The Kent branch of failed engineered timber group Donaldson & McConnell has been the subject of a management buyout headed by an Irish investor.
Garrett Dempsey, the former owner of Ireland-based Dempsey Timber Engineering, said 12 jobs had been secured at the Canterbury-based business, now renamed Harmony Timber Solutions, with a £150,000 investment in new machinery planned and further staff being recruited.
Existing general manager of the plant Norman Gore has also taken a stake in Harmony.
“I was looking for a new start-up n the south-east of England, when I heard about the possibility of a company interested in selling,” said Mr Dempsey.
Mr Dempsey said the buyout was tied up shortly before the Donaldson & McConnell group deal went into administration earlier this month. He said existing staff had not been paid for the previous month but he had not realised the group was about to go into administration.
Mr Dempsey said Harmony was now investing in roof truss machinery, two new saws and a metal-web joist production machine. He said metal-web joists would be a new product area, in addition to continuing existing operations, including I-joists (Boise), timber frame, roof trusses and glulam.
Design work, previously conducted by Donaldson & McConnell in Scotland, will now be done at Harmony.
“We’ve managed to hold on to existing orders and increase business in the last two weeks, with additional orders taken on from Donaldson & McConnell’s former Midlands operation.”
Mr Dempsey sold Dempsey Timber Engineering in 2007 to Irish sawmilling group Glennon Brothers. He continued to work with the business until 2010.
The Donaldson & McConnell Group, which operated three other sites, is being wound down by administrators and an online auction of assets conducted by GMG closes on June 30 (www.gmg-auctions.co.uk).
