News

A Malvern builders’ merchant has secured a £600,000 loan from Lloyds Bank to help ease cash flow pressures from Covid-19 disruption. County Building Supplies, which attributes 80% of its sales to accounts held by contractors, secured the finance as part of the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS). The company …

Merchanting group Grafton Group saw revenue fall 26 per cent to £810.9 million in the five months to 31 May 2020 from £1.09 billion in the same period last year due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a trading update issued today (June 11) A solid start …

UK construction companies saw a sustained downturn in business activity during May, although the pace of decline was less fierce than it had been in April, reflecting a gradual reopening of construction sites as lockdown measures were eased in England. At 28.9 in May, the headline seasonally adjusted IHS Markit/CIPS …

The planned implementation of the reverse charge VAT should be delayed to avoid further cashflow issues for small construction firms. That’s according to the Federation of Master Builders, which points out that, as building sites re-open, productivity has understandably dipped due to important social distancing measures. Brian Berry, Chief Executive …

Timber supplier International Timber has undertaken a company-wide rebrand, expanding its offering and making several significant changes to the business. With an increased focus on the future needs of merchants and manufacturers, a new corporate identity and digital presence has been implemented in order to enhance growth. To support the …

Roofing ventilation and accessories manufacturer, Klober, was set to celebrate its 60th anniversary. Instead, the industry is grappling with the COVID19 pandemic and the effects of lockdown. Klober’s UK managing director Stuart Stockleyhas, therefore, shared a message of support for the industry.  “Across the world, people are all having to …

Roof window manufacturer VELUX is launching a TV campaign on three SKY channels to highlight the benefits of using its windows to maximise daylight in a single-storey extension . The three month campaign, which launches today (Monday 8 June), is aimed at young couples and families and will show viewers …

The fastest ever eCommerce website implementation is being delivered for JK Timber, a small merchant, to help it fight back against the sales impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. To help the independent Rugby-based merchant, eCommonSense, the company that builds highly functional websites for builders’ merchants, agreed to deliver a simple …

The Government has today announced Trade Credit Insurance will receive up to £10 billion of government guarantees, a move that has been welcomed by John Newcomb, Chief Executive of the Builders Merchants Federation, who is Chair of the Insurance and Surety Working Group for CLC Covid-19 Task Force.   Trade …

Two employees from National Timber Group are having their heads shaved for charity. Richard Jarvis and Peter Howarth have pledged to shave their luscious locks in aid of Cancer Research UK and Timber Trade Benevolent Society (TTBS) in the hope of raising £5,000. With such an ambitious fundraising target, the …