Scottish timber group James Jones & Sons has acquired Lancashire Saws, a bandsaw blade manufacturer and saw servicing provider.

Family-owned James Jones & Sons, which has operations in the UK, Australia and New Zealand and employs more than 2,100 people, did not disclose the price paid.

The Larbert-based company, which has an annual turnover of more than £600 million and lists its core activities as sawmilling, I-joists and pallet manufacture, noted it had a “longstanding relationship” with Lancashire Saws.

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Tom Bruce-Jones, chairman of James Jones & Sons, said: “We are delighted to have concluded this transaction, and are really pleased that the existing management team are staying on within the group to provide continuity and the same quality of service to all customers, facilitate the integration and to help realise our long-term strategic plans.”

Stephen Bentley and Peter Ashton, of Lancashire Saws, said in a joint statement: “On behalf of our shareholders and employees, we are delighted that Lancashire Saws Ltd will become part of the James Jones group.

“Their extensive timber industry experience and financial strength will allow further investment in the business. The sale process was completed smoothly and reinforces our long-held views that James Jones & Sons is a well-established family company that operates with the same values as our own. We are excited about the future, whilst maintaining our longstanding customer relationships.”

Detailing its activities, James Jones & Sons, which noted it was “under fifth-generation leadership” and had been trading for more than 180 years, said: “The company produces high-quality, sawn timber for the construction, pallet, packaging, fencing and agricultural sectors, and pallets and packaging for blue-chip, domestic and exporting businesses.

“In the UK, the company harvests and processes more than 1.4 million tonnes of roundwood per annum. Its co-products are supplied to the UK’s principal board manufacturers and biomass power generators. James Jones & Sons’ timber systems division is Europe’s largest producer of I-joists, branded JJI-Joists, supplying the major UK housebuilders.”

The company owns around 15,000 acres of woodland in the UK. It noted it has planted more than 2,000 acres of new woodland, including “substantial areas of native woodland”, in the last five years.

This article originally appeared in our sister title, The Herald.