Housebuilder snaps up one of the UK’s leading timber frame manufacturers

Hereford-based Taylor Lane Timber Frame has been sold to housebuilding specialist Cala Group.

Taylor Lane is among the UK’s leading timber frame manufacturers, supplying cost-effective solutions for a variety of multi-site housing developments.

The business was founded in 1982, growing from a small factory unit in Hereford with investment in new properties and machinery to meet the commercial demands of the housebuilding market.

Now operating with multiple production facilities in England and Wales, the shareholders pursued the sale of Taylor Lane as part of Colin Taylor’s wider retirement plans, while allowing Jon Lane to remain with the business as managing director.

With assistance from the Taylor Lane shareholders, KBS Corporate senior document writer Alex Foster was able to create marketing materials which highlighted a significant opportunity in an industry looking to reduce carbon emissions.

Foster said: “Thanks to the comprehensive insight into the business provided by the owners, we were able to rapidly prepare the documents and launch the marketing process, enabling us to capitalise on the growing demand for sustainable building solutions and the continued strength of the housebuilding market.”

Richard Stocks, senior research analyst at KBS Corporate, said: “A number of different avenues were explored during the research process.

“Timber frame buildings have historically been more popular in Scotland and the larger producers, who were approached, are primarily based there.

“We spoke with some of the large builders’ merchant groups who were interested in embedding themselves with housebuilding companies. In addition, we spoke with several prominent housebuilders who were looking to secure their timber frame supply.”

Cala was quickly recognised as an ideal acquirer, with the group looking to attain its sustainability targets while facilitating its wider growth plans in southern England.

Across Scotland, Cala has primarily used timber during construction projects for over 40 years, with 80% of its homes being built in this manner.

“As part of Legal & General, Cala is one of the largest housebuilders in the UK,” said Stocks. “Cala had started utilising Taylor Lane as a supplier and, as KBS is aware of the difficulty housebuilders are experiencing in securing supply, it made a lot of sense for the group to pursue this opportunity.”

Lane said: “This marks the start of an exciting new chapter for Taylor Lane and is a fantastic endorsement of our potential from a highly respected UK homebuilder. We are extremely pleased to be moving forward with Cala as our new owners.

“Looking ahead, the management team and I feel extremely positive about our prospects. We have robust growth plans in place, a loyal customer base and a talented team. We also have the security of Cala’s ownership and a pipeline of additional future growth to come from their transition to timber frame construction in England.”