Construction product manufacturers endured a bruising end to 2025, with heavyside sales sliding sharply and lightside growth losing momentum, the Construction Products Association’s latest State of Trade Survey shows. In Q4, a net balance of 81% of heavyside producers said sales volumes fell compared with the previous quarter, which was …
Read More »Construction output falls at fastest pace for over five years
The UK construction sector saw its sharpest decline in more than five years in October, thanks to weakening order books, political uncertainty, and client caution. The latest data from the S&P Global UK Construction Purchasing Managers’ Index™ showed that total construction output contracted at the fastest rate since May 2020, …
Read More »Ministerial merry-go-rounds
I have been here before, But when, or how, I cannot tell Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. What has an average lifespan of eight months, nine months, or 10 months, depending on whether you are looking back, respectively, over last past five years, 10 years or 20 …
Read More »CIC Impact Report hails in-person initiatives
The Construction Inclusion Coalition’s (CIC) second annual Impact Report, ‘Building a Better Legacy’, highlights how the Elevate women’s network has doubled in size to 140 members within one year, representing 29 different construction businesses. The growing network is based on a regular programme of in-person workshops or hosted webinars to …
Read More »The material difference
I do not wish women to have power over men; but over themselves I had a longish journey the other day, so downloaded a few podcasts to keep me going. As you do. One of them was an episode of BBC’s Women’s Hour. I picked this particular episode because it …
Read More »UK construction decline slows up
The downturn in the UK construction sector showed signs of easing in May, according to the latest S&P Global UK Construction Purchasing Managers’ Index™ (PMI®). Output and new orders both fell at the slowest pace since January, while growth projections for the year ahead improved again. Employment remained weak, with …
Read More »PMI for March shows sustained downturn
The sharpest pace of job losses since October 2020, drops in new orders and lower volumes of construction output for three consecutive months took the headline S&P Global UK Construction Purchasing Managers’ Index™ (PMI®) to 46.4 in March. Although this was up from a 57-month low of 44.6 in February, …
Read More »NMBS CEO to step down in 2026
NMBS’s CEO, Chris Hayward, has announced his plans to step down from his current role in early 2026, following a 47-year career at NMBS. Hayward started his career with NMBS in 1977 as an office junior – a position which at the time was the equivalent of a modern-day apprentice. …
Read More »Fernco pledges £25,000 to support REACT disaster response charity
Fernco has pledged £25,000 in support of flood disaster relief efforts. Fernco’s year-long “Race Against the Rivers Challenge” fundraising campaign aims to donate £25,000 to REACT Disaster Response, a humanitarian rapid response charity providing immediate aid and long-term recovery to communities impacted by natural disasters, including flooding. The “Race Against …
Read More »Gradual recovery for construction output
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 …
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