About Fuelwood

Fuelwood: From Humble Beginnings to a Global Forestry and Firewood Powerhouse

 

Fuelwood (Warwick) Ltd has come a long way since its founding in 1996. What started as a passionate commitment to supporting firewood and timber conversion has grown into a globally recognised name in forestry machinery. Today, with a talented team of 30 dedicated staff, an impressive 30-acre working woodland site, and a reputation that spans the world, Fuelwood is stronger than ever.

 

Richard Slatem, our founder and Chairman, has been a driving force in the forestry and arboriculture industry for more than three decades. Known for his passion, dedication and vision, Richard helped shape the kindling and firewood machinery sector into what it is today. His name is recognised across the industry, and his contribution will always be remembered.

 

From his early days as a mechanical engineering apprentice, Richard had a clear love for building quality, innovative machinery. That passion grew into Fuelwood — a business that started with a big idea and has since grown into a leading UK supplier, reaching customers worldwide through a trusted distributor network.

 

Richard always said:

“British engineering has always been world-class. My aim was to harness that expertise to create innovative products for forestry, arboriculture and woodland management.”

That vision became reality with the launch of the Kindlet, Splitta and Transaw ranges, now staples of the industry thanks to their productivity, reliability and ease of use. Richard also brought some of Europe’s finest forestry machinery into the UK, giving Fuelwood customers access to even more solutions.

 

But Fuelwood’s story isn’t Richard’s alone. His wife, Jennifer Slatem, has been a huge part of the journey. Her support and commitment helped turn vision into reality, guiding the company as it grew stronger year by year.

Fuelwood has also become a true family business. Richard and Jennifer’s son Jeremy now leads as Managing Director, while their other son Peter plays a vital role as Production Manager — ensuring the same values of innovation, quality and customer care continue to drive the company forward.

 

Together with the whole team of 28 talented staff, the family has built Fuelwood into a name recognised worldwide. And as we reflect on how far we’ve come, we’re excited about the future — carrying Richard and Jennifer’s legacy into the next generation with even bigger plans still to come.