Supply Chain

Ringfenced project bank accounts (PBAs) should be extended throughout the construction supply chain to “eliminate” payment-related mental health issues, a white paper has argued. A two-tier PBA system would offer not only financial but also psychological protection to small and medium-sized construction businesses that are the backbone of the industry,…

The UK and Welsh governments have agreed a long-term rail investment plan that includes seven new stations and a pipeline of projects estimated at up to £14bn. Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer was due to formally endorse Transport for Wales’ vision for the network today (18 February), confirming it will…

Cardo Group has acquired Scottish contractor Trident Maintenance Services as the Welsh firm continues its expansion drive across the UK. The Cardiff-based building maintenance specialist said the deal would strengthen its position in Scotland and extend its footprint in the north of England. The transaction value was not disclosed. Trident,…

The Department for Transport (DfT) has pushed back against claims that domestic steel will not be used on the £10bn Lower Thames Crossing. A spokesperson for the department said procurement for steel had not started, dismissing claims made in The Times over the weekend. The broadsheet said domestic steel manufacturers…

Liquidators for Squibb Group are still searching for £2.5m worth of plant and machinery, two years after the firm was wound up. A report from the liquidators, both from Interpath Advisory, said they had not found any more plant and machinery belonging to Squibb, a year after they first flagged…

A UK construction product manufacturer has reclaimed the right to display quality Kitemarks on 14 products, Construction News can reveal. Thomas Dudley, a £71.2m-turnover firm that supplies cast iron, plumbing, casting, utilities and drainage products, successfully acquired a new mark of quality after British Standards Institution (BSI) approval. CN reported in…

More than 100 workers have voted to strike at Severfield’s Bolton site after being denied a pay rise, trade union GMB has announced. It said that more than 90 per cent of GMB members employed as welders, platers and machine operators have backed industrial action at the company’s Lostock facility.…

A leading construction equipment firm has issued a profit warning following a “disappointingly muted January”. Vp Plc said current pressures in the construction and water sectors had hit activity volumes. It said it was aiming to cut 400 jobs through its transformation of Brandon Hire Station, which involves reducing its…

Demand remains the single biggest concern for construction product manufacturers and the primary constraint on future sales. The Construction Products Association's (CPA's) latest State of Trade Survey for Q4 2025 showed that 71 per cent of heavy side firms and 60 per cent of those on the light side expected…

A subcontractor that was owed a six-figure sum after the collapse of offsite firm Merit says it was pushed to the brink after payment dried up last year on an NHS hospital project. The firm’s director, who asked not to be named, spoke out about his experience after Construction News…