Premier Forest Products has continued on the acquisition trail by acquiring the trade and assets of Bitus UK Ltd – formerly known as Continental Wood Products – from Bergs Timber.
Bitus UK is an importer and bulk distributor of timber, panels and garden products serving industrial manufacturing, furniture-making, construction and merchanting sectors.
Premier Forest will take on the operation of Bitus UK’s warehousing and distribution activities at the Baltic Distribution port-side facility based in Creeksea, Essex, as well as the Bitus UK sales office in Cirencester, where all members of staff have been retained.
Nigel McKillop, CEO of Bitus UK, joins Premier Forest Products as commercial director, specialising in softwood and the furniture sector.
Mr McKillop said joining Premier provided a platform for to strengthen, grow and develop a much wider product range to its customers from the Creeksea distribution hub.
“We’re very happy to welcome Bitus UK to the Premier Forest group,” said Terry Edgell, CEO and co-founder at Premier Forest Products.
“The strategic dockside location of the site will enable us to improve operational efficiency by providing a more direct route to our customer base. We plan to expand the range of products distributed from Creeksea to include our whole portfolio, which includes the full range of softwoods, hardwoods and sheet materials, in order to create a one-stop-timber-shop for our customers.
“Acquisitions are a key part of Premier Forest’s strategic growth plan, and we are continually seeking new opportunities to welcome businesses like Bitus UK to our Group.”
The operational activities of the Premier Forest Products Langley site are re-locating to Creeksea in Essex, to take advantage of the logistical efficiencies of the port-side distribution facility. The Langley sales team will continue to work from a location in the local area, supporting customers in the Southeast region as usual.
