It is a tale told by an idiot, all sound and fury signifying nothing Last night, I went to bed wondering if this is what it must have felt like to be alive during the Cuban Missile Crisis, that whisper in the head of “what happens if we wake up …

It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade. I really, really hate the thought of being one of those commentators who is always talking things down for the sake …

Marsh Industries has a new promotion, “Tanks to Go”, designed to support quicker turnaround times for customers while offering added value. Customers collecting directly from Marsh’s Bridgwater and Little Addington production centres will receive 5% off when they arrange collection directly from site. The offer is available on Sewage treatment plants for 6–10 …

Builders merchant Huws Gray has been fined over £2m after one of its workers was crushed to death by a pallet of timber. Paul Coulson, 56, was removing plastic packaging from pallets of timber before they could be processed at the the company’s Herringswell Sawmills, in Bury St Edmonds. He …

The British Coatings Federation has urged the Government to support its PaintCare initiative, launched this month. PaintCare UK is the UK’s first voluntary, industry‑led takeback scheme for leftover decorative paint and packaging, delivered by the BCF on behalf of paint manufacturers in partnership with participating retail and trade outlets. The …

Global brick giant wienerberger UK & Ireland will operate the world’s first commercial‑scale hydrogen‑fired brick plant, at its brickworks in Denton, Greater Manchester, having secured government-backed funding for the landmark project. The funding, via the UK Government’s Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (IEFT), will part‑support a £6 million conversion programme that …

Keep your face always toward the sunshine — and shadows will fall behind you. Those of us with longish memories will recall the step-change in the way homes are heated that was the net result of the changes to Part L of the Building Regulations in 2005. That was the …

The builders’ merchant sector has never stood still, but in recent years the pace of digital change has accelerated. Trade customers increasingly expect the same level of convenience and transparency online as they experience at the trade counter. For many merchants, the challenge is delivering this without disrupting the ERP …

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water I was at an event a few weeks ago with some merchants and suppliers. All more or less agreed on two things. 1, that things are, and have been for some time, about as bad as anyone …

Roadworks season regularly disrupts transport routes across the UK. Lane closures, diversions and temporary traffic systems can slow deliveries and create uncertainty for businesses that rely on dependable logistics. Builders’ merchants feel this pressure every day. Construction sites rely on materials arriving when expected, and even short delays can interrupt …