Supply Chain

A new company sits atop the envelope contractor table for the first time since 2018. London-based Stanmore’s sharp revenue growth, from £96.1m to £142.9m, sees it overtake Permasteelisa, which itself achieved a 12 per cent turnover rise. Stanmore’s accounts attribute its rapid growth to a relaxation of Covid restrictions, the…

The UK’s 10 largest demolition firms bounced back from the impact of the pandemic. Following a 5 per cent drop in turnover in the 2021 Specialists Index and a flat performance last year, the sector’s big names posted a combined 11 per cent hike this year. National Federation of Demolition…

By Keith Cooper The leading concrete specialists improved their aggregate financial performance, although inflation hit profits and margins. Three of the top 10 firms posted losses, in contrast with the previous year, which saw only one firm in the red. Third-placed PJ Carey’s £48.1m deficit was the biggest by far,…

Industry body Constructing Excellence and King’s College London have launched an independent voluntary verification scheme for construction-procurement quality. The Constructing the Gold Standard verification scheme will check claims made by framework providers and clients who procure their own frameworks and alliances, with an emphasis on better value and net zero.…

An ongoing drop in sales of mineral products underlines the scale of the challenges facing construction, a sector body has warned, adding that weak demand is likely to persist in 2024. In the third quarter (Q3) of 2023, there were “notable declines” in demand for ready-mixed concrete (15 per cent)…

The prices of most construction products are “softening” amid falling activity, according to the Construction Leadership Council (CLC). In a statement, the co-chairs of the CLC’s product availability working group said there was “good availability across all products and regions, similar to pre-pandemic levels”. But John Newcomb and Peter Caplehorn,…

Two demolition contractors fined £22m in the sector’s cover-bidding scandal are set for an April tribunal showdown with competition regulators. In March, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) fined Keltbray, Squibb Group and eight other firms, after finding they had colluded on prices through illegal cartel agreements when submitting bids in…

A facade specialist has been fined £240,000 after leaving combustible cladding that it was removing from a building on residents’ balconies. According to a statement from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the incident took place at the eight-storey The Circle apartment block in central Liverpool, where Green Facades was…

Tarmac boosted its UK revenue and underlying profitability last year through measures including price increases, its latest accounts show. The company, which quarries aggregates, manufactures concrete and has contracting subsidiaries, saw revenue rise from £1.81bn to £2bn, according to accounts for the year ending 31 December 2022. Tarmac’s pre-tax profit…

The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and the European Commission (EC) have launched coordinated investigations into suspected anticompetitive practices in the supply of chemicals to the construction industry. The investigations relate to chemical admixtures and additives for concrete, mortar and cement. Two firms have so far confirmed they are…