NEWS INBRIEF
Travis Perkins puts plumbing division on market
The Travis Perkins Group is putting up its Plumbing and Heating division for sale. Travis Perkins is seeking to simplify its structure and streamline its cost base, focus more on its trade businesses, and improve the performance of its Wickes DIY/trade hybrid. A future sales of Wickes has not been ruled out.
Shares in Travis Perkins have
Kent Blaxill sells Global Stone Kent Blaxill has sold its subsidiary
company, Global Stone
(Colchester) Ltd to its key supplier, Shree Agencies of India. Global Stone was established as a quality wholesaler of natural stone paving 16 years ago to supply the domestic paving market. From the outset, Global Stone has had a very strong relationship with Shree, which has underpinned the company’s growth. It is an innovative brand,
known for its market-leading products, gaining as much as a 10% market share by value in the domestic stone paving sector. As a leader in product innovation, Global Stone has developed the widest choice of quality porcelain tiles for the exterior paving market. Julian Wood, managing director, has been with the company from its inception. Clare Morgan, commercial director, and Sara
dropped 30% in the past year as the group aims to save between £20m-£30m a year over the next 18 months. John Carter, CEO, said: “We have developed a clear plan to focus on delivering best- in-class service to our trade customers, and to simplify the Group to reduce complexity, speed up decision making and reduce costs.”
Cullis, marketing director, lead a strong team who are all moving with the sale.
Simon Blaxill, managing director of Kent Blaxill, said ‘There is a very strong logic in the sale to Shree Agencies for both parties. Kent Blaxill is very proud to have developed a niche and profitable business with a very good reputation in the stone domestic market, but Kent Blaxill has ambitious plans to further develop its decorative paint and builders’ merchant businesses across the East of England.’
MKM adds two new branches
Independent builders merchant MKM Building Supplies has launched two new branches, taking the total number in its network to 58.
The ribbon has officially been cut on two new locations in Kilmarnock and Milton Keynes. The Kilmarnock branch becomes MKM’s fifth in Scotland, with Milton Keynes the third in South East England. The duo of branches bring a total of 35 jobs, 15 in Kilmarnock and 20 in Milton Keynes.
Both MKM Kilmarnock and Milton Keynes aim to be one-stop building supplies shops, with product portfolios spanning supplies, heating, landscaping, timber, and more. Each branch will feature state- of-the-art kitchen and bathroom
January 2019
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showrooms, staffed by dedicated designers.
David Kilburn, Executive Chairman of MKM, commented: “Congratulations to everyone at Kilmarnock and Milton Keynes.
Although we’re now 58-strong, each new branch launch is still as special the last; as a Hull-founded company, we’re proud to be expanding further into Scotland and the South East.”
Quinn Cement and National Buying Group have xtended their exclusive supply deal for Master Grade Cement in Britain for 2019. The new deal means Master Grade Cement will continue to be solely available to merchants in Britain via NBG. Quinn’s GB sales and marketing director, Lee Gillman, said: “Our partnership with NBG has been very successful in 2018 with our Master Grade Cement sales in particular exceeding forecasts since we launched our new cement range. Feedback from NBG merchants has been very positive and demand continues to grow.”
ASSA ABLOY has acquired Lorient, a
designer and manufacturer of high performance door sealing systems based in Newton Abbott, Devon. Lorient will continue to operate as autonomous businesses as part of the Door Hardware Group, retaining the existing strong commercial and operational team that has made the business the success it is today. Existing customer contact points remain unchanged.
Pippa Latham is the new Master of the Worshipful Company of Builders’ Merchants (WCoBM). The installation ceremony took place at Merchant Taylors’ Hall at the end of October 2018. On the same evening Wardens Dame Fiona Woolf, D.B.E, DL and Stewart Pierce were elected to support the Master in her year. Liveryman Lucia Di Stazio of MRA Marketing was invited to join the Court as a new Assistant.
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