Importing Hardwood timber

bizzyb

Hi
The company i worked for closed at christmas and alot of there customers were complaing where the were going to source there timber from now, so i thought why not open my own timber yard on a smaller scale.What do people think of my idea and also does anyone no a contact for importing hardwood?Feel free to pm.

galwayrush

A very competitive market i imagine. You'll need a serious cash reserve / working capital.
Why did your old company Close?

paddy147

bizzyb wrote: »

Hi
The company i worked for closed at christmas and alot of there customers were complaing where the were going to source there timber from now, so i thought why not open my own timber yard on a smaller scale.What do people think of my idea and also does anyone no a contact for importing hardwood?Feel free to pm.

DH Timber Merchants and Higganbotham are hardwood importers.

Owned and run by the same man and also operate from the same building too.

No link to them.apart from being a happy customer (cedarwood for a beehive).:)

recipio

Well, I used to buy from Willie Crowley in Ennis but he went to the wall about a year ago.
If you could target the DIY market it would be great as I feel a lot of builders merchants are not interested in small sales. A delivery service ( for a fee if you like ) would help also as most of us amateurs don't have a spare pickup truck or trailer.

galwayrush

recipio wrote: »

Well, I used to buy from Willie Crowley in Ennis but he went to the wall about a year ago.
If you could target the DIY market it would be great as I feel a lot of builders merchants are not interested in small sales. A delivery service ( for a fee if you like ) would help also as most of us amateurs don't have a spare pickup truck or trailer.

I was sorry he went out of business, always a very helpful guy. Bought a lot of him over the years.

fergal.b

For my boats I use mahogany, iroko, oak, douglas fir and a bit of cherry I was able to get it in Brooks in M1 business park but they have gone now.:(

bertie 56

One guy import some good quality wood here :
http://www.artofwood.ie/

recipio

:rolleyes: I think you would have to find some angle to attract a broad range of buyers.The builders and professionals tend to stick with a supplier if they are getting good service already.
How about looking to to the DIY trade as well, importing more exotic woods, wood blanks for turners and get into mail order.If you could source Irish woods like Yew, apple and pear etc there would be a ( small) market for them.
The are a good few outlets like this in the UK and if I need a piece of unusual hardwood for instance I have to mail order it ( getting expensive) or look on ebay.

eddyk

doing a woodwork bases course in college and do alot in my own time trying to make a basis for a small business in the near future.. whats killing me is sourcing timber we need more small scale companys like the one your planning in ireland.. definately go for it

loopingfred

I jump on this thread too, as I think this is a good idea!
I build RC Gliders, have a laser cutter, and I am looking for 1, 2, 3mm birch plywood or Liteply, and I have to order all my wood in France and Germany!
Only because I can't find either the size I need here, or I need too little quantities... and I don't talk about prices!
Rant over, but I will watch with interrest!

gomamochi1

loopingfred wrote: »

I jump on this thread too, as I think this is a good idea!
I build RC Gliders, have a laser cutter, and I am looking for 1, 2, 3mm birch plywood or Liteply, and I have to order all my wood in France and Germany!
Only because I can't find either the size I need here, or I need too little quantities... and I don't talk about prices!
Rant over, but I will watch with interrest!

Try Murdocks in newry hardwood suppliers. Being going there for years for small scale stuff! 1/3 price of de south!

bizzyb

Some good feedback thanks,i like the idea of an online hobby/niche woodwork sector but to be honest im not very business minded and wouldnt even no where to start,i would imagine there would be big costs involved.

1chippy

gomamochi1 wrote: »

Try Murdocks in newry hardwood suppliers. Being going there for years for small scale stuff! 1/3 price of de south!

I buy of a few of the suppliers and used to always use murdochs, however there would never be that difference in price. i found Abbey woods lately are willing to fight a lot more for the business and are beating MOST prices.
I reckon your idea is good however realistically how much timber is a diy er realistically going to buy in a year. premises,insurance, advertisement,accountancy, delivery vehicle, staff (maybe only part time) all add up. put stocking on top of that which would not be small. remember theres dam all credit out there any more with any form of suplliers so will have to finance this yourself. Y our customer base would have to be huge just to break even.
Its great to see your enthusiasm and wish you all the best, but you would want to have every angle covered. I know a lot of various suppliers most through business but some personally and they will all tell you the same story at the moment.

gomamochi1

1chippy wrote: »

I buy of a few of the suppliers and used to always use murdochs, however there would never be that difference in price. i found Abbey woods lately are willing to fight a lot more for the business and are beating MOST prices.
I reckon your idea is good however realistically how much timber is a diy er realistically going to buy in a year. premises,insurance, advertisement,accountancy, delivery vehicle, staff (maybe only part time) all add up. put stocking on top of that which would not be small. remember theres dam all credit out there any more with any form of suplliers so will have to finance this yourself. Y our customer base would have to be huge just to break even.
Its great to see your enthusiasm and wish you all the best, but you would want to have every angle covered. I know a lot of various suppliers most through business but some personally and they will all tell you the same story at the moment.

I priced the same timber in the old yard down the docks and a few other suppliers per cubic foot as I worked in boatbuilding and cabinetmaking and I kid you not it was a 1/3 of the price as I said earlier and well worth the trip up to newry!

martinedwards

huge mark up for the hobby market.

lathe turning blanks for pens are silly money, and luthier supplies are INSANE!!!!

I bought 2 maple planks recently from McMasters in Belfast.

£60.

after I sawed them up it's EASILY the equivelent of £500 worth of wood bought from Madinter or Stewmac

BUT......

there is probably a reason that so many wood importers have gone belly up in the last couple of years......

dubtom

Are people not using Strahan timber in Rathcool,I've got hardwood from them in the past,mapel,mahogany,cherry, got a 4x6 inch x8ft piece of Walnut last time I was there. He had some Yew I think it was and a huge slab of lime wood. He generally has a selection,not huge,in lots of sizes,he cuts if needed too I believe.

recipio

:rolleyes: Does anybody know of a source of exotic woods in this country. ?
I'm thinking ebony, rosewood,cocobolo, wenge etc.
If not, any hope of finding pearwood ,apple, arbutus or any of the native fruitwoods.?
I'm getting weary of trying to source them abroad.

gomamochi1

recipio wrote: »

:rolleyes: Does anybody know of a source of exotic woods in this country. ?
I'm thinking ebony, rosewood,cocobolo, wenge etc.
If not, any hope of finding pearwood ,apple, arbutus or any of the native fruitwoods.?
I'm getting weary of trying to source them abroad.

Try Murdocks in newry.

Reader1937

recipio wrote: »

:rolleyes: Does anybody know of a source of exotic woods in this country. ?
I'm thinking ebony, rosewood,cocobolo, wenge etc.
If not, any hope of finding pearwood ,apple, arbutus or any of the native fruitwoods.?
I'm getting weary of trying to source them abroad.

Would you be interested in drying them yourself?

recipio

Reader1937 wrote: »

Would you be interested in drying them yourself?

Sorry,checking in late to this. Yes,I'd be interested in unseasoned wood as long as its planked. Do you have anything. ?

Reader1937

recipio wrote: »

Sorry,checking in late to this. Yes,I'd be interested in unseasoned wood as long as its planked. Do you have anything. ?

Not for a fair while, sorry for the delay in getting back to you. I did go back to bulmers as I had done so on previous occasions but they had let the farm manager go it seems. Left a message with them as they did release wood from the heritage area before (only wood to get, as the rootstock on the commercial trees nowadays is too small for anything above chess pieces). If I hear anything back from them I will post here or find you elsewhere in threads.

jcatano

hi, we are interested , would you take 20 m3 of hardwood decking ? . .Cumaru ??? we d be glad to enter in your market .. yisel

bizzyb wrote: »

Hi
The company i worked for closed at christmas and alot of there customers were complaing where the were going to source there timber from now, so i thought why not open my own timber yard on a smaller scale.What do people think of my idea and also does anyone no a contact for importing hardwood?Feel free to pm.

jcatano

hi, would you email your inquiry to info@maderasyproyectos.com .. thanks, Yisel

bizzyb

jcatano wrote: »

hi, we are interested , would you take 20 m3 of hardwood decking ? . .Cumaru ??? we d be glad to enter in your market .. yisel

Sorry mate i can't help you, I've since left the timber industry and started a new career.

jcatano

no problem - thank y6ou so much - by the way, know any major importer in your country ? .. thanks, Yisel

kadman

jcatano wrote: »

no problem - thank y6ou so much - by the way, know any major importer in your country ? .. thanks, Yisel

Please post your business queries in the appropriate section of the forum, this is a woodcraft forum, so please stick to the forum subject matter of woodcraft, not sales for business ect. thankyou

jcatano

thank you for hte guidence .. regards ,,, Y