Robbins Timber has reinstated the night shift of its mill and says staffing levels are now back to pre-recession levels.
Richard Bagnall, managing director of the Bristol-based merchant, said it originally shut the night shift line in November 2008 during the onset of the recession.
It was sporadically reintroduced last September but is now in full operation.
“There’s enough work coming in to justify it,” said Mr Bagnall. “We lost five members of staff during the recession but over the last nine months they have gradually come back.
“In the last six months building sites have been opening up and general building activity is definitely up.
“We are a very diverse business with a wide range of products and markets and a lot of added value with machining. Put that together and it has reduced the effects of the recession.”
Mr Bagnall said Robbins’ marine products business was holding up particularly well.
However, he was mindful of the potential effects of the government’s austerity budget. “The biggest worry is it could put us back to the situation of 18 months ago when people had the money but did not want to spend it.”