A wood kindling company says a new drying installation has increased its capacity by 500% and helped to grow sales and further the business.
The Poplar Tree Company, of Hereford, invested in the dryer to improve production levels and to meet growing demand for kindling from supermarkets and garage forecourts.
Bridgend-based BioEnergy Devices, which designed the oil-fired installation, claims it is the first major application of steam drying technology in the kindling sector. It can dry wood in just 24 hours, compared with about four days for conventional dryers.
Geroge Snell, of the Poplar Tree Company, said: “It is impossible to sell wet kindling. Our previous dryer, an electrically-powered dehumidifcation system, was expensive to run and could not dry the volume to keep up with demand. The new system is cheaper to run and much faster.”
The installation has been part-funded by the HeartWoods Project, which was established to support the timber industry in the regeneration areas of the West Midlands and Welsh borders.
