Building trade bodies announce merger

The National Federation of Builders (NFB) and the Scottish Building Federation (SBF) have announced plans to merge.

The England and Wales-based NFB, which can trace its origins to 1880, and the SBF, which was founded in 1895, agreed to become one organisation within the next two years.

The name of the merged organisation has not yet been announced.

The two bodies have worked closely together since signing a partnership in November 2023.

A statement on the merger said the boards of each had agreed to join together and would consult members on how to “best preserve the spirit, heritage, traditions and identities of the two sets of members”.

NFB chief executive Richard Beresford said the SBF had been considered its sister organisation for a long time.

“As the construction sector continually adapts and changes, so too must those who represent it,” he said. 

“Our two teams have worked hard together to get to this point, so we are delighted to announce that we now intend to become one.

“Our members will enjoy a greater range of services, a louder share of voice and a bigger network of like-minded colleagues.”

SBF operations director Paul Mitchell added: “The construction industry can suffer at times due to fragmentation or divisions that make it harder to secure the support we need.

“By joining together, we can maximise our influence on critical policy areas, while also delivering significantly enhanced services and benefits to our combined membership.”

In 2019, the then Sir Robert McAlpine boss Paul Hamer said communications between industry and government were hampered by there being too many construction trade bodies. His argument was rejected by several associations at the time, including the NFB.