Please provide an introduction such as your name, job role, how long you have worked with BM Steel Ltd, etc.
Ian Campbell. GRP Commercial Manager for Barclay and Mathieson from Depot 19 in Sheffield.
Concentrating on GRP/Composite products and the Access and Safety range.
What is BM Steel Ltd.’s history?
BM Steel (Barclay & Mathieson) has over 130 years’ experience as steel stockholders in the UK; we now operate from 14 locations around the country, from Aberdeen down to Winchester and Sittingbourne across to Bangor. Our extensive stock range enables us to satisfy most of our customers’ requirements with same or next-day delivery. Through our well established inter-branch transfer system, each site has access to our total group stocks. Whether you are a multinational engineering group or a DIY enthusiast, we can provide the service you require.
What are BM Steel Ltd.’s main priorities?
Finding the correct product for the correct application and seeing this through from drawing board through to material supply.
What are BM Steel Ltd.’s unique selling points, what sets you apart from other supply companies?
A steel stockholder with an even wider product range in the Access and Safety division. However our motto is ‘More than Steel’ and GRP/Composites are a major product line.
What challenges has BM Steel Ltd faced and how did you overcome them?
Supplier issues and product shortages have been problematic over the last 3 years but we have managed to overcome this by being visionary with our stock profile and exploring other continents for material sourcing.
Do you have any sustainability initiatives that you have put into place?
We operate a ‘5S sustainability’ programme incorporating our 14 depots throughout the UK.
5S is a system to reduce waste and optimize productivity through maintaining an orderly workplace and using visual cues to achieve more consistent operational results.
The 5S pillars, Sort (Seiri), Set in Order (Seiton), Shine (Seiso), Standardize (Seiketsu), and Sustain (Shitsuke), provide a methodology for organizing, cleaning, developing, and sustaining a productive work environment.
What are the biggest challenges you see for the industry in 2023?
Steel supply from mills in Turkey due to the recent earthquake. The Ukraine war will inevitably have an impact on the supply chain of steel worldwide. Plus we have the ongoing energy price crisis which everyone from the man in the street to the largest corporations are suffering from.
As a new supplier member of CONSTRUCT, what you like to see from being part of CONSTRUCT?
Building relationships and networking for our range of products within the construction sector. Raising awareness of GRP’s benefits across the sector, and promoting our wider range of products.