Biesse UK have announced a significant expansion of its team and capabilities following the Biesse acquisition of GMM. The integration of GMM products will begin on 1st January 2025. This includes machinery sales, parts and service. 

Key team members from Roccia Machinery will join the Biesse Stone division, bringing with them invaluable expertise, strong customer relationships, and an unwavering commitment to service excellence. 

"This union marks a substantial advancement in our commitment to serving the UK market,” says Colin Burke, CEO UK & Ireland. "We warmly welcome the Roccia Machinery team to the Biesse family and look forward to leveraging their knowledge and dedication to support our customers."

Customers can expect a seamless transition and continued access to the high-quality solutions they have come to expect from GMM, now further strengthened by Biesse’s industry-leading resources and innovative approach. This merger reinforces our promise to deliver comprehensive, cutting-edge solutions across the stone, glass, wood, composite and metal sectors. 

Sintered stone brand Neolith has obtained the international Cradle to Cradle Certified® Bronze certification, the world’s most advanced standard for safe, circular and responsible materials and products, for a large range of products that have a positive impact on people and the planet.

Neolith sintered stone is made from natural raw materials including clays, feldspar, oxides and up to 20 different natural minerals with some of its products containing up to 98% recycled materials. All products are 100% recyclable. The company also recycle all its industrial water, 100% of the electrical energy used during the production process comes from sources with a guarantee of renewable origin and the company recycles more than 96% of the industrial waste generated.

Jesús Ayarza, CEO of Neolith Group, adds “It is an honour for the entire Neolith team to have obtained the Cradle to Cradle Certified® Bronze accreditation, as it represents recognition of our innovation efforts to meet our main objectives, intrinsically linked to sustainability, such as Zero Waste, the use of recycled raw materials and a productive activity with a neutral impact on carbon generation. In short, our efforts to contribute to the circular economy. We are proud that our products allow us to build a better future for everyone”.
 

New research from the British Geological Survey has revealed an opportunity to re-establish the Scottish building stone market in order to maintain the country’s historic buildings.

The report commissioned by Historic Environment Scotland illustrates the connection between Scotland's identity and its stone-built heritage. Historic buildings provide not just a tangible link to the past, but are also a huge draw for millions of tourists from around the world — a vital source of income for the local economy.

Historic Environment Scotland (HES) cares for more than 300 monuments and buildings of national importance across Scotland, which need to be protected for everyone’s future enjoyment and education. Maintaining these structures is an exercise that requires engineering expertise, highly skilled artisans and access to materials that will mirror those that were available at the time of construction.
Scotland’s built environment is intrinsically linked to the ground below it, created from diverse geology extracted from over 3,700 quarries. It is this geology and the methods used to quarry, process and build with stone that create a sense of place, from the red sandstones of Dumfries to the grey stone granite of Aberdeen.

This new research has highlighted the increasing opportunity to bring indigenous stone, including sandstone and flagstone, igneous and metamorphic rocks and roofing slate, back to the Scottish market. The opportunities presented within the report highlight the building stones and quarries most crucial to ongoing efforts to maintain these historic buildings for future generations, as well as supporting the potential for new build applications to contribute to Scotland’s transition to net zero.

Researchers found that:

• The cost of imported stone construction materials has risen by up to 98 per cent since 2015, possibly due to increasing fuel prices and shipping costs.
• The Scottish and UK construction industry is increasingly vulnerable to erratic pricing and market volatility, due to an over-reliance on imported materials.
• Increased ranges in stone production locally create a more resilient supply chain and provide assurance of supply.
• 139 disused building stone quarries and 31 quarries that currently only supply crushed-stone aggregate may have the potential to supply a significant proportion of Scotland’s building stone needs

Graham Briggs, materials project manager at HES said: "The dwindling supply of local materials to protect fundamental parts of Scottish history is placing unique pressures on those who wish to maintain and protect our traditional and historic buildings. 

A renewed Scottish building stone market would not only create rural skilled jobs and reduce carbon emissions, but also improve conservation outcomes for our important historic buildings. With that in mind, indigenous stone suppliers are faced with increased pressures and costs that make them uncompetitive against cheaper imported materials.

This research demonstrates that Scotland is more than capable of being self-sufficient with regard to its building stone requirements going into the future; however, this will require investment and support through innovation in procurement."

The full report suggests how the supply and use of Scottish building stones can be increased in Scotland, including increasing production at active quarries that already supply building stone. It also contains a series of three factsheets, which found:

• Over 5 million tonnes of building stone are imported into the UK each year.
• Sandstone is the UK’s most imported stone each year.
• Roofing slate imports command the highest price — Scotland is particularly vulnerable to this, with no current source of Scottish roofing slate.
• The cost of imported stone has almost doubled since 2015.
   

Imogen Shaw, building stone scientist, BGS added: "If Scotland wants to continue to build in its traditional stone, conserving heritage buildings and ensuring new builds are also in keeping with the historic landscape, then action needs to be taken to source more stone locally.

Our latest report is a vital resource for policymakers and potential investors, providing them with a clear snapshot of current supplies that will help them to identify opportunities for growth and better inform investment in indigenous building stone production."

 

The founder of stone conservation and restoration company Stonehealth has warned specifiers and building owners of the risk of using imitation machinery.

Brian Crowe said that since the latest iteration of the company's Doff III machine launched earlier this year, a photo has surfaced showing an alternative machine being used on a project carrying a Doff sticker in an attempt to appear authentic.

“For the past 30 years we have created a reputation as the leaders in our field,” said Mr Crowe. “So while in a way it’s a compliment to have impostors pretending to be us, it’s not one that we welcome.

“What we are often finding is that our products are specified for projects but then, to save costs, inferior machinery is used by unqualified personnel. While this is a serious issue for our business – we risk suffering damage to our brand – we have a major concern about the impact of our heritage buildings.

“If damage is done, it’s irreversible. If you remove the surface of stone or break then you can’t get it back.”

Mr Crowe, who founded Stonehealth in 1989, said education was key to ensuring that buildings continued to be properly treated.

“Our intention is to make architects, surveyors and other specifiers – including conservation officers – aware of people working with something different to what’s been specified or approved. Any queries on whether the contractors and machines are genuine should be directed to us. We know where our machines are and the personnel who are trained to use them.

“We place great emphasis on training the contractors who use our equipment, as well as ensuring that our machines are properly specified.

“Our reputation has been earned over decades of innovation and care for our industry and we won’t tolerate abuse of it, or the risk of unsatisfactory results from impostors harming the likelihood of our products being specified again.”

To help ensure that only bona fide contractors are considered and awarded contracts, Stonehealth has set up its Approved Rosette Contractors Scheme.

Approved contractors must meet stringent criteria including: full training in use of Stonehealth equipment, reviewed every year; use of only genuine Stonehealth parts and materials; annual inspection and servicing of machinery by Stonehealth; provision of at least two customer testimonials per year to maintain Rosette status.

Specialist KBB recruitment agency and online training provider, Simon Acres Group Limited is working in collaboration with the Worktop Fabricators Federation (WFF) to support WFF members grow and future-proof their businesses.

WFF is a non-profit organisation that supports those who use industrial fabrication methods to make worktops from natural stone and similar man-made materials. The Federation aims to advance professionalism in the worktop fabrication and stone masonry industries, promoting best practices and workplace health and safety policies. As a unified voice, the WFF represents the industry and guides its members on matters of significant importance.

Through the new partnership, Simon Acres Group will work closely with WFF to provide its members with advice on recruitment including finding the right candidates, the importance of ongoing training and how to hire an apprentice. Simon Acres Group aims to improve the skills shortage within the KBB sector and is therefore a huge advocate of apprenticeships. The group encourages this as a route for employers to nurture fresh talent, bring diverse perspectives and future-proof the industry.

Simon Acres, managing director, Simon Acres Group, says: “Within the KBB industry, it’s important that we work together, encourage and support each other to hire more apprentices for a stronger, more secure future. Partnering with WFF gives us an opportunity to explain the benefits of apprenticeships, and the ease of hiring an apprentice, with members of the organisation.

“Recruitment and succession planning are vital aspects of running a business and by joining forces with WFF, we aim to help alleviate the pressure and support members to strive towards future-proofing the industry overall.”

Nigel Fletcher, COO, WFF, adds: “Succession planning is something that our members really need to focus on. Now, with the support of Simon Acres Group, they have access to direct advice on how to hire an apprentice, the importance of onboarding and much more. At WFF, we drive quality and professionalism amongst fabricators, and we’re pleased to have the backing of Simon Acres Group to ensure that our members navigate recruitment in the best ways possible.”

For more information on Simon Acres Group, visit: simonacres.co.uk

Roccia Machinery has announced that its distributor agreement with GMM SpA will terminate on 24 December 2024. The announcement follows the purchase of GMM SpA by Biesse SpA in January of this year. This news will affect customers with the UK and Ireland.

A statement by Roccia reads: "All enquiries for new machinery, service and spare parts should be directed to Biesse UK Limited from 1 January 2025. We will update customers with contact information for Biesse in due course. Finally, we wish to thank all of our GMM customers over the last 15 years for their custom and support."