Harlow Timber welcomes Amanda Hack MP

Harlow Timber Group in Long Whatton hosted a constituency visit from Amanda Hack MP for North-West Leicestershire to demonstrate how the timber supply chain is evolving to support house-building and commercial development.

Organised by the Builders Merchants Federation, the visit saw Hack welcomed by Harlow Timber Group managing director Neil Sabey, finance director Scott Hemsley, transport director Alan Harvey, and the BMF’s Brett Amphlett.

Touring the 20-acre site, Hack was shown examples of timber & joinery and engineered timber that the group makes and delivers to agricultural, horticultural & landscaping markets, as well as its construction customers. She said: “It was pleasing to visit Harlow Timber to gain a broader understanding of their work in the building supply chain. I would like to thank Neil, Scott, Maria and the team for giving me the opportunity to see their contribution not only to North West Leicestershire’s economy, but also more widely around the East Midlands.

“As part of the APPG for Healthy Homes and Buildings, it was encouraging to see an independent, employee-owned business keep up to date with the needs of its traditional customers as well as new, emerging markets, where architects and designers find innovative uses for wood in buildings”.

During the visit, Sabey outlined the BMF’s “Make a Material Difference” campaign of major employment and learning & development initiatives the BMF and its members have started. The BMF and DWP are collaborating on a joint initiative to publicise the range and diversity of roles with the supply chain to enable people to get into work and empower them to choose merchanting as a career – especially in timber & joinery and wherever possible, as an apprentice.

He said: ““We were delighted to welcome Amanda today and show her how Harlow Timber Group has evolved since we began in 1927. It is encouraging to have our MP take an interest in local firms like ours and offer her insight and support to help timber businesses to succeed”.

Other topics discussed were:

• recruitment, retention and training of drivers in the East Midlands – a region with a well-developed logistics’ industry – and a concentration of warehouses and distribution centres;
• under-investment in the electricity distribution network – meaning businesses cannot obtain enough power or have intermittent, ageing grid connections that limit the supply they need.
• The frustration that merchants have to compete with other industries for electricity – notably for EV charging and e-forklifts. Government and the energy generators have to plan for, and balance, increasing electricity demand between all customers – homes, transport, manufacturing, leisure and public services