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COMMENT


The ownership question


T


here’s an old saying which goes thus: ‘If your name’s not over the door, you’ll only ever be the hired help’. It’s more or less true, depending on the nature of the business, the nature of the people who are the hired help, and the nature of the business and of those people whose name that business carries. For many people in business, that’s fine. You go in you do your work and you go home, hopefully with a feeling that you have earned enough to make it worth your while.


Other people want to feel a bit more connected to what they do. They want to know that their efforts are recognised and appreciated, and, yes, rewarded. They want to feel that they are making a real difference to the business, to the bottom line, and to the people around them. Many of us have worked for companies where we know we will only ever be the hired help; others know what its like to be a member of a family business where that ethos is taken to heart. Where each and every member of staff is viewed as an essential part of the bigger picture, and treated accordingly. And there are plenty of businesses which fall in between those two extremes.


There’s a lot of talk about employee empowerment, engagement and ownership of roles and tasks being the way to boost productivity, efficiency and profitability. If we’re not careful it can all sound at best a little clichéd, and at worst, rather hippy-dippy woo- woo.


However, like most cliches, it’s become so because it’s true. People who feel a real connection with what they are asked to do every day, who understand that their contribution matters, that it is recognised, valued, and makes that all important difference, are the ones who will keep doing their best, maintain that level of


CONTACTS Builders Merchants Journal


Datateam Business Media London Road Maidstone Kent ME15 8LY Tel: 01622 687031 www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net


EDITORIAL


Group Managing Editor: Fiona Russell Horne 01622 699101 07721 841382 frussell-horne@datateam.co.uk


Assistant editors Anjali Sooknanan 01622 699106


asooknanan@datateam.co.uk


Will McGill 01622 699185


wmcgill@datateam.co.uk August 2023 www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net 3


enjoyment and bring real value to the business. Employee ownership doesn’t just have to be of the tasks or the role, of course, and we have seen a few instances in the last few years of merchant companies restructuring to allow employees to buy in to the business. Scott Parnell did it recently; Harlow Brothers a couple of years ago, HPS did it, and when Lords Group floated, it was in such a way as to allow employees to take on a share of the business. MKM, of course, has grown to more than 115 branches in less than 30 years on the basis of branch directors taking equity in their branch. Incidentally, if anyone is thinking whether that might be a route for the future, we’ve actually covered some of the things to consider in this issue.


Many of the companies we deal with on a day- to-day basis understand these issues, of course. I’m always visiting companies who really take the empowerment and engagement messages to heart, not just talking about it, but ensuring their businesses live by it too.


That shows. We have just over a month to go until our BMJ Industry Awards event which recognises and celebrates the huge amount of talent and commitment that individuals and businesses bring to this sector each and every day.


As well as that, I’m lucky enough to have been asked, once again to judge the BMF’s Young Achiever Awards, and it’s clear from the submissions that ownership of the tasks at hand, of the roles people have been given or have carved out for themselves, is real, and it is making huge positive differences to merchants and supplier companies, no matter what the name above the door says. BMJ


Fiona Russell-Horne Group Managing Editor - BMJ





It’s enough for a man to understand his own business, and not to interfere with other people’s. Mine occupies me constantly. Charles Dickens


CONTENTS 4 Newsround


The news from around the industry 8 News Extra


Insights from Travis Perkins’ RMI Index Survey 10 People


Who’s moved where and 10 Minutes With… 12 Business Focus


NMBS explains rebates and BMJ covers everything you need to know about selling your business to your employees.


14 Viewpoint Comment and thought leadership


18 BMJ Industry Awards 2023 Check out the finalists for this year’s event 22 Merchant Focus


BMJ talks to a new lightside merchant that’s been around for nearly 60 years


24 Timber


Trends and developments in the timber sector


26 IT


The benefits of Intact Software’s services to merchants plus new technology from Border Merchant Systems and PJH


28 Sustainability


Reducing carbon emissions remains a priority 32 Workwear


The top picks in workwear and opportunities for merchants to maximise sales


Production Controller: Nic Mandeville


ADVERTISING


Group Sales Manager: Dawn Tucker 01622 699148 07934 731232 dtucker@datateam.co.uk


Media Account Executive Morgan Borthwick-Hunter mborthwick-hunter@datateam. co.uk


01622 699126


Publisher: Paul Ryder


pryder@datateam.co.uk CIRCULATION


ABC audited average circulation


July 2018-June 2019: 7,801 SUBSCRIPTIONS


UK 1 year: £97 UK, 2 years: £164 Outside UK: one year £113/$204; two years: £196/$353


© Datateam Business Media Ltd 2023 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any


form, by any means, electronic or mechanical including photo-copying, recording or any information storage or retrieval system without the prior written consent of the publisher. The title Builders Merchants Journal is registered at Stationers’ Hall. Suppliers have contributed towards production costs of some photographs in this issue.


36 Ironmongery & Security The latest in door hardware


38 BMF Industry Voice The BMF’s own pages bring you all their news


40 Product News


Latest products and developments from suppliers


42 And Finally News and the prize crossword





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