Linnell Bros, the 145-year-old Silverstone-based timber merchant, has made significant investments across the business, adding a cross-cut line and a double-ended tenoner to its mill, as well as a new 7.5-tonne truck and a 26-tonne HIAB lorry to its delivery fleet.

The new machinery has been installed with the hope of improving accuracy and efficiency across the mill's processing capabilities, supporting the volume of custom and made-to-order products the business produces for trade and retail customers. Both machines are now fully operational and enhance the mill's overall capability, which includes bespoke gate manufacturing, morticing, V-notching, round-topping and arris rail shaping.

Roger Linnell, Director at Linnell Bros, said: "The cross-cut line and tenoner mean we can work faster and more accurately on the mill floor, which matters when so much of what we produce is made to order. It's vital to give our team the right tools to keep quality high as demand continues to grow."

Callum Jones, fifth generation family Director, added: "It's also about staying competitive. Customers expect a consistent finish whether they're ordering one gate or a thousand metres of fencing, and this kit helps us hold that standard as volumes increase."

On the transport side, the two new DAF trucks replace ageing vehicles and bring the delivery fleet to seven vehicles in total, made up of four 26 tonne crane trucks and three 7.5 tonne trucks. The 26 tonne lorries support larger quantities, site drops and crane offloading, while the 7.5 tonne trucks add flexibility for smaller or more local deliveries. Both of the 26-plate vehicles are already on the road.

John Linnell, Director at Linnell Bros, commented: "A healthy, modern fleet is vital to getting timber to site on time and safely offloaded. It is just as important as what happens in the mill and growing the fleet means we can keep that reliability up as we take on more work across the country."

James Linnell, Director, added: "It also gives us more flexibility day to day. Having the right size vehicle for the right job, whether that's a full crane offload or a smaller local drop, keeps things moving efficiently for our drivers and our customers."