INDUSTRY VOICE


The BMF has partnered with Ontik, a new service provider now available through the BMF’s expanding range of Business Services, to help members improve cash collection and streamline their accounts receivable operations. Ontik is a next-generation payment and credit control platform designed specifically for builders’ merchants. Trusted by merchants across the UK, Ontik helps teams reduce admin, get paid faster, and improve visibility over aged debt – without changing core systems or overhauling internal processes. With tighter margins, higher overheads, and increasing customer expectations, automating the cash collection process is no longer a ‘nice


to have’ – it’s a necessity. Ontik’s powerful software helps merchants modernise their operations quickly, with smart tools built for the merchant environment.


The service offering includes:


• Modern payment collection • Live aged debt dashboard • Dispute handling • Real-time reporting • Easy integration • Cash collection automation Why choose Ontik? • Free up your accounts team by automating routine tasks. • Improve customer experience with branded, user-friendly communication. • Get paid faster with seamless, tap-to-pay links and automatic nudges. • Reduce manual errors and


BMF DIARY DATES


Please check the BMF website at www.bmf.org.uk for all the latest news and events updates in this ever-changing environment.


BMF Business Services - taking the pain out of B2B payments with Ontik


Catchpole, and Beesley & Fildes. Through our partnership with Ontik, BMF members can now access: • SPECIAL OFFER – no card service fees charged for the whole of 2025. • Preferential rates • 24/7 implementation and customer support


With end-to-end visibility, reduced admin, and improved cash flow, Ontik offers a smarter way to manage your receivables, and they are already delivering results for businesses like yours.


increase team alignment with shared, live dashboards. • Trusted by the trade – already used by merchants like GH Brooks, A.W Lumb, Collier &


BMF Young Achiever Awards: Final call for entries


Now a much-anticipated highlight of the BMF calendar, the Young Achievers Awards showcase the next generation of industry leaders.


With the entry deadline on 31 July, now is the time to shine a spotlight on the outstanding young talent driving innovation, growth and progress across the sector.


For 2025, there are two prestigious categories: • Young Merchant Achiever • Young Supplier/Service Achiever


Both awards are proudly sponsored by BMF members Epicor and Specialist Driver Resourcing (SDR) and will be presented at the BMF Conference Awards Dinner on 18 September 2025.


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Whether you’re a merchant, supplier, or service provider, this is your chance to recognise rising stars who are already making a real impact on your business.


Who can enter?


All BMF members under the age of 35 – whether you’re working in a merchant branch, at a supplier HQ, or within a service- focused organisation. You can nominate yourself, or a colleague who you believe deserves recognition for their hard work, creative thinking, or game- changing contributions.


Criteria


Judges will be seeking nominees who demonstrate: • Outstanding business acumen • Innovative thinking or new ideas


• A strong contribution to business performance or growth


Why enter?


Winning a Young Achiever Award is much more than a trophy – it’s an industry-wide recognition of your potential and a major boost to your career journey.


Finalists will also receive coverage across BMF communications and national trade media, raising both personal and company profiles.


How to enter


Let’s celebrate the young people shaping the future of our buildig materials sector. Enter your nomination by 31st July 2025. Submit your nomination


to: https://tinyurl.com/ bmfachiever2025


• For more information on this new BMF Business Service provider, contact your regional manager, your usual BMF member contact, or email info@bmf.org.uk.


Homeowners choose kitchens over going green


The BMF has seen new research from the Skipton Building Society that suggests homeowners are just as likely to prioritise a home makeover as they are to go green. A survey of 2,000 homeowners revealed that 48% viewed a new kitchen as a higher priority - and 39% preferred a new bathroom to investing in insulation or energy- efficient heating. Over half of respondents (53%) believed that aesthetic upgrades added more value to their property and are more exciting to undertake. The influence of neighbours, plays a significant role. 38% said that hearing a neighbour had made changes to cut their energy bills had inspired them to explore similar upgrades.


The report can be found


at: https://tinyurl.com/ skiptonresearch


www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net July 2025


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