MKM Building Supplies

About MKM Building Supplies

MKM is the UK’s leading independent builder’s merchant, with branches across England, Scotland & Wales. Founded in 1995, we have branches across the length and breadth of the United Kingdom from Redruth to Elgin Norwich and Llandudno. We have a different approach to business; each site is run independently by its Branch Directors and their hand-picked teams, supported by a Central Support office in Hull. Thanks to our customers, since our first branch opened in Hull we have expanded rapidly through new branch openings and select acquisitions. We have plans for many more locations across the UK and will need talented teams to grow our business. Each of our branches carries a wide range of building materials to keep your project on track, available for delivery to site or for customer collection. We also supply kitchens, bathrooms, doors, windows and joinery, and landscaping products. Many branches have additional specialisms, whether that’s plumbing & heating, electrical, tool hire or timber cutting. We’re open to the trade and public, so whether you’re a trade looking for the best service locally, or you want kitchen inspiration, materials for your home extension or are starting a build then we’re here for you.

Company culture

Our branches benefit from the local knowledge and expertise of their outstanding teams to provide excellent service. By building relationships with customers, they have a true understanding of individual customer needs, and the flexibility to meet these. There’s always a hot coffee, a warm welcome and a friendly face at MKM. We know it’s our people who make the difference, so if you like the sound of the way we work, check out our career opportunities here. Every employee with MKM benefits from: ongoing learning and development opportunities.

Employee benefits and perks

MKM have a wide range of employee benefits including: Competitive salary packages, performance related bonus, Contributory pension scheme, perkbox discounts, financial planning support, holiday accrual on length of service, free parking, cycle to work scheme, enhanced maternity/ paternity pay, mental health support and employee assistance program.

Career development and growth

MKM provide a comprehensive range of training & development opportunities for colleagues at all levels to ensure their continuing personal and professional development. This covers everything from Induction & compliance training to Leadership Programmes. Here’s a few of the highlights:

• MKM LEARNING CENTRE – A digital solution that provides learning and development opportunities to suits all areas of the business. With over 60 courses available and many more under development, we’re able to offer courses on compliance, management skills, sustainability and social media among many other things. The Centre also includes a self-development hub where people can upskill themselves in areas such as excel, word, presentation skills, time management skills and much more.
• LEADERSHIP TRAINING – We deliver three different programmes. Each has a slightly different purpose & duration, but all are designed to support our people to build on their existing skills to help them deliver exceptional and sustained business performance.

Apprenticeships

• MKM APPRENTICESHIPS – We’re proud of our Apprenticeship Programme & offer a wide range of vocational programmes & professional qualifications from Level 2 to Level 5 for existing colleagues & new recruits. This includes Plumbing & Heating Trade Counter Specialist, Showroom Design & Sales, Foundation Degree in Merchanting Management, Digital Marketing, IT Support and ATT (Accounting) qualifications.

EDI (equity, diversity & inclusion) initiatives

MKM is the leading independent builders’ merchant in the UK, and we were established in 1995. Our people are what make us unique in what we do. Today we have more than 130 branches and over 3000 employees nationwide. Whilst we continue to grow, we are constantly striving to always attract, recruit, retain, promote, and support a diverse mix of colleagues that create a sense of belonging to the ‘MKM family’ for everyone. We hope you will join us on our journey!

Sustainability / environmental stewardship

At MKM, we are committed to making a positive and lasting impact on our planet through both the products we offer and the way we conduct our business. We have implemented strategies and measures to reduce our Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions, which are directly linked to our operations. Our initiatives to address energy use, carbon emissions, and waste include:

• Installing Solar PV systems at our branches to generate renewable energy
• Using REGO-certified electricity since 2020
• Transitioning our company car fleet to electric or hybrid vehicles, moving away from diesel and petrol
• Converting our forklift truck fleet to electric models
• Operating a Cycle to Work Scheme
• Introducing Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) HGVs
• Reviewing waste management practices to align with the waste hierarchy
• Increasing the use of recycled and recyclable materials in our packaging
• Providing guidance to our branches on minimizing energy consumption
• Promoting good environmental practices and raising awareness across the business

Sourcing products responsibly is hugely important to us. For instance, we source timber products from legal and sustainable sources, with full chain of custody documentation. Our natural stone comes from suppliers committed to ethical sourcing. We maintain a zero-tolerance stance on slavery and human trafficking, partnering with our suppliers to implement robust systems and controls that prevent such practices within our supply chains. Additionally, we are collaborating with suppliers to identify Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) and life cycle assessments for complete transparency regarding the environmental impact of the products we sell.

MKM branches have the ability to source products manufactured locally with the support of our central procurement team. This approach supports local businesses and minimizes road travel and reduces carbon emissions. In 2024 we introduced online labelling to show products that are ‘Greener Options’, and we continue to work to improve product information to help customers make a more informed purchase decision. You can find out more here [link to Greener Option | MKM Building Supplies].

We regularly assess our product offerings and have recently introduced Air Source Heat Pumps and Solar PV systems from a range of manufacturers. We collaborate with these manufacturers to provide training and support for our customers to help them stay current with industry skills and knowledge. This includes training for plumbing and heating engineers on installing renewable technologies and guidance on changes to building regulations and government funding for low carbon heating solutions.

School ambassador

Kerry Hunt

kerry.hunt@mkmbs.co.uk

MKM are passionate about inspiring young people to consider merchanting as a viable career option whether they are some way off leaving education or just about to leave and enter the world of work.

As such, we support various school initiatives such as jobs fayres as well as our MKM Experience Days which we hold twice a year. The Experience Days are designed to give year 5’s a flavour of the world of work in a fun, engaging way & provide the children with an insight into the various job functions of a modern, forward thing merchanting business. In addition, many of our Apprentices join us straight from education where they are employed on a full time permanent contract of employment in a variety of roles.