Professional Builders Merchant January 2020

PROFESSIONAL

BUILDERS MERCHANT THE No.1 BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR MERCHANTS

JANUARY 2020

TRANSPORT, HANDLING & SECURITY Safety and sustainability

MONTHLY TRENDS MONITOR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Ecommerce and increased efficiency

KITCHENS & BATHROOMS Trends and opportunities

Plus: News, NBG Conference, training, merchandising & display solutions and more.

www.professionalbuildersmerchant.co.uk

Fantasy Football Window on the world

CONTENTS

January 2020, Volume 30 No. 1

KITCHENS & BATHROOMS 23

ON DISPLAY Reporting back from the opening of Roca’s new UK headquarters.

24

COMMERCIAL BREAKDOWN Outlining some of the key trends in the kitchens and bathrooms sector.

26

P R O D U C T S & S E RV I C E S

38

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY 28

LESSONS IN SURVIVAL Pursued by eCommerce giants such as Amazon, how will the merchant sector evolve its digital offer?

31

OVERCOMING THE CHALLENGE Managing the process of a new ERP system implementation.

32

MAXIMUM BENEFIT Ensuring that merchants use the full capabilities of their business support software.

34

IT ROUND-UP

TRANSPORT, HANDLING & STORAGE 37

SAFETY FIRST A need for industry-wide solutions to minimise accidents.

38

ARE ‘FRIENDS’ ELECTRIC? Lawsons adds further sustainability to its fleet by investing in electric-powered JCB Teletruks.

40

P R O D U C T S & S E RV I C E S

SPECIAL REPORTS 10 THE PULSE Tracking confidence, concerns and prospects in the merchant sector.

10

REGULARS 5 6 8 12 13 14 17 20 42 44 46 48 50

VIEWPOINT NEWS MARKET MONITOR MERCHANT FOCUS PEOPLE NEWS BMF TRAINING ZONE NBG BUYING BETTER SUPPLIER PROFILE PB COUNTER ATTACK PHPI COUNTER ATTACK POINT OF SALE PRODUCTS & SERVICES ADVERTISEMENT INDEX

www.professionalbuildersmerchant.co.uk

18 BEYOND THE DEAL Reporting back from the NBG Conference in Glasgow.

COMPETITIONS 51 EVO-STIK FANTASY FOOTBALL Footballing connections.

PBM JANUARY 2020 3

VIEWPOINT

2020 vision W

elcome to PBM’s first issue of 2020 and we would like to take this opportunity to wish all our readers a very Happy New Year!

So, what will the next 12 months bring us?

Following Boris Johnson’s seismic victory in the General Election just a few short weeks ago, securing a comfortable majority of 80 seats, the returning Conservative Government should be able to implement its will largely unencumbered — as a virtual certainty, the logjam of recent months will not be repeated.

Firstly, that means that Brexit is all but guaranteed to ‘happen’ on 31 January. While the real departure work will continue as the Government shapes the true direction of the post-EU United Kingdom, this will inevitably take place away from the glare of daily front page headlines and, broadly, without the Parliamentary machinations that clearly angered voters.

Thus far, and we are cautious about the imagery this may conjure up, Johnson has been a relatively impotent PM. That now changes completely and whilst the Conservative manifesto offered a more restrained series of pledges than Labour’s policy binge, there was more to it than the sloganeering commitment to additional hospitals, nurses and police offers.

As we discuss later in the issue, building and construction simply has to form a central plank of the Conservative administration’s management of the country going forward.

Infrastructure investment, further increases to the number of new homes built each year (the target of 300,000 new homes per year by the PROFESSIONAL

BUILDERS MERCHANT THE No.1 BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR MERCHANTS

JANUARY 2020

TRANSPORT, HANDLING & SECURITY Safety and sustainability

MONTHLY TRENDS MONITOR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Ecommerce and increased efficiency

KITCHENS & BATHROOMS Trends and opportunities

Plus: News, NBG Conference, training, merchandising & display solutions and more.

www.professionalbuildersmerchant.co.uk

Fantasy Football Window on the world

“Building and construction simply has to form a central plank of the Conservative administration’s management of the country going forward.” mid-2020s was restated) and progressing the decarbonisation agenda are key priorities, whilst changes to planning procedures and the possibility of lowering VAT on RMI products are significant underlying issues.

Beyond this, truly addressing the skills shortage — including adopting workable immigration policies once European ‘freedom of movement’ ends — will be vital. In addition, spending has to be distributed across the country; something acknowledged by Johnson who told his cabinet that the Government must work “flat out” to deliver for the “people who lent us their votes” in the midlands and the north (of England).

The Government will have a relatively free hand in Westminster, but the bandwidth taking up by the country’s actual EU departure will ultimately be telling. If he truly can ‘Get Brexit Done’, the Prime Minister will find an industry primed to pick up their tools to ‘Get Britain Building’ once more.

The stasis since 2016 means there can be no honeymoon period. Now is the time to deliver.

PBM is continuing to compile its annual ‘Top 20’ merchant listing. Please contact us via pbm@hamerville.co.uk if you believe your business should be included.

■ Over the last few issues, PBM has been implementing a replacement for the traditional paper ‘Readerlink’ enquiry card with a brand new service designed to provide readers with a much faster way of finding out additional information on the topics, articles and new products featured in the magazine.

Much of our editorial content now features a bespoke, shortcode URL — www.rdr.link — followed by a unique fivedigit code. Entering the URL into your browser will take you directly to relevant, supplementary information on the item or topic you have been reading about — for example, videos, downloadable reports, technical guides, brochures, ‘bonus’ content on the PBM website and much, much more.

We hope you find this new service useful.

Editor Paul Davies Editorial Assistant Abbie Smith Group Advertisement Manager Craig Jowsey craig@hamerville.co.uk Tel: 07900 248102 Advertisement Manager Sam Shannon-Tinsley stinsley@hamerville.co.uk Tel: 07554 013302 Midlands & Northern Advertisement Manager

rdr.link

Ian Duff Tel: 01204 596633/ 07810 353525 probuilder@sky.com Design Adeel Qadri Group Production Manager Carol Padgett Production Assistant Kerri Smith Circulation Manager Kirstie Day Managing Editor Terry Smith

Cover story: MKM has taken delivery of 10 new Iveco Stralis X-WAY 6x4 rigids from Billingham-based North East Truck & Van (NETV) as part of its ongoing fleet replacement programme

www.professionalbuildersmerchant.co.uk

Publisher Bryan Shannon Subscriptions to PROFESSIONAL BUILDERS MERCHANT are available at the following rates: UK – 1 year (11 issues) – £30 post paid EUROPE and OVERSEAS 1 year (11 issues) – £50 post paid AIRMAIL – 1 year (11 issues) – £65 post paid

Printed by Walstead Peterborough Published by HAMERVILLE MEDIA GROUP Regal House, Regal Way, Watford, Herts WD24 4YF. Tel: (01923) 237799 Fax: (01923) 246901 Email: pbm@hamerville.co.uk Copyright © 2020

Average Net Circulation figure for the 11 issues distributed between 1 July 2018 to 30 June 2019 = 9,993 To be removed from this magazine’s circulation please call 01923 237799 or email circulation@hamerville.co.uk

PBM JANUARY 2020 5

NEWS UPDATE Distribution arm acquired

Lords Group Trading (LGT) has acquired a majority shareholding in plumbing and heating distributor, APP Wholesale. APP will form the distribution arm for LGT, which currently consists of merchanting, manufacturing, and retail companies, whilst all of APP’s management will remain with the business including its Chairman, Allan Pierce, who also becomes a shareholder in the enlarged Group.

Following this acquisition, LGT will have 550 colleagues operating from 27 locations across the UK and a turnover in excess of £275m.

Shanker Patel, CEO of LGT, commented: “APP is the perfect acquisition for our Group as we continue our expansion by adding another independent Division to Lords Group Trading Limited. We are pleased that our ‘Family Equity’ model is supported by vendors like Allan who can see the vision of what we are trying to create in a highly competitive and challenging sector.”

MERCHANTS NAMED IN THE SUNDAY TIMES LEAGUE TABLES

Making a mark MKM Building Supplies and Flame Heating Group have each secured a prestigious listing in different business performance tracker league tables, compiled by The Sunday Times. Firstly, MKM has been placed at number 38 in the broadsheet’s Top Track 250 ‘Ones to Watch’ list which ranks Britain's top-performing, private mid-market growth companies by sales.

Capping an “exceptional year of growth” for the firm, MKM opened 13 new branches across the country in the last twelve months to bring its total number of outlets to 68. In addition to growing trade sales, the firm says it also experienced a significant increase in consumer retail sales with more branches featuring kitchen and bathroom showrooms.

David Kilburn, Executive Chairman, said: “We are delighted with this recognition and attribute the success to our branch directors. MKM is fast becoming a nationally recognised brand, however we strive to retain a strong community focus in each branch, where our teams have built great relationships with local businesses.”

Fresh from picking up the Small Business Federation’s national award for Scale-Up Business of the Year, North East England-based Flame Heating Group has been featured The Sunday Times’ Fast Track 100 table for fastest sales

growth over three years. Ranked 76th in the table, it recorded sales of £20.1m, and achieved a 50% sales growth during the three years to June.

John Savage, founder and MD, said: “This is an amazing accolade and is testament to the hard work and dedication of everyone connected with Flame Heating Group. “We started out in 2011 with one branch in Team Valley and have since expanded to operate eight trade counters across the North East, one in the North West and three in Scotland.

“Our success is based on innovation, ambition and customer service and we plan to build upon this achievement by opening further branches in the coming months and years.”

Online ordering expansion NMBS has added a number of new suppliers to its popular Online Ordering Portal.

Originally created in April 2018 to give independent merchants direct access to Worcester Bosch products following the closure of the BCG distribution business, the portal has grown significantly with the involvement of additional active suppliers including Main, Glow-worm and Vokèra by Riello.

The Portal is also expanding beyond the heating sector, with Velux and Makita having added their products. “Ambitious plans” to add even more suppliers are in place, with a number of NMBS suppliers in testing to go live early this year.

To reflect this, Reece Gerrard’s role at NMBS has changed to become E-Commerce Manager. He will be actively working to support new suppliers as they join the Portal,

as well as developing new technical features and benefits which will be made available to NMBS members.

TEL: 01923 237799

EMAIL: PBM@HAMERVILLE.CO.UK

a @PBMmagazine

BMF PARTNERS WITH TRUSTPILOT TO PROMOTE CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT

Trusted partner The BMF has a new partnership with Trustpilot, the global review platform, as part of its mission to help members ‘build excellence’ within their business. Effective 1 January, Trustpilot will join the BMF as a service member whilst the BMF has negotiated at 10% discount for members signing up for Trustpilot’s Lite, Pro or Enterprise plans after that date.

To help companies get started with collecting reviews from their customers, Trustpilot also offers a free account with limited access to its full range of tools.

John Newcomb, BMF CEO, said: “This is an exciting partnership promoting customer engagement. Trustpilot provides an independent platform on which to assess and showcase customer service, which fits well with the BMF’s strategy to help members build excellence in every aspect of their business.

“In particular, merchants can gain insights about their customers’ experience and identify trends and patterns in feedback. Should they identify a particular issue, the BMF is always able to provide assistance with training solutions to help develop a more customer centric approach.”

Neil Bayton, Head of Partnerships – UK at Trustpilot, added: “We are already working with a number of BMF members who recognise the value of listening and engaging with their customers in a way that is helping them build greater trust. We are looking forward to developing our relationship with the BMF and helping even more merchants, both to track and analyse customer satisfaction and to showcase and grow their business.”

PBM is currently compiling statistics for the latest annual Top 20 merchant countdown, based on the turnover figures of the sector’s largest businesses and set to appear in the February 2020 edition of the magazine. To present a truly accurate benchmark for the industry and to ensure our statistics are as up-to-date as possible, we are reaching out to merchant firms for the details.

If your organisation is a potential ‘Top 20 merchant’, please see the short survey on our website or email pbm@hamerville.co.uk

SLB makes four

■ The BMF has recently launched its 30th

Regional Centre of Excellence at Ideal Standard’s new Clerkenwell Design and Specification centre in London. The growing network of Regional Centres is designed to ensure that training courses and regional meetings are now far more accessible to BMF members across the UK and Ireland.

Awards success At last year’s inaugural Conservatory & Orangery Awards, the Korniche Aluminium Roof Lantern picked up yet another independently judged award by securing the ‘Best Rooflight and Lantern System’ accolade.

The company also achieved a finalist position in the Technical Innovation Category for the Korniche Bi-folding doors composite clip-in bead system which will be launched in 2020.

Having secured Professional Builder’s

Top 20 Merchants

Award for Innovation in 2018, Made for Trade says that its Korniche roof lantern “offers the consumer a strong yet beautifully proportioned glazing solution whilst delivering a product for builders, installers and stockists that is both highly profitable whilst being fast and easy to install on site”.

Rodger Group, the parent company of M&J Builders Merchants’, has acquired Larkhall-based South Lanarkshire Building Supplies to add a fourth location to the Group. SLB will continue to trade as a separate businesses under its new ownership, however it will leave the NBG to follow its sister company into membership of the h&b Group.

MARKET MONITOR in association with

Beyond Brexit

With the Conservative Party securing a thumping general election victory, the construction sector expects the political logjam of recent times to be firmly consigned to the past and is calling for the new Government to deliver on its pledges to unlock a building boom. PBM presents some of the latest industry comments, with topics such as housebuilding, a VAT reduction on RMI works and the decarbonisation agenda the key underlying themes.

On new housing, the BMF wants to see concerted action to simplify and speed up planning approvals for un-controversial applications to increase housing completions: “the whole thrust must be implementation…”

Regarding decarbonisation, John said: “The BMF strongly supports the ‘Fabric First’ concept with a coherent, long-term framework that combines better

insulation, efficient boilers and lowcarbon, micro-generation on the road to net zero carbon emissions.”

Reducing VAT from 20% to 5% on home improvement works is central to this aim and the BMF, along with others in construction, has already written to Mr Johnson to outline the economic, environmental and social benefits from improving existing properties with a lower VAT rate.

Federation of Master Builders ■ Chief Executive Brian Berry said:

Worcester Bosch ■ Martyn Bridges, Director of Technical

National Federation of Builders ■ Members of the NFB are said to be

“The new Conservative Government has a golden opportunity to sort out Brexit and set out its new vision for the UK. Building the homes and infrastructure that this country needs has to be a key priority to help drive the economy forward.

“The Government needs to back the nation’s army of small builders by delivering on the promised £3bn National Skills Fund, investing in quality through a licensing scheme for the whole UK construction industry, and supporting local builders to retrofit the millions of homes that need to be upgraded to low carbon.”

Communication and Product Management, said: “The decarbonisation of heating and hot water is and will be one of the hardest to tackle and a realistic timeline is essential. The Conservatives’ original commitment to net zero by 2050 is realistic and achievable as it gives industry time to continue developing and suggesting new low carbon heating technologies, such as hydrogen gas.

“The Conservatives have specifically mentioned boilers in their manifesto, saying that they would allocate £6.3bn for environmental upgrades to homes, such as grants for improving boilers and insulation.”

particularly looking forward to seeing what plans the Government has on late payment, fixing the broken planning process, home ownership, social housing and procurement reform.

Addressing these issues, it argues, will once again make building and construction the engine room of the nation’s economy.

The Builders Merchants Federation ■ CEO John Newcomb said: “The new

Government must look beyond Brexit to domestic policy. We urge the next Housing and Climate Change ministers to focus on two major issues, namely the narrowing of the gap between housing demand and supply, and the decarbonisation of heating and electrification of homes with sustainable means.”

■ More comment is available on the PBM website. Enter the shortcode www.rdr.link/ml001

Merchants expect a stronger market in 2020 Now that we know the result of the election, with luck the new Government will know where it’s heading and be able to get there.

However, in this latest survey of The Pulse, carried out at the beginning of November, political turmoil was taking its toll on expectations. Nonetheless, merchants are confident looking six months ahead.

Sales expectations Merchants’ sales expectations dropped significantly in November with a net -4% forecasting a fall compared with October — see Chart 1. Expectations for November were weak across the board except for a net +10% of small branches and +11% of independent stockists expecting to sell more.

Sales expectations year-on-year remain positive however, but are weakening. A net +15% forecasted better sales in November compared with the same month in 2018 (Chart 1). While mid-sized branches (net +34%) and small branches (+10%) expected to see more sales in November, large branches (-19%) anticipated a fall.

Looking three months ahead, Nov 2019-Jan 2020, a net -25% of merchants are forecasting lower sales compared with Aug-Oct — see Chart 2. Expectations are weak across merchants of all sizes and regions, but particularly among large merchant branches (net -56%), and merchants in Scotland (-46%) and the North (-41%).

Looking six months ahead, however, merchant expectations are more positive. A net +8% of merchants expect sales to pick up in Nov 2019-Apr 2020 compared with the previous six months (May-Oct 2019).

T

The difference between the percentage of merchants expecting growth and those expecting a decrease is the net figure, expressed as a percentage.

A positive net percentage indicates growth, a negative indicates decline, while a net zero implies no change.

10 PBM JANUARY 2020

TRENDS MONITOR “The top three problems mentioned in November were squeezed margins (79%), price cutting in the market (71%) and online competition (64%).”

Confidence in the market A net -9% of merchants were LESS confident in November than October, but this was a marginal improvement on the October survey (-13%).

Year-on-year, a net -22% of merchants were LESS confident in November than the same month last year — see Chart 3. Merchants cited uncertainty around Brexit and politics hitting market confidence and consumer spending as the main reasons.

Supplier prices (55%) and lack of confidence in the market (54%) followed, with 16% more merchants mentioning the latter in the November survey.

Confidence in their business In contrast, merchants’ confidence in their own business is holding up well with a net +29% more confident in November than October.

Year-on-year it’s similar, with a net +25% of merchants more confident (Chart 3).

Most important challenges for construction In a separate question in November, on the three most important challenges the construction industry faces today, merchants listed Brexit (60%), increased competition (32%) and price increases (29%).

Problems affecting merchants Every quarter, merchants report on the main problems affecting their business in the last month. The top three problems mentioned in November were squeezed margins (79%), price cutting in the market (71%) and online competition (64%). The number of merchants mentioning squeezed margins and price cutting was up by 10% on the previous quarter.

Single biggest problem Just over a fifth of merchants mentioned squeezed margins as their single biggest problem, closely followed by online competition (20%).

■ The Pulse is a monthly trends survey tracking builders’ merchants’ confidence and prospects over time. Produced by MRA Research, the insight division of MRA Marketing, it captures merchants’ views of future prospects in terms of sales expectations, confidence in their business, confidence in the market, and the key issues and problems they experience.

This report is based on the 7th survey in this series, with interviews conducted by MRA Research between 1 and 5 November 2019. Each month a representative sample of 100 merchants is interviewed, balanced by region, size and type of merchant, including nationals, regional multi-branch independents, and smaller independent merchants.

■ The full report can be downloaded free from www.mra-research.co.uk/the-pulse or call Anna Eriksson at MRA Research on 01453 521621.

www.professionalbuildersmerchant.co.uk

PBM JANUARY 2020 11

MERCHANT FOCUS MKM is supporting the John Whitgift Academy in Grimsby to deliver its new BTEC Level 2 Construction course

Succession planning ooking to bridge the ever-widening skills gap, MP Moran is pledging its support for the next generation of professionals within the building materials industry. As part of a national campaign to raise awareness of career opportunities in merchanting, the firm’s Operation Director Bart Murphy has been appointed as an Industry Ambassador by the BMF. The BMF’s Young Merchant of the Year in 2016, Bart has clocked up 19 years’ experience within the industry having begun his career at MP Moran in 2000 with a part time role whilst completing his studies. He said: “I’m extremely proud to have been appointed an ambassador for the BMF, supporting its latest campaign to attract new talent into the industry. We are seeing an increasing need to attract younger talent into the industry and projects such as these are vital to reduce the skills gap.

L

Bart Murphy, Operations Director at MP Moran and new BMF Industry Ambassador

12 PBM JANUARY 2020

“Throughout my role as Operations Director I oversee many different disciplines, from transport and logistics to marketing and finance. It’s this diverse exposure that I want to create awareness of with young people, educating them on the various opportunities available throughout the merchant industry.”

As part of the initiative, Bart features on the BMF-backed careers website, www.buildingmaterialscareers.com which has been developed to showcase the wide range of professional and trade-based opportunities available.

MKM Building Supplies, meanwhile, has joined forces with the John Whitgift Academy in Grimsby to support its new BTEC Level 2 Construction course which launched last year. The partnership was the idea of Nigel Jackson, a newly appointed governor at the Academy and former MKM Grimsby Director, who recently retired following almost 50 years in the trade.

The Academy added the construction course to its programme in September and it is already oversubscribed. It teaches students aged 14-16 a variety of building trade skills including brick making, bricklaying, block-work, joinery, carpentry, painting, decorating and plastering. Once students complete the course they can then move onto a higher level of study or an industry apprenticeship.

MKM’s Grimsby branch is providing students with building materials, uniforms, signage and other resources for the course, as well as running tutorials in school. Outside the classroom, the merchant will work with

The space occupied by merchants in the supply chain means that businesses have a dual responsibility to develop talent coming into the merchant sector and also support the next generation of construction professionals who will form their future customer base. PBM takes a look at a pair of recent initiatives from two merchant businesses. teachers to facilitate field trips and site visits, giving real life context to the students’ classroom learning.

Nigel said: “Sustaining a skilled workforce is one of the biggest challenges to the building industry. As a business we are keen to develop industry skills locally. We believe that by supporting young people early in their careers, and passing on expertise and knowledge we can help develop the next generation of Grimsby’s building trade.”

OTHER NEWS: ■ Collier & Catchpole has opened a new depot in Lawford, Essex, adding to the 200year old company’s existing locations in Colchester and Ipswich.

The branch was officially opened by Jane Collier who paid tribute to the hard work of her late husband Roy Collier, who led the family-run business until his death in 1998.

The family ties continue, as the firm is now headed by son-in-law Tim Rowbottom.

■ Covers Timber has moved its Southampton operation to a larger new location nearby.

The 2.6-acre site consists of 30,000 square feet of warehouse space and benefits from an increased timber and heavyside offering, improved lightside section and a huge warehouse for undercover loading as well as plenty of free customer parking.

www.professionalbuildersmerchant.co.uk

PEOPLE NEWS

The IPG has announced the appointment of David Cairns as its new Head of Supplier and Commercial Strategy. David joins the senior management team and will take responsibility for synchronizing supply with demand and developing The IPG’s supply chain strategies to make them as effective and efficient as possible.

With over 20 years’ experience in sales, sales management, trade marketing and business development, David brings a wealth of experience to the role with a successful track record in Director level roles in well-known appliance brands, such as LG Electronics, Kitchen Aid, Whirlpool and Indesit.

Long Rake Spar has appointed Millie Ferns to its board as Marketing Director. Having joined the company in 2014 after completing her undergraduate degree, Millie began her career as a Marketing Assistant before becoming Marketing Manager in November 2016.

She succeeds Sarah Hill who has been promoted to Managing Director of the group’s partner company, Meadow View Stone.

The past few years has seen important changes to board including the promotion of Chris Bourne, the company’s Sales Director for Decorative Products who works most closely with the builders’ merchants industry and Daniel Travis who assumed the role of Sales Director for Industrial Products in October 2018.

Keston Boilers has appointed Sang Duong as Business Development Manager, covering the London area. Sang started his career with British Gas in 2004 as an apprentice, rising through the ranks to Senior Engineer which included looking after new apprentices through training and support. He has also held several sales roles, including technical sales support with Ariston.

Blanco UK has expanded its marketing team with two new appointments — Sianie Stephens and Summaiya Price.

Sianie has 10 years’ experience across digital marketing, social media and PR roles within the KBB industry and joined the company last year as Digital Marketing Executive.

Summaiya, meanwhile, has joined the team from Modality Systems where she was responsible for multi-media marketing operations.

Kerry Parker-Wray and Amanda Flynn have been appointed to the Board of Directors of IKO’s UK business.

Kerry, with a background in marketing and key account management, takes on the role of Strategic Development Director while HR specialist Amanda becomes Business Services Director.

Both appointments are internal promotions and signal a renewed focus on developing the strategy for the long-term development of the IKO business in the UK. Kerry commented: “Supplying the best quality products is no longer enough and our task is to build the really strong strategic partnerships with our customers that will direct both our product development and the overall direction of the company.”

Civils and drainage specialist Scott Parnell has appointed Martin Smith to the position of Sales Negotiator at its Witham branch. Martin has a wealth of experience working in sales and management for the groundworks industry including clay and plastic drainage systems, underground surface-water and foul drainage, utilities ducting, hard landscaping and aggregates.

www.professionalbuildersmerchant.co.uk

PBM JANUARY 2020 13

TRAINING ZONE

The Next Generation With recruiting a new generation of talent a crucial issue for the merchant sector, the BMF discusses its Ambassador programme and the importance of apprenticeships.

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he relaunch of the BMF’s youth recruitment campaign, Building Materials Careers led to an upsurge in the numbers of enthusiastic industry colleagues joining the BMF Ambassador programme. With 50 passionate and knowledgeable ambassadors covering a wide range of job roles within the industry, our drive to promote Building Materials Careers is being taken into schools, colleges and specialist exhibitions around the country.

Several ambassadors joined BMF staff at the National Apprenticeships Shows at Cheltenham Racecourse and Bolton Arena last October.

Others attended careers fairs at local schools and colleges, highlighting their progress in our

Plus and Paige Godsell, BMF Training Coordinator at Bolton Arena, was also enthused by the number of young women that approached our all-female team. “The show was well attended,” said Jo “and I personally was really surprised at the level of engagement of the young people present. It was great to have some meaningful conversations with people who were passionate about progressing their career. We should continue to promote the industry in such a positive way.”

Another Ambassador, Ashley Connor, who is a specialist Sales Manager at Ridgeons, found that both pupils and teachers at the school he visited showed a keen interest in what’s

“A key message to those starting their careers and those employing them is that apprenticeships can now support life-long learning within our industry, providing opportunities for employers to attract, retain and upskill their most valuable resource.” industry to inspire students to consider what a career in building materials could offer them.

One of BMF’s objectives is to show the diversity of roles available in our sector, which is clearly paying dividends. Temi Kucuk, BMF Ambassador and Business Development Manager at Artificial Grass, attended the Thomas Deacon Academy Careers Fair in Peterborough and said: “It was great to see as many girls interested as the boys. They thanked us for showing them a new career path they were not aware of previously.”

Jo Callow, Merchant Sales Support Manager at Knauf Insulation, who joined Carmen Daley, Operations Manager at BMF Apprenticeship

14 PBM JANUARY 2020

involved in the industry that provides the materials to make the houses they live in.

Ashley said: “It was clear that they were not fully aware of how an apprenticeship works.

This was a great opportunity to discuss the benefits of working in the building materials industry and the features of an apprenticeship.”

With all the good work going on around the country, the BMF will be introducing an Industry Ambassador Award at the 2020 Members’ Annual Conference. However, when it comes to apprenticeships in particular, Carmen Daley believes there is an ongoing education job to do. She explained: “The use of apprenticeships as a recruitment and retention

tool has been a slow burn within the builders’ merchanting sector of late. This is largely attributed to the scare stories surrounding the wide-ranging apprenticeship reforms.

“Post-reform, the focus of those members engaging with apprenticeships initially remained around entry level positions only — a legacy from the previous system. However, as understanding grows, there is an increase in the use of apprenticeships for upskilling higher-level employees — and particularly amongst levy payers.

“Meanwhile, SME members are starting to take advantage of the 5% cap on apprentice training available to them which is opening doors to professional certification, degree and postgraduate study that was previously unaffordable to smaller organisations.”

A key message to those starting their careers and those employing them is that apprenticeships can now support life-long learning within our industry, providing opportunities for employers to attract, retain and upskill their most valuable resource.

If you would like to represent your industry as a BMF ambassador, contact paige.godsell@bmf.org.uk for details.

For more information about BMF apprenticeship solutions, contact Carmen Daley on 07496 370 224 or email carmen@bmfapprenticeshipsplus.co.uk ■ BMF training ranges from formal Apprenticeships, sector-specific Diplomas and a Foundation Degree in Merchant Management, to online product knowledge and other specialist skills training.

NBG BUYING BETTER

Dedicated teams give NBG more focus John Addicott, Director of Tamar Trading, explains how introducing a dedicated kitchens team has given NBG partners improved focus on the product sector and allowed them to expand their customer offer.

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ixed merchant Tamar Trading opened its first branch in Devon in the late 1950s. Now, more than 60 years later, Tamar has three branches — with a fourth opening soon — and supplies building materials across Devon and Cornwall.

Director John Addicott has been a part of the growth of Tamar Trading since it joined NBG 11 years ago. He said: “When we first joined NBG we only had the one branch in North Devon. Now we have three, including two kitchen and bathroom showrooms, and are getting ready to open our fourth branch in Bideford this spring. I would definitely say that becoming an NBG partner has been a primary catalyst for our growth as it’s improved our buying routines and enabled us to become more competitive.”

Tamar has been a member of the Plumbing, Heating and Showrooms Category Management Team (CMT) since its launch.

John said: “Becoming a member of the CMT has opened up doors for Tamar as it’s given us access to a network of like-minded partners and all of their experience and knowledge. As an extension to the Plumbing and Heating CMT, we set up a dedicated kitchens team just over a year ago. Kitchens was an area that some partners were already passionate about and wanted to grow. Setting up the team allowed us to establish a stronger focus on kitchens.”

According to the Global Kitchen Study, released in September 2019 by Consentino, the kitchen is maintaining its role as the

central point of a home with homeowners saying that in addition to eating main meals, their kitchens are used as hosting spaces, meeting points for the family and workspaces.

The study also revealed that 62% of people said that functionality is a priority when renovating or re-designing their kitchen.

John is the leader of the kitchen team, currently comprising seven partners. He noted: “We started the set-up process by holding a series of focus group discussions with partners and visiting suppliers. With the primary aim of securing some great deals and finding products to suit the evolving needs of our customers, we conducted negotiations with suppliers of kitchen furniture, appliances, sinks and taps, and worktops. The key activity has been developing relationships with new and existing suppliers. All the hard work is paying off as our new deals will kick in this month.”

John added: “The kitchen team works so well as all its members have a vested interest in kitchens. It has given us an improved focus on the category and identified new products and suppliers that will benefit our customers.

One of the new deals we are excited about is with Gower Furniture. It will allow us to offer complete kitchen units in a box, straight off the shelf. It will give our customers something new to consider and hopefully give us a point of difference from our competitors. We’ll be stocking Gower products in our new branch from spring.”

www.professionalbuildersmerchant.co.uk

John Addicott, Director of Tamar Trading and leader of the NBG kitchens team within the Plumbing, Heating and Showrooms CMT

NBG NEWS ■ The results of NBG’s Sales Barometer revealed that 95% of Partners said that building strong relationships with Suppliers is a good way to maximise sales. Full results of the Barometer can be found on NBG’s social media channels.

■ NBG partners and suppliers were celebrating success over Christmas with lots of award wins at our annual conference, the BMN Awards and Toolbank’s Real Deals for You. ■ At our annual conference, we raised a total of £10,468.80 for charity. NBG was delighted to announce that they would match the pot so a grand total of £20,500 was split between The Rainy Day Trust and Macmillan Cancer Support.

■ For more information, visit nationalbuyinggroup.com, find them on Twitter at @NBGLLP or on LinkedIn at National Buying Group.

PBM JANUARY 2020 17

SPECIAL REPORT: NBG ANNUAL CONFERENCE Nick Oates, NBG Managing Director, speaking at the Supplier Summit

Beyond the deal Taking place at Glasgow’s Scottish Event Campus (SEC) in late November, the recent NBG Conference saw a record number of delegates come together for intensive networking and a sizeable exhibition. With a theme of ‘Maximise Sales’, the event focused on growing partnerships whilst looking to further develop the role of the buying group for the mutual benefit of merchant partners and suppliers alike. PBM reports.

A

clear theme ran through PBM’s conversations with NBG partners, suppliers, Category Management Team members, negotiators and the buying group’s Executive Board over the course of an intensive two days in Glasgow. To paraphrase, there was a universal belief across the ‘NBG clan’ that “we know we offer cracking deals that work for both partners and suppliers — but what more can we do…?”

Or, in the words of Managing Director Nick Oates to outline the conference theme: “Once the deal is done, our aim is simply to maximise sales,” and this has seen the group expand its strategy “to not only facilitate great buying deals, but also look at the merchant industry as a whole and identify other ways” in which it can support its members.

Accordingly, and aiming to demonstrate an understanding of the impact on the

18 PBM JANUARY 2020

merchant sector of the broader changing dynamics affecting society as a whole, the NBG Conference was geared to looking forward. For example, the threat of online disruptors and a more empowered and knowledgeable customer base facilitated by the ‘rise of the smartphone’ was the subject of a memorable presentation delivered at the Supplier Summit element of the event by self-styled ‘Retail Futurist’, Howard Saunders.

Whilst his focus was skewed towards the threats facing the High Street, Howard described a picture that will be achingly familiar to many in the merchant sector. He argued that, in an era of disruption, the traditional rules of commerce are being ripped up but those in prime place to capitalise are local experts — the ‘artisan stores’ — who offer a service that can exceed customer expectations.

With smartphones ensuring comprehensive information is at their fingertips alongside an expectation of getting exactly what they want, and almost immediately, customers know they are ‘at the centre of the universe’. The businesses that succeed in future, noted Howard, will be the ones that can communicate most effectively; to engage with them and make them feel important.

“Adopt, adapt, improve” was the three-word summary outlined to PBM in a conversation with Executive Board members, Chairman David Szymanski and Martyn Rees, MD of County Building Supplies. A huge amount of work is said to have taken place behind the scenes in recent years to ensure the strategy set by the Executive Board remains fully in step with the membership base of merchant partners (and suppliers).

Underpinning this is a tight structure of eight

Martyn Rees, Executive Board Member and MD of County Building Supplies, received a special award in recognition of his 50 years in merchanting at the Gala Dinner.

The buying group maintains there is a unique ‘NBG way’, as evidenced by the Welcome Evening ‘Fringe Fest’ which featured stand-up comedy and branded beer!

Category Management Teams and central support staff, including an expanding team of qualified buyers / negotiators.

This is further reinforced by strong regional activity, a legacy of NBG’s inception from the merger of three separate buying groups — the Scottish Independent Merchants Buying Association (SIMBA), the Chandor Consortium (South of England) and Prospero Consortium (North and Central England, and Wales).

With an entirely democratic ethos, trust and transparency is paramount. Facilitating this, continual communication throughout the organisation is essential and the role played by the NBG Hub continues to be frequently cited as a ‘transformational’ tool for the group. A central portal, the Hub has evolved to provide “consistent, clear and timely communication to all partners. It automatically manages and processes rebates, and saves time by reducing queries and ensuring effective data control.”

It also offers a “promotions and new products solution, providing ease of access to all offers, encouraging partner buy-in and take up.”

Product Information Modelling Fuelled by the success of the Hub, making the best use of ‘data’ and ‘the power of information’ is the cornerstone of NBG’s next project. As outlined to delegates by Rex Nye, ineffective data management processes can cause significant problems — with the wrong descriptions, incorrect images and inaccurate pricing.

Drawing on the experiences of fact-finding visits to merchant groups in Holland and the Czech Republic, the NBG is developing a new Product Information Modelling system. ‘PIM’ is being created to produce a bespoke, centrally-managed live product and pricing library, providing an efficient and user-friendly way to manage The NBG Exhibition featured over 150 supplier stands

product data that will enable partners and suppliers alike to “sell more with less hassle”.

The data will have the capacity to be used to populate partners’ websites, whilst PIM will also have benefits in terms of reducing invoicing and ordering errors and provide additional ‘background’ information — for example, on technical specifications, standards and marketing — that will enhance sales.

PIM is the latest example of the ‘true partnership’ and ‘two-way street’ approach the buying group says it adopts with its suppliers.

A further common theme of the event — and one that can be applied across the industry as a whole — is that while the merchants are asking more of their suppliers, for example with showroom support and training, they recognise they also have to do more in return to ‘push’ the brands to their own customers.

The partner / supplier relationship is constantly evaluated in a number of ways to ensure the process remains mutually beneficial. Nick Oates explained: “Following the success of last year’s Industry Barometer and the launch of Merchants of Change, we wanted to conduct further research that would not just highlight the conference theme of Maximise Sales but help us understand how we can support partners and suppliers to do so, and inspire some action.”

Details from the new survey are available on the PBM website, whilst Nick added: “We hope the results will continue to help partners and suppliers develop mutually beneficial partnerships. If we build strong relationships, we build strong brands.”

■ For more information on the National Buying Group, enter the shortcode www.rdr.link/ml002

www.professionalbuildersmerchant.co.uk

PBM JANUARY 2020 19

SUPPLIER PROFILE

Deep Thought L

ike many of the independent merchants it has supplied over the years, Hilton Banks is a family-owned business with a long history. Established in around 1850 by Benjamin Banks, (the great great grandfather of the current MD Robert Banks), the company delivered hearthstone and building products in the London area with his stable of 40 horses and carriages.

At the turn of the twentieth century, Benjamin’s son Charlie started his own company, Chas Banks & Son, and was joined by his son, Cecil, soon after World War One. Under the leadership of Cecil’s son, Edward, the 1950s and 1960s saw Chas Banks & Son buy the Hilton Rider company, which was incorporated into the business and the product lines were expanded to include Hilton’s brand of paints, varnishes and polishes.

Some of the companies Hilton Banks supplied back in the early twentieth century are still customers today and the firm

20 PBM JANUARY 2020

continues to thrive under family ownership.

In 2013, it launched the HB42 brand of sealants and adhesives, specifically designed to supply a high-end trade range of sealants with clear packaging, sensible prices, and good merchant margins.

Named after the famous reference in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy that the number 42 is the answer to the “ultimate question of life, the universe and everything”, the company lays claim to having a lot of simple answers for the trade. The management and dedicated HB42 team state they are committed to expanding the range with only products that meet the high performance standards of the building, plumbing and decorating trades.

Scarlet McAleese-Banks, Marketing Director at Hilton Banks, explains: “Sealant and adhesive ranges must be strong, durable and sustainable but they must also be profitable. We believe our range ticks all the boxes in a responsible way, without

PBM visits Hilton Banks, the family-owned company behind the HB42 brand of sealants and adhesives, to discuss product sustainability, merchant support and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy… compromising the quality of our product or our service to our merchant customers.”

Formulas in the range employ advanced hybrid polymer technology, giving ‘outstanding trade strength and adhesion’ and Scarlet continues: “Sealants and adhesives are so often the go-to answer for a miscellany of making good jobs when finishing kitchen and bathrooms, so while installers need trade-tough, reliable performance from the range they use, merchants need a recognisable and reliable brand they can easily recommend and sell at the trade counter. HB42 is that brand.”

She adds: “As a family-owned company with over 150 years of supplying products to merchants, we understand the need to support counter staff with information and point of sale help.

“Product demonstrations from our dedicated sales team can open up sales over the trade counter. Knowing a range by seeing the product in action can help counter staff

upsell and add more sales, and Hilton Banks regularly does this, visiting merchants in our recognisable vans. Fixer Fred, our company mascot, is also a regular at breakfast mornings, product demos and buying group tradeshows, helping us to build the brand with merchant customers too.”

Sustainability While the demand for trade strength sealants and adhesives from merchant customers remains strong, there is another pressing issue that needs tackling: the need to reduce single use plastics. This is important as recent figures on plastic waste in the construction industry make for shocking reading. Some 23% of the total plastic consumed in the UK comes from our sector, with 20,000 tonnes of plastic being sent to landfill every year. It is estimated that over 2 million single use plastic sealant cartridges are put into landfill every week in the UK. Scarlet comments: “With the impact on the environment in mind, we are now one of the first premium sealant suppliers to be providing a solution around sustainable packaging and have launched our best-selling HB42 All-in-One Sealant and Adhesive in 400ml foil packaging.

“HB42 ‘Eco-Foil’ removes the environmental problem of disposing of the single use plastic cartridge normally associated with sealants and other similar products. The 400ml foils produce 95% less waste than the single use tubes and users get 38% more sealant than in the 290ml plastic tube.”

The foils are very durable whilst the foil guns are easy-to-use and remain extremely clean throughout their use.

They also take a plastic sealant cartridge so can be used with every type of sealant if required. At the end of their life, the waste left over from foils is said to be tiny compared to the plastic tubes and the foils are much easier to dispose of.

Scarlet concludes: “Hilton Banks cares about the environment and although construction products have to be strong and durable, we are always looking at ways to reduce our impact on the environment. For a limited time, for every case of 12 foils purchased, a foil sealant gun will be available for merchants to give away to customers.”

■ For more information on Hilton Banks and HB42, enter the shortcode www.rdr.link/ml003

KITCHENS & BATHROOMS

On display With the opening of its new UK headquarters in Leicestershire, Roca has created an impressive platform to showcase its offering to a wide cross-section of the UK bathrooms market, from the trade and merchant channel to the higher-end retail sector.

PBM reports.

T

he new Roca UK premises in Bardon, Leicestershire totals over 145,000 square foot of space and includes a dedicated warehouse, increased office and meeting room space, as well as extensive new showroom facilities for all Roca UK brands, under one roof.

Alan Dodds, the company’s UK Managing Director, said: “We are delighted to officially launch our new Roca UK headquarters. Both Roca and Laufen brands are growing strongly and the new site provides a tremendous opportunity to continue on this trajectory and accelerate our growth. It will also provide a central location for our trade and retail partners to come and experience the whole spectrum of Roca UK products. We have the best team in the industry and these new state-of-the-art facilities reflect our ambitious plans.”

The innovative new showroom is said to offer one of the biggest bathroom display Delegates at the BMF Kitchen & Bathroom Forum, held at ROCA UK’s new HQ.

spaces in the UK and is designed to take visitors on a journey through the brands and products available, with over 40 collections on show including dedicated displays of each of the Roca UK brands.

Highlights include over 20 collections from Roca, including the futuristic Beyond collection which features ‘smooth and sleek lines’ and contemporary design. There are 14 collections from Swiss manufacturer Laufen, including the very latest designer bathroom collaborations such as the innovative Sonar

by Patricia Urquiola.

The Armani/Roca brand is present, with a “luxurious collection which manages to be both contemporary and timeless, in accordance with Giorgio Armani’s design philosophy” whilst the “contemporary style” of the Cosmic range is showcased with a line-up that includes furniture, basins and a new range of lighting and mirrors.

As well as the extensive showroom, the new site features a vast warehouse complete with 12 dock level loading doors, two level access loading doors

www.professionalbuildersmerchant.co.uk

and 150% more pallet locations than in its previous UK base. This increased space means that Roca UK can service its national coverage of distributors, merchants and retailers and ensures efficient and fast delivery.

One of the first groups of visitors to the new HQ was from the merchant sector, with the facility playing host to the inaugural BMF Kitchen & Bathroom Forum last November.

Newly elected Chairman, Paul Bence (Managing Director of the George Bence Group) led the proceedings to a full-house of some 74 members. A series of informative presentations followed on key topics related to the ways in which merchants can boost sales — for example, Renee Mascari on kitchen design, Lakes Showering Spaces’ Mike Tattam on the importance of showrooms and Virtual Worlds’ Ben Roberts with an interactive demo of ‘4D’ showrooms.

Paul said: “There is so much opportunity for merchants to get involved with this sector to grow and diversify their businesses, and I actively encourage more members to get involved in future forums.”

■ For more information on Roca’s range of products and services, enter the shortcode www.rdr.link/ml004

PBM JANUARY 2020 23

KITCHENS & BATHROOMS

According to the latest data from AMA Research, the commercial bathrooms market continues to represent a key sector for merchants whilst a new report from Armitage Shanks outlines how design trends are evolving in such spaces.

PBM reports.

Commercial breakdown T he 7th edition of AMA Research’s Commercial Washrooms Market Report UK estimate that 72% of commercial washroom products are distributed via trade channels such as builders’ and plumbers’ merchants, as well as distributors. The report highlights how, unlike the domestic bathrooms market, the trend of the online retailer seems to have not (yet?) broken into the commercial washroom sector.

The report examines in detail the main product sectors of the commercial washrooms market, market sizes and product trends. Also reviewed are the key commercial end-use application sectors, such as education, healthcare, entertainment & leisure, offices, infrastructure, retail and industrial.

Within its findings, AMA has identified that the performance of the commercial washroom market is ‘heavily influenced’ by wider trends within the non-residential construction sector. Similarly, the idea of using branded goods from leading manufacturers that has been seen across other sectors is now becoming more popular within the commercial washroom marketplace. And whilst own label products remain a cost-effective option for the more price-conscious end of the market, AMA says that branded items serve to act as an “endorsement of quality”.

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The results would appear to neatly lead into the considerations raised by a new study, commissioned by Armitage Shanks, into the impact commercial washroom design can have on user experience. Led by chartered architect and academic at the Belfast School of Architecture, Dr Saul Golden, the ‘Creating better washrooms’ report has revealed that wellbeing is the number one social factor that designers think will impact washroom design over the next five years.

The research, which surveyed 2,000 office workers and 400 commercial washroom designers from across Europe, found that nine in 10 office washroom designers believe this space can have an impact on end users’ wellbeing — a view shared by three quarters of office workers themselves. 64% of office workers surveyed even said that workplace washrooms affect their general job satisfaction.

In the UK, around 73% of designers agreed that washrooms are the most difficult rooms to design and plan in commercial projects. This is perhaps exacerbated by a global trend, as highlighted by the study, towards urbanisation and flexible working patterns which means people are using workplace washrooms for a wider range of reasons — for example, spending an increasing amount of time in these so-called

‘backstage microspaces’ to prepare for their ‘front stage appearance’.

Stephen Ewer, Managing Director of Ideal Standard UK (Armitage Shanks’ parent company), said: “The way people use commercial washrooms is undoubtedly changing as society becomes increasingly centred on city-based living, working and leisure activities. Given the evidence linking washrooms to improved job satisfaction and productivity, it’s also clear that there must be a move away from design that focuses solely on hygiene and utilitarian features, and towards design that considers personal comfort and other factors that affect wellbeing.

“This study forms part of our wider commitment to positively impact the future of modern living through evidence-based design and provides a clear demonstration that there needs to be a greater focus on washroom quality in line with end user expectations. The key to achieving this is through sustained collaboration; only by working closely with architects, designers and construction companies, as well as end users, will we be able to deliver impactful washrooms that go beyond mere function and rightfully play a central role in improving wellbeing and enhancing the lives of those who use these vital everyday spaces.”

“It’s clear that there must be a move away from design that focuses solely on hygiene and utilitarian features, and towards design that considers personal comfort and other factors that affect wellbeing.”

■ To download the full ‘Creating better washrooms’ report, enter the shortcode www.rdr.link/ml005

UK shower equipment market ■ Another recent report from AMA Research

assesses the UK shower equipment market.

Influenced by the current economic climate and its effect on consumer and business confidence, the current picture is described as “challenging” however the longer term prospects are said to be more positive, with overall market development expected to improve across the review period (to 2023).

The report highlights that, as the shower market reaches maturity in the UK, there is a significant and ongoing demand for replacement products. Manufacturers are offering ‘easy to install and replace’ equipment, whilst lifestyle and design trends are also supporting the refurbishment market.

Flexibility, durability and ease of use are described as key requirements, influencing a shift towards higher value products. For example, digital showers are set to grow at a steady rate in line with the use of digital

technology and smart devices — and will continue to take share from other shower control sectors, particularly mixer showers and power showers.

Moderate to steady growth of 2-4% per annum is currently forecast from 2020 until 2023.

■ www.amaresearch.co.uk

With Wolseley taking responsibility for delivery times that work for both parties once an order has been secured, scheme

members will also gain access to supplier presentations and training events throughout the year.

Installer partnerships ■ Perhaps indicative of a wider trend

between merchants and their customers, Wolseley has re-launched its Installer Partnership Scheme, increasing the frequency of its rewards system from a quarterly basis to issuing bi-monthly sales incentives, and designed to help specialist bathroom installers grow their business.

Each member will also have access to their own bathroom specialists who will be on-hand to provide free advice and 3D design drawings to support installers in the decision-making process in tandem with their own customers. At a number of showrooms, Wolseley offers 4D virtual reality CAD, which allows installers to present fully-realised designs to their customers before committing to a purchase.

www.professionalbuildersmerchant.co.uk

PBM JANUARY 2020 25

KITCHENS & BATHROOMS

ABODE WRAS APPROVAL SENSIO LIGHTING AVALON Featuring integral lighting, a Bluetooth speaker, demisting capability, sensor control and shaver/toothbrush charging, Sensio Lighting has launched the Avalon mirror.

According to the company, the mirror is able to connect with mobile and smart home devices, allowing music or audio to be streamed through the Bluetooth speakers. And, whilst it’s a mains powered appliance, it is IP44 rated for safe use in zone 2 in the bathroom. www.rdr.link/ml006

All Abode 4 in 1 steaming hot water taps, filters and boilers now have full WRAS approval, giving customers complete peace of mind across the entire range. As the UK standard against waste, misuse, undue consumption or contamination of the water supply, WRAS approval means that the company’s Pronteau and Proboil products comply with the necessary regulations for new build and refurbishment projects.

According to the company, the mixers also meet Part G building regulations which stipulate that 100⁰C should never be used in new build projects, and feature a patented child safe hotkey function. www.rdr.link/ml007

SANIFLO KINESTONE Positioned at the top end of the company’s growing portfolio of shower trays, Kinedo from Saniflo’s Kinestone gives a natural stone look, and is said to be lightweight and highly durable. At 30mm thick the tray is light enough to handle and be installed by one person and can even be cut to size on site if necessary. The textured surface is said to provide both comfort and safety underfoot and has “exceptional non-slip credentials”.

It is available in square and rectangular shapes with sizes between 800mm and 1800mm, making it suitable for the popular walk-in type showers used in modern bathrooms. The Kinestone is produced in six colours — white, grey, black, sable, anthracite and chocolate. www.rdr.link/ml008

HODGSON SILIFIX U7 Hodgson Sealants has expanded its Silfix range for the professional applicator with the launch of U7, which has been produced in a stiffer, more viscous formulation. According to the company, the new launch is a sanitary, high modulus, acetoxy cure silicone sealant and adhesive. The adhesive is also anti-fungal, making it appropriate for sealing around baths, shower trays, basins and for other bathroom and kitchen applications.

The product is available in a 310ml cartridge in white and translucent options. www.rdr.link/ml009

KELLER KITCHENS RUSTIC CHARM To craft a countryside style, Keller has introduced the new model — Rustic Charm.

According to the company, the model is ideal for creating L-shaped kitchens, and homeowners can mix up the Melamine shaker style doors by opting for real wood cabinetry for some units and pairing them with another of Keller’s five stains for the other door fronts.

Alternatively, the cabinetry is available nine colours from the Master Collection and 14 colours from the Comfort Collection. www.rdr.link/ml010

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HUDSON REED LUNA The Luna bathroom range features three WC Pans and Cisterns and four Basins.

The WCs in the Luna suite are available as wall hung (H350 x W360 x D530mm) with concealed cistern, back-to-wall (H400 x W350 x D555mm) with concealed cistern and flush to wall (H830 x W355 x D665mm).

Each option features soft close seats.

Two Luna basin sizes, 520 and 420mm, are also available as semi pedestal or full pedestal, and featuring the same ‘D-shape’ spacious basin. Like all ceramics from Hudson Reed, Luna comes with a five year guarantee. www.rdr.link/ml011

BLANCO UK TAMPERA NUIE BATHROOMS GLOSS GREY MIST Nuie (the new name for the Roxor Group’s Premier Collection) has added a new finish — Gloss Grey Mist — to its Athena range of modular bathroom furniture. The finish takes the number of colour options in the Athena collection up to eight, including; Gloss White, Stone Grey, Driftwood, Natural Oak, Brown Grey Avola, Gloss Grey and Hacienda Black.

The company says the collection is very customisable, with a selection of cabinet designs, basin designs, soft close doors and draws, vanity cabinets and mirror units to choose from. Made in Britain in Roxor’s own manufacturing facility the range comes with a five year quality guarantee. www.rdr.link/ml012

The Tampera Hot tap from Blanco UK contains a filter system which is said to ensure the water is purified prior to heating, so homeowners can have instant hot water for teas and coffees without the fear of limescale tainting the taste.

The BWT multi-stage filter is designed to improve the quality of the water and reduce contaminants. The water is then heated to 105°C which ensures bacteria and germs are thoroughly eliminated. www.rdr.link/ml013

PRIMA+ PROFESSIONAL BRUSHED COPPER MIXER TAP Prima — the own-brand appliance label from distributor PJH — has introduced a new collection of kitchen taps under its premium, Prima+ sub-range, which claims to have functionality and design-led features similar to that of competitor brands, yet at a fraction of the cost. Included is the industrial-inspired Prima+ Professional Brushed Copper Mixer Tap (BPR 722).

The pro-style single lever kitchen tap requires a minimum water pressure of 0.5 bar whilst the model features a single flow and a matching brushed copper waste is also available. Overall height is 345mm and like all Prima kitchen taps, it includes a 10 year guarantee as standard. www.rdr.link/ml014

GROHE RAINSHOWER SMARTCONNECT 310 With digitalisation and wellness being key trends in bathroom design, Grohe claims to have combined the two in its new Rainshower SmartConnect 310 head shower. With flexible and accessible positioning, the wireless control enables users to select different spray patterns.

The shower is designed to work alongside existing shower thermostats without the need for complete refurbishment of the shower space, and installation is described as being quick and simple because the shower head can easily be mounted on existing shower extension arms. www.rdr.link/ml015

PRIMAFLOW F&P NOCALC Wholesaler Primaflow F&P has added the NoCalc water treatment and filtration system to its stock portfolio. The system is said to be eco-friendly, WRAS approved and can be installed in under an hour, making it a popular choice for merchants and their customers.

It is claimed that NoCalc requires no salt or electricity, does not create backwashing, and requires zero maintenance.

Starter packs come complete with a universal, connector set and long-life cartridge, each of which treats up to 40,000 litres of water and lasts 12 months per person on average.

The pack comes with an optional but discrete sound warning, acting as a reminder when the cartridge needs replacing. www.rdr.link/ml016

www.professionalbuildersmerchant.co.uk

IDS MALMO LUXURY VINYL TILE COLLECTION IDS has extended its flooring portfolio with 17 new additions to the Malmo Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT) collection, now offering 52 designs in total. The designs all feature in a new brochure alongside lifestyle photography.

Malmo LVT claims to provide a stylish, easy fitting and high-performance flooring material that is suitable for a wide variety of domestic and commercial applications ranging from kitchens and bathrooms to hotels, retail units, offices, bars and restaurants. It has a warranty of up to 25 years for domestic use and 10 years for commercial applications and is available for 24-48-hour delivery from all IDS branches nationwide. www.rdr.link/ml017

PBM JANUARY 2020 27

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Lessons in survival Digital casualties litter the recent past. Andy Scothern, Managing Director of digital transformation specialist eCommonSense, explains why merchants must transform or die.

F

or years, the building materials industry has failed to fully embrace the opportunity of eCommerce. Over the same period, digital has transformed retail in front of our eyes with some long-established High Street names brought to their knees by new digital upstarts. Many of these household behemoths went through the full cycle of spotting the opportunity, trying to respond but still failing to be competitive online.

History has always been a valuable resource for those predicting the future and the tale of the High Street provides a useful lesson for the building materials’ industry.

Similarly, Amazon and Screwfix, amongst others, have set their sights on the building materials market, so the urgency just ratcheted up a few notches for merchants who now must modernise quickly or die.

As Eric Shinseki said: “If you dislike change, you’re going to dislike irrelevance even more.”

28 PBM JANUARY 2020

Amazon’s strategy is to target markets where they see low hanging fruit, or ones beset by inefficiencies and are ripe for disruption. It’s no surprise therefore that it is pursuing the building materials market, along with other well-known names such as Screwfix and Toolstation.

However, as many of the long-established High Street retailers found, simply building a website was not enough to guarantee survival.

Part of the problem is that many merchants have chosen to invest a small amount of money to see if trading on the web is viable before they invest more. This cautious approach is a self-fulfilling prophecy — it’s like turning up to the F1 Grand Prix in a pedal car with the expectation of investing in a proper team once a race has been won.

It’s a fantasy to think that this is a possibility, as it’s literally a technological arms race in digital, just as it is in F1. If you

want to win the race, you have to invest in the right team and technology at the outset, or you will simply throw good money after bad.

The larger issue is the disconnected nature of the sector as a whole. The entire industry needs to go through a digital transformation, part of which will be connecting the websites, product databases and back office systems of merchants and suppliers. This will enable rapid and accurate data exchange to allow customers to make informed buying decisions.

Without providing this data to customers, a supplier or merchant will simply lose market share to a competitor who can — and if that happens to be a supplier, then merchants can expect to be disintermediated, as suppliers go direct to customers through their own websites.

The digital revolution also offers the opportunity to increase business efficiency by automating manual tasks whilst also decreasing mistakes and delays in the supply chain. So connecting systems can offer numerous benefits — and all of them have a commercial return.

The current situation relies on too much human intervention, which is inefficient and can lead to errors and missed sales opportunities. Receiving supplier data directly not only allows products to be accurately represented online, but also keeps merchants up-to-date with product releases.

So why has this not happened? The reasons are myriad but they start with a lack of awareness, and end with a lack of technical expertise which sandwiches the fact that the industry is not demanding it to happen.

www.professionalbuildersmerchant.co.uk

“The entire industry needs to go through a digital transformation, part of which will be connecting the websites, product databases and back office systems of merchants and suppliers. This will enable rapid and accurate data exchange to allow customers to make informed buying decisions.”

The office products industry provides another good history lesson: Amazon has ravaged that sector to the point where it has undergone huge consolidation and business failure of some household names.

Conversely, and to stave off becoming irrelevant, some large office products businesses have connected up their suppliers’ product data systems. The concept, called ‘Endless Aisle’, provides the ability to range a huge number of products and become a one-stop shop.

Big data analysis of these joined-up systems also offers the opportunity for demand forecasting. Merchants and

suppliers will be able to predict what customers are likely to order, so that the right stock can be moved to the right place at the right time, creating huge efficiencies.

It is unsustainable and inefficient for hundreds of suppliers dealing individually with hundreds of merchants to provide the same information over and over again. This must change, but to date the problem remains.

There are lots of reasons for this, but the primary one is that many merchants have simply built a website but not made it fit for purpose with the addition of a product information management solution (PIM).

Some of the more advanced suppliers have these systems, but unless merchants can consume the data, their value is limited. In the ideal world, all suppliers and merchants would have a PIM system and they would all be connected, using a common data standard.

A good example is LinkedIn which has revolutionised the recruitment market; matching jobs with suitable candidates. It allows both employers and job-seekers to enter the necessary data of both the job requirements and the skills of the candidates.

This joined-up approach means that the recruitment market has changed forever and made the whole process easier, faster and more transparent.

While our industry fails to adopt this joined up approach, it continues to face attacks from the digital retailers who fully understand the value of data and have it in their DNA. The good news is that the process has already started with some merchants benefiting from the integrated website and PIM platform that we have built. However, there are still many suppliers and merchants failing to see the need for more fundamental and wholesale transformation.

If the building supplies industry is to avoid the fate of the office supplies industry and be decimated by the likes of Amazon, it must learn from the lessons of recent history.

The destiny of the industry remains in our hands and can be saved if we learn from other industries.

■ For more information, enter the shortcode www.rdr.link/ml018

k .u o .c t n a h c r e m s r e professionalbuild PBM’s website provides merchant professionals with instant, up-to-the-minute access to breaking news and the latest in business trends, supplier information, changing legislation, industry events and special features.

With exclusive online content and the best of the printed magazine, the website is an essential part of PBM’s aim to be the sector’s No.1 business information source.

PBM’s fortnightly eNews bulletin is emailed to around 7,500 industry contacts, highlighting the best stories and most up-to-date news in the merchant sector.

Sign up to recieve the e-newsletter at the PBM website.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Overcoming the challenge The implementation of a new ERP system can constitute a significant shift for many traditional merchant businesses. PBM reports on Terry Howell Timber & Builders Merchants’ decision to upgrade.

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s described on its website, Terry Howell & Sons was founded by Terry Howell in 1956 and started up by manufacturing wooden ladders at a small family site in Rogerstone. The story continues: “After a few years, we began producing chocks used in the coal mines throughout the South Wales Valleys. As the business grew, we began to diversify into sawmilling fencing materials (and) as we’ve grown over the years, our sites have expanded into three retail stores, two sawmills and a docks site where we prepare orders for the length of the UK.” Indeed, when current MD Craig Mayor was brought into the business to manage a planned expansion strategy, he found he had joined a company with a reputation for offering exceptional quality, service and value for money to a very loyal customer base. Two thirds of the business involves selling timber to customers such as shed and fence manufacturers, with much of the timber components being hand crafted.

The company also takes a sustainable approach to manufacturing, with all waste wood recycled in biomass boilers used to dry wet timber. However, as is common in the timber industry Craig also discovered sales transactions and stock control were managed using entirely manual processes.

He said: “Orders, even full lorry loads, were being phoned in and taken down using pen and paper. Stock control relied on physical inspections, people’s ‘guestimates’ and hand written notes. I knew this approach was unsustainable if we were to successfully achieve our plans for growth.”

According to Craig, there aren’t enough words to describe the changes he expects the implementation of K8 software will make to the business. Accepting that it will entail a huge transformation in the working practices of many of his team, he believes the benefits — in terms of visibility and accuracy across all business processes — will far outweigh any initial challenges caused by the introduction of a modern ERP system.

Explaining that three ERP solutions were initially considered, he said: “We chose K8 because of how its functionality is geared to our type of business, particularly around trading timber, but also because of the expertise of the individuals from the KCS team who presented it to us.”

Stock control and reporting are the areas in which Craig is anticipating the biggest changes.

He commented: “Having a suite of reports produced from our sales figures will enable me to keep my finger on the pulse of the business.

And to have total visibility of all of our stock within the system will be a massive benefit.

“We run a complex business and buy in huge volumes of timber. We’ll be able to accurately track it as packs get broken down and the timber is moved around the business to make different products. I’m also looking forward to the ability to manage and monitor our trade accounts more efficiently and accurately, particular in terms of pricing and credit control.”

A new website has already been created which offers customers delivered or collected online sales and this may ultimately be integrated with K8 (“A project for the future,” says Craig). Similarly, the adoption of other digital solutions offered by KCS — such as the ePOD app, which would process deliveries by the company’s fleet of 16 vehicles — will follow implementation of the core package.

Acknowledging that the 73 staff at Terry Howell may have to make some initial adjustments to their working practices, Craig is confident the reward will be a successful and sustainable future.

■ For more information on K8 from Kerridge Commercial Systems, enter the shortcode www.rdr.link/ml019

www.professionalbuildersmerchant.co.uk

PBM JANUARY 2020 31

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Maximum benefit Phil Davies, Commercial Manager at Border Merchant Systems, argues that effective training is essential to ensuring merchants get the most from their IT solutions and offers his predictions for 2020.

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n 2020 merchants need to use whatever tools are available to drive efficiencies inside the business, maximise revenue from existing customers and acquire new ones.

Helping our merchant customers get maximum value from their IT systems is always a challenge. Like many IT suppliers, at Border we find that customers utilise only a percentage of the facilities available in their software system — like many of us who use Microsoft Excel, you get to a certain level of knowledge that you need and then stop learning.

It is a real shame — with merchant software, they have an application that could help transact business efficiently, run a tight ship from a financial point of view and provide the information required to help drive additional revenue.

Of course, we do understand that customers are very busy from day to day.

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When trade is there, it has to be taken. So one of the ways we help our customers get the most from their investment in our CounterAct software is to carry out system audits at user sites and write a report with recommendations on improvements that can be gained from their system.

We encourage learning by holding User Meetings — free events available to every user — and these meetings are part development steering discussions, part training and part feedback sessions. We also produce YouTube videos and host Webinars that explain certain areas of the systems and how to use it effectively. And this is not to forget customer training, carried out either online or at customer sites.

For 2020, it would definitely be worth considering how you are using your applications — and if you’re utilising your IT systems as effectively as possible. Challenge

yourself and your providers to increase your knowledge, and make sure this understanding is shared throughout the business with adequate and planned training.

Sometimes I will speak to a company for whom we did a demo a number of years ago only for them to have purchased another IT system — and to be told that it has never worked properly since it was put in! To hear that such an important investment for a business has gone so badly awry always disappoints me.

Greengates moves forward ■ Based in the Lancashire town of Accrington, Greengates is reportedly one of the few remaining independent, family-owned builders’ merchants in the area. It supplies both trade and DIY customers with a huge range of products, and prides itself on offering a fast, friendly, efficient and knowledgeable service at competitive prices.

The company’s previous site was positioned behind a row of terraced houses, where access and space was limited. In 2019 it relocated to a new, more central location at a purpose-built development site on Whinney Hill Road — just down the road from the famous Accrington Stanley Football Club — giving Greengates excellent access to both the town and the M65.

Part of the investment planning for the new site was the decision to implement a new IT system. After a number of key demos, as well as existing user recommendations and site visits, Greengates chose CounterAct Software from Border. System setup began in October and the merchant is now participating in a comprehensive onsite training programme with the team at Border.

CounterAct is designed as a tailor-made system for merchants, ranging from small family run single sites to large multi-branch

For new customers, we can work with them to project manage the new installation from the start to ‘go live’ and beyond. System setup and initial system training are absolutely key. Our trainers are all Border staff (ie: we don’t employ third

companies. Of the new partnership with Greengates, Border’s Phil Davies said: “I am delighted to welcome Greengates into the family of CounterAct users. We look forward to working closely with Steve and his team to get them live on schedule. We will ensure they get the many benefits of business efficiency, cost reductions, improved delivery and stock planning alongside superior management information from their strategic investment in CounterAct.”

“Helping our merchant customers get maximum value from their IT systems is always a challenge. Like many IT suppliers, we find that customers utilise only a percentage of the facilities available in their software system.” parties) and the training, in most cases, is carried out on a customer site using their data on a test system.

The object of training must be to get the new customer live using the system to their required and unique specification. A plan is

www.professionalbuildersmerchant.co.uk

worked out, based on sensible and realistic timescales in partnership with the customer.

Look for a supplier that will work in partnership with you, whether you are a new user or have had the system for years.

CounterAct’s stability, managed enhancement process and the support we provide all adds up to a low cost of ownership.

Predictions for 2020 With the uncertainty of what 2020 will bring in terms of our UK government policies, I am however certain that the merchant trade will continue to grow and evolve. Customers need to make sure they are ‘business ready’ and that their IT can support and progress with them, helping them to react to what may be both a challenging and exciting year.

■ For more information on Border’s IT solutions for merchants, enter the shortcode www.rdr.link/ml020

PBM JANUARY 2020 33

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

TEN-25 SOFTWARE UT400 CLOUD TRADING SYSTEM

BMF / NMBS ETIM OPEN SOURCE DATA With the additional support of NMBS, the BMF has partnered with the Electrical Distributors’ Association (EDA) to develop and implement the ETIM open source data model for the standardisation and classification of product data in the UK. ETIM is described as a “tried and tested model” that has been adopted by manufacturers and wholesalers in 20 countries across Europe and by the USA and Canada.

Initially designed for the electro-technical market, ETIM has expanded to include general building materials and heating, ventilation and plumbing products. It has also developed to include a 3D modelling version to provide digitalised data for BIM applications.

Adopted by the EDA in 2017 as a ‘must’ for the digitalisation of the UK electrical installation supply chain, one of its key benefits is the removal of ambiguity to ensure that the same terms, attributes and values within the product data are used by all. By streamlining the transfer of information, it removes inefficiency in the supply chain and facilitates the transition to online trading.

BMF CEO John Newcomb said: “A straw-poll of our merchant members found that 53% have difficulty in obtaining product data from their suppliers in an easily usable format, and 94% would value readily available and accurate product data.

“A major barrier to digitalisation in our sector is the need to obtain and manage standardised e-commerce friendly product data. With a growing number already doing business online and 65% planning to launch or increase sales from online platforms during the next two years, the need for high quality, consistent and updatable digital data is set to escalate.”

David Bate, who performed a similar role for EDA, has been appointed BMF’s ETIM-UK Project Manager. He will lead a number of ETIM Standardisation Working Groups, drawing together expertise from BMF members involved in different product areas to drive the wider roll-out of the Classification model through the UK supply chain.

The NMBS has also declared its support for ETIM. MD Chris Hayward said: “As a buying society we strive to develop and strengthen independent merchants by innovating and adding value at every opportunity. Clearly ETIM has as important role to play in this regard and we will support the BMF as it works with the industry to roll out this data-model in the building materials and HVAC sectors.”

If you would like to be involved in one of the working groups, please get in touch with the BMF. www.rdr.link/ml021

34 PBM JANUARY 2020

Following the successful UniTrade 360 system, Ten-25 Software has now unveiled UT400 — its all-new, cloud-based trading system. With what is described as an incredibly easy-to-use interface and “powerful under-the-hood engine”, UT400 is designed to help merchants to “buy better, stock smarter and sell faster”, with comprehensive end-to-end features offering total transparency across the business.

As a true cloud system, it can be accessed anywhere from any smart device. A tiered pricing system (available with monthly subscriptions) is said to make it feasible for everyone in the business to have access, from delivery drivers to CEOs, whilst customised user dashboards ensure relevance and clarity.

Ten-25 is offering free, no obligation demo access to interested merchants for a no risk trial. www.rdr.link/ml022

BOBTRADE.COM ONLINE MARKETPLACE Headed up by CEO Shneor Crombie (pictured), Bobtrade is a new online building supplies marketplace which connects UK builders and merchants to deliver “a more efficient way of buying and selling building materials” by enabling builders save both money and time, and merchants to increase their sales.

In an evolving construction sector, where more trade users are purchasing online and merchants are still developing their response, Bobtrade is described as a powerful yet simple procurement platform with advantages for both merchants and their customers. Listing products on the platform is said to be easy, whilst automated order and payment processing enables merchants to make sales outside of traditional operating hours.

www.rdr.link/ml023

www.professionalbuildersmerchant.co.uk

TRANSPORT, HANDLING & STORAGE

Frank Elkins, Chief Operating Officer of Travis Perkins, addressing delegates at the HAE’s Hire 2019 Conference in October last year

Safety first I

nvestigations by Travis Perkins suggested that the risks posed by diggers and dumpers to users and others were a serious industry-wide issue. A tragic accident involving a dumper in 2018 proved the catalyst for the initiative to form the Digger and Dumper Operational Safety Round Table.

Overseen by HAE, the Association’s members under the umbrella of the Safety Round Table will focus on improving the recording of incidents, reviewing standards, engaging with manufacturers and making the sector aware of potential issues.

Latest figures reveal that there is at least one accident involving a digger or dumper each week on sites in the UK, with the majority caused by unstable ground or unsafe working — an industry challenge that must be met directly by all stakeholders if the frequency of incidents is to be reduced, according to Frank Elkins, Chief Operating Officer at Travis Perkins.

HAE Technical Health & Safety Group will be responsible for assessing the information gathered from members in an established, systematic format that will enable the industry to respond to trends, review frequency, determine the root causes and relevant factors that contribute to incidents involving diggers and dumpers.

It is anticipated that examining and interpreting this data will help the new working group improve safety for those operating diggers and dumpers by suggesting minimum safety standards that all businesses can support, through more awareness, education and training.

The working group also plans regular and meaningful dialogue with manufacturers to

“Hire companies sharing best practices and initiatives amongst each other can lead to a best in class site handover to ensure operational risks are minimised.”

Frank Elkins, Chief Operating Officer at Travis Perkins

www.professionalbuildersmerchant.co.uk

Hire Association Europe (HAE) has joined forces with Travis Perkins Plc and other industry partners to set up a working group aimed at improving the safety of digger and dumper operations on construction sites. With a number of merchants offering plant hire services, PBM explores the background. get them on board, such as incorporating agreed safety features, which will be key to ensuring that hire suppliers and customers are on the same wavelength when it comes to future equipment design.

Explaining the initiative, Frank Elkins said: “Hire companies sharing best practices and initiatives amongst each other can lead to a best in class site handover to ensure operational risks are minimised.

“Key plant manufacturers coming together and agreeing improvement in standards of the safety equipment and devices on these machines could lead to a significant reduction in these types of incidents. There would obviously be a cost to these improvements which the hire industry should be willing to bear.”

Paul Gaze, HAE Commercial Manager, added: “By working together to gather reliable data we can agree a framework, including training and education, that will further improve safety standards by ensuring that operators are fully competent handling this machinery and are aware of the risks associated with their actions.

“We are looking for interested parties to volunteer to join the group and also meet up either face-to-face or using technology. Please do get in touch if you’d like to contribute.”

■ For more details, enter the shortcode www.rdr.link/ml024 for information from the HAE website.

PBM JANUARY 2020 37

TRANSPORT, HANDLING & STRORAGE

Without compromising on performance, Lawsons has once again looked to an environmentallyfriendly solution to its transport and handling requirements as it places an order for five electric-powered JCB Teletruks. PBM reports.

Are ‘Friends’ Electric?

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aunched in spring 2019, the JCB 30-19E is the first electric-powered model to be added to the company’s Teletruk range. Following successful trials at a number of its sites in London and the South East, Lawsons has recently placed an order for five of the units — the first UK customer to invest in the new model.

The machines will be deployed at the independent merchant’s facilities at Bedford and Edgware, and their acquisition is part of a move by Lawsons towards greater use of electric-power across its materials handling equipment fleet which has included the delivery of a number electric-powered Combilift trucks (see panel).

11 of Lawsons’ 17 depots are within the boundary of the M25 motorway and so with many of its facilities located in urban environments close to residential communities, the merchant says that it is increasingly conscious of the need to be a ‘good neighbour’ by doing all it can to consider any concerns that those who live near its branches have about noise and air quality.

David Harvey, Group Transport Manager, said: “We make every effort to ensure that the materials handling equipment in use at

38 PBM JANUARY 2020

our sites — particularly those located in higher density environments — is as quiet as possible and complies with current emission standard regulations.

“We are constantly assessing ways of making our depots more environmentally responsible and give careful consideration to the mix of materials handling equipment in operation. As soon as we heard that JCB had developed an electric-powered Teletruk that is quiet in operation and produces no harmful emissions, we knew that it would be perfect for us.”

JCB originally launched the (diesel) Teletruk in 1997 and Lawsons was an early adopter, now running some 55 dieselpowered units. As outside space at many of the branches is limited, the Teletruk has proved to be a particularly suitable solution as its telescopic forward reach boom allows trailer and vehicle beds to be accessed from only one side, meaning that vehicles can be tightly parked next to a wall or racking yet still able to be easily loaded or unloaded.

David added: “Because land is at a premium in and around London and the South East we have to maximise the use of every square foot of space we have at all of

our sites and the Teletruk’s ability to load and unload from one side of a trailer has allowed us to install extra racking at a number of our depots.”

Moving back to the new electric units, power is provided by an 80-volt lead acid battery which JCB says can work a full eight hour shift on a single charge. The manufacturer adds that, thanks to its AC electric driveline, the new truck can climb a 21% gradient or ramp with ease whilst productivity is further enhanced with full free lift of 1575mm as standard and a lift capacity of 1900kg at 2m.

Paul Murray, JCB’s Teletruk General Manager, said: “The introduction of electricpowered Teletruks has been met with an overwhelmingly positive response. Emissions, noise and the need to maximise all available space, are critically important considerations when it comes to choosing materials handling equipment for an urban facility.

“For companies such as Lawsons that are operating in close proximity to residential property and where space is often restricted, the Teletruk offers so many clear advantages and, while IC engine-powered models in the JCB Logistics Teletruk range

www.professionalbuildersmerchant.co.uk

meet the most stringent emissions regulations, the introduction of a battery-powered range makes the case for Teletruk even more compelling.”

Lawsons’ adds that the phased introduction of electric-powered handling equipment across its business will also help the company in its aim to achieve Freight Operator Recognition Scheme (FORS) Gold accreditation. David said: “It is important that we demonstrate best practice across our business and we are going for FORS Gold accreditation as part of our ongoing process of continuous improvement.”

■ For more information on JCB’s Teletruk range, enter the shortcode www.rdr.link/ml025

Lawsons drives to sustainability ■ A long term user

of Combilift’s multidirectional forklifts, Lawsons now operates around 35 of the versatile spacesaving machines, the majority of which are 4t C4000 models. In May last year, Lawsons took delivery of a number of electric trucks from the Irish manufacturer — two C4000Es for its Merton branch and numerous STEs at Whetstone and Camden — as the business continued on its path to reduce emissions and keep noise levels to a minimum for its neighbours in residential areas.

In early 2018, the merchant added its first natural gas-powered heavy truck to its London delivery fleet, taking on a 26-tonne Iveco Stralis NP running on compressed natural gas (CNG).

The vehicle (which is also featured in the main image with the electric JCB Teletruk) is said to offer significant sustainability advantages over diesel with 50% less NOx emissions, 95% less particulate matter versus Euro VI limits, and 95% less CO2 when using compressed biomethane.

TRANSPORT, HANDLING & STORAGE HYSTER EUROPE FLT DRIVER AWARENESS To minimise downtime, optimise productivity and improve safety, the Hyster Fortens lift truck series features a number of driver awareness ‘add-ons’. The company’s lift trucks feature operator cabs that are designed to provide good visibility, optimal comfort and intuitive controls alongside object detection solutions, a camera and flashing front and reverse lights in addition to pedestrian awareness spotlights.

Load overload detection systems can also be integrated to lift trucks for operations challenged by handling loads with variable or unknown weights.

An auto-deceleration system is also present to help reduce tyre and brake wear by up to 50%.

HIAB HIAB NUGENT CRANE TRAILER

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Hiab has partnered with Nugent to develop a small crane on a small trailer, suitable for lighter lifting jobs. Both parties have labelled the product a ‘versatile, easy-to-handle, backsaving’ piece of kit. The crane is a standard Hiab T-CLX 018, but with the shortest legs possible, and has a lift capacity of 1.8tm. Featuring its own power source, it can be operated independently of the towing vehicle.

The trailer — a Nugent F3720H 3.5 tonne flatbed — is said to reduce vibrations and suspension chatter, minimising stress on the chassis and cutting shockwaves to the towing vehicle.

LINDE MATERIAL HANDLING H35D Linde Material Handling showcased its new H35D diesel truck at UK Construction Week last October and the 3.5 tonne capacity diesel truck is said to be packed with safety devices designed to reduce the occurrence of accidents.

For example, the reverse proximity sensor alarm is an audio-visual warning and automatic truck slow down system whereby ultrasonic sensors detect objects or personnel to the rear or side of the truck and automatically reduce its speed in accordance to the distance from the object or person. Heavy duty trucks can also be fitted with TruckSpot, a visual driving path warning device.

FIL BRANCH OPENINGS

Rainham-based merchant RTB Roofing Supplies has been able to start trading in rapid time, due to MV Commercial’s ability to supply a high-spec MAN TGM brick grab in just two weeks. The 6x2 truck incorporates a Hiab XHIDUO 158 brick grab and is equipped with a Euro VI engine, ensuring it can be used in clean air zones, and incorporates a variety of driver comfort and safety features including heated mirrors and a reversing camera system.

Rob Slattery, Director, RTB Roofing Supplies, says: “We wanted to get on the road as soon as possible, but manufacturers were quoting lead times of six months. MV Commercial had what we needed, and it was ready for immediate delivery.”

Formerly known as Filplastic, Fil has worked with James Burrell Builders’ Merchants in Rotherham, South Yorkshire to launch the firm’s tenth branch. The storage and display specialist redesigned the two-acre site on Wortley Road, converting it into an office, trade counter, yard and warehouse. Fil also supplied and fitted shop shelving and racking for the warehouse and yard.

Tony Hall, Head of Operations at James Burrell said: “We’ve worked with Fil for the past three or four years — they do the majority of racking for us — and they are always great to work with.”

Fil has also reported a 60% rise in turnover last year after supporting an increased number of merchants with the opening of their new branches.

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MV COMMERCIAL RTB ROOFING CASE STUDY

BEVAN GROUP FIVE YEAR WARRANTY Commercial vehicle bodybuilder Bevan Group is offering what the company describes as the sector’s most comprehensive commitment to customers by introducing a five-year warranty. Building more than 60 commercial vehicle bodies each week, the warranty covers all elements of the manufacturing process, including frames and sub-frames for the West Midlands-based firm’s range of dry freight box bodies and curtainsiders, dropsiders, tippers and Lutons, and extends to trucks and vans built for more specialised applications.

Ancillaries such as tail-lifts, cranes, roller shutter doors and crash cushions are included too, whilst the equipment itself will also continue to be covered by the relevant third-party supplier’s own warranty.

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www.professionalbuildersmerchant.co.uk

Counter…

For over 40 years, Professional Builder has picked up each month from merchant trade As we delve into the January issue to look advertising campaigns from the industry’s insight into the buying habits of your key CONDENSATE PRO INSTALLATION KIT

PERMAROOF FLAT ROOFING SOLUTIONS

Professional Builder travelled to the Hope Valley in Derbyshire to meet Dave Smith, a plumbing and heating engineer by trade and the man behind Condensate Pro — an easy-to-fit solution to stop condensate pipes from freezing.

Effective insulation for condensate pipes is a high priority for those in the know in the plumbing and heating sector and, whilst there are a number of solutions on the market, Dave was not satisfied.

He said: “There are millions of boilers fitted with substandard external condensate pipe protection with pipes that freeze easily and account for a substantial amount of boiler breakdowns in colder months. During these times, the number of heating engineer call-outs spike as people struggle to get access to heating and hot water in their home — but this can be reduced simply and quickly,” After various design refinements and field tests, Dave’s answer is already proving to be a hit with the Condensate Pro kit, including specially designed UV/water resistant lagging and bond and seal adhesive, designed to offer a complete solution for every external termination. www.rdr.link/ml032

A fascinating article saw Adrian Buttress, MD of EPDM rubber roofing specialists Permaroof UK, discuss the daily challenge of navigating the flat roofing market and why product selection is so important for a high-quality end result.

He argued that with new products regularly coming to market, roofing contractors are often faced with a complex choice at the merchant counter. One way to navigate this, he urged, was for contractors to take a full system approach that includes a membrane, adhesive, tapes and primers, guaranteeing that everything will work together.

He said: “Installers should always stick with an industry proven system that is fully traceable and ties in with a specification and BBA certificate. For me, this is the only way to keep a high standard of roofing in the UK” www.rdr.link/ml033

BOSCH PROFESSIONAL CORDLESS COMBI With the introduction of its GSB 18V-55 Professional cordless combi drill, Bosch says that the trades now have access to a brushless motor in the entry-level segment for the first time. They have a high-level of efficiency, are more durable than DC motors and, at the same time, are maintenance-free. It is suitable for mid-range applications or screw diameters of up to 8mm, drill diameters up to 35mm in wood and 13mm in metal. www.rdr.link/ml034

BRETT MARTIN CASCADE SYSTEM A piece from Brett Martin argued that whilst real cast iron rainwater systems bring a traditional, aesthetically appealing look to a refurbishment project, “they are expensive and time consuming to work with”. For builders looking for easy-to-install and economical alternatives, the company contended, modern plastic materials can meet customer demands for heritage aesthetics without the “cast-iron price tag”.

Designed with full consideration to original features, dimensions and detailing, the firm says that its high quality Cascade pipework, fittings and hoppers can create a cast iron look for less. www.rdr.link/ml035

42 PBM JANUARY 2020

FRE

E TO

THE

Professional TRA

DE

Attack!

BUILDING ■ FLOO RING ■ PLUMBING ■ CARP ENTRY ■ ROOFING ■ DECO RATI NG ■

PAIN TING AND THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR THE BUILDING INDUST RY

been the favoured magazine of the building trade, counters by more than 120,000 tradespeople. at some of the articles, latest new products and active suppliers, take advantage of PBM’s unique customers to make more trade counter sales.

JANUARY 2020

DOORS, WINDOWS & SECURITY

OPEN & SHUT CAS ES!

EXTENSIONS & HOME IMPROVEM ENTS

ADDED BENEFIT S

A ‘BI’ PRODUCT OF THE FOLDING STUFF! QUICKSLI DE HELPS TO OPEN UP THE INDOORS TO THE OUTDOOR S

Google Nest Nest Pro Indicating how seriously it is treating the trade market, Google Nest repeats its double-page spread (we first referenced this back in our October 2019 edition) to showcase its range of connected and energy-saving smart thermostats — the Nest Learning Thermostat and the Nest Thermostat E. The ad also features the company’s wider range of smart home products, including the Nest Hello video doorbell, the Nest Protect smoke and CO alarm and the Nest Hub. www.rdr.link/ml036

Premier Tech Aqua One size doesn’t fit all…

Rocket Door Frames Pocket Door Systems Promoted as “The steel alternative to wooden pocket door kits”, the company offers a selection of sizes to fit standard UK door widths and its systems are said to be “easy to fit, easy to use and easy to live with”, all backed up by a 12-year warranty. www.rdr.link/ml037

The wastewater and water storage specialist is using its ad in the latest edition of PB to remind the trade that different jobs will often require bespoke solutions. Stating that it has a range of fully approved products — designed and tested to meet BS EN 12566-3 and 2020 regulation compliant — to rise to whatever challenge might be encountered on site. www.rdr.link/ml039

Makita Brushless 18V

‘4x2 but not as you know it’ is a great lead-in to this ad from Hoppings. Re-imaging an industry staple can’t be for the faint-hearted, but the company confidently argues the advantages of its Tanalith-treated, structural grade Scandinavian softwood which is suitable for use above ground and for in ground contact, and is offered with a 25 year performance warranty. www.rdr.link/ml040

Hoppings SmartFrame

BRUSHLESS 18V & TWIN 18V LI-ION LONGER RUN TIMES FROM A SMALLER COMPACT MACHINE

A busy advert from Makita highlights just how much it is expanding its SUPER FAST CHARGE TIMES 22 36 45 55 range of 18V LI-ION brushless 18V tools — coupled with the ‘super fast’ charge times offered by its Twin 18V Li-ion batteries — which are all designed to ensure longer run times are available from smaller, more compact machines. www.rdr.link/ml038 minute charge

minute charge

minute charge

minute charge

See our full brushless range at www.makitauk.com

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PBM JANUARY 2020 43

Counter…

More than 60,000 plumbers and heating Heating & Plumbing Installer from merchant feedback gleaned from our sister magazine, the buying habits of your key customers as products and latest ad campaigns from BAXI MULTIFIT IFOS

PLASSON SLIDE N SEAL

Due to installer demand, Baxi has announced that its Multifit IFOS (in flue outdoor sensor) can now be fitted on vertical as well as horizontal flues. It has also launched a range of accessories for the IFOS, including the Multifit IFOS System and the Ridge Tile Kit. The system relay simply clips onto the printed circuit board (PCB), making it compatible with the Baxi 600 System, the Main Eco Compact System and the Potterton Assure System. Similarly, the Multifit IFOS extension pack can safely extend the length of Multifit IFOS combi, system or ridge tile kits by up to five metres. www.rdr.link/ml041

Said to be the ideal solution for connecting or repairing multiple pipe types with just the one fitting, Plasson has launched the Slide N Seal Universal Slip Coupler, a 19-22mm version to provide a simple and reliable on-site solution.

Suitable for a wide variety of applications with almost any pipe material, the couplers are quick and easy to fit and can be demounted and reused. Fittings are designed to last for 50 years with the added assurance that the seal compression increases as pressure increases. The fitting can be reused for maximum value on all cold water applications up to 45⁰. www.rdr.link/ml042

TIMBERLAND TIMBERLAND PRO Timberland is reinvigorating its workwear range, Timberland PRO, with the launch of new products spanning footwear, trousers, tops, jackets and accessories. The footwear will include ‘Anti-Fatigue Technology’ and ‘Independent Suspension Network Technology’ — a multi-density outsole used in one of the new footwear styles.

Clothing technology includes ‘Rain Repel’ and ‘WickWork,’ which is used in t-shirts to help pull sweat away from the body and move it to the shirt’s surface for faster evaporation. Products launching for 2020 will include three new trouser styles, five new footwear designs and three jackets, among other new items. www.rdr.link/ml043

MULTIKWIK IO RANGE Designed to suit an array of bathroom styles and budgets, Multikwik has recently added the iO infra-red, Hydra, Luna and Metis designs to its collection, further expanding its product offering to installers.

The infra-red sensor provides contactless operation, helping to improve hygiene levels within public bathroom settings. It also has an automatic forced flushing and cleaning mode, whereby it can be programmed to self-flush at selected intervals as an additional hygiene safeguard. Its range of flush plates is available in glass, stainless steel or plastic, and are suitable for use either alongside its sanitary frames or independently. www.rdr.link/ml045

44 PBM JANUARY 2020

HIKOKI 36V CIRCULAR SAWS Designed to deliver powerful cutting anywhere, HiKOKI Power Tools has launched two 36V Circular Saws. The C3605DYA is designed for steel, aluminium and wood cutting, while the CD3605DA is designed for cutting metal. Both are said to offer a long runtime per charge, a kickback protection system, quick and easy blade change and a silent mode.

The C3605DYA features a cutting speed that is almost twice that of its existing 18V model and Bluetooth wireless technology, enabling wireless linking with the RP3608DB cordless cleaner.

The CD3605DA, meanwhile, delivers high power under heavy load, with a compact and lightweight body at 2.8kg. www.rdr.link/ml044

ARISTON PRO1 ECO Available in 50, 80, and 100 litre capacities, Ariston has introduced the Pro1 Eco range of electric storage water heaters. The units feature a display that allows for easy operation, with simple temperature setting and control for advanced performance. As a result, the products are suitable for use throughout a variety of light commercial and domestic applications.

The range takes advantage of Ariston’s WaterPlus technology, which keeps any incoming cold water at the bottom of the tank, as well as the ‘ECO EVO’ function, which enables users to achieve energy savings of up to 14%. Units also feature an anti-legionella function. www.rdr.link/ml046

Attack!

DECEMBER 2019

CHRISTMAS GIVEAWAYS! IT’S NOT QUITE FIVE

engineers pick up their copy of Professional trade counters each month. From the take advantage of PBM’s unique insight into we look at some of the most in-demand PHPI’s December issue.

GOLD RINGS, BUT THERE’S STILL PLENTY TO WIN!

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Wavin 40 years of Push-Fit plumbing With installers said to rate it ‘9 out of 10’ for quality, Wavin confidently asserts that its Hep2O push-fit solution really gets the ‘Job Done’. A 50-year guarantee is on offer whilst added assurance comes with the firm’s In4Sure secure jointing technology for “a perfect push-fit”.

We have to also give a quick thumbs up to Wavin’s Festive-themed ‘Ho Ho Ho’ ad earlier in the issue! www.rdr.link/ml047

Aqualisa AQ Collection

Pegler Pegler Terrier TRV

The AQ Collection is said to offer simple, stylish and affordable solutions for every bathroom. Featuring bar valves, single lever and dual lever thermostatic mixer showers, Aqualisa says that the versatile range will deliver “more choice at great value with the same ease of installation”.

A five-year valve guarantee adds to the mix. www.rdr.link/ml048

A half page ad showcases a range of thermostatic radiator valves that Pegler describes as a ‘fit and forget’ option for installers. The company’s website says that its comprehensive range of design-led products offers “superior quality throughout and excellent value for money”, whilst all Pegler Terrier TRVs are A rated, providing energy efficiency and cost savings in throughout homes and offices. www.rdr.link/ml049

Grundfos UPS3 15-50/65 A bold ad puts what Grundfos describes as a ‘game changer’ of a pump replacement in the spotlight. The company says that the unit is ‘built on a platform proven in millions of boilers’ and offers performance, versatility and efficiency when installers need it most. www.rdr.link/ml050

www.professionalbuildersmerchant.co.uk

Warmflow Agentis Billed by the company as ‘the next generation of oil boilers’, the back cover advert for Warmflow’s AAA-rated Agentis says that the unit will save up to five litres of fuel per week and features an integrated 7-day programmer. For installers, over £150 worth of factory-fitted extras are included in the purchase, which Warmflow says will save two hours installation time. www.rdr.link/ml051

PBM JANUARY 2020 45

POINT OF SALE

Stretching sales Every inch of the sales floor is precious when it comes to grabbing the customers’ attention and really servicing their needs. PBM reports on Bradfords’ decision to roll out Scruffs’ new flexible merchandising solution — the Scruffs Conversion Kit — across 38 of its 43 branches.

B

radfords marks an incredible 250 years of supplying the trade in 2020 and now commands 43 branches throughout the South West, Herefordshire and Worcestershire, stocking over 16,000 products and employing over 700 people. The independent merchant is partnering with the Scruffs performance workwear brand with the relationship said to be “all about offering the customer the easiest and most consistent shopping experience” when it comes to purchasing “trusted workwear items”.

According to Scruffs’ research, the average tradesperson spends £630 a year on workwear and it is essential that they can find what they are after within seconds of stepping into a branch. Six months ago, Bradfords approached

46 PBM JANUARY 2020

Scruffs to put a range together for its branches with the key requirement being a concise range of value-for-money best sellers with high throughput which could be scaled up or down depending on the space available.

Tom Pettit, the supplier’s National Sales Manager for Bradfords, said: “The request was for a core range of our best sellers to be positioned so that it would be easy for the customer to make an informed selection and be pleased with their purchase — each product is supported with an information panel detailing relevant style, size, colour, price and performance information. Likewise, it had to be easy to manage for the branch teams.”

James Wilson, Category Manager at Bradfords, added: “The new Scruffs

merchandising solution has brought an eyecatching display across branches that draws customers to the range. Our branches think the new merchandising is fantastic and we see Scruffs as complementary to the rest of our range of products.

“We are delighted to report our customers are telling us that this is the premium product they want to wear! Our focus going forward is working with Scruffs to ensure we have seasonal offers through the winter season to support our customers.”

Optimising the available space is crucial, as Chris Mellor-Dolman, Head of Marketing & Merchandising at Scruffs, explains: “The Scruffs Conversion Kit uses a modular Back Bar so that all components from boot shelves to euro hooks can be positioned anywhere vertically and horizontally. In turn this delivers full flexibility when it comes to space planning.

“What’s more, our eye catching and signature orange branding instantly draws attention to our products no matter how big or small the unit is. As most of our products are darker in colour, the simple fact that our branding stands out means that the customer’s eye is immediately drawn to our range when they walk through the door. Products are also positioned face-on, which means they find what they’re looking for quickly.”

Chris continued: “We used our own professional installers to fit the Kit for Bradfords which takes the workload away from each branch and ensures consistency throughout the network. Bradfords has categorised its sales space into three clear product groups — a convenience range for smaller branches, a moderate range for medium-sized branches and an authoritative, full range of our products for its largest branches.

Reflecting the point, Scruffs’ research shows that shopping for workwear falls into three clearly defined categories: destination, convenience and impulse. Most common to Bradfords is the convenience shopper who goes to the branch regularly and knows that they’ll always get the core products that they need often, plus seasonal extras.

Chris added: “We’re really pleased to start this new relationship with Bradfords. It was vital that we listened carefully to the needs of its business before we started planning our rollout approach, and — thanks to lots of creative discussion between our two teams — we’ve come up with a fantastically versatile merchandising solution tailored specifically to Bradfords.

“Our latest product range has been developed with our customers, using real life wear trials to guide the design process, with genuine tradespeople testing both function and performance so that we can provide ever higher levels of comfort, durability, protection and styling at the best possible price. It’s great to see our products being sold through Bradfords and we look forward to growing our relationship with them over the coming years.”

Scruffs latest offering includes an extended line-up of innovative work trousers which takes its range from four to seven products, with each item offering increasing levels of performance and functionality as you move upwards through the range. Existing products have been completely re-engineered and the extended range now offers a broader range of price points to cater “for all budgets and trades”.

■ For more information on Scruffs’ products and merchandising solutions, enter the shortcode www.rdr.link/ml052

www.professionalbuildersmerchant.co.uk

PBM JANUARY 2020 47

PRODUCTS & SERVICES ARISTON VELIS EVO AND VELIS EVO WI-FI Available in capacities of 45 and 80 litres, Ariston has added the Velis Evo and Velis Evo Wi-Fi to its growing range of electric storage water heaters.

With a slim twin tank design for up to 16% more hot water availability, these units are designed for a variety of uses including apartments, studios, holiday homes and glamping pods.

All units also receive a five year manufacturer’s warranty as standard, an anti-legionella function, and are further enhanced by Ariston’s ‘ECO EVO’ function — an electronic control with automatic learning software, which enables users to achieve energy savings of up to 14%. www.rdr.link/ml053

ZINSSER ALLWEATHER & ALLCOAT EXTERIOR Able to be applied in temperatures as low as -5⁰C, and claiming to be showerproof in 20 minutes, Zinsser’s AllWeather Exterior Masonry Paint and AllCoat Exterior (solvent-based) makes working outdoors in winter conditions easy.

AllWeather contains a biocide that protects the dried coating against fungal degradation and is designed to resist cracking, peeling and blistering. For other substrates, including outdoor wood, metal, masonry, plastic, concrete and cladding, AllCoat Exterior (Solvent-Based) silicon alkyd formula forms a low maintenance, water-shedding coating that is reportedly touch dry in three hours, even in low temperatures. www.rdr.link/ml054

DICKIES FLEX WORKWEAR COLLECTION Incorporating new fabric technology designed to enhance flexibility and comfort, Dickies has launched the Flex Workwear collection with two new trouser styles: Universal Flex Trouser and the Lead in Flex Trouser.

Available with or without holster pockets, the range features flex fabric panels in key places such as the back of the calves and the waistband, and features Cordura reinforcements for added durability.

The GDT Premium Trouser, a cotton-rich option in a regular fit, is also now available in a new camouflage colour variation. www.rdr.link/ml055

SALAMANDER PUMPS MAINS BOOSTER RANGE Aimed at creating a simple solution to boosting mains water pressure and flow, Salamander Pumps has announced the launch of a new mains booster range, including the CombiBoost, HomeBoost and AccuBoost.

Along with the new range, an easy-to-use product selector to has been added to the company website to further assist merchants in advising installers on specifying the right mainsbooster product. The firm has also created a range of AccuBoost training modules on its eSchool platform to help merchants learn about the installation processes of the range and how to specify the right product for the job. www.rdr.link/ml056

48 PBM JANUARY 2020

WREKIN UNITE Engineered for a long life and assured performance, the Unite series of manhole covers and gully tops from Wrekin Products now comes with a ten year guarantee. The guarantee gives merchants an additional selling point, as well as providing security and peace of mind to contractors, local authorities and utilities companies.

The range is said to be full of patented design features that combine to give the longest life of any D400 access covers and gratings on the market, according to the company.

Unite reportedly exceeds both BS EN 124:2015 and HA104/09 requirements. www.rdr.link/ml057

ABLOY PL330 PADLOCK IMPERIAL BRICKS ‘DUAL-FACED’ BURWELL GAULT BRICK Imperial Bricks has launched a second brick with its new ‘dual-faced’ finish: the Weathered Burwell Gault. A hardtextured, handmade brick with some golden buff shades and some greys, it’s traditionally seen in Cambridge, Suffolk, and other southern counties.

The finish is said to provide a smoother or ‘facing’ brick as well as a more weathered option from the same blend.

CE marked and fully frost resistant to F2 rating, the new Weathered Burwell Gault is available in traditional 68mm imperial as an alternative to hard-tosource genuine reclaims, or standard metric sizing for new builds. www.rdr.link/ml058

The PL330 padlock from Abloy is said to have achieved the highest possible rating during testing to simulate a criminal attack, making it one of the most resilient and dependable padlocks on the market, according to the company.

The padlock is protected by a hardened, free-spinning protection plate that prevents drill bits from penetrating the lock. The design also includes stainless ball bearings that lock the shackle at both ends, and a rotating disc cylinder system which is described as making it “effectively pick-proof”. www.rdr.link/ml059

KNIPEX PROTECTIVE JAW COVERS (86 09 250 V01) With a soft, smooth gripping surface, Knipex has introduced Protective Jaw Covers (86 09 250 V01) for its Optimised Pliers Wrench tool. The protective covers allow the pliers to be used on chrome where the jaws of the tool have been damaged due to improper or rough use. Damage-free gripping, holding and compressing is possible, ensuring costly callbacks or fitting replacement is therefore avoided.

Easy to attach by hand, with reliable fixing on the jaws by means of an internal latching hook, the set consists of three pairs of protective jaws, made of plastic. www.rdr.link/ml060

ROLLINS & SONS KAPRO 920 SHARK Kapro has launched the 920 Shark heavy duty cast aluminium professional level, which features two solid shockproof UV resistant acrylic vials including a Plumb Site Dual-View vial for easy reading and a horizontal vial with gradient lines up to 2% with an accuracy of 0.5mm/m.

Carrying the prestigious German VPA mark of quality, its trapezoid design is strong and durable with precision milled surface and two shock absorbing anvils.

Available in 24” and 40” lengths, the tool is appropriate for masonry work, tiling, bricklaying and other construction trades. www.rdr.link/ml061

SNICKERS ALLROUNDWORK The ALLroundWork Jackets from Snickers are said to deliver all-round performance on site with a Ripstop water-resistant outer fabric and a coated inner fabric for extra durability.

Designed for optimum comfort and flexibility when on the move, the garments are designed to focus on functionality and freedom of movement as well as using fabrics that deliver long lasting protection. There’s also a range of base- and mid-layer garments plus accessories like gloves, hats, face warmers and beanies to ensure that tradespeople stay dry and warm. www.rdr.link/ml062

www.professionalbuildersmerchant.co.uk

BOSCH PROFESSIONAL 18V SYSTEM Having added to its Professional 18V System in recent months, Bosch has an important reminder for trade professionals with a message that tool compatibility and flexible choices are the keys to working more efficiently and saving money.

Amongst the newest additions to the system is the GBH 18V-26D Professional Rotary Hammer with SDS Plus, the GSB 18V-55 Professional Combi Drill and the five 18V Bosch Professional angle grinders featuring X-LOCK. Each product can be combined with the latest ProCORE18V batteries — at 4, 8 and 12Ah capacities. www.rdr.link/ml063

PBM JANUARY 2020 49

ADVERTISEMENT INDEX

Aanco (UK) Ltd t/a Made For Trade .......page 9

Encon Insulation Ltd ............................page 21

AUTOPA Ltd .........................................page 47

Isuzu Truck (UK) Ltd .............................page 36

Blue Rock Systems Ltd ........................page 35

kbb Birmingham ...................................page 22

Border Merchant Systems Ltd .............page 29

Kronospan Ltd ........................................page 4

Bradite Paints Ltd .................................page 16

Long Rake Spar Co. Ltd .........................page 7

Breedon Group plc ...............................page 15

Merlin Business Software Ltd ..............page 35

BSW Timber Ltd .....................................page 8

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FAMILY TIES Athletic genes can run strong, and there are many examples of sporting success being kept in the family. It doesn’t take long to reel off a full squad, with the likes of the Wallace, Neville and Charlton brothers, the extended Ferdinand family, expanded dynasties like the Allens and also several father and son combos such as Peter and Kasper Schmeichel.

There’s a good few examples of bloodlines traversing different sports — Tracy Neville’s netball prowess compared well with her brothers’ careers, whilst uncle and nephew George and Ben Cohen each won the football and rugby World Cup. So far, so obvious, I hear you say. However, there are a number of rather more obscure family connections amongst some very well-known footballing faces. Did you know that Pat Nevin, the diminutive and skilful ex-Scottish international turned author, academic and superstar DJ (yes, really...), is the cousin of the rather more industrial English centre back, Terry Butcher?

Or that former Australian forward Mark Viduka and Croatia captain Luka Modric also share that same familial bond? And what about the fact that Everton’s Alex Iwobi is the nephew of seven-time Nigerian Footballer of the Year, Jay-Jay Okocha?

There are many more examples of footballers being related by marriage. Famously, Diego Maradonna was formerly Sergio Aguero’s father-in-law but our favourite tale has to be the rhyming couplet connection between Nobby Stiles and Johnny Giles. The pair became brothers-in-law when Johnny’s sister Kay married Nobby in 1963.

FINAL COUNTDOWN The FA Cup third round somewhat curtails the Premier League programme for January but there are a few intriguing ties to be found, perhaps most notably a Merseyside derby and also a rematch of the 1972 centenary final between Arsenal and Leeds.

100 years earlier, the first FA Cup final saw Wanderers beat the Royal Engineers by a single goal, with the match taking place at the Kennington Oval in front of an estimated 2,000 spectators.

The Oval — the location for 20 finals and two replays — is not the only cricket ground to have hosted the final of arguably the world’s most famous cup competition, with the 1886 replay between Blackburn Rovers and West Brom held at the County Cricket Ground in Derby.

The first 100,000+ crowd for an FA Cup final came during its years at what is now the Crystal Palace National Athletics Stadium (21 finals) for the 1901 match between Spurs and Sheffield United. The game finished 2-2, with the replay taking place at Burnden Park in Bolton. In total, some 13 different grounds have held either finals or replays, including Bramall Lane, Old Trafford and Stamford Bridge in addition to defunct venues such as the Fallowfield Stadium in Manchester (1893) and the Lillie Bridge Grounds in West London (1873).

The start of every third round match this year will be delayed by one minute to encourage fans to ‘Take A Minute’ to think about looking after their mental health, as part of the FA’s Heads Up campaign.

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