Our story
By doing things differently Arbor Forest Products has grown to become one of the largest independent timber importing businesses in the UK.
Always putting the customer first
From the outset, the approach has been straightforward. Supply quality timber, keep things moving and build relationships that last.
While the timber industry has evolved, that mindset hasn’t changed. What has changed is the scale. Today, Arbor operates as a major timber supplier in the UK, supporting merchants, distributors and industrial customers with a reliable, consistent supply.
We’ve continued to invest in our people, our processes and our product range to meet the demands of a fast-moving market, without losing sight of what matters day to day.
Quality products and quality processes are what drive our passion.
Peter Hunt
Purchasing Manager
1960s: The Beginning
Purchase of land at New Holland was the first step in our growth, enabling us to increase our stock holding and start shipping timber directly from Sweden, so we could offer a consistent supply to our customers.
1980s: Adding Value
We began manufacturing softwood to ensure quality products. Customers trusted our service and expertise and were keen for us to supply manufactured products as well as the raw material. We built a sawmill and more storage sheds to facilitate this second growth stage.
1990s: Seizing Opportunities
Arbor Forest Products is able to identify and quickly take advantage of new opportunities, and we became the first UK company to bring in Russian cargo outside the Soviet Timber Trade Federation. The dock was completely refurbished to cope with increasing tonnage and is now the largest of its kind in the UK.
2000s: The Game Changer
We extended our product lines and began manufacturing MDF, providing a complete multi-product offering. Continual investment and a focus on customer-centric processes allowed us to eliminate minimum order requirements by delivering all our products on one vehicle – our revolutionary Warehouse on Wheels service.
