profile
Derrick McFarland
Derrick has been integral to the success of Keystone Group for almost 25 years. Moving from the company’s base in Cookstown, Northern Ireland, to set up its operation in Swadlincote, Derbyshire, two decades ago, the move was a natural fit and rapid growth quickly followed.
Derrick is passionate about the building trade. His focus is on delivering excellent customer service through good people and great products. Working with an amazing group of colleagues, Derrick ensures clients are welcomed to Swadlincote in a way that has become customary for Keystone Group.
Keystone Lintels
Keystone Lintels Limited is a leading manufacturer of steel lintels, founded in 1989. The short history of Keystone has been one of relentless expansion and continuous innovation whilst redefining the meaning of service in the lintel industry.
Production facilities in Birmingham, Cwmbran, and Cookstown provide an efficient, flexible and ergonomic working environment, which is part of the culture of quality and service at Keystone.
Keystone Lintels offers a comprehensive range of standard and special steel lintels, and recently developed its ground breaking Hi-Therm lintel, to address the thermal requirements of new building regulations.
Hi-Therm is up to five times more thermally efficient than a standard steel cavity wall lintel. Its GRP outer leaf acts as a thermal break, whilst the galvanised steel inner leaf maintains support for the heavier loaded internal leaf.
Hi Therm is a multi-award winning product, winning Best Eco Product at the Build It Awards 2013, Product of the Year at the Housebuilder Awards 2013, and Best Building Fabric at the 2013 and 2014 Housebuilder Product Awards.
Find out more at www.keystonelintels.com or visit the Group website at www.keystonelintels.com. Follow @KeystoneTweets
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.
Keystone Comment: Q1 2025
The first quarter of 2025, while up compared to a very poor Q1 2024, is flat – or steady – compared to the final months of 2024. That’s the positive news. On the flip side consumer confidence is extremely low based on concerns about the war in Ukraine, Trump’s Tariffs, domestic cost increases, and higher government taxes – a busy first 100 days of 2025.
New house building which rebounded from the Liz Truss era is still reporting around 0.6+ houses per site per week, and the sunshine in March & April has attracted more potential buyers, so maybe not all is as gloomy as the economists would suggest. But housebuilding is still a long way off the government targets, and the planning system remains the biggest blockage. Even if new sites got planning permissions they would not be up and running until 2026. A flat year then.
An interesting column in The Times, recently, compared Covid-19 to Donald-25. “The equivalent uncertainty in 2025 is that no one knows where US tariffs will be tomorrow, much less in three months’ time.” The report continued “the volume of goods coming into Los Angeles is down steeply. Daily container bookings in the US-China trade route have tumbled by a quarter since the end of March relative to this time last year.”
Both European and the UK have anti-dumping levies in place as trade defence measures against steel dumping and have recently agreed to extend them for another five years with levies between 18% and 28%, depending on the grade of steel. In addition, Europe and the UK are also applying carbon taxes on steel through a CBAM (Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism). This aims to ensure a price is placed on the carbon emissions associated with steel production, whether domestically or internationally.
Despite the recent uncertainties, we’re committed to adapting and excelling in this evolving landscape. Our proactive approach ensures that we’re well-prepared to navigate the challenges and capitalise on the opportunities that lie ahead in 2025.