Cala Group builds up timber frame presence with major deal south of Border

Cala Group, the housebuilding major with Aberdeen roots, is ramping up its presence south of the Border after acquiring one of the UK’s top timber frame construction specialists.

The group said the purchase of 100 per cent of the shares of Taylor Lane Timber Frame would help drive its progress towards its sustainability targets and support its “ambitious growth plans” in the south of England. Cala - which began as the City of Aberdeen Land Association in 1875 and was the first Scottish company listed on the London stock market - has been using timber frame construction in Scotland for more than 40 years. Around 80 per cent of its homes there are built using this method. Cala Homes is headquartered in Edinburgh.

With factories in Hereford and Wales, Taylor Lane will supply the group’s five English businesses in the Cotswolds and south of England, while continuing to service existing customers and grow their presence in the wider market. Cala bosses said the investment illustrated the group’s confidence in Taylor Lane’s potential and provided a strong platform for continued growth.

Cala Group chief executive Kevin Whitaker said: “Taylor Lane is a successful business with an experienced management team and talented workforce, who share Cala’s passion for quality and service. We look forward to working with the Taylor Lane team, supporting them as they continue to develop and grow their business to achieve the ambition of their original founders to deliver to scale. For Cala, this also demonstrates our clear commitment to delivering our climate targets. The investment in Taylor Lane sets out our path to transitioning to timber frame across our English developments, a key element of our sustainability strategy.”

Jonathan Lane, managing director at Taylor Lane, added: “This marks the start of an exciting new chapter for Taylor Lane and is a fantastic endorsement of our potential from a highly-respected UK homebuilder. Over the past 40 years we have successfully grown Taylor Lane to a £30 million turnover business delivering around 2,000 timber frame units per year, to a wide variety of sectors. Looking ahead, the management team and I feel extremely positive about our prospects. We have robust growth plans in place, a loyal customer base and a talented team.”