James Latham first imported timber into the UK in 1757 and are one of the UK’s largest independent trade distributors of timber, panels, and decorative surfaces. We are a successful, profitable, and well-structured business that remains majority family-owned and holds strong environmental credentials. You can find out more about our business here and our core values here. You can also view our Annual Report and Accounts here.
We regularly win awards for our work. From organisations such as the Timber Trades Journal to the British Woodworking Federation and beyond, our people, products and operations have won multiple awards in categories such as Product Design, Process Innovation and Career Development.
Our recent employee survey engagement score was 75% with 86% of respondents agreeing that James Latham is a great place to work. One employee wrote: “For me there has been great opportunity for growth and progression throughout the years, along with a strong family ethic. James Latham has been a great place to work."
We offer competitive salaries and a range of other great benefits for successful candidates. See ‘A Great Place to Work’ below. With depots and offices around the UK and Ireland we are always on the lookout for talented people. In the employee testimonials below, you can read about the personal experiences of some of our team.
Diversity is important to us, and we encourage applications from all sectors of society. We believe that to continually innovate we need to consider challenges from different viewpoints – which is only truly possible if our team has a varied history.
Register your CV with us and a member of our HR team will contact you when a vacancy suiting your skills and experience becomes available.
Upload CVJames Latham aims to offer every member of the team a competitive salary, a range of benefits and a great future.
We value our employees and provide excellent benefits to reward them. In addition, we offer modern workspaces and well maintained, up-to-date equipment. We have a strong company ethos based around our key values of empowerment, sustainability and integrity, along with customer focus and shareholder value. We have a long-term strategy, financial stability, strong environmental credentials, an excellent health and safety record and an exceptional reputation in our industry. We also run surveys to give all employees an opportunity to provide feedback on various topics and thereby further contribute to our success.
Annual leave
Our employees benefit from a generous annual leave allocation, with the possibility of purchasing additional days.
Pay and bonuses
We review salaries each year and all employees receive at least the Living Wage.
We have a number of bonus schemes in operation rewarding both service and performance.
Other financial aspects
As well as competitive pay and a good working environment, we have an enhanced pensions offering and employees have opportunities to purchase shares in our business.
Career progression & development opportunities
We promote internally wherever possible.
Annual appraisal is a key aspect of employee development as it is an opportunity to discuss what’s gone well and what could be even better.
The Latham’s Academy is currently under development but will add structure to our existing learning activities and ensure everyone is encouraged to meet their potential.
Health and wellbeing
The health and wellbeing of our employees is a key concern to us and we offer all employees access to an Employee Assistance Plan which includes a 24/7 helpline.
There is also an option to join our Health Cash Plan, funded by the business, to reclaim costs for everyday healthcare needs as well as access to 24/7 GP advice, video physiotherapy assessments and access to a range of discounts including family days out and gym memberships.
Ethics, team spirit and community
One of our key values is Integrity and this leads us to support a number of charities, some of which are voted for by our employees.
With employees around the country, it’s important for us to communicate well and build our team spirit. To this end we have an intranet and our internal newsletter, ‘1757’. The newsletter was named in an employee competition, with 1757 being our founding year it teamed well with our value of sustainability.
I have been at Lathams for just over a year now. I am really enjoying my time here. The team are passionate, well-motivated and friendly. Lathams have already given me some fantastic opportunities to progress my career and have showed outstanding support.
It was a big change to my previous role as a sales manager within a retail store to then working within the timber industry. However, the company and team made the transition easy and stress free. I am currently working on my level 2 qualification in wood science. This will improve my knowledge and enable me to provide an improved service to our customers.
Lathams is a family-owned company, and you can really see that within the culture of the business as you feel well looked after. I am excited to see my journey progress with Lathams and would highly recommend them as a company to work for
I started working for James Latham Purfleet branch in September 2021. Coming from a timber sales and marketing background, I wanted a challenge and progression for my career and make my forever home in my place of work.
Within the nearly 12 months I have been working here, I have grabbed my main role as Sales Executive with both hands as well as becoming Marketing Executive for the depot and I am also Purfleet’s Carbon Influencer. I also take on the role of proactive sales – contacting prospective and dormant customers, promoting the Latham ethos and the products and services we can offer.
My experience with Lathams is nothing but positive. When I first started at Lathams Purfleet, I informed my managers that I wanted challenges and progression. My colleagues have seen this, and I have been given amazing opportunities to progress. Opportunities are handed to you if you are willing and wanting to achieve, Lathams will help you flourish and never hold you back.
James Latham is not a company where managers hide away and sit in their offices at the top, everyone mucks in and works from the bottom to push up to achieve all our goals and progress as a team. I work with the best team I have ever worked with. We have a good work ethic and good morale; we help each other out but also have fun while working. Managers are always there to listen, and support is always offered whether it be work related or personal.
I really relish working for James Latham and am very proud to be a part of the team and everything James Latham stands for.
I started my career with James Latham in the shipping department at LDT having previously come from the recruitment industry. The role then evolved into becoming a Co-ordinator for the Supply Chain Team for the whole company, where I have a dual role within the team working on both timber and panels supporting both managers.
I have been given many opportunities to grow my career during my time at James Latham, including visits to timber mills, Management courses and I am currently one of this year’s candidates on the Wood Science course. Within my role I also do the buying from the Far East and help purchase on European and Birch which has allowed me to build a close relationship with suppliers.
James Latham encourages employees to develop and grow in their roles and within the company with a lot of mentoring and training.
I joined Lathams in June 2017 from a retail/catering background, this was as an Admin Assistant, over the past 5 years, I have taken on several different roles, including ISO/COC depot champion, goods inwards control, general sales and most recently Timber Milling sales.
I have always been very career driven, and with Latham’s support, I have achieved both Level 2 and Level 4 qualifications in Timber and Panel products, after joining the business as a novice, this really widened my knowledge of the Timber industry, as well as working alongside a very experienced and helpful team.
I have also visited one of our suppliers in Italy and toured a live Timber Mill which was a great experience to see where it all begins!
In September 2021, I attended the TTJ awards after being shortlisted for the Career Development category, I was very proud to go on and win this award, it was great to be recognised by Lathams and the Timber Trade Federation for my hard work and dedication, and to know my work was making a positive difference to the companies’ ways of working.
I genuinely enjoy working with Timber and at Lathams because no 2 days are the same!
I feel without the opportunities Lathams have given me, I wouldn’t be where I am today, in a job I love, working alongside an amazing and supportive team, I’m excited to see what the future will hold for me long term within the company.
I have worked for James Latham for near enough half of my life. I love working for Lathams, the company has given me opportunities to grow as a person and in my working life. I started as a admin clerk and quite quickly was given the chance to move into sales to further my career.
I now work at the James Latham Purfleet, hardwood division, looking after one of the branches highest turned over products groups and also now look after our customers based in the Essex & London area, I haven’t looked back.
I’ve been working with James Latham for 6 years now, in different Operational roles. There is a lot to cover on operational side of the company: transport, warehouse, H&S, goods in, customer collections and many more. It is a great place where you can develop, challenge yourself and deliver.
By the integration you really can feel as a part of the team taking yourself and company forward. You can grow within and together with the company. At James Latham your good ideas are seriously considered and if they are really good, implemented in place.
This is a place where Chairman will have a chat with you if he is passing nearby. This is a place with different approach than other companies, which you will appreciate on many occasions. This is a place where you want to stay and work. I’ve been working with James Latham for 6 years now and many more to come!
My current role as National Timber Sales development manager is not the only role I have had within the business. Since starting in the yard in 1997 I have worked as a sales representative, sales manager, timber manager, site manager and depot director.
One of the things that enables me to do my current role is the varied experience I have within the company. I have seen, and played a part, in the evolution of the company from an old-fashioned timber importer to an industry leading PLC and have been successful in a wide range of roles. I like to think I understand the DNA of the business; how an employee should behave and what representing the company means, professionally and socially.
Lathams maintains its core family principles, whilst also now having a lot of the benefits of a PLC company, alongside the desire to invest in staff and encourage and reward individuals to make decisions and take responsibility for themselves. Hard work and diligence are valued and respected, and there is always investment in training and personal development. Relationship is probably the core word. Lathams encourage, and demand, strong relationships to be developed whether that be between employer and employee, salesperson and customer, buyer and supplier or just person to person.
As an importer of timber and timber-based products James Latham understand the environmental aspect of timber procurement and responsible supply chain management. I have been fortunate to travel extensively with the business and learn about our supply chain first hand. Again, the company have the desire to invest in making sure sales and procurement staff fully understand our supply chains and the importance of ethical, sustainable, and responsible procurement.
Personally, I enjoy working for a modern, forward thinking business with core family values.
I joined Lathams March 2019 during a very difficult time for the industry, as well as the business, with huge uncertainty in the market due to a global pandemic. Within the first couple of months working for James Latham, I knew I had made the right career choice for myself. In my role as a Sales Executive I have been given numerous opportunities as well as being a product champion.
James Latham has given me the opportunity not only to succeed but given me the tools and responsibilities, as well as the adequate training, to be a success. Management will always have an open discussion with yourself about progression and how you can achieve the following goals.
The team at Latham has multi-diverse staff with amazing personalities making it a pleasurable place to work. I can honestly say this is one of best atmosphere to work in with everyone not only being helpful, but all aligned with the same goals.
I am proud of the company I work for and the ethics it stands for. Would I recommend James Latham? OF COURSE, I WOULD.
I joined James Latham in July 2021 as an administrator based within the Scotland depot. I settled into the business very quickly as I have been lucky enough to work with a friendly and approachable team and supportive management who actively encourage me and take my opinions and thoughts on board.
I am responsible for all administration tasks in relation to the office environment and assist my colleagues in sales and operations. This is a very busy varied role and no two days are ever the same which is great. I have enjoyed working with James Latham so far and my time here has flown by. It is refreshing to be part of such a rewarding company with great benefits and I have always felt appreciated for the work I do.
I would recommend the business to anyone considering a potential career with Lathams. I look forward to the challenges that lie ahead for me going forward in my career with Lathams.
I have worked in the trade for 32 years, joined JL 6 years ago as a Sales Executive and progressed to Sales Manager after 18 months.
What I like about working at Lathams is if you are hardworking you will progress with more responsibility with training. Lathams have some of the best supply chain deals in the industry which means you can trade with customer with confidence that you are supplying good products. There are various Share Scheme options available to staff which is a good long-term reward for your efforts.
I feel passionate about positions that challenge me and stretch me into different areas. At James Latham, I have been able to achieve this.
James Latham is one of the UK’s largest independent distributor of timber, panels and decorative surfaces.
The company has seen my potential and encouraged me to develop it, by increasing my responsibilities and encouraging me to take on my own tasks and projects with management support.
I joined Lathams in 2013 straight from College and began working in the warehouse at Leeds as an apprentice. During my apprenticeship I covered the ATP, timber, panels and laminates departments before moving on to work in the trade counter.
Whilst I was in the trade counter I then also learnt the goods in role and looked after the transport for our national vehicles. After 6 years in the counter I recently moved up to join the Leeds panels sales team for the next stage of my journey!
I would recommend anyone young to pursue a career at Lathams due to the endless possibilities of achieving promotion and climbing up the Lathams tree.
We aim to keep our recruitment process as simple as possible, whilst ensuring we recruit highly talented people to join our team. After your application is submitted, it will be viewed by the recruiting manager, and possibly another manager, to confirm whether you meet the key requirements of the role. If you do, you will be invited to a first interview which could be either in person or by video. We feel it is important for candidates to visit their potential workplace, so all second interviews will take place on site.
In some cases, you may be asked to complete a video screening. This would mean you are asked to record yourself answering a small number of questions. If you’re asked to do this you’ll just need to click on a link in an email and follow the instructions – no need for any special equipment.
We value the contribution of everyone in our team and we recognise that creative solutions are often found by people sharing different perspectives. We therefore welcome applicants from all walks of life and all our people decisions – whether related to recruitment, promotion or pay – are based on merit.
Should you require any adjustments to our usual recruitment process, please discuss this with the recruiting manager and they’ll certainly accommodate where possible.