9.6% rise in Q1 total value sales through specialist


Plumbing & Heating merchants compared with 2002


Aggregate Industries acquires Besblock Ltd


Building materials supplier Aggregate Industries, a member of the Holcim Group, has further bolstered its operations with the acquisition of Besblock Ltd., a leading supplier of precast materials to the Midlands construction industry.


The acquisition of Telford-based Besblock will see Aggregate


Industries expand upon its existing products with the introduction of a range of technically niche and sustainable building blocks, and enable closer working relationships with large and medium sized housebuilders across the Midlands. Through its two manufacturing facilities in Telford, Besblock currently produces around 1.7m


51.6 index for construction output


in May, up from 51.1 in April


sq m building blocks per year, equating to approximately 250kT. Its products include the industry- leading Star Performer block, a sustainable and multi-purpose on-site solution, with recycled aggregates and 24 % less material than a solid block. The business has strong sustainability credentials, with its fleet of lorries one of the most efficient in the country and with the recent installation of a new 1.65MW biomass boiler and renewable energy system, which will see the business become carbon neutral when operational.


32%fall in brick sales in Q1


2023, compared to 2022


Dragan Maksimovic, CEO of


Aggregate Industries UK, said: “The acquisition of Besblock Ltd is an important milestone in our journey as we strive to become the UK’s leading supplier of sustainable construction materials and solutions. Besblock has invested heavily in sustainability in recent years and its market-leading product range has strong synergies with our own. We’re delighted to be able to enhance our products and capabilities with the acquisition of this progressive and market- leading business.”


PHG celebrates excellence in the plumbing, heating and bathroom industry


Over 251 guests from the plumbing, heating and bathroom sector attended PGH Supplier of the Year Awards, comprising 186 supplier representatives and 61 PHG representatives.


• The awards were presented by David Pochin, Chairman at PHG to: • Roper Rhodes: PHG Instinct Supplier of the Year.


Cleveland Timber joins h&b Development Group


Builders merchant Cleveland Timber has become the latest member of rhe h&b buying group’s Development Group. Cleveland Timber is a single- branch timber specialist, established in 1976. The firm delivers timber products across the north east servicing the fencing, landscaping and building industries with decking, sheet timber, fencing products,


insulation and timber roofing materials.


The company is planning to expand its offering across heavyside building supplies to better service its existing customers and building new relationships by utlising the deals and relationships that being part of the Development Group affords it. The h&b Development Group offers smaller independent


Robert Price becomes a Net Zero Carbon Business Champion


South Wales-based builders’ merchants, Robert Price, have become a ‘Zero Carbon Business Champion’ as part of the Construct Zero programme (also known as CO2nstruct Zero). The South Wales builders’


merchants has been implementing several sustainable strategies that have helped achieve their successful application to become a Business Champion. As well as transforming their vehicle fleet, streamlining their transport


June 2023 www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net


and improving their uptake of paperless billing, they also opened their Sustainable Energy Centre (SEC) in 2022.


• RWC (Reliance Worldwide Corporation): PHG Plumbing


Supplier of the Year. • Crosswate: PHG Bathroom Supplier of the Year.


• Stelrad: PHG Heating Supplier of the Year.


• Roper Rhodes: PHG Overall Supplier of the Year.


Pochin said: “The PHG Supplier Awards Event brings together a fabulous group of people with


merchants an opportunity to power up their growth and eventually join the larger group. “We researched the buying group options open to use very carefully, “says Cleveland’s Adam Love. “h&b offers the best fit for our business and joining the h&b Development Group simply made sense. We are keen to grow our business both organically at Middlesborough and possibly with a new branch, and we know that the deals and the support that h&b can offer us, will give us the clout to do that strategically and securely.”


shared values for delivering the best in our industry.”


As part of the celebrations, guests were able to take part in a Driving Experience at Oulton Park Circuit or play golf at Carden Park during the day. Other activities included archery, segways, football darts, a live clay shoot and a spa day experience.


Southern Sheeting expands into the Midlands


Southern Sheeting is expanding into the Midlands following an investment in a new distribution depot and customer service centre in Loughborough.


The new hub, which will be branded as Southern Sheeting Midlands, opened on May 30 and can be found in the town’s Wymeswold Business Quarter. It stocks a vast range of roofing, cladding and decking products, for tradespeople needing building supplies for contracts both large and small, as well as those looking to make home improvements.


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