Why you should look for a rock of stability in timber framing

These are challenging times for the construction industry, with many building businesses closing in response to the economic climate. You need to work with partners you can trust to avoid being left out of pocket. Thankfully, there are multiple indicators you can look for in advance of parting with your money that a supplier is reliable, stable, and trustworthy.

Each activity in construction is specific. Whether the work is waterproofing of roofs or supply of timber frame house kits, you need a partner who is a reputable, accredited expert at that activity. Ideally, they would have been in business for a long time and you would certainly want them to be able to demonstrate they are financially sound. A sense of good company values wouldn’t go amiss either, and – more tangibly – it has to be sensible to ask if they can provide any formal, legal certainties that money you part with is secure.

With this in mind, here we share some of Merronbrook’s credentials and values, demonstrating why we’re a company our customers trust, time and time again.

A long history, with sixty years in timber

Merronbrook was founded in 1964 by Keith Duff, father of our Managing Director, Alex Duff, and of Facilities Director, Philip Duff. By 1974, our range of timber-related products had expanded to include prefabricated timber frame house kits.

Today, we offer timber frames, trussed rafters and floor joists, all designed and made in our state-of-the-art facility in Hampshire. The process there sees project-specific frame-assembly drawings sent directly to workstations for production and subsequent testing.

All of our operations adhere to detailed and written procedures governed by an ISO 9000 framework, and are rated as “Gold Assure” by our industry body, the Structural Timber Association.

Investment as a priority for long-term strength

The firm has continued to be privately owned by the Duff family. “There are significant advantages to that structure”, comments Alex. “Our growth program is steady and organic. No-one is pressuring us to take risks. With no artificial, quarter-by-quarter demands we can also invest a significant proportion of profits into capital expenditure. The goal is long-term strength, prioritising the uplift of procedures and processes that will increase productivity or the customer experience. We also emphasise spending on research and exploration of innovation in materials and methods.

In the last few years alone, hundreds of thousands of pounds has been invested in systems which cover every aspect of the business from production, to delivery, to costing, to customer relations.

Our Business Development and Marketing Manager, Gavin Alderslade, adds: “Thanks to sustained investment, we’re now close to completing a journey towards a fully digital manufacturing process. As well as ensuring consistent, exemplary quality, this eliminates almost every form of human error as a possibility.”

A straightforward approach to finance

As a company, we have chosen never to take on debt, as we seek to avoid any source of instability or risk. We own all vehicles, plant and equipment we rely on, including our two fully-automated robotic saws.

Of course, this approach is only possible if sufficient profit is made to support our investment programme from our own funds. Fortunately, our commitment to steady and careful quality has allowed this. “I’ve been a director of the company for 20 years now,” adds Alex. “We have made a profit in each of those years.”

Merronbrook today is a known and trusted name in the construction industry. We work regularly with a broad spectrum of customers, from small developers and self-build individuals through to the UK’s largest housebuilders. Any and all are welcome to visit and tour our production facility upon request, and all will be treated with the same care, including project-by-project bespoke design, extended one-to-one advice and support at no cost, and detailed quotes with no hidden extras.

Extra reassurance

Private ownership has also allowed the growing company to maintain the values of a family firm, which include our commitment to whole-career support and development of staff, a focus on sustainability, and our determination never to cut a corner.

Whatever assurances we offer, we know that partners – or their lenders – may want something with legal weight too. We will happily offer any customer a vesting certificate confirming that ownership of goods and materials lies with you from the moment of payment, even if they remain in our storage area. Your items are not only of the highest quality, they are yours.

Looking ahead

Timber frame is classed as a Modern Method of Construction (MMC) – a construction approach that emphasises offsite work, so the more expensive site work is simpler and quicker. MMC is indeed modern and evolving, and we know that we must always be proactive in embracing exciting and new possibilities in our industry.

But, we will continue to focus on our core areas of consistent high quality and individualised support in timber frame and related timber products. There are firmly no intentions to change the ownership structure of the company or otherwise alter a winning formula. We will continue to invest in future strength, and to prioritise long-term partner relationships.

“It’s business as usual for customers new and old,” says Alex, “who we welcome warmly for what we are confident is an unrivalled experience.”

To speak to one of the team about your next project in timber, please call 01252 844747 or email via webenquiries@merronbrook.co.uk.