Howie Forest Products has made a substantial investment to produce value-added products for key customers in the builders and timber merchant sector.
The Dalbeattie-based company is aiming to produce at least 5,000m3 of planed all round (PAR) low pressure treated construction timber within the next year. Several key national builders merchant customers are expected to start stocking the product during May.
The centre of the investment is a new low-pressure treatment plant using Osmose Protim – the first of its kind for a sawmiller of British timber, according to Osmose.
Keith Ainslie, Howie’s sales director, said the development stems from customers wanting to make more inroads into the repair, maintenance and improvement market and, if possible, the timber frame sector as well.
The 8m3 per charge capacity tank has the ability to treat up to 35,000m3 of timber annually.
He said: “The low pressure treatment allows us to give a degree of protection without compromising dimensional stability.”
Howie’s key product is dry-graded rough sawn construction timber, but Mr Ainslie hopes PAR volumes will grow due to its qualities and ease of handling.
The company already has high-pressure treatment facilities with a capacity of 65,000m3 a year.
