With a shortage of timber due to offshore sales, a local logging operation has come to the rescue of Whanganui's Pitzac Wood Enterprises.
Pitzac, which is part of contracting company B Bullock 2009 Ltd, processes timber for fencing and sells its fence posts to farming customers throughout the Whanganui, South Taranaki and Rangitikei area.
"They have been having trouble sourcing timber because most of it is going offshore," Bullocks general manager Jason Reid said.
Outside his role with Bullocks, Reid owns a forestry company and his crew is logging a pine plantation on the Bristol property in Taylor Rd at Westmere.
Some of the timber is being used by Pitzac for its processing operation.
"It's being managed by FOMS and they are selling post wood to Pitzac so they are getting some quality timber," Reid said.
"The rest of it is a private commercial logging operation."
FOMS (Forest Owners' Management Services) is an independent forestry services provider.
Reid said Bullocks was currently "flat out" with a major stormwater contract in Mosston Rd, building forestry roads for various companies and finishing up its contract at the new wastewater treatment plant as well as other general small works.
"Our Ready Mix [concrete] is really going well. We've bought a new truck and they are flat out."
The company has employed several additional staff in the past month to keep up with the workload.