GREAT BRITISH FENCING SOLUTIONS FROM RANSFORDS
Shropshire based Charles Ransford & Son
started life as a timber merchant almost 150 years ago and is now one of the UK’s most efficient sawmill operations producing durable, high quality, fencing products from British forests on a huge scale.
Ransfords fencing is specified by many leading constructions, civil engineering and fencing contractors. Travel almost anywhere in the UK and the Republic of Ireland and you will find Ransford’s traditional post and rail fencing o acoustic fencing panels – the latter increasingly found near industrial and commercial operations to protect nearby domestic dwellings from noise pollution. At the heart of the business lie sustainable raw materials, continuous investment in highly advanced processes, a wide range of aesthetically pleasing products, and fully focussed on customer service.
Ransfords process around 85,000 tonnes of logs each year at its facility in Bishop’s Castle, Shropshire. The logs are all from sustainably managed UK forests with the main species used being Douglas Fir, Larch and Spruce.50,000m3 of sawn timber are produced every year – 70% of which comes from the more naturally durable redwoods mentioned. The timber products are branded as Great British Timber and much of it conforms to Highways England standards.
In total almost £30m has been invested in the Ransfords facility in recent years – all designed to deliver more precisely cut timber more cost effectively. The most advanced sewing equipment incorporating 3D laser scanning and optimising technology ensures that every log is cut to maximise the yield of usable timber. Sophisticatedre-sawing, board recovery and product handling systems make the production at Ransfords one of the most accurate and efficient operations of its kind in the UK. Those efficiencies run right through the operation. “Our aim is to supply the highest quality timber products at competitive prices and develop long-term loyal customer relationships,” says Chris Offa, Sales Director.
Major recent investments at the mill include:
- a fully automated timber treatment facility which greatly extends the service life of the timber through the application of the most up-to-date preservatives. The high volume system uses the latest technology to ensure that the protection required against rot and decay are won without waste and, crucially, without impact on the wider environment;
- a computer-controlled post pointing and incising line delivering finished product with remarkable consistency;
- a new tray sorter and stacker which fully automates and speeds up the handling of heavy items such as gate posts.
Recent years have seen a growing interest in timber as a sustainable, renewable and intrinsically attractive material for fencing – not least because the raw material has a massive part to play in carbon capture. In Ransford’s case, these environmental gains are greatly enhanced by the fact that its sawmill draws up to 25% of its energy from a vast array of solar panels on the roofs of the mill buildings. The same energy that made the trees grow in the first place thus powers the conversion of log to a usable product.
A few years short of 150 years in existence, Ransfords could look back on many decades of success. “We’re very proud of what we have achieved here,” says Alistair Evans, Operations Director. “The fact is though that as a business we’re more inclined to look forward and we think the business has an exciting future. Society is placing greater emphasis on the use of sustainable and renewable materials and there is nothing more sustainable than the responsibly managed UK forests from which we derive our raw materials. We are enjoying unprecedented demand for all our products. We’ll continue to invest in making our business operations more environmentally friendly so that we, our customers, and wider society reap the rewards.”
