The aftermath of Grenfell and the consequent passing of the Building Safety Act (BSA) puts the focus on changing attitudes in how we build and maintain our buildings, placing building safety firmly at the top of the agenda. The new BSA marks clear expectations in behaviours and compliance, relevant to all parts of the construction supply chain. However, regulatory compliance can be complex and according to NBS’s Building Safety White Paper, published in May 2024, 44% of specifiers were unsure or have no idea what steps to take within the new building safety regime, while only 12% felt ‘very clear’. The results highlight the considerable knowledge gap that remains when it comes to building safety, particularly where fire safety is concerned.
Manufacturers, main contractors, specialist contractors and builders’ merchants have long relied on distributors to break the bulk and provide logistical support, delivering products on time, in full and to specification. However, as an established distributor specialising in building materials and project solutions, our role in the supply chain is much more far-reaching to customers.
Knowledgeable distributors such as The Encon Group act as an essential conduit between manufacturers and contractors or between manufacturers and builders’ merchants to support our customers and their projects with compliant solutions and expert guidance. In fact, we see our important role as a distributor spanning three key areas:
Product Supply
Distributors provide assurance in supply with availability of a wide choice of products from market-leading brands, in stock. With new regulation ensuring products are procured and installed as specified, correct product availability is vital. Delivery on time and in full is also essential and with flexibility for customers to collect if required. Encon’s national branch network and dedicated vehicle fleet means customers will get what they need, when they need, delivered to site or their yard, or ready for collection from our trade counters. The fleet is FORS accredited, with our East London branch achieving FORS Gold standard. Our flexible deliveries include split loads, offload facilities and timed deliveries to meet the practical needs of a project on site.
Project Support
As a specialist and longstanding distributor, we provide total project solutions so customers can source all the products they need from one main supplier, providing convenience and cost savings compared to sourcing materials from multiple suppliers. Our strong relationships with our manufacturer partners also mean we can provide access to bespoke designs or solutions for more complex project requirements. Encon can facilitate relevant training and technical support so customers have all the application and product knowledge needed to meet the fire protection requirements.
Knowledge and Guidance
Our key focus is to have the range and choice of products so that we can supply customers with product solutions as specified for their projects. Distributors do not and should not change project specifications, however, we will use our experience and product knowledge to alert customers if the specification would benefit from further review directly with the specifier or manufacturer in order to meet performance requirements.
Our industry’s renewed focus on building safety makes it vital that customers receive the support they need so they understand and deliver their obligations in line with latest regulations. The role as an effective distributor partner means we provide more than just product delivery. Our specialist teams have decades of construction experience and professional qualifications from recognised bodies including the Association for Specialist Fire Protection (ASFP) and Institute of Fire Engineers (IFE), as well as in-house training and learning to ensure the competence needed to support customers.
Find your local Encon branch to benefit from specialist project support from our expert teams, or download our Passive Fire Protection Guide to learn more about the extensive choice of products we stock from trusted brands.
Nationwide Delivery
