Construction Minister Lee Rowley MP has visited Lords Builders Merchants in Park Royal, West London to understand the merchant’s essential role in the supply chain, supporting the economy and keeping vital building projects on track as the industry continues to suffer supply and demand issues.
The visit was organised as part of the Builders Merchant Federation’s (BMF) industry and parliament engagement programme to highlight the vital role merchants play within the supply chain.
Discussions undertaken during the tour highlighted the challenges facing builders’ merchants, as well as initiatives Lords Builders Merchants are undertaking to reduce its carbon footprint and support its staff and customers.
Commenting on the day Jamie Herd, managing director of Lords Builders Merchants, said: “We have worked extremely hard over the last two years to maintain stock levels and pricing for our customer base. However, the disruption in the supply chain, lack of HGV drivers and price inflation continue to have a significant impact on merchanting across the board. I was pleased to have the opportunity to outline the extent of these issues and the measures we have put in place to support our customers.
“We were also proud to share details of the work we are doing in partnership with fellow BMF members Bradfords and Markovitz to develop an ESG framework that can be used by the wider industry. These include trialling renewable diesel HVO in our vehicles, moving to lithium batteries in our forklifts and the use of solar panels as we refurbish branches.”
John Newcomb, CEO of the BMF, also gave the Construction Minister an overview of how its members perform an essential function in distributing construction materials and home improvement products across the UK.
John said: “Faced with the challenges of the past two years, the construction supply chain has adopted a flexible and collaborative approach to finding solutions. This has not only helped overcome issues with product availability, it also underpins the industry’s approach to finding sustainable solutions.
“Low or zero-carbon products will be crucial in the construction and home improvement industries to drive down emissions. We were able to demonstrate that the building supply chain is the most efficient route to market for these products.”
>>Read more from the BMF here.
