An MP has toured a timber and builders merchant to meet staff and learn more about the company’s role in supporting local construction projects and small businesses.
Jess Brown-Fuller, MP for Chichester, visited Covers Timber and Builder’s Merchant to meet staff and learn more about the business’s support for construction projects and small businesses across the Chichester area.
During the visit, Ms Brown-Fuller met with the management team to discuss operations and the provision of timber and building materials. Discussions included the company’s support for small contractors.
Covers Timber was founded by the Green family in 1846 and is one of the UK’s top 20 builders merchants.
The company has grown steadily since the 1960s and now employs more than 180 people in the Chichester area.
Rupert Green, chairman of Covers Timber and Builders Merchants, said: "We were delighted to welcome Jess Brown-Fuller MP to our Chichester site and to share more about Covers, our people, and the role we play in supporting the construction and building materials sector across the South.
"The visit provided a valuable opportunity to discuss several of the practical challenges facing local businesses, including road congestion, limitations within the electricity network affecting EV charging and the export of solar energy, the importance of flood resilience and the cost and timescales associated with the planning process for smaller projects.
"Jess taking the time to visit and engage with our colleagues demonstrated a genuine interest in the issues affecting local employers, and we very much appreciated her interest and engagement."
Mr Green also raised the challenges in recruiting young people for roles such as vehicle technicians.
He pointed out that many employees at the Chichester branch commute from surrounding areas, highlighting of transport limitations - a longstanding concern of Ms Brown-Fuller’s.
She recently chaired a Westminster Hall debate on Transport in the South East.
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