COMMENT
Look to the future, the present’s too grim
I
will endeavour to find something more cheerful to move onto, but, right now... my word it is grim out there. I’m not telling anyone anything that they don’t know, and I have no sensible advice for any of us, apart from, maybe, hang in there. But hanging in here is what we have been doing for far, far longer than any of us thought we were going to have to. As anyone who’s witnessed me attempting a pull-up in the gym will attest, there’s point at which the grip just gives up.
It’s the relentlessness of it all that’s so dispiriting. Just when you think it might be OK to start planning for the future, for investment, for growth, someone throws another proverbial spanner into the works. We should have expected something painful to come out of a new Labour Government (though the Business and Agricultural Relief changes, and the National Insurance and Minimum Wage rises were serious blows, and came out of the blue) but who really thought the USA would start a war with Iran? The consequences of that act of wanton political recklessness are hitting hard, every day. Enough of the doom and gloom. This will end, it always does, that’s the nature of economic cycles. Alas, the landscape will look different when we come out of the other side, that’s a given, and there will be companies that simply can’t hang on any more. But there is something to be said for the resilience of this sector, of the determination of independents in particular, to work with what they’ve got, play the game that’s in front of them, and take advantage of opportunities that present themselves. We’ve covered a couple of these in this issue, instances where merchants have taken steps to grow and develop their businesses. But, of course, growing and developing businesses will
CONTACTS Builders Merchants Journal
Datateam Business Media London Road Maidstone Kent ME15 8LY Tel: 01622 687031
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net
EDITORIAL
Group Managing Editor: Fiona Russell Horne 01622 699101 07721 841382
frussell-horne@datateam.co.uk
Assistant editor Oliver Stanley 01622 699106
ostanley@datateam.co.uk
Production Controller: Nic Mandeville
need people to run them. Maybe not immediately, bearing in mind the gloomy picture I’ve painted above. But soon.
Allow me to add a shameless plug for the Maddie Rose Foundation. Having launched officially at the end of May – and with a deal of fanfare in these very pages last month – the Foundation has already raised a huge amount of money to fund its work, thanks to the astonishing generosity of this sector.
It’s not all about raising money though. We would very much like to spend it. Let me encourage any merchants or suppliers with links to, or contacts with, charities or organisations aiming to give young people a start in their careers, to get in touch with us. Likewise, if you know of any young people who are looking at entering this amazing sector, or developing their careers within it, but who might be wondering how they can fund any specific training, or relevant materials, then get in touch with the Foundation at admin@maddierosefoundation.
org.uk.
There are, as I have said before, certain hoops that need to be jumped through before we can fund things, and we can’t be doling money out willy-nilly – it all has to fit within the terms and conditions of our legally stated aims, but we would like to get the ball rolling. The Foundation is about building future careers, and ensuring that this sector has a healthy, vibrant future, despite the challenges that the world insists on throwing at it. I doubt very much that Andy Burnham, our PM-in- waiting, will be our saviour, so we have to do it for ourselves. BMJ
Fiona Russell-Horne Group Managing Editor - BMJ
“
There are certain things we feel to be beautiful and good, and we must hunger after them. George Eliot
”
CONTENTS 4 Newsround
What’s happening in the sector 8 News Extra
The latest insight from the NMBS Conference
16 People Who’s moving where
18 Merchant Focus BMJ speaks to T.H Wiggans
23 Business Helpdesk Full Power Utilities on keeping costs down
24 Viewpoint Our guest columnists share their insights
32 Sealants and Adhesives Stocking the right sealants for summer 36 Roofing
The latest technology within the roofing market
ADVERTISING
Group Sales Manager: Dawn Tucker 01622 699148 07934 731232
dtucker@datateam.co.uk
Media Account Executive Morgan Borthwick-Hunter mborthwick-hunter@datateam.
co.uk
01622 699126
Publisher: Paul Ryder
pryder@datateam.co.uk © Datateam Business Media Ltd 2026
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any means, electronic or mechanical including photo-copying, recording or any information storage or retrieval system without the prior written consent of the publisher. The title Builders Merchants Journal is registered at Stationers’ Hall. Suppliers have contributed towards production costs of some photographs in this issue.
CIRCULATION
ABC audited average circulation
July 2018-June 2019: 7,801 SUBSCRIPTIONS
UK 1 year: £97 UK, 2 years: £164 Outside UK: one year £113/$204; two years: £196/$353
38 Company Focus
Branching out into new markets with GRS Paving and UKO
42 Industry voice What’s new from the BMF
44 Product News What’s new from suppliers
46 And finally Charity news and the Prize Crossword July 2026
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net 3
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