Woodie's and Chadwicks owner predicts building materials inflation will ease from 15% to 7%

Building suppliers Chadwicks is the group's most profitable business, with revenues boosted by inflation and acquisitions

Grafton, which has operations in the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Finland, said operating profit at its relatively small Irish retail operation Woodie's had grown to pre-pandemic levels. File picture: Eddie O'Hare

Grafton Group, which owns Chadwicks and retailer Woodie's in Ireland, said it faced price inflation for building material supplies of 15% in 2022, and projected price inflation will likely run at up to 7% this year.

The prices of energy-intensive building products such as concrete and insulation saw substantial price hikes in the year, while other products, including timber and steel, saw price reductions as problems with supply chains eased.