NEWSROUND Haldane hosts BoE directors at headquarters
The Haldane Group, the Northern Ireland based builders’ merchant, welcomed senior representatives from the Bank of England’s Monetary and Financial Policy Committees to its Newry headquarters as part of a regional policymaker outreach visit. Huw Pill, chief economist, executive director for monetary analysis and a member of the Monetary Policy Committee, as well as Nathanaël Benjamin, executive director for financial stability strategy and risk, met with executive chairman David Haldane, CEO Charles Burns, and Newry site manager and fourth- generation shareholder Rob Haldane.
Lords Group lifts revenue
Lords Group Trading has posted higher sales in the first half of 2025, with its merchanting arm driving growth despite margin pressures across the group. Revenue rose 8.4% to £232.1m in the six months to 30 June, with like-for-like sales up 7%. Adjusted EBITDA fell 3.9% to £12.1m as inflation and a shift in product mix weighed on profitability. The adjusted EBITDA margin narrowed to 5.2% from 5.9% a year earlier. The interim dividend was
maintained at 0.32p per share. Net debt excluding leases fell to £20.9m, a £15.4m reduction since June 2024, supported by a £13.1m sale-and-leaseback of four sites in April.
Merchanting delivered strong growth, with revenue up 12.6% to £117.7m and like-for-like sales ahead 11.5%. Adjusted EBITDA rose 8.6% to £8.2m, though margin eased to 7.0%. Plumbing & Heating revenue
JB Kind Doors invests in new distribution
JB Kind’s parent company Tiger Investment Group, has made asignificant investment in a new distribution warehouse at the door company’s site in Barnsley, South Yorkshire.
The new facility doubles JB
Kind’s previous storage capacity to 74,000 sq. ft and marks a step forward in efficiency for customers.
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Simon Johnson, commercial director at JB Kind, said: “We are better equipped than ever to support our customers.”
During the visit, the guests met with The Haldane Group’s leadership team to discuss the current business climate, before touring the Newry site, the largest hub for the company’s timber importing, manufacturing, and distribution operations. Haldane said: “We were delighted to welcome Mr Pill and Mr Benjamin to Newry.
The builders’ merchant industry across the UK is navigating a complex environment. Rising costs, supply chain pressures, and fluctuations in demand remain real challenges, but there are also significant opportunities. With continued investment in housing, infrastructure, and the transition to greener building solutions, we see real potential for growth. For independent merchants like The Haldane Group, our strength lies in combining scale with excellent local customer service, digitisation, improved customer satisfaction, and nurturing our team of talent, enabling us to adapt quickly and support customers as the market evolves.”
increased 2.4% to £112.2m, with like-for-like growth of 2.8%. APP wholesale volumes rose 6.8%, but weaker demand in merchanting and a 13% sales decline at Mr Central Heating offset gains. Adjusted EBITDA dropped to £3.9m from £5.0m, partly due to the absence of a one-off benefit recorded in H1 2024.
In June the group acquired Construction Materials Online (CMO) for £1.8m, including a property valued at £1.2m. CMO operates nine specialist websites and is the UK’s largest online- only construction products retailer.
TP Managed Services extends partnerships
Travis Perkins Managed Services, the Travis Perkins Group’s materials supplier to social housing providers, has opened a new hub to help housing association Salix Homes deliver its repairs service. The depot in Weaste, Salford, will support Salix Homes’ repairs and maintenance teams with parts, materials, training facilities, and on-site recycling areas to help manage waste sustainably. The company has also signed
an agreement to supply RHP Group with materials for repairs and maintenance, across RHP Group’s 11,000 homes across Richmond, Hounslow, Kingston and Spelthorne. Via the TPgo Data platform,
RHP Group management teams will have increased visibility of spend, product usage, stock availability, price adjustments for faulty goods and spend on CSA.
Jewson and Quadient launch 24/7 smart lockers for customers
Builders’ merchant, Jewson part of the STARK Group, has partnered with Quadient, a global automation platform, to roll out new Parcel Pending oversize smart lockers at its flagship branches in Luton and Farnborough. These new outdoor oversize trade lockers will provide secure, 24/7 click-and-collect access for
everything from small plumbing tools to large building materials.
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net October 2025
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