National Timber Group

The news of the National Timber Group entering administration is deeply saddening, and it has cast a sombre mood across our industry. Whatever the competitive landscape may look like day to day, we all share the same challenges, pressures, and commitment to serving our customers and supporting the wider construction sector. To see such a significant and long-standing organisation reach this point is a stark reminder of how difficult trading conditions have become in the housing market and how vulnerable even well-established businesses can be.

We know that, according to The Insolvency Service, over 20,000 housebuilding and supply chain businesses will have been lost in the last 5 years by the end of 2025.

We also know that many of you reading this will have personal experience of being employed by a business that has been overwhelmed by the multitude of adverse political, environmental, regulatory, health and taxation circumstances we have faced since 2020. Some of you affected may be unlucky enough to be going through it for a second or even third time, perhaps with a branch closure if not a company failure.

So despite being competitors in some fields, we feel genuine empathy for everyone affected, from employees and suppliers to customers who have relied on them for many years. These are real people, with families, futures, and livelihoods now faced with uncertainty through the administration process. We sincerely hope that those impacted are able to find stability, opportunity, and brighter prospects in the weeks and months ahead.

James Scott

MD