Merchanting giant Wolseley, which owns the Builder Center chain, has expanded its timber operations by acquiring 13 RK Timber branches.
The acquisition, for an undisclosed sum, continues Wolseley’s rapid expansion of its timber operations, giving the company 27 Timber Center branches in the UK.
RK Timber, which supplies housebuilders, renovators and the general construction industry, has kept four branches. Its Salford head office is closing and some staff have been made redundant.
Builder Center managing director Adrian Barden said: ‘We are delighted to have acquired RK Timber merchanting, further expanding our increasingly flourishing timber portfolio.’
Group finance director Steve Webster said the firm was not seeking to challenge big rivals like Travis Perkins directly, but to take business from all parts of the market, especially independents.
He said the RK Timber branches, located in England, Wales and Scotland, represented a good strategic fit.
Wolseley has a rolling programme of new Timber Center openings. In the past 12 months, branches have opened in Hartlepool, Musselburgh, Daventry, Salisbury, Bedford and Manchester.
Meanwhile, the company said, despite the slowing of the US economy, its US operations were holding up with a resilient housing market still existing.
Timber prices in the US are up on January but still below last year’s average.
