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BSW Timber Welcomes Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Environment to Fort William Mill

£37 Million Expansion Plan Creating More Jobs and Investment

 

BSW Timber Welcomes Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Environment to Fort William Mill Visit Marks Next Stage of £37 Million Expansion Plan Creating More Jobs and Investment.

Richard Lochhead, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Environment, visited BSW Timber’s Fort William sawmill on Wednesday (25 July) to mark the next stage of a £37 million five-year investment programme.

The Minister was taken for a tour of the site, by Director Alex Brownlie and Mill Manager Andy Rogers.

Welcoming the visit, Alex Brownlie said: “The Minister’s visit marks the next stage of a sustained programme of investment by BSW in the new Fort William mill, which will be operational early 2013. This demonstrates a genuine commitment to expand and maximise efficiencies on site by introducing the latest in production technology coupled with our desire to improve our use of sustainable and renewable energy.

“Our on-going investment reinforces the importance of the forestry sector to both local and national economies, creating a positive knock-on effect throughout the supply chain. Thanks to our improved efficiencies, we are now producing more home-grown timber here than ever before, leading to increased sustainable usage in expanding UK markets such as timber frame houses and the repairs, maintenance and improvements sector.

“One of the points that we clearly made to the Minister was that this increased usage is dependent on there being an appropriate level of expansion of productive woodland across Scotland, to meet the future needs of our industry.

“Today’s visit was also about celebrating our commitment to improved renewable energy sources – especially in the light of the continued expansion of large-scale biomass electricity power plants, which remains a real threat to the success of our business across the UK.

Richard Lochhead added: “It was fascinating to see BSW’s expansion plans taking shape at Fort William. This is tangible evidence that Scotland’s forest industries are in robust good health with a rising timber harvest and high demand for our products.

“The forest industries are playing a significant part in Scotland’s move to a low carbon economy. BSW’s increased sawn wood output will increase the volume of timber used in construction, locking up carbon for many years. And the new biomass boilers – supported by the government’s Renewable Heat Incentive – are making an important contribution to Scotland’s 11% renewable heat target.

“BSW’s investment here will bring significant economic benefits both to Fort William and the wider west Highlands, maximising the use of our local forest resource.”

BSW’s Fort William site currently employs 162 staff, making it one of the largest employers in the area, and produces around 160,000 cubic metres of sawn timber each year. Work on the new sawmill is due to be complete by early 2013, which includes two new biomass boilers fuelled by low value waste wood that is generated in the production process.

For more information on the Fort William mill, visit www.bsw.co.uk.

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