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Site updates
Green expansion for Hetton site
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James Jones & Sons is expanding facilities at its Hetton site following planning permission approval for a 55,000 sq ft site redevelopment. The business will expand and redevelop its premises into a green facility that will include the installation of a biomass boiler.
James Jones & Sons (Pallets and Packaging) engaged the services of Building Design Northern (BDN), a Sunderland based architectural, structural and civil engineering firm, to design the plans for its new facility, which will aide its growth and further support the company’s key ethos of developing a fully sustainable supply chain service. The new space will support the pallet-making process and will also allow the installation of a new biomass boiler, which will be fuelled by James Jones’s own recycled timber, enhancing the firm’s environmental credentials, reducing carbon emissions and further strengthening the company’s contribution to a circular supply chain. Peter McKenzie, Managing Director of James Jones & Sons Pallets and Packaging division said: “We are delighted to receive planning permission for this development. Our business is fully committed to creating a sustainable supply chain and takes every step to ensure that any new developments carefully consider local wildlife and habitats, residents and the environment. This development will provide additional employment opportunities for local residents whilst ensuring that the site and activities carried out thereon have little to no impact upon the environment.” BDN was engaged by the firm to develop the commercial scheme taking the project forward through planning to completion on site. Managing Director of BDN, Richard Marsden, said: “We’re pleased to have been able to support Peter and the James Jones team in shaping plans for a new production facility that will aide their expansion as well as making them a more energy efficient business, which will also help keep energy costs down”. “As a practice, we’re very much focused on developing plans that are kind to the planet, but that also help generate cost efficiencies for energy-intensive businesses like manufacturers, so this was a great project that we’re proud to have supported.” Work will now begin on the new facility, which is expected to be completed this year.
Developments at Aboyne
by Robert Mann
Sitting on the banks of the River Dee, Aboyne is one of the most picturesque sawmill locations in the James Jones Group. So, when it comes to making this look even more attractive, we could consider a quote from the great bard William Shakespeare himself.
As expected, 17th century playwrights didn’t know much about modern sawmilling and the improvements ongoing at Aboyne are not just about the aesthetic but much more about the vision and drive of the local team to make what is already a great production site even better, for our employees, transport companies and customers alike. Following on from the successful reconstruction of the sawline over the last years, work has continued to improve social facilities for employees as well as establish excellence in the management of dust in production. Situated between the road and the River Dee, space is a limiting resource for Aboyne and the flow of transport around the busy site has in the past represented a challenge. As such, further improvements in access are ongoing including the segregation of pedestrian and traffic routes as well as establishing a logical flow of transportation around the site. The developments have not stopped there, the engineering workshop has moved to a new location that will not only provide a much-improved facility but one that is now located at the very heart of the production process. Further developments are also ongoing with the planned installation of a new Protim tank that will further strengthen the treatment facilities as well as trials of electrical loaders to begin the journey towards a diesel free future. So, the answer to the question of why to bother “Gilding the Lily” can be found when we consider the future. Working in the timber business we know very well how long it takes trees to grow. In this respect we understand that we need to work hard today for the benefit of the future generations tomorrow.
Expansion at Mosstodloch
by Robert Mann
Thanks to Arwen then Malik and Corrie the wind has already blown hard this year. The storms have passed, but a steady wind of change continues to blow for our most northern mill – Mosstodloch.
The work to expand the site continues to take shape as we prepare the official planning application. Before we can start with construction, there is a huge amount to do including public consultations, topographical surveys as well as light and noise assessments. Even if we are still at the planning stage, the direction is clear. The timber resource from the forests of North East Scotland continues to increase both in terms of volume and average log diameter. Expanding our production capacity to make beneficial use of this resource is a fantastic opportunity to develop business and create jobs as well as to improve working conditions, and make sure we have the right technology for the future. Of course, the future of Mosstodloch is not only about starting something new but making the best use of what we already have as the foundation for the future. In this respect the output of the Kara bio-mass boiler continues to extend beyond the kilns and garage to also heat our existing sawmill building. Also, we replaced the roof panels of the building for the de-sticking and planing line ensuring a good facility for the years to come. While some important things lie ahead in terms of improving the flow of workplace transport with a new log yard, log sorting line, followed by a new sawmill, these things will take time. Some things such as ensuring a good working environment cannot wait and the process has already started to replace the existing social rooms with new modular buildings. Change is not only about where we are going, but also where we have come from. We can only build our future on the knowledge and skills that we have today. In this respect we need to be thankful for all the arduous work and commitment that has come before. Mosstodloch has a rich heritage and among the 80 employees who continue to move the business forward we have had the honour to recognise with gold watches, three colleagues’, James McPherson (Pixie), Stevie Cruickshank and John Munro who have already worked more than 40 years. This year has already been exceptional not only in terms of the stormy weather and disruption from COVID but also the need to run our business in an uncertain sales market. The flexible and adaptable approach of the whole team has ensured that even while the weather has been bad and timber stocks have been high, our log transportation, production and sales have continued uninterrupted. In fact, in these challenging times, we have continued to develop with a first ever export delivery of 500m3 of packaging timber for a customer in Holland. Times are indeed changing and with the existing strengths in the team we will continue to build and develop through this year and beyond.
Richard Lochead visits new extension at Forres
Work at our Forres site is now nearing completion. The new facility will house upgraded processing, engineering and research and development capacity, as well as a new stock yard.
The project has secured up to £279,000 Green Jobs Fund investment from Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE).The HIE funding is through the Green Jobs Fund due to the low carbon and energy saving benefits of the project. Minister for Just Transition, Employment and Fair Work, Richard Lochhead said: “The £100 million Green Jobs Fund is supporting businesses in Scotland to create and maintain jobs that support low carbon products and services and contribute to meeting the Scottish Government’s net zero ambitions. Investing in machinery, equipment and research and development will ensure the creation and growth of new green job opportunities in sectors like the sustainable timber industry. In addition to the new green jobs James Jones & Sons is creating, timber innovations like this helps reduce carbon emissions and help move Scotland towards a net zero future.”
Steve Richards, senior development manager with HIE’s Moray team, said: “James Jones & Sons is an important local employer in Forres and contributor to the region’s economy. The company is embarking on the next phase of business growth, but this project is about so much more than that. It’s about innovation, use of new technology and reducing carbon emissions as we move towards a net zero economy. Crucially, it’s also about creating many more good quality well-paid manufacturing jobs in Moray. We are delighted to be able to support JJSL and look forward to continuing to work with the company as they implement these exciting plans.” David Leslie, Joint Managing Director, commented that James Jones and Sons is very grateful for the support of Scottish Enterprise. This has not only enabled the development of a difficult area of ground adjacent to the current site, but has assisted with further investment which will significantly expand the production of JJI-Joists at Forres, offer more job opportunities in the locality and see a further expansion of export opportunities beyond Europe and in addition to the new Australian contract that is underway. The company is planning a very significant further investment at its Mosstodloch sawmill over the next 5 years which will further increase employment in Moray, develop wood as a product in Scotland and assist in the drive to Net Zero within the Climate change agenda.
©Alison White Photography
©Alison White Photography
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SITE UPDATES
Kirriemuir site update
by Robert Mann
When something defies all expectations that the end has come by rising from the ashes into a new life, we often refer to this in terms of the mythical phoenix rising from the ashes. While our sawmills are very much part of the real world rather than that of myth and legend, Kirriemuir has literally risen from the ashes and promises to go from strength to strength.
This chapter in the sawmill’s history started on Christmas Eve last year when mid-morning the main bandsaw hit a metal object embedded in a log. The resulting shower of sparks ignited the hydraulics in the bandsaw which rapidly developed into a fire that severely damaged the operators’ cabin, the surrounding building, power supply as well as the main saw line itself. Once the initial shock of the event was over, the local team devised a way to continue production without the damaged main saw line. This was a challenging task as it was the main saw line that made the initial log breakdown and processed the longest logs. However, the spirit of Kirriemuir is one of resilience, making the best of what you have and most importantly never giving up. With this determined mindset, stopping production was never going to be an option. Within a brief time, the team had installed a generator to supply power, altered the building and rebuilt the log infeed to transport 6.2m logs to the second band saw and in this way work continued. Despite all the challenges of running with only the secondary saw line, production was soon back above 50% of the 2022 budgeted target and plans were made for replacing the damaged equipment. This recovery was possible due to the experience and dedication of all twenty-four employees on site. As the investigation of the fire showed, the team knew when to try and fight the fire but also, importantly, they knew when to stand back and make sure that personal safety came first and whatever happened to the building or equipment, no one got injured. Another factor in the decision to continue is that while Kirriemuir may not be the largest or most modern of our sawmills, it is an essential part of the whole business. Processing logs of up to 8.5m in length and 100cm in diameter means that we can use even the largest logs harvested from the forest, adding value to this ourselves rather than selling these logs to someone else. In addition to this, the contribution of the site extends beyond its own production to supporting other sawmills with storage space as they did for Aboyne when sawn stock levels rose at the end of last year. Having manged to rise from the ashes of the fire it comes as no surprise that when COVID eventually reached Kirriemuir in March and temporarily reduced the numbers of available employees by half, there was no thought within the team of giving up and going home. Instead, the team discussed the problem and shared tasks and responsibilities to allow production to continue. In every challenge there is an opportunity and Kirriemuir remains an important part of the James Jones and Sons business. The task now is to rebuild the production so that the business can not only rise from the ashes, but continue to grow for the future.
Durham – the mill and its surrounds
by Lisa Thomson
You may have seen the article in the last newsletter expressing how positive it had been for Durham and the team becoming part of the James Jones Group! This positive energy increases as relationships continue to grow between people and sites as we share learnings, experience and most recently spare parts, much to the relief of the Durham production and maintenance team.
So what’s the update here at Durham? Well, it’s been a really busy start to the year with great output across all the departments to match the strong demand that we are experiencing with customers. Projects have also been busy and you may recall it was discussed in the last newsletter about the new Brodbaek log grading line that was being installed. I’m pleased to be able to say this is now fully commissioned and performing exceptionally well; the log line is not only achieving the weekly target of 33,000 graded logs, but in April we recorded 40,000 logs in one week. I wonder, have you ever visited Durham? Maybe not, so let me include some facts about County Durham as we discuss the biggest and most exciting capital investment project that the site has ever embarked on! The land at the Durham site increased in size with the purchase of the fields to the West and a local farm house (Cooks Hold Farm), to the North. The intention is to build the new sawmill adjacent to the existing one to allow production to continue until the new mill is fully commissioned. Demolishing Cooks Hold Farm will allow this area to be utilised for the co-products in such a way that it is hidden from local houses by the current treeline. The drawing shows where the new mill and co-products will be built in relation to the existing mill. Durham itself is steeped in history and most well-known for its famous listed 11th century Cathedral and its Historic Castle which create breath-taking views against the skyline!!! So whilst we intend to build a new, bigger version of the existing sawmill at approx. 160mts x 60mts in size, on a Greenfield Site adjacent to the current mill, the business is committed to ensuring the visual impact of such a mill doesn’t distract from Durham’s landscape, blending in as best as a sawmill can! Durham is also famous for height! It is the birth place of the tallest man in Britain who, at 7ft 7 inches, might also be recognised for his acting parts in films such as Age of Ultron and Game of Thrones …. however as the project team found out height is not so popular in sawmill planning applications. This is where the Green field site with its 21m downwards gradient provides an excellent opportunity to allow the new building to be dug into the bankside providing some coverage for the overall visual impact. Of course, whilst this bankside limits the visual impact it has been a headache for the project team in terms of managing the levels inside the building and for the equipment manufacturers USNR and Kalfass who have to navigate three different heights through the building! The project team is hoping to have the planning application submitted by the first week of June. An easy sentence to write but to prepare a planning application takes significant time and effort from all involved and includes considerations such as visual, lighting and noise impacts alongside traffic, biodiversity and geodiversity considerations – to name just a few! So while we love the history of Durham (the city can clearly be traced back to AD 995, when a group of monks from Lindisfarne chose the strategic high peninsula as a place to settle with the body of Saint Cuthbert), we hope that the archaeological surveys turn up nothing of interest in this field. So to conclude we hope to get the planning application approved by the end of the year, we hope to start the building in Q1 2023 and see the first equipment land towards the end of 2024. Next time lets discuss in more detail the sawmilling equipment as I know that’s what everybody is wanting to hear about!
James Jones send JJI-Joists to Australia
Timber Systems division has begun exporting its JJI-Joists to Dindas, a new customer based in Australia. Dindas is a leading distributor of Engineered Wood Products. It is expected we will be shipping at a run rate of up to 1.5M LM per annum by the end of Q2.
Co-products – the forgotten child of sawmilling
by Neil Cowan
Co-products can easily become the forgotten child of sawmilling, it can be seen as the by-product of the process, but they are just as an important element of our sales mix as the sawn timber.
The co-product basket is made up of sawmill chips, sawdust, butt chips, dry shavings and bark. There are no waste products created from sawmilling. Most are sold through annual supply agreements. The bulk of the co-products are sawmill chips, these are generated from the chipper canters in the mill. The main uses for these are in the particle board production and biomass. We supply to all the major particle board manufactures in the UK, who are making chipboard, OSB and MDF. James Jones supports the concept of the carbon within this fibre being locked away for a further period in kitchens, flooring and furniture. We also use the OSB ourselves in the production of our engineered I-Joist at Forres, which allows us to develop cross trading strategies with the main processors. A new development over the last few years has seen chips being pulverised to be used as a peat substitute within bags of compost sold at garden centres. Sawdust is the finer smaller particle sized fibre produced directly off the saws. The main use for this is also in the manufacturing of particle board but during the winter months there is a demand for animal bedding from local farmers. The process of reducing the butt flare on the log at the logline creates butt chips. These chips are larger in size and contain an element of bark. They are used as a blend mix for creating fuel for biomass plants.
Dry shavings are generated from planing the J-Joists, these are blown directly into trailers on site, which are then collected by Alex Anderson. Alex then bails these at his state of the art site at Bo’ness, before selling them as animal bedding throughout the country. We generate bark when we peel the logs at either the logline or at the mill intake, depending on the orientation of the site. The bark is separated by species, as the pine bark demands a higher price. Most of the spruce bark is transferred to the bark processing plant at Lockerbie for further grading and value adding. At the bark plant we grade the material by size; large, small and fines. This material is then sold in bulk, no bagging is carried out, to be used for horticultural purposes. Co-products make up an important part of our total sales mix, generating further income streams for the business. Ensuring that we use every part of the log we bring in and guaranteeing no waste products leave our sites proves we work in an environmental and sustainable industry.
Royal Northern Spring Show
Graeme, Rhys and Martin represented James Jones & Sons at the Royal Northern Spring Show in Inverurie in March.
The Spring Show is held by the Society at the end of February each year and is the first major event in the Scottish farming calendar. It is regarded as an outstanding business day by agricultural suppliers, sponsors of the event and the farming community. Over 100 organisations promote their latest products and services at the Thainstone Centre on show day.
Environmental Minister Màiri McAllan MSP visits James Jones & Sons
Environmental Minister, Màiri McAllan MSP, was welcomed to James Jones & Sons Lockerbie site by David Leslie, Joint Managing Director and Rob MacKenna, General Manager South Operations.
The Minister was shown around the mill, whilst discussing a range of topics surrounding how the company is supporting the rural economy and contributing to Net Zero. Specifically, decarbonisation, new planting and investment into research and development was on the agenda. The company’s approach to staff development and attracting talent into the Forestry and Timber sector as well as its commitment to the local community was also covered in combination with the economic benefit of the site and timber industry overall. Following discussions, which included a presentation on James Jones & Sons, the minister was shown around the Lockerbie 3 sawmill, the most advanced log processing facility in Scotland. Speaking about the visit, David Leslie, Joint Managing Director, said “We were delighted to welcome the Minister to our Lockerbie site yesterday and to have the opportunity to discuss topics that are paramount to the success of the industry. We have a strong commitment towards our green credentials, supporting the local community and investing in innovation and staff development, whilst focussing on producing our only naturally renewable resource, Timber, that has always been a fundamental part of our Group ethos and strategy.”
James Jones & Sons sponsored Future Leader category at Confor Awards
The awards dinner was held at the Sheraton Grand Hotel in Edinburgh in March and was Confor’s largest ever awards dinner.
Michael Cresswell of Natural Resources Wales, was named as Future Leader in a very strong field, with EGGER’s Mike Yerbury also commended by the judges for his leadership within his own business and across the wider industry. The category was sponsored by James Jones & Sons Ltd in memory of Tom A Bruce-Jones. David Leslie, Joint Managing Director, said “I’m delighted to present this award in memory of Tom A Bruce-Jones and congratulate Michael. He clearly shows the ability to become a future leader in the industry whilst excelling in his contribution to lead individuals in his current role. Congratulations also to the runners up who, from a shortlist of eleven, competed in an extremely strong category, which is encouraging for the future of the industry going forward.” Michael said “ What a huge honour and privilege to receive the Future Forestry Leader Award at the 2022 Confor awards dinner. Congratulations to all those who were nominated, shortlisted and the other recipients of their respective awards. An inspiring time to be in this industry, full of excellent people changing attitudes, innovating and leading for the future.” Judges said they had been impressed by the leadership qualities of Mr Creswell, as both Forestry Operations Team Leader with Natural Resources Wales and through his roles with the Institute of Chartered Foresters. They said he was “passionate about supporting young professionals.” Stuart Goodall, CEO of Confor, said: “I’m delighted to have been able to honour such worthy winners at our biggest-ever award dinner and would like to congratulate Laura, Matt and Michael for winning our ‘new’ awards. All three categories had really strong shortlists and it is great to see such amazing talent driving our industry forward – brilliant innovators, skilled communicators and superb future leaders.”
