The Donaldson Timber Engineering (DTE) Group now has seven manufacturing facilities, the latest opening in Ipswich and Portlaoise in the Republic of Ireland. The latter has been busy since day one and managing director George Watson believes that the Republic’s continuing housing boom will ensure good ongoing business for trusses and I-joists.
The new facility in Ipswich is also reported to be beating budgets and sales.
Increasing capacity has been an important driver for DTE this year. As well as acquiring new premises, it has also made a major capital investment in automated truss rafter machinery and a Hydrapress is now installed at DTE headquarters in Fife. Another will arrive at DTE Midlands this summer. “This machinery is the first piece of innovative production equipment for our industry in 20 years – and we are the first company in Europe to acquire it,” said Mr Watson.
“An engineered solution in roofs and floors is increasingly what the housebuilder is looking for,” he said. “But the expansion of timber frame in England has created a climate that is increasingly open to the idea of prefabricated solutions generally. That’s got to be good news for trussed rafters, for I-joist floors – and for our business.”
