News

  It’s that time of year again. The 2025 edition of BMJ’s Trailblazers will be published with the April edition. Once again, it will feature the top UK builders merchants, those turning over more than £30m or so in their last financial year. Trailblazers has long been used to benchmark …

James Burrell has announced that it has retained the prestigious FORS Silver accreditation again for 2025, a testament to its unwavering commitment to achieve the highest standards in safety. This achievement is the outcome of meticulous compliance with standards designed to improve road risk management, enhance safety efficiency, and promote …

One of the most prolific charity fundraisers at builders merchant Travis Perkins is taking on his biggest challenge yet. Andrew Craig, an account manager at Travis Perkins Managed Services whose father has dementia, is taking on an Artic Challenge. Craig, who once climbed Mount Snowdon evey week for a year in …

SR Timber has invested in a new corporate video summarising, in just 4 minutes, the steps involved in producing their quality timber products for the construction market.  At SR Timber, their commitment to excellence starts with the foundation of a strong and experienced sole sawmill partner in Latvia, a crucial …

The UK construction industry is set for a gradual recovery in output for the next two years, according to the latest forecasts from the Construction Products Association, which predict total construction output growth of 2.1% in 2025 and 4.0% in 2026. The increase follows two challenging years that have particularly …

The House of Commons’ Public Accounts Committee has released a report addressing the UK’s ongoing pothole crisis, recommending that the Department for Transport (DfT) prioritise long-term, preventative solutions over temporary fixes. This report has been welcomed by Wrekin Products, a leading provider of civil engineering and ironwork solutions. Paul Thompson, …

Travis Perkins has been fined £2 million after a timber load fell from one of its lorries, resulting in the tragic death of a father of three. The company admitted to three safety offences, and the sentence was handed down at Hove Crown Court on Thursday. The incident occurred on …

Ibstock Plc, the UK manufacturer of building products and solutions, is expecting full year revenues to have decreased by 10% to around £365 m (from £406 m in 2023), according to a trading update for the year ended 31 December 2024. Lower sales volumes across the core business are principally …

Independent builders merchant buying group NBG took on 14 new Partners and Associates in 2024, finishing up with M.A. Grigg, a specialist agricultural merchant in Cornwall. The family-run business has been in operation since 1970, on Pendennis Farm, St. Austell, growing from a small farm shop in a converted pig …

Trades United is once again organising a van rally in Westminster (Parliament Square) to draw attention to the pervasive issue of tool theft and the resale of stolen goods. Starting from Brent Cross, tradespeople from across the UK will unite in London to demand stricter enforcement of existing theft laws, …