Beers Timber & Building Supplies is the oldest timber importer and merchant in Liverpool. Established more than 100 years ago, the company now operates 12 Beers Timber & Building Supplies and MBS Plumbing & Heating depots, and employs 140 people – a far cry from its early years importing hardwood for the coffin, furniture and tool trade. Its continual expansion has seen the family-run company invest in a wide range of equipment, including a six-strong fleet of Striebig vertical panel saws from woodworking machinery specialist, TM Machinery.
“The last 25 years have seen our business undergo rapid and successful growth and become the leading independent timber merchant in the North West,” begins Simon Geering, director of Beers Timber & Building Supplies. “We’ve invested heavily in new premises, equipment and machinery to allow us to fulfil all our customers’ building needs, including offering a cutting service on sheet materials.
“We bought our first Striebig Compact wall saw in the early 90s, and the brand can now be found in six out of seven of our timber depots. As we’ve grown and the number of our depots has increased, so has the number of Striebig saws we run. More recently, we’ve started to replace older models with the modern-day equivalent. This speaks volumes for Striebig’s lasting performance and build quality.”
The Compact 4164 was specified with a strip cutting gauge to perform repeat cuts quickly and efficiently
The cutting service offers the Merseyside-based company a unique offering. “It certainly brings in business,” admits Simon. “Every saw has been purchased to fulfil this service. We cut a range of sheet materials including MDF, OSB and plywood from sheets measuring 10 x 5ft. The Compact’s cutting range of 3100 x 1644mm is ideal for the jobs we undertake.
“Smaller jobs can be completed on the spot, and volume orders, which sometimes require us to work off cutting lists, have a lead time of one to two days. It’s a service that gives us the edge. Our competitors can’t match our lead times, which ultimately wins us business. We wouldn’t be able to achieve these quick turnaround times if our saws weren’t so quick to set up. We also know that they deliver a clean and accurate cut every time, leaving our operators to get on with the job in hand.”
Measuring just 4256 x 2400mm but with a cutting range of 3100 x 1644mm, the Compact offers an ideal entry-level solution for builders and timber merchants
Beer’s latest Compact 4164, which was installed in 2019, was specified with a strip cutting gauge, which performs 400 or 600mm repeat cuts quickly and efficiently. “This offers huge time-saving benefits for us,” says Simon. “It’s a feature that wasn’t available on our older models, but it’s been a worthy investment. It reduces the manual work required and the skill level needed to cut multiple sheets to size in no time at all. It’s certainly reduced any margin for error.”
Add in the ability to precision cut with 1/10mm accuracy on sheets up to 60mm thick, the Compact’s robust and powerful, high-torque 3.9 kW motor and the added benefit of 17 support rollers for simple handling, and the Compact vertical panel saw makes for an ideal entry-level solution for builders and timber merchants.
Simon adds:
“We pride ourselves on offering exceptional customer service. It’s part of who we are as a family-run business, and we choose to work with companies with the same mentality. TM Machinery offer a great service, and each machinery installation has been faultless.
“The team know their stuff and are always on hand to help us when we need it. If I had to sum up my experience of working with TM Machinery in three words, it would be straightforward, cost-effective and efficient. It’s a partnership you can rely on.”
0116 271 7155
www.tmmachinery.co.uk
