Shavings (again) in Suffolk - Would there be a market for this?

[zoeshiloh]

My OH owns/runs a large company, which operates from an industrial park, which he also owns. This industrial unit is on the main A134 between Bury St Edmunds and Sudbury, with plenty of parking/lorry/trailer manouevering space. Recently, when contacting shavings suppliers to order in some shavings for myself, we found a good supplier who will only deal with trade customers, but will happily use my OH's industrial site as a distribution point (make sense so far?). So, basically we can order as many pallet loads as we like from this company, and sell them from OH's industrial unit. They work out at about £6.50 a bale, obviously a discount for orders by the pallet load. We can also get shavings/chop straw mix (like Bed-down) for £5 a bale. As this seems very competitive in our area, do you think this is worth looking into more, or is it already too late - have people bought in a stock to keep them going over winter? These are branded shavings from a proper manufacturer, who are stocked throughout the country, so not just some local sawmill. The shavings are dust extracted etc. I'd just like some idea as to whether there would be interest before I go and order several hundred bales!

 

[Dirtymare]

Ooo, you cant be that far away from Bury St Eds then??
I should think you would have your arm cut off for cheap shavings!!!
However, there may not be a huge call for pallet loads though, but if they were competetivley priced against the usual Bury suppliers, I would think you would do well.

 

[eoe]

I would imagine that depending on the pallet size you would have your hands snapped off, most people have access to a trailer or horsebox and with the current cost of shavings and if you can load direct into lorry or trailer with a forklift that there is a market for it. I managed to get hold of some from Europe last year and they were v good quality and also managed to get hold of some from a company I had not heard of in Yorkshire and they were large white flakes and were very good quality as well. There are a lot of yards in and around Essex that will only allow shavings, on my yard I allow whatever people want, at the mo most are on Barley straw but there are 4/5 horses on woodchip and we have a high roof merc that I think we can get about 50 bales in at a time so we would definitely be interested. If you go ahead I would put an advert in the Essex Rider and Absolute Horse and I would imagine in the current climate you will be very busy.

Good luck

 

[Jules19]

Just a quick caveat. I'm not sure what price Ousden chap is selling small amounts at but we are buying dust extracted big flake shavings for £5.75 a bale inc VAT when buying in bulk. He doesn't deliver unless you are buying in reasonable amounts and wouldn't do over as far as the A134 so you may well have a different market further east.