profile
Krystal Williams
Krystal has extensive commercial experience in the landscaping and building materials sector, working with leading brands of aggregates, stone and concrete paving since 2003. She joined Pavestone in 2017 and was promoted to Managing Director of the company’s landscaping division in 2019.
Krystal’s commercial acumen, vision of the future and strategic thinking has helped drive Pavestone’s growth and market leading position in a fast-paced sector.
Pavestone
Pavestone is a leading hard landscaping supplier of natural stone and man-made paving products, serving independent builders’ merchants across the UK.
For nearly 20 years, the privately owned business has been synonymous for elegant products, manufactured from the highest quality materials and to relevant British Quality Standards.
Its natural stone landscaping products originate from many countries around the world. The stone is ethically sourced from audited, long standing supply partners and to exact specifications.
Pavestone’s manufacturing facilities are located in Chipping Campden (Gloucestershire) and Burford (Oxfordshire), where it makes most of its made-made landscaping products using local Cotswold stone. The electricity used to power Pavestone’s production machinery, light, heat and general power is supplied from renewable resources that include wind turbines and hydro-electric schemes.
In addition to its own manufactured products, the company also supplies the finest and most innovative European landscaping products through commercial partnerships with world class concrete and porcelain manufacturers.
Visit: www.pavestone.co.uk
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/pavestone-uk-limited
Twitter: @Pavestone
Launched in 2015, the award winning monthly Builders Merchant Building Index (BMBI) report is the only reliable measure of repair, maintenance & improvement (RMI) activity in the UK. Filling an important gap, it can be widely used in construction, and by economists, Government, national media, commentators and influencers outside the industry.
Pavestone Comment: Q1 2025
After a flying start to pre-season sales at the end of 2024, the uplift in demand for paving products has continued into Q1, where one of our biggest challenges has been getting the orders on the system fast enough.
As of April, our year-to-date sales were into double digit increases compared to 2024 in a remarkable boom in orders – the like of which we haven’t seen since 2020. Most good landscapers are telling us they are booked up until the end of the year too.
What’s behind the sudden increase in customer demand is unclear but it certainly feels booming. We are enjoying drier weather than last year, and Easter is later, which would encourage people to spend more time in their gardens, but broader RMI market indicators like the GfK Consumer Confidence Index are telling us that people aren’t feeling that positive. April’s expectations for the general economy over the next 12 months was -37 which is 8 points down from March, and 16 points worse than a year ago.
The current increase in RMI demand has unfortunately coincided with the return of shipping issues, and getting enough stock on the ground for our Merchant customers is proving to be challenging. The knock-on effect of Trump’s tariffs has been major port congestion, as Chinese boats bound for America stop in Europe. This means we can’t always guarantee delivery dates as ships are diverting to find a port where they can offload.
Because of the difficulties getting stock into the country, there are some market-wide shortages on mid-high range porcelain and on Indian sandstone. We are getting stock from alternative suppliers to fulfil orders, and we are keeping our pricing stable and prioritising existing customers where possible, but we know some suppliers are capitalising on the shortages with ‘force majeure’ increases.
Looking ahead, we hope to see an easing in supply chain problems as 2025 looks to be a very promising year for the paving sector. Neutral colours like pale grey, cream and greige are in demand, so update your in-branch displays if you haven’t already. Dark grey is out! Accessories like wall cladding and edging sets are also proving popular and are ideal upsell items for outdoor improvement projects.