We visited our friends and partners at Crendon to hear all about the genesis of a major construction industry player. See what happens when a motivated team refuses to settle for good enough, with MiTek lending a helping hand.
Crendon Timber Engineering have been working to drive up standards in UK construction since 1967. Now, with 12 branches nationwide and 340 employees turning over £75 million annually, it’s safe to say their status is secure. But how does that kind of success come about in a little under 60 years? That’s really not a lot of time in an industry where major players are routinely over a century old.
The answer is technology. Construction is sometimes guilty of sticking to the way things have always been done, but not Crendon. They’ve always understood that their future lies in investment; in their products, service standards, and particularly their people.
People like Tim Wilson, Regional Managing Director (pictured above left) and Graeme Denham, Regional Branch Director (pictured above right). Both have seen their fair share of the Crendon story. Graeme started on the factory floor aged 18, before being picked to take ownership of their Posi line around 2006.
Tim, meanwhile, was there to have his say in Crendon’s acquisition by WB Group in 2018. As he puts it, their exponential growth is down to one solid reason: “We never stand still, we’re always looking for the next thing. Even going back over the last 15 years; we took on Posi-Joist, then it was timber frame, then stairs, then fire doors.
“Even today, we’re looking for ways to improve on what we’re doing, not sitting on our laurels.”
A long-running story of constant reinvention
This is obviously not the easiest or most relaxed way to do things, but it’s always worked. Graeme talked us through some of the big changes he’s seen, both in Crendon and construction as a whole.
“It’s gone from a bit of a spit-and-sawdust industry to something more ingenious. Today, we can talk about optimising production, maximising output, but not cutting back on quality and service. Obviously, hardware and software have come on quite a bit over the years. But it’s also a question of how we use them; our processes.
“Before, we had one single sawblade in the corner of a factory, manned by one person. They’d sit and cut timber all day. But now, there’s a continual process that runs throughout the whole factory. All those jobs are joined up collaboratively. I get a real buzz from developing that operational side of things, keeping things moving forwards at all times.”
Sometimes though, you can’t possibly wring any extra efficiencies out of your existing space, you have to grow. Crendon have done plenty of that, but once again they’ve done it strategically. A bespoke factory completed in 2016, for example, let them build the entire premises around their specific workflow.
From essentially operating as an independent roof truss company in the early 2000s, this intelligent growth has brought major changes. A sequence of acquisitions, most recently by Wyckham Blackwell Group, have transformed them into a major industry player. In fact, as a group they’re the UK’s biggest supplier of MiTek Posi-Joist, and the partnership doesn’t end there.
How are MiTek helping drive the change?
Crendon started using Posi-Joist in 2006, with one Posi Strut-Runner machine running one day per week. Fast forward to 2024, where MiTek Posi machines are present at every site in the country. There are three at the East Harling branch alone.
Working with Posi-Joist, Tim estimates they cover anywhere up to 15% of the entire roof truss market. He gave us his thoughts on why the relationship has lasted 17 strong years. A superior physical product is only part of the answer.
“What we’ve always liked about MiTek is the depth of the relationship. There are quality connections from the very top of the business, all the way through design, and onward to delivery. Of course, we didn’t know that would be the case at the start.
“What first got us on board was the management software, a great tool that could cover all our products. At the same time, we got the Strut-Runner machines for manufacturing, they had a nice efficient foundational footprint. We can fit more machines in, and each individual machine does more than others; no need to box up, they can make a whole Posi-Joist in one go.
“All this has evolved over time, too. With the recent improvements to the PAMIR design software, the whole package really is second to none. MiTek have their strapline; design, make, build. That accurately describes how they’re adding value across the whole process.”
New additions to Crendon’s lineup, like the Mark 1 Press with Easyjig Tables and Virtek lasers, are further increasing productivity. Designs from one branch are tweaked and can be manufactured at another; the team predict an estimated 30% production increase from this approach.
That can be leveraged to even greater advantage now they’ve started using our Design Optimisation service. Boosted production gets matched by expanded design capability, to satisfy big customers like Croudace Homes, who only use Posi-Joist.
What’s in store for Tim, Graeme, and the Crendon team?
Looking to the future, plans remain the same. Crendon are going to keep on providing leading engineered timber solutions that create better homes. Still service driven, still quality driven, continual investment in equipment and technology will let them keep up with rising demand.
And of course, we’re overjoyed to play our part in their important work. The future of housebuilding lies in closer partnerships and deeper, more fruitful collaboration. It’s a philosophy Crendon and MiTek share, the basis of a future worth striving for.
