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Moray timber firm to create jobs with green expansion


By Ewan Malcolm

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A MORAY timber firm is set to create up to 19 new jobs as part of a green expansion.

From left: Ross Brown (JJS), Steve Richards (HIE), James Kellas (JJS) and Richard Lochhead, Minsiter for Just Transition, Employment and Fair Work. Picture: Alison White.
From left: Ross Brown (JJS), Steve Richards (HIE), James Kellas (JJS) and Richard Lochhead, Minsiter for Just Transition, Employment and Fair Work. Picture: Alison White.

James Jones and Sons (JJS) have secured £279,000 in investment from Highlands and Island Enterprise (HIE).

The funding will help to develop a new timber manufacturing and processing facility in Forres.

The £2.79 million project will not only create new manufacturing jobs but also increase company turnover by around £2.7 million over the next three years.

Richard Lochhead, Minister for Just Transition, Employment and Fair Work, announced the funding during a visit to the business on March 25 last week.

Mr Lochhead said: "The £100 million Green Jobs Fund is supporting businesses in Scotland to create and maintain jobs that support low carbon products and services and contribute to meeting the Scottish Government’s net zero ambitions.

"Investing in machinery, equipment and research and development will ensure the creation and growth of new green job opportunities in sectors like the sustainable timber industry.

"In addition to the new green jobs James Jones and Sons are creating, timber innovations like this help reduce carbon emissions and help move Scotland towards a net zero future."

Steve Richards, senior development manager with HIE's Moray team, added: "James Jones and Sons is an important local employer in Forres and contributor to the region’s economy. The company is embarking on the next phase of business growth, but this project is about so much more than that.

"We are delighted to be able to support JJS and look forward to continuing to work with the company as they implement these exciting plans."

Site manager James Kellas and Richard Lochhead MSP. Picture: Alison White.
Site manager James Kellas and Richard Lochhead MSP. Picture: Alison White.

JJS is the UK's second largest timber processing company. Two of its 23 UK plants are in Moray – Forres and Mostodloch – and employ 170 people between them.

The latest expansion will see a new facility built at the rear of the firm's existing premises in Forres. Insulated roof cassette panels and wall panels are among the products that will be produced there in response to increased demand from house builders developing more low carbon homes in the UK.

The business says that in supplying more of these products they are also supporting the UK's transition to a net zero economy.

David Leslie, joint managing director of JJS, said: "This support has not only enabled the development of a difficult area of ground adjacent to the current site, but has assisted with further investment that will significantly expand the production of JJ I-Joists at Forres, offer more job opportunities in the locality and see a further expansion of export opportunities beyond Europe and in addition to the new Australian contract that is under way.

"The company is planning very significant further investment at its Mosstodloch sawmill over the next five years, which will further increase employment in Moray, develop wood as a product in Scotland and assist in the drive to net zero within the climate change agenda."


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