BDC Magazine - Wolseley Supplement - April 2011

THE NAME THE WORLD BUILDS ON REPRINTED FROM BUILDING DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION MAGAZINE

WOLSELEY UK LTD

THE NAME THE WORLD BUILDS ON

Wolseley UK is the UK operating company of Wolseley plc, the world’s number one distributor of heating and plumbing products and a leading supplier of builders’ products to the professional market

WOLSELEY UK LTD

olseley UK Ltd is the UK operating subsidiary of Wolseley PLC, which is one of the largest distributors of building products in the world. Wolseley UK's head office is at Leamington Spa in Warwickshire. The company is wholly engaged in the distribution of construction products and materials through a nationwide branch network.

The company is organised into trading brands, which service distinct customer groups. Many of these brands are market leaders with outstanding reputations for supplying professionals in the construction market. Names such as Plumb Center, Build Center, Parts Center, Electric Center, Pipe Center, Drain Center, Climate Center, Encon, William Wilson and Brandon Hire are widely recognised throughout the industry.

Wolseley UK provides a daily delivery service to branches from three massive regional distribution centres situated at Ripon, Worcester and Milton Keynes - backed by a national distribution centre at Leamington Spa. The company uses its own fleet of specially designed commercial vehicles. Branchbased vehicles then complete the 'Hub and Spoke' network

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by satisfying local accounts. The Wolseley UK commercial fleet boasts more than 2,600 vehicles, making it one of the biggest in the UK. The company has invested heavily into information technology. All Wolseley UK branches have been networked to mainframe central computers for over 15 years and the company has eight fully transactional websites. Continuing investment in the latest supply chain software maintains high levels of efficiency whilst minimising costs. Wolseley UK also invests heavily in people. There is a company-wide training structure and a policy of promoting from within wherever possible. All employees are encouraged to develop core and associated skills utilising internal and external resources.

THE PIPE CENTRE The Pipe Center is one of the UK’s leading suppliers of heating, pipe and related products to the commercial and industrial building services industry. With an unrivalled product range, extensive branch network and expert technical support, it provides an outstanding service to contractors across the UK.

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It holds comprehensive stocks of well-known and high quality own-brand products, including boilers, water heaters, radiators, pumps and commercial showers. It also stocks one of the widest ranges of pipes, fittings and valves.

The added value services include Modular Engineering, bespoke valve solutions, prefabricated pipework and tailor-made air conditioning and refrigeration. They provide a unique additional service enabling contractors to deliver exceptional quality and value for their own customers.

With more than 80 locations across the country, Pipe Center is one of the UK’s leading suppliers of specialist heating, pipe and related components to the commercial and industrial building services contracting industry.

The centre’s comprehensive stocks include industry-leading brands plus its own highly regarded own-brand ranges. The offering covers boilers, water heaters, radiators, pumps and commercial showers. It also stocks one of the widest ranges available of pipes, fittings and valves.

In addition to an extensive branch network and comprehensive product offering, it prides itself in the expertise and knowledge of its staff.

Throughout the business, from branch level to national accounts, its experienced people provide outstanding support and technical backup to customers. This embraces technical advice, estimating support, export and distribution services, fabrication, offsite modular solutions and design and build for bespoke cooling solutions.

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MODULAR ENGINEERING Pipe Center’s award-winning Modular Engineering service gives clients a decisive advantage in today’s competitive marketplace. Offsite modular engineering involves the creation in pristine factory conditions of multi-service modules, containing all the services needed for a building. The work is carried out in a state-of-the-art, 30,000 sq ft factory in Worcester, equipped with the latest systems and staffed by our expert and fully trained workforce.

Modular offsite assembly is proven to: • Reduce costs by up to 30 per cent • Cut materials wastage to virtually zero • Deliver pre-tested, proven solutions to site on time – every time.

Conventional, building services pipe work and electrical systems are installed individually on-site, using several trades. This requires working in building site conditions, with the inevitable pressures and limitations involved.

Given skills shortages, tough health and safety laws and daily management issues, no one should be surprised that the end result often falls short of the mark – on quality, reliability and client satisfaction.

The bottom line is that onsite installation is an extremely inefficient and expensive method of delivering the top quality, cost-effective services

demanded by clients for today’s high-tech buildings.

Offsite modular engineering solves the problem by assembling all the services required for even the most complex buildings in modular units in a purpose-built workshop facility. The modules include all full rage of piped systems and materials – including: • Domestic Hot and cold water; • Chilled Water; • Heating; • Electrical; • Air conditioning and refrigeration; • Data and security trunking.

Multi-service modules are designed to the mm to fit the building. Once assembled, pipe work and electrics are pre-tested, then modules are transported to site, located in position and simply connected up.

The savings in terms of cost, time and skilled manpower are dramatic and proven.

BENEFITS Modular offsite engineering delivers major benefits, it will: • Cut costs by up to 30 per cent, making customers more competitive and enabling them to win more work. It also gives them cost certainty, with no hidden surprises.

• Save time by reducing time on site from weeks to days, freeing up expensive labour for productive work on other projects – improving profits.

• Overcomes skills shortages by using less technical trades for onsite installation, as the specialist work has already been done.

• Deliver on time, every time: customers are no longer subject to the vagaries of site conditions, or at the mercy of multiple suppliers or the workforce. Delivery is guaranteed on time, every time –

WOLSELEY UK LTD eliminating the risk of penalties and enhancing customer’s reputations.

• Simplify management: With a single supplier rather than a dozen or more, and just one invoice, customers are freed up to do what they do best HOW IT WORKS The Pipe Centre works with the customer to design a complete building services solution for their project. This includes creation of state-of-the-art drawings, showing in photographic detail all components required.

Once the design is agreed, it is automatically split into modular units that can be manufactured offsite at our facility with great accuracy. Components and materials are automatically selected – eliminating waste and further reducing cost.

Then the modules are assembled in a state-ofthe-art 30,000 sq ft facility in Worcester. Skilled workers assemble all pipe work and M&E services – including electrical, plumbing, heating and cooling supply services – into the pre-designed modules.

All services on completed modules are factorytested to ensure they work and are completely leaktight. Finished modules are finally delivered to site, located in position – and simply connected up.

AWARD WINNER Pipe Center’s pioneering approach to offsite modular building services solutions has won a major national award for innovation in construction. It received the award for Best Product or System in the Offsite Construction Awards 2009, held alongside Interbuild at the NEC. THE BUILD CENTRE Part of the Wolseley group, Build Center is a leading national Builder's merchant supplying building materials and services to the trade. The Build Center branch network also includes specialist branches in Timber, Ironmongery, Landscaping and Glass.

In addition to the standard building materials it offers a range of sustainable building materials, plus a dedicated website for its Sustainable Building Center.

PRODUCT CARE One example of how Wolseley monitors its product quality is by collating product information via the web. A web-based system involves Wolseley’s timber suppliers uploading information about all of the products they supply to the company, including providing evidence of legality and sustainability, to measure compliance with Wolseley’s Global Timber Policy.

Track Record – an independent, data management and assessment company – supports the suppliers in delivering the data, then verifies the information and evidence to risk assess and ‘score’ each item – enabling the identification and ultimate elimination of ‘high risk’ products from Wolseley’s supply chain. Any new timber suppliers must also complete the assessment in order to be considered by the company.

Jermain Cheetham, Wolseley’s timber and sustainable product policy manager – UK & Europe, said: “It is likely that legislation will be passed within the next two years which stipulates that all timber imported into the EU is from a legal source. We are taking the lead by proactively working with suppliers in the responsible sourcing of timber, to remove the risk for our customers, as well as providing access to a wide range of products from certified, well-managed forests.”

ELECTRONIC TRANSACTIONS Customers can order online through the Build Center’s transactional website. When customers order online they can: • Track order progress • Check stock availability • Download personal terms • Check outstanding invoices • View special offers • Access technical information ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT SERVICES For larger customers with an account manager various electronic payment options are available.

• E-Billing – eliminate paper trails and replace with PDF invoices or a CSV file. To access this feature • Consolidated invoices – for customers who trade across a number of Wolseley businesses, consolidated invoices enable customers to track your spend across the Wolseley group EDI and XML transactional ability • Handheld devices – working in conjunction with O2 and leading software providers this can customers manage their field based staff with the use of PDAs • Intergrated purchasing systems – for larger national housebuilders and contractors more comprehensive systems can be implemented.

Wolseley is a partner with COINS and many of our customers trade with us through this system CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY Wolseley UK, part of Wolseley plc, has always recognised the importance of growing its business in a responsible way, addressing the issues of sustainability where practicable to do so. Sustainability is a key issue which has moved up the agenda in recent years. There is a broad based consensus in government and business that striving for sustainability is critically important for society.

Wolseley UK has chosen to adopt the banner of Corporate Responsibility (CR) to cover the wide range of activities entailed in operating a sustainable business. These include: • Ensuring that it offers customers timber products from verified sources, through a chain of custody scheme • Having its environmental management activity verified through ISO 14001 certification • Leading the industry in the field of sustainable transport

WOLSELEY UK LTD

WOLSELEY UK LTD

WOLSELEY UK LTD

WOLSELEY UK LTD

• Creating the innovative Sustainable Building Center at Leamington Spa • Implementing award-winning health and safety initiatives • Creating a robust and responsive corporate responsibility management structure • Promoting the highest standards of fleet safety among its commercial vehicle and car drivers • Recycling an increasing proportion of the waste it produces in the course of its operations • Encouraging staff to become involved in voluntary and charitable activities Wolseley plc is a member of the UK’s FTSE4Good Index. The FTSE4Good Index is designed to measure the performance of companies that meet globally recognised corporate responsibility standards and to facilitate investment in those companies where CR issues are an influencing factor in the investor's decision making process.

THE ENVIRONMENT With a fleet of around 5,000 vehicles, of which 2,600 are commercial vehicles, Wolseley has been seeking to reduce the mileage run by both commercial vehicles and company cars, and have this mileage run by the most efficient vehicles.

The roll out of Wolseley UK’s Transport Management System, has allowed branches to minimise the mileage run of our own fleet. More than 400 branches now have access to these systems. Branches have been grouped into ‘clusters’ within the Plumb Center and Build Center brands to minimise the resources used across a number of branches. The core

ADVERTORIAL

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT NOx NOx emissions are the latest regulatory hurdle for boilers which installers must understand as they go about their work. Martyn Bridges, Director of Marketing and Technical Support at Worcester, offers a brief guide.

Nitrogen oxides (NOx) released from the burning of fossil fuels are a relatively new issue for the UK’s heating industry, but one which is going to grow in importance over the years to come. Up to now our attempts to control the environmental impact of domestic heating systems has been concentrated upon limiting CO2 emissions, but increasingly attention is turning to NOx. The key point to remember is that NOx has nothing to do with efficiency.

Only CO2 output is really efficiency related, NOx is merely a measurement of exhaust gases. In fact, it is perfectly possible to have a relatively inefficient or non-condensing boiler with very low NOx emissions and vice versa.

One of the absurdities of the current situation is that with domestic condensing boilers there are no boilers on the UK market that really emit or create high levels of NOx emissions.

With standard efficiency boilers and the prevalence of atmospheric burners higher NOx levels were quite common.

The fact of the matter is that pre-mix burners, which have been a key component for condensing boilers since the change in the Building Regulations in 2005, are capable of lower NOx emissions than the older standard efficiency boiler.

So why is NOx suddenly back on the radar? Essentially, because emissions are an essential part of the technical guide for the Code for Sustainable Homes, which has deliberately started to bring into play other factors, such as emissions, which affect the environment.

The Code works by allocating a certain amount of points for each environmental innovation and the more points you get the higher level of

Code you get. Historically, NOx emissions have been split into five categories, however in recent years, within the code level 5 has been split to introduce a new lower level of 40mg/per kW hour which within the code rewards the property or design with two points rather than one.

At the moment, due to the Code, the NOx emissions issue really only affects new-build properties, but generally what starts in new-build starts sometimes starts to be taken up by existing housing stock along the way, particularly in light of the EuP Directive which includes NOx standards.

It is likely that the EuP Directive will now put a requirement for lower NOx emission boilers to be introduced from its start date. This is likely to come in various stages with the most stringent standards being put in place from 2015 onwards. These standards are likely to demand that a gas-fired boiler will need to achieve 35mg/per kW hour, and below. If this is introduced it will therefore affect both existing properties and new build.

How does the UK compare to the European market? Presently like the

majority of Europe there are no real minimum levels required other than the already mentioned Code for Sustainable Homes. It must also be remembered that we also buy a lot of boilers for such a relatively small country. The UK is the biggest condensing boiler market in Europe and at one point we were selling more than the rest of Europe put together because we live in individual properties. As a result, we may be a small island, but we have more properties and more emissions.

It is important to remember that oil-fired boilers have different NOx emissions levels to gas-fired boilers.

The oil-fired boiler emissions levels are quite high compared to gas, with an anticipated 120mg/per kW hour to be the level set by the EuP Directive. This will be a tough target to meet but it is more achievable than the original “draft” target of 35mg/per kW. Therefore by 2015 it is likely that all oil-fired boilers will need to be lower NOx versions.

How important is all this for the UK installer base? Currently it’s not that important as installers are unlikely to find homeowners questioning them on the NOx emissions of individual boiler types. However, the key issue is that from 2015 installers won’t be able to fit a higher NOx specification boiler.

Everything will have to be at the levels set by the EuP.

Willoughby Public Relations 43 Calthorpe Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 1TS Tel: 0121 456 3004 Fax: 0121 456 9300

WOLSELEY UK LTD Center brands have reduced fuel usage by a further 5% during the half year. The overall commercial fleet has reduced by more than 300 vehicles. Transport planning has also started to reduce mileage in the BCG and Encon businesses in addition to the core Center Brands. Reductions in delivery frequency to branches has reduced the mileage driven by the distribution centre fleet, taking 20 older vehicles off the road, and increasing overall vehicle fill.

Using its primary distribution fleet to collect from suppliers has been an important initiative that has been established for several years. Recent activity has been static, with around 45% of all inbound vehicles carrying supplier material, however there has been an increase in the volume of waste materials hauled back from branches to distribution centres for processing.

WASTE AND RECYCLING Wolseley UK is currently progressing with its waste minimisation and recycling programme, with the aim of reducing the quantity of waste sent to landfill each year, increasing recycling levels and optimising product packaging.

Greenstar is one of the UK’s largest recycling-led waste management companies, with a service covering the whole of the UK. It also owns a number of recycling plants. Greenstar is working with Wolseley UK to implement improvements in recycling and to reduce waste to landfill by introducing ‘fit for purpose’ waste storage facilities such as skips, wheelie bins and rear end loader bins to collect specific waste streams. The waste collection schedules have also been adapted to suit a specific site’s requirements, with an ad hoc service available if necessary.

Currently, Wolseley UK has the capability to measure waste to landfill. www.wolseley.co.uk

WOLSELEY UK LTD

WOLSELEY UK LTD

WOLSELEY UK LTD

A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE The Wolseley Sustainable Building Center (SBC) in Leamington Spa is the UK’s first commercial showcase for sustainable building products and construction methods

pen since April 2008, the Wolseley Sustainable Building Center (SBC) is the UK’s first commercial showcase for sustainable building products and construction methods. The £3.2m development at Leamington Spa in Warwickshire clearly sets out Wolseley UK’s commitment to the sustainable construction practices of the future. It also recognises the significant commercial potential of this market, especially as legislation will increasingly require new developments to be environmentally low impact.

“Like all things commercial it comes with a business case which is why an investment of £3.2m was a sensible and profitable thing to do,” says Tim Pollard, Head of Sustainability at Wolseley UK. In Wolseley’s case the logic was particularly clear given that one of its principle revenue earners is commercial and domestic heating products, a

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market which the company always aims to lead.

In addition to heating, the SBC offers a unique opportunity for customers to learn about some 7000 sustainable, energy-efficient and recycled building products, with 170 of these built into the building’s fabric and operations. With a broad customer base taking in developers, architects and builders, interest in the SBC has hugely exceeded expectations and last summer the centre welcomed its 10,000th visitor.

“The SBC is a genuinely unique experience as nowhere else in UK can you see this breadth of products from drainage through to roof skin and all points in between, and all working too - so we call it a showcase rather than a showroom,” says Tim. But significantly the visitor figures have translated into dynamic sales figures, especially for renewables, as available through Wolseley UK’s 1,300 branch network throughout the UK.

WOLSELEY UK LTD LEGISLATION With the new coalition government proclaiming that it will be the greenest yet, clearly the appearance of the SBC is timely and legislation in the years ahead will undoubtedly serve only to further encourage sustainability in the construction sector.

Of key importance is the Code for Sustainable Homes which is increasing its requirements for standards in sustainable construction so that all new homes will be have to be built to code level 6 by 2016. As a result, developers and builders with foresight are now beginning to negotiate a whole new arena of sustainable products and practices.

“Most people now understand we’ll have to see some very distinct changes in practice and procurement in order to achieve those standards,” says Tim. “A lot of house builders are already looking to achieve relatively high levels of the code – code 4 becoming quite common place – and I’m sure we’ll see further increases on that in next 12 months.”

The SBC success story is further supported by legislation such as the Feed in Tariff which has proved “transformational in terms of photo-voltaics” and the soon-to-be introduced Renewable Heat Incentive.

CLIENTS With the landscape changing so dramatically and rapidly in construction products and techniques, Tim’s role includes a significant element of consultation with clients in order to advise what can be achieved.

“I do a lot of work with clients and prospective clients to realise the goals they might have – it’s an area where people enjoy some help because this is still an emerging issue,” he says. “Our reach is across the construction industry from the largest to the smallest, including those who might be asked to do things they’re not familiar with, so it’s about helping them to understand what’s practical and possible.”

While sales of renewables for the new-build sector have (plural – relates to the sales) proved to be the most dynamic in terms of growth, there is also the huge potential presented by the retro-fit market with power saving lighting and insulation products very significant in sales terms for Wolseley.

Another growing area is recycled products, which is now a measured KPI within some developments. “The supply chain of recovering material has become incrementally better over the last couple of years,” says Tim, “with a much greater desire to try to recover from landfill wherever practical and economic.”

And he is keen to point out that products and technologies on view in the Sustainable Building Center are not limited in supply or in any way on the fringe. “They all have to be available in commercial quantities and on commercial timescales.”

SUPPLIERS As the market for sustainable construction products has grown, the supply chain has also evolved to meet demand, so that many of the major suppliers are now in on the act where previously it was the domain of smaller operators working to a niche market.

“The biggest change is that sustainability has become mainstream – an issue which is driving investment decisions at every level,” says Tim. “Before you may have found it at smaller suppliers but now most of the big

GROUND SOURCE HEAT PUMP Ground source heat pumps (GSHP) transfer heat from the ground into a building to provide space heating and, in some cases, to pre-heat domestic hot water.

For every unit of electricity used to pump the heat, 3-4 units of heat are produced. As well as ground source heat pumps, air source and water source heat pumps are also available.

There are three important elements to a GSHP: • The ground loop. This is comprised of lengths of pipe buried in the ground, either in a borehole or a horizontal trench. The pipe is usually a closed circuit and is filled with a mixture of water and antifreeze, which is pumped round the pipe absorbing heat from the ground.

• A heat pump. This has three main parts: The evaporator – usually a ground loop, takes the heat from the ground with the use of refrigerants.

The compressor – moves the refrigerant round the heat pump and compresses the gaseous refrigerant to the temperature needed for the heat distribution circuit.

Heat exchanger – the refrigerant gives up heat to a hot water tank which feeds the distribution system.

• Heat distribution system. Consisting of under floor heating or radiators for space heating and in some cases water storage for hot water supply.

WOLSELEY UK LTD

PHOTOVOLTAICS Solar PV (Photovoltaic) uses energy from the sun to create electricity to run appliances and lighting. PV requires only daylight - not direct sunlight – to generate electricity. Photovoltaic systems use cells to convert solar radiation into electricity. The PV cell consists of one or two layers of a semi-conducting material, usually silicon. When light shines on the cell it creates an electric field across the layers, causing electricity to flow. The greater the intensity of the light, the greater the flow of electricity.

BENEFITS • Energy saving, environmentally friendly, free solar electricity.

• High efficiency polycrystalline PV modules.

• Minimal maintenance.

• PV modules use daylight to generate electricity, so the system will work all year around, even on cloudy days.

• Installation is quick and easy to integrate with most domestic households.

• Government grants and TAX relief available.

• Various module mounting systems available including on-roof, in-roof, flat-roof and façade kits both landscape and portrait.

PV systems generate no greenhouse gases, saving approximately 1.2 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year – adding up to about 30 tonnes over a system’s lifetime - for each kilowatt peak (kWp – PV cells are referred to in terms of the amount of energy they generate in full sun light).

SOLAR WATER HEATING Solar water heating systems use heat from the sun to work alongside conventional water heater. The technology is well developed with a large choice of equipment to suit many applications.

There are two types of solar collectors: flat plate and evacuated tube. The difference between the two technologies is minimal with the more expensive evacuated tube being around 10% more efficient than the flat plate collectors.

BENEFITS • Reduces impact on the environment – the average domestic system reduces carbon dioxide emissions by around 325kg per year when replacing gas water heating, this will be higher when replacing other fuels replaced.

• A solar thermal system can provide around one third of a homes annual hot water needs.

• Different types of system.

The specific needs of the customer will depend on a range of factors, including the area of south facing roof, the existing water heating system (e.g. some combi boilers aren’t suitable) and budget.

Requirements should be discussed with a competent professional installer who will assess the best configuration.

“OUR REACH IS ACROSS THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY FROM THE LARGEST TO THE SMALLEST, INCLUDING THOSE WHO MIGHT BE ASKED TO DO THINGS THEY’RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH, SO IT’S ABOUT HELPING THEM TO UNDERSTAND WHAT’S PRACTICAL AND POSSIBLE.” TIM POLLARD HEAD OF SUSTAINABILITY

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players are investing very heavily in sustainable products, so for instance, all the principle boiler manufactures have a complete range of renewables.”

Tim adds: “We’re also seeing certified timber becoming a standard which is being applied very widely, as well as an extensive range of water efficient products, so I’d say there are still some innovative people leading the way but most of the principle manufacturers have a much better understanding and a much better product range.”

COMMERCIAL SUCCESS While it’s the first of its kind, initiatives like the SBC will undoubtedly become more common as the construction sector moves inevitably towards low carbon development, as encouraged by further government legislation.

“Sustainable construction is not a fashion, it’s independent of economics and something we will have to address and will become ever more important with time,” says Tim. “The clock is running and those who are smart are now making sure that they’ve got their house in order, with big business now taking an interest and investing heavily in sustainability in order to be commercially successful.”

Wolseley Sustainable Building Center Web: www.wolseleysbc.co.uk Tel: 0870 0566 778

WOLSELEY UK LTD

Crown Timber was established in 1983 and operates as a leading just-in-time distributor of strength graded softwood and engineered wood products to the timber and builders merchant sector, as well as to the roof truss and timber frame manufacturing industries.

All of our softwood is purchased directly from our supply partners in Sweden, Finland and Germany, kiln dried, strength graded, packaged to length and wrapped five sides. Our material is shipped into our Distribution Terminals at New Holland on the Humber, Dundee in Scotland, Sheerness in Kent and Wicklow in the Republic of Ireland.

1 Wilkinson Road, Love Lane Industrial Estate Cirencester, Glos. GL7 1WH Tel: 01285 646000 Fax: 01285 646020 Email: orders@crown-timber.co.uk Web: www.crown-timber.co.uk

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