TTJ’s Stephen Powney spoke to Premier Forest Products CEO & Co-founder Terry Edgell about the recent acquisition of elements of the National Timber Group (NTG) and how it will be transformational for the Premier business
Premier Forest Products’ bold move to acquire three of the former Arnold Laver depots and the National Timber Systems business from administrators of the National Timber Group (NTG) will be “transformational” for the business, according to the company’s CEO & Co-founder Terry Edgell.
In our interview with Mr Edgell, he spoke about taking opportunities in the trade, private equity ownership vs independent ownership, the importance of diversification, the need to put people first, and a belief that better times in housebuilding must be coming. (The full interview will appear in the next edition of TTJ).
Newport-based Premier Forest, the TTJ 2025 Timber Trader of the Year, acquired the Reading, Manchester and Hull operations of Arnold Laver, and the Bristol, Catterick and Newcastle operations of National Timber Systems (NTS), as well as the assets of the NTS Sheffield facility. It has since agreed to lease the former NTS Sheffield site and will be re-employing former staff and re-commissioning the factory.
“It is quite transforming in terms of the size of the business we now have, but it has not put us under too much leverage, and we have a very supportive relationship with our bank,” Mr Edgell told TTJ.
The combination of NTS (approx. £40m turnover) and the three NTG sites acquired will add a further £80m of turnover, giving Premier Forest a £200m+ turnover for 2026. The group now has 25 sites across the UK.
With recruitment campaigns ongoing to get the acquisitions fully staffed, Premier Forest will have taken on about 300 extra staff through the acquisitions, giving it about 800 staff overall.
“The three NTG sites are big sites and perfect from a geographic perspective,” Mr Edgell added. “They are also large enough to develop and diversify.”
Mr Edgell also commented on the private equity ownership trend seen in the timber industry over recent years.
“I think there is a difference between private equity and timber owners such as us,” he said.
“We are not affected so much by decisions based on short-term forecasts and activity. We can afford to looked beyond these and the long-term future and indeed next generation. Maybe, it’s the time of the independents again.”
Mr Edgell said Premier Forest thinks about people before profit. “In this acquisition process, we saved a lot of people’s jobs. We wanted to give certainty before Christmas to all those [NTG/NTS] staff members because there was so much stress among them.
“As a result, we have engaged and motivated staff who are glad to be part of the Premier Forest family now. It shows the measure of the organisation.”
He is optimistic about future business prospects, despite the challenging economic environment. Interest rate reductions and some major upcoming governmental projects give prospects for natural organic growth, he added.
TTJ’s full interview with Premier Forest’s Terry Edgell will appear in the next edition of TTJ
