Aco, Knauf Insulation, the Keystone Group, Mannok, the NMBS and Reisser have joined the Institute of Builders Merchants (IoBM) as Corporate Supplier members, the recently enhanced membership category for manufacturers and suppliers to the merchant industry who support the IoBM’s professional training ethos.
Fees paid by Corporate Supplier members will fund the support of training and development throughout the professional Institute. In return they may nominate two employees as IoBM contacts within their business, and the Institute will include details of any free CPD or merchant training programmes offered by Corporate Supplier members.
The IoBM recently announced its formal merger with the BMF (although it will continue to operate as a seperate brand within the organisation) and CEO John Newcomb said: “The past year has shown the power of working together and ‘inclusivity’ will become a watchword of the IoBM. Corporate Supplier members will help us embrace the entire building materials sector within the Institute. That this category has rapidly gained support from the industry’s leading buying society and five major building materials suppliers signals its relevance and value across the whole industry.
“We are also looking to attract a diverse group of individual members, particularly younger members, and have an initial target of 1,000 new members within the first year.”
The Institute’s new management committee, which includes representatives of the BMF Young Merchant group as well as two BMF directors and two long-term IoBM board members, has also agreed that all BMF Young Merchants will automatically be enrolled into the Institute during its first year as a brand of the BMF.
Knauf Insulation was one of the first suppliers to sign up to the enhanced Corporate Supplier membership category. Jo Callow, Head of Communications at the supplier and an IoBM member in her own right, said: “We became IoBM Corporate Supplier members as we recognise the work that the IoBM and the BMF have done together to breathe life back into the Institute. We are keen to encourage training, development and learning for individuals throughout the industry and recognise that this is a great way to support that.”
John Ryszkowski, Managing Director of ACO, said: “ACO is delighted to be one of the first Trailblazers to sign up to support the newly merged Institute under the BMF brand and looks forward to helping to promote IoBM membership throughout the industry.”
Find out more about IoBM Corporate membership at www.bmf.org.uk/IOBM
