Their operations expanded initially to supply the timber needs of the North Island Main Trunk railway as it was extended south.

Ellis & Burnand's cutting sites were linked to their sawmills by bush tramways, one of which forms the southern end of the Timber Trail cycleway, opened in 2013.

Ellis's first venture into timber milling seems to have started at Ōrākau, near Kihikihi (where he ran a store) in 1884,[3] though the sources differ on several dates in this period, some saying it wasn't until 1886.

[4] Though the mill had closed by then, the 1919 Railways Authorisation Bill included a, "branch line from Otorohanga, along right bank of the Waipa River, to the south boundary of Block VI, Mangaoronga survey district.

The Railway Atlas indicates the line was horse worked, served the Ellis and Burnand Mill, as well as the Rangitoto Colliery, and existed by 1921.

[24] Next year, in 1898, Ellis secured further timber rights over 30,163 acres (12,207 ha) at Rangitoto Tuhua, also known as Te Tiroa.

Expansion was also assisted by development the steam hauler, which replaced bullock teams and increased the area of millable bush that could be worked profitably.

[26] The Mangapehi site was about 30 km (19 mi) south of Te Kūiti on the newly-opened NIMT railway, near totara and rimu bush.

[25] Work started in 1902[29] and Mangapehi mill opened in 1903,[25][30] or 1904,[4] after lengthy construction, including 11 mi (18 km) of tramway.

That was represented by 4 King-country sawmills and a sash, door, and butter-box factory at Hamilton, the total capacity of the mills being about 1,500,000 ft (460,000 m) a month, employing 3 to 400 men.

[26] As Mangapehi was remote, the development costs included a public hall, social club, billiard rooms, bowling and croquet greens, tennis courts, football and cricket fields, a post office, a school, stores, medical services, ambulance, public library, a railway station and roads.

[4] Ellis & Burnand's profits benefitted from inflation from 1908 to 1924,[35] when royalties for timber were increased, with a new agreement signed in 1925.

[43] A tramway[44] and Grey St West were built to the works in 1904[45] and plans made for a drying kiln,[46] offices and workers housing.

[55][56] After extension of the railway to Taumarunui in 1903, the Waimarino (renamed Manunui)[57] to Ohotaka tramway was built,[58] with a 340 ft (100 m) bridge over the Whanganui River in 1905,[59] though it had only been put out to tender at the beginning of the year.

[4] Ellis & Burnand bought the Taumarunui Totara Co mill and started to replace it with a much larger one at Ongarue in 1913.

Ellis & Burnand began its first milling of plantation grown Pinus radiata near Te Aroha, at Herriesville and Waihou,[4] both on the former East Coast Main Trunk railway, from at least 1919[71] to 1923.

[73] Sawmills were established at Putaruru, producing in the aggregate, after they bought a block of pines at Lichfield and a 30 acres (12 ha) mill site in 1951.

[75][76] A 1964 advert listed sawn and dressed timbers, hardware, paints, wallboards, joinery, doors and plywood, under the slogan "E. & B's are a veritable Aladdin's treasure house".

Valder became managing director from 1908[30] until 1932, was chairman of the board from 1918 until 1942, and a long-time district representative and vice president (1917–26) on the Dominion Federated Sawmillers' Association.

[88] Houses, furniture and fittings made by the company remain, as do parts of their tramways, the Timber Trail being especially accessible.

[92] The Alexander Turnbull collection also has a 1920 image of the same locomotive by Albert Godber with the smokestack slightly modified.