Independence day? We have our own anniversary to celebrate!

It is 41 years to the day since the Evans Family of Bishop’s Castle stepped in to save the sawmill from bankruptcy. Alan Evans and his older brother Brian bought the mill for just £100 but along with the mill  came £1.5 million of debts to the bank and trade creditors. Every penny of that was paid off over the following 5 years.

In buying the mill Alan and Brian saved scores of jobs and established the financial conditions for the creation of one of the most advanced sawmilling operations of its kind in the UK.

Amazingly, four people who were on the payroll then work at the mill to this very day. They are, in the top row above, Ian Andrews, who runs the control room of the main mill and John Griffith, one of our saw doctors. Below is Emrys Powell who works in the re-saw section and, last but not least, Steve Green, Company Secretary and one of the key people bringing about the restoration of the mill’s finances. It’s especially pleasing to note on this anniversary that our Operations Director is one Alistair Evans. Does the surname sound familiar?