EDI TOR’S NOTE CONTACTS


EDITORIAL EDITOR Sarah Robinson sarah@opusbm.co.uk


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ACCOUNT DIRECTOR Clare Gapp clare@opusbm.co.uk


PRODUCTION


PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Hannah Wilkinson hannah@opusbm.co.uk


DESIGNER Nigel Rice nigel@opusbm.co.uk


DESIGNER Daniel Etheridge daniel@opusbm.co.uk


CEO


Mark Hanson mark@opusbm.co.uk


EDITOR’S NOTE


Hello and welcome to the Tomorrow’s Contract Floors Yearbook 2020/21.


What a year it has been. We started out with optimism that the issues surrounding Brexit would finally be resolved when the UK officially left the European Union on January 31st. Instead, the world had something else in store and by the end of January, COVID-19 had taken over as the new buzzword. However, even as the first cases started to enter the country, it was inconceivable just how huge an effect this novel coronavirus would have on our businesses, economy and civil liberties.


When the UK was placed on national lockdown at the end of March, businesses closed their doors, streets emptied and it all started to feel like we were living in some sort of dystopian future. But still, many of us felt that it would all blow over as we clung to the hope that things would soon begin to get back to normal.


While essential construction projects were allowed to continue, flooring businesses whose work is predominantly in the residential sector were constrained by social distancing regulations that came into effect. The vast majority of projects were cancelled and put on hold for both sectors. As always, the industry rallied together and innovative schemes were set up to help contractors navigate the ever-changing landscape of rules, policy, grants and loans. Meanwhile, flooring manufacturers got stuck in, providing expert guidance and advice to contractors working to transform spaces into emergency NHS Nightingale hospitals.


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Now as lockdown measures have started to loosen, businesses are reopening and workers are returning to what we will have to accept is the new normal. This in itself has presented us with new challenges and once again the flooring industry has stepped up to provide new products to help companies reopen with social distancing and hygiene measures in place.


The long-term effects of the pandemic remain to be seen. What is clear though, is that we are looking at a recession on a greater scale than what has been witnessed in this lifetime. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) announced the UK economy’s fell by a staggering 20.4% between April and June. While the economy has begun to bounce back with the reopening of shops and leisure facilities, we are certainly on a long road to recovery. See our exclusive Flooring Report from AMA Research on page 6 for more in- depth market analysis and forecasts.


I say this every year, but we are a resilient sector and continue to stand strong in the face of adversity. I look forward to reporting on the latest innovations and developments in our regular monthly magazine. For the meantime, I hope this comprehensive guide to contract flooring will serve you well on any projects over the next 12 months.


Here’s to a brighter future!


Sarah Robinson, Editor To receive regular copies, register your details online at www.tomorrowscontractfloors.co.uk www.tomorrowscontractfloors.co.uk 03


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