The group ’ s plumbing and heating sales have declined by 3.9 per cent in the past three months . This was attributed to the combination of weak demand , changing customer buying behaviours and the impact of previous government boiler replacement incentive schemes . The board has decided to conduct a full review of this part of the group . As part of a rationalisation plant , the board has announced the closure of ten smaller distribution and fabrication centres , the write-off of certain IT legacy equipment and more than 30 branch closures in the trade businesses . The company will incur exceptional charges in 2016 of between £ 40m and £ 50m , of which approximately two-thirds will be

non-cash write-offs . The cash cost of the restructuring is expected to be recovered by the efficiencies generated within 18 months . Chief executive John Carter said : “ General merchanting delivered a solid result in the third quarter alongside very strong performances in our consumer and contracts businesses where we materially outperformed our markets . Our plumbing and heating results were disappointing and while

market conditions have worsened , we are not satisfied with our performance and will commence reviewing these operations . “ Our operational focus remains on improving all of our customer propositions , optimising our networks , intensifying our use of space and exploiting the scale advantage we have created . We expect this focus to underpin our out-turn for 2016 . “ It is still too early to predict customer demand in 2017 with certainty and we will

continue to monitor our lead indicators closely . Given this uncertainty we will be closing over 30 branches and making further efficiency driven changes in the supply chain , resulting in an exceptional charge of £ 40-50 million this year . “ We have a proven track record developed over many years of taking swift action to take advantage of opportunities as they arise in whichever part of the cycle we find ourselves . The strength of the group ’ s balance sheet and the competitive advantage we have created through the investments we have made position us well to continue outperforming the markets we compete in and drive shareholder value over the medium term .”

Source : www . theconstructionindex . co . uk

The exhibition is at the Jaguar Hall , Ricoh Arena , Coventry . Entry to the event is free . Visitors should go to www . paintshow . co . uk and register online . Situated near to the Registration Area on stand 36 , Wondertex will be showcasing its range and running product demonstrations on both days . There ’ ll even be the chance to have a go . Newest addition to the range , prem fill & finish rapid , created a buzz when launched earlier this year . Free samples will be available to all stand visitors . This filler and smoother is designed for filling and finishing plasterboard joints and smoothing unwanted textured surfaces . Its rapid setting formulation allows a 30 minutes working time , which is perfect for early effortless sanding . Goody bags will once again be available - just ask a member of the stand team .

Wondertex is a brand of the Instarmac Group . It is a range of internal finishing solutions including : drylining , decorative texturing , jointing and coving products . All products are manufactured in the UK and are available nationwide .

For more information on Wondertex products , please call 01827 871871 or email wondertex @ instarmac . co . uk . Keep up-to-date with Wondertex ’ s latest news and competitions on Twitter by following @ Wondertex _ UK

GM Fundraising has once again commissioned the children at Hope House Children ’ s Hospices to create some very special Christmas cards that are now on sale . “ This year Chloe , Justin and Callie from Hope House made the wonderful Christmas drawings used to create this unique set of cards ,” explained Gary Morton , founder of GM Fundraising . “ These cards have become a tradition for us and every year the designs from the children get more and more special . Last year we sold more than

5,000 cards , many of which were personalised with company logos and messages . Every penny raised went straight to the Hope House Children ’ s Hospice .” Each pack contains a mix of 20 cards . The cards can be personalised with your company logo or personal message for a small additional charge when ordering over 60 . Packs can be purchased directly from the GM Fundraising website www . gmfundraising . co . uk / cards

www . gmfundraising . co . uk