The Haldane Group, the Northern Ireland based builders’ merchant, welcomed senior representatives from the Bank of England’s Monetary and Financial Policy Committees to its Newry headquarters as part of a regional policymaker outreach visit.
Huw Pill, chief economist, executive director for monetary analysis and a member of the Monetary Policy Committee, as well as Nathanaël Benjamin, executive director for financial stability strategy and risk, met with executive chairman David Haldane, Chief Executive Officer Charles Burns, and Newry Site Manager and fourth-generation shareholder Rob Haldane.
During the visit, the guests met with The Haldane Group’s leadership team to discuss the current business climate, before touring the Newry site — the largest hub for the company’s extensive timber importing, manufacturing, and distribution operations.
Haldane said: “We were delighted to welcome Mr Pill and Mr Benjamin to Newry… The builders’ merchant industry across the UK is navigating a complex environment. Rising costs, supply chain pressures, and fluctuations in demand remain real challenges, but there are also significant opportunities. With continued investment in housing, infrastructure, and the transition to greener building solutions, we see real potential for growth. For independent merchants like The Haldane Group, our strength lies in combining scale with excellent local customer service, digitisation, improved customer satisfaction, and nurturing our team of talent — enabling us to adapt quickly and support customers as the market evolves.”
Pill said he found the visit to Haldane Fisher “fascinating and insightful”, adding: “It was very valuable to hear about the Group’s exciting growth plans and to discuss the economic conditions they and the wider sector are currently facing”.