Summary
• The roof truss department is CR Taylor’s first move into manufacturing.
• Its route to market is through national and regional housebuilders.
• The department is expected to generate £500,000 of business in the first 12 months.
• The department has the potential to double in size.

If CR Taylor (Timber) Ltd was to consider adopting a company motto, it might be “location, location, location”, but it could just as easily be “timing, timing, timing”.

Like many other timber merchants, the West Yorkshire-based company was well aware of the widely predicted challenging times ahead and had been investigating new areas of operation. Diversification, or “sourcing new markets of supply”, seemed the way forward.

The £8.2m-turnover family-run company was already supplying the housebuilding sector with all other timber products and with I-joists through its thriving engineered wood products department, but wanted to expand its offering by adding a manufacturing arm.

As Paul Amphlett, the company’s director for engineered timber products, explained, the first thought was to go the whole hog and move into timber frame manufacture. “We looked closely at the idea, but concluded that, as a long time generally elapses between the initial enquiry and the actual production of the timber frame, we’d have to put an awful lot of investment in before we started to get some revenue back out.”

The alternative was much smaller scale, but still provided the company with the opportunity to tap into the lucrative construction market – roof truss manufacture.

Several ducks were already in a row: with a bit of judicious reshuffling of product, the company’s 13-acre site was roomy enough to accommodate the necessary new equipment and extra storage.

The company’s location, in the picturesque town of Denholme, a few miles west of Bradford, was also in its favour. “There isn’t really any competition within the immediate vicinity,” said Mr Amphlett. “There’s quite a large geographical area from here across to northern Lancashire that isn’t covered [by roof truss manufacture].”

Perhaps more significantly, the company was already selling a large number of roof trusses manufactured by a third party, so knew it had an existing and immediate market for the product. And, with neighbouring Bradford on the brink of regeneration and Leeds already well on the way, CR Taylor’s enquiry levels were high, adding to its confidence.

Exceeding expectations

The new truss manufacturing capability was announced to the world at the end of last year and initial expectations were that it would account for 5-8% of turnover and add a further £500,000 to the company coffers over the first 12 months. However, enquiry levels have already suggested the company can look forward to doubling that without too much trouble.

“We’ve already secured orders with large national housebuilders, which is taking us towards that target,” said Mr Amphlett. “And, because there are no other local trussed rafter manufacturers, we are also working with a lot of smaller, regional builders, who we were already supplying with timber and engineered wood products, so it’s a natural progression.”

The new kit represents a six-figure sum investment by CR Taylor and comprises a Randek computerised cross-cut saw and a 21m Birch table press with truss set facility. Investment was also made in people and roof truss designer Paul North joined the company, as did Heath Tasker, an experienced roof truss press operator. Existing personnel have been trained in roof truss production as well.

The software, which provides the link between the designer and the sawyer, is provided by Alpine Automation (which also supplies the nail plates, while other metalwork is supplied by Simpson Strong-Tie) and is seen as key to smooth, consistent production.

“We try to eliminate as many potential problems as possible, by ‘de-skilling’ certain aspects of the production,” said Mr Amphlett. “I’ve seen some roof truss manufacturers who use manually-adjusted saws and, if you don’t get it quite right, it doesn’t fit when you get it to the press – and then you have a problem with wastage.”

The software will also support an expanding portfolio of truss designs. The company is starting with relatively straightforward trusses but that will soon change. “We’ve got to prove ourselves first and establish our reputation in the market place, then we’ll spread our wings,” said Mr Amphlett.

“As long as our software and our designer can design it, then we’ll be able to make it,” he added. “And the good thing is we always have the backing of Alpine and can use their expertise as well if any designs become complicated.”

Just like its predicted market, CR Taylor’s trussed rafter department has plenty of room to grow. It’s operating on a just-in-time basis and is currently pressing at about a quarter to a third of its capacity.

“We have the option to put more people onto the team to speed the process up and turn more work out,” said Mr Amphlett. “I look forward to the day when we can order a second press.”