James Donaldson Timber has taken over a leasehold on a new, 110,000 sqft purpose-built manufacturing facility at Botany Bay Business Park in Chorley, which will more than double current production capacity and improve operational efficiencies, supporting increased output to meet market demand.
The fully enclosed facility has scope for 24-hour operations if required, future-proofing the site to allow for market growth and diversification.
The new site is just two miles from the Scottish timber merchant’s existing Lancashire factory, where work is continuing uninterrupted throughout the transition between the sites. The new factory is expected to be fully operational by autumn 2025.
Perform Panel, a division of Donaldson Group subsidiary Nu-Style Products, will also use 10,000 sqft of the facility for storage and distribution in the northwest. Perform Panel makes a range of decorative wet wall laminated panels as well as floor, splashback and ceiling products.
James Donaldson Timber managing director Iain Torrance said: “Opening the Chorley branch was our first venture into England back in 2008, and it’s been a hugely successful move for us. It significantly changed our product offering, expanding beyond timber for the first time, and allowed us to better service our clients north and south of the border.
“After 17 years, we’ve simply outgrown the site. It was becoming impractical and inefficient and was no longer suitable for our future growth plans. The new site is purpose built as a manufacturing unit with more scope to develop our offering – and it provides a much-improved working environment too, bringing benefits for our customers and our colleagues.”
Donaldson Group chief executive Andrew Donaldson added: “This is an extremely exciting move for JDT and also for us as a group, more than doubling the capacity for JDT in England and bringing benefits for Nu Style too. The MDF mouldings market continues to grow at pace and will inevitably increase further once we see the development of much-needed housing across the UK.
“JDT is the original part of the Donaldson Group, so we’re particularly proud to see such a positive evolution of this business as we enter our 165th year.”
Currently led by the sixth generation of Donaldson, the 165-year-old Donaldson Group comprises 16 specialist timber and building product businesses and brands across the UK.
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