A specialist plumbing and heating sector has been created by The Builders Merchants Federation (BMF) under the chairmanship of Ron Walker.
The organisation – which represent the interests of all wholesale distributors of building materials in the UK – has set up the new sector in order to be able to focus specifically on issues within the plumbing and heating arena.
“While many BMF initiatives are relevant across the spectrum of our members, we recognise that plumbing and heating is a definable sector with specific issues,” BMF managing director, John Newcomb, told Builders’ Merchant News.
“We have a responsibility to facilitate sector debates and to proactively represent plumbing and heating interests beyond our industry, which is why this new group is an important addition and I am certain that it will flourish under Ron’s chairmanship,” Mr Newcomb went on to say.
The new chairman, Ron Walker, is currently managing director of Heating Plumbing Supplies and has been in the heating and plumbing industry for more than 40 years. His career has spanned both independent and national merchants and has included spells at Travis Perkins, where he was influential in setting up TP Plumbing and Heating.
The BMF’s specialist plumbing and heating numbers were greatly increased by the group membership scheme, which was agreed with the PHG buying group. This came into effect on 1 January this year.
Mr Walker told the publication: “I was pleased to be asked, and delighted to accept the position as first chairman of the BMF plumbing and heating sector. This is an exciting new section within the BMF and I am looking forward to putting my experience and enthusiasm for the good of the industry to the benefit of all involved."
The first meeting of the new plumbing and heating group will be held on 6 March 2014 at BMF’s Coventry headquarters.