About Plywood ETC
Plywood ETC was established to meet the practical and growing demands of today’s construction, manufacturing, and trade sectors. The business was founded by industry professionals with a lifetime of experience in the timber and sheet materials market, bringing together deep product knowledge, operational understanding, and a clear focus on serving trade and commercial customers properly.
Over many years working within the timber supply chain, the founders of Plywood ETC identified a significant and ongoing shift in the market. Traditional timber merchants and builders’ merchants, once known for offering extensive ranges of sheet materials, had increasingly reduced their stockholding. Specialist boards were removed, ranges were simplified, and choice for customers declined. While this approach may have suited a more retail-focused model, it left many tradespeople, manufacturers, and businesses struggling to source the materials they relied on.
For joiners, builders, shopfitters, fabricators, contractors, and manufacturers, the reduction in available sheet materials created real challenges. Limited stock options, inconsistent supply, longer lead times, and a lack of specialist knowledge became common issues. Plywood ETC was created specifically to address these problems by returning to a specialist, trade-focused approach.
The core purpose of Plywood ETC is to operate as a dedicated supplier of sheet materials, offering a wide range, reliable availability, and practical services that support how businesses actually operate. Rather than treating sheet materials as a secondary product category, they are central to everything we do.
A Specialist in Sheet Materials
Plywood ETC focuses on sheet materials as a core discipline. This specialist approach allows us to stock a broader, more carefully selected range while maintaining the technical knowledge required to support professional users.
Our product range includes plywood, MDF, OSB, chipboard, pinboard, and a wide variety of other sheet materials suitable for construction, joinery, manufacturing, and interior fit-out. We stock multiple thicknesses, grades, and formats to ensure customers can source materials that meet both structural and aesthetic requirements.
By concentrating on sheet materials rather than general timber, we are able to maintain consistent quality standards and respond quickly to changes in demand. This focus also allows us to work closely with suppliers to ensure continuity of supply and reliable specifications, reducing risk for our customers.
Trade and Business Focused Supply
Plywood ETC is designed to support trade, commercial, and industrial customers. Our customer base includes builders, carpenters, joiners, furniture manufacturers, shopfitters, contractors, property developers, maintenance companies, and a range of commercial organisations.
We understand that professional users operate under time pressures, budget constraints, and strict project schedules. Materials need to be available when required, cut accurately, and supplied in a format that reduces handling and labour on site or in the workshop. Delays, inaccuracies, or inconsistent quality can have significant cost implications.
Our operations are structured around reliability, accuracy, and efficiency. We aim to make sourcing sheet materials straightforward, removing unnecessary complications and providing a dependable supply partner for businesses of all sizes.
Leicester Warehouse and Regional Strength
Plywood ETC operates from a warehouse based in Leicester, strategically located at the heart of the East Midlands. This central position allows us to serve local customers efficiently while also supporting nationwide distribution.
From our Leicester warehouse, we supply tradespeople and businesses across the city and surrounding areas, as well as customers throughout the East Midlands. In addition, we supply sheet materials nationally, supporting customers with multi-site operations or projects outside the region.
Our warehouse is stocked to accommodate both small trade purchases and large-scale commercial orders. This flexibility allows us to serve a broad range of customers, from independent trades to established manufacturing and construction businesses.
Cutting Facilities and Added Value Services
A key part of Plywood ETC’s offering is our on-site cutting capability. We recognise that full-size sheets are not always practical or necessary. Transport limitations, workshop space, and on-site handling requirements mean that many customers benefit from smaller, more manageable sheet sizes.
We offer handy-sized sheets for sale, making quality materials accessible to a wider range of trades and businesses. This service is particularly useful for smaller workshops, mobile trades, and customers looking to reduce waste and handling time.
For larger orders, we provide bespoke cut-to-size services on almost any sheet material, particularly for bulk quantities. This service supports manufacturers, joiners, shopfitters, and contractors who require consistent, repeatable panel sizes. By supplying materials cut to specification, we help customers reduce labour costs, improve efficiency, and maintain consistent output.
Supporting Efficiency Across the Supply Chain
Plywood ETC aims to be more than a supplier. We see ourselves as a practical partner within our customers’ supply chains. Our service is built around understanding how materials are used in real-world environments and adapting our offering accordingly.
We focus on maintaining reliable stock levels across core product lines, providing clear and accurate product information, and offering flexible order quantities. Whether customers require a small number of sheets or a large bulk order, we aim to deliver the same level of service and attention to detail.
Clear communication and knowledgeable support are central to our approach. Our experience within the industry allows us to offer practical advice and guidance, helping customers select the right materials for their applications.
Local Relationships, National Capability
While Plywood ETC has strong local roots in Leicester and the East Midlands, the business was built with a national outlook. Many of our customers operate across multiple regions or require materials delivered to sites throughout the UK.
Our logistics capabilities allow us to support these requirements without compromising service quality. This balance of local expertise and national reach enables us to build long-term relationships with customers who value consistency and reliability.
Built on Experience and Industry Knowledge
The foundation of Plywood ETC is decades of experience in the timber and sheet materials industry. This experience informs our product selection, sourcing decisions, and service design. It allows us to anticipate customer needs and respond quickly to changing market conditions.
As construction methods evolve and customer expectations increase, Plywood ETC continues to adapt. We regularly review our product range and services to ensure they remain relevant and aligned with the needs of trade and commercial users.
Our Commitment
Plywood ETC is committed to supplying quality sheet materials supported by reliable service. We focus on availability, accuracy, and practical support, aiming to make the sourcing of sheet materials efficient and dependable.
By combining specialist knowledge, strategic stockholding, and value-added services such as cutting and bespoke sizing, Plywood ETC aims to be the preferred sheet materials supplier for trade and business customers in Leicester, the East Midlands, and across the UK.