News

The Encon Group, the UK distributor of building materials, hosted its second Burning Wisdom Fire Protection Showcase, and the first in the Northern region, on July 2 at Encon & Nevill Long North West in Chorley. The Showcase invited the industry stakeholders to share insights and expertise on fire safety. Attendees …

Grundfos, the water pump manufacturer, has centralised its product information across all platforms in partnership with Akeneo, a provider of Product Information Management (PIM) solutions. The new structure gives Grundfos greater control over how its brand is represented by third-party wholesalers. Through the provision of centralised data, Grundfos ensures that …

The latest figures from the Plumbing & Heating Merchant Index (PHMI) report show total value sales for May 2025 through specialist plumbing and heating merchants were up just +0.1% compared to May 2024. Volume sales decreased -5.9% while prices went up +6.3% year-on-year. With one less trading day this year, …

The latest Builders Merchant Building Index (BMBI) report, published in July, shows builders’ merchants’ total value sales in May were unchanged (0.0%) compared to May 2024. Year on year volumes rose +2.1% but prices fell -2.1%. With one less trading day in the most recent period, like-for-like value sales – …

Cemex and DB Cargo are celebrating the millionth tonne of aggregates supplied to their Warrington rail depot, since it opened in mid-2016. The location, initially thought of as a temporary site, has become established as a core rail depot in Cemex’s UK supply chain network to serve the Greater Manchester, …

Heating supplier Baxi is promoting BPEC’s low temperature heating course to help installers adapt to evolving regulations and energy efficiency standards in the UK heating market. The course aims to give heating engineers the knowledge needed to work successfully with low-temperature heating systems – an increasingly important capability for installers. …

Sister companies Frontline Bathrooms and Smiths Briten have announced a major transformation of their UK delivery network. Both brands are making investments in shared infrastructure, with a focus on improving speed, reliability and sustainability for builders’ merchants nationwide. This combined infrastructure, supported by dual head offices, using established logistics networks, …

Daikin, the UK heat pump manufacturer, has launched a fourth Sustainable Home Centre in Bradford on July 18 in partnership with James Hargreaves. The new Sustainable Home Centre is open to installers and homeowners in the region, serving as both a showroom and a training facility and stocklist for installers transitioning …

Travis Perkins Managed Services has secured a six-year contract with R3 Repairs, which operates across South East Scotland and specialises in providing maintenance services to the Housing Association sector. Having worked together since 2010, Travis Perkins Managed Services will continue to supply R3 Repairs with materials for repairs, maintenance, and …

Insulation specialist Actis has upgraded its library of construction details to help architects and builders ensure their projects perform as designed. The augmented library now covers all the most commonly used junctions, which can help specifiers ensure maximum energy efficiency of the construction envelope. The construction details offer a combination …