News

January saw East Anglian builder merchant group Kent Blaxill hold its annual conference in Cambridge, attended by all 16 branch managers, company sales team and head office managers, totalling 54 people. The theme was ‘The customer – how can you enhance your customer’s experience to ensure he chooses you as …

The Builders Merchants Federation held a meeting with members from across the island of Ireland gathered together for the first time. Twenty four delegates, representing 12 merchants and several building material suppliers from both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, attended the meeting at the BMF’s Regional Centre of …

With the winter weather setting in, industry charity The Rainy Day Trust has launched its 2019 Emergency Winter Fuel Campaign. The government runs a cold weather payment scheme that pays £25 to those on means-tested welfare benefits when the average temperature is below zero for 7 consecutive days.  However, RDT …

UK manufacturer, Kudos Showering Products are marking their 20th year of trading with ambitious growth plans for the business.  The company introduced new management into the business at the beginning of 2018 and their skillset and drive has transformed operations, giving Chairman and founder Bruce Ledwith a renewed confidence to …

Voting for the BMJ Industry Awards 2019 officially opens on Monday 4th February and the industry needs YOUR vote.   Download a list of nominees HERE Whether you have nominated someone, been nominated or know someone who has been nominated, voting is the only way anybody stands a chance of …

Mates in Mind believes business leaders are in a good position to address mental health in the workplace, but encourages them to consider that delivering meaningful change to their workforces should be effectively aligned to their business priorities. Mates in Mind were encouraged by the level of engagement driven by …

Independent merchant buying group has announced that Alloway Timber & Putney Builders Merchants (PBM) has joined as a new partner. Founded in 1971, Alloway Timber supplies traders in London and Surrey from its locations in Putney, Fulham, Kingston, Cheam, Mitcham and Byfleet with premium timber products. In 2003, PBM Builders …

Just a reminder to any of the Top 50 merchants who haven’t got around to filling out our new Trailblazers online form yet. BMJ Trailblazers is the annual tracker of the top merchants latest statistics and information, the hymn sheet for the industry in terms of who’s who and how …

The Builders Merchants Federation (BMF) has launched Building Blocks, a new online training programme designed to introduce apprentices and other new starters to the intricacies of life in a builders’ merchant. The first two Building Blocks in the series – Timber as a Building Material and Heating and Hot Water …

National Buying Group (NBG) has announced an impressive eight new suppliers for 2019, strengthening its offering in the plumbing, insulation, branded ironmongery and security, civils and tools and workwear sectors. The new suppliers – Talon Manufacturing, Don & Low Textiles, CCF, Etex UK, Jablite, ROCKWOOL Limited, Cascade Lighting and Aldridge …