“With a 6% rise in house prices predicted for 2010 (Centre of Economics & Business Research), a boost in new starts and signs of a moving market, the timber engineering industry finally has something to smile about,” said Jason Ruddle, sales and business development director of Gang-Nail Systems.
While the road to recovery remains a long one, the truss fabrication market is finally regaining buoyancy, but those companies that have survived have done so because they have had the means to diversify their business.
For example, Hull-based DWB partnered with Gang-Nail Systems to deliver a solution outside the housebuilding sector and manufactured long span roof trusses for a Lidl store in Thirsk. At their highest point some of the 38 trusses measured 3.8m in height and DWB innovated its processes in order to ease the time and effort required later on site, manufacturing the trusses in two parts.
Operative change is important too. Gang-Nail Systems has helped several timber frame customers who previously sourced prefabricated roof trusses and joists from third-party suppliers to take this resource in-house.
Care sector specialist Castleoak Group, which established its own timber manufacturing company, Castleoak Timber Frame (CTF), is a good example of this. Using Gang-Nail Systems’ Roof and Truss software, CTF is able to design and produce roof trusses alongside its established timber frame and Ecojoist services.
GN Roof & Truss software will eventually be replaced by GN Apex. It will help ease the shift to EC5 and enable companies to protect themselves against the shifting market at a time when they have already had to make so many dynamic alterations to their business models.
