LONDON: B&Q is to help its 30 000 employees to reduce their energy bills and their carbon footprint with a programme of "eco-incentives" that could save up to an estimated £4.2m in cash and over 19 000 tonnes of carbon dioxide the company said.

ASHFORD: VJ Technology, one of the UK’s leading manufacturers and distributors of fixings, fastenings, power tools and consumables, has announced the appointment of Pietro Grandesso as managing director.

LEAMINGTON SPA: Despite many people feeling the pinch this past year, it is reassuring to see that support was still rife for the fundraising efforts of Plumb Center and Parts Center with an outstanding £100 000 raised for Action for Children.

DUBLIN: The Grafton Group today published its six month interim results which shows that the group has stabilised.

MIDLANDS: Security specialist Yale has promoted Vicki Hawkes to the role of regional sales manager for the Midlands, Mid Wales and Lincolnshire, with responsibility for supporting merchant and retail customers.

WOLVERHAMPTON: Carvers is sponsoring next weekend's Wolverhampton Marathon when more than 2000 runners are expected to participate.

LEICESTER: Ibstock has launched a new, free to download ‘Brick App’ specifically designed to allow customers to order samples, view technical specs and access stockist information, all at the touch of a button from their mobile phones.

CREWE: Focus DIY has reduced its losses during a year in which it avoided insolvency after agreeing a company voluntary arrangement with creditors.

WEST YORKSHIRE: Elliott Fastrack Construction has undergone a change of name to Elliott Off-Site Building Solutions.

The change of name has been made to more accurately reflect what the company does, as well as to emphasise its strategic position as one of the UK’s leaders in Modern Methods of Construction.

MAIDSTONE: A 27-year-old man has been sentenced for starting a fire in a Homebase store in Kent when it was full of shoppers.

BARROW UPON SOAR: Brett Landscaping has provided paving products for an eco friendly garden makeover which featured on the popular BBC TV series DIY SOS: The Big Build.

UK: Find out how to catch the judges' eyes and make a winning nomination for this year's Builders' Merchants Awards for Excellence.

On the Awards website you will find a 'Writing an Entry' button. Click on this to view some of the shortlisted nominations from past year's Awards.

The best way is to keep it simple. The judges should be able to see that you meet the judging criteria. Ideally, they should not have to work through a large amount of supporting documentation to find it.

There are some rules to remember when entering your company for a business award: