Supply Chain

Workers employed by Bear Scotland to maintain trunk roads including the A9 have secured a union recognition agreement and a pay increase of up to 7.25 per cent, following a dispute over pay. Trade union Unite confirmed yesterday (27 October) that its members based in Inverness had voted for industrial…

Construction industry bodies have delivered contrasting views on the future of retentions, as the government’s consultation on late payments closed on 23 October. The consultation – part of Labour’s pledge to deliver the “toughest late payment laws in the G7” – sets out proposals that ministers describe as the most…

A London-based concrete specialist has attributed a 41 per cent drop in pre-tax profit to rising costs and delays related to building safety legislation. Modebest, which specialises in groundworks and reinforced concrete frames, reported a pre-tax profit of £870,670 in the year to 31 January 2025, compared with £1.4m the…

Groundworks and concrete specialist Oliver Connell has reported a rise in annual profit and turnover after continuing to shift its strategic focus beyond the struggling London residential sector to include regional markets and infrastructure. The firm reported a pre-tax profit of £22.6m in the year to 30 June 2025, up…

The government has abandoned plans to mandate forensic marking of power tools and compulsory fitting of immobilisers to machinery, following widespread concerns from manufacturers and retailers. The news came in a formal response to a Home Office consultation on equipment theft, released on Friday. Proposals to extend the scope of…

LHC Procurement Group (LHCPG) has appointed 54 contractors to its £285m Roofing Systems and Associated Works framework. The RS5 framework, which replaces RS4, will run until October 2029 and is open to public sector clients in England, Scotland and Wales. It supports new-build and retrofit projects, and includes emergency repair…

The building engineering sector should do more to ensure higher standards of competence and integrity, the chief executive of its industry body has said. Opening the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) annual conference in London this morning (16 October), David Frise called on members to lead a cultural reset across…

The new managing director of the Considerate Constructors Scheme (CCS) has called for applications from prospective monitors and set out a vision of expanding the organisation’s work. Desiree Blamey, who was given the role on a permanent basis only last month, said the recruitment of individuals to assess building sites…

Ibstock has cut its full-year earnings forecast after reporting weaker than expected demand in the third quarter (Q3) of 2025. The firm now expects adjusted EBITDA for the second half to be in line with the £42m delivered in the first six months of the year. It blamed a “more…

Administrators for collapsed mechanical and electrical (M&E) firm HE Simm have warned that trade creditors are unlikely to receive a payout. The Liverpool-based family business owed almost £15m to trade creditors when it went into administration last month, said Patrick Lannagan, Richard Hough and Adam Harris of Forvis Mazars. A…