ABOUT US
Firwood Timber & Plywood - 50 Years Of Excellence
1975
Founded in 1975 by Peter Booth, Firwood Timber & Plywood Co Ltd is established as a proudly family-run business, built on a foundation of quality, integrity, and exceptional service.
1977
A major part of our early success came from the guidance of Harry Birtwhistle, M.B.E., whom Peter met in 1977. A decorated veteran, lifelong timber expert, and accomplished entrepreneur, Harry became a trusted mentor and ultimately one of Firwood’s greatest assets. For 37 years, he played a pivotal role in shaping the company before his passing in 2014.
1980's
Through the 1980s and 1990s, Firwood expanded rapidly. Our first builder’s merchant in Burscough soon became a local landmark—especially recognised for its iconic yellow hangar. Additional branches followed across the North West.
2000's
We continued to expand in the early 2000's and opened more branches. This has led to a network of 11 successful Builders Merchants across the North West.
Today
Today, Firwood combines decades of timber importing expertise, supplying both local trades, national civil engineering and construction companies. With our reliable in-house fleet, we deliver nationwide—always keeping our long-standing promise: On Time. High Quality. Within Budget.
OUR ROOTS
Firwood is a privately owned and privately funded company operating from sites across the UK. Nationally we supply formwork and civil engineer contractors. We also operate locally from depots throughout the North West of England for all building requirements.
Established in 1975, Firwood Timber & Plywood Company Ltd is proud to be a family-run business built on strong values and long-standing relationships. Our focus has always been simple: to supply high-quality products while delivering dependable, responsive customer service to every client we work with.
From the very beginning, Firwood was founded on a clear vision — to source and supply quality timber to both local and national civil engineering companies. With the support of experienced industry figures and a dedicated team, the business has grown steadily over the decades, earning a reputation for reliability and expertise.
Today, we continue to build on those foundations, maintaining strong partnerships with our customers and supporting the communities in which we operate.
OUR CIVILS DIVISION
Our Civils division is the foundation of our business. For over 50 years, we have proudly supplied high-quality plywood and timber to valued customers across the industry.
Over the decades, we have supported some of the UK’s largest and most complex civil engineering projects. Most recently, we have contributed to landmark infrastructure developments such as Crossrail and HS2. You can read more about our involvement on our Projects page.
Sustainability has always been central to our operations. We are committed to responsible sourcing and environmental best practice, demonstrated through our FSC® certification and FORS Bronze, Silver, and Gold accreditations.
To further strengthen customer confidence, we have also joined Constructionline, providing assurance that our company, policies, and compliance standards meet rigorous industry requirements.
With decades of experience, a commitment to sustainability, and a reputation built on reliability and quality, we continue to support the civil engineering sector with materials our customers can depend on.
We offer daily UK-wide deliveries using our own Euro 6, well-maintained fleet, ensuring reliability, flexibility, and peace of mind for every customer.
On Time. High Quality. Within Budget.
OUR BRANCHES
Firwood expanded into builders merchants in the early 1980s with the opening of our first branch in Burscough, which remains one of our busiest depots today. Built on a foundation of quality materials, knowledgeable staff, and reliable service, it set the standard for our future growth.
As demand increased, we expanded across the North West, opening additional branches and strengthening our presence through carefully selected acquisitions. This steady growth has allowed us to build a strong network of depots serving both trade professionals and the general public.
Today, Firwood operates multiple builders merchants across the North West of England, supported by a dedicated timber importing and civil supply division. While our merchant branches support local building needs, our civils division delivers materials to major projects nationwide. In 2026 we launched our e-commerce website.
We continue to invest in our services and infrastructure, ensuring we meet the evolving needs of our customers while staying true to our core values:
On Time. High Quality. Within Budget
OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY
Since the beginning it has been a major goal for Firwood Timber to always try and sponsor and support the local communities where we trade.
FIRWOOD BOOTLE CRICKET CLUB
In the mid 1980’s sponsorship of Firwood Bootle Cricket Club began. We sincerely hope with our support Firwood Bootle CC can continue to build on their already impressive 7 LCB Lancashire Champions titles and 16 Liverpool Competition Champions titles.
FIRWOOD WATERLOO RUGBY CLUB
In 2015 saw 7 time Lancashire cup winners Waterloo Rugby Club renamed to become Firwood Waterloo Rugby Club. Founded in 1882 we are very proud to be title sponsors of such an old established club and hope with our support it can continue to build on past success for hundreds more years to come!