According to the latest Federation of Master Builders (FMB) State of Trade Q1 2021, the first three months of 2021 saw enquiries with local building firms increase at their fastest rate in a decade – how is that for a bit of good news?

At the time of writing this article, England and the rest of the UK is still slowly, and cautiously, coming out of lockdown and managing to contain the spread of the virus and it seems the construction industry is making a comeback of its own. The theme of this viewpoint is positivity and having a positive mental attitude (PMA), because we could all do with some – right?

The above mentioned report comes with a few caveats, one of the more worrying being that the cost of materials does seem to be surging – a pattern reflected in the electrotechnical industry. However, from January to March 2021, the report shows that enquiries with local building firms are growing at their fastest pace in more than 10 years and that’s something that we should be feeling very positive about.

Whilst I appreciate it’s not easy to always  approach every day with a Positive Mental Attitude, looking for small graces and silver linings can help shape how we feel. Boosting the construction market further is the ‘rise of the retrofit’ which has people rethinking and repurposing spaces and rooms in their homes. Businesses have also cottoned on to this trend with many in the hospitality industry taking the time to redecorate and reinvent their spaces to offer their customers a new experience. Whilst the obvious comes to mind: a lick of paint here, some new shelving there, and if you’re anything like me: a lot of house plants – many are completely restructuring their lives along with the built environment they spend so much time in.

There are so many different areas within the retrofit market and maybe less thought about is the cable management side of things. Within the Cable Management feature in this issue, Flexicon talks about its cable protection solutions designed to maintain more mechanical strength and continuous protection of cabling. When an installer is tasked with retrofitting products to improve the overall design, look and functionality of any given space, a wholesaler with all the information on current trends and easy to install products is going to be in the best position to assist and provide the right equipment for the job.

My final bit of positive news comes from the EDA, stating that: demand from electrotechnical businesses for training courses and apprenticeships has increased substantially in Q1 of 2021. More good news that young people are actively interested and applying to work in the industry with competent training and apprenticeships to support them. It is also good to know that these businesses are helping those already in the industry to improve their skills.

Things are looking up and let’s hope we can keep it that way.

Have a great month and enjoy the issue.

Michael Connolly
Editor