James Donaldson Group Driving Innovation with Launch of New Home Office Furniture Business

Launching to market in January 2021, Buzz Home Office is a new business, developed to embrace homeworking lifestyles that have come as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic. With the demand for homeworking and studying having increased dramatically, and looking set to continue, Buzz Home Office will offer a range of fully bespoke and customisable furniture options for professionals and families alike who are adapting to this new normal.

November 26, 2020
 

James Donaldson Group, a leading Scottish timber and manufacturing specialist, has announced the arrival of its latest business, Buzz Home Office, which will offer expertly crafted, made-to-measure home office and study solutions. 

Launching to market in January 2021, Buzz Home Office is a new business, developed to embrace homeworking lifestyles that have come as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic. With the demand for homeworking and studying having increased dramatically, and looking set to continue, Buzz Home Office will offer a range of fully bespoke and customisable furniture options for professionals and families alike who are adapting to this new normal. Customers will be able to purchase Buzz Home Office solutions from January 2021 and trade partners are now able to register interest and discuss partner opportunities and pre-orders in preparation for the new year.

As part of one of Scotland’s leading family timber and manufacturing groups, James Donaldson Group, the vision for Buzz Home Office was born out of a continued commitment to deliver exceptional service and quality to its customers. The business incorporates three flexible and fully customisable core ranges, including: Buzz Hive, a range of space-saving units for adults and kids, delivered pre-assembled; Beespoke, a made-to-measure solution for those with limited space to work with; and Home Hive, a bespoke range designed to transform a dedicated room in any home into a home office. All three ranges will be available in a vast selection of colours and woodgrains.

The Beespoke and Home Hive ranges will be supported by the Buzz Home Office design service, for customers or trade partners looking for a tailored, made-to-measure home office solution. The service will support customers throughout the full process with an expert team on hand to find the solution that best meets needs and requirements, including initial consultation, a recommendation of options and 3D rendering design visualisation.

With the demand for homeworking on the rise, the overall aim of the business is to ensure that the best possible service is given to all customers looking for a new home office solution. Once the final product has been manufactured, special attention will be given to all delivery or installation details, ensuring the solution is set-up, ready to use and that all packaging has been taken away for ultimate customer convenience.

Andrew Donaldson, CEO of The James Donaldson Group said of the launch, “Innovation has always been central to the JDS vision and we are delighted to announce the arrival of the exciting new brand, Buzz Home Office. Everyone has faced unprecedented challenges this year and as a team we were eager to create products that would support the new normal and flexible ways of working moving into 2021. We always put customers, service and quality at the core of everything we do, and I believe Buzz Home Office will reflect this in market.”

The Buzz Home Office ranges will be delivered by existing James Donaldson Group businesses including Smith and FraterNu-Style Products and MGM Timber, which operate out of a number of Scottish locations. These businesses will be opening their doors to Buzz Home Office customers for consultations as part of the design process.

Find out more about the Buzz Home Office ranges at www.buzzhomeoffice.co.uk

James Donaldson Group Appoints New Chief Financial Officer

Leading timber specialist, James Donaldson and Sons Ltd (JDS) today announced Arlene Cairns is joining the Group as its new Chief Financial Officer (CFO), effective August 3rd 2020.

August 3, 2020

Leading timber specialist, James Donaldson and Sons Ltd (JDS) today announced Arlene Cairns is joining the Group as its new Chief Financial Officer (CFO), effective August 3rd 2020.

Arlene Cairns, JDS' new CFO

Arlene joins JDS from Aviva, where she was Chief Finance Operations Officer responsible for leading Global Finance Operations as well as leading their Global Finance Transformation. Arlene joined Aviva 3 years ago from Alliance Trust Savings where she was CFO. Prior to this, Arlene held several senior Finance & Strategy roles across the UK, Ireland and Australia working for Westpac Institutional Bank, Allied Irish Bank, RSA and Zurich Financial Services. This is in addition to her time as a management consultant at EY in the UK and Australia, where her focus was on transformation and performance improvement. Arlene will succeed Andrew Donaldson as CFO following his promotion to CEO in April 2020.

Andrew Donaldson, CEO of the James Donaldson Group, said: “I couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome Arlene to the Group, where she will undoubtedly drive and modernise our finance operations. Arlene has a proven track record of leading finance functions and driving strategic transformational change and improvements in global organisations. Her extensive corporate experience makes her well suited to take on the role of CFO and an excellent addition to our senior leadership team. I look forward to seeing the impact of her presence as our new CFO.”

Arlene commented on her appointment: “I’m excited to be joining the James Donaldson Group’s leadership team and leading Finance, while supporting Andrew and Mike to continue the growth and development of the JDS Group and contribute to the future success of the business.”

Additionally, Arlene was a Board Director for Homeless charity Social Bite, and part of the team delivering the Social Bite Communities village in Edinburgh in 2018. She is also part of the University of Edinburgh Women in Executive Leadership Group.

Neil Donaldson, retired Executive Chairman of James Donaldson Group was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award at this year’s virtual Timber Trade Journal (TTJ) Awards. The annual TTJ Lifetime Achievement Award rewards outstanding achievement in the timber sector.

After recently retiring from his 45 year-long career back in July, Neil certainly has been part of the timber industry for a lifetime. He has always been a passionate supporter of timber and very well known within the industry. Neil was virtually presented the award by the TTJ on Friday 25th September for his outstanding contribution to the industry since he joined Donaldson’s back 1975.

Neil’s achievements are not only limited to his successful career at Donaldson’s as he became the first Scottish Chairman of the Timber Research and Development Association (TRADA) in 1988. He was also President of the Scottish Timber Trade Association (STTA) from 2004 – 2006 and was President of the Timber Trade Federation (TTF) from 2006 – 2008.

Neil Donaldson commented: “I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved as a business and an industry over the last 45 years and I couldn’t be happier to be presented with the TTJ’s Lifetime Achievement Award, albeit in a slightly different way to normal. It’s an honour and also a complete shock and starts my new chapter of retirement on a real high! I can’t wait to see what future brings for both the business and the industry.”

Neil Donaldson bows out after 45 years at family firm

Neil Donaldson has announced his retirement from leading timber specialist, James Donaldson & Sons, after 45 years with the business, as he hands over the reins to the sixth generation.

July 28, 2020
 

Neil Donaldson has announced his retirement from leading timber specialist, James Donaldson & Sons, after 45 years with the business, as he hands over the reins to the sixth generation.

Neil joined Donaldson’s in 1975, after graduating from Heriot-Watt University with an MSc in Business Studies. He grew up spending his school holidays working for the family business, but his first official role was as a sawmiller, before moving into sales in the late 1970s. He took over from his father as managing director in 1985.

During his tenure, Neil has overseen the expansion of Donaldson’s from a small business in Fife, Scotland, to a national company, operating from 31 sites across the UK. Developments and strategic acquisitions in that time include: the creation of Donaldson Timber Engineering (DTE), which now has nine branches; timber merchant MGM Timber, which has 14 branches; expanding James Donaldson Timber and moving into MDF with the purchase of Palgrave Brown; insulation product manufacturer, Nu Style; Cambridge Roof Truss; and most recently, doorset and bespoke joinery specialist, Rowan Manufacturing and kitchen manufacturer, Smith & Frater.

Neil credits much of his confidence in growing the business to the time he spent at Harvard Business School in 1994.

Very well-known in the industry, Neil is a passionate supporter of timber, and in 1988 he became the first Scottish Chairman of the Timber Research and Development Association (TRADA). He was also President of the Scottish Timber Trade Association (STTA) from 2004 – 2006 and was President of the Timber Trade Federation (TTF) from 2006 – 2008.

Neil is retiring on 31st July and is succeeded by his son and deputy Chairman, Michael Donaldson. Michael will co-lead and co-manage the business with his brother, Andrew Donaldson, who took over as Chief Executive Officer in April this year.

Commenting on his retirement, Neil said: “I have been extremely fortunate to have spent my career working with something I love, making a product that I love, in a business where I have been able to develop it into what I think it should be. I always wanted to work for the family business – I have wood in my DNA – and I think I can say that I’ve made the most of my time here! I always said that I hoped to retire at 65, in our 160th year of business, and the time is definitely right to pass the business on to the next generation.

“I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve done with the business over the last 45 years – and indeed over the last 160 – and I’m happy to be going out on a high. To have both Mike and Andy taking over is the ideal scenario and I’m excited to see where they take it next. Meanwhile, I’ll be golfing, fishing and spending more time with my wife, Val, who has been an incredible support to me throughout my career.”

Along with his roles in the timber industry, Neil is former Chairman of Scotland’s leading spa hotel resort, Crieff Hydro; is a former Chairman of Securities Trust Scotland; and is the current Chairman of Baillie Gifford’s Shin Nippon in Japan.

The James Donaldson Group comprises seven subsidiaries, trading from 31 sites throughout the UK, with over 1,000 employees and a turnover of circa £225m. The business has been operating in Fife for 160 years.

Sixth Generation takes the reins at James Donaldson & Sons

Leading timber specialist, James Donaldson & Sons has announced its new senior team, as Andrew Donaldson and Michael Donaldson take over as chief executive officer and chairman.

June 16, 2020
 

Leading timber specialist, James Donaldson & Sons has announced its new senior team, as Andrew Donaldson and Michael Donaldson take over as chief executive officer and chairman.

As the business celebrates its 160th anniversary, 2020 is a momentous year for the Group, with the change in leadership also marking the sixth generation of Donaldsons to run the family firm. Andrew was appointed as CEO in April, with Michael commencing his position as chairman from 31 July.

Andrew joined the family business in 2010 after completing a graduate training program at KPMG (Edinburgh) and qualifying with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS). He has spent the last ten years working in a variety of roles within the business, primarily as commercial director for MGM Timber and then latterly for James Donaldson Timber, before becoming group finance director in 2019. Andrew takes over the top job from Scott Cairns, who stepped down as group managing director in April after nine years in the role, which saw him as the first ever non-family member to lead the Group.

With almost 20 years of experience in the industry, Michael joined the Donaldson Group in 2003. He started his career manufacturing roof trusses for Donaldson Timber Engineering Ltd in Cramlington. Since then he has worked with three of the JDS trading companies in roles ranging from internal sales and operations through to director level. In 2007 he became one of the first to qualify with an MSc in Timber Industry Management at Edinburgh Napier University and he is also a director of the Timber Trade Federation (TTF). Michael became deputy chair in 2018 and takes over the role of chair in July when his father, Neil Donaldson retires.

In their new roles, Andrew is responsible for the commercial and trading performance of the business, while Michael will lead the main supervisory board, which comprises chairman, four non-executive directors, finance director and CEO. Both brothers will be involved in developing strategy and driving the Group forward, as they co-lead and co-manage the business.

Outgoing chairman of the James Donaldson Group, Neil Donaldson comments: “It was always my hope that the business would be passed on to the next generation, so for both Andy and Mike to be taking on the reigns is an ideal scenario and a proud moment for me. The business is a very different one to the one I started running in 1985, and I’m pleased to be leaving it on a high and in such good hands. The transition from one generation to the next has been well considered and planned for over the last ten years, and I’m confident that both Andy and Mike will do an excellent job in their roles.”

Andrew Donaldson says: “We were brought up with our father and grandfather leading the business, so their moral compass is at the forefront of all we do – nothing will change in terms of the Donaldson ambitions or principles. Our focus will always be good governance; partnerships with our suppliers and customers; and looking after our loyal employees. However, we’re ready to take the Group into the next generation and put our stamp on it, which is an incredibly exciting prospect.”

Michael Donaldson adds: “Andrew and I spent our summers working in the family business, and we’ve spent the last ten years preparing to take over the leadership. The last two years in particular have offered serious training for the roles, with Andy as CFO and me as deputy chairman. Despite the incredibly difficult circumstances that we find ourselves in at the time of taking over, dealing with the impact of COVID-19, things are off to a great start for us and we have some ambitious plans for the business.”

James Donaldson Group donates over £53,000 for Maggie’s

James Donaldson and Sons is proud to announce the achievement of its fundraising target of £53,945 for its charity partner, Maggie’s.

April 3, 2020
 

James Donaldson and Sons is proud to announce the achievement of its fundraising target of £53,945 for its charity partner, Maggie’s. The Group embarked on the fundraising campaign in June 2019 with a target to raise £50,000 and expected it to span twelve to eighteen months, but as a result of the teamwork and engagement from all employees it has exceeded the target just nine months into the campaign.

JDG Team working together to raise money for the Maggies charity

Employees from all 31 sites across the UK have all done their bit to raise £28,945 which was match-funded by James Donaldson and Sons up to £25,000 bringing the total to £53,945. The group worked closely with Maggie’s centres around the UK to develop and execute a calendar of fundraising events and activities including; cultural crawls, bake sales, raffles, race nights and cycles, among many others.

Scott Cairns, Outgoing Group Managing Director of James Donaldson Group said: “I am incredibly proud of all JDS colleagues in delivering this fantastic figure for Maggie’s. The challenge was grasped head-on, and our teams had a great deal of fun and a good feeling of achievement while raising funds. I’d also like to say a huge thanks to many of our customers and suppliers who also made donations to help us achieve our ambitious target.”

Tu Edwards, Centre Fundraising Manager, Maggie’s Fife commented: “Without the support of businesses like James Donaldson and Sons, we wouldn’t be able to do what we do here at Maggie’s. Maggie’s is here to support people with Cancer, along with their family and friends and relies on donations to develop our high-quality programme of support.  At this difficult time we are no longer seeing people face to face, but we are supporting people in their homes by phone, email and our online community.  I can’t thank James Donaldson Group enough for their support and efforts throughout this partnership; it will make a huge difference to our centres nationally.”

In the current COVID-19 global pandemic, it is a timely reminder that people are still dealing with Cancer and other life-altering conditions. All of our fund-raising efforts were done in 2019 and early 2020, before the current crisis and we hope to be able to continue to support Maggie’s in the year ahead when conditions allow.

Andrew Donaldson Appointed as CEO for the James Donaldson Group

James Donaldson and Sons Ltd is pleased to announce that from today, April 1st, 2020, Andrew Donaldson has succeeded Scott Cairns as Chief Executive Officer of the James Donaldson (JDS) Group.

April 1, 2020
 

James Donaldson and Sons Ltd is pleased to announce that from today, April 1st, 2020, Andrew Donaldson has succeeded Scott Cairns as Chief Executive Officer of the James Donaldson (JDS) Group.

Scott’s tenure has seen the 160-year-old family business double in turnover to over £200M with several consecutive years of record profitability up to the present day. Scott has served as Group MD for the past eight years. Before that he was Managing Director for both James Donaldson Timber and MGM Timber, resulting in over 24 years of service to the JDS group.

Andrew is a 6th generation Donaldson family member and will succeed Scott as of today. As a Chartered Accountant, gaining his credentials from KPMG, Andrew has worked for the Donaldson Group since 2010. He has spent the last two years as Group Finance Director driving the Group’s direction along with the operating board while working closely with Scott on all group-wide projects.

Neil Donaldson, Non-Executive Chairman of the Donaldson Group, said: “I’m delighted that my son, Andrew, will be taking over this 6th generation family business as CEO. I am confident that he will prove to be a worthy successor to Scott, and I wish him well in this new role in what are incredibly challenging times. I’d also like to thank Scott for his invaluable contribution to the success of the business. He will indeed be a hard act to follow.”

Scott will continue in an advisory role on the Supervisory Board as a Non-Executive Director supporting Andrew’s transition.

SITE CLOSURES

SITE CLOSURES - IMPORTANT INFORMATION FROM JAMES DONALDSON GROUP

March 24, 2020

SITE CLOSURES – IMPORTANT INFORMATION FROM JAMES DONALDSON GROUP

Following the Prime Minister’s update yesterday evening, we’ve made the decision to close all our UK branches and sites from today, Tuesday 24th March.

The safety of all our employees, suppliers and customers is our priority and we will reopen all operations as soon as government guidance allows us to do so. We apologise for any inconvenience and look forward to business as usual as soon as possible.

James Donaldson & Sons Ltd (JDS), has announced today the acquisition of Rowan Manufacturing Ltd (RML) and Smith & Frater Ltd (S&F) from the shareholders of the Rowan Group.

Headquartered in Fife, JDS is a family-owned business specialising in the processing, manufacturing, merchanting and distribution of timber and associated building products. This acquisition opens new product & market opportunities for the Group, in the supply of door sets, bespoke joinery and kitchen manufacturing; and fits with the firm’s desire to expand its capabilities in the UK’s house building, offsite manufacture, local authority, RMI and contracting markets.

Rowan Manufacturing specialises in made to measure staircases, internal and external door sets, windows and screens, as well as bespoke joinery design for all areas of a development or home improvement. While Smith and Frater supplies products such as kitchen manufacturing, Fibo wall panelling, flooring, bathrooms, internal doors and ceiling panels to the building trade and construction industry.

Scott Cairns, Group Managing Director at JDS, comments: “Both Rowan Manufacturing and Smith & Frater have a great reputation for quality, service and product innovation. The suite of products offered by both businesses perfectly complements our portfolio in JDS with a clear synergy of client base’’.

“We see an opportunity initially in the Scottish market to invest in, and substantially grow both businesses; with longer-term plans to expand that offering to the rest of the UK.”

Nick Higgins, Rowan Group Managing Director, explains: “Our primary driver was to hand over the business to an organisation with similar values to us and a clear long-term, sustainable strategy. I can think of no better business than JDS to develop RML and S&F, and to nurture what we have built up. Over the years, our team has established a trusted reputation and a market-leading product offering. Having watched the development of the Donaldson Group over many years, I know that I have chosen the best possible enterprise to grow the businesses and people that I am so proud of.”

Andrew Donaldson, Group Financial Director at JDS, adds: “Our business has doubled in size over the last ten years, and we have done this through sustainable organic growth and by the strategic acquisition of some market-leading specialists. As we enter our 160th year in business, calculated investments like these ensure that we are continuously putting customers, service and quality at the core of everything we do. We look forward to welcoming the staff of both businesses into our organisation, and will continue to seek out investments that share our core values of Customers, Integrity, People, Sustainability and Family.”

There will be no changes for clients, employees or suppliers of RML and S&F. The brands will continue to be independent and will report directly to and work alongside the Donaldson Group.

The 160-year-old James Donaldson Group is a family of specialist timber and building product businesses, turning over £200m in the current year. The 6th Generation family firm incorporates timber importer and distributor James Donaldson Timber Ltd, engineered wood product manufacturer Donaldson Timber Engineering Ltd, timber merchant MGM Timber (Scotland) Ltd, insulation specialist James Donaldson Insulation Ltd, and Nu-Style Products Ltd, a fabrication specialist. The Group operates throughout the UK from 31 sites employing over 1000 people.

James Donaldson Group Achieves ISO 50001 Energy Accreditation

Leading Fife-based timber expert, James Donaldson and Sons Ltd has confirmed their achievement of ISO 50001 certification at all 28 of their sites throughout the UK. ISO 50001 is the international standard for Energy Management Systems which helps organisations to manage and continually improve the efficiency of their energy use.

January 14, 2020
 

Leading Fife-based timber expert, James Donaldson and Sons Ltd has confirmed their achievement of ISO 50001 certification at all 28 of their sites throughout the UK. ISO 50001 is the international standard for Energy Management Systems which helps organisations to manage and continually improve the efficiency of their energy use.

Energy management has been a focus for the Group since 2016 when we registered for the Energy Saving Opportunities Scheme. Over the last year, the group has implemented ISO 50001 procedures to all sites, creating fluid and efficient processes to ensure all energy sources are measured and accounted for.  Every employee has been involved in identifying or supporting energy-saving ideas and opportunities. Achieving this international standard demonstrates that the JDS Group will work to continuously improve its energy management procedures and where possible, lower its carbon footprint.

Integrated Systems Manager at James Donaldson and Sons, Mark Murphy commented on the certification, “In a business where sustainability is at the heart of our core values, achieving this accreditation builds on our journey towards better energy management. ISO 50001 underpins our commitment to be a responsible and sustainable business.”