NEWS BRIEF
Tobermore adds 95 jobs and £30 million investment
Ulster-based paving manufacturer Tobermore is to invest £30million and create 95 jobs inplans to rapidly grow its business over the next four years.
The company is one of the leading paving and walling manufacturers and suppliers in the UK and Ireland.
The announcement was made
by Diane Dodds, Minister for the Economy during a visit to the Tomermore factory. “During such challenging times for companies across Northern Ireland, I would like to congratulate Tobermore on this major announcement. It is investments like this which will drive our economic recovery forward,” she said.
David Henderson, Managing Director of Tobermore, said: “We have experienced extensive growth in recent years due to our exceptional product offering
Obituary: Andy Williams
It is with sadness that H+H announced the death of Andy Williams,
Director of Key Accounts. A well respected figure in the industry, Andy worked for H+H for 21 years, building an unparalleled understanding of relationships between manufacturer, merchant and end user. His early success with H+H led to him playing an ever-more significant role in developing the sales strategy at H+H. He was a no-nonsense businessman who kept his word and built longstanding relationships based on trust, generating a huge amount of personal loyalty by inspirational leadership and camaraderie. H+H said: “For those of us who had the pleasure of working with him, Andy’s loss is deeply felt and he will be much missed by colleagues, customers and industry acquaintances.”
Above (L-R): Glenn Robinson, General Manager of Tobermore; Diane Dodds, Minister for the Economy; Kevin Holland, CEO of Invest NI; and David Henderson, Managing Director of Tobermore.
combined with our high levels of customer service, and in return have developed new products to meet the needs of our loyal customer base.
“This investment will put us in a unique position to exploit multiple markets in the coming years.”
BMF supports call for West Yorks mayor
The BMF has given its broad sup- port for a directly-elected mayor in West Yorkshire, as there is already in other Northern cities. The builders merchants’ trade association was responding to a consultation by the Government on revised arrangements for the county. The BMF believes on Leeds and neighbouring towns & cities are a big enough conurba- tion to merit is own strategic gov- ernance, and that it is logical for West Yorkshire to have devolved powers, responsibilities and funding. The BMF contributed views on the region’s economic development - notably transport, housing & planning, employment, vocational training & skills and business rates.
The BMF understands that Whitehall and Bradford, Calderd- ale, Leeds, Kirklees and Wakefield Councils have to weigh up all views received prior to holding local elections on 6 May 2021.
September 2020
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net
Beedon moves to sweeten Cemex deal
Heavyside producer Breedon is to offload assets so its £178m deal to buy 100 Cemex sites in the UK can go ahead.
The Competition and Markets Authority had warned the deal could see a substantial lessening of competition, with investigators concerned about the supply of ready-mixed concrete, non-spe- cialist aggregates or asphalt in 15 local markets across the UK. Breedon now plans to offload several ready-mixed concrete plants and an asphalt plant in England, two quarries and a ce- ment terminal in Scotland to meet concerns.
Grafton drops by a fifth at half-year
Total sales at builders merchant group Grafton were 19% lower at £1.05bn for the year ended June 30 2020 due to the effects of the UK lockdown and the Covid-19 pandemic. Operating profit was £39.4m, a
drop of 61% and pre-tax profits were 72% down at £24.8m However, the half-year report, re- leased on August 27 also shows a strong recovery in RMI markets across all geographic areas, in particular by Irish DIY business Woodie’s following 51 days of suspended trading. Chief Executive Officer Gavin Slark, said: “We are very pleased with the performance of our busi- ness which was made possible by the outstanding efforts and commitment of colleagues in a half year that demonstrates the resilience and the cash generative qualities of our Group and the agility of our management teams in responding to the Covid-19 pandemic. Based on current trends the Group should deliver a similar level of adjusted operating profit in the second half to the comparable period last year.”
ROOFING distributor SIG Roofing, part of SIG UK, has opened a major new distribution hub in Bristol. The facility, on Bristol’s More+ industrial complex, comprises 31,617 sq ft of warehousing space and a large delivery fleet, which will eventually rise to 28 vehicles The hub will offer increased support to SIG Roofing’s branch network as well as customer collection of pre-ordered items from dedicated collection points.
The BMF is encouraging Members to take advantage of the government’s £2bn Kickstart scheme by providing full administrative support to enable every BMF member to participate. The scheme allows employers to offer 6-month work placements to young people aged 16-24 who are at risk of long-term unemployment. Employers will be able to claim 100% of the National Minimum Wage for their charge, up to 25 hours, plus the associated employer NI and minimum automatic enrolment contributions.
INDEPENDENT merchant Fayers, a member of the Fortis buying group, is the first independent to take on the new Lakes Showering Spaces online showroom platform to trade customers. Lakes launched its virtual showroom concept in July as a selling tool for merchant and retail stockists and their customers.
SHOWER products manufacturer, Kudos, is continuing its £650,000 investment plan to expand its UK capacity with the installation of a new shower tray production facility at its manufacturing site in Cumbria, following the move of its finished goods stocks to a new 60,000 sq ft warehouse in Sandbach.
5
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40
