NEWSROUND BMF arranges mayoral visit to David Smith St Ives Paul Bristow, Mayor of


Cambridgeshire & Peterborough, visited David Smith in St Ives, a 65-year old joinery and timber engineering business, to see its contribution to homes, commercial & public buildings. The visit was arranged by the Builders Merchants Federation as part of its industry and parliament programme.


Bristow was welcomed by managing director Tim Wilson, operations manager Tony Maxwell, and Brett Amphlett from the BMF. Touring the 8-acre site, he was shown examples


of the fire door sets, staircases, roof trusses and floor joists that David Smith manufactures for housebuilders, contractors and property developers.


Wilson said: “We were happy to welcome Paul today and show him how David Smith St Ives has evolved since we began in 1960. It’s encouraging to see the Mayor take a genuine interest in local manufacturers like ours and offer support to help timber engineering businesses succeed. We had a productive discussion about the role of timber engineered products in


Cemex partners with The Pallet LOOP


Cemex UK has announced a partnership with The Pallet LOOP, moving towards more sustainable packaging solutions in the cement industry From October 2025, the core range of Rugby Cement products bagged at Cemex’s flagship plant in Rugby will be


City Plumbing to offer low-cost solar training for installers


City Plumbing has announced subsidised solar PV training in partnership with renewable energy training specialist, GTEC Training. Thanks to the Government funding 60% of the cost, the training is offered at the subsidised price of £264. However, the first 50 installers who complete the training will get a £264 credit on their first City Plumbing solar kit order, effectively making the training free.


“We know solar installations are a growing area for our customers,” said Hemal Morjaria,


4


delivered on The Pallet LOOP’s distinctive green pallets – designed for recovery, repair, and reuse.


Cemex is the first cement manufacturer to adopt The Pallet


managing director for heating & renewables at City Plumbing. “Our subsidised, or even free courses, make upskilling in solar a practical reality for trades who often don’t have the spare cash to invest in their growth and business development. This training, combined with specialist products, tools and service, will help installers take advantage of the massive increase in solar in the UK.”


meeting local housing needs, particularly for homes that people choose with sustainability an ever more important aspect, and to deliver quality homes with more elements manufactured offsite to assist speeding up the construction process”.


LOOP’s circular pallet system, reinforcing its commitment to sustainability and innovation. Vicki Elliott, national sales manager for Bagged Cement at Cemex UK said: “This is a significant step forward for the cement industry. We’ve supported The Pallet LOOP from day one, signing its charter back in 2022. Now, we’re proud to be the first in our sector to integrate this solution into our supply chain. It’s about doing the right thing,


“With significant house- building planned in the county, we believe timber engineered products have a much greater role to play, not only for their environmental benefits, but also for versatility. We also touched on wider industrial policy, including the rising cost of industrial energy, which directly affects manufacturers like us. While installing solar panels has helped to lessen our reliance on the National Grid, it remains concerning that the UK’s electricity prices are still among the highest in Europe.”


as simply as possible – reducing waste, cutting carbon, and helping our customers make more sustainable choices.” This comes as the Pallet LOOP introduces a free three- day collection service option, replacing the current ten-day offer with immediate effect, meaning all collections booked via The Pallet LOOP’s nationwide recovery network will now be completed within three working days.


James Jones & Sons Lockerbie celebrates 25 years


James Jones & Sons is hosting a celebration day for the 25 year anniversary of its Lockerbie sawmill.


The original pallet mill, Lockerbie 1, was under construction 25 years ago, transforming the landscape of the Stevens Croft site in Southwest Scotland. The site now employs around 200 direct employees from the local area. Rob MacKenna, general manager of James Jones & Sons Ltd, said “This is a major milestone for the site and the images offer a striking comparison between 1999 and 2025 and highlight the scale


of the site’s growth and the extensive programmes of capital expenditure and innovation. “We are delighted to celebrate our anniversary as a testament to the dedication, hard work and innovation of everyone involved over the years. Recognition is due too to the visionaries on the Board at the time to build on a greenfield site.”


www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net October 2025


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