Mid-Sussex Timber Company

What Mid-Sussex Timber Company does

Mid-Sussex Timber Company is a third-generation, family-owned timber and building materials merchant operating four branches across Sussex in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1929 by R.D. Waters, the company supplies imported softwoods, hardwoods, sheet materials, doors, windows, fencing, decking, and complementary building materials through both trade and DIY retail channels. Its operational infrastructure includes three on-site timber treatment plants, in-house milling machinery for bespoke mouldings and profile cutting, a 3-acre covered storage yard, and a dedicated delivery fleet of three 26-tonne crane lorries and three flatbed vans covering Sussex, Surrey, Kent, and London.

The company serves professional builders, contractors, joiners, and DIY retail customers through one-time sales, recurring trade-account billing on monthly credit terms, scheduled delivery, and bespoke processing services. It holds FSC and PEFC chain-of-custody certifications and is a member of the Builders Merchants Federation (BMF) and TRADA. The customer base spans general construction trade, niche manufacturing (e.g., tree houses), and consumer retail, with long-tenured relationships including Rolls-Royce (13+ years) and Cheeky Monkey Tree Houses (15+ years). The firm is one of the largest timber stockists in Sussex and operates as a direct importer, capturing margin otherwise paid to intermediaries.

Name

Mid-Sussex Timber Company

Legal name

Mid Sussex Timber Company Limited

Website

https://mstc.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1929

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Mid-Sussex Timber Company is a third-generation, family-owned timber and building materials merchant operating four branches across Sussex, UK, supplying imported timber, sheet materials, doors, windows, and bespoke milling services to trade builders, contractors, and DIY retail customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Building Materials Distribution

NAICS

Lumber, Plywood, Millwork, and Wood Panel Merchant Wholesalers (42331), Cut Stock, Resawing Lumber, and Planing (321912), Wood Product Manufacturing (321)

SIC

Wholesale-Lumber, Plywood, Millwork & Wood Panels (5031), Wholesale-Lumber & Other Construction Materials (5030), Sawmills & Planting Mills, General (2421)

akta.pro primary industry

Lumber & Timber Retail (Dimensional Lumber, Plywood, OSB) (CRAIAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Structural & Framing Components Retail (Trusses, Joists, Beams, Engineered Wood) (CRAIAEAJ), Timber Procurement & Wood Dealer/Timber Buying Services (IMAMAAAF), Wood Mouldings, Millwork & Trim (IMADADAG)

Keywords

• Timber merchant
• Building materials supply
• Softwood and hardwood
• Trade building supplies
• Bespoke timber cutting

Headquarters

HQ city

Forest Row

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Timber and Building Materials Sales: Core revenue from selling imported timber (softwoods and hardwoods), panel products, doors, windows, building materials, fencing, decking, and related construction supplies to trade and retail customers through branches and e-commerce.
2. Delivery Services: Delivery fees charged for orders under £300 + VAT. Crane offload service available for heavy building products. Delivery fleet includes rigid lorries with mounted cranes and transit vans.
3. Processing Services: Revenue from bespoke cutting services, timber treatment, and panel cutting services at branches. Turnaround typically 5-10 working days for treatments or bespoke cutting.
4. Trade Account Revenue: Credit accounts offered to trade customers with payment terms typically due last day of month following delivery. Trade pricing discounts for registered trade accounts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Mid-Sussex Timber Company is a family-owned timber and building materials merchant that imports, stocks and supplies softwoods, hardwoods, sheet materials, doors, windows, flooring, decking, cladding, fencing, insulation, aggregates and a full range of ironmongery, tools, fixings and decorating consumables. It serves trade construction professionals and retail/DIY customers through four branches in Sussex plus an e-commerce platform with Click & Collect and an in-house delivery fleet. Value-add processing services include bespoke moulding and profile cutting at its Forest Row mill, three timber treatment plants, and sheet cutting at East Grinstead.

Product overview

Mid-Sussex Timber Company is a traditional timber and building materials merchant operating as a single unified offering (a multi-branch retail and trade supply business) rather than a software platform. The product portfolio centres on timber and panel products supplemented by complementary building materials across eight main categories: Timber (treated, untreated, hardwoods, joinery, scaffolding), Sheets & Worktops (plywood, OSB, MDF, chipboard, plasterboard, hardboard), Doors Flooring Stairs & Windows (including branded Velux windows and a Windows/Doors Configurator), Decking Cladding & Roofing (including Trex composite decking and Hardieplank fibre cement cladding), Fencing & Garden (fencing, sleepers, gates, landscaping), Painting Decorating & Finishing, Ironmongery Tools Fixings & Adhesives, and Building Materials (insulation, aggregates, cement, blocks, bricks, drainage). Services include a mill with bespoke cutting facilities at Forest Row, next day delivery, and a Click & Collect branch service. The company holds FSC and PEFC Chain of Custody certifications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Timber
• Sheets and Worktops
• Doors, Flooring, Stairs and Windows
• Decking, Cladding and Roofing
• Fencing and Garden
• Painting, Decorating and Finishing
• Ironmongery, Tools, Fixings and Adhesives
• Building Materials
• Bespoke Cutting and Moulding Service
• Timber Treatment Service
• Trade Account Service
• Direct Delivery Service
• Click and Collect

Quantifiable outcome

• Direct importer and one of the largest stockists of timber in Sussex
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered key account and long-term customer.

• Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limitedkey accountStrategic or Co-development PartnerPremium customer supplying high-quality birch plywood and MDF for over 13 years. Rolls-Royce is a true advocate of supporting local suppliers and values the quality and speed of service from MST.
• Cheeky Monkey Tree Houseslong-term customerStrategic or Co-development Partner15+ year relationship supplying high-grade timber for bespoke treehouses, glamping pods, and outdoor structures. Collaborative approach with design files sent directly for ordering.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Arnold Laver: UK timber merchant and processor offering sawn timber, panels, doors, and bespoke cutting services. Closely comparable on product mix, processing capability, and trade customer base.
• Buildbase: UK builders' merchant (Grafton Group) supplying timber, building materials, and civils products to trade customers. Comparable on trade account model and building materials range.
• Jewson: UK builders' merchant (part of Saint-Gobain) with a large branch network stocking timber, panels, doors, and building materials. Closely comparable to MST on product mix, trade account offering, and customer base.
• Howarth Timber: UK timber specialist merchant with branches across England supplying timber, sheet materials, doors, and bespoke cutting services. Direct competitor on timber-led product range and bespoke milling capability.
• Champion Timber: London and South East timber merchant offering timber, sheet materials, doors, windows, and bespoke cutting. Closely comparable regional competitor given MST's South East footprint.
• Brooks Bros (UK): Midlands-based UK timber merchant and processor with branches supplying sawn timber, hardwoods, panels, and bespoke mouldings. Comparable on timber-led product mix and in-house processing.
• MGM Timber: UK timber merchant with multiple branches offering sawn timber, treated timber, panels, and engineered wood. Directly comparable on timber-led product range and trade customer base.

Broad incumbents

• Huws Gray: UK builders' merchant group with a large branch network supplying building materials and timber to trade and retail customers. Comparable on trade account focus and building materials range.
• Wickes: UK DIY-focused home improvement retailer with national branches selling timber, kitchens, bathrooms, and building materials. Overlaps with MST on retail/DIY product range but operates a different specialist channel.
• Travis Perkins: The UK's largest builders' merchant with a national branch network selling timber, building materials, and tools to trade and retail customers. Overlaps with MST on timber, sheet materials, and trade account programs but operates at far greater scale and breadth.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Mid-Sussex Timber Company