Tradeaze founder Jack Hopkins talks to Fiona Russell Horne about how he scaled up from delivery by bike to raising £3m and scaling 3,000 drivers. From bike courier to national platform, Jack Hopkins is aiming to reshape how builders’ merchants approach their delivery options. Tradeaze, the on-demand delivery platform for …

The ballot is stronger than the bullet This is a fabulous industry, full of people all doing some amazing jobs to the best of their ability. So let’s celebrate their achievements at a big Party at the end of September. Yes people, this is the start of my annual nudging …

There was a further steep decline in UK construction output in May, according to the S&P Global UK Construction Purchasing Managers’ Index™ (PMI®), released today (June 4) which fell at the fastest pace for six years. At the same time, higher energy, fuel and transportation costs led to the fastest …

A time of drought had sucked the weedy pool And baked the channels; birds had done with song Guess what folks? South East Water is in the news again, having told many of the good citizens of Kent that it can’t guarantee they won’t run short of water again this …

The BMJ Industry Awards 2026 – the only merchanting awards that is decided by a popular vote – is now open for voting. The nominations and entries have been checked and verified, and the online voting portal can be accessed here. The industry is invited to make its choice from …

Safely controlling and overseeing access to depots can be uniquely challenging, particularly at sites with complex layouts and those that provide access to both vehicles and pedestrians.   Without well-defined and understood rules regarding safe movement, operators run the risk of accidents, confusion and blockages harming people and impacting operational …

Ideal Heating was the overall winner of at the PHG Plumbing Heating Group Annual Supplier Awards held at Carden Park Hotel in Chester on May 21 2026. The event brought together 268 guests from the plumbing, heating and bathroom sector, including 199 supplier representatives and 63 PHG representatives. PHG now …

Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now. According to The Times a couple of weeks ago, youngsters leaving school are beginning to turn their backs on formal higher education, ditching plans for university in favour …

The Builders Merchants Federation raised £12,250 for its charity partners, The Educational Frontier Trust (TEFT) and the Maddie Rose Foundation, after a special fundraising event held at JCB Golf and Country Club. Teams of four from BMF member companies battled it out on the fairway with complimentary refreshments at the …

And the government of the people, by the people and for the people, shall not perish from this earth There’s an old saying that if voting changed anything, they’d abolish it. As an aside, I think Ken Livingstone used it as the title of his autobiography. Reading the news these …