NEWSROUND AG announces £5.4 million investment
AG is investing over £5.4 million to enhance its manufacturing facilities; its latest upgrades, exceeding £400,000 will boost production efficiency to help meet demand while reducing the company’s environmental footprint.
The developments include construction of a new £3m factory and a £2m wash plant revamp, and the installation of two state- of-the-art crushers.
The cutting-edge machinery will match the output of its predecessors whilst consolidating the crushing circuits at the company’s Fivemiletown and
Pomeroy sites, yielding significant carbon emission savings for AG.
In addition, AG has introduced new product moulds, upgraded packaging machinery and new wrapping processes to improve performance efficiency and mitigate the company’s carbon impact across their four sites. “At AG, we are committed to delivering superior products while prioritising sustainability and innovation,” says CEO Stephen Acheson. “By modernising our machinery and embracing cutting-
Selco delivers fourth forest MKM posts 13% rise
Builders merchant chain MKM Building Supplies Limited, saw a 13% rise in sales in the year to September 30 2023, with profits only marginally down at £88.2m.
edge technologies, we are poised to meet the soaring demand the business is experiencing across commercial and domestic markets, while championing sustainable practices.”
Selco Builders Warehouse has further demonstrated plastics Supercentres its commitment to delivering long-term sustainable operations by creating a fourth ‘Selco Forest’ as part of its carbon-offsetting tree-planting scheme. Set in Lomond Hills in Fife, the latest forest to be developed by the leading builders merchant covers 21 hectares and comprises of more than 54,000 trees.
It means, over the last four years, Selco has planted more than 350,000 trees as part of its commitment to delivering a sustainable future for the business, its customers and colleagues. The forest in Fife will capture 2,938 tonnes of carbon over its life cycle, with management, thinning and harvesting of the woodland bringing an employment and economic boost to the rural sector in Fife.
The tree-planting project sits alongside a wide range of policies to help Selco reduce its carbon footprint, including introducing alternative fuel vehicles to its transport fleet, a comprehensive recycling strategy, the installation of LED lighting and a new gas management system installed across the branch network.
City Plumbing launches
City Plumbing has launched 10 new Plastics Supercentres across the country; its centres will stock Wavin soil, waste and plastic plumbing products and drainage options, along with other brands. The new Plastics Supercentres will stock the full profile of everything needed to complete multiple new build units, in large quantities. Maxine Frost, national sales director at City Plumbing, said: “It is vital that the contractor community has confidence in us to stock the products they need, when they need it and in the volumes that are required. Our research suggests they want to order everything from one place rather than having to go elsewhere, and they want to order in bulk with quick delivery.
“The new Plastics Supercentres will meet that need and we are delighted to work in conjunction with Wavin for the launch, which is renowned for its high-quality and sustainable plastic pipe and drainage solutions for above and below ground.”
The slight drop in profits was attributed to the increased number of branch openings during the year: 18 in total, comprising 13 new branches, and five purchased from John Nicholls. A further six branches have been opened since the end of the financial year, tak- ing the total to 128 across the country; the company plans to continue this path, open- ing branches in areas where MKM currently doesn’t have a presence and where there’s a local team to invest in, work with and grow a branch. The aim is to open an additional 10 branches during the year. CEO Kate Tinsley said: “2023 was another solid year for the business. We saw MKM contin- ue to outperform, against what was a more challenging market than recent prior years. This performance was driven by our strategic focus on new branch openings, investing in existing branches, ensuring product availability, a motivated team and our continued commit- ment to local communities and service. While we have grown into a national business, we have always kept to our roots, which is to work with local branch directors, meeting local needs and customer service at the individual branch level.”
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www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net May 2024
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