Veolia adds Arden to its wood recycling activities

Arden has more than 30 years’ experience of supplying woodshavings and sawdust bedding for animals and is now one of the largest bedding suppliers in the UK. Products are made from wood waste and byproducts.

The company describes itself as a “leading example of excellence in the industry” and operates a specialist transport fleet and a high-tech fully automated production facility “housed in clean bio-secure purpose built premises”.

Arden managing director, Chris Stanford founded the business in 1980 and on the company website notes: “From those humble beginnings Arden has now grown to become what I consider to be the best and one of the largest bedding suppliers in the country. Arden’s growth has been impressive but steady and I have remained in control at all times to the extent that it has never strayed from its strict principles.”

Resources

For Veolia the purchase means that it continues to develop its role in the resources as well as the waste management sector, which was highlighted by Gavin Graveson, Veolia’s COO Public and Commercial.

Mr Graveson said: “The strategic integration of Arden Wood Shavings will boost our wood recycling capabilities. It will now enable us to offer new ranges of green products that both reduce the financial and environmental costs of wasting these materials, and give this resource a new life. This complements our existing recycling operations, and our ability to produce green products that expand a sustainable circular economy.”

‘Develop the range’

Commenting on the sale to Veolia, Mr Stanford, said: “This move now gives Arden the capability to develop the range and volume of products and services required to meet the increasingly demanding challenges facing the agricultural sector.”

The purchase of Arden Wood Shavings (AWS) was completed by Veolia last month (October 2017). In January 2016 Veolia made its first major step into the wood sector when it acquired Boomeco (see letsrecycle.com story) Boomeco was not involved in animal bedding with activities primarily on the biomass side. The acquisition also helped strengthen Veolia’s activities in the RDF export market.