The housebuilder said Kirkwood Timber Frame is being launched to reflect strong industry growth and to target the upsurge in demand from homeowners for self-build and home improvement developments post-Covid.

Work will begin shortly on the expansion of Kirkwood’s Sauchen timber manufacturing base to allow for a five-fold increase in capacity, with the firm also investing in the latest digital machinery.

The newly expanded manufacturing base is expected to be complete by early next year.

Colin Crombie, Kirkwood Homes managing director, said: “This is a year of significant expansion and investment for our business.

“The construction industry has played a vital role in driving economic recovery from the Covid pandemic and we are continuing to see strong demand as homeowners and developers increasingly recognise the benefits of using timber as a versatile, energy-efficient, and more durable, sustainable method of constructing their homes.

“Activity across our luxury homes developments in Aberdeenshire and Tayside remains buoyant and we are delighted to have in the pipeline a range of exciting new home developments in desirable locations across Scotland.

“This is absolutely the right time to target investment for future growth by supplying a wider market.

“We have an ambitious growth strategy, and the establishment of Kirkwood Timber Frame will accelerate this as we develop new relationships with builders and contractors and further expand our presence in the self-build market.”

Two new senior appointments have been made to lead business growth and accelerate the new venture’s ambitious expansion plans. Malcolm Thomson joins as business development director of Kirkwood Timber Frame and Debbi Keatings becomes business development manager. Key internal promotions have been made within Kirkwood Homes to align to market and client needs, and the team will continue to invest in recruitment of timber industry talent through 2021.

“I am delighted to be joining as we launch Kirkwood Timber Frame at such an exciting time for construction,” said Malcolm Thomson, whose career in the UK timber industry spans 30 years. “The Kirkwood brand is synonymous with quality, reliability and flexibility in delivering to every client’s exacting requirements, and we are confident that we will build on that successful reputation as we secure new opportunities to develop our external customer portfolio.

“We have an experienced, highly skilled team who fully understand the requirements, pressures and processes of homebuilders. We will be collaborating with small to large regional builders, contractors and developers, as well as making life easier for individual homeowners across every stage of their self-build journey.

“As we emerge from lockdown, so many of us are taking steps to extend and improve our homes. We are passionate about helping people create top quality, environmentally efficient homes that ultimately improve the quality of their lives. Our focus, expertise and suite of self-build timber services are all designed to make the experience of bringing a dream home to life as simple and stress-free as possible.”

Kirkwood’s newly expanded manufacturing base is expected to be fully on-stream, complete with new digitally-linked production line machinery, by early 2022.