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 Lintels Comment: Q2 2026
While Q2 2026 saw an improvement in overall volumes versus Q1 2026, it was still lower than the same period in 2025. In the half year, volumes have dropped back to 2024 levels with little optimism for the coming months.
The impact of the fluctuating, even unpredictable, geopolitical events, the domestic political revolving door and continued cost inflation all add unrelenting pressure to the house building sector and manufacturers alike. These are not new headlines over the past five or so years; it’s just the same impacts keep happening, and more frequently.
However, the strategic vision of improving the quality of houses being built in the future to the Future Homes Standard 2025 is extremely important, yet it does add additional cost. The Future Homes Standard is the government’s plan to make every new home “zero-carbon ready”: efficient enough that no further work will be needed to decarbonise it as the electricity grid gets cleaner. It tightens both Part L (energy) and Part F (ventilation) of the Building Regulations and brings in a new way of calculating compliance.
Regulation is required to drive forward improvements, yet fairness may be an issue, and planning reforms have sped up the process. The fundamentals of excellent quality homes, a well-regulated sector and timely planning are being put in place for a better future.
Affordability, consumer confidence, and economic viability for developers remain the short-to-medium term core issues. Will a new Prime Minister be able to unlock the potential and understand the significant contribution house building makes to the UK economy?
Material pressures for house builders look set to continue, with the new UK Steel Strategy, which is already having an impact, and which will continue to increase steel prices, domestically made or imported. In addition, the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism being implemented on 1st Jan 2027 will maintain or add further increases. Partnering, with longer-term commitments, will be something house builders will continue to adopt with key suppliers to secure best-priced materials.
Never a dull day.