A LOCAL company is making a major investment into its operation by upgrading its high-efficiency timber treatment plant.

Walford Timber is marking its largest manufacturing improvement in many years. And after 33 years of continuous use, the facility is being modernised to support the next generation of high-quality, long-lasting timber products.

As most of the company’s products are pressure-treated on site for outdoor use, this facility plays a critical role in Walford Timber’s commitment to durability, performance, and long-term value for customers.

Work began in early October and is on track to be completed this month.

Michael Allen, the company’s digital marketing manager said: “The decision to replace the plant reflects both the age of the original system and our ongoing drive to maintain best-in-class production standards.

“The old plant has been fully decommissioned and removed using cranes. All outdated systems will be replaced with new, advanced components.

“We are keeping only the two recently installed pressure vessels, which already meet advanced standards. Everything else is being rebuilt from the ground up.”

Mr Allen explained that the new plant has been future proofed and added: “Efficiency and this investment is more than a replacement—it is a complete redesign aimed at improving efficiency, increasing product availability, and offering more environmentally responsible options across our treatment operations.

For the past eight decades, Walford Timber haa built its reputation on consistent investment in innovation, quality processes, and products designed to last.

Since being founded by Herbert Smith eight decades ago, the multi-generational business has grown significantly but is still run by the Smith family from the local head office site at Walford.

The company was also a founder of a process that creates micro-incisions in the timber surface to enable deeper preservative penetration, offering enhanced durability in ground-contact applications.

“This expertise helped form the foundation of our PermaTimber range, a collection of long-life fencing products backed by industry-recognised guarantees.

Although this is a significant project, the company has taken extensive steps to maintain seamless service during the transition. It had increased stock levels across key product groups, partnered with trusted external treatment providers to cover any unplanned requirements and co-ordinated continuity planning across its Ross-on-Wye, Cheltenham, and Chesham branches to ensure stable supply and reliable delivery.

The upgraded plant is expected to be among the most efficient treatment systems in the UK, which for customers, means a faster order fulfilment, reduced environmental impact, and an even more dependable supply of our timber products.

Mr Allen concluded: “This investment strengthens our ongoing commitment to sustainable, responsible manufacturing, an increasingly important priority for customers, specifiers, and the wider timber industry.

“With more than 80 years of heritage, we remain committed to investing in people, processes, and ongoing innovation that ensure our products last.

“This project marks a significant milestone in our long-term strategy to provide customers with the very best in high-quality, reliably treated timber products both now and for decades to come.”

For more information visit walfordtimber.co.uk.