More »

Setting the agenda for the Builders’ Merchant Branch of the Future

New BMF Report Sets the Standard

The Builders Merchants Federation (BMF) has just published a major new report, The Builders’ Merchant Branch of the Future, setting out a clear and practical vision for the future of the UK’s builders’ merchant branches. The Report is written by respected industry expert Steve Collinge and was co-sponsored by the …

Read More »

Knauf Insulation launches OmniFit® Thermal and Sound Slab

OmniFit® Thermal and Sound Slab an alternative to low density rock mineral wool insulation that offers superior thermal performance

Insulation supplier Knauf Insulation’s new OmniFit® Thermal and Sound Slab, is an alternative to low-density rock mineral wool insulation with superior thermal performance, that is also Quiet Mark certified. OmniFit® Thermal and Sound Slab is manufactured with ECOSE®, Knauf Insulation’s unique plant-based binder that contains no added formaldehyde and emits low levels …

Read More »

Reclaimed Brick Company adds Brick-Slip range

Reclaimed 1 October

Reclaimed Brick Company is delighted to announce the launch of its latest Brick Slip product range, designed to bring the rich heritage, texture and character of genuine reclaimed brickwork into modern interiors and exterior façades. Cut from true salvaged bricks, each slip in the collection retains the authentic weathered edges, …

Read More »