NEWSROUND
Labour Leader pledges to ‘build more in Britain, for Britain’ during C&W Berry visit
Sir Keir Starmer, leader of the Labour Party, visited builders’ merchant C & W Berry, in Leyland, unveiling his party’s vision for creating more jobs in the sector.
Starmer held a question and answer session with staff members of the independent builders merchant, outlining his plan to create jobs for
Cement scientists make net zero breakthrough
Researchers from Cambridge University believe they have found a way to reduce the carbon footprint of cement manufacture. The most common building material, cement requires masses of energy to produce the chemical reactions needed to make it. The new method reactivates used cement by exposing it to high temperatures again. As reported in the journal Nature the Cambridge researchers found that used cement is an effective substitute for lime flux, used in steel recycling to remove impurities, and which normally ends up as slag, a waste product. By replacing lime with used cement, the end product is recycled cement that can be used to make new concrete. Tests carried out by the Materials Processing Institute, a partner in the project, showed that this recycled cement can be produced at scale in an electric arc furnace. If this was powered by renewable energy, the whole process would be zero-emissions. The Cambridge Electric Cement process has been scaling rapidly, and the researchers say they could be producing one billion tonnes per year by 2050, which represents roughly a quarter of current annual cement production.
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construction workers, plumbers and installers upgrading homes.
He said: “The North West has a proud manufacturing sector that creates good jobs for thousands of families, but after 14 years of Tory chaos and decline, there are fewer jobs in the manufacturing sector here than there were at the last general election. “It’s time for change. Only a Labour government will reverse the decline in manufacturing
– our plans will build more in Britain, for Britain and create thousands of good jobs in our industrial heartlands and coastal communities”.
C & W Bery managing director David Berry told BMJ: “At C & W Berry we have no particular political affilliation to any party. We are very proud of what we do here, and are happy to welcome those - in this case Sir Kier Starmer - who recognise the huge importance of the builders merchant sector to the UK economy as a whole.”
Lords reveals record revenue, but profits slide for 2023
Builders merchant group Lords turned over £462.6 m for the year ended December 31 2023, up 2.8% on the previous year, although pre-tax profits, at £10.4m, were 40% down 2022, due to interest costs, depreciation and amortisation. The merchanting division saw revenues fall 2.6% to £214.9 m, with LFL sales down 6.3%, reflecting price deflation in some product categories. The plumbing & heating increased revenue by 8.0% to £247.7 m, 3.7% higher on a like- for-like basis, benefitting from extending higher-margin ranges such as renewables. Mr Central Heating opened a new site in
Edinburgh; the medium term aim is for 50 branches.
The group added six branches and 93 colleagues to the merchanting division, with the acquisitions of Chiltern Timber Supplies and Alloway Timber. Post year-end the Board announced the appointment of Stuart Kilpatrick as CFO, who joined the Board on 4 June 2024.
CPA reports mixed opening to 2024
The Construction Products Association’s latest State of Trade Survey for the first quarter of 2024 showed a mixed performance for product manufacturers, with a seventh consecutive quarterly fall in sales for heavy side firms contrasting with growth reported by firms on the lightside. Forward- looking expectations were the strongest in two years, but the strength of demand continues to be flagged as the largest concern. In 2024 Q1, a balance of 36% of heavyside manufacturers reported that sales of construction
products decreased, marking the seventh consecutive quarter of decline since 2022 Q3. Alongside this, 24% of lightside manufacturers reported a rise in product sales, swinging back into growth after two previous quarters of decline.
Key survey findings include: • A balance of 36% of heavyside firms reported that construction products sales fell in 2024 Q1 compared with 2023 Q4, the seventh straight quarter of decline • 24% of lightside manufacturers reported an increase in sales
Shanker Patel, Lords CEO, said: “FY23 has demonstrated that we have successfully built a sustainable growth business. Despite the challenging macroeconomic backdrop, the Group has once again grown its top line and gained market share, while continuing to invest to deliver future growth. “I remain confident in our strategy and its ability to deliver sustained growth over the medium term. Our market remains substantial, highly fragmented and we have a track record of consolidation and organic growth which combined deliver excellent returns for all of our stakeholders.”
• 79% of manufacturers of heavyside materials and 59% of lightside manufacturers anticipated a sales rise over the next 12 months • 67% heavy side manufacturers and 59% of light side cited ‘demand’ as the key concern for sales over the next 12 months.
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net June 2024
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