GMG Energy Ltd
GMG Energy operates a sawmill on a farm in the Halladale Strath between Tongue and Thurso, producing kiln-dried logs, chip and sawdust for consumers and wholesalers and make door to door deliveries throughout the north Highlands.
It is an innovative, environmentally conscious company which provides local agricultural businesses, builders and consumers with sustainably created biomass and timber-based products. All delivery packaging is collected and recycled.
The sawmill is energy-efficient and outstrips one-for-one industry standards in replacing every used log of timber. Dried sawmill waste formed as briquettes fuels a 600kw biomass facility which to heats the factory and dries wood, woodchips and sawdust.
In 2022 the company, which originated on a farm, now planted to timber, in the Strath of Halladale in Sutherland, acquired 400 acres of softwood-planted land near John O’Groats, containing 21,000 tonnes of productive timber, around 90,000 tree-sized logs. With current sawmill production of around 2,000 tonnes a year, the purchase created security of supply.
The company, employing eight local people including one apprentice, promotes the circular economy – cutting out waste, using local suppliers and establishing links with southern-based hauliers to optimise capacity for transport loads which would otherwise return empty.
Recently, three of its senior employees, including Director Malcolm Morrison, secured visual softwood structural grading credentials which qualifies the company to supply builders and joinery businesses with the stress tested timber used in housing and commercial property construction projects. As a result of securing these credentials, GMG Energy can now stress test wood to reach the highest building standards This, in turn, will lead allow the business to supply market demand for structural timber from joiners, builders and architects not only in the North of Scotland but throughout the country. It is now accredited to apply a unique stamp on specific timber products they manufacture to assure potential customers of its quality and fitness for construction projects.
