Welsh construction company Holbrook has set up a timber frame operation to capitalise on the building method’s growing popularity.
Holbrook Timber Frame has been launched at Bridgend, South Wales, with investment totalling “hundreds of thousands of pounds”.
Brothers Neil and Philip Smith, who run the business, were influenced by government reports favouring off-site construction, the shortage of trained site labour and timber frame’s build speed.
Philip Smith said: “With the labour market as it was, we knew we wanted to do something about it and timber frame seemed to be the way to go.”
The company initially sourced frames from another manufacturer but the opening of the new site means it can outsource as well as produce units for its own build contracts.
The factory, which features CAD CAM technology and machinery including a Koolkut KK12 panel saw, is manufacturing residential open panel frames, with production expected to reach four to five units by the end of the year. Typical units are two- and three-storey houses and four-storey blocks of flats.
Holbrook has plans to build a purpose-built site on an acre of adjoining land within the next 12-18 months.
