North west-based Beesley & Fildes has invested £3m in expanding and upgrading its facilities to meet growing demand for building products across its 11 north west branches in Huyton, Liverpool, Merseyside, Cheshire and Greater Manchester and online.
The family-owned independent builder’s merchant has ploughed £1m into its timber milling facility and invested a further £2m in the development of a new distribution centre, both located in Widnes.
The 4.2 acre distribution centre will enable Beesley & Fildes to purchase more stock to meet demand, including civils and drainage products.
The site also houses new machinery designed to fulfil orders faster and more efficiently. An automated bagging machine for products such as stone and sand has the capacity to serve all 11 branches. A batching plant has also been installed allowing concrete products such as fencing posts to be manufactured on site.
The timber mill, acquired by Beesley & Fildes in 2004, produces skirting, architraves, flooring, planed timber, door casings and certified fire door casing kits, and also fulfils bespoke orders. The investment in this facility has introduced new equipment, which is significantly increasing throughput.
Advanced machinery can plane and profile 120 linear metres of timber every minute. Automated technology has also been installed for resawing timber and cross cutting, broadening and enhancing the range of products the merchant can produce in house.
“This investment programme ensures we can quickly and effectively respond to growing customer demand and positions our business for future growth," comments James Beelsey, commercial director at Beesley & Fildes.
“Our new distribution centre, combined with advanced machinery and automated technology, significantly increases capacity, broadens our in-house processing capabilities, and provides a fast and reliable supply chain for our customers.”
