This week marks the fifth anniversary of the Mineral Products Association (MPA), created in March 2009 by the merger of the Quarry Products Association, the British Cement Association and The Concrete Centre. 

MPA’s membership has grown from 266 to 482, a success it attributes to to continuously attracting new members, coupled with the affiliations and other close working relationships it has with QPA Northern Ireland, MPA Scotland, British Precast, the British Association of Reinforcement and the Refined Bitumen Association. All this during what has been arguably the toughest 5 years in the industry’s history.

In addition to its core activities, focussing on raising standards in Health & Safety, Planning and Permitting issues, Restoration and Biodiversity, Economic and Market Analysis, Carbon Reduction, five English Regions and MPA Wales, MPA now represents 13 different product groups whose main focus is on technical standards and supply chain issues. Together, these product groups represent the largest material flow in the economy, at around 250Mta, and over 80 per cent of all UK non-energy mineral production, the MPA highlights. These primary industries contribute GBP9bn to the UK economy, whilst supplying industries worth GBP400bn pa. The sector is the largest supplier to the GBP120bn construction sector and supports over 70,000 jobs, it adds.

Nigel Jackson, Chief Executive MPA, said: “The MPA has become the sectoral voice for mineral products and quarrying and is the only association that represents over 90 per cent of the industry, including the vast majority of SMEs, as well as all the larger companies, both nationally and internationally. Our uniquely integrated operating model and well balanced and inclusive governance, ensures that the interests of companies throughout the UK can be taken into account and a wide range of challenges solved, based on consensus. This is irrespective of whether the companies are small, medium or large, family owned or corporate.

“I believe that the progress we have made in Health & Safety, particularly with regard to improving competence, sharing best practice, Cycle Safety and Quarry Safety, exposing the cumulative costs of environmental taxation and regulation, together with progress on Biodiversity, Technical Standards, Carbon Reduction and on Sustainable Development, underpinned by regular evidence based annual reporting, is unrivalled and could not have been achieved by the previous piecemeal approach.

“For any industry representation to be regarded as professional, progressive, innovative and competent and to be able to respond to so many complex and cross-product issues, a sectoral approach throughout the supply chain is needed.

“MPA has transformed the sector’s representation and has ambitious plans to develop further and continue to grow the membership having gained 14 new members over recent months alone. As MPA has grown it has developed a clear and shared agenda to protect its members’ interests during difficult times and now speaks with an unambiguous, aligned and stronger voice.”