News

UK construction activity stablisised at the start of 2026, with January data pointing to a much slower rate of decline than at the end of last year, according to the latest  seasonally adjusted S&P Global UK Construction Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI). The Index rose sharply to 46.4 in January from …

Henkel, a producer of adhesives, sealants and coatings, and Wetherby Laroc, a manufacturer of building products and facade systems, have announced a strategic partnership. As part of this partnership, Henkel has signed an agreement to become majority shareholder of Wetherby Laroc. The joint venture will enable both companies to grow …

Sustainable aggregates supplier GRS Group, has achieved PAS 2080 whole-life carbon certification. The independent assessment, conducted by BSI, confirms that GRS’s carbon management processes meet the requirements of PAS 2080 as a material supplier, recognising the company meets the national standard for whole life carbon management in the built environment. The …

MKM Building Supplies builders’ merchant, is set to open two new branches on February 9, creating over 30 jobs across Sidcup and Arbroath and taking its national network to 139 branches. Located at Five Arches Business Estate, MKM Sidcup, MKM’s 138th branch will create 17 new jobs and be led by …

Heating manufacturer Glow-worm has announced a new 12-month corporate sponsorship agreement with construction industry charity, Band of Builders. Band of Builders is a UK-registered charity that supports tradespeople, construction workers and their families during times of crisis, operating a 24-hour wellbeing and crisis support service on which construction workers can …

Builders’ merchant Travis Perkins is trialling a new aggregate product consisting of part-recycled materials. Travis Perkins has partnered with Day Aggregates, suppliers of aggregates to the builders’ merchant and construction industry, to launch the trial. The merchant is putting an initial 25,000 bags of the newly formulated Ecoblend, which includes …

Plumbing product manufacturer, Instantor, officially celebrates its 100th anniversary on February 4 2026. To mark its centenary, Instantor has planned a full programme of celebrations throughout 2026. Activities will include exclusive product promotions for installers and merchants; customer, employee and community engagement initiatives; new merchandise and brochures; and an increased …

The nominations window is now open for the BMJ Industry Awards 2026, the merchant industry awards programme that truly reflects the opinions of the industry, because it’s voted for by the people who work in the sector day in day out. Merchants, their customers and their suppliers are the ones …

Family-run builders merchant Carvers Building Supplies has announced Julian Aleksandrowicz as the winner of its Driver of the Year 2025 award. The award recognises excellence across several key areas including reliability, delivery efficiency, customer service, and punctuality—all of which contributed to the points Aleksandrowicz consistently accumulated over the last 12 …

Specialist flat roofing supplier Flex-R has become a supplier member of the Builders Merchants Federation. The decision comes after the company won two merchant supplier awards last year and, the company says, demonstrates its commitment to supplying the builders merchants sector. Flex-R has been selling synthetic single-ply EPDM membranes to …