A Competitive Duo

It’s been five years since Shane Wiseman opened his very own independent timber merchants in Isleworth and purchased his first Striebig Compact vertical panel saw. With a clear business model in place, he set out to service the trade with a cut-to-size sheet service, whilst also offering an array of associated consumables.

Second Striebig Compact saw to meet growing demand

It was a winning combination and, with demand growing year-on-year, plans to launch an online ordering platform for his bespoke cutting service has seen Wise Timber purchase a second Striebig Compact saw through machinery supplier, TM Machinery.

“When I set up the company in 2014, I’d had previous experience using different Striebig saws and because of that, I knew I didn’t need to look elsewhere,” admits Shane candidly. “I’d seen the cutting accuracy, build quality and level of after-care when purchasing a Striebig first-hand and knew the saws were more than capable of doing what I needed them to do.”

It was the size – just 4256 x 2838mm – that initially attracted Shane to the Compact 4207. “Our premises are limited to 8,000 square feet and with nine metre eves in places, the space in the workshop needed to be utilised effectively from day one. The small size of the Compact allowed us to home more machines and manoeuvre stock around the floor.”

Benefits of a Striebig Compact Saw

As well as its size, the saw needed to offer precision cuts when working with 18mm MDF, plywood and white melamine, as well as 22mm decorative surfaces including Egger boards, veneers and laminates. “A scoring saw unit was an important feature in the Compact’s design so laminates wouldn’t chip out when being cut. The saw also needed to handle jumbo sheets and over-sized Egger board easily. Unlike many saws that only work to 1800mm, the Compact has a cutting range of over two metres, making light work of larger sheets and batch orders. This was a huge selling point for me and it hasn’t let us down. We’ve worked the saw hard but we’ve had it serviced regularly by TM Machinery’s servicing team. As a result, it’s continued to offer consistent cuts time and again.”

With the company’s organic growth, increased workload and digital platform coming into fruition very soon, the decision to buy a second vertical panel saw was taken earlier this year. TM Machinery’s specialist engineers delivered and installed the machine within six weeks of order.

“It was the right time to invest in a second machine,” says Shane. “Demand for cut-to-size panels is increasing year-on-year and we don’t see this slowing down. I chose an exact replica of the first saw, with the exception of a digital readout. It was an extra cost option on this model but, with orders increasing, we don’t want standards to slip. The movable digital readout stop has significantly reduced the risk of operator error and has de-skilled the operation. As well as potentially saving on wasted materials and time per cut, it is helping the company to maintain its reputation as a provider of high quality and accurately cut panels.”

Investment in second Striebig Compact Saw helps company success

Shane continues, “Having the right machinery in place is extremely important as we push the company forward. We’re currently developing an e-commerce website that will be devoted to our cutting service. Customers will be able to specify the material and dimensions of individual sheets on our website and use our click and collect function to pick up their order on their desired day. This is a big project for us to undertake but we know the customer-base is there. The decision to investment in a second Striebig to help us run this new side of the business certainly hasn’t been one I have taken lightly but both Striebigs have hugely important roles to play in the company’s ongoing success. Investing in the best machinery reflects in the level of service we offer our customers and the care we put into every order, however big or small. This gives us the edge over our competitors and will continue to help Wise Timber grow.”