Kitchen supplier Rixonway Kitchens has been sold by private equity firm August Equity and its management team to Nobia AB of Sweden in a deal worth £34m.

Up to £30 million in vouchers are to be released for homeowners to improve the energy efficiency of their homes after the government reopened the Green Deal Home Improvement Fund.

The UK Green Building Council (UK-GBC) has welcomed the announcement that the government will allocate a further £30million to boost its Green Deal energy efficiency scheme.

Heatrae Sadia, manufacturer of electrical heating products, has secured a partnership with Phil Vickery MBE, which will see the former England rugby captain front a campaign to re-launch its commercial drinking water offering.

Werner Ladders has turned working at height on its head, launching a ladder that feels so safe that tradesmen compare it to working on the ground.

Angela Rushforth, managing director at East Anglian independent timber and builders merchant Ridgeons, will be announced as the first female Chair of the Confederation British Industry (CBI) East of England Regional Council from next month (January).

Builders merchant Gibbs & Dandy has signed a three-year sponsorship deal with the up-and-coming Lynn Ladies FC.

Distributor of timber and panel products, International Timber, has joined the Builders Merchants Federation (BMF).

Sixteen models in Leisure Sinks' portfolio of taps, from the Aquanomic, through to Pillar and Deck Mixer taps, have achieved WRAS (Water Regulations Advisory Scheme) approved product status.

The Builders Merchants Federation's Young Merchants group voted unanimously to elect Jamie Pierce, marketing manager of Parker Building Supplies as Chair and Victoria Fiddies, regional sales manager of Catnic, as Vice Chair at its November meeting held at the Saint-Gobain Innovation Centre in London.