firewood business tips and management

[treesnakey]

We are a small tree surgery business been running for 6 years.

 

based in South east london

 

 

We have recently moved to a new yard and have alot more space to run another part of the business.

 

We've bought a large splitter, not a processor as most of our debris come from domestic work. We have a local garden centre that will buy the logs.

 

Im looking for tips or advice on how to run this side of the business.

Any help would be great.

[farmer_ben]

Keep it simple, supply the best logs in your area and dont under value the final product (whether the logs are from waste timber or cord wood).

[Goaty]

Minimise handling, have a sequential flow of production. Mechanise as much as economically possible.

I use sawhorses, the Oregon easy cut is excellent to quickly process smaller girth sticks rapidly.

 

Hire in a processor if overwhelmed. As you are handling your waste, you don't want a choked up yard distracting from your more profitable main enterprise.

 

Use staff to do it when weather is bad or work quiet.

 

It can be an effective part of your enterprise or a frustration. Think smart, invest a little. Work easier.

[ash_smith123]

My advice would be to process as much as you can with your current setup and if you need more just import kiln dried firewood when you need. Don't go down the route of buying a processor and getting cord to try and dry it yourself. You can buy it already done for roughly £50/55 a loose cubic metre so save yourself a lot of time and hassle and be a good middle man!

[arboriculturist]

My advice would be to process as much as you can with your current setup and if you need more just import kiln dried firewood when you need. Don't go down the route of buying a processor and getting cord to try and dry it yourself. You can buy it already done for roughly £50/55 a loose cubic metre so save yourself a lot of time and hassle and be a good middle man!

 

What about the environmental and UK economy effects of importing kiln dried timber?

[ash_smith123]

I read an article today about Sales of timber in The uk has increased a huge amount in 2015 and the price for cordwood will significantly increase in the medium and long term... They have already gone up 50% in the last 2 years and I'm paying £60-70+vat a ton delivered at the moment for hardwood and softwood is nearly at £45+vat. If it goes up anymore it wouldn't be viable for me to buy it so what do I do? Close my doors because importing timber is worse for the environment? No I will be buying imported Firewood in.

The only thing stopping me from selling all my gear and solely importing is the RHI I get and the amount of custom length orders im getting at the moment for people with biomass boilers.

The U.K. Forestry industry isn't going to struggle if I stop buying cordwood, it might if hundreds and hundreds of other firewood companies in the UK does the same (that's been increasing for years) but like any other company in the world they have to compete and the figures for me are starting to favour buying in imported firewood than buying cordwood from 10 miles away.

Trust me I would rather buy cordwood from 10 miles away!

[arboriculturist]

I read an article today about Sales of timber in The uk has increased a huge amount in 2015 and the price for cordwood will significantly increase in the medium and long term... They have already gone up 50% in the last 2 years and I'm paying £60-70+vat a ton delivered at the moment for hardwood and softwood is nearly at £45+vat. If it goes up anymore it wouldn't be viable for me to buy it so what do I do? Close my doors because importing timber is worse for the environment? No I will be buying imported Firewood in.

The only thing stopping me from selling all my gear and solely importing is the RHI I get and the amount of custom length orders im getting at the moment for people with biomass boilers.

The U.K. Forestry industry isn't going to struggle if I stop buying cordwood, it might if hundreds and hundreds of other firewood companies in the UK does the same (that's been increasing for years) but like any other company in the world they have to compete and the figures for me are starting to favour buying in imported firewood than buying cordwood from 10 miles away.

Trust me I would rather buy cordwood from 10 miles away!

 

I can see it makes personal financial sense to buy low cost imported timber, however to cut to the chase, buying British is what supports our economy.

 

Economics aside, surely this is a flawed 'model' for your children's future, who will be living on this planet far longer than you and I?

[ash_smith123]

Well the British timber companies need to compete then? Simple as that! If the price of cordwood is nearly at the same price I can buy it already cut and dried, That's not my fault? Like I said they will still sell the timber, mostly to government funded MW biomass plants but they will still sell it. But even most of them buy chip from abroad now!

And the way they are cutting at the moment there will be no forestry left in 20/30 years because no one has thought to plant anything since the 70's!

[gensetsteve]

We produce kindling for the trade. Introduce them to selling kindling. Nip round the m25 and collect 400 bags at a time.

[gensetsteve]

I can see it makes personal financial sense to buy low cost imported timber, however to cut to the chase, buying British is what supports our economy.

 

Economics aside, surely this is a flawed 'model' for your children's future, who will be living on this planet far longer than you and I?

 

With a bit of competition the price of British cord will drop especially with warm weather and cheap oil. With no competition our kids will be working for nothing to save the enviroment.