Cohesive and concerted

A visit to Weinig’s factory in Tauberbischofsheim always leaves a big impression. You feel the German wood-processing machinery maker does modern manufacturing the way it should be done. In the bright, shiny showroom latest moulders switch from one complex profile to the next in the blink of an eye, while an all-singing, all-dancing window-making centre does everything bar cook the operator’s dinner, and that’s probably not far off. Meanwhile, in the factory itself, dozens of machines move inexorably down long, mobile production lines ever closer to completion and despatch, with their labels showing their destinations ranging from Mexico to Malaysia.

But on my latest visit to the plant, something else impressed – what sales vice-president Peter Lohmeyer said about Weinig’s view of its place in the wider German wood machinery industry. When it’s competing for a client with a German rival, it will, naturally enough, go to battle. But at an international exhibition or overseas trade mission, it will line up with fellow manufacturers under the auspices of the wood machine section of the powerful German engineering association, the VDMA, and put on a united front.

“It’s definitely in our interest to be recognised as part of a wider industry that’s modern, forward-looking and quality oriented,” he said. “That way, being seen as a German wood machinery manufacturer gives us an advantage before we even introduce ourselves as Weinig.”

Which brings us on to Timber Expo. Now just two months away, the UK timber industry’s first dedicated exhibition in years is billing itself as an opportunity for it to present itself to key markets, end users and specifiers as a cohesive sector providing modern, high performance manufacturing and construction solutions and service.

Besides bringing together, it is hoped, 100-plus timber businesses under one roof, the show is also drawing together different industry events in one, further highlighting its solidarity. TRADA’s In Touch with Timber conference will be held at the same venue, Coventry’s Ricoh Arena, at the same time. That way the architects, engineers and other construction professionals who attend, can also take in the exhibition and see some of the cutting-edge products highlighted in presentations.

The Wood Awards presentations will also be held at the Arena on the first night of the show, September 27. A concern about this event in the past was that, while it was well attended by representatives of the winning and shortlisted timber-based construction and furniture projects, the architects, engineers, craftspeople, designers and clients, representation from the timber trade, which ultimately supplied the materials, was not what it might have been. But this year there’s an open invitation for Timber Expo exhibitors and timber trade visitors to migrate to the presentations ceremony to see for themselves the PR-value for wood of the Awards entries – of which there were a record 348 this year.

The revived Wood for Good generic timber promotion campaign will also be a prominent presence at the show, holding up the exciting possibility of UK timber plc being able to mount an ongoing, concerted three-pronged marketing push, combining exhibition, awards event and advertising and PR campaign. This prospect, among wider timber marketing and promotion issues, was discussed and welcomed by participants at our recent Timber Expo-sponsored TTJ Round Table Discussion, the only proviso being, of course, that to succeed, it needs the broad mass of the industry to get behind it.