Improving service levels to merchant customers has been a big area of focus among mouldings suppliers of late. Some of the major players have been improving their distribution operation, stocks and production technology as they seek to improve service and win market share. For MDF profile manufacturer W Howard it is a special year, celebrating 60 years in business.

Since diversifying into the MDF mouldings sector in 1994, the company has grown into one of the largest suppliers of MDF profile ranges in Europe, supplying merchants, manufacturers and distributors within the construction industry.

The Manchester-based business has been expanding and now consists of W Howard Ltd (Manchester & London), Polyco Ltd (Powys) – producing foil-wrapped and veneered MDF profiles – and W Howard Kildare Ltd in the Republic of Ireland, where the fully-finished Kota product is manufactured.

The business produces primed, veneered, foil-wrapped and factory-finished profiles as well as offering a CNC service for the application of hardware into recessed lining and casing sets. Products include skirtings, architraves, window boards, linings/casings and bespoke products.

Following the acquisition of the Kildare plant in November 2016, which included the KOTA product, W Howard has reported “significant growth” for KOTA in both trade and retail markets, with high demand for the factory-finished product.

KOTA features the application of advanced Eastman Cerfis Technology, designed to create interior profiles with a smooth white polymer coating on an MDF substrate. Quoted benefits are ease of use, colour consistency, enhanced impact resistance and no on-site painting.

W Howard plans to widen its extensive product range over the next six months. “Looking ahead we are excited by opportunities in an evolving UK and European market where we can expect new challenges in respect of design and commercial propositions related to customer requirements such as offsite construction and differentiation of products,” said group chief executive Jonathan Grant.

W Howard has recently added additional storage space in Manchester to improve its stocks and distribution of all its products, giving it a big buffer stock to eliminate any supply issues, while at the Kildare site, the introduction of a MAKOR production line, replacing the single pass line, has brought flexibility to its operation and increased Group capacity.

VENEER WRAPPING

Cheshire Mouldings has also been investing heavily in its production facility at St Helens, predominantly in its latest veneer wrapping line.

This has been combined with its purpose- built mouldings and finger-jointing lines, plus 81,000ft2 merchant distribution centre. “2017 was a very successful year for us in terms of our sales and development of both architraves and skirtings, with Cheshire Mouldings currently offering 41 different machine-to-order designs, manufactured from 100% solid oak at our headquarters in St Helens,” said Cheshire Mouldings managing director John Carney.

“Over the last year we’ve experienced a real increase in the popularity of architraves, particularly those made from hardwoods, such as oak.

“This is supported by additional growth in veneer wrapping, which enables us to combine a solid engineered core material with a real oak veneer exterior. This method of construction provides increased durability and stability, with our solid oak solutions now a popular favourite amongst homeowners.”

Mr Carney also reported a continuing increase in white primed moulding popularity and Cheshire’s panel moulding kits, which help people create a feature wall or door easily.

“These are often combined with our comprehensive range of decorative mouldings as customers are looking to purchase products that enable them to improve their home quickly and easily.

“We are continuing to experience year-onyear growth with both our engineered and veneer-wrapped mouldings,” he added. “Increases in the cost of raw timber mean customers are looking for cost-effective mouldings products that will enhance a property, which can be achieved through the likes of finger-jointing.”

SOLID WOOD MOULDINGS

Bedfordshire-based DW Mouldings’ focus is as a specialist solid hardwood moulding manufacturer, with its extensive milling business processing a wide range of profiles to order. This includes cladding, decking, coffin beads, lippings, stair treads, mullions, skirtings, window boards and ancillary products.

The largest species used is American white oak, making up 40% of timber used, with about 14% cherry, 10% European oak, 10% meranti and 10% Red Grandis. Beech and sapele are also used.

DW processes considerable volumes of flooring products for the joinery and construction trades and merchants, while red oak beading for the coffin sector is also a common order.

“We’ve seen an increase in demand for the bespoke profiles from architects and designers who have been on our website,” said DW’s managing director David Howard. “Years ago we used to run orders of thousands of metres of a standard product but a lot of orders now are going down to 100m here and 10m there. It’s really changed.”

DW is operating several high-performance Weinig moulders and is currently exploring the possibility of purchasing a newer, next generation machine. “We need to make sure we do not fall back in our processing capabilities,” Mr Howard added.

Mr Howard said many of its flooring sector customers were taking unfinished oak for skirtings, scotias and stair mouldings. The oak can then be finished according to their customers’ taste in whatever tint is required. As a result, he reported a lot less demand for lacquering work, but a big increase in primed tulipwood.

“Most of the customers we deal with do not want veneered MDF mouldings, they like the look and feel of solid wood,” said Mr Howard.

Renovation and extension work often requires the skirting to match existing profiles/looks in the house, which may be an unpainted wood product or painted solid Above left: Staircraft founder Andy Hamilton at the company’s new MDF mouldings and I-joist facility Above right: Long chamfer architrave by Cheshire Mouldings wood – in the latter case DW often supplies primed tulipwood profiles.

NEW TEAM AT ARCHWOOD

This year has also seen the Archwood Group renew its commitment to merchant customers, with a new leadership team led by CEO Tony Miles and a new strategy. The business comprises Richard Burbidge, Masons Timber and Atkinson & Kirby. The new strategy places merchants at the forefront of the business, with new processes in place to ensure an improved service, and an increased range of products. Its message is “we’ve listened and we’re ready to deliver”.

This year Richard Burbidge will launch a new range of products and services that will broaden the offering for customers.

Archwood’s manufacturing facilities and services will be further utilised to provide new and tailored timber products to align more closely with an individual merchant’s requirements.

Its business model remains the same – it will not sell products direct to the public or its “customer’s customer”.

ONE-STOP SHOP VISION

Meanwhile, new entrant to the mouldings sector Staircraft is aiming to take market share in the MDF mouldings trade after investing significantly in an advanced automated mouldings production line in Coventry.

The line produces various profiles with an end-to-end process, achieving a coating on all four sides of profiles. The facility is helping Staircraft to realise its vision to be a one-stop shop for construction products, including staircases, structural floors, mouldings and doorsets.

Staircraft was recently named as number 51 in the 2017 Sunday Times Virgin Fast Track 100 league, an index which ranks Britain’s fastest growing private companies.