COMMENT
Tie a yellow ribbon round the industry
T
he Covid-19 pandemic changed things. It saw the rise of remote and hybrid working practices, it brought in a more flexible way of juggling work-life and home-life. The daily commute will probably never be quite the same again for a great many people. It also changed the way that many youngsters viewed their education and their career paths. The best part of a school year was spent learning away from the structured classroom, hunched over lap-tops or smartphones, often as their furloughed parents sat in the garden or binge-watched Netflix. What might once have seemed a clear pathway through school via further or higher education, emerging from the other end with an ‘ology’, has somehow lost its shine for many.
The pandemic - as well as other issues such as cost of living, lecturer strikes, tuition fees, and student loans - means the latest generation of yongsters have changed the way they think about their education, and, more specifically, their futures. Opportunities that once might have been obvious for swathes of pupils reaching the end of their GCSEs and A Levels are either no longer there, or not as appealing.
Hence why now is a brilliant time to showcase the huge variety of career options, jobs roles and advancement opportunities there are within the building materials sector.
It’s not an area that you find many school career fairs highlighting, and that’s bonkers because, as we know, there is a job in this sector that will match pretty much any area a young person leaving collage or school might be interested in. You’ll notice that BMJ has once again changed the look of the entire September issue in order to show our support for the Maddie Rose Campaign. This is our industry’s initiative, developed with the support of the Construction Youth Trust, and including people from merchants, suppliers, the
CONTACTS Builders Merchants Journal
Datateam Business Media London Road Maidstone Kent ME15 8LY Tel: 01622 687031
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net
EDITORIAL
Group Managing Editor: Fiona Russell Horne 01622 699101 07721 841382
frussell-horne@datateam.co.uk
Assistant editors Anjali Sooknanan 01622 699106
asooknanan@datateam.co.uk
Will McGill 01622 699185
wmcgill@datateam.co.uk
Worshipful Company of Builders Merchants, buying groups, the BMF, NMBS, everyone who wants to commit to bringing more young people through the sector, allowing them to reach their potential. The Maddie Rose Campaign aims to promote the take-up of apprenticeships schemes, of work experience placements, of attendance at careers fairs, and Hidden Careers sessions. These introduce youngsters to the huge variety of roles that this industry can offer. All too often youngsters are put off the idea of the construction sector by parents or teachers or friends, all of whom think it’s all about running around a building site with blueprints or a shovel.
Close to my heart, as you know, the Campaign enters its next stage this month. The dedicated website is launched, and there you will find information about the Campaign’s next aims, details of previous initiatives, and information to allow you to conduct your own events. Check it out at
www.maddierosecampaign.org.uk Once again, the campaign is going yellow - Maddie’s favourite colour - on the 22nd of September for Maddie’s Day. Merchants and manufacturers are asked to join in on this important day by turning their social media channels yellow and/or adopting the Maddie Rose Campaign logo.
I urge you all to get all your people - your employees, your friends, your families, your peers, suppliers and customers - in the sector to go yellow for Maddie’s Day. Let’s have a total yellow- out of the sector on September 22. Please help to continue the amazing work that has been done thus far, work that is, let’s never, ever, ever forget, a tribute to one of our own. For Maddie. With love.
BMJ
Fiona Russell-Horne Group Managing Editor - BMJ
“ What thou lovest well, remains...
What thou lov’st well, shall not be refit from thee, What thou lov’st well is thy true heritage Ezra Pound
CONTENTS 4 Newsround
The news from around the industry 8 News Extra
The Maddie Rose Campaign enters its next phase.
10 BMJ Industry Awards A last minute look at the Final shortlist
14 Institute Focus
The latest from the Institute of Builders Merchants
16 People Who’s moved where and 10 Minutes With…
17 Business Helpdesk How to protect a business from cybercrime
18 Business Focus NMBS talks heavyside. 19 Viewpoint
Comment and thought leadership, including a look at insulation issues, and how to successfully add a new branch.
22 Merchant Focus
Looking at landscaping with a specialist eye 24 Landscaping
Trends and developments in the garden landscaping sector
27 Heating & Plumbing A look at the issues with hybrids, heat pumps, and hire
Production Controller: Nic Mandeville
ADVERTISING
Group Sales Manager: Dawn Tucker 01622 699148 07934 731232
dtucker@datateam.co.uk
Media Account Executive Morgan Borthwick-Hunter mborthwick-hunter@datateam.
co.uk
01622 699126
Publisher: Paul Ryder
pryder@datateam.co.uk CIRCULATION
ABC audited average circulation
July 2018-June 2019: 7,801 SUBSCRIPTIONS
UK 1 year: £97 UK, 2 years: £164 Outside UK: one year £113/$204; two years: £196/$353
© Datateam Business Media Ltd 2023
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any means, electronic or mechanical including photo-copying, recording or any information storage or retrieval system without the prior written consent of the publisher. The title Builders Merchants Journal is registered at Stationers’ Hall. Suppliers have contributed towards production costs of some photographs in this issue.
31 Rainwater Management Dealing with wetter Summers and drier Winters
34 BMF Industry Voice The BMF’s own pages bring you all their news
36 Product News
Latest products and developments from suppliers
38 And Finally News and the prize crossword
September 2023
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net 3
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