ON Wednesday 15 December, the member companies of the British Precast Concrete Federation voted unanimously to join the Mineral Products Association (MPA).
Welcoming the decision, Martin Clarke, chief executive of British Precast, said: ‘I am delighted that we have taken this next step in integrating the heavyside representational bodies in UK construction products. The challenges in front of all of us are immense but also exciting. There is more need than ever for us to work with like-minded materials and product interests as a power block with the Coalition Government and the devolved administrations.
‘We have agreed a way of working together that will unite our existing and growing membership behind a positive agenda while preserving our focus on product and market sectors and their individual licence to operate and licence to market issues. It is particularly good news for the small and medium-sized companies that make up the great majority of our membership.’
He added: ‘I anticipate immediate synergies in several areas. First, it will bring into our membership some new companies from the MPA. Secondly, we look forward to working, in an integrated way, with the cement, mortar and ready-mixed concrete industries under the MPA umbrella to fight together with The Concrete Centre for market share against timber, plastics and steel construction, and to identify new opportunities for our precast, masonry and landscape products and systems.’
Nigel Jackson, chief executive of the MPA, commented: ‘We are delighted with the very positive vote of the British Precast members and warmly welcome them into the MPA family. They will bring a large and valuable product and customer group into our organization.
‘This move represents another significant step in the evolution of the trade representation of the industry from a number of fragmented organizations into a genuinely sectoral body that promotes and protects all its members’ interests and enables more effective and influential dialogue with government and other key stakeholders.
‘I look forward to a rapid conclusion of formalities so that members realize the benefits as soon as possible.’
