HomeAbout our Business:
Alloway Timber & Builders Merchants is a timber and builders merchant with a strong heritage in supplying quality timber and building materials. Established in 1971 we now have over 50 years of trading. We operate in the London and Surrey through five branches and currently procure product and services from approximately 130 suppliers. Alloway Timber & Builders Merchants is a member of the BMF, TTF and the NBG national buying group.
Alloway Timber & Builders Merchants seeks excellence in every aspect of its business and is committed to minimise the social, environmental, and ethical impacts of its supply chain.
We spend approximately £14m annually on the procurement of goods and services and our purchases range from computer equipment, office supplies and building materials.
Our policy is to seek the purchase of goods and services that minimise negative and enhance positive impacts on the environment and society whilst meeting our business requirements. By incorporating social, environmental, and ethical considerations into purchasing decisions we endeavour to make a positive contribution to the environment and society. To this end, we have developed Operating Principles that are applicable to both our suppliers and to ourselves. These principles seek to ensure that we and our suppliers act in a responsible manner.
Where it is found that a supplier’s conduct is not in accordance with Alloway Timber & Builders Merchants' Responsible Purchasing Policy and Operating Principles, we will seek to engage with that supplier and encourage continuous improvement in their environmental, social, and ethical performance.
In support of the Policy and Principles Alloway Timber & Builders Merchants will:
i. Assign responsibility for the Responsible Purchasing Policy and the associated Operating Principles to named responsible individual(s) and provide Management Board oversight of both Policy and Principles.
ii. Allocate funds for the effective direction and implementation of the Policy and Principles, with particular emphasis on encouraging continuous improvement.
iii. Measure and monitor the application of the Policy and Principles.
iv. Review and revise the Policy and Principles on an annual basis.
Alloway Timber & Builders Merchants' Operating Principles
Our Responsible Purchasing Operating Principles sit within our established purchasing practices that ensure an equitable procurement process in line with all applicable laws and regulations. To implement the Responsible Purchasing Policy,
Alloway Timber & Builders Merchants will:
i. Work collaboratively with suppliers to improve environmental, social and ethical standards with the aim of realising continuous improvement in all three areas for both our suppliers and ourselves.
ii. Protect the confidentiality of information entrusted to us.
iii. Recognise the supplier’s own standard where they are working to environmental, social and ethical standards similar to those stipulated in the Alloway Timber Operating Principles.
iv. Not require suppliers to realise environmental, social and ethical standards more onerous than our own.
v. Ensure that all relevant employees are aware of the Responsible Purchasing Policy
Modern slavery statement - Alloway Timber & Builders Merchants
This statement is made under s.54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and sets out the steps that Alloway Timber & Builders Merchants has taken and is continuing to take to ensure that modern slavery or human trafficking is not taking place within our business or supply chain.
Our policies
We operate a number of internal policies and practises to ensure that we are conducting business in an ethical and transparent manner.
These include:
1. Anti-slavery. Our organisational stance on modern slavery is that this encompasses slavery, servitude, human trafficking and forced labour. Alloway Timber & Builders Merchants has a zero tolerance approach to any form of modern slavery. We are committed to acting ethically and with integrity and transparency in all business dealings and to putting effective controls in place to safeguard against any form of modern slavery taking place within the business or our supply chain.
2. Recruitment policy. We operate a robust recruitment policy, including conducting eligibility to work in the UK checks for all employees to safeguard against human trafficking or individuals being forced to work against their will.
3. Whistleblowing policy. We operate a whistleblowing policy so that all employees know that they can raise concerns about how colleagues are being treated, or practices within our business or supply chain, without fear of reprisals.
Our suppliers
Alloway Timber & Builders Merchants operates a strict supplier policy and maintains a preferred supplier list. We conduct due diligence on suppliers before allowing them to become a preferred supplier. This an online search to ensure that any particular organisation has never been convicted of offenses relating to modern slavery and where practical site visits are conducted.
As a member of the NBG buying group the majority of all purchases are made through approved NBG suppliers. NBG have their own Supplier Code of conduct which involves carrying out a due diligence across all nominated suppliers with the aim of ensuring each approved supplier operates in compliance with the Modern Slavery Act.
Our Approach
We conduct training for our procurement/buying teams so that they understand the signs of modern slavery and what to do if they suspect that it is taking place within our supply chain.
Name: Jez Avens - Managing Director
Date: 27th April 2023
