Lancashire-based importer and sawmiller Oregon-Canadian Europe Ltd is changing its name to Prowood Ltd and will make a substantial investment in extra warehousing and manufacturing technology.
The Wigan company decided on the name change to reflect the widening of its product portfolio over recent years, with many of its products now being sourced from outside of North America.
Four new brands are also being launched – Proclad, Prodeck, Prolam and Prostair to reflect its increasing business in cladding, decking, laminated products and stair components.
In addition, the company has agreed the purchase of a further 33,500ft² of warehousing/manufacturing space – the first stage of an ongoing strategy that will look at adding new manufacturing capabilities and product ranges.
“We are pretty optimistic about the next 12 months and next couple of years,” director Peter Burns told TTJ. “We want to continue to add products to the range at a time when a lot of timber companies and customers are de-stocking.”
Mr Burns said Oregon-Canadian’s policy during the recession was to sell its way out of the economic dip.
“We have emerged from the difficulties of the last two years smarter, more efficient, financially sound and with an even sharper focus on customer service.”
For more on this story see the next issue of TTJ.
