The BMF is strengthening its team this month with the addition of two new people. Beccy Marlow joins as office manager at the new Coventry offices, where the BMF is relocating at the beginning of March, as well as PA to managing director, John Newcomb. Richard Jones is the new Southern regional manager. He will be covering six of the BMF regions, visiting members, organising meetings and events, bringing merchants and suppliers together.

Ms Marlow has previously worked within the sports industry for a number of years in sportswear design and manufacture, as well as brand licensing and event management.

She said of her appointment: “I am really excited to be joining the BMF at the beginning of its new era in Coventry. I have always provided full business support at director level and am pleased to continue this role within the BMF, supporting our managing director John Newcomb and managing the new state of the art office in Coventry.”

Mr Jones has spent all of his working career in the merchant sector and brings to the BMF a wealth of experience. He was managing director of Slocombe and Butcher between 1986 and 2005, before it was acquired by Buildbase. Following a spell at Buildbase running the Weston-Super-Mare and Wellington branches, he joined the Western Builders Merchants buying group as managing director in 2006 until 2008 when the group merged with H&B. For the last 3 years Richard has been a self employed sales agent acting on behalf of manufacturers and suppliers of building materials to merchants in the South West and South Wales.

Mr Jones said: “I am joining the BMF at an exciting time with the move and changes that are taking place. I am looking forward to meeting and talking with our members and getting a calendar of events up and running for the Southern regions in the coming months.”