December 2022

Industry News
CARRIE BLACKSHAW,
FIRE PROTECTION
SALES DIRECTOR,
MINSTER
“2022 has seen a great
deal of growth in the
fire protection market.
Changes in legislation and the newly
revised Building Safety Act have meant that
demand for fire protection products has
continued to strengthen, whilst awareness
and understanding of the issues
surrounding installation have also
continued to improve.
“In order to meet this growing demand, at
Minster we have spent the past 12 months
strengthening and enhancing our fire
protection offering, creating a specialist
division focussed on providing customers
with the products and solutions needed to
meet more stringent building regulations.
Headed up by myself, we are also able to
provide customers with technical support if
required, helping to ensure that greater
standards of competence are being upheld in
the construction of safer buildings.
“We’ve seen sales of fire protection solutions
increase by almost 50% during the last 12
months, a figure which can be attributed to
both our improved capabilities and the
heightened demand that exists in the
marketplace.
“The strategic changes we have implemented
during the last 12 months mean that as we
look ahead to 2023, we are now well placed to
make the most of the opportunities the
current environment presents. Whilst the
overall outlook for the construction industry
appears to be difficult, remediation projects
present a real opportunity for contractors with
re-cladding and fire protection installations
required on a large scale, nationwide.”
www.minsteronline.co.uk
More news, updates and interviews at www.total-contractor.co.uk
END OF YEAR COMMENTS...
SARAH SPINK,
LRWA CEO
“This year saw a lot of
uncertainty in the construction sector. We’ve
experienced unprecedented political upheaval
which has weakened the economy, and the
energy crisis has impacted us all. Issues with
product availability has driven prices up,
which is partly down to the impact of the war
in Ukraine. But across the entire sector, trade
associations have never known a period of
change like it, especially following the twoyear
pandemic.
“The impact of the Grenfell tragedy is still ongoing
in terms of building safety issues. In response,
new legislation has come into force and the
introduction of competency standards for
construction. This year, trade associations have
also been lobbying hard to minimise the impact of
the transition from CE to UKCA marking.
“As an association, the LRWA had a strong year.
We experienced almost a 38 per cent growth in
membership, with 26 new members,
reinforcing the need for specialist
trade associations to represent our
sector at higher levels, especially
during difficult periods.
“We were also thrilled to bring back
face-to-face events like the LRWA Awards
and Gala in March, which recognises the
impressive skills and strengths of all those who
work in our sector. But it’s not just events, we’ve
managed to meet in-person to continue our work
within the various working groups the LRWA is
involved in.
“As well as the success of the 2022 Awards,
which was our biggest yet, we also raised more
than £10K for LandAid in our Virtual Charity
Challenge. The roofing sector surpassed all our
expectations as we came together to help end
youth homelessness; something which seems
“The LRWA remains
optimistic for 2023.
Historically, the sector
performs well in an
economic downturn
driven by a focus on
refurbishing existing
buildings, rather than
investment in new
build”
even more important as we live through a cost-ofliving
crisis.
“Looking ahead to 2023, construction output is
forecast to fall by 3.9 per cent, following a rise of
two per cent in 2022. This is mainly due to the
impact of a wider economic recession,
exacerbated by the effect of the government’s
‘Mini Budget’ in October 2022, and the
consequent fallout from recent political
uncertainty.
“However, the LRWA remains optimistic
for 2023. Historically, the sector
performs well in an economic
downturn driven by a focus on
refurbishing existing buildings,
rather than investment in new
build. And as an Association, we will
continue to work closely with contractors,
specifiers and manufacturers to provide them
with the latest technical guidance and a voice in
the issues that matter the most.”
www.lrwa.org.uk
LOOKOUT FOR MORE
SECTOR COMMENTS
AND OPINIONS IN OUR
JANUARY 2023 ISSUE!
10 TC DECEMBER 2022