Training and development seems to be the name of the game down at Rose Bank Sawmill, near Carlisle.  So much so, that their experience has now taken them down a path they had not considered a year ago.

“Originally the business provided mainly to the agricultural market, but over the last few years we have expanded our customer demographic to include public sector, commercial and domestic. That is not to say that the agricultural demand has died down, it is still very much part of our bread and butter.” David explained,

While every customer wants good quality materials, government regulations and environmental concerns are embedded in the procurement process of the public and commercial sectors.  “We had to take the bull by the horns” so to speak, said David.  We researched all the requirements for developing the business to meet the needs of our expanding market and are now in a position to supply to those sectors”.

“It was not an easy experience as we did everything in house” explains David, “From the European Standard EN 9001:2000 which acknowledges that we run our company to a very high standard and also that we can supply timber to National Highways standard; to the FSC and PEFC Chain of Custody Scheme Accreditation, which means that we are part of an international network which promotes responsible management of the world’s forests”.

What did take David aback, was that as a qualified joiner who has been in the timber business since 1989, he had to go back to basics and do his NVQ in fencing to enable him to get on certain sites to undertake the fencing work which is an integral part of the services the business offers.  The CSCS card which many people hold is now inbuilt within the NVQ accreditation.

“While researching a suitable place to enrol for my NVQ Fencing, it became clear that this service was not offered in our County.  The nearest Centre to Cumbria was North East Construction Training (NECT) in County Durham and as I went through the NVQ process with Gordon Bennett, who manages that part of the ESH Group business, we built up a good working relationship and felt between us we could bridge the geographical divide by becoming a Satellite Centre for NECT and work closely with people in Cumbria who want, or may need their NVQ Fencing qualification.

“While we are heavily into training of our own staff” said David, “becoming involved in external training had never been given consideration.  However, because of this gap in the market I am now undertaking an Assessor’s course”.

As far as the NVQ’s are concerned, it has become common practice that people working on construction sites and on certain public sector projects need to have the appropriate cards and accreditations and David believes NECT have devised a practical system to assist candidates.

“It is this approach which has encouraged us to become a Satellite Centre for NECT and to work alongside Gordon Bennett and his Lantra colleagues to offer this local support”.

Training aside, Rose Bank Sawmill has gone through a lot of changes since it was set up in 1989.  David said “when the business expanded, we decided to totally re-brand it and have received a lot of help from Arch Timber Protection with that work”.

“They have helped us create our website which gives us the opportunity to promote the changes to the business.   We both learnt a lot through the e-mail experience of setting up the web-site, which is all to the good, as we will be communicating with NECT in very similar style if the training aspect of the business becomes useful to other local people”

“In the meantime” said David, “I need to get on with pressure treating some timber…”