Linnell Bros, a 145-year-old timber merchant in Silverstone, has made significant investments across the business, adding a new 7.5-tonne truck and a 26-tonne HIAB lorry to its delivery fleet as well as a cross-cut line and a double-ended tenoner to its mill.
The new machinery has been installed to improve accuracy and efficiency across the mill’s processing capabilities, supporting the volume of custom and made-to-order products the business produces for trade and retail customers. Both machines are now fully operational and enhance the mill’s overall capability, which includes bespoke gate manufacturing, morticing, V-notching, round-topping and arris rail shaping.
Director Roger Linnell said: “The cross-cut line and tenoner mean we can work faster and more accurately on the mill floor, which matters when so much of what we produce is made to order. It’s vital to give our team the right tools to keep quality high as demand continues to grow.”
Callum Jones, fifth generation family director, added: “It’s also about staying competitive. Customers expect a consistent finish whether they’re ordering one gate or a thousand metres of fencing, and this kit helps us hold that standard as volumes increase.”
On the transport side, the two new DAF trucks replace ageing vehicles and bring the delivery fleet to seven vehicles in total, made up of four 26 tonne crane trucks and three 7.5 tonne trucks. The 26 tonne lorries support larger quantities, site drops and crane offloading, while the 7.5 tonne trucks add flexibility for smaller or more local deliveries. Both of the 26-plate vehicles are already on the road.
Director John Linnell commented: “A healthy, modern fleet is vital to getting timber to site on time and safely offloaded. It is just as important as what happens in the mill and growing the fleet means we can keep that reliability up as we take on more work across the country.”
James Linnell, Director, added: “It also gives us more flexibility day to day. Having the right size vehicle for the right job, whether that’s a full crane offload or a smaller local drop, keeps things moving efficiently for our drivers and our customers.”
Linnell Bros is a fifth-generation family timber merchant based in Silverstone, Northamptonshire. Founded in 1880, the company supplies timber, fencing and treated timber to trade and retail customers nationally, with delivery available within three working days and click-and-collect from its Silverstone site.
The company holds 20,000m3 of stock on its purpose-built 20-acre site, which operates a mill and a dual pressure treatment plant. The FSC and PEFC-certified business is run by cousins Roger Linnell, John Linnell and James Linnell, alongside fifth-generation family member Callum Jones.
