BUSINESS at a wood supply firm is on fire after it installed a new environmentally friendly kiln.

Stourport-on-Severn based Logs West Midlands, which provides thousands of Worcestershire’s homes and retailers with firewood, netted logs and kindling, spent £46,000 on the burner which will play a key role in making the business more efficient and allow it to offer higher quality products.

The new kiln, unveiled by Conservative Parliamentary candidate for Wyre Forest Mark Garnier, is the latest phase of the historic firm’s expansion plans and follows last year’s £35,000 investment into the purchase of an industrial log processor.

Rosanne Howes, who runs the business with her husband Stan, said: “The new kiln is a game-changer for us. Its installation means we have dramatically cut down the wood-drying process from two years to only five days. That is such an important time-saving as it means we can provide quality, ready-to-burn wood to customers at a faster pace than ever before.

“Purchasing the kiln also forms part of our plan to make the business more sustainable in what is our 50th year. RHI compliant, the kiln can dry up to 30 cubic metres of wood every day so it allows us to rapidly increase our production. It’s a really vital investment that we are certain will help take the business to a whole new level. 2015 is shaping up to be a fantastic year.”

Mr Garnier added: "It was a real pleasure to visit Logs West Midlands. Family businesses are the bedrock of our economy and it is a delight to see a local business celebrate its 50th year by investing into its future. Moreover, by using the lessons and skills learnt from the last 50 years, Logs West Midlands is taking full advantage of the latest technology to ensure it maintain a sustainable and environmentally friendly process that protects our natural resources for future generations."

Logs West Midlands is based at Summerway Farm near Stourport and was founded by Mr Howes’ father, Stan senior. The firm’s timber is sourced locally from managed woodland.