TimbaPlus Products Ltd is investing £2m in new plant and machinery at its Coleshill factory in Birmingham to produce a new type of wood made from a composite of waste timber and recycled polymer.
The company expects the product, PolyTimba, which will be produced at a ratio of 80% wood and 20% polymer,
to come on stream by October this year.
TimbaPlus managing director David Mattea said initial response to the product from the UK doors, windows and building industries has been favourable and there has even been interest from house builders in Australia and South Africa where wood is prone to termite attack.
He added: “Used outside, untreated, PolyTimba will weather in much the same way as oak, developing the typical grey patina in a relatively short time.”
Currently TimbaPlus produces polystyrene profiles for the door industry and Mr Mattea said PolyTimba represents a major change in direction. Once the first production line, making stile and rail to make inner frames for doors and jams and sills for outer frames, is up and running output is forecast to run at up to two million metres a year.
If the venture is successful, Mr Mattea plans to install more production lines. He said: “Our business is firmly focused on the door industry.”
