Construction supplier says rate of decline is slowing but sees no turnaround in private sectors

Construction products firm SIG has revealed a 16.5% fall in turnover over the last 16 months.

However the company has seen early signs of a slowing in the rate of decline in some markets.

In an interim statement covering the period from 1 July to November 11, SIG said non-residential construction activity had continued to decline

The firm said the ongoing reduction in the private sector outweighed modest increases in public works.

UK gross margins remained under pressure across all divisions on a day-to-day basis accord ng to SIG.

It added that a 20% uplift to the Carbon Emissions Trading Scheme (CERT), whereby energy companies pay to reduce CO2 emissions from homes, had not translated into increased sales for its insulation division Miller Pattison.