Builders Merchants Federation

About Builders Merchants Federation

The BMF (Builders Merchants Federation) is the trade association that represents and protects the interests of builders’ merchants and suppliers to the building materials sector in the UK and Ireland. Our vision is to enable members to ‘build excellence’ in the building materials sector. Total membership from 1 January 2025 stands at 1,020 merchant, supplier and service companies who together have combined sales of over £51.6bn and employ nearly 198,000 people in the building materials industry. The BMF’s 535 merchant members, including 81 from Ireland, operate from just under 6,500 branches across the UK and Ireland.

The BMF is the active hub of merchant and supplier activity in the UK, working closely with allied industry groups and regulatory bodies such as trading standards and planning departments, to ensure that issues affecting member merchants and suppliers are tackled promptly and effectively. The BMF is an active lobbyist with local and central government in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and has an impressive track record of achievements.

We are totally dedicated to the interests of our members, providing a wide range of in-person and online accessed training courses, professional and knowledgeable business support through our range of carefully sourced third-party services covering important areas such as Employment Law, Insurance, Transport etc. We also have an active programme of key networking events each year where members can meet and exchange ideas with fellow merchants, suppliers, and leading industry figures. We work continually to ensure that merchants survive and thrive in an increasingly competitive and fast-developing market.

Company culture

Our culture is one that promotes excellence and celebrates success. All new employees will be given a comprehensive introduction to the workplace, their colleagues, and other procedures. We foster a workplace for all people to feel included, respected and we dedicate ourselves to having a working environment to be proud of. We have regular staff get-togethers, such as team lunches, Christmas parties, annual staff activity days including team-building exercises (eg quad biking, treasure hunt, etc). Joining the BMF means joining a working environment that values growth, innovation, and collaboration.

Employee benefits and perks

Roles are mostly office-based, but with the option of working from home 1 day each week

Salary sacrifice pension scheme

Medicash Health Plan

Support in furthering career development

Work-related mileage is reimbursed at HMRC rates

Free Parking

Career development and growth

The BMF values career development and advocates for apprenticeship programmes, with 12% of our employees currently enrolled in an apprenticeship program. We encourage (where possible) staff to attend company-funded training days on a variety of topics to help foster career growth and show our commitment to our team. Our dedicated Apprenticeship Manager Marianna Peet, whose role was introduced to support our commitment to apprenticeships, helps develop our own colleagues currently enrolled on apprenticeships and helps our members with apprenticeships in their own organisations.

The BMF is the driving force behind the development of the bmcareers.com website with a firm belief that encouraging the next generation of skilled workers into the sector is an essential part of our members workforce planning.

Apprenticeships

As a firm believer in the apprenticeship programme, the BMF (Builders Merchants Federation) has always included apprentices in our workforce. The BMF currently has three apprentices under contract, making up 12% of our colleagues.

We launched our Apprenticeship Pledge to members in 2023 with the aim of encouraging members to commit to have taken on 15,000 apprentices across the sector by 2030 – we reached that pledge commitment in February 2025.

Our staff of 25 includes our Learning & Development and Apprenticeships Manager, Marianna Peet whose role is to help BMF members with their apprenticeship places.

Ben Scobie (BMF Policy & Public Affairs Apprentice) pictured with Baggy Shanker MP at the 2025 APPG Apprentices Fair 

EDI (equity, diversity & inclusion) initiatives

The BMF is demonstrably supportive of EDI as a founding member of the Construction Inclusion Coalition.

Our business has a clear concentration on promoting a diverse and inclusive workplace across the building material sector.

We have recently introduced a set of core values which all staff work to:

Sustainability / environmental stewardship

The BMF is at the forefront in driving its members towards more sustainable products and ways of doing business. A sustainability working group was set up in 2022 to advise in this area and has already commissioned extensive YouGov research to investigate and track the progress that is being made.