Scottish family-run timber supplier marks ‘humbling milestone’ of one million sales

Edinburgh-based St Andrews Timber & Building Supplies saw its sales milestone achieved with a timber purchase by a local customer at the firm’s West Lothian base in Livingston.

The family-run business was founded in 2002 with its first branch at Prestonfield in Edinburgh and has since grown into a major builder’s merchant with further locations in the capital, Livingston and Paisley. Having launched with five members of staff, including one driver and a truck, staffing levels now sit at more than 100 with 20 vehicles servicing a growing customer base.

Managing director Ronnie Robinson said: “It’s a really humbling milestone for us. From starting the company back in 2002 with just five staff including myself, I couldn’t have dreamed we would get to this point.

“I recall our first ever sale after we opened at Prestonfield was timber and sheets by a site manager I knew before I started St Andrews who had gone out on his own. Fast forward to today and I’d never have thought we would have had this volume of sales.

“It’s great that the one millionth sale came at Livingston, our newest and flagship branch which opened three years ago this month.”

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The firm’s expansion in recent years has seen landscaping introduced, a machine shop established in Livingston and a growing variety of products at all four branches as the business looks to become a “one-stop” shop for customers.

Robinson added: “It’s been a really eventful roller-coaster. We have encountered recessions, a pandemic, a downturn of industry and interest rate fluctuations along with government uncertainty.

“We are not going to become complacent though. We are always looking at ways of improving our customer service and we have to keep moving with the times.

“Online shopping is now huge. There is also more competition than ever. The digital and technology advancements have been challenging to adopt at times but we have tried to evolve as much as possible.

“The bottom line for us is listening to our customers at all costs and trying to make sure we have something for everyone. We have tried to cover as many trades and product groups as we possibly can as we look to grow our presence across the Central Belt and beyond.”

He added: “As an independent business we understand our staff make us who we are. We are nothing without them and a lot of work from a lot of people has taken us to this stage.”

The news comes after it emerged in recent days that almost 170 jobs in Scotland were being axed after another firm, Six National Timber Group, fell into administration. A total of 561 immediate redundancies were confirmed across the UK, with 169 of those in Scotland.

Administrators said 13 branches were being closed across the UK overall. The company employs 1,200 staff across the UK.