£8.7 bn


The UK’s budget deficit dropped by £200m at the end of last year to its lowest point in ten years


BWF calls for Building Safety Fund


The British Woodworking Federation has welcomed the call for Building Regulation changes by Dame Judith Hackitt in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire, hoever it has also called for the establishment of a Building Safety Fund.


Iain McIlwee, CEO, cautioned that regulatory framework is only part of the jigsaw, saying: “The elephant in the room is still who is going to pay for these essential works. “We are calling for the


Treasury to make an allocation for long term and potentially life-critical works by creating a Building Safety Fund (similar to


the Pension Protection Fund). “This will offer a solution to the current predicament of Housing Associations and Local Authorities, providing them with a scheme to apply to for compensation to support replacement and repair cost. It would alleviate concerns from building managers and most importantly, tenants, while helping consolidate legal matters through a centrally controlled process. the cost of this may need to be born through insurance premiums, when we consider the true cost of Grenfell, it is not one we can responsibly ignore.”


Bassetts invests in branches


Northern Irish plumbers merchant Bassetts is investing £2m across its branch network. In 2017 Bassetts has added over 37,000 sq ft to its operations, bringing its total to almost 400,000 sq ft, and has increased its total workforce to over 130 staff. Investment so far includes the exansion of the Bangor showroom, the opening of a new Lisburn branch, which is


Flame to expand


Flame Heating Group, the North East heating & plumbing merchant, aims to launch an additional six branches during 2018. The Gateshead-based firm, which operates eight sites across the region, is planning to increase its branch count to 14, including the opening of its first outlets outside of the North East, in Glasgow and Ayr have already been confirmed, with Edinburgh another possibility.


Flame has also opened its first bathroom showroom, in Durham, which offers customers the opportunity to view their tailored bathrooms complete with the products and features they have selected through a virtual reality headset.


BMJ January 2018


double the size of its previous one, and the addition of a new branch in Clady. The plumbers’ merchant also plans to add a 16th branch in County Fermanagh. Managing director Alan


Wright said: “We have experienced remarkable growth over the past year, having secured new retail and trade customers across Northern Ireland.”


JANUARY www.buildersmerchantjournal.net


Merchants sales hit double digits


Builders’ Merchants saw major increases in sales of Tools (+12.3%), Plumbing Heating & Electrical (+11.4%) and Heavy Building Materials (+11.1%) in October 2017. That’s according to the ‘Builders Merchants Building Index’ which tracks builders’ merchants’ actual sales using GfK data. In addition to the strong annual growth, October sales were 5% ahead of September, with one extra trading day this month, and the latest three months (August to October 2017) were 6.2% up on the same period last year.


Overall sales figures for October 2017 were 10% higher than the same month last year (assisted by one additional trading day).


Although the ONS have


today released new statistics that show construction output has contracted over recent months, they also find record growing in the infrastructure sector and an increase in housing orders.


Despite initial concerns over the impact of Brexit and an uncertain climate on the industry, the BMF states that the continued robust sales figures achieved by their members demonstrates the adaptable nature of the industry.


Established in 2011, Flame saw its turnover rise to £14.4m in 2017, up from £6.4m in 2016, and now employs in excess of 50 staff.


John Savage, managing


director, said: “We enjoyed a successful 2017 buoyed by further branch launches and the strengthening of our workforce. Our Scotland expansion is well underway and will see the first Flame outlets outside of the North East, which will mark an exciting time in our history.”


Chief Executive of the BMF, John Newcomb said: “Our figures are demonstrating that the builders merchants’ industry is resilient in the face of uncertainty. We continue to see strong growth overall, and across a wide range of categories in the industry, indicating the adaptability of merchants in responding to the needs of consumers. “These figures further


reinforce our understanding that the builders’ merchants’ industry is delivering the building blocks for growth and is a vital part in supporting construction, infrastructure and housebuilding across the country.”


5


SAVE THE DATE: BMJ INDUSTRY AWARDS


Builders Merchants Journal has announced that the date of its inaugural Industry Awards will be Friday 18th May.


The venue is The Brewery, Chiswell Sreet, London. This new industry-wide


awards scheme has been launched to celebrate and reward talent and achievement throughout the industry, from merchant branches to individuals in merchanting, manufacturing and distribution as well as supplier brands. In a break from the traditional format, these industry awards will be voted for by the entire industry, via a super-secure online portal, rather than a judging panel. There are three sections; ‘Brands’, ‘Merchants’ and ‘People’. ‘Brands’ covers a range of different sectors; from plumbing to heavy sides, timber to landscaping, kitchens to bathrooms, roofing to heating. The categories cover independent and multiple merchants, suppliers, individuals and supplier brands. The Awards are supported by key sponsors including Marsh Industries, BA Clic Components, Marshalls, Stonemarket, H+H, Knauf Insulation and Hanson Cement.


ENTRY IS NOW OPEN AT: www.bmjindustryawards.co.uk


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