76 | Timber specialists with plans to expand Specialising in rural fencing and outdoor timber supplies the company has extensive knowledge of the rural and building industries. Eastown Timber and Fencing T T Kelly Deeks MANUFACTURING Whanganui’s BuildLink Eastown Timber and Fencing is looking forward to a busy 2025, with some yard development plans set to improve efficiencies and offer even more building supplies to its loyal local customers for their building, DIY, trade, and farm projects. Eastown Timber and Fencing has been providing a range of high-quality construction products to the region since 1996. Specialising in rural fencing and outdoor timber supplies, this tight-knit team of seven has extensive knowledge of the rural and building industries, and can always recommend the right product for the home handyman, contractor, or qualified tradesman. The team at Eastown Timber and Fencing likes to build and maintain solid relationships with their clients, many of whom have been with the company since it began, due to close connections and personalised service. “We’re a small team and very customer-service focused – we really pride ourselves on that,” says Eastown Timber and Fencing general manager Matt Smith. “It’s important to us, and especially important in a small community like Whanganui. When our customers are happy, they recommend us to other people they know, and they come back to us for their next project.” Eastown Timber and Fencing can provide for these projects with its huge range of high-quality outdoor timber and fencing materials. Its increasingly popular range of kitset sheds for on farm use or in town can be custom-designed to suit with custom bay sizes, roller doors, access doors, windows, and even undercover parking additions. Eastown Timber and Fencing has additional custom manufacturing options for trellis panels and 0800 224 759 | sales@bbi.net.nz | www.bbi.net.nz Plywood Timber Proud partner of Eastown Timber & Fencing farm gates to order, and is looking to expand on these options in 2025. As a proud member of the BuildLink Group since 2011, Eastown Timber and Fencing is able to buy at better prices and pass the savings on to customers. BuildLink is a nationwide member cooperative with an extensive network of stores across New Zealand. By joining the group, Eastown Timber and Fencing is able to leverage this nationally recognised brand and take full advantage of its buying power with access to BuildLink’s vast network of quality suppliers. Matt has recently been elected on to the BuildLink board of directors and is very happy to now be involved at a governance level. “I’m looking forward to gaining more understanding of how the cooperative works behind the scenes, being able to have my own input, and perhaps be a representative for some of the smaller BuildLink stores in the group, and what we do differently to stores in the big centres.” Back home in Whanganui, Eastown Timber and Fencing has had development plans on hold during the recession; however, a rise in enquiry at the end of 2024 shows signs of the market recovering. Matt is keen to forge ahead with some changes aimed at improving efficiencies across the operation and even growing the offering. “We’re not expanding the yard, but we’re trying to better utilise the space we have,” he says. “We’ve already implemented some new racking systems and we’re putting in a new cut-to-length saw shed. Then we’ll look at some more dry storage, and expanding our custom manufacturing operation.”
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