Builders’ merchants merge to create 123-branch chain
Grant & Stone Group and Independent Builders Merchant Group have merged to create a 123-branch chain across southern England.
The expanded IBMG will now boast revenues of over £500m and employ over 1,700 staff.
The latest deal comes after a spate of major merger and acquisition activity in the construction distribution sector.
The expanded group now covers Cornwall to Kent and comprises builders’ merchants, electrical wholesalers, plumbers’ merchants, kitchen and bathroom showrooms, roofing merchants, a timber processing site, and a dedicated ecommerce business.
With the support and investment from their strategic partner, Cairngorm Capital, both businesses have scaled-up in recent years.
IBMG has grown from 15 branches and revenues of £67m just over three years ago to 39 branches and revenues of over £200m.
In parallel, Grant & Stone has grown from 29 branches in the Thames Valley and revenues of £100m two years ago to 84 branches between London and Cornwall, and revenues in excess of £300m.
The merger creates the largest independent builders’ merchant group in southern England.
At a group level, the new combined company will be known as Independent Builders Merchant Group although existing trading names and brands will continue to be used for all customer-facing activity.
IBMG’s 12 brands
Buildit, Chandlers Building Supplies, Chandlers Roofing, CRS Building Supplies, Devondale Electrical, Fairalls Builders Merchants, Grant & Stone, Parkers Building Supplies, RGB Building Supplies, Stamco Timber, Total Plumbing Supplies, and Trading Depot.
Nick House, Group Chief Executive of Grant & Stone, will lead the new combined IBMG business, with Peter Cudd (Group Managing Director).
Nick House, group chief executive of IBMG, said: “This merger is the natural progression for both companies. Our branch networks and product ranges are highly complementary and our values, vision and commitment to customers are completely aligned, which creates exciting opportunities for us all.”
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Manchester crane driver rescued after falling ill in cab
Emergency services rescued a tower crane driver in Manchester on Friday after the man fell ill in his cab.
The Falcon crane driver had to be lowered down in a stretcher by emergency services at the Northern Quarter site in Manchester.
The man was then quickly admitted to hospital, where he is in stable condition.
A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police said: “We were called at around 9.15am this morning (17 September) following reports that a man had fallen ill while inside a crane on Oldham Street, Manchester.
“Emergency services are attending and police are assisting with road closures.”
Four fire engines along with the Technical Response Unit was involved in the rescue operation. They used used specialist height equipment, including an open air platform and turntable ladder, to reach a 42 year old man who was then assessed by North West Ambulance Service .
A fire services spokesman said: “The man was lowered to the ground using specialist rope equipment before being conveyed to hospital by NWAS.”
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Taylor Wimpey MD joins Weston Homes
Weston Homes has appointed Peter Gore as Group Operations Director.
Gore joins from Taylor Wimpey where he has been managing director of the London region for the last three years.
He has previously worked in senior delivery and construction director roles at Barratt Homes and Mount Anvil on projects ranging from traditional housing through to complex multi-storey scheme.
Over the last five years Weston Homes has purchased land sites that will deliver £2.13bn worth of residential and mixed use development across outer London and the South East which includes 20 current active sites and over 7,500 new homes in the pipeline.
Gore said: “I am delighted to be joining the group at an exciting time of major growth and expansion. The business has a highly diverse range of developments, including a series of major landmark schemes commencing and many others in the pipeline.”
Bob Weston, Chairman and Manging Director at Weston Homes added: “Peter Gore brings with him a wealth of construction, team development and customer satisfaction experience which will be instrumental as Weston Homes undertakes the delivery of our sizable portfolio of developments, as we work to meet the rising demand for housing in London and the South East.”
Bourne hires new engineering director
Steelwork specialist Bourne Group has appointed Denis McNelis as group engineering director to spread its reach into new projects.
Before joining Bourne, McNelis operated at a director and technical engineering manager level on significant projects across the United Kingdom, Ireland, and the UAE.
With over 16 years of experience working in design consultancy and a further 17 years in construction, he has worked on projects ranging from sports stadiums to bridges, to large scale industrial buildings and refurbishment projects including his two most recent projects, the new Abu Dhabi Airport Midfield Terminal and the iconic Museum of the Future in Dubai.
Denis brings a passion for construction across all forms of projects, while leveraging his strength in design and BIM.
Steve Govier, CEO for Bourne Group, said: “Denis has built a well-earned reputation and his appointment is aimed at ensuring that all of the Bourne Group companies remain at the forefront of the latest engineering and technology practices and are well placed to support future growth and diversification into new products and markets.”
McNelis said: “I am looking forward to working with the very experienced team at Bourne, to help expand the areas of work that the Bourne Group operates within
HSE shuts M6 job after excavator topples into trench
Health and Safety Executive investigators have shut down a section of the M6 smart motorway widening after a 13 tonne excavator was upended in the central reservation last Friday.
The excavator operator is understood to have escaped without injury but shaken after his machine toppled backwards into a central reservation drainage trench on the Costain project just north of junction 21A.
Thomas Plant had the short radius excavator on hire, which was being used by Manchester drainage contractor SGC Civil Engineering for drainage works in the central reservation area.
HSE inspectors are now understood to have shut the site down for the rest of this week to carry out an investigation into the incident.
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Fire hits £120m Tolent Milburngate site
Firefighters battled a blaze on Wednesday afternoon at the £120m Milburngate development in Durham being built by Tolent.
County Durham & Darlington Fire & Rescue said the blaze broke out in a cavity wall.
Eight crews tackled the blaze which also led to nearby road closures in the city centre throughout the day.
Tolent is delivering the first phase of the mixed-use development where the structural steel frame reached completion in March.
The contractor said the site was safely evacuated.
Andy Mills, 49, a curtain wall installer who had been working on the site told the Sunderland Echo: “All of a suden it just went ‘whoosh’ with massive black clouds of smoke. We were on the third floor, the alarm had been sounded by then so we ran out to get to the muster point.
“It happened so quickly, it was unreal. I’ve never seen anything like it how fast it went up, really fast. We couldn’t breathe when running down the stairs and had to cover our faces. Luckily enough everyone I know got out safely.”
Phase One of the scheme is due for completion in the first quarter of 2022.
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BAM Nuttall chief to exit after 16 months in role
Adrian Savory, BAM Nuttall’s chief executive, is stepping down at the end of the month to pursue other opportunities outside of the business.Savory spent just 14 months in the top job after around 26 years with BAM Nuttall.For the time being he is to be replaced by Ian Parish, managing director of Major Projects, who takes the role of interim MD.
Savory (left) moves on after 26 years at Nuttall with Ian Parish taking up interim role as MD
Ruud Joosten, CEO of Royal BAM Group, said: ‘We would like to thank Adrian Savory for his service and commitment to BAM over the last 26 years.
“He has held various roles in the company during this time and contributed to its success and growth. We wish him every success in his future career.”
Management team from October
Ian Parish (Interim Managing Director); Martin Bellamy (Managing Director, Regions); Alan Cox (Managing Director, Transport); Ian Phillpot (Finance Director); Richard Reddell (Commercial Director); Richard Lewis (People and Performance Director) and David McGowan (Business Excellence Director).
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Vac UK unveils “Ferrari of the vacuum excavation world”
Specialist Vac UK has unveiled the latest Longo Rhino Vacuum Excavator with the new additions to its fleet currently being rolled out on sites across the country.
The machines are the most powerful twin fan suction excavator on the market producing a flow rate of 45,000 m³/h and a vacuum up to 600 mbar. Each is equipped with the latest features including 360 degree cameras, mega power arms and vibrating skips.
Vac UK secured the exclusive rights to distribute specialist Italian manufacturer Longo in the UK and Ireland this year.
Patrick Curran, Vac UK director, said: “The additional power is a key factor adding to the versatility of the Longo.
“When it is used, vac ex already offers a safer, more sustainable, cost-effective alternative to traditional excavation methods. The increased power only adds to the breadth of applications.
“We are seeing very strong demand from our customer base across major civil engineering, utilities and construction companies and from the public sector. Quite rightly, their expectation is for top class kit, great reliability and value for money and the Longo is consistently delivering.
“At Vac UK we have a set out a clear policy of making available for hire and sale only the most high tech and best quality vac ex machines. To that end, and in response to demand, we have a further 15 machines on order.
“These machines have been described as the Ferraris of vacuum excavation. In fact, the connection with the famous Italian brand runs deeper still: the Longo is used to clear Ferrari’s test tracks at its Modena factory.”
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Createmaster launches Fire and Emergency File
Software specialist Createmaster has launched its latest service extension in response to the introduction of new Building Safety legislation.
The Fire and Emergency File (FEF) provides specific compliance for all buildings designated Higher-Risk Residential Buildings (HRRBs) over 18 meters in height or containing more than six storeys for the new information required to be available between Gateways 2/3.
Gateways 2 and 3 are the main risk transfer points, where responsibility for the new building is passed to the owner/occupier after the construction phase.
The FEF is a structured digital template which enhances Createmaster’s existing online platform by enabling the creation of a complete, accurate and reliable as-built record of fire safety and other emergency systems installed for HRRBs.
To be completed ahead of gateway 3, it is subsequently passed, along with the O&Ms, to the end client at Practical Completion.
The FEF has been developed in collaboration with leading housing association clients and industry consultants, and according to the best practice policy guidance, embodied in the new Building Safety Regulations.
Fundamentally, the Createmaster FEF service solution simplifies the provision of crucial fire safety information, supplementing the requirements of existing Reg 38, the updated Fire Safety Act and the Building Safety Bill (BSB).
Createmaster’s FEFs supports the collation of a critical information bank, which ensures anyone carrying out design, construction or refurbishment work on a building has a complete and accurate record of the fire strategy and systems for the building and its residents.
Importantly, FEFs provide the future building owner and manager with the base construction information to help them understand what protective systems are in use in the building. This will enable them to formulate the “in-use” operation, maintenance & emergency procedures necessary to create a safe environment for all.
In the wake of the Fire Safety Act and the newly introduced Gateways, FEFs will be a required Gateway 3 item for all HRRBs, and one of the core information deliverables of the future Building Safety Case.
Createmaster Managing Director Brian Dodsworth said: “We’ve responded to a number of asset owners and managers who are committed to having accurate and complete records of the systems within their buildings.
“Our new FEF extension is designed to help seamlessly manage the process, ensuring the right data is collected and shared at the relevant time. Our team has built a service based on extensive research and development to ensure no stone is left unturned, assuring asset owners that they receive full fire and emergency information at handover.
“Our clients understand the supply chain challenges they face, and require a solution provider which can reliably tackle these head-on. This leads them to work with Createmaster to ensure this vital information is available at handover.”
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Regal London to build 25-storey tower on Watford site
Residential-led mixed-use developer Regal London has acquired a site in Watford for a £150m new scheme.
The site at 37-39 Clarendon Road has planning permission for 168 homes and substantial grade A office space with ancillary café and gymnasium.
Enabling works have started on the site which will be transformed into a 25-storey resi towers and 150,000 sq ft of office space by the end of 2024.
Regal will also be acting as main contractor on the job.
Up to 380 full time jobs will be supported during the construction phase of the project including 120 training opportunities on-site through the Regal London Real Estate Academy in partnership with charity Building Heroes, which provides skilled training to military veterans and members of local disadvantaged groups.
Paul Eden, Co-Founder of Regal London, commented: “This acquisition comes during a particularly active period for Regal London, which has seen us secure new sites and planning permissions across the city that complement our strategic growth ambitions whilst creating substantial social and economic benefits to the surrounding area, including hundreds of jobs.
“We’re looking forward to bringing our mixed-use expertise to a fantastic part of Greater London with this project, supplying 168 new homes and grade A office space at a time when many businesses and workers are reassessing their office needs and increasingly looking to convenient, exciting areas beyond the city centre.”
