B&Q Dropped Metsä Wood in February. This Ledger Is Only Logging the 120 Jobs Now.
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
In short. Metsa Wood UK, a timber products manufacturer at Boston, Lincolnshire, announced on 10 February 2026 that its long-running trading relationship with B&Q was ending after a tender review, and opened collective consultation expecting to lose around 120 jobs [1]. This ledger did not log it at the time. The row is added now, backdated to the announcement, graded ANNOUNCED, region East Midlands, ai_cited: no.
The announcement. Metsa Wood UK, part of Finland's Metsa Group, makes timber products at two English sites: Boston, where it employs around 250 people, and King's Lynn, which is not affected [2]. On 10 February 2026 the company confirmed that its trading relationship with B&Q, a customer of many years, would end following a competitive tender process, and that it was opening collective consultation with staff [1]. Managing director James Davenport said: "Our immediate priority is our people, and we are fully committed to supporting colleagues through this change while continuing to operate responsibly within the Boston community" [1]. B&Q's own statement described "a recent review and tender of our timber supply base" that led it to "move away from Metsa Wood UK" [1]. The trading relationship was set to wind down through the second quarter of 2026.
How the ledger logs it, and why it is seven months late
A loss of 120, graded ANNOUNCED, dated to the 10 February announcement, published on this ledger today. Local reporting from Boston's own press, carrying the managing director's on-record statement, puts the anticipated job loss at around 120 [1]. Wider trade coverage at the time described a broader review affecting "as many as 140" of the roughly 250 Boston roles, before the narrower consultation figure was set [2]. This ledger logs the more specific, on-the-record company figure of 120 rather than the wider initial review range, on the same principle applied to Forteq UK's Huddersfield closure: where a range exists, log the figure the company itself put on the record, not the upper bound of an earlier estimate. No concluded, final headcount has surfaced since; a 17 September 2026 trade retrospective still frames the plan at up to 140 positions with nothing more specific behind its paywall [3]. A separate Metsa Group announcement of around 100 job cuts in June 2026 concerns the company's Finnish and Estonian operations and has no bearing on Boston [3].
Why this matters beyond one row: a reconciled ledger is only as good as what gets caught at the time. This one was missed in February, surfaced as a live lead in this week's briefing research, and is logged now with the announcement date preserved rather than backdated silently into an old digest. No AI or automation attribution appears anywhere in the coverage found; ai_cited is logged as no.
What happens next in this ledger
Boston's roughly 250-strong workforce and the King's Lynn site's continued operation are both worth checking again once a concluded, final consultation figure exists, whether that lands at 120, closer to the original 140, or somewhere else. If a later filing or local report gives a final number, this row is corrected and the correction logged, in either direction.
Sources
- Boston Vibe, "Metsa Wood UK Limited Announces Conclusion of Trading Relationship with B&Q," 10 February 2026. https://bostonvibe.co.uk/2026/02/10/metsa-wood-uk-limited-announces-conclusion-of-trading-relationship-with-bq/
- Forestry Journal, "Metsa Wood set to scale down UK operations at Boston site." https://www.forestryjournal.co.uk/news/25862568.metsa-wood-set-scale-uk-operations-boston-site/
- Global Wood Markets Info, "Metsa Wood to reset UK strategy after customer shake-up and job cuts," 17 September 2026. https://www.globalwoodmarketsinfo.com/metsa-wood-to-reset-uk-strategy-after-customer-shake-up-and-job-cuts/