FORT Fencing
Agricultural & Equine Fencing
FORT July Newsletter - 2023
24 July 2023
We mentioned in June that the weather had changed and it’s certainly been good for building– long may it continue! With increasing interest rates and general ‘gloom and doom’ being a popular line of discussion, we need all the help we can get. Nothing much has changed on that front for our sector of the construction industry and when speaking to many of you about your workloads, it still seems to be very busy. However, there do seem to be a few signs of quietening around future projects, so perhaps as we get closer to the Winter things may change?
Availability is good across pretty much every product line. Some of that is down to FORT’s stock policy, we hold huge stocks in all the lines that we offer and that helps you to continue working. Kington Aggregates is now firmly joined to FORT and we’re delighted with the way this is going; a huge thank you to our new Kington customers, many of whom are now also ordering building materials from us as well.
Inflation is still rampant within the whole economy but it’s not all about increases; some products are falling in price, so estimating is as tricky as ever. Please continue to contact us for updates.
General Availability & Price Update
Our roundup of key indicators is shown below:
Currency - The £ is at its highest point since April 2022. Against the Euro, things have held steady. What is interesting is the £ compared to the Skr (Sweden currency). A lot of timber comes from Sweden and their currency has weakened, a lot, making their products much cheaper and thereby putting pressure generally on many timber items.
Containers - Having dropped from incredibly high rates, the price appears to still be on a small downward trend, thereby easing the cost of imports, especially heavier items (sandstone for example). It also helps reduce the cost of products like Plywood.
Steel - A brief spike in price caused by the terrible earthquakes in and around Turkey have fallen back and overall prices have levelled off at quite a low point. Very slight drop in price from June.
Timber - While this is a US index, it shows the trend. Timber has returned to somewhere close to 2020 (pre-pandemic) levels and is currently below those levels. There’s an underlying need for rates to rise, but at the moment lack of demand is holding that back. In Europe, operational costs and the shortage of logs (due to sanctions on Russia and Belarus) are starting to kick in and we anticipate small increases as the year progresses.
Inflation - Inflation remains stubbornly high, finally we’re seeing what looks like a continued drop to around 11%, but the rate of all looks as if it could be quite significant. This has taken a lot longer than anticipated, but energy costs have fallen and increased interest rates have taken money out of the system, so it looks as if the UK will see far lower levels of inflation during 2023.
FORT Loose Tip Service Now Available
As most of you already know, Kington Aggregates has joined with FORT, we’re now able to offer a loose tip service on a vast rage of both building and decorative aggregates. With expertise and knowledge on local and materials from further afield, be sure that FORT can support you with your project.
Locally produced materials
Experience and knowledge in the industry
Quality topsoil tested to BS3882 standards, ideal for raised beds and much more!
Building & decorative aggregates
Up to 20-tonne deliveries
FORT Showroom Update
The FORT showroom is ready for visitors! We’ve completed the installation of various materials and products that we can supply and customers, installers & architects are welcomed to visit. We’re confident that with our huge range of goods, whether that be windows, fibre cement cladding or composite decking, FORT can help you with your project. Here's all that you can see at the FORT Showroom;
Kitchens
Bathrooms
Composite decking
Fencing
Internal and external doors
Bathroom tiles
Bi-fold doors
Roof lanterns
Roof windows
Timber and composite flooring
Fibre cement cladding
Composite cladding
Composite fencing
Brick library
Furnishings
& more!
As always, please do not assume stock availability - check with the sales office!
Our reputation relies on word of mouth and testimonials from our valued customers, and as such we'd love for you to share reviews of your experiences with us on either Facebook or Trust Pilot if you have the time.
Thank you very much for your ongoing support of FORT!
Best regards,
Matt, Tim & Keith
The Directors