Both brothers are born and raised in the countryside and their Dad happened to be a gamekeeper at a country estate in Shropshire. The estate hadn’t had anyone to manage their woodland for years and Matt, who was at a crossroads with what to do in his life after school/college, decided to enrol in a course in chainsawing with a view to lending a helping hand (or in his case saw) once he’d passed.
Meanwhile Joe, who was working in landscaping at the time took a liking to the Netflix show “Big Timber” during lockdown and was inspired to join his brother and expand their operation with the acquisition of additional machinery. In 2020, the brothers had a portable sawmill and in 2022, they acquired an investor to add more complex saw milling equipment to their arsenal.
As we’re writing this in 2024, JM Timber has been able to provide their holistic Forestry and saw milling services to the Shropshire region for over two years which they intend to continue doing for many more years to come.
Another unique offering from JM Timber is Matt’s expertise in hand felling which is a dying art. Hand felling is the process of cutting down trees using hand-operated tools such as axes, saws and chainsaws.
The skill is being used less and less in modern times due to the advent of many machines to assist with the felling processes. However, machines still can’t do many of the difficult aspects of felling which is where a human touch is required.
Having grown up in the area, both Joe & Matt have a great passion for the outdoors and are committed to doing their bit for Shropshire and making its countryside as good as it can possibly be. Through proper planning routes, they aim to not only preserve the local forestry beauty but enhance it.
Moreover, the brothers’ ethos of sustainability combined with their passion for their home means they are determined to encourage local commerce to embark in more eco-friendly practices but not at the cost of their bottom line.
Finally, Joe & Matt understand the potential here to put UK timber on the map. Shropshire and its surrounding areas have such plentiful woodland resources at their disposal, which is the case for many areas across the country. The brothers are certainly looking to pave the way for British timber products, and help the country wake up to the fact that we don’t need to import timber anywhere near the levels that we are currently at. There is so much potential here for both the local community and further afield.
Company Director
Company Director
General Manager
Headquarters
2 Deepwood Farm
Lower Wood Road
Ludlow
SY8 2JQ
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