Builders Merchants Journal – BMJ Publishing to Builders Merchants and the UK merchanting industry for more than 95 years
Builders merchants organisation the Builders Merchants Federation opened its annual BMF Members’ Day conference this morning with a welcome from chairman Terry Parker.
That was followed by a presentation from managing director Chris Pateman on the achievements of the BMF in the past year.
Pateman said: “A lot of people are suspicious of the word lobbying, and rightly so.” However, he pointed out that the lobbying the BF has been involved in has been issues of immense importance to to merchants, such as fuel prices and the rate of VAT on home improvements.
He also spoke about the work BMF has been doing to raise awareness of the benefits of the forthcoming Green Deal to merchants and of the plans to develop the current BMF Diploma into a foundation degree: “Merchanting is a career”.
Presentations still to come are from economist Dr Andrew Sentance, who was an external member of the Monetary Policy Committe of the Bank of England, and David Purdy, head of insulation and delivery in the Energy Efficiency and Consumers Directorate of DECC.
The event, at the Marriott Forest of Arden Hotel in Meriden, Warwickshire is being reported on by the buildersmerchantsjournal.net team. On Twitter follow the hashtag #BMFday to get the news as it happens.
