Wandsworth-based The Natural Wood Floor Company has invested £200,000 in a second Weinig finger-jointing machine at its factory in Romania after spotting a business opportunity in the theatrical world.
The machine will enable the company to manufacture timber boards up to 6.3m long for building theatre sets which have specific demands with regard to size, thickness, length and straightness.
Managing director Peter Keane said he invested in the new Weinig after being approached by theatre set construction company Rocket Scenery which was unable to source wood of the correct specification.
Mr Keane said there is a standard 6.3m drop in theatres around the country to enable stage sets to be moved to different venues and added: “We are now in the enviable position of being able to provide other set designers and theatres with timber to match their requirements, so are looking forward to building on this side of the business.”
Rocket Scenery Andy Sharp said buying timber for theatre set construction was a high-risk venture as specific demands on the wood couldn’t be guaranteed unless it is specifically engineered.
“We did a lot of research but were unable to find a suitable UK-based company. The wood supplied by The Natural Wood Floor Company is far better than any other domestic product. It is such a fantastic luxury to be able to specify the properties of the timber supplied.”
The Natural Wood Floor Company supplied 1,000 linear metres of Douglas fir to Rocket Scenery for the set of Hedda Gabler, currently playing at the Duke of York Theatre, London.
