.
700,000
MKM open new merchants in Inverness
MKM has opened a new branch in Inverness, located on a 1.2-acre site on Harbour Road.
The move has created 17 new jobs in the area and is the first brand new merchant branch to open its doors to the trade and general public in the town for over 15 years.
To mark the occasion, Tom Stoltman – the recently crowned World’s Strongest Man, and his brother Luke, the five-time winner of Scotland’s Strongest Man, were MKM’s guests for a special launch event on Monday 12th July. The branch is headed up by branch directors Mark MacDonald and Graeme Macleod.
people had received a self- isolation order via NHS Track & Trace ‘ping’ by July 31.
24% rise in private housing starts
in 2021, forecast by the CPA.
Russell Roof Tiles hosts Secretary of State
Pitched roof tile manufacturer Russell Roof Tiles welcomed Alister Jack MP to its 11-acre Halleaths site in Lochmaben last month.
Jack, who is Secretary of State for Scotland, said: “It was great to visit Russell Roof Tiles today, to meet their staff and hear first-hand about their ambitious expansion plans. They are a great example of a business which has benefited from the UK Government’s furlough scheme and are now taking on staff and looking to the future now the economy is reopening.”
Knauf Insulation gets net zero nod
Knauf Insulation has been selected as a net zero ‘Business Champion’ by the Construction Leadership Council and Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) for the CO2nstructZero initiative. “Net zero is a colossal challenge, and to achieve it will require unprecedented collaboration” said Neil Hargreaves, managing director, Knauf Insulation Northern Europe. “As the biggest supplier of insulation into newbuild homes in the UK, and the nation’s only manufacturer of both Glass and Rock Mineral Wool, we know we have an important role to play. Especially as the industry transitions towards much stricter ‘real performance’ standards.
SIG plc saw strong revenues in the first half, according to a trading update in advance of the release of its H1 results on 21 September. The group saw growth of 33% compared to the Covid-affected prior year and sales were up 1% against 2019, which is a more meaningful comparator. This reflects the ongoing positive impact of the Group’s Return to Growth strategy, which is delivering improved organic sales performance, and has been supported by continuing
Bruce Laidlaw, production
director at Russell Roof Tiles added: “We are certainly building back better and investing in our business after the challenge of last year. We’re now focused on
£135bn NEWS IN BRIEF
Jewson Civils Frazer, the specialist civils and drainage merchant, has received a £100,000 fund to support its commitment to reducing carbon emissions across its business. The financial award was received from parent company Saint-Gobain’s internal INVEST Carbon Fund.
looking for new recruits to join our team at this exciting period of growth.”
SIG plc continues strong trading
robust demand in the repair, maintenance and improvement segments in most markets. Profitability improved throughout the period. As a result, the Board expects
to report H1 revenues from underlying operations3 of c£1.11bn, and an underlying operating profit of c£13.5m. Both include good progress in the UK, and we expect the UK business as a whole to be just over break- even at the underlying operating profit level for H1, ahead of plan.
Activity to rebound through to 2023
The next 18 months will see a continued increase in construction activity through to the start of 2023, according to upgraded forecasts from the Construction Products Association. This is despite worries about materials and labour shortages dampening activity. Infrastructure output is forecast to rise 23% in 2021 and 10% in 2022, with private housing starts rising 24% in 2021 and 10% in 2022. Commercial output at the end of 2023 is still expected to be 10% lower than in 2019 despite three years of growth, although private housing RM&I is forecast to grow by 16% in 2021 and 3% in 2022, with public housing RM&I growing by 14% in 2021 and 8% in 2022. CPA Economics Director Noble Francis, said: “The key constraint
remains the cost and availability of imported products and skilled labour. The sharp recovery for both UK construction and also in places such as the US, has led to sharp cost increases and extended lead times for some key products such as paints and varnishes, timber, roofing materials, copper and steel. “This is of concern particularly for SMEs, which account for 86% of construction employment.”
August 2021
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net
Aliaxis has introduced a new dedicated fleet of specialist commercial transport vehicles, to meet its nationwide operational requirements. The investment marks the beginning of a new relationship and contract between Aliaxis and XPO Logistics, a leading global provider of transport and logistics solutions. Designed exclusively for Aliaxis, the new vehicles showcase an updated fleet design.
Scott Parnell Ltd has bought the Rouden Group, one of the most recognised distributors of civil engineering and groundwork products in the South of England. This gives Scott Parnell scope to dstributee across the UK, with branches in Burnley, Hirwaun, Horsham, Leeds, Maidstone, Milton Keynes, Newton, Petersfield and Witham.
Builders merchant
Thompson & Parkes has added to its fleet in response to growing business demand from across the area to allow it to develop its local trade and retail offer from its Kidderminster, Stourport and Oreton branches. Thompson & Parkes director Jean Morris said: “We have now added an additional 26-tonne MAN crane vehicle to our fleet.”
5
may be spent on home improvements in the next year.
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
