Ripon forestry firm invests to branch out

Latham Logging, which is based at Middleton Quernow, near Ripon, operates felling and timber extraction services for estates and private owners including Yorkshire Water, Scottish Woodlands and the Forestry Commission.

Paula Latham said the investment would support plans to increase productivity and introduce more accurate harvesting methods.

“The new machinery has a sophisticated computer system which sends information to the harvesting head to set optimum cutting specification for greatest productivity. It then cuts the timber down automatically to the correct lengths ready for extraction to a sawmill,” she said.

Latham Logging provided part of the funding, the remainder coming via Grewelthorpe funding specialist RedSky.

Peter Beresford of RedSky said: “Our role was to advise them of their options for finance and help them present their business case to lenders.

“We also introduced them to the York & North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership who were able to provide a Business Growth Programme grant in view of the additional employment being created.”