THE MONTH
BMF and FMB working to support smaller housebuilders
The Builders Merchants Federation has welcomed the launch of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for SME Housebuilders, on the grounds that the interests of smaller housebuilders are not properly understood nor advanced at Westminster – and that this must improve if England is to build anywhere near 300,000 new homes per year.
At the first meeting of the APPG, members of both Houses confirmed Andrew Lewer, Conservative MP for Northampton South, as Chairman. The aim of the Group is to provide answers
to Parliament and Government on how England can deliver more and better new homes, especially through SME housebuilders. Participants want to see more muscular action from central and local government to ensure that promises to build homes “as soon as possible” are taken literally and completions are accelerated. Brett Amphlett, BMF Policy and Public Affairs’ Manager, attended the meeting. He said: “The BMF welcomes renewed efforts to support and mobilise SME firms that are the customers of merchants. The objective of this
Beers buys in Bolton
Liverpool based family-owned timber and builders merchant Beers Timber Holdings bought Tonge Bridge Timber of Bolton. The purchase will increase group turnover to £37m and the enlarged group will employ 160 staff across the North West. Tonge Bridge Timber is an im- porter and manufacturer of ma- chined timber products, supplying to timber & builders merchants, and large end users in the North of England from a three- acre machining facility in Bolton. Beers Group managing director Michael Beer said: “I am very pleased and excited to have completed the purchase of Tonge
Bridge Timber, being a family owned business we see many similarities in culture between the two businesses” “The purchase will enhance and complement our position as suppliers of quality timber and building materials in the North West. There is great potential to grow the business, and integrate it within our businesses.” The existing management team and staff at Tonge Bridge Timber lead by managing director Andrew Broddle will stay on to run the business. Former co-owner Brian Kirkpatrick will be retiring from the business but is continuing in the short term as a consultant.
APPG chimes with BMF work to change the ratio between volume housebuilders and the other vital players in the market. Andrew Lewer and other MPs involved have practical, real-world knowledge from their days before election to Parliament to contribute to help solve today’s housing crisis. I am grateful to Mr Lewer for inviting the BMF”.
Discussion at the meeting focussed on encouraging privately- owned SMEs to return to the market and do what they do best – building a small number of homes, in very many locations, often in
keeping with their surroundings, that voters what to buy, to boost the overall number and type of homes completed.
Two early themes emerged from this first meeting:
Richard Bacon MP outlined the work he and others are doing with self- and custom-builders to help diversify the supply of new homes
Lord Naseby wondered how small housing projects can be delivered at scale and queried the role of Homes England. Many feel that the agency is not sympathetic to SMEs because it is led by people who have no practical experience of delivering homes. The next meeting of the APPG for SME Housebuilders is in February at which Sir Edward Lister, Chairman of Homes England, is scheduled to speak.
US market pulls up Ferguson figures
Plumbing supplier Ferguson has reported a rise in first-quarter revenue and profit, driven by growth in the US. The firm, still known as Wolseley, saw trading profit rise 9.9% to 432 million US dollars (£339 million) in the three months to October
31.Revenue was up 8.5% to 5.55 billion US dollars (£4.3 billion). In the US, sales rose 9.6% to 4.61 billion US dollars (£3.6 billion), where the group experienced widespread growth “across all geographic regions and major business units”.
However, in the UK market, revenue was down 9.5% to £607 million due to closed branches, the exit of low-margin business, and weak repair, maintenance and improvement markets. Like-for- like UK revenue grew 1.5% in the quarter, but this was largely due to price inflation. The group changed its name from Wolseley in July last year as part of efforts to focus more on the US, where it makes the bulk of its revenue and trades as Ferguson. The Wolseley name is retained for the UK.
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www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net January 2019
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