Supply Chain

A steel fabricator in Kent has become the latest construction firm to make the transition to an employee ownership trust (EOT). The move took place last Tuesday (29 October), Hythe-based Nusteel Structures Ltd announced in a LinkedIn post three days later. The firm said that becoming an EOT was necessary…

A high-profile Parliamentary committee has announced a probe into the government’s progress in remediating high-rise buildings with dangerous cladding. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said it would summon senior officials from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) and Homes England to give evidence. Its inquiry will delve…

A key steel reinforcement supplier is “considering its next steps” after ministers declined to call in a decision to redevelop its only UK production site. Steel giant ArcelorMittal, which claims to produce 30 per cent of the country’s steel reinforcement, told Construction News in May it would pull out of…

Tier one contractor Wates is setting up a new fit-out business headed by the former managing director of ISG Fit Out. Lee Phillips, ex-managing director of ISG Fit Out, will build and lead a team focusing on the London commercial fit-out and refurbishment market, Wates announced yesterday (30 October). The…

The government has announced a 1.2 percentage point rise in employers’ national insurance (NI) contributions, but has taken measures to protect small businesses from the rise. In today’s Budget, chancellor Rachel Reeves said that the employers’ NI rate will increase to 15 per cent from April next year. In addition,…

A materials shortage could stymie government plans for housing and infrastructure growth without quick action, according to the Construction Leadership Council (CLC). A statement from John Newcomb and Peter Caplehorn, co-chairs of the CLC’s Material Supply Chain Group, said that product availability was currently “good”, despite higher demand for bricks…

Ground engineering contractor Van Elle has acquired Scottish piling and drilling specialist Albion in a deal worth up to £3.5m. London Stock Exchange-listed Van Elle said the acquisition, announced today, would strengthen its presence in Scotland and extend the group’s technical capabilities. The purchase of Albion follows Van Elle’s acquisition…

Denmark-based multinational Rockwool Group has announced the acquisition of Wigan-headquartered external insulation manufacturer Wetherby Building Systems. The supplier will be renamed Wetherby Wall Systems under what Rockwool Group chief executive Jes Munk Hansen said was part of the group’s expansion in the UK market. “This acquisition underlines Rockwool’s commitment to…

Construction SMEs need to ensure they are not caught out by changes to reporting rules on leases, a tax advisory firm has warned. Firms that do not check asset values based on their end-of-year stocktake may be unaware they could be classed as larger firms and need a statutory audit,…

Workers at a construction products firm are being balloted for strike action over a “derisory” pay offer. Unite the Union has begun balloting 300 employees at five Marshalls sites across England after rejecting a £700 pay rise for all staff for 2024. According to the union, negotiations have been going…