Premier Forest Products says its acquisition of elements of the National Timber Group (NTG) is set to be “transformational” for the business, as the Newport-based group adds significant scale while keeping borrowing in check.
Premier Forest Products CEO and Co-founder Terry Edgell told Timber Trades Journal the deal – covering three former Arnold Laver depots plus the National Timber Systems (NTS) business – is already reshaping the group’s footprint and capacity.
The TTJ 2025 Timber Trader of the Year has acquired the Reading, Manchester and Hull operations of Arnold Laver, alongside the Bristol, Catterick and Newcastle operations of NTS, plus the assets of the NTS Sheffield facility. Premier has since agreed to lease the former NTS Sheffield site and will be re-employing former staff and re-commissioning the factory.
“It is quite transforming in terms of the size of the business we now have, but it has not put us under too much leverage, and we have a very supportive relationship with our bank,” Mr Edgell said.
The combination of NTS (approx. £40m turnover) and the three NTG sites acquired is expected to add a further £80m of turnover, taking Premier Forest to a £200m+ turnover for 2026. The group now has 25 sites across the UK.
Recruitment campaigns are ongoing to fully staff the new operations. Premier says it will have added about 300 extra staff through the acquisitions, giving it about 800 staff overall.
Edgell also used the moment to draw a contrast with the sector’s private equity trend. “We are not affected so much by decisions based on short-term forecasts and activity… Maybe, it’s the time of the independents again.”
Source: Rise of the independents via TTJ
