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decision to invest in the future operational of the business,” he says.
“The investment that we have at the moment is part of a major renewal of our key assets. That renewal programme will actually take place over a five-to-10-year capital investment cycle. So really, our 75 million euro investment is really the first part of something nearer to a 200 million investment in the organization over the next five to ten years.” The road map of how the company is going to progress is clear, King explains. “This is very much the starting point of a key renewal in our energy plan and our biomass technologies. “From a customer base perspective, we believe that we can fulfil all of our ambitions with the current customers that we have at this point in time, and that’s very much due to the longevity of the relationships, that we have with those people.
“Builders merchants play an important role because a large part of our user base is kitchen joinery, carpentry businesses, and so, therefore, just giving a platform for distribution and reach to that extended customer base has been a really important element.”
This milestone is really about looking ahead
as well. King continues. “We have spent five decades making ideas real for the trade. By continually investing in product performance and compliance, we are ensuring that the MEDITE brand remains the most credible, dependable choice for our customers as they build for what’s next. For the next 50 years and beyond.” BMJ
particularly with ongoing fiscal pressures and the wider impact of geopolitical uncertainty on trading conditions.
“Our approach has been to continue investing in infrastructure, in systems, in capability and most importantly in people so we are ready to capitalise when markets strengthen again. ESG and social value are no longer secondary conversations, they are central to how major organisations select partners. What’s important for us is that these initiatives are authentic and embedded into the culture of the business, not simply box- ticking exercises.
“We’ve built strong momentum over the last year, but ultimately our success comes down to our people. It is the talent within the organisation that drives Premier Forest forward.”
Looking ahead to 2027, the company’s priorities remain focused on integration, operational efficiency, strategic growth and deepening customer partnerships across national sectors. BMJ
STEADY AS SHE GOES As market conditions level out, Linnell Bros is backing
long-term thinking over short-term gains, as BMJ finds out W
alk round the yard at Silverstone timber merchant Linell Bros’ on any given morning and you’ll see what the timber trade looks
like currently: vans and trucks coming in, delivery lorries going out, the mill running, a new load going into the treatment plant.
That said, Callum Jones, fifth generation of the Linnell family, admits that there have been peaks and troughs. “Phones that don’t stop ringing and phones that don’t ring for an hour. It’s a funny one at the moment. The word that we keep using is steady.”
Linnell Bros has been trading since 1880, still based in the same Northamptonshire village where it started. Jones says that, over 145 years the company has seen wars, recessions, housing booms and housing busts.
“That history matters, because it means we’ve seen quiet, steady, and busy years before, and we know they all come equally,” he says. “You learn not to panic at every dip and rejoice at every high, and you certainly pay attention to what’s driving it.”
What’s driving it this time, he believes, is a fairly familiar mix of things. Housebuilders are sitting on sites rather than starting them - they’re waiting for planning, for confidence, to see which way the market moves.
“Businesses throughout the supply chain don’t expect governments to solve every problem, but they do expect clear and consistent direction, and rightly so. Constant policy changes make investment decisions harder, particularly for independent businesses making long-term commitments.”
Jones believes the conversation needs to move beyond planning approvals alone. “There’s a significant amount of consented land that isn’t being built on. Many of the major housebuilders are drip feeding their releases, often waiting until developments are largely sold before moving to the next phase. We understand the commercial pressures they’re under, but the result is a slower pipeline than the country needs. Faster planning decisions are important, but so is making sure permissions translate into action.” Jones believes that what the industry needs most is confidence. “Confidence from government to back construction with consistent, long-term policy. Confidence from developers to invest and break ground.
August 2026
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net
Director, Callum Jones, fifth generation of the Linnell family
Confidence from homeowners to take on the projects they’ve been putting off. When that confidence returns, the whole supply chain feels it, from top to bottom. Markets will rise and fall, governments will come and go, but businesses built on trust and long-term relationships, as anyone here will tell you, tend to find a way through.” BMJ
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