Stewart Fencing Ltd is completing its transformation from home-grown sawmilling into a fencing merchant/treatment services provider by investing £450,000 in new facilities and selling off old mill machinery.
The Cumbernauld-based company said the investment in two new treatment vessels reflected “changing times”, including new regulations in the treatment sector and rapid growth of the garden products market. The Gain sawmill site is being disbanded and the old treatment tanks are being sold to Latvia.
Managing director Iain Stewart said the company had decided to break away from sawmilling 10 years ago because it was inefficient.
He said: “It’s important in the garden products market to have flexibility with treatment colour and I think we will find a lot of extra business coming our way because a lot of people just can’t cope with the level of demand.”
He sees growth potential in motorway and agricultural fencing, plus possible decking treatment work from Finnforest.
The two new treatment vessels are based on a greenfield site adjacent to the main premises and will use Osmose chemicals including CCA, CCB (copper chrome boron), CCA-free AC500 Osmose Naturewood in two colours and heat treatment for export packaging.
