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Supplier News
Mentor crowned‘ Training Provider of the Year’
MENTOR TRAINING, the UK’ s leading provider of material handling equipment training, has been named‘ Training Provider of the Year’ at the 2026 Safety & Health Excellence Awards.
The Safety & Health Excellence Awards celebrate outstanding achievements across the health and safety sector, attracting a record number of entries this year. The Training Provider of the Year category recognises organisations that deliver exceptional external health and safety training- an area in which Mentor Training has built its reputation.
The judges are said to have been particularly impressed by Mentor’ s nationwide delivery of MHE training, with a strong reputation for excellent trainers and great customer service, as well as their innovative approach in championing workplace safety, identifying needs and delivering solutions.
FM Mattsson is to acquire Bristan Group Ltd
IN late July, it was announced that the FM Mattsson Group has agreed to acquire Bristan Group Limited.
BMF member Bristan is a showers, taps & bathroom accessories supplier that complements the FM Mattsson Group’ s existing UK and Ireland business, Aqualla, strengthening its position in consumer-led bathroom products.
Fredrik Skarp, CEO of FM Mattsson Group, commented;
“ The acquisition of Bristan is a major step in line with our strategy to strengthen FM Mattsson Group’ s international presence. As the largest brassware supplier in the UK, Bristan gives us a significantly stronger platform in one of Europe’ s largest markets for bathroom and kitchen mixers.”
Following completion, Bristan will become part of FM Mattsson Group and continue to operate as a brandled business with its own management team.
Daikin brings STEM to life for Birmingham primary pupils
IN July, Daikin welcomed 45 Year 5 pupils and five teachers from Meadow Green Primary School in Wythall to its Birmingham Training Academy, which is now also a BMF Regional Centre of Excellence, giving the children a chance to explore science and engineering outside the classroom.
The visit is part of Daikin’ s commitment to supporting education and building stronger connections between schools and local employers. By introducing children to practical science at primary-school age, the event aimed to build their confidence, encourage curiosity and show them where an interest in STEM subjects could lead.
During the visit, pupils took part in interactive activities covering electricity, pressure, temperature, airflow and heat transfer. A virtual reality demonstration let the pupils experience a heat pump installation and see how technical knowledge is applied in practice.
Klipboard launches ERP Go
BMF member Klipboard, a provider of sector-specific business management solutions, has announced the launch of its all-new AI-driven, cloud-based stock and order platform, ERP Go, developed to support small and medium-sized businesses.
ERP Go focuses on the activities businesses manage every day: managing stock availability, coordinating purchasing, sales, fulfilment, and invoicing, and keeping orders moving efficiently.
By connecting these workflows within a single system, businesses can reduce duplication, improve clarity and minimise the operational friction that arises when information is spread across multiple tools.
Capabilities include:
• Structured stock and inventory management.
• Integrated sales, quoting and order workflows.
• Purchasing and goods receipt
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• Integration with leading accounting platforms.
• Embedded Klipboard AI capabilities.
• Flexible user permissions and operational controls.
• Secure cloud-based access.
ERP Go also integrates with widely used accounting platforms such as Xero, QuickBooks, Sage and Exact, allowing businesses to retain their existing finance systems while improving operational control.
James Mitchell, CEO Europe at Klipboard, commented:“ Many businesses reach a stage where systems that once worked well begin to create inefficiencies. Small gaps in visibility, manual workarounds and disconnected processes can quietly slow operations and introduce risk. ERP Go has been developed to help businesses maintain control and consistency while continuing to grow, without adding unnecessary system complexity.”
SAINT-GOBAIN EXTERIOR SOLUTIONS LAUNCHES A UK-FIRST
SAINT-GOBAIN EXTERIOR
SOLUTIONS has announced the launch of its innovative new Gas Fired Fixings installation method, representing a significant investment and a first for the UK external wall insulation( EWI) sector.
Designed to transform the installation of external wall insulation systems, the new solution replaces the traditional drill-and-fix process with a single-shot gas-fired fixing system that secures insulation boards directly to the substrate without the need for pre-drilling.
The launch marks one of the most significant innovations in EWI installation methodologies in recent years and is the first gas-fired fixing solution to be actively launched and promoted specifically for the UK EWI market.
Independent installation trials have demonstrated that the system can deliver installation times approximately 30 % faster than traditional drilled fixings, potentially saving around half a day on a typical home.
The innovation simplifies what has traditionally been a three-stage process- drilling, inserting a fixing and then hammering or screwing a pin- into a single operation.
In addition to improving efficiency, the installation method delivers significant health and wellbeing benefits for installers, with lower noise levels and a significant reduction in vibration exposure, when compared to traditional drilled fixing methods.
For further information, please visit https:// k. systems / gasfired-fixings.