North Canterbury News: July 29, 2021
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NORTH CANTERBURY BUSINESS AWARDS PEOPLE’S CHOICE<br />
Quality timber products a<br />
sustainable industry for family<br />
Kaiapoi’sSutherlandfamilycelebrated100 years<br />
in businesslastyear.<br />
Sutherland Timber wasestablishedin<br />
Southlandafterbeing conceivedbytwobrothers<br />
correspondingduringWorld War1.<br />
The business remainsinthe same family,with<br />
Murray Sutherland having handed over the<br />
reinstothe fifthgeneration.<br />
Eldestson Jonnie is nowmanagingdirector,<br />
with second sonDavie runningthe Kaiapoi<br />
ITMtimberyardand daughter AmySherwin<br />
lookingafterthe marketing.<br />
Sutherland Timber became incorporatedin<br />
1920. Itsanniversarycelebrationsweredelayed<br />
becauseofCovid-19, Amysays.<br />
‘‘It’s aprettyspecial story howitstarted,with<br />
twobrothers writingtoeachother whilethey<br />
were in thewar,and they startedtoplantostart<br />
somethingwhentheycameback.’’<br />
Whileone of thebrotherswas killed in<br />
action,Murray’sgrandfather returned home<br />
safely and persuadedhis father to bankrollthe<br />
establishment of asawmill at Tuatapere.<br />
After 12 years,the sawmill wasrelocated to<br />
theCaitlinsonthe Otago coast,withthe focus<br />
beingonnative timber production.<br />
The business relocatedtoCheviot after World<br />
War2,withthe focusmovingtoPinus radiata<br />
timber.Itmoved to Kaiapoiin1956, when<br />
Murray wasatoddler.<br />
After ashort stintawayfromhome, Murray<br />
returned to Kaiapoiwithhis wife,Annie,<br />
38 yearsago to takeoverthe runningofthe<br />
business.<br />
‘‘I’ve been here 38 yearsand in that time we’ve<br />
expandedintothe exportmarketinthe 1990s<br />
with furnituregradetimbers,and ourlogs<br />
areall locallysourced from Ashley Forest and<br />
Hanmer StateForest.’’All aremilled on site in<br />
Kaiapoi.<br />
Sutherland Timber producesqualityNew<br />
ZealandRadiata andOregonproductssuitable<br />
forthe domestic andinternational markets, and<br />
in recent yearsithas establishedstrongmarkets<br />
Family affair ...Jonnie Sutherland (left) is continuing the family tradition at Sutherland<br />
Timber with his brother Davie Sutherland,who is at the helm of Kaiapoi ITM and sister Amy<br />
Sherwin, marketing manager.<br />
with Douglasfir.<br />
It is aproduct preferred forits strength,stability<br />
andstiffness, standingout as atop performeras<br />
well as offering naturalmoistureresistance and<br />
treatedoruntreated buildingoptions.<br />
Murray continues to be active in thebusiness,<br />
with eldestson Jonnie as managing director.<br />
‘‘You’ve got to have onepersonsteeringthe<br />
ship,’’Murraysays.<br />
‘‘Butit’sverymuchateam effort,’’ Jonnie adds.<br />
‘‘I’ve been around theplace since Iwas akid<br />
andI’vealwayshad apassionfor thetimberand<br />
theengineering that goes with it.’’<br />
In recent years, Sutherland Timber has embarked<br />
on amill upgrade to keep it sustainablefor the<br />
future,Jonnie says.<br />
‘‘We processmostthings on site andwehave75<br />
people employed in Kaiapoi.<br />
‘‘It’s agreat industry to be apartof. There’s<br />
some amazingpeopleinour industry andthe<br />
lifeexperiences youget alongthe way, you can’t<br />
replace them.’’<br />
AmysaysSutherlandTimberislooking to the<br />
future.<br />
‘‘Ilovethe fact that it’s renewableand<br />
sustainableand it’s anaturalresource. Ithink<br />
people areshiftingbacktorealisingthattimber<br />
is agreat product.’’<br />
Sutherland<br />
Timber has<br />
proudly been<br />
operating for<br />
over 100 years,<br />
with over 60 of<br />
those in Kaiapoi<br />
Phone 03 327 8843<br />
14 Stone Street, Kaiapoi<br />
sales@sutherlandtimber.co.nz<br />
Vote for usfor the People’s Choice Award
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