CUTTING EDGE INNOVATION FROM AV BIRCH
As with so many businesses across the UK, 2025 has proved to be a challenging year at Bridgnorth-based A V Birch but there’s plenty of cause for optimism.
A leading name for over four decades when it comes to engineering and fabrication, A V Birch is a name that’s become synonymous with innovation for the timber and fencing sectors.
Director Graham Clark commented: “With the recent changes in government policies, it has been a challenging year but despite this our sawmill machinery division has remained steady and we are now beginning to see encouraging signs of renewed investment in equipment.
“Over the last three years since we were last profiled in Fencing News, we have had some challenges but it’s also been a time for innovation. Like the wider industry, we have seen the supply chain fluctuate and have had to deal with component price increases and availability issues. However, we have invested in R&D and strived to keep momentum in delivering cutting edge machinery.
“One of our biggest challenges is balancing rapid technological change and bringing this into practical solutions for the sawmill operators. Customers want reliability and robustness but also flexibility and automation. This is an ever moving feast and something we consider carefully when designing machinery.
“The industry continues to deal with the supply of raw materials and the associated volatility. Delivering machinery that can be more efficient and improve the bottom line is where we aim to help.
“We, like all other businesses, have also faced challenges with finding skilled staff.
“Our machinery is designed and built to make them easy to use and investing in semi or automated machinery certainly helps to get a quality product to the customer,” added Graham.
When it comes to the nuts and bolts of engineering innovation, there’s plenty of game changing developments on the horizon. The pace of change at A V Birch never slows down!
Graham went on: “We have developed several new machines over the last few years namely our Post Notcher, Arris Rail Scarfer, Square/Rectangular post incisor and our latest edition to the range, a Multi-Head Automated Morticer.
“All of these machines are about providing added value and longevity to fencing and timber products and replacing old unsafe machinery that is far less efficient. We are also looking to add to the range with a round post incisor, automated feed systems with de-stacking and stacking and inline options.
“We are certainly seeing encouraging levels of investment within sawmills and have recently taken on three new orders for our Post Notcher, Arris Rail Scarfer and Incisor. These orders reflect a growing demand for customers who want to enhance the value of their timber products.
“Demand remains strong across our full range of sawmill machinery. We’ve received enquiries from both existing customers, who are looking to boost production efficiency, product quality and operator safety and from new customers aiming to diversify into secondary processing.
“This is opening up fresh market opportunities for them, and in turn, driving continued growth for us,” concluded Graham.
This go-ahead Shropshire business is at the cutting edge of innovation and continues to be a real changemaker when it comes to the timber and fencing industries.
www.avbirch.co.uk
01746 714418
enq@avbirchengineering.co.uk
