We caught up with Rob MacKenna, General Manager at James Jones & Sons, as it celebrates 25 years since the opening of its Lockerbie sawmill.
Now one of the most advanced timber processing sites in the UK. What began as a strategic investment in the late 1990s has evolved into a cornerstone of sustainable forestry and innovation that is at the forefront of primary processing and product supply.
“Production forestry has been a great success story for the economy of South Scotland and was an obvious choice of location for the growth of a successful sawmilling business, says Rob. “25 years ago, James Jones & Sons had recently bought Unit Pallets, the first of our pallet manufacturing sites. This market, coupled with the availability at the time of small roundwood and our growth strategy, provided the key drivers for our initial investment and operations at Lockerbie.
“Regional demand for small roundwood has fluctuated over the years, which included the establishment of the biomass market, making roundwood sourcing and supply one of the challenges the mill has faced. Whilst initially designed with the pallet market in mind, Mill 1 at Stevens Croft is a versatile line, and we have been able to switch fibre into fencing and construction products as demands have changed.”
Three phase expansion
From the outset, Lockerbie was built for growth. The site has developed through three distinct phases, each one marking a milestone in capacity, technology, and product diversification. “Each of these phases built on and complemented what had gone before,” says Rob. “Allowing for sustained expansion of production and product ranges. Completion of each of these three phases (still referred to as Lockerbie 1, 2 and 3) have provided the defining milestones for the site. During each phase of development, we were able to staff them with local skilled employees who had been working at established facilities within the business.”
The concept of sustainability, low carbon and environmental concerns have grown a lot in recent years and the company approach to environmental responsibility has reflected this with the Lockerbie site at the forefront of environmental design for an industrial facility of its type, going beyond compliance in many areas. “It was one of the first timber processing sites in the UK to be accredited with ISO14001 Environmental Management Systems Standard,” adds Rob. “This commitment continues in the ongoing phases of investment and maintenance. In recent years the greater acceptance and awareness of the importance of a low carbon economy have given its operations added significance – trees sequester carbon while they grow, which is then stored in the products we produce at Lockerbie and potentially substitute the use of more highly carbon emitting materials in their end use.”
Alongside the growing awareness of environmental concerns and sustainability, technology and the digital world have transformed the timber industry in recent decades and the Lockerbie site has seen many transformations take place. Rob says: “Developments in industrial safety systems have improved with each phase of the site’s development and allowed us to provide industry leading solutions, from providing operators with the safest access to automated machinery through to bespoke spark and flame detection within machinery. One of the key improvements that has increased the yield of sawn timber and efficiency has been in the quality and application of scanners and optical sensors, allowing data from each individual log to be analysed to produce the highest possible volume of sawn timber.”
Local community impact
Beyond its industrial achievements, Lockerbie has had a profound impact on the local community and economy. As Rob explains, the site employs nearly 200 people, some of whom are second generation and in one instance third generation of local families, so benefits extend far beyond the sawmill gates. “In addition to our employees working on-site, we help support a supply chain, from forest establishment and management right through to harvesting and haulage, as well as local engineering and construction firms. We are engaged in numerous local community projects with charities, schools and one with the joinery workshop in HMP Dumfries.”
What plans are in place for the next 25 years for Lockerbie? While the company’s roots run deep, stretching back over 180 years – and now with expanding operations in Australia and New Zealand – Lockerbie remains a central pillar of James Jones & Sons’ operations in the UK. “In that context, 25 years does not seem like a long time,” says Rob. “However, the scale and growth of the facility at Lockerbie have put it at the centre of group operations for this period. There are many opportunities for further investment on the site, as we look to reduce reliance on imported timber and increase the supply of UK grown and manufactured products, but this in turn is reliant on an ongoing commitment to new planting of commercial tree species. The growth of operations at Lockerbie has supported the growth of others within the wider timber industry, both suppliers and customers of our sawn and co-products.”
