TIMCON package to battle tough times
21 May 2013The timber packaging and pallet trade industry group is pushing ahead with a number of projects against a backdrop of depressed prices and low demand.
Delegates at the annual meeting of the Timber Packaging & Pallet Confederation (TIMCON) heard the organisation was working on two studies of its own industry and a number of collaborative projects with other timber-based businesses.
“Since our last agm demand for new pallets has dropped again, while in the construction sector in 2012, housing starts were down 11%.
These figures confirm that these are challenging times,” said TIMCON president John Dye.
He said the confederation was going ahead with projects, including a study into standards for the kiln drying of pallets and the ongoing Timbertrends survey, which now quantifies the UK timber packaging and pallet business on an annual basis.
The organisation is becoming increasingly involved in collaborations, notably the Timber Industry Accord and Grown in Britain project.
In Europe TIMCON is lobbying for an exemption of impending regulations to stop the spread of pests through pallets and packaging. The group believes movements of pallets and packaging in the UK would be no risk to Europe.
