2 minute read - 27th July 2022
Fencehouse facility doubles as demand soars
Timber product manufacturer Fencehouse Timber Engineering has doubled the size of its manufacturing facility and head office after a year of solid growth.
The firm, which manufactures sustainable roof trusses, timber frames and floor joists for the construction industry, has purchased additional premises adjacent to its head office and factory in Houghton-le-Spring as it looks to capitalise on the UK’s construction boom. Despite the pandemic, Fencehouse Timber Engineering saw its order books swell for a third consecutive year in 2021.
The investment has led to the creation of eight new full-time jobs and has seen the company invest heavily in its design and IT capabilities as it looks to increase capacity to meet the growing demand for its products and services.
Established during the recession of 2008 by business partners Steve Harris and Steve Brown, Fencehouse Timber Engineering now employs a team of 54 and provides solutions to some of the biggest housebuilders in the country.
Steve Harris, co-founder and director, said: “We are delighted to have committed our future to the North East. This is where it all started when we built our first factory 16 years ago and we’ve continued to invest and expand our roots here ever since. As a leading designer, manufacturer, and supplier of roof trusses, timber frame, space joists and spandrel panels, the UK’s construction boom and ambition to construct 300,000 housing units per year has really boosted us as a business.
“Over recent years, housebuilders across the globe have had their eyes opened to the need to embrace more sustainable building methods, leading to a surge in demand for sustainable products made using materials such as timber, which benefits from the lowest embodied CO2 of any building material on the market. It has been a bit of an upheaval, as such large-scale investments often are, however taking the risk is already paying off. It’s really allowed us to continue innovating by bringing new products to market and increasing our design capabilities and we’re confident about what the future has in store.”
Cllr Claire Rowntree, leader of Sunderland City Council, added: “All eyes in the construction world will be on Sunderland next year as the city hosts The Future Living Expo 2023 and this will really help us shine a light on the successes of companies such as Fencehouse Timber Engineering. Sunderland is leading the way in driving the green economy, be it through electric vehicles, plastic and rubber recycling or construction and Fencehouse is a prime example of that.”