Fornham Timber is a family-run business specializing in the distribution of high-quality timber and building materials, providing top quality sleepers, scaffold boards and fencing across the UK. What sets them apart is their commitment to ethical sourcing, sustainable practices, and unparalleled customer service. They take pride in sourcing timber from renewable resources in the UK, Sweden, and the Baltic States, maintaining long-standing relationships with trusted timber mills across Europe.
Ethical, quality timber from mills to you.
My journey in the timber and building materials industry began when I was just 18 years old, working at a local timber merchant. Over the years, I honed my skills and expertise in the trade, eventually becoming a sales executive for a major timber importer in Hertfordshire. During this time, I developed a broad customer portfolio spanning the entire UK and gained invaluable knowledge about trading timber and dealing directly with sawmills in Scandinavia and Latvia. With this expertise, I ventured into my own importing and trading business, which enjoyed significant success for a few years.
However, as the market evolved and sawmills began employing their sales teams, it became increasingly challenging to maintain our margins as middlemen. This prompted me to pivot and establish the business that we have today. Initially, we focused on selling sleepers and scaffold boards, but over time, our offerings expanded.
What sets us apart is our unwavering commitment to customer service. We operate as a family-run business, and this sense of care and dedication extends to our customers. Our team possesses exceptional product knowledge, ensuring that we can guide customers effectively. Furthermore, we have built a reputation for reliable and punctual deliveries. Customer service is paramount in our business philosophy.
Our small staffing levels have proven to be an advantage, as everyone on the team knows our customers personally. This enables us to react swiftly to their requests, ensuring that orders are fulfilled promptly. We understand that our customers have busy schedules, so we make ourselves available, making our flexibility and responsiveness hallmarks of our service.
Running a family business comes with its share of challenges and stress, but it also brings immense pride and a sense of privilege. Having my family by my side in this venture is incredibly rewarding, and working alongside dedicated staff from outside the family allows us to serve the local community effectively, helping them with their diverse projects and developments.
As with any trade, we faced difficulties when prices soared after the lockdowns, effectively doubling. However, we weathered that storm and have now returned to pre-pandemic pricing, sometimes even offering lower rates. Inflationary pressures and shifting economic dynamics have forced us to work harder for orders, but our close-knit team is determined to meet our customers' needs. We understand that economic challenges may continue into the winter, but with our ongoing investments and our eye on the spring, we're well-positioned to grow and thrive once again next year.
Credit Commentary:
The directors are providing a Personal Guarantee, which means that if the business fails the directors become personally liable for the loan. In addition to the Personal Guarantee, the directors are offering a Debenture, which means it gives the lender a charge over the Company's assets (not already charged elsewhere) and takes control of the company if it defaults on the loan. The directors have a medium financial profile. Both applicants are not homeowners. The funds will be used to will be used for Cash flow boost and investment for Growth. The directors can be traced for several years with no issues.
Inflation Risk:
As the majority of lending to the business is at a fixed rate, they will not be immediately affected by interest rate increases.
Loan
