News

Total UK timber and panel product imports reached 9.1 million m³ in 2025, representing a 2.2% decline compared with 2024, according to the latest Timber Development UK (TDUK) figures. While the figure indicates an overall reduction in volumes, the data also highlights a number of areas where imports grew during the year. …

Howdens, the trade kitchen supplier, has launched a new sponsorship with darts player Charlie Manby. Charlie “Champagne” Manby, from Huddersfield, has found success in the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events, and until recently combined playing darts with his work in the trade as a bricklayer. In 2025 recorded the highest …

Cemex UK has reopened its Dove Holes Building Products facility in Derbyshire following the completion of a significant investment programme. The investment at Dove Holes was carried out in two phases. The first, concluded in February 2025, focused on the introduction of void packing systems, providing an easier-to-handle solution for …

Soha Housing and Huws Gray Partnership Solutions have joined forces to improve the social housing association’s repairs service. Soha serves 8000 homes in and around South Oxfordshire and neighbouring districts and counties, and in 2025 the organisation launched Soha Response – its first fully ‘in-house’ repairs service – directly employing …

Polypipe Building Services has enhanced manufacturing through a programme of automation investment at its Aylesford production facility. Recent investment include £1.5 million in automation technology, alongside further investment of £3 million in moulding machinery and £2.5 million in extrusion technology. The manufacturer has implemented automated systems using six-axis and Cartesian robots, …

Selco Builders Warehouse has renewed its partnership with title-winning tem ‘Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport’ in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship for a second consecutive season following its debut in 2025.  The renewed collaboration will feature prominent Selco branding on the race cars and team suits, as …

Builders’ merchant, MKM Building Supplies, is set to open its 142nd branch, at Edinburgh Fort Kinnaird, on March 9 2026, creating 17 new jobs and continuing the company’s expansion across the UK in 2026. The new branch, led by branch directors James Douglas and Scott Fowler, will stock leading brands …

International Plywood (Importers), C & W Berry and Isover Saint Gobain’s Andy Fletcher were the overall winners at the Fortis Building and Timber Conference Supplier Awards last night (March 3). The gala awards night was held in the middle of the buying group’s two-day event, which saw over 4,000 meetings …

CIVIL engineering product manufacturer Wrekin, alongside its subdivision Geoworks, has recorded significant growth despite a punishing year for the overall construction market. As UK housebuilding declined by around 8% against a backdrop of high interest rates and inflation, Wrekin’s turnover grew by 12%. This growth was underlined by a series …

The British Coatings Federation (BCF) has launched the 2026 edition of its Roadmap to Net Zero, unveiling a revised emissions trajectory as the sector aims toward Net Zero by 2050. BCF’s latest analysis highlights that to maintain momentum, the sector must embrace deeper, more complex interventions, particularly around Scope 3 …