Building materials company Grafton Group has appointed a new CEO.
Frank Elkins will join the business on 5 August, succeeding outgoing Selco chief executive officer Howard Luft who will leave Grafton after six-and-a-half years in the role.
As well as CEO of Selco, Elkins will assume overall responsibility for Grafton’s trade distribution business in Great Britain.
Until last year, Elkins worked with Travis Perkins for 12 years in various senior roles including group chief operating officer.
He brings broad experience in executive directorship roles and the UK building materials distribution sector, including with BSS Industrial and Hagemeyer.
Posting on social media, Elkins wrote: “Really looking forward to joining Grafton Group in August and help grow and develop Selco and the wider GB distribution businesses.”
Overall trading in the group’s businesses remained challenging in the first half, with average daily like-for-like revenue down 4.5 per cent on the prior year.
In the UK, the weak trends experienced in the first quarter in the repair, maintenance and improvement market continued up until the end of the period.
Group revenue from 1 January 2024 to 30 June 2024 was £1.14 billion (H1 2023: £1.19 billion), down 4.4 per cent from the previous year.
Grafton said its management teams have continued to actively manage gross margins and cost base in response to market conditions.
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