A Hull-based company that is the first in Britain to offer eco-friendly fire-retardant timber treatment is set to double its capacity to meet growing demand.
WJ Group is to install additional kilns at its East Yorkshire treatment plant, boosting production. It has secured a £100,000 loan from the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund managed by Mercia Debt Finance to cover it.
Led by local entrepreneur Mark Eggleston, he founded his first business in 2007 to supply timber components to the caravan industry. Two years later, after spotting a gap in the market, he opened a preservative treatment plant at the Port of Hull before launching a second facility in Rochester, Kent.
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The latest spend will see a production plant at Kirkburn, near Driffield, added to, having secured a £200,000 loan two years ago to establish it.
Danny Bullement, WJ’s finance manager, said: “The new fire treatment arm has really taken off, to the point where the existing facilities are no longer sufficient. As the kilning process can take 12 to 24 days, we began to experience bottlenecks in production. The latest funding will enable us to double capacity and keep up with increasing demand.”
The timber is treated using its FireWright process and supplied for use in UK and overseas construction projects.
More recently the group has developed a range of innovative products including anti-slip decking solutions and lightweight ‘i-beam’ products for caravans.
Gary Whitaker of Mercia said: “WJ Group is a real success story. Over the past 15 years it has repeatedly identified new opportunities and introduced new products and services, with the latest being set up in response to growing concerns over fire safety in buildings. We are pleased to be able to support the group for a second time to enable it to continue its expansion.”
The group, headquartered on Marfleet Industrial Estate, now employs more than 70 staff between Hull and Kirkburn, with a further six in Kent. Since 2019 it has doubled its turnover and is on course to double again in the five years ahead.
The deal was supported by YB Financial Advisory.
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