Since the acquisition of Cambridge Roof Truss (CRT) in November 2018 we’ve been working hard to integrate the team as part of DTE. CRT design and manufacture roof trusses and spandrel panels from their factory in Gamlingay. The acquisition has an excellent geographic fit with DTE’s present business and is further supplementing our existing product offering across the Southern and Midland regions of the UK.
Find out more about the site and what progress has been made, almost one year on from the acquisition in this meet the branch spotlight on CRT.
The History of Cambridge Roof Truss
Established in 2014, Cambridge Roof Truss started from zero and has since grown to manufacture around 60, 000 individual roof trusses per year. From the start, the founders focussed on providing excellent customer service and this is still what they are known for today. The focus of CRT’s entry to the market was on national housebuilders, as the team knew they could initially support their demand with their small team of experienced designers.
CRT has built a reputation for being a marketing-led, sales-driven business with a renowned customer service ethos, and it is this professionalism and dedication to the client, which makes them the perfect fit within DTE and the wider James Donaldson Group.
The Team
CRT are a team of 32 highly experienced individuals. The design team is made up of 6 people, 3 of whom have over 50 years’ experience between them. Dedicated to providing excellent customer service and high-quality product, the team talk to their customers most days.
Sue Mills, Site Manager at CRT, said, “We know the people we are dealing with, and we listen to them, we don’t hide behind emails.” It is this, alongside their responsiveness and technical support that makes CRT stand out against their competitors today.
Becoming Part of The James Donaldson Group
Since joining the James Donaldson Group back in November last year, CRT has been fully integrated into the JDS group of companies, and there has been a significant and ongoing investment of around £150K in equipment for the Gamlingay production factory. The investment has been made to increase output and efficiency in production and has resulted in new trollies, a mini-jig and a crane being installed to aid the lifting of trusses.
Sue Mills commented on the acquisition, “We have adopted the Donaldson core values and are working hard to meet and exceed these every day. The support we’ve had from the group has been a real bonus for us all, and I now feel like I have an extended team of colleagues I can turn to for advice and support.”
Looking Ahead to the Future:
There’s already plans to further expand the factory in Gamlingay, with plans in place to install additional presses to increase capacity and efficiencies. Karol Radziejowski has recently joined the team from DTE’s Ilkeston branch as an Assistant General Manager at CRT, to further develop some of CRT’s key customers to expand into regions they are not currently supplying.