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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 Lintels Comment: Q3 2025
Quarter three followed the same downward trajectory as the previous quarter, and while better weather in the autumn delivered steady demand from new build customers, it was Repair Maintenance and Improvement (RMI) where the steel lintels market was feeling the pinch. The delayed budget has done little to improve things. As we move into Q4, the short-term outlook shows that uncertainty is impacting new builds and further curtailing RMI spend.
So how bad is it? According to Royal Institution of Charted Surveyors’ (RICS) UK residential market survey, the nation is stuck in a ‘holding pattern’ as buyer demand, sales activity and new instructions in October fell further into negative territory. New vendor instructions hit a four-year low.
The reason behind the slowdown is clear. Fears of possible changes to property-related taxes in the budget, such as changes to stamp duty, capital gains and inheritance tax, are making future transactions an unknown. While we wait to understand the effects of the budget, we expect to see a slower housing market for the next couple of quarters.
To stimulate opportunities to build more good homes, ongoing challenges with planning red tape and further delays to the Future Homes Standard need resolving sooner rather than later.
The slowdown will have a knock-on effect for merchants and manufacturers, who could put off key business decisions like investments in new stock or machinery, until things pick up.
It might be tempting to put decisions on hold, however our message to stockists is not to fall into the ‘de-stocking’ trap but to maintain the correct breadth and depth of stock to support the few builders that are building. Those builders will still need lintels – albeit at a slower rate. Engaging with local sales teams will help support opportunities for sales leads, so use your area representatives – that’s what they are there for.
Growing sales in a difficult economy is a team game, and the more we can work together, the more we can maximise opportunities as they arise, while putting plans in place to meet demand when better times arrive.