14,000


The number of homes to be built in the UK in 2017 by self-builders, according to the National Custom and Self Build Association


APRIL www.buildersmerchantjournal.net Bradfords


Building Supplies buys Crockers


Bradfords Building Supplies has announced the acquisition of Crockers, a general builders’ merchant operating from one branch in Dawlish, South Devon. Crockers is a well-


established business that has been trading for over 60 years and is renowned for providing a knowledgeable and friendly service. The company specialises in the supply of all general building materials as well as plumbing and heating products and kitchens and bathrooms.


Mark Eburne, Bradfords


Group Chief Executive, said: “This acquisition is great news and marks another significant development in our growth ambitions. Crockers becomes the 40th branch in the Bradfords Building Supplies network.”.


Good Reddance to Cowal


Cowal Building & Plumbing Supplies has bought Reddance Building Supplies in Dalry in Ayrshire, strengthening it’s position in Western Scotland. The amalgamation of the two businesses brings the Cowal depot tally to four and brings together two independent family-run merchant businesses with extremely strong local brand identities and customer loyalty. Cowal Building & Plumbing Supplies, a partner of the independent merchant’s buying group NBG , already had three depots at Dunoon, Balloch Alexandria, and Rothesay offering an extensive mixed merchant stock including heavy-side, timber, landscaping , roofing and plumbing and heating supplies.


The addition of Reddance brings Cowal a two acre site and a strong management team headed up by Liz Spence one of the founding family.


BMJ April 2017


IKO breaks ground on UK insulation factory


IKO PLC has begun building a 470,000ft² PIR insulation factory at the Alconbury Weald development in Cambridgeshire. The company held a ‘Spade in the Ground’ event on Friday 10th March to mark the start of construction of the factory which represents a £30 million investment by IKO PLC and will make a significant contribution to the construction industry and the local community - creating up to 160 jobs in the area. When fully operational, the Alconbury plant will produce


BMF opens two new regional


centres The Builders Merchants Federation has opened two Regional Centres of Excellence, one at Rockwool’s headquarters in Wales and one at JCB’s facilities in Cheadle, Staffordshire. The BMF training


insulation for around 40,000 homes a year in the UK. This will have a major impact on helping the Government achieve the Climate Change Act’s current target to reduce carbon emissions by 80% by 2050. Construction is due to be completed this September and its official opening is planned for March 2018.


Wolseley to change name to Ferguson


Plumbers merchant group Wolseley plc is to change its name to Ferguson, the better to reflect the fact that the American plumbing name accounts for 84% of trading profit. The announcement was made as the group posted its half


year results for the six months to January 31 2017. The UK and Canada will still trade as Wolseley.


Revenue at £8,461m was 6.7% ahead of last year, with trading


profit 25% up at £515m. In the UK, UK revenue was £1,011m , up 1.5%, with trading profit of £35m, down 2.8%.


John Martin, Chief Executive, said: “The Group delivered a good trading performance in the first half driven by Ferguson. In the US, residential and commercial markets remained good and industrial markets improved but were still negative.


programmes and courses are being rolled out across the UK to these centres.


Speaking at the opening of the Welsh centre, Mark Bungay, National Sales Manager DIY & Merchants, ROCKWOOL said: “ROCKWOOL is proud to be partnering with the BMF. We look forward to working with the BMF as we seek to educate and inspire the next generation of builders merchants to meet the challenges of the rapidly changing construction industry.”


JCB industrial business development manager Darren Brookes said: “We are delighted to host the BMF members for training and regional meetings. They are doing a great job of bringing together different elements of the supply chain and we are looking forward to playing our part in the West Midlands area.”


7


Knauf Insulation and Veolia invest £10m in St Helens


Knauf Insulation has entered into a long term contract with Veolia, which will see £10 million invested in a new glass cullet processing facility, next to its manufacturing plant in St. Helens.


The facility will be operated


by Veolia, the resource management company and be complete at the end of 2017. It will see Veolia clean, dry


and refine tens of thousands of tonnes of recycled glass, to be used by Knauf Insulation in the production of its energy saving insulation products.


The crushed glass “cullet” will be melted and spun into the glass mineral wool products


it sells to some of the UK’s biggest housebuilders and construction firms.


John Sinfield, Managing


Director at Knauf Insulation Northern Europe, said: “The construction of the new facility will help grow the St Helens’ economy by creating permanent jobs and using local firms to complete its construction. The process of using glass cullet uses less energy than traditional methods of manufacturing mineral wool insulation.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88