General Manager for North Scotland at James Jones & Sons Ltd
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Dear Applicant,
General Manager – North Scotland: James Jones & Sons Ltd
Thank you for your interest in the role in James Jones & Sons Ltd as General Manager of our North Operations. We are very pleased that you are considering applying for this position in a part of our Group’s operation that is forecast to grow significantly in the coming years.
Our North Operations, at Mosstodloch, Aboyne and Kirriemuir, form part of the Groups sawmilling function which is spread over 6 sites across Scotland and Northern England. In addition, the group operates an extensive timber harvesting division, a timber engineering division and a pallet manufacture and repair business which operates across the whole of the UK.
James Jones & Sons, our 5th generation family business additionally has extensive investments in Forestry, and in the renewables sector. The Group is well placed to further develop through acquisition. expansion and diversification within these core activities and through other opportunities that fit within our business strategy.
This is an exciting opportunity for an individual who is ambitious and focused on delivering the extensive expansion plan we have for our sawmilling business in the North of Scotland.
We hope that the role is of interest and that the opportunities within James Jones & Sons are an inspiration for you to take on a new challenge,
Kind Regards
Eddie Balfour & David Leslie
Joint Managing Directors
James Jones & Sons Ltd is a family owned and managed company and is one of the UK’s most diversified and successful timber processors. The company has annual sales of £260 million, operating from 25 sites in the UK and employing more than 1200 personnel. Its principal activities are sawmilling, timber harvesting and the manufacture of pallets and engineered wood products. It has benefitted from having a stable leadership team which has balanced prudence with ambition. The company has committed more than £60 million in capital expenditure over the last five years alone and continues to invest in the business.
The Group Sawmill division operates eight sawlines across six separate sites in Scotland and North East England. All of the sites are well invested with modern equipment, the flagship site at Lockerbie being one of Europe’s most advanced wood processing facilities. The company is continually re-investing to ensure we remain at the cutting edge of technological advances in the sector. The sawmills produce a wide range of sawn timber products selling directly to the UK’s national and regional timber merchants. Roundwood supplies for these sites all comes from locally sourced sustainably managed forests. The long term sustainable nature of our supply chains is a unique feature of our industry.
The Group’s Timber Systems Division, based in Forres, has recently commissioned a new £8.5million manufacturing line designed to substantially increase its JJI-Joist production. This Division sells JJI-Joists through a national network of distributors, and the product is specified by the majority of the UK’s largest national and regional house builders.
The Group’s Pallet & Packaging Division operates from 16 sites across the UK and is a leading manufacturer of new pallets, as well as operating pallet inspection and repair sites for all the main pallet pool companies. Several new ventures are being rolled out in this sector, and new sites are being opened to maintain market share and presence.
The company has diversified into forestry and land acquisitions and it also has an equity stake in Scottish Woodlands Ltd, the UK’s leading forestry management and timber harvesting company.
• Mosstodloch, near Elgin – 100 employees, £35million turnover
• Aboyne, Deeside – 50 employees, £20 million turnover
• Kirriemuir, Angus – 30 employees, £5 million turnover
Our main activities on the sites involve the conversion of softwood sawlogs into sawn timber products for the construction, fencing and pallet sectors. In addition to the sawmilling operations, we have upstream activities associated with the purchasing and harvesting of timber to supply our mills. We operate a fleet of 17 vehicles and provide contract haulage for other timber using industries in the region. We have recently completed a major £10million upgrade at the Aboyne site and are planning an ambitious redevelopment of the Mosstodloch site over the next five years involving capital expenditure of more than £30million.
The availability of sustainably grown softwood is forecast to increase in the North East of Scotland and the company has ambitious plans to utilise this raw material in developing and expanding the range of timber products produced in the region. The timber industry is one of the few sectors that can claim to be having a truly positive impact on reducing carbon. The more timber that is grown and incorporated into timber products the more we reduce carbon in the atmosphere. The candidate will have key role in developing and implementing a vision for the future which will have a positive impact on our environment
For more information, interested candidates should contact Jacqui Paterson, at Livingston James on 0131 220 2209.
Interested candidates should provide a tailored CV and covering letter, outlining your suitability and motivation for applying to [email protected]
Recruitment Timetable
- 1st stage interviews with leadership team mid to end of July 2021.
- 2nd stage interviews with leadership team August 2021.
- Psychometric testing & concluding meetings end of August/start of September 2021.
