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GEOFFREY BALL AWARDED MBE


the family business in 1965, he became managing director in 1982 and led with a focus on long-term sustainability and reinvestment in the business, with an ethos of honesty, fairness, and integrity.


Geoffrey Ball, great-grandson of the founder of flooring installation products manufacturer F. Ball and Co. Ltd., based in Cheddleton, has been appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the King’s Birthday Honours List 2026.


The honour was made in recognition for Geoffrey’s services to manufacturing, the flooring industry and to the local community in Staffordshire.


Geoffrey was integral in establishing the company as one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of flooring adhesives and subfloor preparation products. Joining


He has also shown his support for the wider flooring industry, not least with the introduction of the Ball Rewards scheme to support flooring contractors during the 2009 recession, which continues to this day.


Furthermore, Geoffrey has long championed investment in skills and training across the industry, driving the development of the F. Ball Centre of Excellence and supporting the provision of free training opportunities for flooring professionals. This commitment to education and professional development has helped countless contractors enhance their skills and build successful careers.


Last year, he was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to the UK flooring industry at the Contract Flooring Journal (CFJ) Awards.


Locally, Geoffrey has been the driving force behind F. Ball’s support of the local community through charitable work and sponsorship of local sports teams and clubs, including becoming official stadium sponsor for Leek Town F.C, now known as the F. Ball Community Stadium.


Darren Kenyon, managing director of F. Ball and Co. Ltd., commented: “Everyone at F. Ball is absolutely delighted to see Geoffrey recognised with an MBE. It’s testament to his decades of leadership, his unwavering commitment to the flooring industry and his determination to have a positive impact on the local community. His legacy continues to guide everything we do.”


While Geoffrey has transferred day-to- day operations to the board of directors, he maintains an active interest in F. Ball, and his legacy of innovation and integrity continues to guide the company.


www.f-ball.co.uk MAPEI UK MARKS CONTINUED EXPANSION WITH NEW DISTRIBUTION CENTRE


Mapei UK has acquired new warehousing and offices as part of its continued expansion. The new mega-hub, titled 02 Distribution Centre, is located at Titan 10, Bilston, near Wolverhampton, and spans over 260,000 sq. feet. It will provide warehousing for Mapei’s increasing product lines for construction projects from basement to roof, including installation solutions for ceramic, stone, resilient, textile and wood flooring, structural waterproofing, roofing, concrete repair, paints and coatings, industrial flooring, external wall insulation, underground construction and more. Mapei’s Midlands-located warehouses will continue to transfer to the 02 location during 2026 as part of Mapei’s strategy to bring all logistics ‘under one roof’.


A premium facility located just four miles from the M6, Titan 10 Bilston provides excellent connectivity for Mapei UK’s regional and national distribution. The expected average Mapei tonnage that will be dispatched from the warehouse is 15,152 Tn/month.


Established in the UK in 1989, Mapei UK employs more than 450 people throughout the UK and Ireland. The


firm cemented its commitment to the local market in 2004 with the completion of a brand-new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Halesowen, West Midlands. It now also has a concrete admixtures manufacturing plant in Speke, Liverpool and two further manufacturing facilities in Burnley, a Mapei Academy training facility in Halesowen and a Specification Centre in Clerkenwell, London.


Office space at the 02 Distribution Centre will house Mapei UK’s Technical Services and Marketing Departments.


“The new Distribution Centre will enable us to further enhance our customer service, efficiency and capacity. Being close to our main Halesowen plant, and in such a connected central location, it also brings additional sustainability benefits, enabling us to optimise transport routes and implement new initiatives from a central site,” explained Phil Breakspear, Mapei UK Managing Director.


www.mapei.co.uk


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