NEWSROUND
Walsall Wheelbarrows welcomes Wolverhampton MP
Sureena Brackenridge, MP for Wolverhampton North East visited Walsall Wheelbarrows last Friday (May 30) to see how the family- owned company has evolved to embrace automation in the West Midlands.
Brackenridge was welcomed by sales director Simon Thacker, sales manager Tom Fisher and operations manager Tony Rrapaj, along with Brett Amphlett of the Builders Merchants Federation. Touring the factory, she was shown the production lines of the only manufacturer still making
the entire wheelbarrow in the UK. Most of the wheelbarrows made in Wolverhampton go into construction, agricultural, equestrian, gardening, DIY and landscaping.
Brackenridge said: “I enjoyed visiting The Walsall Wheelbarrow Company, the UK’s only wheelbarrow manufacturer, which is actually based in Wednesfield. It was great to speak with the management of this family firm, first established in 1995, about the Thacker family’s passion for all things ‘barrow’.”
“This is the kind of employer that does our constituency proud, a true Black-Country light- engineering special, and I look forward to doing what I can as an MP to help firms of this sort to continue to flourish”.
The visit was another arranged by the Builders Merchants Federation as part of its Industry and Parliament programme.
City Plumbing develops ElecStore brand to power up support for multi-skilled tradespeople
City Plumbing has launched ElecStore, a dedicated electrical brand available at its branches nationwide.
The launch of ElecStore marks a significant step forward in City Plumbing’s support of multi- skilled trades.
Recent research by the merchant found that nearly half (48%) of plumbers and heating engineers have already trained in
IBMG sets up new division
IBMG has announced the official launch of its new dedicated division; Supply Chain Services. Designed in response to ongoing challenges in logistics, product availability, and workflow efficiency, Supply Chain Services will offer end-to-end support to help customers streamline their operations, reduce costs, and stay focused on core priorities. “Our clients are facing growing
pressure to do more with less — and to do it faster, safer, and
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electrical work, with a further 37% planning to upskill within the next 12 months.
“Increasingly, tradespeople are offering a wider range of services, such as electrical radiators or storage heating, become more commonplace,” said Hemal Morjaria, managing director for Renewables, Electrical and Site Temp at City Plumbing.” Every City Plumbing branch will
smarter,” said Stuart Hough, divisional managing director of Supply Chain Services at IBMG. “Supply Chain Services is a tailored offering that brings together technology, local service, and our deep industry experience, to create real, measurable value.” These services are designed to integrate seamlessly into day-to- day operations, with a focus on solving the sector’s most pressing supply chain and operational challenges.
ROCKWOOL launches global fire-stopping centre of excellence
Rockwool, the stone wool insulation manufacturer, is launching a new global centre of excellence for fire-stopping at Hams Hall, near Birmingham, to manufacture a new fire-stopping range.
The multi-million-pound investment builds on Rockwool’s in-house focus on fire safety.
stock a key range of ElecStore’s products.
Q1 Figures show first timber import
growth since 2021 Timber and panel import volumes were 0.6% higher in Q1 2025 than they were in 2024, reaching 2.26 million m3 according to the latest TDUK figures. With volumes falling 1% in January 2025, and 9% in February, a 13% increase in volumes in March 2025 resulted in cumulative growth for the quarter as a whole.
Many of the main timber and panel products sectors expanded
The new range, due to launch this summer, will include coated batt, sealants, collars, wraps, pillows and socket boxes. The facility will enable Rockwool to manage the product line from conception to delivery and support sustainability. A specialist training centre will also open at Hams Hall later this year. This will provide clients with product demonstrations, and the opportunity to install Rockwool’s fire protection products across a series of rigs mirroring common building applications.
during Q1, with strong growth in volumes realised by OSB, Plywood and Engineered Wood Products (EWP). Softwood imports also grew by nearly 2%. The reduction in MDF volumes seen in Q1 2025 is being measured against a strong performance in Q1 2024. TDUK head of technical and trade, Nick Boulton, said: “While challenges remain
across the construction landscape, it’s encouraging to see import growth and forecasts pointing to improvements in the housing and RMI sectors – both key markets for timber after a difficult few years.”
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net July 2025
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