As gold sponsor of the Building Schools Exhibition & Conference (BSEC) 2009, Wolseley showcased its product, service and supply chain solutions on its interactive stand at the event.

Wolseley demonstrated how the correct products can make the difference in creating sustainable, efficient and stimulating educational environments at the annual event on 11 – 12 February 2009.

The BSEC event, now in its fourth year, combines a high level conference and exhibition at Manchester Central. It attracts more than 150 exhibitors and 2,500 attendees from the public and private sectors who are at the forefront of UK school building initiatives.

BSEC covers the government's school building programmes - Building Schools for the Future (BSF), City Academies and the Primary Capital Programme - in addition to traditional PFI projects, focusing on the construction, maintenance and design of schools.

Wolseley had leading brand manufacturers such as Baxi Commercial Heating, Polypipe Terrain, Tywfords, Sabiana, Jeld-wen and Grohe on hand to discuss features, benefits and technical aspects of their products designed for school environments.

Brand representatives from Wolseley’s leading trade businesses including Plumb Center, Build Center, Drain Center and Encon were also available to outline how working with Wolseley as a one-stop-shop for construction materials can help maximise value for money and supply chain efficiencies across projects. Visitors were able to meet with staff on the stand and see, touch and experience the products.

The general manager of Wolseley’s new Modular Engineering facility, part of its Pipe Center business, was a presenter as part of the fringe events supporting the conference and exhibition. Bob Hughes, who has more than 35 years industry experience, introduced the new facility, the leading-edge technology it uses and highlighted the reasons behind the growing demand for off-site pre-fabrication.

Wolseley’s head of sustainability Tim Pollard also took part in the breakout session on day two of the conference. Tim has led the sustainable development strategy at Wolseley during the past three years, which has included the delivery of the company’s Sustainable Building Center in Leamington Spa. This UK-first, 6,800 sq ft living showcase of sustainable building products officially opened in June 2008 and has seen visitors from across all construction sectors including developers, house builders, specifiers and clients in both the public and private sectors.

During the past two years, Wolseley has been working closely with stakeholders at every level of the BSF programme, including both Local Education Partnerships and their supply chains. By working in partnership with Wolseley during early design stages the product selection process can be made easier thanks to the detailed product information and project specific advice that can be provided by Wolseley within all areas of school building.