ONE of Bristol’s oldest timber companies will be relocating across the border to Newport to pool resources and strengths with its parent company.

Clarks Wood Company, which was established in 1793 and has been based on Silverthorne Lane in Bristol for the last 25 years, was acquired by Premier Forest Products in 2013 - based at the Alexandra Dock.

The relocation to Premier Forest Product’s head office and main operational hub in Newport will retain all members of staff at Clarks Wood and give the division direct access to the group’s extensive range of products and services and logistics.

The new Clarks Wood site will be opening on Monday, December 18.

“This move will not only assist with Clarks Wood’s development plans, it will provide our customers with lower costs and more choice,” said Terry Edgell, the co-director of the Premier Forest Group.

“The division will be significantly enhanced by its new location, providing it with direct access to on-site timber processing facilities, quay side importing and our nationwide logistics operation.

“Importantly, it will also enable us to be more competitive on price and provide Clarks Wood’s customers with an even wider range of timber products and services without having to go to another supplier.

“Aside from the additional benefits and a new address, our customers won’t notice much change.

“We’ll have the same phone number and they’ll still be dealing with the same expert staff they always have done and receiving the same excellent customer service that has kept Clarks Wood as a leading timber supplier for so many decades.”

The Newport-based Premier Forest Products Ltd operates from sites right across the UK and includes several branded divisions.

These include: Premier Forest Products, Premier Processing & Fabrication, Premier Sawmilling, Mill Timber Direct, Clarks Wood, Duchy Timber and Premier Goldberg.

The group has enjoyed considerable growth in recent years including the recent relocation and expansion of Premier Goldberg in Langley, which doubled the size of its operation and created five new jobs.

The group embarked on a series of acquisitions, starting in 2011, which has helped to see turnover grow from £53m to a projected £130m for the current year.