North-east timber-frame kit home specialist Scotframe has opened a sales office and showroom in Swindon as it targets a larger share of the English self-build housing market.
Inverurie-based Scotframe said yesterday its new operation at the National Self Build and Renovation Centre (NSBRC) was aimed at a growing demand south of the border.
Sales director Malcolm Thomson added: “Scotland leads the way in timber frame construction, with 83% of new build homes in Scotland using timber frame, compared to just 23% in England.
“However, the market share for timber construction in England is steadily rising and I believe this trend will continue.
“Timber frame is a particularly attractive option for self-build, which is growing in popularity south of the border, thanks to the recent Right to Build legislation.
“We hope having a presence at the NSBRC will help us tap into this burgeoning self-build market in England, especially as we have over 28 years of experience and expertise, during which time we have supplied over 30,000 houses.”
Scotframe was established in May 1989, with its very first timber frame kit used for a project on Links Road, Aberdeen.
The company now has 160 employees and turns over about £35 million annually. It has two manufacturing facilities in Inverurie and at Cumbernauld, as well as sales offices and showrooms in Inverness and Dundee.
The firm was acquired by Saint-Gobain, a global group with 18,000 employees in the UK alone, in November last year, a move which Scotframe believes will help accelerate its expansion.
Scotframe’s annual turnover in England is currently £2.5 million, and the company hopes to treble that figure over the next three years.
NSBRC is the UK’s only permanent venue where visitors can receive free and impartial advice if they are looking to undertake a self-build project, renovation or home improvements, as well as have access to a range of exhibitors.