News

Global insulation manufacturer ROCKWOOL has signed an agreement to buy 114 acres of land at the Peddimore site, north east of Birmingham, with the intention to build a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility featuring proprietary electric melting technology for its stone wool insulation products. The new facility would boost supply capacity for …

Lords, the independent builders merchant group, is to open a new branch for its George Lines, civils materials and construction solutions operation, in Maidstone, Kent in early January 2025. Located on a 1.4 acre brownfield site within Aylesford Business Park, development of the new George Lines branch is already underway …

Instantor has joined the National Merchant Buying Society (NMBS), the market’s most successful buying group for independent builders, plumbers, hardware and timber merchants. NMBS members can now stock Instantor state-of-the-art plumbing and heating products, and benefit from enhanced pricing and promotional offers. Since 1963, NMBS has been committed to increasing …

Grant & Stone has announced that its annual charity golf day raised an impressive £4,775 for Macmillan Cancer Support. The event, which took place at Huntswood Golf Club in Slough, saw 125 customers, staff, and suppliers take part in an 18-hole four-ball golf tournament. Eliot Ryan, business support manager at …

Independent plumbing and heating merchant Williams Trade Supplies Ltd will join plumbing, heating and bathroom buying group PHG from January 1 2025, with the integration process work starting now. Williams Trade Supplies is a trade only merchant with over 50 branches across the UK, and regional fulfilment centres in Fareham, …

 More than 1,000 independent builders’ merchants and suppliers came together to network and celebrate at the NMBS annual Dinner Dance on 26 October 2024, in the Great Room, Grosvenor House, London.  Guests were welcomed by NMBS’s CEO, Chris Hayward, where he called on both merchants and their suppliers to focus …

Travis Perkins has relocated its Oldham branch to a bigger and better location on Featherstall Road North where, along with its Tool Hire service, it will be even better equipped to serve the needs of local trades. The move demonstrates Travis Perkins’ ongoing commitment to delivering for its customers by …

The Building Merchants Federation (BMF) CEO, John Newcomb, has voiced concerns over the Budget’s impact on small and medium-sized merchants. Newcomb’s response follows government announcements of new revenue-raising measures, which, while anticipated, have sparked worries over increased operational costs. “We fully expected this to be a difficult budget for our …

Instantor has again been acknowledged as one of Ireland’s Best Managed Companies, after receiving the 2024 Gold Standard Winner accolade at a recent awards evening. The programme, run by Deloitte, recognises privately owned companies who are operating at the highest levels of business performance. The 2024 award marks the fourth …

Baxi has supported pupils from an Oxfordshire school, Pegasus Primary, giving them the chance to join the Oxford United Men’s team 2024/25 squad photo. Des Buckingham and the entire Men’s Team squad, along with the Sky Bet League One Play-Off Final trophy, surprised the group of year 5 children with …