Independent builders' merchant Thompsons Building Centres and its sister plumbers merchant TAPs has appointed Tom McElkerney as group managing director.

Imperial Sanitaryware Ltd has bought fellow bathroom manufacturer Ideal Standard's factory in Middlewich, Cheshire.

Construction activity is unlikely to return to growth until 2014, sparking the worst decline for 30 years, according to the latest Construction Industry Forecasts.

Scottish independent builders merchant Beatsons Building Supplies Limited has won two merchanting awards presented by buying group National Merchant Buying Society.

Timber company BSW Timber has increased both turnover and profits, on the back of which it plans to expand capacity at both its Fort William and Latvian Mills in a drive to produce more than 1.3million cu m of sawn timber per year across all mills.

Builders merchants organisation the Builders Merchants Federation has warned that Norfolk Trading Standards is the first authority to resume full scale checking of the weights of bulk bagged aggregates being sold by merchants.

Plumbers merchant Plumbase supplied plumbing materials for the WorldSkills London 2011 Plumbing and Heating contest.

Independent builders merchant buying group is holding its Partner/Supplier conference in Edinburgh next month and has announced that tickets for the Gala Dinner are selling out fast.

Luton Borough Council has told builders merchants organisation the Builders Merchants Federation that it is planning Health & Safety inspections of builders merchants and other distributors in the Luton area.

North Wales-based independent builders merchant Huws Gray has bought the entire stock of Caradale Traditional Brick Ltd from the administrators.