Sharvatt Woolwich Limited was formed in November 2005 by the merger of two successful privately owned timber merchants – William Sharvatt and Woolwich Timber.
Part of the Lawson Timber, Fencing and Builders Merchants group, Sharvatt Woolwich has remained a traditional timber merchant and is now based on a three-acre site in Belvedere in Kent. The merger gave Lawsons a strong foothold in a new market.
Today, the Company specialises in timber and sheet materials, serving customers in and around the M25. These customers, in the majority are in the construction industry, major house builders and companies in the groundwork industry. Deliveries are made by a combination of the Company’s own Lorries and a number of owner-driver vehicles, with generally seven or eight trucks leaving the depot every day.
According to Company Manager Colin Bendall, “A fair proportion of the timber is imported from Scandinavia Some “Home Grown”. The large dimension and longer lengths come by road through East Coast Docks from Germany after passing through a treatment plant. These treatments can be either green treated (construction timber) or brown treated (fencing).
One of the Company’s specialities is timber cladding, which is a sector that has grown markedly in the last five years. This can be cedar cladding, brought in from Canada, which offers a 60-year lifespan or larch cladding with its 40-year lifespan. Thermowood cladding is a cheaper alternative to Cedar that can be used for cladding and decking… This is a soft wood that has been heat treated to very high temperatures. After heat treatment, it goes dark brown and, apparently, smells like coffee!
Another key feature of the Company’s operation is an in-house milling facility. This means that if a customer brings in a sample of an old piece of architrave or skirting that is no longer in production, it can be reproduced from a sample. Sharvatt Woolwich also has a range of MDF mouldings for architraves and skirting boards which can be offered either white primed or with a range of real hardwood veneers.
Sharvatt Woolwich is a Member of the Timber Research & Development Association (TRADA) and through this has achieved Chain of Custody Certification for both Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and Programme for Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) with BM TRADA Certification. Its certification covers ‘the purchase, processing, supply and distribution’ of softwood carcassing and prepared softwood, as well as sheet materials, MDF mouldings and hardwoods. Being able to offer full traceability and to be able to show that none of its products come from protected forests is a great advantage in the marketplace as customers become more aware about the protection of the environment.
According to Colin, “We have had a good year so far and believe that it will continue. We are looking to add some more bolt-on products to our range. We are fortunate in having a skilled and experienced workforce who can deal with enquiries either over the telephone or face to face.”
For further information please telephone 0208 312 1902
