BSW Timber has kick-started a major investment programme in its material handling equipment by commissioning eight new side-loader ‘Bulmor’ vehicles for its sawmill in Newbridge-on-Wye, Powys.
In a £900,000 contract with UK-based Briggs Equipment, the vehicles will be used to transport sawn timber on site. It forms part of BSW’s on-going strategy to upgrade its on-site transportation fleet across all its UK mills, with plans for further investment to be announced later in the year.
Following an in-depth selection process, BSW chose Briggs Equipment following a proven track record of working together in other UK mills – a partnership which has delivered efficiencies and improved safety and fleet management capability as part of a company-wide drive to improve reliability in site operations.
Welcoming the roll-out, Dave Burd, Southern Regional Manager for BSW Timber Group, said: “We undertook a thorough evaluation of all the different manufacturers currently supplying the UK market and concluded that Briggs was the best partner for us. As well as ensuring driver safety the robustness of the vehicles’ design, together with features tailored to meet BSW’s requirements such as built in damage prevention, proved to be a winning formula.”
Kevin Young, BSW Timber Group Purchasing Manager, added: “BSW is demanding more from supply partners and the introduction of the side-loaders brings a new dynamic to materials handling for our company. This is especially evident in terms of technological advancement and added value, including data which both parties can analyse to improve efficiency and vehicle uptime whilst reducing costs.”
Commenting on the new contract, Joe Moir, Regional Sales Director-Scotland at Briggs Equipment, said: “We’ve been working with BSW for many years and are delighted to support the company with asset finance and full maintenance as part of this latest customised materials handling solution.
“The side-loaders have been fitted with a telemetry system to improve fleet management and have unique safety options to promote best practice and ensure a safe working environment at the Newbridge-on-Wye sawmill.”
BSW has invested more than £6 million into its Newbridge-on-Wye sawmill over the past decade, making it the largest single-site sawmill in Wales, employing 148 staff.
The company currently produces over 1,200,000 m3 of sawn timber each year, mainly for the UK’s construction, fencing and landscaping markets.
