ARBOR FOREST PRODUCTS, a leading independent timber importer and processor, has launched Wood & Slumber — investing over £2 million in cutting-edge baling and packaging technology to create a premium brand softwood small flake equine bedding. The bedding, which is produced from sustainably sourced pine and spruce timber, is processed in Arbor’s state-of-the-art sawmill operations located within their 90-acre site in New Holland, Lincolnshire.
Wood & Slumber offers a superior softwood small flake shaving made entirely from sterile, kiln dried, 100% sustainable wood, a by-product of Arbor’s core timber processing operations. Wood & Slumber is available exclusively through stockists nationwide, helping to support local retailers and specialist equine outlets.
Phil Yell, operations director at Arbor Forest Products said: “At Arbor, we’re committed to making the very best use of every part of the timber we process. Wood & Slumber is a natural extension of that ethos — turning what was once processed and packed by others into a valuable premium product carrying Arbor’s own branding.
“We’ve invested in the technology and the processing infrastructure to produce a top-of-the-range product, and we’re proud to offer an equine bedding solution that’s clean, consistent, and completely sustainable. It reflects everything we stand for as an innovative business — quality, integrity, and a drive to continue to improve the quality and reduce waste across everything we do.”
The £2 million of investment in cutting-edge baling and packaging technology from Willems only goes to underline Arbor’s zero-waste philosophy. The product is processed on-site using the latest sieving and dust extraction systems to ensure a consistently high quality dust-extracted product. It also meets all the latest and stringent hygiene, safety and environmental standards.
Arbor is currently working toward a BETA / NOPS accreditation further demonstrating to the equine industry Arbor’s commitment to excellence through its quality protocols, sourcing provenance and traceability.
The launch represents a strategic step for Arbor to move closer to the end customer, generating demand directly through equine markets and supporting the growth of retail distribution via country stores nationwide. Arbor currently produces upward of 15,000 tonnes of wood shavings each year: the equivalent of around 750,000 bales. Wood & Slumber represents a multi-million-pound increase in value to Arbor of this valuable by-product.
See page 32 of our August/September 2025 issue on our Back Issues page.
