Stalbridge Timber Supplies Ltd. is a privately owned family company which has evolved over 90 years to become the business it is today. It started life in 1926 as a partnership between two brothers Dick & Jim Turner who came from Meare in Somerset to set up a saw milling business under the name Turner Brothers on the site presently occupied by the company. The site was chosen for its access to the railway line (now defunct) that ran between Bristol and Bournemouth through Stalbridge. The timber was extracted from the woods by horse drawn vehicles and after being processed through the mill was loaded onto trains for transportation to, amongst other places, the railways, the steel mills, coal mines and also dunnage for cargo ships. The business ran continuously throughout the 2nd World War producing their own electricity from generators driven by gas engines, the gas being obtained from the waste wood. Later these gas engines were replaced by steam turbines – both of which were designed and built by the two brothers. Following the deaths of the brothers in the 1960’s Dick’s son, John, took over the sawmill. In 1982 the business changed direction and instead of saw milling our own timber became a timber stockist with re-saw and treatment facilities under the name of Stalbridge Timber Supplies. It was at this time that John’s sons entered the business, Richard running the timber department and Peter setting up a separate department for the manufacture of roof trussed rafters. Sadly Peter died in 2008 aged 46. The business continues today with Richard overseeing the day to day operation of the whole business and John remaining as Senior Director.
