A UK business has launched to import Romanian oak and beech from its own sawmill.
Wimborne-based Hanson Timber Ltd has been started by brothers-in-law Ben Fredriksen and Mark Freeborn. The former is an engineer, while the latter was previously in the timber industry, then went to Romania as a missionary and has lived there for 15 years.
“My role will be sales and customer liaison in the UK, while Mark will manage the mill and oversee the supply side of the business in Romania,” said Mr Fredriksen. “We are not aiming to be a big company from the outset, we’re starting up relatively small and will grow over time.”
Initially, he said, Hanson will supply timber from a third-party mill to start to develop its customer base.
“We’ve got a relationship with a mill near to where ours will be in Percosova, central Romania, and they will provide exactly the products we will supply to start with, rough sawn oak and paint grade beech, to give customers an idea of what we can deliver,” he said.
The company’s mill is being fitted out with equipment from the UK, with the aim of starting production in August.
“We will begin by producing 180m³ a month of rough sawn oak – from rustic to prime grade – and beech on one line with a single shift,” said Mr Fredriksen. “In the second year we aim to increase the workforce to six and ramp up to 360m³ a month and at the same time to produce planed goods.”
Hanson is targeting importers and agents in the UK and the rest of Europe, selling packs, and is not planning stockholding outside Romania.
“We don’t envisage that being necessary as we’ll hold stock there and can deliver in seven days to the UK,” said Mr Fredriksen.
While the mill will start with one line, he added, the site has room for three.
