Dozens of jobs in Forfar have been safeguarded after Orchard Timber collapsed and was subsequently bought out of administration by Beatsons Building Supplies.
The Orchardbank-based timber merchant, which closed abruptly last month and made its workforce redundant, is set to reopen in mid-January under its existing name. Former employees have been invited to return to their roles, with Beatsons committing to “retain the skilled team” and invest in stock, facilities and customer service.
Orchard Timber’s Livingston branch will also resume trading, bringing total employment across the two locations to around 50 staff. A long-standing main sponsor of Forfar Athletic FC since 2006, the company’s return is expected to provide a welcome lift to both the local economy and the wider community.
John Marshall, chairman of Beatsons, said: “We are delighted to welcome Orchard Timber Products into the Beatsons family. This acquisition aligns perfectly with our strategy to expand our geographic reach and broaden our product offering. Orchard Timber’s expertise and established customer relationships make them a perfect fit, and we look forward to supporting their continued growth.”
Wider closures across Scotland
Despite the positive news for the Forfar and Livingston sites, the collapse of parent company National Timber Group has had far-reaching consequences across Scotland.
Administrators Alvarez & Marsal confirmed that the closure of 11 Scottish locations has resulted in the loss of more than 200 jobs.
Six branches closed last month in Dumbarton, Forfar, Newton Stewart, Edinburgh (Hawkhill), Anniesland and Stirling.
Five additional sites in Coatbridge, Baldovie, Inverness, Inverurie and Glasgow closed last week, resulting in the loss of 33 jobs.
A further 11 positions were made redundant at sites that had already shut in Dumbarton, Forfar and Grangemouth.
National Timber, which operated 25 locations across Scotland and employed around 1,200 people throughout the UK, had been dealing with “liquidity challenges” before entering administration in late November.
Administrators said bids had been submitted for some individual sites, but not for the business in its entirety, leaving further job losses unavoidable.
In a statement, they said: “We have received offers for a number of the group’s sites, but not for the whole business. As a result, it has been necessary to make further redundancies in the branches where we have received no offers for a sale.”
