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Berwick firm beating recession after nearly two centuries

One of the UK’s longest established timber companies has been demonstrating its recession strategies to a visiting MP.

Sir Alan Beith visited Allan Brothers in his constituency of Berwick upon Tweed to see how one of the area’s biggest employers is coping with the current economic climate.

Allan Brothers employs over 200 people in the local area and has been through many ups and downs of the UK economy during its 198-year history.

Sir Alan Beith said: “Allan Brothers is a long-established company in Berwick and a significant local employer. It was very useful to me to come and meet the management and workers and hear of the company’s plans to work through the current economic situation, and I wish them well.”

Duncan Forster, Managing Director at Allan Brothers, said: “The construction industry was one of the first to be hit by the economic downturn and it will be a slow and gradual recovery. But we believe we will be able to come out of it as a stronger and more efficient company. We are recruiting new sales staff, implementing new IT and support systems to help us increase our share of the work that is out there, and introducing new products. While the market for new build houses has gone flat, we are focusing our efforts into other markets and strengthening our position overall.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .