Donaldson Timber Systems

Navigating uncertainty

In today’s unpredictable market, choosing the right construction partner matters more than ever. Xxxxxxxx at Donaldson Timber Systems explains why choosing a long-established business can help provide much needed supply continuity and reassurance.

With economic instability and global market fluctuations, businesses across the construction sector are navigating choppy waters. As costs rise, lead times become unpredictable and supply chains feel the pressure, DTS can offer something increasingly valuable: certainty.

In this environment, supply continuity isn’t just a nice-to-have – it’s essential for project planning and profitability.

Working with a long-established business such as DTS offers unique advantages that smaller or newer timber frame suppliers simply can’t match:

• Unrivalled purchasing power

We’re not just another timber frame company. DTS has the largest direct buying power with Swedish mills in the UK market. What does this mean in practical terms? When timber supplies get tight, we can still comfortably and confidently ensure continuity of supply – even during global supply volatility.

• 165 years of supplier relationships

While DTS itself brings over 50 years of industry experience, we benefit from being part of the Donaldson Group, with 165 years of trading history – and 165 years of established relationships with sawmills and distributors. These aren’t just business contacts – they’re multi-generational partnerships that have weathered numerous economic cycles together. These long-standing links with key suppliers allow us to secure timber at volume and with predictability.

• Nationwide manufacturing capacity

With 21 manufacturing facilities across the UK (19 truss plants and two manufacturing factories), we offer unmatched production capacity and geographic flexibility. A distributed footprint means we’re not over-reliant on one region, one facility, or one channel. We can move, adapt, and respond as required, shifting production seamlessly to ensure your project stays on schedule.

• A personal touch

Supply continuity isn’t just about timber, it’s about expertise. We’re the only timber frame supplier to offer dedicated in-house contracts teams across every UK region, providing consistent guidance and support to customers to manage multiple projects and site delivery.

This includes:

• In-house contracts teams in every UK region
• The highest level of accredited installers in the industry
• In-house structural engineers
• Dedicated pre-construction teams

This means support from people who understand both your project requirements and our manufacturing capabilities, with no communication gaps that lead to delays or mistakes.

• Early engagement guarantees

For customers who engage with us early in the planning process, we offer something increasingly rare: guaranteed manufacturing space and installation resources. By collaborating at the pre-construction stage, we can reserve capacity specifically for your projects – providing certainty in an uncertain market.

• Quality you can trust

Supply continuity means little if quality is inconsistent. Our systems and processes are underpinned by a full range of industry-recognised certifications, accreditations, and robust quality standards to ensure that every component meets rigorous quality benchmarks.

Our Sigma® II closed panel system has achieved a range of third-party approvals, including BOPAS Plus, BBA, NHBC Accepts and STA Gold Assure, delivering the confidence that it is durable, complies with building regulations and technical standards while being designed, manufactured and installed to last for at least 60 years.

This translates to fewer callbacks, smoother installations, and ultimately better results for your projects. We don’t just meet minimums — we exceed them. And we do it consistently, whether it’s your first project with DTS or your 50^th.

The bottom line

In times of market volatility, working with established partners becomes even more valuable. Our five decades of industry experience, backed by the Donaldson Group’s 165-year legacy, means we’ve seen economic cycles come and go – and we’ve built systems to maintain supply continuity through them all.

Uncertainty doesn’t have to mean instability. The right partnerships can provide the kind of reassurance that lets our customers keep building — with confidence, with continuity, and with quality.

Get in touch to discuss how our timber frame systems can provide the reliability your business needs.

Building high-quality homes at scale has never been more important—or more challenging. John Smith, Technical Director at Donaldson Timber Systems (DTS) explains how manufacturing offsite can help to take the pressure off housebuilders.

With rising expectations around sustainability, tighter build timelines, and an industry-wide labour shortage, the traditional way of building homes simply can’t keep up.

Over recent years, it has become widely recognised that one of the best ways to address these challenges – while also helping to meet net zero carbon targets – is by using Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) technologies.

Homes England’s Affordable Homes Programme, which launched in 2021, requires all projects it funds to have at least 25% of the units delivered through MMC. Central to this is Pre-Manufactured Value (PMV), which has been introduced as a key metric to measure how much of a building is manufactured offsite using any of the seven categories of MMC.

The 55% PMV threshold

Under the Affordable Homes Programme, the preferred method to demonstrate MMC is to use a build system that achieves a PMV of 55% or more for new homes. To put this in context, a ‘traditional’ masonry home comes in at just under 40%, while adding basic MMC elements like open panel timber frame (MMC Category 2a), only nudges you up to around 44.7%.

Encouraging a target of 55% is pushing the industry to innovate and to drive more offsite construction.

We’re proud to say that the verified PMV for our closed panel Sigma® II Build System consistently delivers PMV scores between 55.7% and 58.4%, depending on the house type. By using this system, builders are already meeting—and exceeding—that 55% target, regardless of the foundation type, cladding or roofing materials used.

Offsite Construction: less time, less risk, better margins

The big advantage of PMV is that it shifts much of the construction process offsite, which helps reduce pressure on-site. This means shorter build times, less exposure to bad weather, improved site safety, and a dramatic cut in on-site waste. These all translate into better project margins—and makes life easier for housebuilders.

Offsite construction also alleviates the pressure of the skills shortage in the industry. With offsite manufacturing, you’re taking much of the complex work into the factory, where it’s faster, more reliable, and less reliant on hard-to-find trades.

Quality you can count on

Sigma® II doesn’t just meet expectations—it consistently exceeds them. With third-party certifications including BOPAS, BBA, NHBC Accepts, BM Trada Q-Mark, EPD and STA Gold Assure, housebuilders can be confident that it performs at the highest level in terms of quality and sustainability. It’s designed, manufactured and installed to last for at least 60 years.

It also delivers near-Passivhaus levels of performance, which means it’s not just good for the bottom line—it’s great for homeowners too, translating to lower energy bills, reduced carbon impact and increased comfort.

Building better, building smarter

As well as achieving PMV requirements, MMC using timber frame results in homes that look good and perform well – making sustainable communities that people want to live and stay in; and building houses that will allow people to do this.

With high-PMV systems like Sigma® II, we’re providing a real solution—one that makes building faster, more efficient, and more sustainable, while delivering high quality, modern housing.

It’s not just about meeting targets. It’s about building homes people actually want to live in—at scale, and at speed.