The Harlow Timber Group has been successfully trading for almost 100 years. Founded by the Harlow family as an agricultural manufacturing business, its multi-site network has always placed training and staff development at the heart of its business. This was further underlined by the company’s recent nomination for a BMF training award.
“We joined the BMF around six years ago, having always been a strong believer in everything they stand for,” explains Neil Sabey, Group Managing Director. “We were delighted to have been shortlisted for their training award.
“In many respects I’m a product of the BMF through many of their training programmes in my early days of working in a builder’s merchant. I initially began my career in the construction industry as a former apprentice out on site, having left school at 16. I’m a huge advocate of the benefits of apprenticeships, both for the individual’s learning and development, and for the business they learn and develop in. We were the first independent timber merchant to sign up to the BMF pledge of working towards 5% of the workforce actively engaged and developing through apprenticeships.
“The Harlow Timber Group has proactively utilised learning programmes designed to enhance its team members’ skills and knowledge, which I believe ultimately positively impacts the overall customer experience. Leadership teams benefit enormously from bespoke programmes that can be related to and easily applied to their particular business.”
The company worked directly with the BMF to create the Harlow Timber Group 8 Module Management Development programme, specifically designed for current and future key colleague development and next generation succession planning.
Technical knowledge is addressed through the BMF’s ‘How a House is Built’ course and the company provides numerous opportunities for the development of new and existing colleagues through apprenticeships. Colleagues are further supported with many other training opportunities along with mental health awareness programmes.
With a workforce of over 530 people spread across its 13 UK sites and an industry-wide skills shortage, it is vital for the business to develop its people to realise their full potential. “There’s a huge demand for skilled and knowledgeable people within the construction industry due to the effects of Brexit and other significant factors,” adds Mr Sabey. “It is therefore crucial that we’re able to attract and recruit people into the sector before providing them with the training they require so that they remain in the industry and enjoy a successful career that fulfils their ambitions. All of the industry needs to own this and accept that some people may move around within the industry but overall, we all need to collectively increase the number of people working in construction.
“One of the Harlow Timber Group’s great successes has been the support and opportunities its colleagues can benefit from, and I hope I’m a good example of that philosophy in practice. I have worked in construction for over 30 years and during my time in merchanting I’ve carried out pretty much every role, having originally started out as Trade Counter Supervisor. I’ve since advanced my career path in various positions and enjoyed career progression at Travis Perkins before joining the Harlow Timber Group as area manager looking after its seven branches. I subsequently became Area Director for the branches before ultimately taking up the role as Group MD as part of our evolution towards becoming employee owned.
“Across our four businesses within the group, the majority of the workforce is made up of people that have come up through the ranks. With the shortage of skills in the marketplace and the average age of the workforce increasing year on year, we clearly needed to realise a solution that would develop existing and potential supervisors and managers as part of a future proofing process. As a consequence, we worked with the BMF on a bespoke management trainee programme and, so far, have received some great feedback. It is our people that make our business the success it is today. You can have all the bells and whistles available to you, but if you haven’t got the right people then you haven’t got a viable company. It’s about properly investing in your biggest asset: your people.”
Today the Group is made up of divisions and companies that encompass timber supply and engineered timber solutions, along with agricultural manufacturing divisions that continue to design, manufacture, and install buildings including poultry houses, stables and bespoke timber buildings. Its network supplies timber and associated products to both trade and retail customers from its locations in the East & West Midlands and Essex.
Having acquired H&S Timber Systems in 2001, the Harlow Timber Group’s timber manufacturing base diversified further as engineered timber products, such as roof trusses and engineered joists, were added to the company’s portfolio. The business’ growth was considerable and today Harlow Timber Systems and Harlow Timber System (Eastern) (HTS & HTS(E) operate from four sites across the country.
The Harlow Timber Group has also taken the step of establishing an e-commerce string to its bow, which offers timber and associated products on a nationwide basis through its digital platform. “We created the e-commerce business just as the Pandemic was unfolding and it has proven to be a tremendous success,” outlines Mr Sabey. “Necessity is the mother of invention, and it is now one of the fastest growing areas of the business, having opened up the entire country to us.”
As another example of its forward-thinking approach, the Harlow Timber Group became an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT) during the first quarter of 2022. The circumstances of the arrangement mean that the Harlow family continue to have an active input into the business and will continue to do so for some years to come, with the values that the company was founded upon remaining central to its future.
“The business has evolved significantly over the years through general growth expansion and acquisition, and we continue to look at suitable ventures to add to our portfolio. We have a diverse mix of the different key elements of timber merchanting and engineering solutions, and this has been a major strength of the company, particularly when dealing with the peaks and troughs of the construction industry trading cycles. We remain a very agile operation.
“The EOT concept is developing extremely well. The individual boards and Harlow Timber Group board run the company day-to-day, but in reality they’re now working for the future benefit and shared success of the employees. As part of the E.O evolution we rebranded the original H.R Team as ‘The People Team’ and expanded this to employ a specific colleague looking after training, coordination and development, and another colleague focused on recruitment and staff retention. This has been a key element of our strategy in terms of how we invest in our people.”
Now that the EOT principles are becoming part of day-to-day life in the business, bolstered by the creation of the Vision, Mission and Values, with its emphasis on staff training and investment, the Harlow Timber Group is well positioned to capitalise on the growing demand for sustainably sourced timber, engineered timber and timber related solutions within the current marketplace.
“Timber is the most sustainable construction material available and is increasing in popularity in these importantly ecologically focused times, both for now and for future generations. We embarked on our own net zero decarbonisation journey and began a roll out programme of EV vehicles, mechanical handling equipment, enhanced telematics to improve efficiency and further solar installations. We were the first independent timber merchant to become a BMF Zero Carbon Business Champion with the Construction Leadership Council’s CO2nstruct Zero programme creating the opportunity for Harlow Timber Group, as Business Champions, to be part of a total Group of over 90 construction industry companies now working within the CLC programme.
“Within a tough market there has been plenty of challenges. That said, the opportunity to fully realise our potential remains, and we certainly intend to sustainably grow our network as the appropriate opportunity presents itself. From a personnel perspective, we want to keep investing in and developing our great people, so that we have the future leaders ready and in place to continue to take us forward for many more years to come.”
With its forward-thinking approach, it’s little wonder that the Harlow Timber Group has chalked up nearly a century of operation and is certain to attract further award recognition in the future too.