Abbey Timber specialises in the supply of timber decking and flooring, with one of the largest ranges of decking species, sizes and grades available in Sydney. A division of Castlewood Products, Abbey Timber was founded by the late Alex George Favelle and his eldest son Robert. Robert’s son Andrew, now the director, joined the business in 1984 and has now been with the company for 25 years.
“My grandfather and father started Castlewood Products Pty Ltd in 1975 as a manufacturer of timber products that were sold to BBC Hardware Australia-wide outdoor furniture retail stores,” Andrew says. “I completed my carpentry apprenticeship and finished my trade as a staircase manufacturer. With this experience I came on board with Dad just as my grandfather retired to establish Abbey Stairs of Distinction.
From Left to Right: Shana, Andrew and Mel.
“After completing only a couple of stair jobs I could see the need to help expand the picket fence and gates that Dad was manufacturing with a website and internet advertising. This worked well and the business grew overnight. We were buying a lot of Cypress to build the hardware gates and thought there is a market for Cypress flooring and decking. We started Abbey Cypress and quickly grew our Cypress sales, especially flooring, to a handful of flooring companies. These floor companies continually asked for hardwood flooring and, seeing an opportunity to expand timber sales, I closed the stair company down and went full steam ahead selling all types of flooring and decking and establishing Abbey Timber to put everything under one banner.”
The company now employs 15 staff spread over a 5500sq/m site in Moorebank, NSW.
“Although we have targeted our sales to the trade side of the industry by offering discounts to the trade we still have a large retail market that is strengthened by our sales staff having a variety of building and construction experience,” Andrew says. “We like to spend time with our customers to ensure they get the best options for each project and help advise on the specs required to do each project they may have.”
Abbey Timber’s range of decking features more than 20 different species and six different sizes. To complement its decking options, the business also has an extensive range of solid timbers for building decking frames, pergolas, privacy screens and carport structures, available in treated Pine, Cypress Pine, unseasoned structural hardwoods and seasoned structural hardwoods.
Every year over the last 10-plus years we have seen continual growth, with an average of 15 per cent every year,” Andrew says. “The timber industry is healthy and showing signs that it will not slow up anytime soon. We’re fortunate that we deal a lot with renovators – even when new homes are experiencing low sales people are always renovating older properties.”
For more information on Abbey Timber, head to abbeytimber.com.au
