C. Blumsom Ltd – Profile of a Private Family Company
 

In 1896 chair-maker Charles Blumsom founded the timber importing business of C Blumsom in Bethnal Green, before moving to Bangs Wharf, Bow Bridge in East London E3.  Later, it moved to bigger premises at Maple Wharf, River Road in Barking where the company remains today with the fourth generation.


 

Charles had initially built up a reputation as one of the country’s leading importers of French beech as well as Finnish and Canadian birch, but more important he set the foundations for the private family company that great grandson Robert Blumsom, now Managing Director and owner, has managed for more than twenty years.  Today the company imports, machines and distributes timbers and wood products from all over the world.    

 

Blumsom was one of the first companies in the UK to install an automatic wood-waste boiler.  In 1998 a warehouse on the nearby Balmoral Industrial Estate was bought for the storage of American hardwoods holding around £1million worth of stock.  Robert Blumsom has taken C. Blumsom Ltd forward into the 21st century with further investments including a new kiln and the opening of the new Blumsom Timber Centre showroom to cater for smaller customers. 
 
In 2004, with 108 years of trading experience C. Blumsom, maintains its reputation as a specialist hardwood importer - the last to be located in London - backed up with trade kilning, warehousing, trade milling and custom milling facilities.  “You can buy a single piece from our Timber Centre, or an artic-load from our bulk warehouse, either rough sawn or machined” says Robert.

December 2004

 Tel: 020 8594 3074 - Fax: 020 8507 1334 -  btc@blumsom.co.uk