Latest news with #JohnNewcomb
South Wales Argus
12-06-2025
- Business
- South Wales Argus
Wales sees 15% rise in sales of building materials according to BMF
The Builders merchants Federation, known as the BMF, has reported that Wales saw a 15.4 per cent leap compared to the same month in 2024. The BMF's quarterly Building Materials Building Index also found Wales was leading the field for the first quarter of 2025 when compared to Q1 last year, with a jump of 5.9 per cent in sales. Drawn from 88 per cent of builders' merchants sales throughout the country, the BMBI uses point of sale tracking data to make it one of the most reliable measures of sales activity for the sector. BMF CEO John Newcomb said: 'The building materials sector is critical to the lifeblood of the Welsh economy and reflects the 'mood of the nation' – particularly around home repair, maintenance and improvement."
Business News Wales
11-06-2025
- Business
- Business News Wales
Wales Sees 15% Rise in Sales of Building Materials
Wales outperformed the rest of the UK for sales of building materials in March, with a 15.4% leap compared to the same month in 2024. Analysis from the BMF (Builders Merchants Federation), found Wales was also leading the field for the first quarter of 2025 when compared to Q1 last year, with a jump of 5.9% in sales. The BMF's quarterly Building Materials Building Index (BMBI) evaluates building materials sales on a quarterly basis and is considered to be a key bellwether for the national economic picture. BMF CEO John Newcomb said: 'The building materials sector is critical to the lifeblood of the Welsh economy and reflects the 'mood of the nation' – particularly around home repair, maintenance and improvement. 'On a national level in March, the total volume of sales was +11.2% that at the same time last year – a clear increase in demand for building materials, aided by a fall in prices of -3.6% when compared to March 2024. 'When comparing Q1 2025 to Q1 2024, total volume sales were +3.9% and prices were -2.9% down. 'With a jump of 15.4% sales in March and 5.9% in Q1, it's clear Wales is leading the field in terms of building materials sales so far in 2025.'
Scotsman
21-05-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Building materials sector in Scotland unites to lay groundwork for government housing push
A skills and recruitment drive across the multi-billion-pound building materials sector, designed to showcase opportunities in areas including Scotland, has been welcomed by Minister of State for Industry, Sarah Jones MP. Sign up to our Scotsman Money newsletter, covering all you need to know to help manage your money. Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Led by the BMF (Builders Merchants Federation) the Building Materials Careers programme aims to channel talented and ambitious people across the region into the sector. Launched early this year, the initiative centres around the message of 'Make A Material Difference' and is the culmination of more than two years of cross-industry collaboration, harnessing the power of a £51 billion sector with over 1,000 companies joining forces to tackle the recruitment challenges ahead. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Focused on attracting new skills in vital areas of the sector, the campaign, targets school leavers and trainees to attract new recruits into building materials. John Carter, CEO STARK Building Materials UK Ltd It also targets career leavers such as Armed Forces veterans, and career changers, to attract the diversity of skills needed for the future success of the sector in areas including sustainability, innovation and delivering products that can enhance productivity out on building sites. To showcase the opportunities in the sector, BMF members have shared their own experiences and career journeys on the dedicated website to provide a window on the opportunities available. The online portal also includes details of vacancies in the sector. BMF CEO John Newcomb said: 'Manufacturers, suppliers and merchants in the Scotland building materials sector need to be considered as the lifeblood of the construction industry, and our members are laying the groundwork now for the scale up required to meet Government targets. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Increased amounts of building materials from bricks and mortar to plasterboard and fixings will be needed by the construction industry if it is to meet the government's pledged 1.5 million homes.' BMF CEO John Newcomb Building Materials Careers builds on the BMF's hugely successful Apprenticeship Pledge, which set a target of securing 15,000 apprenticeship places within the sector by 2030 and exceeded that target in January - five years ahead of schedule. Minister of State for Industry Sarah Jones MP said: 'We are aware of the scale of the skills and workforce challenge in the construction sector and are working to address this across government. 'Initiatives such as 'Make a Material Difference' campaign and the BMF Apprenticeship Pledge' are helpful examples of existing industry programmes in this space, given the importance of both attracting new entrants to the sector and retaining them.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad John Carter, CEO STARK Building Materials UK Ltd, which encompasses brands including Jewson, JP Corry, Normans, Minster and Frazer, also endorsed the campaign. He said: 'Being a professional tradesperson takes a high degree of skill that is often misunderstood and overlooked when you consider a completed building project. It's important to remember they're both craftspeople and business entrepreneurs.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Wiltshire firms welcome job opportunities in building sector
A recruitment drive in the building sector has been welcomed by the Minister of State for Industry. The initiative, led by the Builders Merchants Federation (BMF), aims to attract skilled workers to the industry, including in Wiltshire. The Building Materials Careers programme, launched earlier this year, is part of a broader effort to address recruitment challenges in the sector. The initiative is part of a cross-industry collaboration involving more than 1,000 companies in the £51 billion sector. Read more: Swindon Travelodge outrage after 'stained' hotel stay The campaign aims to attract school leavers, trainees, Armed Forces veterans, and career changers to the industry. BMF members have shared their career journeys on the website to showcase the opportunities available in the sector. The website also lists current vacancies in the industry. John Newcomb, BMF CEO, said: "Manufacturers, suppliers, and merchants in Wiltshire's building materials sector need to be considered as the lifeblood of the construction industry, and our members are laying the groundwork now for the scale-up required to meet Government targets. "Increased amounts of building materials from bricks and mortar to plasterboard and fixings will be needed by the construction industry if it is to meet the government's pledged 1.5 million homes." The Building Materials Careers programme builds on the success of the BMF's Apprenticeship Pledge, which exceeded its target of securing 15,000 apprenticeship places within the sector by 2030, five years ahead of schedule. Minister of State for Industry, Sarah Jones MP, said: "We are aware of the scale of the skills and workforce challenge in the construction sector and are working to address this across government. "Initiatives such as the 'Make a Material Difference' campaign and the BMF Apprenticeship Pledge are helpful examples of existing industry programmes in this space, given the importance of both attracting new entrants to the sector and retaining them." Read more: Council housing in Swindon doesn't meet legal standards David Young, chief executive at BMF member company Bradfords, which operates across Wiltshire, said: "It is positive to see the Building Materials initiative gaining traction at the highest levels. "It was a no-brainer for Bradfords to be involved." John Carter, chief executive of STARK Building Materials UK Ltd, added: "Being a professional tradesperson takes a high degree of skill that is often misunderstood and overlooked when you consider a completed building project. "The campaign complements the work that STARK UK is doing to promote and support the many opportunities in our sector."
Scotsman
13-05-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Building materials sector in Edinburgh unites to lay groundwork for government housing push
Watch more of our videos on and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565 Visit Shots! now A skills and recruitment drive across the multi-billion-pound building materials sector, designed to showcase opportunities in areas including Edinburgh, has been welcomed by Minister of State for Industry, Sarah Jones MP. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Led by the BMF (Builders Merchants Federation) the Building Materials Careers programme aims to channel talented and ambitious people across the region into the sector. Launched early this year, the initiative centres around the message of 'Make A Material Difference' and is the culmination of more than two years of cross-industry collaboration, harnessing the power of a £51 billion sector with over 1,000 companies joining forces to tackle the recruitment challenges ahead. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Focused on attracting new skills in vital areas of the sector, the campaign, targets school leavers and trainees to attract new recruits into building materials. John Carter, CEO STARK Building Materials UK Ltd It also targets career leavers such as Armed Forces veterans, and career changers, to attract the diversity of skills needed for the future success of the sector in areas including sustainability, innovation and delivering products that can enhance productivity out on building sites. To showcase the opportunities in the sector, BMF members have shared their own experiences and career journeys on the dedicated website to provide a window on the opportunities available. The online portal also includes details of vacancies in the sector. BMF CEO John Newcomb said: 'Manufacturers, suppliers and merchants in the Edinburgh building materials sector need to be considered as the lifeblood of the construction industry, and our members are laying the groundwork now for the scale up required to meet Government targets. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Increased amounts of building materials from bricks and mortar to plasterboard and fixings will be needed by the construction industry if it is to meet the government's pledged 1.5 million homes.' John Newcomb, Builders Merchants Federation CEO Building Materials Careers builds on the BMF's hugely successful Apprenticeship Pledge, which set a target of securing 15,000 apprenticeship places within the sector by 2030 and exceeded that target in January - five years ahead of schedule. Minister of State for Industry Sarah Jones MP said: 'We are aware of the scale of the skills and workforce challenge in the construction sector and are working to address this across government. 'Initiatives such as 'Make a Material Difference' campaign and the BMF Apprenticeship Pledge' are helpful examples of existing industry programmes in this space, given the importance of both attracting new entrants to the sector and retaining them.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad John Carter, CEO STARK Building Materials UK Ltd, which encompasses brands including Jewson and Frazer, endorsed the campaign. He said: 'Being a professional tradesperson takes a high degree of skill that is often misunderstood and overlooked when you consider a completed building project. It's important to remember they're both craftspeople and business entrepreneurs. 'As a leading UK builders' merchant and distributor of materials, we play a key role in making sure customers have the range of quality products available that they need for the job and the service expertise to help them grow their businesses. 'The campaign complements the work that STARK UK is doing to promote and support the many opportunities in our sector – and what better way than hearing people's first-hand accounts of what it's like to enjoy a successful career in the trades, supporting full inclusion in construction, apprentices and former military personnel.'
