As well as representing some of the largest construction product manufacturers in the UK, the CPA also acts as the 'umbrella' trade organisation for dozens of sector and product-specific trade associations, which themselves represent thousands of companies, mostly SMEs and family-run businesses.
It was formed on 1 January 2000 as the result of a merger of the National Council of Building Materials Producers and the Association of Construction Products and Suppliers, and officially launched on 1 March 2000.
[6] However, the CPA was criticised by Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Michael Gove after its cladding and insulation manufacturer members failed to commit to paying for post-Grenfell safety measures on buildings; Gove accused the CPA of "coming up with excuses to do nothing slowly".
[7] CPA chief executive Peter Caplehorn said the government needed to look at a "complex" and "broader picture" and extend liabilities to include contractors and architects.
[8] The CPA head office is situated in The Building Centre, on Store Street in Bloomsbury, central London.