COMMENT Future-proofing “ W


ell, one thing’s for certain, the UK builders merchant industry isn’t sitting back and complaining about the state of affairs. No way. It’s going out there and getting on with ensuring it is in the best state possible for when things are normal again. If they are ever normal again.


I can’t remember the last time our news pages were so full of acquisitions and investments by so many different companies. In the next few pages you will find such nuggets as Bradford’s taking the sustainability bull by the horns in Glastonbury, Huws Gray adding Builders Supplies (West Coast) to their portfolio, Grant & Stone’s latest delve into the bucket of Cairngorm cash for the purchase of CRS, George Bence’s latest plumbing & heating branch, Cowal’s purchase of Catherwood, Sovini Trade Supplies’ flagship branch in Bootle, CMOStores.com’s addition of Total Tiles and, on the supplier side, SIG Roofing’s new branch in Slough and Global Stone’s purchase of fellow landscaping company Digby Stone. This all, of course, comes on top of last month’s news of Sydenhams buying Stavertons and the purchases by Merritt & Fryers of Briggs & Duxbury, Huws Gray (them again) of Uriah Woodhead & Son, Nelsons of Keighley and Milford Building Supplies and Grant & Stone of 3Counties.


The off-loading of Wolseley UK by Ferguson also counts. Global equity manager Clayton Dubilier & Rice, who also have a sizeable chunk of SIG plc clearly think there is enough scope for growth in the UK construction market to take on the plumbing and heating merchant – although not the pension liabilities, which may go some way to explaining what seems like a keen price. It will be interesting to see whether CD&R add anything else to the mix over the next few months.


COVER LINES


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The Covid pandemic – sorry, I had to bring it up again – has changed the industry. The questions we don’t really know the answers to are whether it just accelerated change that was already happening and whether the changes are permanent. I suspect the answers are yes, and, in many ways, sadly yes. The Telegraph ran an article at the time of writing which suggests large gatherings may be off the table for some time to come. I hope it’s wrong, I really do. Alas, it’s by Professor Tim Spector, head of the Zoe UK Covid symptoms app study, who’s been pretty bang on the money thus far. He predicted the third wave whilst politicians were still mithering about Christmas bubbles and the rest of us were wondering what size turkey to order.


Finally, if I may, I’d like to put in a little piece here about the purchase of Builders Supplies (West Coast). After the year that we’ve had, I don’t blame Peter and Bethan Worthington one little bit for deciding that now is the time to cash in the chips on their cracking independent business, and hand it over to Terry Owens and his crew to ensure its longevity. Equally, I’m not surprised that Huws Gray have snapped it up; Worthington’s experience and the four BSWC branches will add a new dimension to Huws Gray’s geographic coverage in an area where local branches and knowledge are what local customers really value. It won’t be the same though once the hand-over period is over, not for the BSWC employees, nor the rest of us. Peter, one of the nicest people in this industry, and certainly one of the best orators, you will be missed. Your ability to turn a phrase is legendary - not for nothing are you referred to in our house as The Speech Man. Don’t be a stranger.


Fiona Russell-Horne Group Managing Editor - BMJ


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 editor Catrin Jones 01622 699186


cjones@datateam.co.uk


Production Controller: Phil Hammond


More than light airs and recollected terms,


Of these most brisk and giddy-paced times.


William Shakespeare


CONTENTS 4 Newsround


Merchant acquisitions pick up the pace


8 People Who’s now working where?


10 Business Helpdesk Product data moves on apace. 12 Viewpoint


Our guest commentators on what happens when contracts can’t be fulfilled, the potential for blocks and for landscaping sales.


15 IT


How cloud-based systems can help businesses help the planet.


18 Timber Focusing on flexiblity.


19 Company Focus Geberit has a new range and new commitment to merchants.


20 BMJ Industry Awards


Entries open next month for the event which is on November 26 2021.


21 Company Focus Swift Electrical is taking its Big Brand expertise into the merchant arena


22 Merchant Focus Two Rising Stars from Keyline talk about their journey so far.


ADVERTISING Publication Manager: Dawn Tucker 01622 699148 07934 731232 dtucker@datateam.co.uk


Senior Account Manager: Burim Osmani 01622 699174 07934 865418 bosmani@datateam.co.uk


North & midlands sales: David Harman 01772 462596


david.harman@talktalk.net


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 2021.


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.


24 Sealants & Adhesives


Tackling construction waste.


29 Plumbing & Drainage


Flood management and rainwater issues


32 BMF Industry Voice The Federation’s news pages


26 Product News The latest product launches


38 And Finally News and the crossword.


February 2021 www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net 3 ”


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