Supply Chain

McNicholas Construction Services has become the last Kier company to be readmitted to the prompt payment code (PPC). In November 2019, five Kier businesses including McNicholas were suspended from the code for failing to pay 95 per cent of invoices within 60 days. Since then, the other four Kier-owned firms…

The Builders Merchants Federation (BMF) has said it is working with government to identify what materials shortages are being caused by capacity problems at British ports due to COVID-19. Issues mainly relate to goods imported from the Far East, including power tools, screws and fixings, and sanitary ware such as…

Timber supplies will be under pressure for months to come, a trade body has warned. The effects of COVID shutdowns earlier this year and huge domestic demand during lockdown hit the availability of the material in 2020 and the Timber Trade Federation said the strain on the supply chain will…

Construction News asked figures from throughout the industry what construction should prepare for in the New Year. Here’s what they had to say.

The Builders Merchants Federation (BMF) has warned the government that congestion at UK ports is affecting the availability of construction materials. BMF chief executive John Newcomb said: “There is a concern over the availability of products imported in containers, mainly from the Far East, such as ironmongery, plumbing items, tools…

Last month, the sector saw the fastest improvement in order books for more than six years, new Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) data shows. Overall output activity rose to 54.7 in November from the 53.1 recorded in October. It remained below the 58.1 seen in July but the increase in new…

Lead times for obtaining cladding, roof tiles, timber and lifts could lengthen in the event of a no-deal outcome on Brexit, a new analysis by Build UK and the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS) has found. Cladding and lifts, which are mainly imported from Europe with minimal stock…

This video was first broadcast at CN Decarbonising Construction 2020. Client leads addressed why carbon is a key priority for future project design, construction and management; and answered why this is impacting the way they procure work – watch below:

Sizewell C can play a big role in the government’s levelling-up agenda, EDF’s director of funding for the project has insisted. Julia Pyke told the Construction News Summit that the multi-billion-pound project could make a “really huge contribution” to the policy of improving the lives of people outside of London.…

Public and private sector clients fear suppliers could struggle to survive the coming months. Cashflow problems as a result of the pandemic, coupled with potential disruption caused by Brexit, could prove too much for some companies, a civil servant has warned. Speaking at the Construction News Summit, Department for Education…