profile
Charles Burns
Charles Burns is Divisional Director for Brett Martin Plumbing and Drainage, and with 25 year’s experience in the construction products industry, brings extensive insight to this category. Charles joined Brett Martin in 2018 and has led an aggressive expansion of the business with a focus on delivering leading levels of customer service to builders’ merchants.
Prior to joining Brett Martin, Charles trained as a Chartered Accountant, qualifying with PWC and worked for Kingspan for 19 years, leading a Global Business Unit in the Water and Energy Division.
Brett Martin Ltd
With more than 60 years’ manufacturing experience in the building materials market, Brett Martin remains family owned with a 1000 strong workforce, operating from multiple sites across the UK.
Known for reliable customer service, dependable product quality and a consistent partnership approach with merchants, Brett Martin is a preferred supplier across a number of sectors, and remains the UK’s largest independent supplier of plumbing and drainage products.
Continued investment in the business is driving product innovation and supporting carbon reduction initiatives including onsite solar and wind generated renewable energy, supporting a new generation of low carbon construction products.
Visit: www.brettmartin.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/brett-martin-ltd/
Twitter: @BMDrainage
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.
Brett Martin Comment: Q4 2024
Quarter four was a mixed bag for Brett Martin Plumbing & Drainage with October and December better than forecast, but November, typically a very busy month for us, being unexpectedly quiet. The picture from our independent merchant customers was similarly mixed with an even split of customers reporting slightly more upbeat trading and others reporting a relatively flat or slight decrease in trading.
Merchants and products focused on the RMI market saw more positive trading compared to those focused on the new build residential market. It is unclear why RMI was slightly stronger than the Q3 trend, but with consumer sentiment remaining low we do not see this as a medium-term trend.
Mortgage rates saw a small uptick in October and November, and we believe this contributed to the gloomy trading conditions in the new build residential market, although we are seeing some green shoots of recovery in the residential new build market in early 2025. The recent announcement of a slight pick-up in inflation may hinder the much-needed interest rate cuts. We believe this alongside the slow start by the new Labour government and the price increases necessitated by the budget for employers NIC and minimum wage, will continue to be a drag on consumer and industry confidence into Q2 2025 at least.
The data for planning applications, house starts and completions remains challenging but conflicts with reporting from selected house builders, suggesting that regional differences remain. This is an indication of a market which remains fragile and in-need of some consistent, nationwide positivity to drive confidence in housing. Until consumer confidence returns, it is unlikely that any amount of Government targets will provide the kick start required.
As a privately owned business, Brett Martin continues to invest in the future and when the inevitable improvement in market arrives, we will ensure our customers are ready to take full advantage of the opportunity. We are continuing to expand our sales team, capacity and introduce new products. For example, we have recently released the Adopt a range of Water Authority approved sewer pipe and fittings to target larger new build residential applications.