Jobs hope for Rotherham business putting unused wood to good use

A Rotherham-based business is aiming to create up to 40 new jobs after seeing its sales rise.

VFM Sheds - based on Chesterton Road on the Eastwood Trading Estate - turns timber that would otherwise go unused during manufacturing into new sheds and garden buildings.

The business has seen monthly sales increase more than fivefold in just 12 months.

VFM Sheds was launched last September by director Jessica Vernon who hopes to at least double sales over the next year as demand grows for its British-made garden buildings.

VFM - which stands for Value For Money - uses sustainably sourced Scandinavian timber, including material not required for certain product specifications at its Rotherham manufacturing facility.

Rather than allowing usable timber to go to waste, Ms Vernon identified an opportunity to create a separate, online-only consumer brand offering quality garden buildings at competitive prices.

Now, with manufacturing capacity to support significant expansion, the wider Rotherham operation could create up to 40 additional jobs if production grows in line with expectations.

Ms Vernon said: “To see sales increase more than fivefold in a year is incredible, particularly when you consider we were building an entirely new brand from scratch.

“The online market was a completely new challenge, but we've grown month-on-month and the last two months have been our strongest yet.

“We now know there's a real opportunity to take VFM much further.”

Alongside her role at VFM, Jessica is a founding member of Women in Timber, a community supporting women across the industry, and secretary of the London Softwood Club.

For more information, visit https://vfmsheds.co.uk/