fibo Collect for Builders’ Merchants Continues to Grow
With a growing number of fibo Collect machines across the UK and Ireland, the new installation marks another significant step in the development of the concept in the UK, where a growing number of builders’ merchants are taking interest in fibo Collect.
Beesley & Fildes is one of the North West’s biggest independent builders’ merchants, with nine branches spanning Merseyside, Cheshire and Greater Manchester, making this one of the largest merchant installations in the fibo Collect network to date.
Beesley & Fildes has been aware of the fibo Collect concept for some time. As a forward-thinking, family-owned merchant, the business has kept in close contact with our UK team as the concept has developed and the wider network has grown, before deciding the time was right to introduce the system at Widnes.
Following a successful installation, the branch is now offering ready-to-collect concrete, mortar and screed directly from their yard.
Built for the Way Merchants Trade
The majority of fibo Collect machines operating across the UK are installed at builders’ merchants. It is a natural fit for businesses that already supply the materials, products and services needed for smaller construction projects.
Builders’ merchants such as Beesley & Fildes serve customers working on extensions, driveways, garden walls, landscaping projects and repairs every day. These jobs often require relatively small quantities of concrete, mortar or screed – volumes that can be difficult to source efficiently through traditional readymix delivery.
With fibo Collect, the merchant can produce the finished material directly from the yard.
Instead of arranging a part-load delivery or spending time mixing by hand on site, builders and landscapers can collect the quantity they need alongside the other materials for the job. Batches can start from just 0.25m³ and be produced in under five minutes, making concrete, mortar and screed another product that can form part of a regular visit to the merchant.
For Beesley & Fildes, the installation adds a new production capability to its existing operation.
A fibo Collect is not a standard machine that is simply placed into a merchant’s yard. Each installation is configured around the individual site, taking into account the available space, existing operation and the requirements of the local market.
fibo Collect: What We’ve Learned from Builders’ Merchants
Every fibo Collect installation gives us more insight into how smaller volumes of concrete, mortar and screed are being produced, purchased and used.
Across our UK and Ireland installations, the data shows a clear demand for convenient access to smaller batches. The average collection is just 0.4m³, with C30 concrete, 4:1 mortar and C20 concrete consistently among the most popular recipes. These are volumes that sit well below a typical readymix minimum order, but represent everyday requirements for builders, landscapers and other trades.
We can also see how fibo Collect fits into the working day. The average collection takes place at 10:31am, with customers typically visiting their local merchant on the way to a job and taking only the material they need with them.
For our merchant customers, the benefits extend beyond concrete sales. One existing installation recorded an 87% increase in associated product sales in the year following installation compared with its previous three-year average. Another merchant attributed 18 new trade accounts directly to fibo Collect during its first year of operation.
A Concept Built to Grow
The installation at Beesley & Fildes adds to a growing network that grew from 1 to 20 machines in the first 3 years since launching in UK and Ireland.
For us, the growth of the network demonstrates how a different approach to concrete production can open up new opportunities for businesses that have traditionally supplied building materials but not ready-mixed concrete.
Builders’ merchants already have many of the fundamentals in place: the materials, the yard and, importantly, an established customer base. fibo Collect adds the production technology, automation and digital infrastructure needed to turn those existing resources into an additional service.
It is also why we don’t see fibo Collect as a one-size-fits-all machine. Every installation is considered around the individual business, its site and its market. Our team works with the customer through configuration, installation, commissioning and training, helping to create a solution that works within their existing operation.
With further installations planned throughout 2026 in the UK, we will continue to develop the fibo Collect network while working closely with our customers to understand how the concept can evolve for different markets and applications.