Our Company

The company’s origins date to 1812, when Napoleon’s blockade cut Britain off from Swedish timber. The Admiralty sent William Price to Canada to find new supplies; he succeeded and stayed to build a major timber business later passed to his sons.

One of the sons, Mr. Edward Price was sent back to England in the 1860s to establish a UK office and in 1869 formed a timber agency partnership with Mr. John Pierce of Liverpool. The partnership expanded considerably in the next half century, forming relationships with most of the main companies in wood producing countries.

A key milestone in their growth, Price & Pierce formally launched their public offering on the London Stock Exchange in 1905, officially transitioning into a public limited company and opening up investment opportunities to the public.

By 1965, Price & Pierce had grown into a major international enterprise, employing more than 2,000 people and operating offices in over 10 countries. The company had also diversified well beyond its origins, expanding into pulp trading, shipping and marine insurance, and even establishing its own travel business to support its increasingly global operations.

At the turn of the century, a  major shift in ownership occurred through a  management buyout. It  included all aspects of the company’s timber operations and transferred control to the existing leadership team.

Expanding their market capabilities, Price & Pierce strategically acquired Eric Matthews Limited, an agent and distributor with a longstanding reputation for expertise in panel products, including a strong focus on importing chipboard.

International Forest Products (IFP), a subsidiary of the Kraft Paper Group, successfully completed the purchase of Price & Pierce Forest Products Ltd.

Today, we continue to operate as a specialist importer and distributor of timber and panel products.