PRIDE IN THE TEAM AT T G HOWELL & SONS

There’s a touch of pride when Terry Howell talks about the business he started in South Wales way back in 1956…but not too much because there’s work to be done!

It’s 61 years since Terry and his father started out manufacturing extension ladders and fencing at Clifton Sawmills in Rogerstone, near Newport with the same values of hard work and a commitment to quality still a key aspect of operations at T G Howell & Sons Ltd.

Terry explained: “Over the years the business has grown steadily and developed a product range that now includes sheds, gates, decking and fencing to aggregates, doors, bathrooms and insulation.

“We are now one of the largest independent builders and timber merchants in South Wales with 73 staff across venues at Rogerstone, Risca, Pontypool and three bases in Newport including a five acre site at Newport Docks where we carry out all of our treatment and drying.

“We’ve struck up an excellent relationship with Koppers over the past 30 years. They have been with us since we started carrying out our own green and brown treatments and they’re always on hand to deal with any issues that arise.

“Our Celcure C500 treatment facility is very busy at the moment and we might have to consider expanding those facilities in the near future.

“We’ve just installed a biomass boiler at our Rogerstone base. We do take our environmental responsibilities seriously. When you trade in timber you have to respect the environment.

“Our main emphasis is on timber which we acquire, in the main, from homegrown sources across the British Isles,” added Terry who also juggles the presidencies of a local choir and Cross Keys Rugby Club who play in the Welsh top flight. He’s a keen fan of Cardiff City too!

Despite being 75 Terry is in no mood to hang up his tools just yet although he has reliable progeny on hand at the business in the form of his sons Martin and Timothy.

“I do feel a bit of pride in what we’ve achieved here,” explained Terry ‘but it’s a pride based on what we have all achieved together. We have a worker here who has been with us for 50 years and two twins who’ve been employed for 45 years each. That level of staff loyalty says a lot about the environment we’ve created and it’s reflected in the way we do business.

“We have a healthy mix of commercial and domestic customers at all of our retail and trade counters. Most of our customers are based in Wales and the West Country although we do deliver nationwide,” added Terry.

As for the Brexit dominated year ahead Terry is optimistic despite scaling back on timber purchased from abroad.

“I feel positive about Brexit. It’s a new challenge for everyone and I’m sure we’ll rise to it here at TG Howell & Sons.

“We’ve started the year off in fine fashion and we are looking set to build on the impressive growth we experienced in 2016,” concluded Terry.

Teamwork and hard work seem the order of the day for Terry and his team. Long may that continue.

Tel: 01633 246 000 / www.terryhowell.co.uk