Fiona Russell-Horne

Group Managing Editor across the BMJ portfolio.

Sika completes redevelopment of Wishaw plant

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Sika UK has finished a large-scale redevelopment of its Wishaw plant near Glasgow,  which makes a range of mortar and render product lines. As a result, the Wishaw site is projected to allow the production of up to 35,000 tonnes of mortars and 12,000 tonnes of Sika’s single coat render, …

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Covers shows off to Tunbridge Wells MP

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Covers Timber & Builders Merchants welcomed Greg Clark, the Conservative MP for Tunbridge Wells, to its depot on Friday 25th March. Clark was given a tour of the depot by store manager Max Dempster who explained its operations and products as well as how the business gets involved with community projects and …

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Marshalls tops off with Marley acquisition

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Concrete and stone products manufacturer Marshalls is buying roof systems specialist Marley for £535m. The deal was confirmed in a stock exchange announcement on Tuesday afternoon (April 5) Marley will continue to be lead by its existing management team and will operate initially as a standalone division within the Marshalls …

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War, what is it good for?

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The horror, the horror There are some things, some sights that etch themselves into your very soul and from which, having witnessed them you may never quite be the same again. The images coming out of Bucha, of Ukrainian civilians slaughtered with their hands tied behind their backs, of a …

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Bradfords launch Dé-R8 range

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Always ahead of the curve, south-west Builder’s Merchant Bradfords Building Supplies are today launching a new product range, available immediately. CEO of Bradfords Building Supplies, David Young, said of the launch: “As the merchants trusted by trades since 1770, we’ve spent our 250+ years constantly innovating to help those in the …

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Lords buys DH&P Plumbing and Heating

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AIM-listed independent builders merchant Lords has has acquired a 90% interest in Essex plumbing and heating businesses, DH&P Trade Counters Holdings Limited and DH&P HRP Holdings Limited. The current owners and retaining a 10% interest, and will stay in their management roles with the business.  The Acquisition has been funded from …

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Spring (statement) forward…fall back

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When everything you do, you do too long, and do too late, you can’t expect to find the people still there. It’s a cliché, true, and one that regular readers of this column will know I am inordinately fond of, but once again, a UK Chancellor has delivered a curate’s …

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Marshalls names Dean new managing director

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Ian Dean has become managing director for Landscape and Building Products at Marshalls, having worked for the business since August 2020, when he joined to manage several specific business divisions. His leadership of the divisions of Civils and Drainage, Bricks and Masonry, Mortars and Screeds, Aggregates, and Landscape Protection will …

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Construction Minister heads to BMF Members’ Conference

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The current Construction Minister, Lee Rowley MP, has been booked as a keynote speaker at the Builders Merchants Federation’s Members’ Conference in September. As Construction Minister, Rowley co-chairs the Construction Leadership Council and takes responsibility for Net Zero Industry Champions and the ConstructZero initiative. In addition to his construction role, …

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Chancellor reduces VAT on energy-saving items, but not on energy

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In his Spring Statement yesterday (March 23), Chancellor Rishi Sunak scrapped VAT on  energy-efficiency products such as solar panels, heat pumps or insulation, in a move described by Builders Merchants Federation CEO John Newcomb as a ‘ray of hope’ Newcomb said: “The Chancellor offered two rays of hope in his Spring …

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