Fred Ledeboer

Background

About Fred Ledeboer

Having grown up in the heart of Gloucestershire, I’ve been engaged in the timber industry from a young age - I began working at the local sawmill next door as soon as I was old enough to work. I used my industry experience and personal drive to establish Fredwood Forestry in 2003, a company specialising in firewood timber trading, tree surgery, tree planting and general estate woodland management. Running a business - which at its height generated annual revenues exceeding £2 million and gross margins of 22%- and managing up to 10 contractors at any one time brought with it a plethora of skills gained; from managerial and interpersonal skills, to spotting global trends to facilitate the import and export of timber products. I took a career break from the business once it was in a stable enough position for me to hire a manager; this was so that I could gain invaluable experience working for UPM. My five years spent there as an Area Harvesting Manager allowed me to use my existing knowledge and experience to manage large scale forestry operations across multiple sites, to manage multiple harvesting teams and team members, and to ensure that we delivered on all operational and financial targets. The time spent with this company meant that I could return to Fredwood Forestry with the momentum and the insight to put new operational measures in place in order to further grow the business, and to begin to reposition ourselves within the timber market. The staggering rise in costs in 2022 and a haulage crisis due to the ongoing effects of Covid came at a crucial time for the business; we were in a position of rapid growth, when - having committed to ongoing projects at prices that were suddenly too low - we were forced to absorb too many unforeseen costs. This unfortunately eventually led to Fredwood Forestry’s closure in 2023. Twenty years in business means that I am ready to step into a new challenge with a huge amount of experience already behind me. It has allowed me to develop a vast professional network of customer and supplier contacts, build an extensive and prestigious client base, and learn how to navigate global laws and documentation pertaining to the movement of timber products. Having established profitable import/export markets in Asia and Europe, it means that my skills are transferable to any corner of the world. I'm seeking employment in an entirely new territory; this is because I am looking to broaden my horizons, to find a new challenge in another part of the world, and to find a new market in which to showcase my skills.