A partnership between Swedish timber company Ess-Enn and Baltic Forest Lines Ltd is dramatically increasing the amount of timber shipped into the Port of Howden, East Yorkshire.

The development has seen Ess-Enn (UK) Ltd invest up to £500,000 moving its head office from Colchester to Howden, buy new stock and close its operations at Chatham and Gunnes Wharf, Scunthorpe. It intends to import about 120,000m3 into Howden annually.

The new fortnightly shipments from Halmstad will see Grimsby-based Baltic Forest Lines break the 600,000m3 barrier in UK timber handling.

A new port terminal for Ess-Enn, a “considerable” investment for PD Port Services at the Port of Howden, covers four acres with 10,000m3 open storage and 1,000m3 covered. Stevedoring and haulage is handled by Forestwood Distribution Ltd, a sister company to Baltic Forest Lines.

&#8220It’s like the dawning of a new era for us. For the first time we are based on the same quay as the timber.”

Jim Halpin, UK development manager of Ess-Enn.

Jim Halpin, UK development manager of Ess-Enn, said the company had needed to reduce its stock-holding at Chatham and Gunnes, plus improve the efficiency of its pick-a-pack service.

He said: “It’s like the dawning of a new era for us. For the first time we are based on the same quay as the timber.”

Mr Halpin believes the new operation will lead to more sales, with import volumes growing to more than 5,000m3 of roofing battens and 5,000m3 of carcassing each month.

Baltic Forest Lines, which already handled Ess-Enn’s Baltic imports, has set up an office in Sweden called Forestwood Agencies AB to co-ordinate activities there. It now brings in timber from Russia, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia and Sweden.