The timber construction industry has faced tough trading conditions and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. In the meantime, however, many manufacturers and suppliers are looking at different ways of doing business by incorporating new processes and resources, not only to make the best of the situation, but also to help them thrive and grow in their own right.

One such company is Harmony Timber Solutions, which has recently celebrated its first anniversary and which is going from strength to strength.

Formed in June 2011, following a management buyout of the southern operation of Donaldson McConnell, Harmony Timber Solutions has grown steadily over the past 12 months, offering a complete roof design and truss manufacturing service from its Canterbury branch. During this time it has been assisted by systems supplier Gang-Nail, which has provided both market guidance and technical software training to help get Harmony Timber Solutions up and running.

"Prior to the buyout, we looked closely at what was happening in the industry to see where we could deliver a specialist service," said Garrett Dempsey, Harmony Timber Solutions’ managing director.

Specialist software
The company identified the fact that a structural roof and truss package would be ideal for the design, detailing, estimating, manufacture and 3D visualisation of complex trussed rafter roofs.

Specialist roofing software designed specifically to make the development stages as simple as possible would be of great benefit. With such software, by entering the required dimensions a user can easily manipulate the design to create a roof that is specifically suited to the individual project. And, by introducing this software at the initial design stage, it is possible to ensure that all counter components will meet and fit as expected, removing the potential for costly errors.

This was something that Harmony Timber Solutions took into consideration when sourcing a suitable roof and truss package, as this alone would help to bring any additional costs down – an integral element, considering the business was very much in its infancy.

"Following discussions with Gang-Nail we saw that we could expand Harmony Timber Solutions by manufacturing trussed rafters alongside Gang-Nail’s Ecojoists, using its dedicated software division to offer a bespoke timber frame service that could be directly applied to the commercial sector where work still continues," said Mr Dempsey.

"Working in this way also meant that we were able to save the jobs of 12 staff members – something almost unheard of in tough economic times such as these."

Diversification
He is in no doubt that capital investment and diversification – along with supplier loyalty – have been key to the company’s success.

"Without the support of Gang-Nail during this time, tough trading conditions could have been even harder," he said. "But by using their specialist know-how combined with their Roof & Truss design and Matrix management software packages, we are running a lean, efficient unit which is able to adapt according to the changing market conditions, which look set to continue for the medium term.

"From a management perspective, a central software solution, such as Matrix, that is in tune with the needs of those in the timber industry can really help to make the difference when it comes to creating plans and designs alongside schedules and budgets in line with the requirements of the project," he continued.

"Looking ahead, Matrix is also being used to help us formulate a solution to ease the transition of the impending CE marking introductions, which will become compulsory within the next 12 months."