Building materials distributor Lords has completed the refinancing of the Group’s existing £75 million lending facilities. The Group’s existing £75 million facilities, with a three bank syndicate which consisted of a £50 million revolving credit facility (‘RCF’) and a £25 million receivables financing facility (‘RFF’), have been cancelled and repaid pursuant …

Building materials & fencing merchant Lawsons Group (Lawsons Whetstone Ltd) has announced the appointment of Andrew Cope as an independent non-executive director with immediate effect. Cope previously served for twenty years as managing director of Chandlers Building Supplies, and most recently spent six years with Independent Builders Merchant Group, serving …

The latest Builders Merchant Building Index (BMBI) report, produced by MRA research, has been published, highlighting January’s builders’ merchant like-for-like total value sales (adjusted to remove the effect of trading days) were -2.6% lower than the same month in 2025. With one less trading day this January, total value sales …

The January Plumbing & Heating Merchant Index (PHMI) report, produced by MRA Research, has been published. The report shows total like-for-like value sales (adjusted to remove the impact of trading days) through specialist plumbing and heating merchants were up +3.0%  for January 2026 compared to the same month the year before. …

>B< Oyster, launched by Conex Bänninger in 2002, is becoming increasingly popular amongst a new generation of installers. The system is designed for quick Installation using >B< Oyster pliers and a standard adjustable spanner and, as a flame-free fitting, no hot works permit is required. Once the tube is fitted, …

Crown Paints has partnered with professional painters and decorators to front its new ‘Looks like…’ campaign. The trade campaign features decorators at work: Mica Hill of Drip Decorating and Lewis Coomber of L.C.Painters, alongside On The Tools content creators Russell Payne, founder of The Talking Tradesman, and Aimee Stanton a …

Heating manufacturer Baxi has switched to hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) as its standard HGV fuel, reducing the companies HGV fuel emissions by ~ 99%. Baxi began the transition from diesel to HVO in 2024, as part of continuing progress towards net zero. HGV emissions reduced from 260 tCO₂e in 2024 …

Klipboard, the sector‑specific software provider formerly known as Kerridge Commercial Systems, has unveiled Klipboard AI. Klipboard has built AI directly into its ERP and operational platforms to support the day‑to‑day work of teams in rental, automotive, distribution, manufacturing and field service. This marks the first stage in Klipboard’s AI innovations …

Timber window manufacturer Wooden Windows, now part of StairBox, has launched an online window designer.  The software is designed to help with specification, making it easier to visualise new window designs.  The new online builder also generates instant online quotations and orders, meaning customers no longer need to wait 2-3 …

Kingspan Insulation has added STEICO flex 036 and STEICO universal dry to its full spectrum of insulation products. The wood fibre boards are manufactured using softwoods sourced from PEFC certified forests and form part of Kingspan’s BioKor range, made of a minimum 80% bio-genic content. STEICO flex 036 has a …