Tucked away in the midst of woodland is HFS Timber and having been abbreviated from the company’s original name, Harlestone Firs Sawmill, the site certainly lends itself to the name.

At the end of a long driveway which winds through the forest, visitors to HFS are greeted by signs directing to the car park, which is conveniently situated in front of a large display of products, as well as the main office and reception. No fear of any misplaced customers ending up creosote drenched and lost in the woods then!

There has been a sawmill at the Northampton site for a hundred years, with the Wilde Group umbrella opening up on the site in October 2004 with HFS Timber, who managing director Silas Wilde looks after alongside CEM Fencing and NRG Fabrications. And that’s not the only birthday that mustn’t be forgotten: HFS boasts a fully operative creosote pressure treatment plant, in which the pressure tank also recently celebrated its centenary.

Covering an area which incorporates Northampton, Leicestershire, Warwickshire and Cambridgeshire, amongst other bordering counties, HFS is expanding year upon year, whilst adding a number of strings to the bow as they go. General manager (and ex Saints rugby player, for any fans out there) Simon Foale told me, “alongside the fencing, gates and other standard products, we have a bespoke joinery section which is really proving popular with customers: traditional craftsmen make entrance gates, staircases, gates and windows, all tailored exactly to the client’s requirements.” Silas tells me, “the acquisition of DJ Cook brings in the expertise to carry out the staircases, windows and doors et cetera.” Along with the seventy-five strong work force, there’s certainly a team spirit here, and Silas is obviously proud of the skills of those who work under the Wilde Group name.

Joanne Robinson, sales and marketing co-ordinator, added, “We have recently begun updating the site, making it far more visitor friendly with signage, a new car park and the display in front of the shop. Although we cater for both general and trade, we wanted to hone in on making the site more accessible and welcoming for the public.”

And given the tidiness of the site, their work has been worthwhile. A far cry from unsightly stacks of wood and buildings crammed together, HFS Timber has the luxury of plenty of room to swing a cat, or even an elephant if needs be. This place comes across as being a highly organised and clean premises – which is crucial in turning those one-offs into regular customers.

Surrounded by towering firs, it strikes me how strange it is that most timber yards don’t have a standing tree in sight, so HFS presents a refreshing and environmentally re-assuring view. Simon tells me, “all the surrounding woodland of Harlestone Firs are owned by the Althorp Estate, family home of the late Princess Diana Spencer.” Perhaps the regal connection is a contributing factor to the rather prestigious air that surrounds this site.

HFS Timber are now sitting much more comfortably on a larger stock level, and business is getting back to normal following the shortages of timber earlier in the year. Although, given the company’s ability to cover pretty much everything from fencing to gravel and all that goes in between, the twenty-two HFS staff have had a few interesting projects to get stuck into of late. As Simon shows us around the site, he brings us to a rather impressive cannon. Yes, a cannon! “It’s come from a Stately home in Northamptonshire, and the owner has asked us to rebuild his seventeenth-century oak cannon, which is quite a privilege.” And it’s not the first time the HFS team have been on the battle field, having provided two viewing platforms to the famous Naseby site. “We keep getting all kinds of work that’s a bit different, including recently providing cladding and decking timber for a prestigious property developer in Cambridge.” Silas Wilde told the Fencing & Landscaping News: “It’s the Group’s first one million pound contract, incorporating the services of all three divisions. NRG won the order for the steelwork but within the package was a large amount of decking and red louro cladding which has been supplied by HFS and fitted by CEM.”

“The good thing about HFS is that we can turn our hand to anything,” Simon tells me. “We pride ourselves on listening to our customers and selling a service, rather than a particular product, and we’re looking into increasing the public awareness of what we do, as well as becoming the main supplier for landscaping businesses.”

Sporting an organised and ambitious work ethic, HFS looks all set to become bigger and better: targets are being met and developments and investments are making a real difference to the business. It’s nice to visit a general manager who doesn’t feel the need to shout over-the-odds praise for a company that is clearly expanding and looking forward to a prosperous future. And that’s not all talk either, as we paid a visit to the Linnell Brothers, just down the road, who are quick to confirm that HFS are indeed well known and liked in the area; it’s nice to see the company has a good working relationship with those in the same industry. At the Fencing & Landscaping News, we look forward to seeing HFS Timber carve a big slice of the market over the next few years.

For more information, call 01604 581444 or visit www.hfstimber.co.uk