In 1925, Arnold Laver began negotiations to purchase a much larger site on Bramall Lane, Sheffield. Billy Walker remembers his thoughts on first seeing the new site: "...I gazed at this vast empty space and wondered how we were ever going to fill it". But they soon did and in 1927 the new Olympic Sawmills were up and running.

By 1932, AV Aston of Sheffield had been acquired, and a new yard opened in Chesterfield.

A new office and yard was opened in Hull in 1934, and a garage opened in Sheffield in 1938.

1939 saw Arnold Laver move into Bradford with the purchase of James Rhodes & Co Ltd.

The War Years
After war was declared in 1939, some of the very first bombs to fall in Yorkshire landed on the James Rhodes premises in Bradford!

Arnold Laver storage sheds on the docks in Hull were burned to the ground.

The entire Bramall Lane premises were destroyed during the 1940 Sheffield Blitz.

With restrictions of the import of timber, and inherent difficulties getting timber into Britain by ship because of the Battle of the Atlantic, Arnold Laver turned to home-grown timber, sourced from the Welbeck estate, and woods bought by the company at Embley Park, Killamarsh and Tanfield. 

Mr Arnold Laver said:

"You can bomb it, you can burn it, you can blow it up, but when you've done it's still land!"

Expansion in Yorkshire and beyond
With the post-war period of recovery, expansion into Leeds took place in 1956, and the Chesterfield yard moved premises. The 1950's also saw Arnold Laver move into the leisure industry with Bessacarr Caravans taken over (with the purchase of Sealand Caravan Park, Ingoldmells, Skegness following on in 1966). The 1960s saw further premises acquired in Hull and Bradford, and moves taking place in Leeds and Hull.

The DIY boom in the 1970s saw Arnold Laver move into the DIY retail sector, with DIY stores opening in Sheffield in 1973, Chesterfield in 1974 and Leeds in 1983. 

Arnold Laver Bradford moved to its current home at Manningham Sawmills in 1974, with new offices and mill extensions built on the site in 1986.

Tragedy struck in 1984 when Zetland Mill in Bradford, purchased by Arnold Laver in 1969, was badly damaged by fire, but more businesses were purchased and absorbed into the Arnold Laver Group during the mid 1980s. 

The 1990s saw improvements and renovation of the Sheffield and Hull depots, and expansion of the leisure business in Ingoldmells. Arnold Laver also opened depots in Birmingham and Kidderminster in 1995.

The football connection
Arnold Laver were the main sponsor of Sheffield United from 1985 to 1995, and Mr Arnold Laver was Director of the club for 30 years.

The South Stand at Sheffield United's Bramall Lane was known as the Arnold Laver Stand for many years, and as well as advertising at Bramall Lane, Arnold Laver advertising hoardings could also be seen pitchside at Hull's Boothferry Park.

The Laver family
Although Mr Arnold Laver passed away in 1971, the Laver family have continued to keep the traditional values that he instilled. Alan Laver took over the running of the business from his father and now the third generation of the family, David Laver and Andrew Laver, all help to keep the business growing. 

The Timber Trade Journal (TTJ) once said of the company "...it has a comforting old fashioned commitment to customer service" There is no doubt that these essential family values have helped to build Arnold Laver into the company that it is today - one of the leading Independent timber merchants in the UK."

Arnold Laver in the 21st Century
Now with many major sites across the UK, including Rainham in Essex that was built to supply the London 2012 Olympic sites with timber, and branches in Greater Manchester and the North East, Arnold Laver is known and respected nationally as a company representing quality and choice.

Andrew Laver stated to the TTJ:

“In the past we were known as a northern business, but that has changed significantly. The (London 2012) Olympics was a key moment for us in emphasising our strength and raising our profile in the south – we were on the timber supply panel and provided 50% of wood products on the London Games site (including the track for the Olympic Velodrome)."

Historically, Arnold Laver retailed to the general public as well as trade through our DIY and Call Collect stores, but in 2012 the company also entered the ecommerce arena, launching Laver Online, enabling the general public to purchase products from us online.

The firm is a member of the Timber Trade Federation, TRADA,Wood for Good. and the Grown In Britain initiative.