News

Builders merchant group Lords saw sales rise 26% for the year ended December 31 2021 to £363.3m, generating gross profits that, at £62.7m were 32.8% ahead of the previous year. Like-for-like revenue grew by 18.1% and was 20.8% ahead of 2019, following a swift rebound post pandemic. EBITDA was up …

IG Lintels has been awarded ‘Bradfords Supplier of the Year’ at the Bradfords Awards for Excellence, in recognition of its exceptional customer service. Caroline Meredith, commercial director at IG Lintels, said: “This award is the result of the incredible dedication and hard work the IG team has demonstrated in a …

Brick and block manufacturer Forterra has put the brakes on its £27m refurbishment of the Wilnecote brick factory. The company has blamed global supply chain issues, which mean things like semi-conductors and chips used in the robotic equipment are in short supply. “The factory is now expected to close at …

Laker Builders Merchant has taken a delivery of electric Combilifts, culminating in a now fully electric forklift fleet across all branches after the acquisition of the electric forklifts in 2021. Steve Robinson, Laker Builders Merchant managing director, said: “We’ve fulfilled our ambition of going fully electric on all our forklifts …

Toolstation has partnered with the Volunteer It Yourself (VIY) social enterprise, helping fund a construction project at Wembdon Village Hall, based in Bridgwater. The project oversaw the creation of a dedicated youth space within the Hall for local young community members to utilise for social activities and gatherings.     …

Bradfords Building Supplies will host the latest in its ‘Building Sustainable Communities’ event series on May 26 at Somerset County Cricket Club. Designed to inspire, inform and engage the South-West on achieving long term environmental and social sustainability for the built environment, the series launched with its inaugural event in …

Band of Builders – which was founded in 2016 before becoming registered in 2019 – has appointed its former Chair of the Board of Trustees, Gavin Crane to CEO. The newly created role is part of the charity’s plans to expand its scope, reach and influence within the construction industry. …

Russell Roof Tiles (RRT) is hosting a charity football match at Villa Park Stadium on May 27. Two squads of 17 including 16 players from RRT’s Burton and Lochmaben sites, as well as suppliers and customers have accepted the invitation to participate in the match with the ambition to raise …

The latest Plumbing & Heating Merchant Index (PHMI) report, published in May, shows total value sales through specialist Plumbing & Heating merchants were up 2.9% in Q1 2022 compared to the same period in 2021, with no difference in trading days. The increase in sales again came entirely from price …

The BMF’s Builder Merchants Building Index (BMBI) latest report on sales of building materials in the UK, underscores the growing impact of price inflation on the sector.  The value of sales in the first quarter of 2022 was up by +17.7% against Q1 2021. Almost all of this was driven …