AS the construction sector gradually pulls out of recession, Europe's
largest timber merchant group is investing in its Scottish operation.
Raab Karcher Timber has substantially increased the size of its timber
engineering activities by acquiring a 30,000 sq ft factory in Glasgow's
Gorbals.
The move creates 10 jobs with potential to more than double that
figure. It will retain its only other Scottish site, also in Glasgow, as
a merchant's depot.
The company is aiming to become the major player in the Scottish
market for trussed rafters (pre-manufactured wood roof frames) used in
housebuilding and other applications. A turnover of more than #1m is
expected for the first operational year of the new factory.
Glen Lyon, director of the firm's Scottish timber engineering
division, said: ''We can see improvement and growth in the marketplace.
We did operate a trussed rafter manufacturing operation at our other
site over the past two years, but there were space restrictions. This
site will allow us to expand gradually.''
Only one problem exists -- finding skilled people. The Gorbals
Initiative, responsible for local economic regeneration, is assisting
the firm to find and train local people. The initiative sees the Karcher
investment as a sign of increasing business confidence in the local
community, where #150m will have been spent on improvements by the turn
of the century.
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