NEWSROUND CPA welcomes 10 year Industrial Strategy


The Construction Products Association has expressed strong support for the UK Government’s 10 year Industrial Strategy. Underpinned by an £86 billion R&D package, central to the strategy’s vision is addressing industrial energy costs: more than 7,000 manufacturing firms will be exempted from green levies, and network charge rebates for energy-intensive industries will be significantly increased.


The CPA, which represents the UK’s £68.6 billion construction products manufacturing sector, welcomed the clarity and ambition shown. It emphasised


the importance of aligning implementation with the needs of industries like construction products manufacturing, which accounts for 11% of total UK manufacturing output and employs over 407,900 people. Peter Caplehorn, chief executive of the Construction Products Association, said: “We welcome


Travis Perkins plc reveals new specialist merchants operating structure


Builders merchant Travis Perkins plc has announced a new operating structure for the group’s specialist merchant businesses.


Catherine Gibson takes on the newly created role of specialist merchants managing director, reporting to the group CEO as


Heidelberg


Materials opens Brevik carbon capture facility


Heidelberg Materials has officially inaugurated Brevik CCS in Norway, the cement industry’s first industrial-scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) facility.


H.R.H. Crown Prince Haakon of Norway officially unveiled a concrete-made plaque, alongside Terje Aasland, Norway’s Minister of Energy, Heidelberg Materials chairman Dr Dominik von Achten, and more than 320 guests. Brevik CCS will capture around 400,000 tonnes of CO2


per year,


representing 50% of the plant’s emissions.


4 The facility is part of the


Norwegian government’s Longship project, developing Europe’s first full-scale value chain for carbon capture, transport, and storage from hard-to-abate industries. The CO2


captured in Brevik


will be liquefied and shipped to an onshore terminal on the Norwegian west coast. From there, it will be transported by pipeline to permanent storage under the North Sea.


part of the group’s leadership team. Gibson will oversee new leadership teams in the Group’s specialist merchant businesses, BSS, CCF, Keyline and TF Solutions to create more entrepreneurial, customer-centric businesses. Gibson initially joined the group from Aggregate Industries in 2015,


the renewed commitment to a long-term industrial strategy. The strategy must not only be ambitious—it must be consistent, clear, and rooted in real engagement with industry. We look forward to working with government to make this vision a reality.”


The CPA particularly appreciates the proposed consultation on industrial electricity pricing and plans to increase rebates for eligible manufacturers from 60% to 90%. These measures could significantly improve competitiveness for UK-based producers, provided they are rolled


starting in senior operational roles and rising to become managing director for Travis Perkins Hire before being appointed managing director for CCF in 2020. She says: “I am really excited about working with the specialist merchant businesses to help strengthen their performance. These businesses already enjoy strong relationships with customers and suppliers, reflecting


out effectively and equitably across sectors.


While the strategy highlights sectors such as advanced manufacturing and clean energy, the CPA strongly agrees with the government’s recognition of construction manufacturing as a foundation sector—underpinning the delivery of national priorities on infrastructure, decarbonisation, housing and economic growth. The Association emphasised that this acknowledgment must now be matched by full and consistent inclusion of construction products manufacturing in the strategy’s delivery framework.


the expertise and passion of our colleagues. Whilst there will be opportunities to share resources, these businesses need to be run separately, in order to take into account their different requirements.”


Gibson will be supported by new managing directors; Chris Knight (CCF), Josie Crowe (BSS), Huw Jenkins (Keyline) and James Boswell (TF Solutions).


NMBS appoints new CEO


Kevin Williams has been named as the new Chief Executive Officer of builders merchants organisation the National Merchant Buying Society (NMBS). Williams, who brings with him over 30 years of experience across the building materials and construction distribution sectors, will join the group on August 1. His experience includes leadership roles at Travis Perkins and most recently he was managing director of Headlam PLC. He will succeed Chris Hayward who became CEO of NMBS in 2022, following more than 20


years as managing director and more than 47 years’ service in total at NMBS. Hayward will officially step away from NMBS early next year, allowing a smooth transition process through the rest of 2025. Williams says: “I’m


honoured and excited to be joining NMBS at a pivotal time for future growth. I am really looking forward to refreshing and building new connections and relationships across the whole NMBS membership, while enjoying a full handover process from Chris and working alongside the great team at NMBS to continue its positive impact and commercial success.”


www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net July 2025


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44