News Archive
Archive of industry news from the global ttj industryNews By Date
May 2013
Top
Travis Perkins predicts improved volumes
Travis Perkins chief executive Geoff Cooper has reported a strengthening in forward market indicators, giving added confidence that its volumes will improve in the second half of 2013.
Grafton’s Irish merchanting division returns to growth
Grafton Group plc’s Irish merchanting business has recorded its first period of revenue growth since the first half of 2007.
RusForest sells two mills
RusForest has announced the sale of “non-core assets”, including two of its sawmills, for US$7m.
James Jones in BIM move
James Jones & Sons Ltd’s timber systems division has announced it is developing BIM-supporting software.
UKTFA rolls out tours
The UKTFA is rolling out a series of its RIBA accredited training course and factory tours across the UK.
Industry deserves EUTR congratulations
The UK timber industry should be “patting itself on the back” with what it has achieved with the EU Timber Regulation, Timber Trade Federation chief executive John White said last week, but warned more had to be done to prove timber’s green credentials.
Show of northern quality
Gill & Robinson (G&R) held an open day for leading importers at Shoreham Port this week in association with Krekula & Lauri (K&L), one of the northernmost sawmills in Sweden.
Keith Oates appointed forestry commissioner
Keith Oates has been appointed as a forestry commissioner for England.
TTJ Awards 2013 entry forms
The six TTJ Awards which are judged by independent panels are now open for entries.
TTJ Awards 2013 voting gets under way
TTJ Awards 2013 voting will be under way shortly. Companies qualifying to vote will be contacted by DUO Marketing Services over the next few weeks – either by mail or by telephone.
Global Timber Forum set for launch
The Global Timber Forum (GTF), a new international platform for discussing key industry issues, influencing decision makers worldwide and sharing best practice, launches next week in Rome.
Sonae records €16m Q1 losses
Sonae’s losses rose to €16m in the first quarter due to lower sales volumes caused by the closure of its Knowsley plant in the UK and Solsona in Spain, as well as a difficult economic environment impacting the furniture industry.
Obituary - Hon JME Bruce CBE
The Honourable JME Bruce, who was instrumental in creating Scottish Woodlands Ltd and who made a tremendous contribution to forestry, died on April 22. He was 85.
UPM uses new uprooting device
UPM says it has become the first user of a new uprooting method for the mechanical cleaning of sapling stands.
Softwood import values down £15m
The value of total UK sawn and planed softwood imports was £15m down (or 10.5%) in the first two months of 2013, according to the latest Timber Trade Federation (TTF) statistics.
Plevin secures 50-acre super-site
Wood recycling company R Plevin & Sons has secured a 50-acre “super-site” in Hazlehead, south Yorkshire which, it says, will be the UK’s largest waste wood recycling centre.
Obituary - Urbain Vandecasteele
Urbain Vandecasteele, founder of Belgian international importer Vandecasteele Houtimport, died on May 8, aged 88.
Ligna attracts 90,000 visitors
Initial estimates suggest more than 90,000 people attended last week's Ligna 2013 exhibition in Germany.
Malcolm Cowley elected TTBS president
Malcolm Cowley, of Coillte Panel Products, has been elected national president of the Timber Trades’ Benevolent Society (TTBS) at the society’s annual general meeting on May 9. He takes over from Dilwyn Howells, of Premier Forest Products, who has completed his two-year tenure.
Norbord launches “Better by Nature” campaign
Norbord has launched a new website and initiatives dedicated to campaigning “on wood issues that affect everyone”.
BMF welcomes support for apprenticeships
The Builders Merchants Federation (BMF) has welcomed the National Merchant Buying Society’s (NMBS) 50th anniversary pledge to bring at least 50 new apprentices into the industry.
ISD gets in the Flowline
Start-up business Integral Surface Designs (ISD) turned to Burkle for a key machine in its cabinet door manufacturing factory.
Travis Perkins to build new regional distribution centre
The Travis Perkins Group is investing in a new 700,000ft2 regional distribution centre in Warrington, Cheshire. This strategic investment will better enable the continued development of the Group’s market-leading multi-channel customer fulfilment, while improving product availability and reducing delivery lead times, the company said.
Cross-laminated timber first in Ottawa
In what is thought to be the first such commercial installation in the city of Ottawa, cross-laminated timber (CLT) is being used on a Playvalue Toys warehouse/retail facility.
Native timber law changes bring opposing views
The government in the Australian state of Victoria says changes to native timber harvesting laws will support industry, but anti-forestry campaigners say they are a backward step.
Wood-ni raises timber research funds
Funds raised by Northern Ireland’s timber marketing organisation Wood-ni are helping Queen’s University Belfast to conduct research into timber cassette flooring.
CPA predicts 2% fall in construction output in 2013
Construction output is set to fall by 2% in 2013, according to the latest forecasts by the Construction Products Association (CPA).
Accoya records sales growth and raises prices
The maker of Accoya modified wood has seen sales from its customers soar 45% in the year to March 31, 2013 and expects to finally break into profit during the current year.
Timber windows trump PVCu in new study
A new study commissioned by The Wood Window Alliance (WWA) confirms that all timber-based window frame materials, including aluminium-clad, are significantly more environmentally-friendly on every measure than PVCu.
Hales invests in Excalibur incising kit
Hales Sawmills has become the first timber business to use the new Excalibur incising technology.
Wood First Plus makes timber specification simpler
The first elements of a comprehensive new online database for construction professionals on timber’s technical performance and environmental characteristics will go live this month, a recent meeting of Wood for Good campaign supporters were told.
James Jones installs Vision Tilt kits
Twelve Söderhamn Eriksson Vision Tilt kits have been installed by Scottish sawmiller James Jones & Sons Ltd for its state-of-the-art Lockerbie 3 sawmill.
BMF’s green HQ signals new beginning
The opening of the Builders Merchants Federation’s new eco-friendly headquarters in Coventry sets the seal on major restructuring at the organisation and signals a new era of development, managing director John Newcomb told TTJ.
Bandsaw Beer cuts a deal for TTBS funds
A new “Bandsaw Beer” has been launched in Somerset to help provide a significant revenue stream for the Timber Trades’ Benevolent Society (TTBS).
Timber frame boss makes fabric first plea
Stewart Milne Timber Systems group managing director Alex Goodfellow has called on the government to pursue a “fabric first” path to deliver carbon efficiency in the UK’s new homes.
North American mill rally continues
While Nordic mills struggled in the first quarter, across the Atlantic in North America mills are recording their best performance for years thanks to a housing sector revival.
Norbord runs UK mills flat out
Norbord is continuing to run all its UK panel mills at full output after delivering another strong performance in the first quarter.
Indonesia may lift log export ban
Indonesian media reports suggest the country is considering ending its log export ban to encourage the development of plantations.
Klausner pursues legal action against state
Klausner is pursuing legal action for compensation from the state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), for not fulfilling log supply commitments.
SCA wins Wickes timber supply deal
SCA Timber Supply has won the contract to supply DIY chain Wickes with all of its timber and wood-based products.
SCA Timber reports sales fall in Q1
SCA Timber found going tough in the first quarter, with weak markets and a strong Swedish krona affecting its timber export business.
Strong krona dents Nordic mills’ Q1 results
The strong krona’s negative effects on Nordic sawmillers has been demonstrated in a set of poor first quarter results.
PDS introduces Accoya to range
Performance Doorset Solutions (PDS) has started offering customers the option of product manufactured from Accoya modified wood.
Malaysian VPA hoped by end of year
A Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) to ensure legal timber exports from Malaysia to the EU is hoped to be concluded by the end of 2013, according to news agency Bernama.
April 2013
Top
Timber merchant boss disqualified for tax avoidance
A timber merchant boss has been disqualified from being a director for 10 years after dodging VAT to the tune of £451,433.
Improved efficiency becomes reality for Urban Myth
London-based kitchen maker Urban Myth has equipped its factory with new Homag panel processing technology.
Door manufacturer takes Control of sizing
Doorset manufacturer Bespoke Complete Services has turned to Swiss-made Striebig vertical panel saw technology to size its range of door blanks.
Timber processors and customers enthused about Grown in Britain
Sawmillers, wood product manufacturers and customers gathered in London last Friday to hear about the new Grown in Britain timber industry action plan.
Irish sawmillers Graingers and Palfab announce merger
Two of Ireland’s leading timber processors, Grainger Group and Palfab Group, have merged.
SCA graduates in Swedish trip
Winners of last year’s TTJ Career Development Award joined builders merchant and joinery company graduates in a trip to see SCA Timber Supply’s Swedish forests and mills in April.
Public pressure leads to new timber footbridge design
Public pressure has resulted in plans for a concrete footbridge in Woking being remodelled to include timber in the design.
UK joinery sector urges government to “wake up” on VAT cut
UK joinery companies attending a major conference have heard that the government needs to “wake up” to the opportunities of reducing VAT on repair, maintenance and improvement work.
SmartPly’s smart planning solution in Ireland
SmartPly OSB3 from Coillte Panel Products has been used to produce a barrel vaulted-style roof to meet strict restrictive planning regulations on a house build project
Moelven calls bottom of timber market
Moelven Industrier ASA has predicted the first quarter “may appear” to be the bottom of the recession for industrial wood internationally.
International Plywood increases shareholding in James Latham plc
International Plywood (Importers) Ltd has become the third largest shareholder in James Latham plc.
US housing market boosts Boise sales
US-based forest products company Boise Cascade has reported soaring first-quarter sales and profits on the back of a rejuvenated housebuilding industry.
Winners named in Rowlinson March prize draw
Rowlinson Timber’s prize draw for March has taken place with Buttle plc winning the first prize of an Apple iPad.
BSW Timber donates bird boxes to schools
BSW Timber has donated 89 bird boxes to primary schools in the areas in which it operates, with support from the RSPB.
Metsä closes sale of Merk
Metsä Group has completed the sale of its timber construction projects business Metsä Wood Merk GmbH to Züblin AG Group.
Stora Enso launches group restructuring
Stora Enso is to launch group restructuring in a bid to cut costs by €200m per year, the group announced today.
Strong krona dents Setra's Q1 profitability
Setra has kicked off the Nordic sawmilling reporting season with a first-quarter operating loss of SKr26m.
FMB calls for urgent VAT cut on RMI work
The UK’s largest builders group has called for an urgent cut in VAT on repair, maintenance and improvement (RMI) work after latest figures revealed that workloads were falling at the fastest rate since early 2012.
Lawcris appointed Superpan STAR preferred supplier
Leeds-based Lawcris Panel Products has been appointed as Finsa UK’s preferred supplier of the lightweight Superpan STAR veneer board.
UK softwood trade hears of German sawmilling recovery
Improving timber prices in the US and Japanese market are helping German sawmills move out of the “disastrous” last five to six years, UK softwood traders were told at a meeting in London last Thursday.
UK timber imports fell 7% in January
UK solid wood and panel product imports were down 7% in January compared to the same month in 2012, according to the Timber Trade Federation’s latest statistics.
Norbord hits 200,000 YouTube views
Panel producer Norbord has clocked up 200,000 views on YouTube.
UK hardwood mouldings imports rise
UK imports of hardwood mouldings (temperate and tropical) grew by 10% in 2012, according to the International Tropical Timber Organisation’s latest market report
Metsä Wood launches international restructure
Metsä Wood has announced a cost-cutting programme across its international timber business, including in the UK, due to “unsatisfactory profitability development and declining sales”.
Ghana timber exports rise in January
Wood product export volumes from Ghana increased 17.6% to 21,028m3 in January, according to new figures from the country’s Forestry Commission.
New timber frame factory uses Weinmann technology
Affordable housing developer Green Hill has invested in Weinmann technology for its new £1m timber frame home factory.
AHEC backs Wood for Good
The American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC) has decided to sponsor Wood for Good, contributing what is thought to be a significant sum to the timber marketing campaign and also agreeing to provide it with data for its focus on timber’s environmental impacts.
Pollmeier sets sights on UK with beech LVL
German beech sawmiller Pollmeier is examining the UK engineered wood beam supply chain in preparation for its big push on beech LVL.
Ransfords taps feather-edge market with new resaw line
Sawmiller Charles Ransford & Sons Ltd has completed the installation of a new Stenner resaw line for volume output of feather-edge boards.
Wood for Good tempts housing associations with timber frame
Wood for Good is taking a group of English and Welsh housing association representatives to Scotland as part of a strategy to increase their use of timber frame construction.
Duolam and triolam secure EPDs
Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) have been completed for Duobalken and Triobalken glued laminated solid timber.
Lathams in Valchromat team
James Latham plc is part of a three-way partnership to develop the market for coloured engineered wood fibre decorative panel Valchromat.
Accoya steamed into curved cladding
Some 4.4km of Accoya modified wood cladding, including special curved boards, has been installed on a new medical clinic in Nijmegen, in the Netherlands.
£1.4m of orders bed timber framer into new plant
Timber frame specialist Mactaggart & Mickel Timber Systems has secured £1.4m of orders as it beds into its new factory.
JJ Smith to distribute Martin machines in the north
JJ Smith & Co (Woodworking Machinery) Ltd has been appointed northern UK distributor for Otto Martin Maschinenbau GmbH.
New site boosts Allan Bros online interest
Allan Brothers has reported a 90% increase in online timber windows orders just a month after it launched its new website.
Frank Green retires
Frank Green, a well-known figure in the timber industry for 50 years, has retired.
Major fire hits Welsh oak sawmiller
Welsh oak sawmiller Broadoak Timber has suffered a major fire at its site near Welshpool.
Anglo Austrian X-LAM Alliance up 36%
X-LAM Alliance, the joint venture between UK timber structural engineering contractor B&K and leading Austrian cross-laminated timber (CLT) producer Binderholz, reports an “impressive” turnover increase in the first half of the year.
WWF highlights illegal Russian hardwood
The WWF is calling on European importers to consider avoiding hardwood flooring or furniture containing Russian Far East hardwoods due to the “high risks” of illegal wood use.
New US OSB mill starts production
Georgia-Pacific’s new OSB plant in South Carolina has started production, manufacturing sheathing, sub-floors and radiant barrier products.
UKFPA meets new Welsh environment chief
UK Forest Products Association representatives have met Dr Emyr Roberts, CEO of Natural Resources Wales (NRW), the new body formed on April 1 to take over the work of Forestry Commission Wales.
Trend for modular window tooling system
More than 350 sets of Trend’s modular window tooling system have so far been sold to date, according to the Watford-based tooling and machinery supplier.
SIG duo fly the flag for construction at sales awards
Two shining stars of SIG plc’s sales force are celebrating success at the British Excellence in Sales and Marketing Awards (BESMA): the sales industry’s leading awards ceremony, organised by the Institute of Sales and Marketing Management (ISMM).
US hardwood convention open for registration
The annual convention of the National Hardwood Lumber Association will be held in Fort Worth, Texas on October 2-5 and is open for registration.
Putin promises widespread forestry investment
Russian president Vladimir Putin has promised US$13bn for forestry industry projects in Russia.
Black Millwork appoints regional sales managers
Timber windows and doors manufacturer Black Millwork has appointed Vaughan Shotton and Kevin Kiernan as regional sales managers.
Timber sector exhibition collaboration announced
The UK’s two largest timber sector exhibitions – Timber Expo and Working with Wood – will be co-locating in 2014 and will conduct a joint marketing campaign to promote their partnership.
Metsä Wood launches new cost-cutting programme
Metsä Wood is embarking on a further cost-cutting programme across its businesses.
Celebrate 140 years of TTJ
TTJ was printed for the first time in May 1873 and to mark 140 years of serving the timber industry we will be reprinting that very first copy. This will be a fascinating read for TTJ subscribers, many of whom will no doubt keep the magazine for posterity.
UPM’s Aureskoski mill sold to Tammiwood
Finnish wooden building manufacturer Tammiwood Ltd has bought the real estate and machinery at UPM’s recently-closed Aureskoski further processing mill.
JB Kind predicts FSC door sales expansion
Midlands timber door distributor JB Kind has widened its number of FSC-certifed ranges in anticipation of a fourfold growth in FSC-certified door sales in 2013.
Brooks Bros ultra runner completes Thames Towpath 100 Mile Race
This year the Thames Towpath 100 Mile Race became 102 miles because bad weather meant a change to the course, but 165 ultra runners still set out from Richmond at 10am on March 23 looking to cover the course in below 30 hours.
Norbord wins Jewson supplier award
Norbord has been awarded Timber and Sheet Materials Supplier of the Year at the annual Jewson conference.
Brave purchase boosts capacity
Contract furniture manufacturer Brave Design has installed a Morbidelli CNC drilling and machining centre at its Merseyside factory.
Housing association launches construction arm
The first housing association to open its own timber frame house factory is to launch a construction division to erect the homes it produces.
HCA and RICS add to upbeat housing news
More positive housing sector news has been reported, this time by the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).
UPM biocomposite contract coup
UPM’s promotional drive of its ForMi biocomposite material has yielded a major coup - with speaker manufacturer Genelec choosing the material for its new high-end speaker model.
Travis Perkins names Driver of the Year
Adrian Pullin from the Travis Perkins timber supply centre in Cardiff has beaten tough competition from across the Travis Perkins Group to be named the 2012 Driver of the Year.
Pfleiderer looks to “megatrends”
Naturalness, elegance and the used look are three “megatrends” Pfleiderer is focusing on for its display at Interzum in May.
Shropshire sawmiller secures permission for expansion
Hales Sawmills is to go ahead with a £3.5m expansion project after securing vital council permission to run its planned new site with unrestricted operating hours.
CPA identifies areas of optimism
Areas of “optimism among the dark clouds” have been detected by the Construction Products Association (CPA) with a growth in construction products sales predicted in 2013.
BWF wins award for effective grant use
The British Woodworking Federation (BWF) has won an award for its effective use of grant funding to help make the joinery industry more competitive.
EPAL reassures licence holders over UIC decision
The European Pallet Association (EPAL), which operates the world’s largest pallet pool, says its licence holders will not notice any changes despite the termination of the partnership between the UIC (International Union of Railways) and EPAL.
US hardwoods on designers’ radar
US hardwoods have further raised their performance and aesthetic profile among UK architects and designers by taking centre stage at an event organised by top design magazine Wallpaper, and featuring in a chair nominated for a prestigious Design Museum Design of the Year Award.
Incising machine market expands
Another incising machine has been developed for the UK fence post market, boosting the choice available for ground contact treatment of home-grown timber.
Combilift looks forward to growth
Combilift, the Irish manufacturer of the 4-way forklift, is celebrating 15 years in business this year on the back of ground-breaking developments in long load handling.
New push into mass market housing
The UK Timber Frame Association (UKTFA) has launched a new offensive aimed at capturing a larger share of the mass housebuilding market in England.
Sun shines on Accoya beach project
One of the most sustainable homes under construction in the US is being built with Accoya modified wood as a primary material.
Timberstore installs treatment plant at Chatham
Timberstore has opened a new treatment centre at Chatham Port in association with Vida Wood UK.
Acimall signs two-year deal for Milan
Xylexpo organisers have stuck to an earlier pledge to keep Italy’s largest woodworking technology exhibition in Milan and signed a deal to hold the next two shows at the FieraMilano-Rho Fairgrounds.
Dutch boost FSC tropical imports
The share of FSC-certified tropical timber on the Dutch market more than doubled in three years, new research showed.
Indonesian verified legal wood exports double
Indonesian exports of verified legal wood (V-legal) to the EU have nearly doubled in value for January and February, compared with the same two months in 2012.
Claymark to expand market for radiata pine
Treated New Zealand radiata pine timber products are gaining momentum in the UK, with a number of key meetings taking place with distributors.
Timber lobbies to save FCE
Confor and the Woodland Trust have combined to co-ordinate a new push to save Forestry Commission England from a merger with Natural England and the Environment Agency.
Buildbase Timber Champions celebrate in Sweden
Buildbase is celebrating the 10th year of its Timber Champions programme organised by SCA Timber Supply.
Soaring US market boosts export prices
Surging domestic demand has led North American softwood producers to turn their attention away from export markets to cash in on soaring returns at home, according to industry newsletter Random Lengths.
Additional places for TTBS National Golf
The 2013 TTBS National Golf day on Friday July 5 at the Northumberland Golf Club, High Gosforth Park, Newcastle has a limited number of places still available.
Austrians plan €150m plant in Romania
Austrian timber giant Schweighofer is further expanding sawmilling and timber processing operations in Romania that will lead to a massive increase in export capacity.
UK concern over middle men deals
The Timber Trade Federation (TTF) is working to clarify an area of responsibility in the EU Timber Regulation for goods arriving in the UK from outside the EU.
ABP to invest £100m for wood pellet imports
Associated British Ports (ABP) has signed a 15-year agreement with Drax to handle wood pellet imports for the power company’s biomass-fired electricity generators.
Wood Awards now open for entries
The UK’s premier award scheme for the use of wood in architecture and furniture – The Wood Awards – is now open to entries.
Rougier extends FSC-certified hardwood product range
Rougier has obtained FSC certification for three forest concessions in south-east Cameroon.
UKIP leader visits timber merchant
UK Independence Party (UKIP) leader Nigel Farage paid a flying visit to Dartford-based timber and fencing merchant Forestrall recently.
Ridgeons meets with key suppliers
More than 30 of Ridgeons’ key suppliers met the group’s trading managers and sales representatives at a Meet the Merchant event.
March 2013
Top
Grafton acquires Thompsons from administrators
Grafton Group has acquired the Thompsons merchanting business, extending its coverage in the north-east of England.
Kronospan to demolish factory canteen shooting scene
The company also said it had been unaware that the gunman, a worker at the Kronoswiss factory in Menznau, had a conviction for robbery.
Affordable home registrations soar 120% in February
A big rise in the number of affordable homes being registered has been described by the NHBC as very encouraging news for the UK’s housebuilding industry.
Cash for ash: government aims to slow disease
Confor has questioned where the resources are coming from for newly-announced £1.5m government funding to help fight ash tree dieback.
Screwfix and TradePoint grow, B&Q falters
Owners of the DIY chain B&Q have reported growth in the TradePoint trade customer division and Screwfix, but the core B&Q UK & Ireland business saw annual retail profits drop 20% to £187m.
Obituary - Roger Mason
Roger Mason died on March 19.
Garden centre shopfitter vows to re-open following factory fire
The owner of a Welsh timber business hit by a major fire last week has vowed that the company will be back in operation soon.
Ecobuild attendance plummets 22%
Visitor numbers at this year’s Ecobuild were down about 22% to 45,000, according to newly-released figures.
Merger creates new wood flooring giant
European parquet flooring giants Bauwerk Parkett AG of Switzerland and Norway-based Boen AS are merging.
NWTTA raises cash for TTBS
A raffle was held at the North West Timber Trade Association (NWTTA) dinner on March 15 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Liverpool which raised a total of £1,650 in aid of the Timber Trades Benevolent Society.
Keyline builds on fund-raising success
Keyline Builders Merchants, part of the Travis Perkins Group, has raised over £500,000 to smash its fund-raising target for charity partner Prostate Cancer UK. The company, through the support of its staff and suppliers, has raised £576,635 since the start of the partnership in January 2010.
Winners named in Rowlinson February prize draw
William Staddon & Son won the first prize – an Apple iPad – in Rowlinson Timber’s February prize draw.
Rosewood and ebony given CITES protection
International trade in a range of rosewoods and ebonies from Asia, Central America and Madagascar will now be regulated by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
Ecobuild: timber frame on the front foot
The UK Timber Frame Association tweeted that it had spent a "brilliant few days at Ecobuild".
SIG Insulation calls out the competition
Sheffield-based SIG Insulation, part of leading European construction supplies firm SIG plc, has laid down the gauntlet to suppliers, customers and competitors to take on its team of runners at the Sheffield Half Marathon on May 12.
Ecobuild: Wood Awards urges more eco
The Wood Awards organisers reported a constant flow of visitors to its stand, including architects, designers and contractors.
Westbury in Building Centre display
Essex-based joinery manufacturer Westbury has created a new permanent display at London’s Building Centre to target builders and specifiers.
Hull service treater sails to Rochester
Hull-based WJ Components has opened a new timber treatment facility in Rochester to service customers distributing in the south-east.
Brash to contest Olympics marketing block
John Brash is to appeal after being blocked from using its status as a supplier to the 2012 London Olympic Games in its marketing.
A jewel of a winning design
The winner of this year’s TRADA and Timbmet-sponsored contest for students to design a timber pavilion looks complex, but it’s made from just a single piece of beech.
Ecobuild: Accsys celebrates Accoya successes
Accoya modified wood manufacturer Accsys Technologies plc was in upbeat mood at Ecobuild, celebrating several recent achievements.
Quieter Ecobuild still delivered the right visitors
Ecobuild clearly bore the scars of construction recession.
Pro-Master speeds Urban Front door production
High-end contemporary door manufacturer Urban Front Ltd says its investment in a Holz-Her Pro-Master machining centre was based on its positive experience with Weinig service.
EPS will see apprentice saw doctors
Bandsaw specialist EPS Services and Tooling has begun training its first saw doctor apprentices.
Italian machinery sector suffers
The Italian woodworking machinery sector suffered a significant reduction in orders during the fourth quarter of 2012, according to newly-published figures.
Ecobuild: New ZEDfactory house uses Welsh wood
Welsh wood featured in the largest timber structure exhibited at Ecobuild - architect Bill Dunster's latest ZEDfactory timber frame house concept - the Zero Bills Home.
Ecobuild: Scots target English sales
Scottish companies looking to break into or improve their presence in the English market took advantage of the Scottish Pavilion, hosted by Construction Scotland, Scottish Enterprise and Scottish Development International.
Sponsor a timber engineer, urges Edinburgh Napier University
Timber companies are being urged to sponsor graduates through their MSc in Timber Engineering by Edinburgh Napier University’s School of Engineering and the Built Environment.
Welsh wood looks to construction
Moves to fully utilise Welsh-grown softwood in the construction sector are gathering momentum, according to Woodknowledge Wales (WKW).
BSW Timber supports Scottish Paralympic hopeful
Scottish Borders athlete Sammi Kinghorn is a step closer to her dream of competing in the 2016 Paralympic games thanks to a four year sponsorship commitment from Earlston-based BSW Timber.
Ecobuild: Latvian sawmiller announces UK market intentions
Latvian sawmiller PATA AB announced its presence on the UK market at Ecobuild, showing a range of timber products on the Latvia country stand.
Ecobuild: Steico insulation in demand
As Europe’s largest producer of wood fibre insulation, those products were much to the fore on Steico’s stand.
Ecobuild: Crossrail
The glulam-framed Canary Wharf terminus for London’s multi-billion pound Crossrail project is set to be a landmark building for the Capital, let alone UK timber construction, so naturally Austrian engineered timber supplier Wiehag put it in the spotlight at Ecobuild. But on its stand in the Austrian Pavilion, the company also revealed plans to develop its timber-building capabilities with increasing use of cross-laminated timber (CLT).
Ecobuild: Coillte Panel Products wins awards
Coillte Panel Products’ presence at Ecobuild was marked by no fewer than two awards.
Ecobuild: Jewson’s timber attractions
The Posi-joists radiating across the top of Jewson’s two-storey stand attracted a lot of attention from visitors.
Ecobuild: Russell makes an entrance
A pair of beautiful glazed oak double doors made a statement on Russell Timber Technology’s stand.
Ecobuild: ModCell applauds “reach” of show
Straw bale construction specialist ModCell was a returning visitor to Ecobuild.
Ecobuild: Arden tests the water
Arden Windows, a founding member of the Wood Window Alliance, used Ecobuild to gain feedback on its Kinward heritage sliding sash window.
Ecobuild: Taiwan targets eco market with plastic wood
Growing international awareness of the value of the UK and wider European “green” construction market was underlined by the large Taiwanese pavilion at Ecobuild.
Ecobuild: waving the wood windows flag
Window and door producer West Port was in bullish mood at Ecobuild.
Ecobuild: Kebony returns for fourth time
Norwegian modified wood manufacturer Kebony was back at Ecobuild for the fourth time.
Ecobuild: Spire to inspire
Third year students from the School of Architecture and Landscape at Kingston University featured recent work from the UNESCO World Heritage Sites project.
Ecobuild: TRADA tours make Ecobuild easy
Rather than pore over their show catalogues to find relevant stands, Ecobuild visitors looking for timber innovation and inspiration could just drop in on a TRADA tour.
Ecobuild: Canada Wood distributes guide
Canada Wood UK staff distributed copies of its guide to the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR) at Ecobuild.
Ecobuild: Norbord adds to OSB family
Norbord launched four value-added OSB products at Ecobuild, and hinted at more to come.
Ecobuild: LP’s products for all seasons
LP Building Products’ stand at Ecobuild was the first time the engineered wood products and panels producer had exhibited all its vast range of products at a show.
Ecobuild: Anglo-Austrian alliance promises timber building X-factor
Already billing the X-Lam Alliance as a major new force in UK cross-laminated timber construction (CLT), the Anglo-Austrian partnership behind the business expected its Ecobuild debut to give it added momentum.
Ecobuild: SEMA4c makes Ecobuild debut
SEMA4c, the new joint venture between construction consultant C4Ci and German software specialist SEMA, was at Ecobuild to introduce its new range of timber building CAD-CAM systems to the UK.
Ecobuild: Black Millwork to launch new products
Timber window supplier Black Millwork plans to launch into internal doors and supply a flush stormproof casement window for the UK market.
Ecobuild: project certification promoted
Timber certification bodies had a strong representation at Ecobuild, with PEFC, the Malaysian Timber Certification Council (MTCC) and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) all showcasing their services on one stand.
Ecobuild: new heights for roof solutions
Pasquill was not just highlighting the technical capabilities of its engineered products and systems at Ecobuild, but also how they work in conjunction with the wider product offer from the rest of the Saint-Gobain Group. In fact they formed key element’s of the parent group’s stand which was, in turn, designed to highlight the range of markets it serves.
Ecobuild: NBT shows new woodfibre insulation
A solution to speed up and deskill the installation of woodfibre insulation boards in retrofit projects was unveiled by Natural Building Technologies (NBT).
Ecobuild: Austrian high speed build
The world of high-speed construction using Austrian timber frame technology played across a large TV screen on EBS Elk Ltd’s stand.
Ecobuild: JJ Smith focuses on waste
JJ Smith & Co (Woodworking Machinery) has exhibited at Ecobuild every year, and this year the focus was on pellet machinery.
VAT cut on RMI needed, not cheaper beer
The building industry asked for a VAT cut on refurbishment work and got “1p off a pint” instead, British Woodworking Federation chief executive Iain McIlwee lamented.
CT Baker opens fourth site
Norfolk builders and timber merchant CT Baker has opened a £1m new branch on a greenfield site.
Chancellor delivers “Budget for Housing”
Chancellor George Osborne’s “Budget for housing”, which will increase government support for the housebuilding sector, has been broadly welcomed across the construction sector.
Accord Group uses Silverwood cladding
The A Proctor Group says its Silverwood timber cladding range is now being used by the Accord Group.
Pfleiderer achieves mill Nordic Swan certification
Pfleiderer has become the first German wood-based material manufacturer to receive “Nordic Swan” certification.
Norra Timber brand created
Swedish forest company Norra Skogsägarna, which operates two sawmills and planing lines, has created a new brand – Norra Timber.
Metsä sells German CLT operation
Metsä Group has passed its German timber construction operation to a leading German building construction and civil engineering company.
Imports static against five-year plunge
The volume of timber and panel products imported into the UK last year was little changed from 2011, but the figures demonstrate the contrasting fortunes of solid wood and panels.
Buyers eye failed Sunderland merchant
Administrators are trying to find a buyer for the failed north-east regional builders merchant Thompson Building Centres and its TAPS plumbers merchant outlets.
Optimistic RusForest posts huge losses
Troubled sawmiller and forestry group RusForest has posted losses of SKr1.08bn for last year, but said restructuring of the business is on target.
George Galloway opens refurbished merchant
MP George Galloway has opened the refurbished Taylor’s Timber Centre branch in Bradford.
Eacom’s profits rise
Higher profits have been reported by Canadian sawmiller Eacom Timber Corporation.
Boise Cascade reports profits boost
Boise Cascade’s wood products division has reported a big increase in profitability for the full year 2012 – US$80.2m compared to US$13.3m in 2011.
Coillte Panel Products launches new websites
Coillte Panel Products (CPP) and its three brands – Medite, SmartPly and Medite Tricoya – have introduced new websites.
First logs roll at BSW super site
BSW Timber has begun processing logs at its Fort William sawmill where a £37m expansion programme has moved into the commissioning phase.
Irish sawmiller declares EUTR compliance
Irish sawmiller ECC Teo says it has introduced due diligence procedures required to satisfy the new EU Timber Regulation (EUTR).
Howarth rolls out “Howarth at Home” collection to Blackburn
Howarth Timber and Building Supplies has invested £75,000 in a new showrom in its Blackburn branch for its “Howarth at Home” collection.
Research body aims to identify ash disease resistance
East Malling Research (EMR) is to screen UK ash tree populations for genetic resistance to Chalara ash dieback disease.
Timbmet secures £20m new funding
Timbmet Group Ltd has secured a new £20m funding package from Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking to support its growth plans.
Lunawood increases production capacity
Finnish Thermowood producer Lunawood is to increase thermally-modified wood capacity by 27% (17,000m3) to 62,000m3 a year.
New managing director for SCA Timber Supply (UK)
Neil Emsley has been appointed managing director of SCA Timber Supply in the UK.
MPs debate biomass subsidies
MPs have debated the potential impact of new power station biomass subsidies on the wood panel industry.
Outgoing president praises TTF progress
In his final address to the Timber Trade Federation annual dinner, outgoing president Martin Gale praised the achievements and progress made by the organisation in recent years.
Hutton in garden furniture supply deal with Howarth
Hutton Garden Products is now supplying products to eight Howarth Timber and Building Supplies branches.
Fraudsters hit timber trade
Timber traders are being warned to stay alert after a fresh spate of fraud and identity theft left one importer being stung for thousands of pounds.
Green groups focus on EUTR compliance
Green NGOs have welcomed implementation of the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR) and congratulated the timber industry for backing it, but also now say they are focused on ensuring companies and country’s comply with it.
Paragon software automates Grange home deliveries
Paragon transport routing software has been rolled out at Grange Fencing to make its newly-launched “Super 8” UK home delivery service efficient and well-managed.
MP Galloway opens timber merchant
The new-look Taylor’s Timber Centre is to be officially reopened today in Bradford as the region’s first customer-friendly drive-through yard.
Churchill & Sim set for growth
Softwood agent Churchill & Sim International Ltd has reported a successful first year’s trading, following the brand’s reemergence after the 2011 closure of the UCM Timber plc, and also announced that major development at its leading Siberian supplier could lead to more of its timber coming to the UK.
Home-grown sawn timber sector bucks recessionary trend
The UK softwood sawmilling market is one of few industry sectors to register solid growth in the last few years, according to Confor.
Date set for mountain bike challenge
This year’s Forest Products Mountain Bike Challenge is scheduled for June 20.The event, which is sponsored by UPM Tilhill, will be held at Coed Llandegla Forest in Wales.
ETTF monitors EUTR trade impact
The first in a series of statistical reports to help monitor the impact of the EU Timber Regulation on trade flows has been released by the European Timber Trade Federation (ETTF).
Daltons Wadkin installs first Nimac
Daltons Wadkin has installed its first Greek-made Nimac beam saw.
Canada Wood produces EUTR brief
Canada Wood UK has developed a concise brief on the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR) for all companies deemed “operators” by the regulation.
New figures lead to construction sector optimism
“Cautious optimism” is starting to creep back into the construction sector after new figures show rising construction orders and new home registrations.
JJ Smith marks Stromab double century
JJ Smith has completed its 200th Stromab saw installation in the UK following a contract at JDP Furniture Group.
Grafton Group trebles full-year pre-tax profits
Improved UK sales of building supplies and cost reductions helped Grafton Group plc more than treble pre-tax profits in 2012 to €33.5m.
BMF makes two appointments
The Builders Merchants Federation (BMF) has appointed an office manager and a southern regional manager.
MBM expands stocks of LP LSL Rim Board
Growing Scottish demand for Louisiana-Pacific’s (LP) SolidStart LSL Rim Board has led MBM Forest Products to stock the product in Scotland in addition to the existing MBM stockholding at Tilbury.
BSW Timber ships to China
BSW Timber has further expanded its overseas shipments with a 5,000m3 supply deal with timber distributors from Kuwait, Dubai and China.
Ecobuild picks up momentum
Visitor numbers picked up on the second day of Ecobuild, the world’s largest sustainable building show.
DRC logging chaos makes EUTR compliance “impossible”
“Chaos” in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s logging sector means it is nearly impossible for EU traders sourcing timber from the country to comply with the newly-introduced EU Timber Regulation (EUTR), says a new Greenpeace report.
Contractors’ EUTR confusion burdens joinery manufacturers
Over-zealous demands are being made on joinery manufacturers by building contractors confused about the requirements of the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR).
James Jones reorganises sales team
James Jones & Sons Ltd has appointed Jim Halpin as a field-based sales executive covering central, east and west England.
Brazil tropical wood exports down, pine up
Tropical sawn timber export volumes from Brazil fell 16% in January to 25,000m3, compared to the same month in 2012, according to the International Tropical Timber Organisation (ITTO).
Plans to tackle ash disease move forward
A draft action plan to prevent the spread of Chalara ash die-back in Scotland is a step nearer.
Howdens increases profits and forecasts growth
Howdens Joinery has reported increased annual pre-tax profits of £112.1m (2011: £111m) and a 17% growth in sales for January 1-February 23 this year.
Better year forecast for trussed rafters
The trussed rafter industry should experience a better economic performance in 2013 than last year based on various housebuilding forecasts, Trussed Rafter Association (TRA) members have heard.
Outrage at US government’s Chinese plywood decision
US plywood importers are outraged that the government has imposed heavy preliminary countervailing duties on Chinese hardwood plywood imports.
New homes registration up 30%
New home registrations were up nearly 30% at the start of 2013 compared to the same time last year, according to new NHBC data.
Apocalyptic Irish sawmill warning over harvest rights sale
The Irish Timber Council (ITC) says that the proposed sale of state forestry body Coillte’s harvesting rights could wipe out the country’s sawmills.
Luxury Berkshire build uses Andersen windows
More than 50 sliding sash windows and six sets of patio doors were supplied by Black Millwork to a luxury Georgian style house in Berkshire.
Soil Association Woodmark certifies first US project
Soil Association Woodmark has certified its first major commercial project in the US.
Vida in the red despite good deliveries
Vida's production and sawn timber delivery levels remained high last year, but the group still reported losses of SKr90.23m for timber operations.
More gloom for Nordic mills
Rörvik Timber joined the ranks of Nordic mills reporting mounting losses against a backdrop of challenging markets and lower prices.
Slim increase for German wood
The German wood trade grew 1.5% last year on the back of increased sales for renovation projects as well as urban new build.
Wood Awards tours launched
TRADA is organising a series of site talks and visits at some of the award-winning and shortlisted projects from the 2012 Wood Awards.
Drugs hidden in export logs
Customs officers have arrested a fourth man at a sawmill in Guyana where a massive shipment of cocaine was found hidden in logs bound for Europe.
Africa and Asia buoy Swedish exports
Sweden’s sawn and planed softwood export volume fell 15% in December compared with December 2011, but was up 2% for the whole of 2012.
ATS shoots for charity
Associated Timber Services held its sixth annual charity shoot in January, in aid of Cardiac Risk in the Young and Daybreak (Oxford).
February 2013
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Worker dies at Gordon Timber sawmill
A worker at the John Gordon & Sons sawmill in Nairn died after being caught in machinery.
Kronospan denies cuts led to shooting
Kronospan has denied the shootings at its Swiss plant in which three people died and seven were injured were connected with redundancies.
TTF releases headline 2012 import statistics
Initial full-year import statistics from the Timber Trade Federation show that the value of UK softwood imports was worth £850m in 2012, the same as in 2011.
JB Kind nominates St Giles Hospice as 2013 benefactor
Derbyshire-based door distributor JB Kind has chosen St Giles Hospice as its main charitable cause for 2013.
Three killed in shooting at Kronospan plant in Switzerland
Kronospan has expressed its “shock” after three people were killed in a shooting at its factory near Lucerne, Switzerland this morning.
Persimmon reports “encouraging” start to 2013
National housebuilder Persimmon has reported a 52% growth in annual pre-tax profits to £225.1m (2011: £148.1m) and an “encouraging” start to 2013.
New sales manager for Rowlinson Timber
Rowlinson Timber has appointed Darren Hill as UK sales manager.
UKTFA elects new chairman
The UK Timber Frame Association (UKTFA) has elected Lawrence Young as chairman, on a two-year tenure.
New World installs second truss line
A second Wolf Systems truss manufacturing line has been installed at New World Timber Frame to service a growing volume of truss orders.
Prestoplan reorganises production
Timber frame manufacturer Prestoplan has dispensed with its leasehold Gloucester factory and reorganised its Preston plant to take on extra capacity.
CLT fire resistance demonstrated
Full-scale tests carried out by NRC Construction researchers in Canada have demonstrated that cross-laminated timber (CLT) assemblies can achieve good levels of fire resistance, even when unprotected under full loading conditions.
Daltons Wadkin fosters Anglo-German relations
Young German woodworking machinery engineer Julian Gillich has completed a three-week stint at Daltons Wadkin where he learnt about rebuilding machines.
Log sales lift poor year for Rougier
Rougier, the French-owned timber group operating in West Africa, suffered reduced sales in sawn timber and panel products last year, but increased log sales by 10%.
Forestry warns against taxes and costs
The Finnish forestry industry is calling for firm action on competitiveness and government policy against a backdrop of further economic gloom.
Ligna show reveals UK involvement
Thirteen UK companies have so far signed up as exhibitors for this year’s Ligna exhibition – the world’s largest trade fair for the forestry and timber industries.
Defra decides against woodwaste landfill ban
Defra has decided against a ban on landfilling woodwaste after it transpired that the volumes of wood being thrown away were less than previously thought.
Ruddle moves to new role at ITW Industry
Following the integration of Gang-Nail Systems into ITW Industry, Jason Ruddle takes on the new role of business development manager for the ITW Instinct Residential Design System and hsbCAD timber frame software.
Royal visit for carpentry students
Students at the Building Crafts College met the Princess Royal during a tour of the east London complex.
LP boosts OSB sales 86%
An 86% boost in OSB sales at the end of last year helped Louisiana-Pacific increase both fourth quarter and year end sales and lift forecasts for 2013.
Osmose cuts Hedgehog incisor deal
Osmose has signed an agreement with Walford Timber to take over the sales and marketing of its Hedgehog incising technology for ground contact timber treatment.
UPM shelves mill lay-offs
UPM Plywood has cancelled plans for lay-offs at its birch plywood mills in Finland scheduled for the first half of the year.
Horsemeat scandal a warning for wood, says TTF CEO
Breaches of the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR) could cause as much reputational damage to the timber sector as the horsemeat contamination scandal has to the food industry, said Timber Trade Federation chief executive John White.
Joiner wins hearing loss damages
A joiner has received £9,750 compensation from Wakefield council for loss of hearing after he was exposed to excessive noise levels from machinery.
Interpol arrests 200 in illegal logging operation
Interpol has made 200 arrests and seized more than 50,000m3 of timber worth around US$8m in its first international operation targeting large-scale illegal logging and forest crimes.
Second BSW mill achieves WPA Benchmark certificate
A second BSW Timber sawmill has achieved a Wood Protection Association (WPA) Benchmark certificate for production of the company’s easipost15 treated and incised timber post.
Travis Perkins predicts markets “will turn”
Builders merchanting giant Travis Perkins has reported a 16.2% growth in annual pre-tax profits to £313.3m and says it believes markets may “begin to turn” for the better later in 2013.
Stora Enso downsizes sawmilling
Stora Enso is to transfer production, downsize and rationalise some of its more expensive mills as part of a group-wide plan to combat falling profits.
New managing director for Prestoplan
Prestoplan technical director Ian Loughnane has been promoted to managing director. He succeeds John Bedford who has retired.
Nordic sawmillers report challenging results
Another round of challenging financial results has been posted by large Nordic sawmillers.
Burmese forests to become “flashpoint”
Burma’s forests are set to become the next flashpoint in international land conflicts, according to a new report.
Håkan Svensson appointed president of Södra Timber
Håkan Svensson, director of forestry at Södra, has been appointed president of Södra Timber. He has been acting president since May last year.
Government minister opens Ridgeons training academy
Minister for climate change Greg Barker has opened Ridgeons Greenlight Centre of Excellence and Training Academy.
TTF updates RPP forms
The Timber Trade Federation (TTF) has updated its Responsible Purchasing Policy (RPP) forms.
Gardening springs into online
A new website for garden products has been launched by a marketeer specialising in garden and timber supplies.
Biesse approves new business plan
Italian woodworking machinery manufacturer Biesse’s board of directors has approved the company’s new business plan for 2013-2015.
Weyerhaeuser reports increased profits
US forest products company Weyerhaeuser has reported 2012 net profits of US$385m (2011: US$331m).
Ipé battles with composites in US hurricane boardwalk repairs
Ipé is battling it out with wood-plastic composite decking (WPC) for large boardwalk repair work along the New York and New Jersey coast following Hurricane Sandy last October, according to the International Tropical Timber Organisation’s (ITTO) latest market report.
FSC launches ForCES website
FSC has a new website – ForCES – detailing the changes needed to make FSC a global leader in certification of ecosystem services.
Architect to lead Wood for Good
Architect Craig White has been named as Wood for Good’s first chairman from outside the timber industry.
Adding to wood could boost business
Timber merchants in prime, high traffic locations should increasingly consider adding other building products to their range.
China's forest products trade grows
The value of China’s forest products import and export trade grew 3% in 2012 to US$120bn, according to the State Forestry Administration.
Timber frame company launches joinery division
UK timber frame manufacturing giant Stewart Milne Timber Systems has launched a doorsets and stairs offering in a bid to become a one-stop shop for clients.
Accoya owner posts 36% sales growth
Accoya modified wood manufacturer Accsys Technologies plc has reported a 36% increase in revenue to €13.4m (2011: €9.8m) for the nine months ended December 2012.
House purchasing volumes continues to grow
UK house purchasing volumes continue to grow, according to the latest RICS housing market survey.
David Salisbury sales return to pre-recession levels
Leading timber conservatory manufacturer David Salisbury has posted a healthy set of annual results, with turnover now back to pre-recession levels.
Crown declares EUTR compliance
Crown Timber plc says it has introduced all the due diligence procedures necessary to meet the EU Timber Regulation.
Coillte staff go the distance for TTBS
Becca Smith and Harriet Heardman from Coillte Panel Products are going to extreme lengths – 100km to be exact – to raise money for the Timber Trades’ Benevolent Society (TTBS).
Timbmet Group records £8.1m pre-tax loss
Timbmet Group Ltd has recorded pre-tax losses of £8.1m (2011: £642,000 profit) in its newly filed annual results.
TRA focuses on carbon debate
Trussed rafter fabricators will get to grips with the carbon debate when they congregate for the annual Trussed Rafter Association (TRA) AGM and dinner this month.
Charities benefit from Leaderflush Shapland waste
Leaderflush Shapland has begun donating its waste timber to the Phoenix Resource Centre, a non-profit charity that recycles clean, quality waste products for use in communities and charity projects around the UK and Africa.
Arnold Laver reviews timber purchasing operations
Arnold Laver has confirmed it is reviewing its timber purchasing operations as part of a review of the business.
Woodworking industry launches social media apprenticeship campaign
The Woodworking Industry Training Forum is using Facebook and Twitter in a bid to recruit the joiners and woodworkers of the future.
Halspan continues to market Moralt products
Halspan Ltd will continue to market Moralt AG’s performance door blanks internationally, though not in Europe.
JELD-WEN appoints customer services director
JELD-WEN has appointed Martin Spencer to the new role of customer services director.
First timber turbine tower completed
The world’s first wooden wind turbine tower has been inaugurated in Hannover, Germany.
Olympic suppliers’ marketing ban lifted
Suppliers of timber products to the London 2012 build project can finally promote their involvement with the Games after a landmark deal lifted the onerous marketing gag imposed on companies involved in Olympic contracts.
Metsä Wood gets protective
Metsä Wood is introducing what it bills as “a unique proposition” for the merchant sector – shrink-wrapping as standard on its deliveries of machined products.
Illingworth Ingham in iroko donation
Iroko benches made using timber donated by Illingworth Ingham (M/cr) Ltd have been unveiled in a memorial garden in honour of two police officers killed in a Manchester gun and grenade attack last year.
Liverpool importer invests £3m in new site
Liverpool-based importer Hardwood Timber Sales has invested about £3m in a new larger, purpose-built facility and is looking at expanding into sheet materials.
CPA warns of EU referendum pledge uncertainty
The prime minister’s pledge to hold a referendum on whether the UK should stay in the EU will create uncertainty for some construction products suppliers, according to the Construction Products Association (CPA).
Daltons Wadkin out of Africa
Daltons Wadkin has completed installation of a Wadkin circular sawbench in Sierra Leone on behalf of a charity supported by TV personality Nick Hewer.
SDRB invests in Profiset
Brackley-based SDRB Joinery has invested in an SCM Profiset 60 planer moulder.
New Lonza warranty scheme to boost treated timber confidence
Lonza Wood Protection has launched a new warranty scheme in the UK to cover Use Class 3 or 4 treated timber products in a move designed to boost confidence in treated fencing and landscaping timbers.
Italian machinery exports on negative trend
The Italian woodworking machinery industry is looking to the Ligna show in Germany to provide a clearer picture on its markets after recording a decline in sales and production volumes for 2012.
Parquet industry hopes in brighter economic forecasts
Brighter economic predictions are giving European parquet manufacturers optimism for “better times and market stability”.
EUTR impact grows
The imminent introduction of the anti-illegal wood EU Timber Regulation (EUTR) is prompting tropical timber supplier countries to step up legality assurance programmes, and some smaller European importers to drop out of the trade.
European Commission publishes updated EUTR guidance
The European Commission published updated guidance on the EU Timber Regulation yesterday and launched a new website on the legislation.
“Plant more conifers”, UKFPA tells minister
A call for increased planting of commercial conifer crops in Scotland has been made to Scottish environment minister Paul Wheelhouse.
Replacement window market grow
FENSA has reported the first quarterly growth in the number of replacement window and door installation notifications since 2007.
Industry action plan focuses on market demand
The government has promised to back the development of a new timber industry action plan to grow the UK wood market.
Timber Expo switches to Birmingham NEC
In a surprise strategic move, the Timber Expo has relocated from the Ricoh Arena in Coventry to the Birmingham NEC for this year’s show in September.
New haulage route takes strain off local roads
A £1.5m forest haulage route will take 1.1 million tonnes of timber off local roads in Dumfries-shire over the next quarter of a century.
UK and Indonesia discuss EUTR
Between 50-60 representatives of the UK and Indonesian timber sectors and officials discussed the implications of the EU Timber Regulation and related issues in a meeting at the Indonesian Embassy in London this week.
New secretary-general for EOS
Kimmo Järvinen has been appointed as the new secretary-general of the European Organisation of the Sawmill Industry (EOS).
Leitz managing director retires
Long-serving managing director of Leitz Tooling UK Ian Milligan is retiring and handing over the reins to Simon Liddell, who has been with the Leitz Group for 15 years.
BSI agrees to strengthen timber treatment specifications
The British Standards Institution (BSI) has accepted the Wood Protection Association’s (WPA) proposal to strengthen 30-year ground contact treatment specifications.
UPM to target construction sector with biocomposite material
Finnish forest products group UPM wants its biocomposite material ForMi to be used beyond the furniture trade into the construction industry globally.
Timber frame hospital erected
A new hospital in Sunderland is being constructed using a pre-insulated closed panel timber frame wall system from Stewart Milne Timber Systems.
Shakespeare by candlelight
The iconic Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre will open the doors on a new, timber-rich ‘Jacobean’ performance space in January 2014.
Obituary – David Dick
David Dick, considered a doyen of the UK teak trade, died on January 22.
NETTA members told of federation’s health
About 140 timber traders and guests at the annual Newcastle dinner heard that the Timber Trade Federation (TTF) is in good shape with 41 new members joining in 2012.
APP ends natural forest clearance
Asia Pulp and Paper (APP) is to end all natural forest clearing in its Indonesian supply chains.
Howarth launches Bondpay scheme
Howarth Timber and Building Supplies has launched a partnership scheme with Bondpay to help create trust between tradesmen and their customers.
Stora Enso’s timber division sees profits halve
Stora Enso is embarking on fresh cost reduction plans in its sawn timber business after reporting a 54% slide in the division’s annual earnings before interest and tax.
EU tropical timber imports fall 12%
EU tropical sawn timber imports dropped 12% to 778,000m3 in the first nine months of 2012, according to the International Tropical Timber Organisation (ITTO).
NHLA in phytosanitary warning to US lumber exporters
The US National Hardwood Lumber Association (NHLA) has warned members to ensure “KD” and “HT” marks are added to lumber on EU-bound shipments covered by a phytosanitary certificate.
Latest TTF stats reveal downward import trend
UK imports of the main timber and panel products were down 20,000m3 in January-November 2012 compared to the year before, new Timber Trade Federation statistics show.
Nigel King retires
Nigel King, a director of from UCM Timber (Specialities) Ltd, has retired after 46 years in the timber industry, of which nearly 25 years were spent with the company.
US housing recovery boosts OSB sales
The US housing recovery has led to a dramatic turnaround in Norbord’s North American annual profits, with the panels giant also now re-starting mothballed capacity.
WWF gridshell project progresses
Work is progressing on WWF-UK’s new £13m headquarters, which is to feature a striking curved timber gridshell roof.
Manufacturing of SpaceStud school starts
Off-site production has started on a 1,500m2 Scottish school using the Alpine SpaceStud timber wall system.
Wood Awards launches 2013 competition
The UK’s leading awards scheme for timber use in architecture and furniture will launch its 2013 call for entries at Ecobuild.
Leitz helps joiners meet Part L
Leitz Tooling UK has developed a system that allows any size joinery company to manufacture A-rated thermal stormproof flush casement and traditional timber windows.
Ilim reports growth in sales
Russian-owned sawmiller Ilim Timber has reported an annual growth in production and sales.
January 2013
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Government backs plans to grow UK wood market
The government has promised to back the development of a new timber industry action plan to grow the UK wood market.
UPM’s timber division’s profits halve in 2012
UPM’s forest and timber division’s operating profits (excluding special items) nearly halved in 2012 to €27m (2011: €50m).
Interfor expands sawmilling into south-eastern US
Canadian sawmilling group International Forest Products (Interfor)has moved in to south-eastern US region for the first time with the acquisition of the assets of three Rayonier sawmills for US$80m.
IWS announces Woodbridge Timber partnership
Intelligent Wood Systems (IWS) has announced a partnership with Woodbridge Timber under which the latter will supply IWS’s timber frame fire safety solutions.
Housebuilding volumes drop 9% in 2012
A 9% fall in annual UK housebuilding volumes to 104,510 (2011: 114,930) was recorded in 2012, according to the latest NHBC figures.
Timber ship has load re-secured
A timber carrying vessel on its way to Egypt has had to seek refuge in Sunderland Port.
Medite Tricoya goes modular
A manufacturer of demountable modular buildings is now using Medite Tricoya in the structures.
EUTR clarification still needed
Six weeks from the enforcement of the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR), the trade still needs clarification about the detail of the anti-illegal timber legislation.
Truss fabricator plans Argos-style internet shopping service
A Manchester roof truss fabricator has launched what it calls the UK’s first internet roof truss ordering service which allows clients to price their own standard roof trusses.
Wood First highlighted in central London debate
The timber trade’s Wood First message was targeted at members of the UK Green Building Council and other construction professionals this week in a lively debate at the Museum of London.
Construction sector grows marginally but builders fear more job losses
A third of all small to medium-sized building firms fear they will have to reduce staffing levels this year despite the latest government figures showing some construction sector growth at the end of 2012.
TTF sends “harsh” letter over Nordic contract
Timber Trade Federation (TTF) chief executive John White has written a harsh letter to Nordic timber federations about the lack of consultation on the latter’s Nordic Softwood Contract.
China unveils legality pilot
A pilot timber Legality Verification Standard has been launched by the China National Forest Products Industry Association (CNFPIA), according to the International Tropical Timber Organisation (ITTO).
AHEC’s Out of the Woods in Stockholm
Out of the Woods, the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC) project demonstrating the design and life cycle analysis (LCA) performance of US hardwoods, will feature at the Stockholm Furniture Fair at the Stockholmsmässan from February 5-9.
TM Machinery distributes Viet sanders
TM Machinery Sales, UK agent for Striebig vertical panel saws, iis to distribute the artisan range of Viet S1 and S2 wide-belt sanders.
Wood pellet storage deaths prompt warnings
The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) has issues a safety warning to all who manufacture, store and distribute wood pellets following a string of fatalities across Europe in wood pellet storage areas.
Glulam seminar pulls in architects
About 100 construction professionals learned about glulam at the latest Timber Trade Federation (TTF) Engineered Timber Forum seminar at London’s Building Centre.
Domotex remains world stage, despite visitor drop
Attendance at the international flooring fair Domotex in Germany fell 12.5%, but the organisers reported positive reactions from exhibitors on the quality and international mix of visitors.
Arnold Laver in 3% profits rise
Arnold Laver has reported a 3% rise in half-year operating profits to £4.4m.
Halspan out of Moralt
Halspan’s arrangement to take a stake in German panel and door blank producer Moralt AG has been dropped, following apparent disagreements between its proposed partners in the deal, Halspan confirmed to TTJ.
FSC extends in Indonesia
A forest and logging unit has achieved further FSC certification for as much as 141,000m3 of logs from natural forest in Indonesia.
NHLA optimistic for hardwoods
The US National Hardwood Lumber Association is to hold its annual convention and exhibition in Fort Worth, Texas, against a backdrop of improving market conditions.
UPM to sell French planing mill
UPM Timber is looking for a buyer for another of its non-core mills.
TFT to stage EUTR events
TFT (The Forest Trust) is staging events in London and Paris in the run-up to the introduction of EU Timber Regulation (EUTR) on March 3.
Brazil squeezed in 2012
Pine plywood was the only product where the Brazilian timber industry achieved an increase in exports last year as the sector saw its overseas earnings fall overall by 1.4%.
Lodowski’s plea for timber unity
President of the London Hardwood Club Andy Lodowski has made an impassioned plea for the timber trade to unite against the threat of competitor materials.
New rules to protect trees
Tighter controls on the import of native species of trees have been introduced as the latest action to guard against the spread of tree pests and diseases.
Kent joiner gets creative with SCM spindle moulder
Kent-based Creative Joinery has turned to SCM to upgrade its spindle moulding capabilities.
SIG Roofing & Roofline completes SR Timber acquisition
SIG Roofing & Roofline has announced the completion of its acquisition of SR Timber Ltd in a move which it says will strengthen the group’s commitment to ensuring continuity of supply of roof battens.
STEICO launches dry process wood fibre board
STEICO has expanded its range of wood fibre insulation sarking boards to include a product made by a dry manufacturing process.
Low cost woodworking machinery firm launched
A former Weinig and Homag company executive has started a low-cost, high-spec woodworking machinery company in Germany, that has agency deals in much of northern Europe and is negotiating to sell into the UK.
JT Atkinson expands
Independent builders merchant JT Atkinson & Sons, which owns Hathaway Timber Merchant, is to open two more branches, bringing the number of sites in the north of England to 14.
Public sector bidding framework set
Procedures to bid for public sector contracts to supply timber windows and doors have taken the next step toward approving companies to seek a share of £60m spent on components and services.
Homebase sales slip 4.5%
Sales at Homebase, which is undergoing a major store redevelopment programme, were down 4.5% for the autumn to new year retail season, driven by the continued weakness in big ticket sales, the company said.
Pallets take more UK timber
The UK pallet market is becoming more important to the home-grown sawmilling industry, according to the latest study into the manufacture and repair of wood packaging.
Obituary - Jimmy Hill
A service of thanksgiving took place at Albrighton Church near Wolverhampton on January 18 to celebrate the life of Harold James (Jimmy) Hill, a long-serving director of both the George Hill Packaging and Grange Fencing family of companies, who died peacefully at home aged 92.
Timber bright spot in construction
The number of people employed in wood trades and interior fit-out is set to rise faster than any other occupation in construction during the next five years, bucking the trend of the wider construction industry that faces one of its most difficult periods since the second world war.
Södra gears up for 75th anniversary
Södra is preparing for celebrations to mark its 75th anniversary, including a large public event at the international forestry fair Elmia Wood in June.
Fears over unfinished timber homes
Timber frame housebuilder GriffnerHaus, which once had a joint venture with Coillte, has gone into administration leaving debts of €33m and uncertainty among 240 employees and 100 homeowners.
Unimer appoints new chairman
Leo Martin, formerly chief operating officer of Grafton Group plc, has been appointed chairman of the merchant co-operative Unimer.
Slump and forest controls hit Ghana timber sector
Between 50-60 Ghanaian timber companies have collapsed due to the economic downturn and tougher forestry regulation and many survivors are trading below capacity, according to the International Tropical Timber Organisation (ITTO).
Panel imports continue decline
The contrasting fortunes of solid wood and panels imports were brought into sharper focus in the latest statistics published by the Timber Trade Federation.
New director to head Forestry Commission England
Forestry Commission England has announced its new director England who will take charge on March 11.
Egger boosts profits 22% to €156m
Egger has recorded a 22% growth in profits to €156m before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation in half-year result released recently.
Barratt doubles profits
Pre-tax profits at Barratt Developments have more than doubled in the second half of 2012, according to its latest trading update.
Calders & Grandidge makes palace appointment
Calders & Grandidge is to take part in an event for Royal Warrant holders to mark the 60th anniversary of the Queen’s coronation.
Glennons Brothers awarded Ruban d’Honneur
Ireland-based sawmilling group Glennon Brothers has been awarded the Ruban d’Honneur in the European Business Awards.
Timbmet appoints Nigel Cox as managing director
Timbmet have announced the appointment of Nigel Cox as managing director for Timbmet UK.
Pfleiderer unveils new structure and market strategy
Panel products giant Pfleiderer, fresh from widescale restructuring, is to bring all activities and product brands under the Pfleiderer header brand.
Scotts of Thrapston establishes new West Midlands business
Scotts of Thrapston has started the new year by establishing a new company – Scotts Timber Engineering Ltd – to tap the West Midlands trussed rafter and engineered floor joist market.
Timbermat reduces reliance on ekki imports
Ground protection solution provider Timbermat is ringing the changes in its timber sourcing in advance of the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR).
Premium Timber agrees new transport contract
Logistics and transport company Norbert Dentressangle has agreed a three-year multi-million pound contract with Premium Timber Products.
UCM Timber (Specialities) appoints commercial manager
UCM Timber (Specialities) Ltd has appointed Andrew Thrale as commercial director.
PDS provides windows on history
Performance Doorset Solutions (PDS) has helped two historic buildings benefit from modern manufacturing.
Constructional Timber buys larger factory
Barnsley-based engineered timber structure manufacturer Constructional Timber has bought a new, larger factory and is re-entering the straight glulam beam market.
Government report on timber frame fires published
The Department for Communities & Local Government has released a report on fires in timber framed buildings between 2009-2012.
OSB campaign targets builders
JOSB Done is to focus on builders this year, as the OSB promotional campaign enters its eighth year.
NEPCon EUTR training in London
An international training programme designed to prepare businesses for the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR) will include an intensive one-day course in London.
Blackheath Products expands warehousing
West Midlands-based Blackheath Products has purchased additional warehousing to hold greater stock levels and broaden its range of products.
WWF publishes West African timber legality sourcing guide
WWF has published a timber legality sourcing guide for timbers from Ghana, Liberia and the Ivory Coast.
Zambia prepares to end timber export ban
Zambia is preparing to lift its ban on raw timber exports, according to media reports in the country.
Budapest will be meeting point for AHEC’s European Convention
The American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC) will hold its next Convention in Budapest on October 24-25.
Joinery firm owner’s property tipped to be Royal home
The current base of a Norfolk architectural joinery and furniture manufacturer could become the future family home of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, according to speculation in the national media.
Life’s a beach for Tricoya
Medite Tricoya modified MDF has been selected for the refurbishment of a beach hut in Thorpe Bay, Southend-on-Sea.
Grafton’s UK division grows turnover
Grafton Group’s UK merchanting turnover grew by 3.1% in 2012, according to its latest trading statement.
David Ridgeon appointed MBE in New Year honours
David Ridgeon, vice-chairman of East Anglia-based Ridgeons Timber & Builders Merchants, has been appointed MBE in the New Year honours list.
Persimmon records 9% rise in new home completions
National housebuilder Persimmon plc has reported a 9% growth in annual legal completions of new homes and anticipates further growth in the number of sites it is selling from.
Government officially scraps “conservatory tax”
The government has scrapped its planned “conservatory tax” to force homeowners to make additional home improvements when carrying out work to their properties.
RusForest faces crunch meeting on future
Russian sawmiller and forestry group RusForest has asked its share and bondholders to support a vital restructuring plan at a crunch meeting or they will see the company go into liquidation.
ETTF in tropical timber warning
The International Tropical Timber Organisation (ITTO) Council has been warned that the market is moving away from tropical timber.
Global sawlog prices continue to fall
Global sawlog prices continued their fall in the third quarter of 2012, according to Wood Resource Quarterly – and prices in Europe have fallen more than 13% in the last 12 months.
VIDA Paper bankrupt
VIDA Paper AB has been declared bankrupt just a month after a rescue reorganisation was announced.
Latvijas Finieris sets up Turkish operation
Latvijas Finieris has established a product development and trading company in Turkey – its 11th venture outside of Latvia.
DLH divests land in Brazil
DLH has sold major land and properties in Belem, Brazil, to a local contracting company.
RICS survey hints at better construction market
The UK construction market is expected to turn a corner this year, according to the latest RICS survey.
Materials handling in focus at IMHX 2013
Materials handling solution companies are gearing up for this spring’s International Materials Handling Exhibition (IMHX) at Birmingham NEC.
Pasquill makes history in Lincoln
The first new building to be constructed in the grounds of Lincoln Castle for 100 years incorporates glulam columns, roof beams and cross bracing.
VAT cut heads builders’ New Year wishlist
Cutting VAT on housing renovation and repair work is top priority for small and medium-sized builders, according to a survey by the Federation of Master Builders (FMB).
Howarth expands partnership with Symphony
Howarth Timber and Building Supplies is expanding its retail support deal with Symphony Group to three additional branches.
Obituary – Charles Craig
Charlie Craig, the former chairman of Charles Craig (Timber Agents) Ltd, Liverpool and Craig Lumber Corp, Collierville, TN, US, died peacefully in hospital near his Wirral home on December 19, 2012. He was 82.
Stella-Jones grows treated wood business
Leading North American pressure-treated wood products producer Stella-Jones Inc has announced the acquisition of McFarland Cascade Holdings.
Rembrand Timber fined £50,000 in health and safety case
Rembrand Timber has been fined £50,000 for health and safety failings by a Scottish court.
Kier kicks-off largest UK CLT build
A project billed as the UK’s largest cross-laminated timber (CLT) build has has got under way in London.
Xylexpo trusts in Milan future and aims to woo back SCM and Biesse
Organisers of Italy’s largest woodworking technology exhibition Xylexpo have pledged to keep the next event in Milan and are hopeful of attracting key manufacturers SCM, Biesse and Cefla back as exhibitors.
Södra invests in Valutec kilns
Three Valutec kins have been procured by Södra Timber for a planned increase in production at the Värö sawmill.
Beetle guidance updated
Updated guidance on detecting and managing the threat to spruce forests from the great spruce bark beetle has been published by the Forestry Commission.
TTF gets tough over non compliant “marine” plywood
The Timber Trade Federation (TTF) is giving plywood member companies six months to ensure marine plywood complies with standards or they will face disciplinary action.
Klausner invests in North Carolina sawmill project
The construction of a US$110m sawmill in North Carolina by German sawmilling giant Klausner Timber has been announced in the US.
December 2012
Top
Keyline hosts charity ball
Keyline Builders Merchants, part of the Travis Perkins Group, held the ‘Best Ball in Town’ on November 16 in support of its charity partner, Prostate Cancer UK, raising over £7,500 in the process.
NHBC reports “promising” signs in housebuilding market
The latest housing stats from the NHBC has revealed “signs of promise”.
Home-grown timber on agenda at EUTR seminar
Home-grown timber buyers and growers can find out what the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR) will mean for them at a London seminar on January 24.
UPM’s Aureskoski mill readies for permanent closure
UPM’s Aureskoski further processing mill will cease operations this month.
North West TTBS celebrates Christmas
More than 100 timber traders attended the North West region Timber Trades’ Benevolent Society (TTBS) Christmas lunch held at the Adelphi Hotel, Liverpool on Wednesday December 12.
UKTFA releases major update to timber frame guidance
The UK Timber Frame Association (UKTFA) has published the long-awaited results of its SiteSafe Series 2 fire tests in a move which it says will underpin growth of timber frame.
AMS supplies one of its first Kentwoods to Clifford Jones
Clifford Jones has taken delivery of a heavy-duty Kentwood moulder, one of the first supplied by Advanced Machinery Services (AMS) since it secured UK sales exclusivity for the brand.
Mill gears up for Postsaver
Mid-Wales sawmill Llandre Sawn Wood has installed high volume Postsaver application equipment integrated into its existing production process.
Euro machinery sales improve
European woodworking machinery and tool suppliers boosted turnover by 10.2% during 2011 to almost €6bn, new figures reveal.
Ash borer pest spreads in US
New control areas have been added in the fight against the spread of the emerald ash borer (EAB) pest in the US.
Fear of forced labour in Belarus
Wood processing workers in Belarus have been banned from leaving their jobs on pain of being sentenced to compulsory labour and returned to the production line.
Södra treads further into flooring
Södra is to further expand its flooring business with the acquisition of Swedish solid flooring manufacturer Föllinge Golv.
Obituary – Tony Walton
Tony Walton passed away peacefully on December 13 after a long fight with illness.
Pfleiderer deal saves 3,600 jobs
Panels giant Pfleiderer has completed the restructuring process begun two years ago, which will guarantee 3,600 jobs in the group.
KVH producer buys Rettenmeier site
German KVH producer Junginger Naturholzwerk has bought the Gaildorf-Unterrot site from construction products group Rettenmeier Holdings.
Timber windows grow market value
The value of timber windows installed grew by 6% in housing and 4% overall, according to the Wood Windows Alliance (WWA) Members’ Meeting.
Confor welcomes gangmaster law fee waiver
Confor has welcomed the government’s decision to allow the Gangmasters Licensing Authority (GLA) to waive fees for issuing licences to forestry businesses, pending a ruling on whether the sector should be completely exempt from gangmaster legislation.
Sprinkler system developed for frame sites
Trials are set to begin early next year on a self-contained modular sprinkler system to protect timber frame construction sites.
FSC targets fibreboard for change
The FSC has launched a campaign to persuade forest owners and panel manufacturers to introduce more certified fibreboard.
Back to school for Stewart Milne
Stewart Milne Timber Systems has started work on a £65m student accommodation complex in Colchester for the University of Essex.
Plywood Club at 60
The Plywood Club of London has another 60 years in it and more, but needs to continue to attract new members, and particularly younger elements of the trade.
Travis Perkins turnover creeps up
Travis Perkins reports group turnover up 1.6% in the first 11 months to the end of November, and has announced a project to help customers capitalise on the UK’s drive to sustainable construction.
Wood Awards launch app
A free app has been launched by the Wood Awards, giving instant access to photos and technical details of the winners and shortlisted entries for this year’s competition.
Accoya sails to mill rescue
Accoya modified wood has been used over traditional hardwood in a showpiece project – the restoration of Jerusalem’s iconic windmill.
Holz-Her helps S&I streamline
Busy shopfitting specialist S&I Manufacturing has invested in new Holz-Her technology to help drive up productivity at its Corby plant.
Long stay for hoteliers
A council has held firm to measures to have PVCu windows replaced along a historic seafront, but has given hoteliers a long period of grace.
Second showing for Fabric First
A Fabric First one-day conference and exhibition in February with a programme of in-depth presentations will be supported by 30 technology providers.
Kronospan customers design by iPad
Kronospan added a new twist to its annual Forum last week, where it consults distributors and manufacturing cusomers on its latest range of décor designs. It enabled them to participate in the creative process using specially designed software on a tablet computer – a tool which the company will also use to market its new products.
BWF PR an Ecobuild top 100 tweeter
British Woodworking Federation marketing adviser Liz Male has been named one of the top 100 influencers of construction, design and the built environment by sustainable construction show Ecobuild.
£3m pier to boost Mull forestry
Work has begun on a £3m pier on Mull to transport greater quantities of timber off the Scottish island for both public and private suppliers.
New markets for Welsh wood
Home-grown timber is being used in a UK Brettstapel timber build project for the first time.
City College Plymouth carpentry students win prestigious awards
Two City College Plymouth students have won awards at The Institute of Carpenters Carpenters’ Craft Competition.
New president for EOS
Hannu Kasurinen, CEO of Stora Enso Building and Living, has been appointed as president of the European Organisation of the Sawmill Industry (EOS).
British Coatings Federation appoints council chair
John Falder, managing director of HMG Paints Ltd, has been appointed as chairman of the British Coatings Federation’s (BCF) Industrial Coatings Council.
New Södra group president and CEO named
Lars Idermark has been appointed as Södra’s new group president and CEO.
Travis Perkins donates materials to aid Antarctic expedition
Travis Perkins Group has donated £10,000 worth of building materials and a specially designed kitchen to ‘The Coldest Journey’ Antarctic expedition, led by Sir Ranulph Fiennes.
UPM forestry plantation showcase
UPM has showcased how it manages sustainable forestry plantations during an international conference in Uruguay.
Construction orders continue decline
The latest figures for new orders in construction show some improvement from the summer, but the overall level of business remains very poor, the Construction Products Association (CPA) said.
UK imports still heading down
UK total timber and panel product imports were lower in September than the same month last year, maintaining the downward trend of the last nine months, according to the latest Timber Trade Federation (TTF) statisical report.
Obituary – Michael Walker
Michael Walker, chairman of the Walker Group, died on November 30. He was 76.
Merchant doubles sideloader fleet
Briggs Equipment is to supply five new sideloaders to one of Northern Ireland’s leading builders merchants as part of a seven-year supply and maintenance deal.
Irish firm lifts export award
Specialist materials handling manufacturer Combilift has won an award for exports to Germany.
EU needs to use more wood products to meet carbon emission targets
The EU needs to use an additional 320 million m3 of wood per year if it is to meet carbon emissions and renewable energy targets, a European Parliament workshop has heard.
BSW begins major exports from Fort William
BSW has begun exporting sawn timber to North Africa direct from the UK as part of a new deal to supply one of Egypt’s largest timber distributors from Scotland.
London Softwood Club celebrates Christmas
Around 160 guests attended the London Softwood Club’s Christmas lunch at the Charing Cross Hotel on December 6.
Rougier launches new website
Tropical hardwood producer Rougier has launched a new website.
Builder charts conversion to I-joists
A case study on London-based Galower Builders’ use of LP SolidStart Simply Better Building 225i I-joists has been added to LP Building Products’ product literature portfolio.
Glennon Brothers sponsors TTJ Awards
Glennon Brothers has become the first UK or Ireland home-grown timber sawmiller to sponsor the TTJ Awards.
Legality schemes still working on EUTR compliance
A report from the European Timber Trade Federation (ETTF) concludes that no leading third-party legality verification or certification body currently fully complies with the upcoming EU Timber Regulation on illegal timber “risk mitigation”.
Modified wood to star in Kevin’s house
Westgate Joinery is to supply timber windows made with modified wood for the UK’s first sustainable building to be built largely from waste and surplus materials.
Windows and doors tendering bonanza
Local government procurement consortium LHC said £21m worth of business for timber windows and doors could be available in a new round of public sector tendering.
A&J Scott installs third tank and switches to BASF Wolman
Northumberland sawmiller A&J Scott is in the final stages of a third treatment plant being installed.
Charity begins at TTJ Awards
Daltons Wadkin is helping businessman and TV personality Nick Hewer install woodworking equipment he acquired to donate to a charity in Africa.
Obituary – Joe Kennedy
Joe Kennedy, a much respected former managing director of Medite Europe Ltd, died suddenly on November 15. He was 66.
Glennon Brothers' Euro triumph
Glennon Brothers has been selected as a National Champion for Ireland in the European Business Awards.
FSC first for Brazilian forest concession
Tropical hardwood decking and flooring producer LN Guerra is celebrating after its 46,000ha forest concession became the first concession in Brazil to achieve FSC certification.
Dire outlook forces SCA to shut mills
SCA Timber is to close two of its seven sawmills with the loss of 98 jobs citing the worst economic conditions for Swedish sawmilling in 40 years.
Sonae to close Spanish mill
Sonae is seeking to close its Tableros Tradema subsidiary particleboard mill in Solsona in Spain.
LP wins beam CE approval
LP Building Products has received CE marking approval for its construction materials in the EU for four grades of LP SolidStart LVL.
Easi-timbers cause a shiver
BSW easi-timber has been used in a community arts project to recreate historic buildings from the Glasgow waterfront.
Bumper Christmas tree harvest
British Christmas trees are in bountiful supply and good saleable condition thanks to the wet weather, the British Christmas Trees Growers association said.
Chalara control plan aims to buy time
The Government has today set out a control plan for the Chalara ash dieback outbreak to slow the spread while woodlands can be restructured to make them more resilient to disease.
Timber frame set for 25% market share
Timber frame will account for nearly a quarter of all UK newbuild housing in 2014, according to the latest UK Timber Frame Association report.
Wood City showpiece design unveiled
The winner of the Wood City architectural competition to be built as a wooden city quarter in Helsinki has been awarded for its ability to be reproduced in construction and its whole life cycle economics.
Little cheer in merchant sales
Builders merchants reported a short-term improvement in sales during the summer, but can take little cheer from the latest figures, the Builders Merchants Federation (BMF) said.
Chancellor announces new school building programme
The chancellor’s announcement of an extra £1bn to improve schools and build 100 new free schools as part of a £5bn new government capital investment in infrastructure been welcomed by the construction sector.
Prince praises fight against deforestation
The government has set out plans to tackle deforestation during a summit at Clarence House co-hosted by the Prince of Wales.
Norvik commissions Komi sawmill
Norwood, the Russian subsidiary of Norvik Timber Industries, has begun production at its new sawmill in the Komi Republic.
Lockerbie mill installs new lubrication systems
James Jones & Sons Lockerbie sawmill has installed new Stenner lubrication systems for its bandsaw lines.
Parker rebrands Saint-Gobain acquisitions
Parker Building Supplies, the independent Kent and Sussex builders merchant, has rebranded four branches it bought from Jewson parent Saint-Gobain in October.
Record low Amazon deforestation
The loss of the Amazon rainforest has reached its lowest level since monitoring began 24 years ago, according to new satellite data from Brazil’s National Institute of Space Research.
Furniture firms continue decline
The UK furniture industry is dominated by micro and small to medium businesses as the sector continues to retreat, according to the latest statistics by FIRA.
UPM closes glulam mill
UPM is to cease production at its glulam panel mill in Heinola by the middle of December with the loss of 27 jobs.
US housing figures ahead of 2011
The number of building permits and housing starts in the US in October displayed single-digit movement, but remained well ahead of October a year before.
Guide to due diligence launched
A new fast track guidance standard to tackle forestry supply chain risks has been produced ahead of the EU Timber Regulation which comes into effect in March.
November 2012
Top
B&Q sales slide again
UK sales at home improvement group Kingfisher, which owns B&Q and Screwfix, continued to slide following the wet summer that hit business earlier in the year.
NHBC figures point to need for more homes
A 12% drop in the number of new homes registered this year points to an urgent need for more building, the NHBC said.
Timber confidence drives forestry investment
Confidence in timber drove a strong market in forestry investment, according to the Forest Market Report 2012, launched this week by Savills and UPM Tilhill.
Lathams posts £4.04m pre-tax profit
James Latham plc has posted solid £4.04m interim pre-tax profits despite difficult trading conditions.
Ecomerchant in administration
The Kent-based Ecomerchant business has gone into administration with the rest of the Burdens group.
Floods hit Buildbase branch twice in one week
Buildbase’s Malmesbury branch has been flooded twice in a week after torrential rain battered the Wiltshire town.
Pool’s winner in Wood Awards
Hurlingham Club’s outdoor pool has been named the supreme Gold winner in this year’s Wood Awards.
Obituary – Michael Charlton
Michael Charlton, sales and marketing director of AJ Charlton & Sons Ltd has died. He was 61 and had been suffering from colon cancer.
Canfor sells OSB mill share
Canfor has begun negotiations to sell its half-share in a British Columbia OSB mill to partner Louisiana-Pacific for an estimated C$75m.
BWF asks chancellor to put construction centre stage
British Woodworking Federation (BWF) chief executive Iain McIlwee has called on the chancellor George Osborne to put business and construction centre stage in the upcoming autumn statement.
Harvest helps RusForest reduce losses
Loss-making RusForest, the Swedish owned Russian forestry company and sawmiller, reported greater harvests and sawnwood production that helped boost its revenues.
Bradfords expands with purchase of two Burdens depots
Independent merchanting group Bradfords has acquired two depots from Burdens, boosting total branch numbers to 29.
China urged to act on illegal timber
China has been accused of standing on the sidelines as the world’s second biggest economy devastates forests by importing illegal timber on a massive scale.
Kronospan buys Knowsley factory assets for eastern Europe expansion
Kronospan has confirmed to TTJ that it has bought the chipboard production machinery at Sonae’s closed factory in Liverpool and will ship the equipment to eastern Europe.
NWTTBS raises over £10k
A masquerade ball took place on November 10 at the Liverpool Anglican Cathedral in aid of the Timber Trades’ Benevolent Society (TTBS) and raised a magnificent £10,240 for the charity.
Glennons shortlisted for Irish exporters award
Ireland-based sawmilling group Glennon Brothers has been shortlisted at this year’s Irish Exporters’ Industry Awards.
HSE endorses expansion of UKTFA’s Site Safe “approved” product list
The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) has given its endorsement to an expanded list of approved products and systems under the UK Timber Frame Association’s Site Safe Fire Risk Management programme.
Illegal timber law is opportunity
The upcoming anti-illegal wood EU Timber Regulation (EUTR) represented a “real opportunity” for the plywood and wider timber industry to demonstrate its environmental commitment, Chris Sutton, president of the Timber Trade Federation’s (TTF) National Products Division, said at the division’s annual dinner last week.
Ohra boosts traders storage efficiency
Ohra has completed two major timber racking projects, designed to boost customers’ storage capacity and efficiency.
Brazilian interest in UK sustainable building
A delegation from Brazil visited Travis Perkins’ Sustainable Building Solutions division as part of a BRE-organised fact-finding trip to assess UK sustainable construction strategies.
Weinig in-house show attracts 1,000 people
Around 1,000 visitors descended on Weinig’s Tauberbischofsheim’s HQ for the company’s InTech in-house exhibition.
Duchy Timber strengthens its team with new appointments
Duchy Timber has appointed three senior members of staff at its Lostwithiel and Ottery St Mary sites.
Pods demonstrate energy efficiency
Pods using timber from Saint-Gobain’s Pasquill and International Timber operations made their debut at the Passivhaus Conference at the University of Nottingham.
Swedscot planning expansion into England
Scottish timber importer Swedscot Timber is planning to expand its business to the north-east of England.
Ligna takes flexible approach
Versatile, multi-functional machines, capable of undertaking a range of different timber processing requirements,will be a core focus at the next Ligna next May.
Buildbase tree-planting landmark
Some 50,000 tree seedlings have now been planted in the UK merchant Buildbase’s Lifecycle Forest in Sweden.
Finnish sawn timber exports decline 6%
Finnish sawn timber exports declined almost 6% to 4.2 million m3 in January-August, compared to the same period in 2011.
Government prompt payment move needs teeth
The timber trade has greeted the business minister’s threat to name and shame major companies that don’t sign up to its Prompt Payment Code, including big names in construction, with a cautious welcome and a measure of cynicism.
Timcon lobbies for UK opt-out in EU ISPM 15 extension move
Timcon says it will lobby for the UK timber pallet and wood packaging industry to be given special consideration if and when ISPM 15 regulations are extended in Europe.
Trade backs calls for 300,000 new homes a year
The timber and timber construction sectors have backed calls from the Future Homes Commission (FHC) for the building of 300,000 new homes a year and for an improvement in new housing design. But there are caveats, including doubts about industry capacity to hit the target.
Byko-Lat installs new treatment plant
Byko-Lat has installed a new treatment impregnation plant at its Valmiera site in Latvia.
Global markets help DLH & Rougier
International tropical timber and panel product suppliers DLH and Rougier have reported growing business in Asia and the Americas while turnover in western Europe shrinks.
Tasmania agrees forestry peace deal
An agreement between the timber industry and environmentalists in Tasmania is set to end a 30-year dispute between the two parties.
Australia passes illegal timber law
After five years of negotiation and development, Australia’s parliament this week passed the country’s Illegal Logging Prohibition (ILP) bill, its equivalent of the EU Timber Regulation and America’s Lacey Act.
Boise Cascade in stock market flotation move
American engineered wood products manufacturer Boise Cascade is filing to float itself on the stock market in a move to raise about US$200m.
JJI-Joists feature in Housebuilder Awards wins
JJI-Joists were used by the winners of two categories in the Housebuilder Awards 2012.
Nick Clegg announces extra £225m to unlock stalled housing schemes
The government has announced £225m of new funding to help unlock stalled major housing schemes.
LP’s OSB sales rocket on the back of housing market growth
US OSB and engineered wood products manufacturer Louisana-Pacific (LP) has seen its third quartert earnings rocket to US$75m.
TRADA’s Giraffe in line for award
TRADA’s Giraffe Pavilion, which it commissioned from Ramboll Computational Design for the Timber Expo show, is shortlisted for a new award.
Icklesham triumphs in BWF joinery awards
Icklesham Joinery has won the UK joinery industry’s highest technical award.
Passionate plea for TTBS funds
The Timber Trades’ Benevolent Society (TTBS) needs not only continued funding from existing backers but also support from other companies and industry organisations.
Major German sawmill starts investor search
Klenk Holz AG has launched a search for new investors to buy the company so it can finalise restructuring.
Enginereed timber seminar attracts 200 people
The second seminar in the Timber Trade Federation’s Engineered Timber Forum attracted around 200 people.
Tricoya chosen for Kangaroo sculpture
Medite Tricoya MDF has been used in an outdoor Kangaroo-shaped sculpture in the Netherlands.
Sonae agrees sale of Knowsley factory machinery
Sonae Industria has signed an agreement to sell the machinery at its recently closed factory in Liverpool for a sum in the region of €19m.
Stewart Milne sees strong timber frame future
Building group Stewart Milne has reported sales and operating profits both up for 2011-2012 and underlined its commitment to its timber frame division, Stewart Milne Timber Systems (STMS), as part of its future strategy.
ABP announces new chief executive
After completing six years at the helm, Associated British Ports (ABP) chief executive Peter Jones is to retire at the end of March. He will be succeeded by James Cooper who has served as a non executive director of ABP since May 2007.
NPPD dinner raises funds for TTBS
On behalf of the Timber Trades’ Benevolent Society (TTBS) trustees, the national president Dilwyn Howells and the Board of Management, Ivan Savage, TTBS general manager, wishes to thank the National Panel Products Division (NPPD) chairman Chris Sutton and all the attendees at the NPPD dinner on November 14 for their exceptional generosity. An after dinner collection raised £3,368 for the society.
Russian sawmiller secures bridging loan
Troubled Russian sawmiller RusForest has secured a US$5m bridging loan.
More ash tree disease sites discovered in Wales
Chalara ash dieback disease has been identified at five newly-planted sites in Wales.
Housebuilders report improved forward sales
Three of the UK’s largest housebuilders – Persimmon, Barratt Developments and Taylor Wimpey – have released upbeat interim statements.
Renovated birch veneer to open in Estonia
Leading Lativan birch plywood manufacturer Latvijas Finieris is to open a renovated birch veneer factory in Kohila, Estonia.
German traders could face EUTR fines of up to €50,000
Germany’s federal government has incorporated the EU Timber Regulation into its law.
Zambia suspends timber licences
The Zambian government has suspended all timber licences in an attempt to protect the country’s forests.
Asians buy NZ forestry land
More than 4,000ha of land in Marlborough in New Zealand’s South Island has been sold to Asian timber processors in the past two months.
Bidders circle Gunns
The receivers for Gunns Ltd expect several binding bids for the collapsed Australian company’s two mills.
Hodge graduates from Henley
Andy Hodge, commercial director at M&M Timber, has graduated with an MBA from Henley Business School.
Travis Perkins CEO appointed as CPA chairman
Travis Perkins chief executive Geoff Cooper has been appointed as the Construction Production Association’s (CPA) new non executive chairman.
Gill & Robinson sale to Kullik and Rullmann completed
The sale of Newcastle-based softwood timber agent Gill & Robinson to German timber agency Kullik & Rullmann has been completed.
Obituary – Tony Davidson
Tony Davidson, a former main board director of Merseyside agent Hunt Brothers and Company Ltd, has died following a short battle with cancer.
Finsa in Iberpan 400 distribution deal with Timbmet
Panel producer Finsa UK has struck a distribution deal with Timbmet for its lightweight Iberpan 400 veneered MDF.
Rob Simpson – Obituary
Bringing people together, breaking down barriers, and an infectious enthusiasm for life and for the timber trade: these are just a few of the characteristics which colleagues, customers and friends across the industry will always identify with Rob Simpson who died suddenly on October 16.
Downward trend in UK import volumes accelerates
The downward UK timber imports trend accelerated in August, according to the Timber Trade Federation’s lastest statistics bulletin.
Finnish sawn timber exports decline 6%
Finnish sawn timber exports declined almost 6% to 4.2 million m3 in January-August, compared to the same period in 2011.
Grafton’s UK merchanting business sees autumn improvement
Grafton Group, which includes the Buildbase chain, has reported an upturn in trading in its UK merchanting business following a “flat” summer.
Nicklin’s investment leads to turnover boost
Birmingham-based wood packaging manufacturer Nicklin Transit Packaging says its £500,000 investment in a two-way pallet line and bespoke business management software has led to a record turnover.
Scotts of Thrapston sets up new truss site ready for housing upturn
Scotts of Thrapston is expanding its trussed rafter and metal-web capacity, with significant investment in a new production facility in the Midlands.
CLT project over to industry
The baton for a project to make cross-laminated timber (CLT) in the UK out of home-grown softwood is ready to be passed from the researchers to prospective manufacturers.
Merchants a market for Kerridge manufacturing software
Kerridge Commercial Systems (KCS) says merchant-distributors could benefit from a new manufacturing module added to its K8 business management software.
Cabinet maker goes vertical
Devon cabinet maker Clayton Cabinets has replaced its elderly beam saw with a four-year-old refurbished Striebig vertical panel saw.
Traders dismayed at potential ash loss
As further evidence of Chalara ash dieback disease is reported across England, hardwood sawmillers are voicing concerns that English ash may find it difficult to mount a future challenge to more fashionable imported ash.
Altripan achieves VLC plywood milestone
Altripan UK says it has become the first UK supplier of Verification of Legal Compliance (VLC) legally verified plywood as it readies itself for implementation of the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR).
London timber merchant destroyed in fire
Grays Wood Products’ timber yard near Thurrock in Essex has been destroyed in a major fire.
European timber companies choose Ohra
Storage projects for an Austrian merchant and a Dutch softwood importer are the latest to be completed by German racking specialist Ohra.
Ash disease spread confirmed in six more counties
An emergency summit on destructive ash tree disease Chalara dieback yesterday revealed that the outbreak has now been confirmed across a much wider area – including woodland in Sussex, Berkshire, Bedfordshire, Lincolnshire, Yorkshire and Northumberland.
Obituary – Tim Bennett
The death of Tim Bennett on Friday November 2 will be received with much sadness by all who knew this long-standing member of the timber trade.
Hungary makes bid for PEFC certification
Hungary has become one of the last remaining European countries with a significant share of private forest owners to develop a national forest certification scheme.
TTF gears up for EUTR
The Timber Trade Federation (TTF) has announced further workshops to help the industry gear up for the anti-illegal wood EU Timber Regulation.
Ireland forestry champions exports
Ireland has repositioned itself as a major exporter of forestry products in response to a lagging domestic market, according to a trade association report.
Hurricane lumber demand hype “nonsense”
Hype about Hurricane Sandy being a demand catalyst for pushing up US lumber prices is “nonsense”, according to industry newsletter Random Lengths.
ITW helps curvaceous remodelling
Thomas Armstrong (Construction) has remodelled one of its own 1970s builds for Derwent & Solway Housing Association with a curved trussed rafter roof, designed using ITW Industry Alpine’s View software.
Timber industry skills programme migrates to NSA
Many services offered by timber industry skills partner Proskills will now be offered under the brand of its sister operation The National Skills Academy (NSA).
Rörvik Timber reduces production
Rörvik Timber is cutting production at all its sawmills and will also have a longer Christmas and New Year holiday shutdown.
Confor urges government to boost resources for ash disease fight
Confor has called for the government to allocate additional resources for fighting destructive ash tree disease Chalara dieback, describing the Forestry Commission as “stretched beyond breaking point”.
Vapo Timber’s losses deepen
Losses at Finnish sawmiller Vapo Timber have deepened in the nine months ended September 30.
Pasquill navigates history to deliver roof trusses
Elaborate logisitics requirements which included navigating past a medieval archway were required on a timber frame school project in Fife.
Metsä Wood records €17m interim operating profits
Metsä Wood has recorded “reasonable” operating profits of €17m (2011: €12m) for the nine months ending September 30, despite a challenging demand and competition situation.
Bog oak drying process begins
The six-month drying process for 5,000-year-old Fenland black oak planks has begun in a special kiln built at London’s Building Crafts College.
Timber frame boost for housebuilder
Profits and sales fell for 2011/12 at building group Mactaggart & Mickel, but its timber frame arm increased turnover 45% and profits 12-fold.
Holmen Timber remains in the red
Holmen Timber has now been recording operating losses for nearly two years, following the release of its third quarter figures.
New Scottish timber group debates future softwood availability
A new Scottish timber industry group has debated how to tackle the issues of tree pests/diseases and a potential increase in softwood volumes.
Wolseley acquires 22 Burdens branches
Wolseley’s acquisition – announced today – of 22 Burdens depots leaves a big question mark hanging about the future of remaining Burdens branches and the Ecomerchant division.
Ash disease threat prompts government Cobra meeting
The government is taking the ash tree disease threat so seriously it has called a meeting of its Cobra crisis response committee.
Setra cuts production at redwood mill
Setra is cutting production at its Vimmerby redwood sawmill by 20%.
Norbord reaps the benefits of better US housing market
An improved US housing market has led to profits more than doubling at North American panel producer Norbord during the third quarter.
Drax unveils biomass conversion plans
Energy company Drax has committed to converting half of its coal-fired power generation units at Selby to biomass in a move which will cost it £650-700m.
UPM continues to battle weak market conditions
UPM’s forest and timber division recorded a 10% drop in sales during the third quarter, according to the company’s interim report.
October 2012
Top
Confor stages landmark conference
This is a really exciting time for forestry and for those involved in the sector, according to forestry minister David Heath, in a video message to delegates of Confor’s conference 'A landmark year for English forestry?' at the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) in London on October 25.
School’s larch façade protected against fire
About 50,000 linear metres of Siberian larch with Lonza Wood Protection’s Non-Com Exterior fire retardant has been supplied to a Wolverhampton school project.
Sawn ash timber trade unaffacted by UK ban to combat ash disease
Movements of sawn ash timber within the UK will continue unhindered as they represent a very low risk of disease transmission from the destructive ash tree disease chalara dieback, the Forestry Commission has said.
Kronospan fire caused by mechanical fault
A fire at Kronospan’s Chirk wood-based panels factory last week has been blamed on a mechanical fault in the production area.
NHBC stats show flat housing market
The UK’s new housing market remains flat, according to the NHBC’s newly-published third quarter statistics.
Tariffs fail to curb prices
Domestic log prices in western Russia did not decline long-term as the Russian government had hoped when it increased log export tariffs to 25%, according to Wood Resource Quarterly (WRQ).
Gunns assets on the market
Gunns Timber Products’ mills and other assets are on the market after it filed for bankruptcy three weeks ago.
Finland raises largest timber building
Finland’s largest multi-storey timber building has been completed in Viikki based on the Metsä Wood Multi-Storey System.
More cuts as Scandinavia battles poor trading
Stora Enso has launched into a round of closures and cost-cutting measures as weak demand and a strong krona have hit hard the fortunes of Scandinavian timber and forestry suppliers.
Concerns over administrative burden of FSC online claims system
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) has announced that it is “moving forward” with an obligatory online system to check the veracity of FSC claims. But there are growing concerns over the time and administrative burden this will entail for timber businesses.
Howarth Timber responds to renewables demand
Howarth Timber this week launched a renewables demonstration and training centre at its Rochdale site and announced it will start to market the eco-technologies at its other branches. alongside its timber products range.
RH Wilson (Lakes) widens net to merchants
Cumbrian high end redwood importer and sawmiller RH Wilson (Lakes) Ltd is expanding to supply the merchanting sector in a bid to more efficiently service end users of its Grade 1 redwood timber.
Daltons Wadkin spreads wings with first Greda installation
Daltons Wadkin’s first Greda CNC machining centre installation has been completed at Huddersfield-based David Scott Pattern Makers Ltd.
Vicaima appoints commercial director
Vicaima Ltd has appointed Barry Waddell as commercial director.
CEI-Bois appoints secretary-general
CEI-Bois, the European Confederation of Woodworking Industries, has appointed Philip Buisseret as secretary-general. He succeeds Filip De Jaeger who is leaving the organisation at the end of the year.
Ash disease action stepped up
Action to tackle a dangerous ash tree disease has been stepped up following the first confirmed cases in natural woodland.
Mental health charity MIND chosen for donations in memory of SCA’s Rob Simpson
Following the recent death of Rob Simpson, managing director of SCA Timber Supply Ltd, his family have nominated mental health charity MIND as their candidate for donations which customers and colleagues may wish to make in his memory.
Economy grows again but construction falters
The UK economy returned to growth in the third quarter (up by 1%) but the construction sector contracted by 2.5%, according to provisional new GDP figures.
Stora Enso launches cost-cutting moves
Stora Enso has launched into a fresh round of cost-cutting measures as weak demand and a strong krona have hit demand for its wood products in the third quarter.
TTF and Confor to jointly host International Softwood Conference
Confor will joint host next year’s International Softwood Conference (ISC) in Scotland with the Timber Trade Federation (TTF) in recognition of the UK sawmilling sector’s growing importance to the UK timber trade.
Student helps design IDS new HQ
International Decorative Surfaces (IDS) has announced the student winners of a competition to design aspects of its new purpose-built headquarters.
Troubled Burdens makes strategic review
Burdens, the timber and builders merchant and civil engineering specialist, has filed a notice of intention to appoint an administrator to give it time to complete long-term plans for the business.
TV probe highlights fire door risk
A BBC investigative programme further underlined the need to crack down on fire door installation and maintenance in hotels, according to the BWF Fire Door Inspection Scheme (FDIS).
Troubled Finnish mill ceases operation
Havesa, the Finnish timber and glulam supplier, has ceased operations after falling into administration earlier this year.
European forest and wood bodies strengthen ties
Europe’s leading forest, forest products and timber organisations have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to strengthen their ties and step up lobbying on behalf of their members.
Indonesia launches SVLK legality test
The first trial shipment of Indonesian timber carrying V-Legal proof of legality documents set out for destinations in Europe this week.
Awards for rising stars and innovation
The British Woodworking Federation reports a “surge of entries” for its annual awards, which revive its category for apprentices after a break of four years.
Wolf nails packing process
Wolf Systems has improved the production process for its nailplate range by installing an automatic box taping machine in the line.
Obituary - Nigel Barrett
Nigel Barrett, who was well-known to many in the pallet industry, died on October 14. He was 50.
Giddings to upgrade sawmill electronics
Southampton sawmiller RF Giddings & Co Ltd will install an electronics upgrade on its Söderhamn Erikksson Edgar edging line during the first quarter of 2013.
UKTFA welcomes housing code review
The UK Timber Frame Association has called on the government to work more closely with the construction sector following the formation of a new Housing Standards Review Group and a review of the Code for Sustainable Homes.
Baltics provide Welsh solution
Foresters in Wales are hoping the planting of the rarely used blight-resistant Macedonian pine could help battle the effects of Dothistroma, which is attacking the more common Corsican pine.
FC guide to Chalara
The Forestry Commission has published a new pictorial guide to the symptoms of Chalara fraxinea infection.
Tropical timber workshp
The Timber Trade Federation’s EU Timber Regulation/Responsible Purchasing Workshop, focusing on sourcing from temperate regions will be held, on October 31 at the Building Centre in London.
Moelven to modernise mill
Moelven Vänerply is to invest €8.3m to modernise and further automate its Swedish mill in Otterbäcken.
Kronospan expands in Russia
Kronospan is to build another new plant in Russia with several production lines for panels in Bashkortostan.
Northwest hardwoods’ PEFC certification
Northwest Hardwoods, one of the largest hardwood lumber producers in the US, has achieved PEFC certification for its western hardwood operations.
Property sale lifts McMahon into profit
Derevoya Holdings, the parent of McMahon Group, Ireland’s largest timber supplier, returned to profit last year with pre-tax earnings of €1.8m, but only after the sale of investment property that netted €7.1m.
Wood Convention to reconvene
Montreal Wood Convention is to restart next year, with the first event in five years reuniting the major industry players.
MTC backs WoodMart 2014
The Malaysian Timber Council said it was committed to promoting the third MTC Global WoodMart (MGW) in 2014 based on feedback from exhibitors and visitors to the recent event.
BC responds to forest action plan
British Columbia has made a commitment to forest renewal through nine sustained and 11 new actions in the region’s timber supply action plan.
Steico starts construction of new HQ
German wood-fibre insulation board and I-joist producer Steico has broken ground on its new HQ project near Munich, to be built almost entirely with Steico products.
Weyerhaeuser moves European base to Dublin
Weyerhaeuser Products Ltd has relocated from Brussels to Dublin, Ireland, in a move to strengthen its Lumin and Lyptus customer sales and marketing support.
Timbmet MD Wendy Trott to leave company
Timbmet has announced that its managing director Wendy Trott will be leaving the company at the end of the year.
UK softwood consumption forecast to rise in 2013
UK softwood consumption is forecast to rise by 3.7% to around 7.9 million m3 next year, according a new Timber Trade Federation (TTF) report.
Rob Simpson, managing director of SCA Timber Supply UK, dies suddenly
It is with both shock and deepest regret that SCA Timber Supply UK announces the sudden and untimely loss of its managing director Rob Simpson.
James Jones backs building campaign
James Jones & Sons Ltd has added two products to its JJI-Joist range – a deeper, slimmer joist, available to 450mm, and what is claimed to be the UK’s first I-joist pressure-treated to meet UC1 and UC2 requirements.
MH Southern marks 50 years’ service
Eric Gibbins, a woodworking machinist, has completed 50 years’ unbroken service with Tyneside timber importer MH Southern & Co Ltd.
GE Robinson takes on trainees
Salford-based timber and sheet material importer GE Robinson has recruited two trainees.
Sewstern sawmill manager reaches 25-year milestone
John Robinson, sawmill manager at Sewstern Timber Services Ltd, has notched up 25 years of service at the company.
W12 organisers see 70% rebooking rate for next show
About 70% of space for the next Working with Wood exhibition in 2014 is already booked only a week after this year’s event – W12 – ended.
Jewson launches roof design solutions service
Jewson has launched a roof design solutions service in the south-east so customers can speedily and easily get access to product and price information for their roofing projects.
Schools head for Jubilee Woods
Schools across the country took part with SCA Timber Supply and local builders merchants in the Jubilee Woods project this autumn to plant 6 million trees.
CPA and FMB warn construction slump will continue
Two of the UK’s largest construction organisations have released downbeat reports on the state of the trade.
Nordic industry suffering under weight of light demand
The Nordic countries have some of the most robust economies in Europe but the timber industry is making “massive losses”, Arthur Selvig, Moelven Timber marketing director, told the London Softwood Club last week.
TTF gets accustomed to tropics
A list designating the types of wood classified as tropical for Customs declarations has been created by the Timber Trade Federation.
New FSC head starts
Kim Carstensen has taken up his new role as director-general of the Forest Stewardship Council.
SHN Joinery and Kestrel Joinery fold
The British Woodworking Federation (BWF) has issued a fresh warning for joinery manufacturers to remain focused on credit and cash flow following the closure of two of its members.
BMF unveils new Coventry HQ
A 7,000ft2 office building on Coventry Business Park will be the new HQ for the Builders Merchants Federation (BMF).
Cedar clads new London college block
Timbmet has sourced and supplied significant volumes of western red cedar cladding for a new Learning Resource Centre at West Thames College.
Revolution in Posi-Joist production
Donaldson Timber Engineering has installed the first press of its kind in the UK for engineered joist and roof truss production.
Post inciser first for Walford Timber
Walford Timber has won the first order for its newly developed fence post incising machine.
Donaldson invests £1.5m in Silktrim facility
James Donaldson Timber is investing more than £1.5m in painting and handling technology for its Silktrim MDF moulding facility near Chorley.
Merchant boosts resawing for DIY packs
Irish company Agnew & Co, which diversified into DIY timber packs, has boosted capacity with a new resawing system following a devastating fire at its County Cavan site.
BSW chief executive wins prestigious business award
BSW chief executive Tony Hackney has been named as a category winner in the prestigious Ernst & Young UK Entrepreneur of the Year awards.
Willmott Dixon man joins PEFC
Steve Cook, principal consultant for Willmott Dixon’s in-house sustainability consultancy Re-Thinking, has joined the PEFC UK Board.
Oregon opens new Burton plant
Selkirk-based Oregon Timber Frame Ltd says its launch of a new factory in Burton-upon-Trent underlines its long-term confidence in the timber frame market and commitment to manufacturing house kits in England.
Medite Tricoya wins BBA approval
Coillte Panel Product’s Medite Tricoya MDF has received a British Board of Agrément (BBA) assessment.
Forestry minister for Confor event
New forestry minister David Heath is to join Defra secretary Owen Patterson at Confor’s London conference later this month.
Stenner resaw for Malaysia
Stenner has shipped a four-head MHS9 horizontal resaw to Singapore-based Salpac, one of the region’s largest manufacturers of pallets, skids, boxes and crates.
Timber trade urged to use Olympics “inspire” message
The UK timber trade can take inspiration from the recent successful London Olympics to attract the next generation into joining the industry, 260 people heard at the Cambridge dinner.
Travis Perkins looks to grow decorative panels business
Travis Perkins is implementing wide-ranging changes in its sheet materials business which involves targeting growth in decorative panels with help from newly-appointed preferred suppliers of non-core sheet materials James Latham and Meyer Timber.
National Football Centre unveiled at Burton
This week’s unveiling of the FA’s new £100m National Football Centre could have seen photos of a new iconic timber structure being shown to the world.
Travis Perkins sees improvements after disrupted summer
Merchanting giant Travis Perkins (TP) has seen trade improve since September following a summer disrupted by bad weather and the Olympics.
Former CR Taylor site hit by major blaze
The former site of CR Taylor (Timber) Ltd was hit by a major fire in the early hours of Wednesday.
SAMSE Group promotes PEFC timber
French building materials giant SAMSE Group is promoting PEFC certification to its customer base as it plans to become the largest PEFC-certified distribution group in France.
Rougier weathers economic gloom
Business at French timber group Rougier held up in the continued global slowdown with revenue almost static in the first half.
Raw material costs hit Rörvik
Rörvik Timber is to reduce production at its Tvärskog sawmill from two shifts to daytime working with the loss of 22 jobs.
Fencing company fine over forklift accident
The owner of a fencing company in Sussex has been fined £13,800 after a customer was knocked down by a fork lift truck.
W12 looks to grow sister act
The UK’s largest timber machinery show, W12 Working with Wood, returned to Birmingham NEC with a relaunched and enlarged materials and components sister show this week.
Trade’s first apprenticeships launched at Timber Expo
On the first day of Timber Expo, training providers and timber industry leaders marked the launch of the industry’s first formal Apprenticeship Frameworks, covering timber and wood product supply and wood processing.
Historic Austrian sawmilling business closes
Austrian sawmiller Holzindustrie Lenzing’s sawn timber production has now stopped.
Metsä Wood’s role at designjunction
Metsä Wood’s timber products featured in one of the stands at this year’s designjunction exhibition.
Persimmon snaps up rival
The first large deal in the housebuilding sector for five years could signal an upturn for housebuilding, analysts predict.
Accsys signs share and partnership deal
Modified wood producer Accsys Technologies has finalised a joint venture with petrochemical giant INEOS Industries to exploit Tricoya for use in MDF, chipboard and wood plastic composites.
Roman aqueduct recreated in tulipwood
An historic Roman aqueduct has been replicated in American tulipwood with help from more than 300 volunteers and students in Segovia, Spain.
Norbord rings the changes on Caberwood product names
Norbord has relaunched its MDF range with new product names.
Report shows reduced consumption of forest products
Consumption of forest products in the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) region last year remained 10% down on pre-financial crisis levels, according to the newly-published UNECE/FAO Forest Products Annual Market Review.
Meyer Timber relocates Scottish operations
Meyer Timber completed the relocation of its main Scottish distribution facility on October 1.
Dutch NGO case against PEFC thrown out
A last-ditch attempt by NGOs to have PEFC certification removed from the list of schemes approved for Dutch government timber procurement has been thrown out by a board of appeal.
New management for government timber procurement agency
The management of the government’s flagship Central Point of Expertise on Timber (CPET) has changed hands from Proforest to Efeca.
New ash tree threat is compared to Dutch elm disease
The UK government is considering legislation in an effort to fight a tree disease being described as the single biggest threat to native broadleaves since the catastrophic Dutch elm disease.
Vida reduces shifts at two mills
Vida is reducing shifts at its Vislanda and Hjältevad mills.
US plywood industry files case against Chinese plywood manufacturers
A US plywood group wants the US government to investigate the alleged dumping of “unfair” and “subsidised” Chinese hardwood plywood imports.
Briggs completes acquisition of Barloworld UK
Materials handling giant Briggs Equipment UK has completed the acquisition of rival Barloworld Handling UK in a deal which combines sales and service operations for the Hyster and Yale forklift brands.
TTBS benefits from Timber Expo support
The Timber Trade Benevolent Society (TTBS) trustees and national president, Dilwyn Howells wish to express their sincere thanks to Loretta Sales and the Timber Expo organising team for their magnificent support of the Society at the recent 2012 event at the Ricoh Arena.
UK wood flooring company invests €20m in Romanian factory
Wandsworth-based wood flooring manufacturer and supplier the Natural Wood Floor Company has invested €20m in its Romanian factory.
Södra makes 260 redundancies
Swedish forest products business Södra is making 260 staff redundant to reduce costs.
Howarth ceases timber frame production
Howarth Timber Engineering’s timber frame factory in Bury St Edmunds has now ceased operations.
Indonesian VPA faces delays
Reports are emerging from Indonesia that the EU wants its ratification of the country’s Voluntary Partnership Agreement delayed until next year.
HSE cost recovery scheme is introduced
Companies that fall foul of health and safey regulations will now have to pay towards the recovery of the Health & Safety Executive’s (HSE) related costs, including inspections.
V&A exhibition highlights US hardwood sustainability
A hardwood chair design project involving Royal College of Art students and the American Hardwood Export Council culminated in a London debate about use of hardwood as a material and life cycle assessments (LCA) of the completed chairs.
WPA to promote Benchmark treatment scheme to buyers
The Wood Protection Association (WPA) has approved a marketing plan to promote its Benchmark quality scheme and certified products to buyers.
Support climbs for stair scheme
The British Woodworking Federation has gained 19 new members for its Stair Scheme and is now estimated to account for 70% of the UK timber staircase industry.
Steico static in difficult market
German I-joist and wood fibre insulation products manufacturer Steico matched last year’s sales and profits for the half year.
Pro Tec set for UK market
Allan Brothers is to distribute and market the Pro Tec windows of Swedish parent Inwido Group in the UK.
New names in Setra
Setra has announced several staff changes.
Stewart Milne Timber Systems honours long service
Gary Yeoman has been honoured with a loyal service award at the Stewart Milne Timber Systems annual award ceremony.
New addition to the Unimer board
Dennis Smith, managing director of Bradfords Building Supplies Ltd, has joined the Unimer board as a non-executive director.
September 2012
Top
EU set to lift Burma trade sanctions
The European Commission is proposing to reinstate trade preferences to Burma following recognition by the international community of the country’s efforts to improve political, social and labour conditions.
Summit unites timber industry leaders
A summit uniting timber industry leaders from across the sector kicked-off this year’s Timber Expo.
Timber Expo visitor numbers increase
As the doors shut on this year’s Timber Expo yesterday, organisers reported delight at a provisional 15% growth on visitor numbers.
Glulam chosen for landmark Crossrail project
Austrian glulam construction specialist Wiehag has secured the contract to build the landmark timber grid shell roof for Foster + Partners’ Canary Wharf Crossrail station.
Gunns collapse risks 600 jobs
Australia’s largest integrated hardwood and softwood timber company Gunns has gone into administration after banks refused to lend more funds to keep the company trading.
Retailer expands merchant business
The builders’ merchant division of retailer CT Baker Group in Norfolk is to open a fourth depot in a major development of its building supplies business.
Door factory to close as Laidlaw expands
The former Leaderflush Shapland door manufacturing operation in Barnstaple is to close in November with the loss of 75 jobs.
Confor elects new chairman
George Webb, group purchasing manager at Norbord, has been elected as the new chairman of Confor.
BisTrack supplier Progressive acquired by software giant
Leading merchanting software provider Progressive Solutions is being taken over for the second time in just three months, this time by US-based software giant Epicor Software Corporation.
US hardwood industry “cautiously upbeat”
Improving US housing starts and increased hardwood lumber production made for a “cautiously upbeat” mood at a major hardwood convention in Chicago.
Ancient bog oak project begins
A large intact 5,000-year-old bog oak was to be lifted this week and sent on the first part of its journey to becoming a huge table to gift to the nation.
Sarawak minister’s wealth rated at US$15bn
Sarawak chief minister Abdul Taib Mahmud’s family is estimated to have assets of US$21bn from sources including forestry and the export of timber, according to an NGO report.
Scottish timber port plan to cost £250,000
Initial survey work on a mothballed Scottish harbour has revealed it will take about £250,000 to bring it back into use as a timber port.
Egger UK installs new lamination line
Egger UK Ltd has invested heavily in a lamination line at its Hexham plant in Northumberland.
Koskisen to lease Veisto’s mill sawing capacity
Finnish sawmiller Koskisen Oy is going to lease the entire sawing capacity of Veisto Oy’s Kissakoski mill in Hirvensalmi.
FSC boosts Russian operations
RusForest, the Swedish forestry company with operations in Russia, has achieved FSC certification and is aiming to increase its sales reach.
Ireland forestry champions exports
Ireland has repositioned itself as a major exporter of forestry products in response to a lagging domestic market, according to a trade association report.
Stenner recognises long service
Stenner has marked 50 years of service by Ken Churchill.
Timber frame conference focuses on fire safety
A major London conference on fire risk solutions for timber structures will feature input from MPs, the insurance industry, the UK Timber Frame Association (UKTFA), HSE and the fire service.
Tsunami surviving tree is preserved
A single pine tree left standing in a forest flattened by last year’s Japanese tsunami has been felled so it can be preserved for posterity.
Engineered timber seminars
The Timber Trades Federation (TTF) engineered timber forum is to run a series of free seminars for architects, engineers and other construction professionals.
NHBC reports falling home starts
New home starts fell 14.1% between June and August, according to NHBC’s latest statistics.
Timber campaign targets £1bn carbon competition cash
Timber industry promotional campaign Wood for Good is pressing the government to invest in commercial forestry as a way to fulfill its carbon capture and storage plans.
Bradford merchant to open “drive-though” timber centre
A Bradford timber merchant which was rescued this summer has embarked on an investment and diversification programme with plans for the region’s first “drive-through” timber centre.
Hope beckons for Pfleiderer
A more positive future beckons for troubled panel products giant Pfleiderer after creditors and shareholders overwhelmingly voted in favour of the company’s insolvency plan.
New forestry minister appointed
David Heath MP has been appointed as the UK’s news forestry minister.
PVCu confronts aggressive wood promotion
The Wood Window Alliance (WWA) has attacked the “negative” stance of a website designed to create a positive market image for PVCu products at the expense of timber, and hinted it may be a response to PVCu losing window market share.
Stricter fire door rules needed, BWF tells government
The British Woodworking Federation (BWF) has called on the government to introduce clearer, more uniformly enforced rules for fire door specification, installation and inspection, or risk serious fire incidents.
Non-Com Exterior approved by WPA
Lonza’s fire retardant treatment for exterior timbers, Non-Com Exterior, has achieved certification as a Wood Protection Association (WPA) approved product.
Sonae confirms Knowsley factory closure
Sonae Industria (UK) has officially announced the closure of its Knowsley chipboard manufacturing facility following in-depth consultation with employees and trade union representatives.
Latham’s makes it a hat-trick
James Latham plc has won the TTJ Timber Trader of the Year Award for the third consecutive year – and for the seventh time since the Awards started in 1997.
Trade urged to back schools timber educational programme
Proskills, the timber sector’s training and skills body, is urging the industry to get behind its MakeIT! Wood education programme for schools after none took part in last year’s course.
CJ Sheeran acquires Wood Systems assets
CJ Sheeran Ltd has made a bold move on the Irish pallet manufacturing front by acquiring the assets of failed large pallet manufacturer Wood Systems.
Ohra and Combilift combine at Slovenian mill
Cantilever racking from Ohra has provided a 50% increase in storage capacity for one of the largest sawmills in Slovenia.
Container handling boosted at Port of Liverpool
The Port of Liverpool has invested in new container-handling equipment as part of a £20m spending programme by Peel Ports Mersey in 2012.
Liberian forest chief suspended
Liberia’s forestry department chief has been suspended as part of a probe into logging deals.
World’s first timber tennis centre
Swedish timber company Södra has completed the world’s first tennis centre using passive building technology.
Forestry commissioner appointed
Amanda Bryan, a rural development consultant in the Highlands and Islands, has been appointed as a forestry commissioner for Scotland.
Brazil tops coniferous plywood quota allocation
The Timber Trade Federation has published a statistical breakdown of UK imports under the now exhausted EU coniferous plywood quota.
NorDan in Highbury redevelopment
Scandinavian timber window manufacturer NorDan is supplying its NTech 1.2 product for a residential redevelopment on the Arsenal FC regeneration site.
BM TRADA appointment prepares for CE Marking
BM TRADA Certification has appointed David Payne to a lead business development role within product certification in readiness for the deadline next July when CE Marking on construction products becomes obligatory.
UK solid wood import volumes up 6%
UK Solid wood import volumes were up 6% in the first half of 2012, according to the Timber Trade Federation’s latest statistics bulletin.
Glennons Brothers supplies Irish festival
Irish sawmiller Glennon Brothers, supplied home-grown timber for Woodcollective’s exhibit at the Electric Picnic festival in County Laois.
Fire at Haley-Roe Coventry site
Arson is suspected after a fire broke out at the site of timber and builders merchants Haley-Roe in Coventry’s Waterman Road on September 12.
HK Timbers shortlisted for awards
Gainsborough-based vegetable storage box manufacturer HK Timbers, has been shortlisted for two top business awards.
North America shifts to sellers market
Increased demand in the US and higher exports from Canada to China lifted North American lumber prices by 35% in August, compared with a year before.
GLTA signs Timber Industry Accord
The UK Timber Industry Accord has been strengthened by yet another signatory - the Glued Laminated Timber Association (GLTA).
JELD-WEN football helps cancer charity
JELD-WEN raised £1,300 for a cancer charity at the company’s first employee football tournament held recently at Sheffield Football Club.
FSC certificate for Metsä forests
Metsä has been awarded an FSC group certificate that covers company-owned forests in Finland.
Wet weather impacts B&Q sales
Wet weather in the first half of 2012 reduced profits by £30m for B&Q owner Kingfisher plc.
Forestry Commission director-general to retire
Tim Rollinson, director-general of the Forestry Commission (FC) for the past nine years, is to retire at the end of January.
Ilim Timber production volumes grow
Ilim Timber’s sawn timber production increased 21% in the first six months of 2012, compared to a year ago, according to the company’s latest statement.
Timber frame builder scoops Green Apple Award
Timber frame manufacturer and builder Accord Group has won a Green Apple Award for its overall environmental performance.
Stewart Milne sets sights on Glasgow
With the London Olympics and Paralympics over, Stewart Milne Timber Systems is turning its attention to the Commonwealth Games 2014.
Record sales for forestry show
APF 2012, the UK’s largest woodland, forestry, trees and timber show, has reported a 300% increase in advance ticket sales for the event this week.
Sonae production halt signals factory closure intentions
Particleboard production is believed to have now stopped at Sonae’s Knowsley factory in advance of an expected closure decision, TTJ understands.
Contractor doubles apprentice intake
Willmott Dixon’s repairs and maintenance division said it is doubling its yearly intake of apprentices, which includes carpenters.
Timber frame industry to hold innovation showcase
The UK Timber Frame Association (UKTFA) has teamed up with the NHBC and Zero Carbon Hub to hold an Innovation Showcase feauring designer Wayne Hemingway.
Lesser-known tropical species research continues
A research project backed by FSC and tropical hardwood importers is aiming to identify lesser-known FSC-certified timber species for sale on the European market.
Housing and planning boost welcomed by most
A “much-needed shot in the arm” for the building industry is how the Timber Trade Federation (TTF) has described the government’s new plans to boost housebuilding and ease planning restrictions.
Tallest timber build is topped out in Australia
Lend Lease has topped out the world’s tallest residential timber building, Forté, in Australia by lifting the last cross-laminated timber (CLT) panel into place.
Destructive tree disease spreads to south-east England
Destructive tree disease ramorum has been found affecting larch trees in south-east England for the first time.
Wood Awards breaks record for entries
The Wood Awards has announced its 2012 shortlist from an all-time record number of category entries.
West to east ride raises over £3,000 for charity
A team from Trustspan Timber Engineering has completed a challenging two-day cycle ride to raise more than £3,000 for Bowel Cancer UK.
Rusforest posts SKR161.5m first half loss
Russian sawmilling business RusForest has posted a SKr161.5m loss (2011: SKr-60.9m) before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) for the first half of 2012.
Stora Enso buys UPM’s share in Rets Timber
Stora Enso has become the sole owner of timber export company Rets Timber after buying out UPM’s 50% stake.
Glennons supplies timber for Italian exhibition
Glennon Brothers is the supplier of home grown timber for a unique Irish entry to the Venice Biennale 13th International Architecture exhibition.
Pölkky completes Kajaani acquisition
The acquisition of UPM’s Kajaani sawmill by Pölkky Oy has been completed and will boost the latter’s annual production capacity to 650,000m3.
Sonae “frustrated” with MP as closure consultation continues
Sonae Industria (UK) has expressed further frustration with councillors and Knowsley MP George Howarth, despite gaining retrospective planning permission for its replacement flaker hall building at the Knowlsey chipboard factory.
Huge Center Parcs timber lodge contract awarded
Some 625 timber-framed and structural insulated panel lodges are to be constructed at a new Center Parcs in Bedfordshire.
Scottish MSP backs timber to grow Scottish eonomy
Scotland’s cabinet secretary John Swinney MSP says the forestry and timber sectors have the potential to help grow the country’s economy.
Joiner’s Martin hat-trick
Sittingbourne-based joinery manufacturer FJ Williams has taken delivery of its third Otto Martin machine.
Frame Wise to build timber exhibit at Timber Expo
Frame Wise is to build a two-storey timber frame house at Timber Expo which will double as seminar theatre.
One-stop shop for rebuilt Carvers
A “builders village” is being planned as part of the reconstruction at the fire-ravaged Carvers Building Supplies in Wolverhampton.
NorDan beefs up service
A new regional office in Leeds serving the central belt of the UK is part of an expansion plans at window and door manufacturer NorDan UK, the company said.
Ridgeons teams up again with Linde for materials handling solutions
Timber and builders merchants Ridgeons Ltd has made a £500,000 investment in fork lifts and sideloaders from Linde Material Handling.
August 2012
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Panel machinery investments
Panel producers in Brazil and South Africa are embarking on new investment plans to increase production volumes.
Walk out over log prices
Hundreds of workers walked out at Carter Holt in Australia to protest at high log prices, which strikers believe are in danger of putting people out of work.
NHLA convention returns to Chicago
America’s largest hardwood industry event will return to its roots in Chicago in September.
White talks timber at BMF Members’ Day
Sunday Times economics editor David Smith and Timber Trade Federation chief executive John White will be speakers at the Builders Merchants Federation (BMF) Members’ Day on October 9.
Lumin plywood in warehouse roof application
Weyerhaeuser’s Lumin plywood has been installed as roof cladding at a new Milton Keynes warehouse.
Greg Law wins OSB apprentice award
Greg Law from North Glasgow Construction College has been named OSB Apprentice of the Year.
DLH in DKr15.2m pre-tax loss
Global hardwood and panels distributor DLH has recorded a pre-tax loss of DKr15.2m from continuing operations for the first half of 2012 and announced it will continue to cut costs and reduce debt.
Grafton’s UK merchanting business posts 18% profits growth
The Grafton Group’s UK merchanting business performed strongly in the first half of 2012, recording an 18% increase in operating profits (before restructuring costs) to €37.5m (2011: €31.9m).
Accoya Euro plant set for 2014
The first high-capacity plant for Accoya modified wood to be built under a strategic licence agreement is expected to become operational by the end of 2014.
NGO surveys timber on EUTR
British NGO the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) is gathering industry opinion on the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR).
Apprentice grant changes to help employers
Changes to apprenticeship grant funding will help more businesses invest in training a new recruit, according to the Cross-Industry Construction Apprenticeship Task Force (CCATF).
Persimmon in 65% profits boost
More profit growth from national housebuilders was reported yesterday with Persimmon announcing a 65% boost to underlying pre-tax profits to £98.7m in the first half of 2012.
Crafted expands into Corian work
Premium bespoke joinery company Crafted & Co has moved into Corian solid surface material to widen its offering in upmarket commercial and residential projects.
Rörvik losses continue
Swedish sawmiller Rörvik Timber has posted pre-tax losses of SKr72m in the first half of 2012.
Danny Alexander visits BSW sawmill
Danny Alexander, chief secretary to the treasury, has visited BSW Timber’s Boat of Garten sawmill.
FSC tackles EUTR/certification issues
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is tackling the issue of how timber product certification will work in the context of the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR) through publication of a new document.
Sonae receives planning approval as closure consultation continues
Sonae Industria (UK) has been granted retrospective planning permission for its replacement flaker hall building at Knowlsey but said the decision would not affect continuing consultation over closure plans for the plant.
Donaldson turnover breaks £100m for first time
James Donaldson & Sons’ annual turnover has broken £100m for the first time in its 152-year history.
Private housebuilding shows promise – NHBC
Private sector new housing registrations had their best month for more than a year in July, according to the NHBC latest stats.
Obituary – Steven Rigby
Brooks Bros is very shocked and sad to report the death of Steven Rigby, a wood machinist with the company.
Caledonian embarks on growth strategy
Caledonian Plywood Ltd is embarking on a growth programme in an effort to attract more sales in a difficult market.
Joiner wins TTJ prize
Peter Masson of Kent-based Masson Joinery is the winner of TTJ’s prize draw for voters in this year’s TTJ Awards.
US lumber consumption up 13%
Lumber consumption in the US was 13% higher in May compared to the same month last year, according to Wood Resource Quarterly.
Rickmers-Linie appoints managing director
Rickmers-Linie has promoted Ulrich Ulrichs to the position of managing director.
Australian illegal logging bill gets first stage approval
Australia’s House of Representatives has passed legislation to outlaw the importing of illegally-logged timber.
Life’s work recognised
Gill & Robinson used the opportunity of its annual golf day to honour a long-serving member of the timber trade.
Scottish building contractor and joinery division in receivership
Dundee-based building contractor WH Brown has been placed into receivership along with its joinery manufacturing subsidiary Bronco Timber Products Ltd.
Joinery sector survey reveals fall in optimism
Confidence in the joinery manufacturing sector has cooled, according to the British Woodworking Federation’s (BWF) latest State of Trade Survey.
New owners for Pfleiderer in insolvency deal
Luxembourg investment company Atlantik SA is set to become the new owner of debt-laden panels producer Pfleiderer AG.
Bovis Homes doubles profits
Bovis Homes has doubled its half-yearly pre-tax profits to £16.3m and predicted continuing significant increases profits in the rest of the year.
Eacom reports lumber consumption growth
Canadian sawmiller Eacom Timber Corporation has reported an uptake in lumber consumption and has decided to rebuild a mill destroyed by fire earlier this year.
Vida’s new planing line at Alvesta progressing
Work is progressing on a new planer line at Vida’s Alvesta sawmill.
Floating piers to unlock remote forest areas
Forest areas in remote areas of Scotland, including islands, could be unlocked by new floating pier technology.
Games Maker role “very special”
Two weeks as a London Olympics Games Maker was a “very special experience” for timber industry consultant Geoff Rhodes.
Independents grasp opportunity of Build Center branch sell-offs
Independent timber and builders merchant groups are making acquisitions across the country as Jewson sells off Build Center branches to remedy competition concerns created by its recent takeover of the latter.
Ten short-listed for TTJ Innovation Award
Ten projects have been shortlisted for the inaugural TTJ Innovation Award, sponsored by TRADA and Timber Expo.
James Southern takes over as NETTA chairman
James Southern of MH Southern is the new chairman of the North East Timber Trade Association.
NorDan opens Leeds area office with three new appointments
NorDan has created three jobs with the opening of its Leeds regional office as part of its expansion to be closer to customers in all parts of the UK.
Somerset timber merchant relocates and expands
North Somerset-based timber merchant Staddon Timber Supplies has relocated to a site three times the size of its former premises and expanded into the sale of general building materials.
Big names sign up for Timber Expo buyers’ forum
Most of the top names in UK construction, and some of their leading clients, have signed up for the buyers’ forum at the Timber Expo exhibition.
Gibson illegal timber prosecution is a lesson for Europe
Gibson Guitars’ US$600,000 payout to settle its case for breaching the American anti-illegal timber Lacey Act should highlight the potential business impact of prosecution under the upcoming EU Timber Regulation (EUTR), according to the Timber Trade Federation (TTF).
TTF statistics reveal May import high for hardwood ply
Latest Timber Trade Federation statistics show that the 105,000m3 of hardwood plywood imported in May was the highest monthly total since July 2010.
Timber features in first Passivhaus retrofit
Low carbon engineering consultancy Encraft has used timber extensively in an existing house retrofitted to meet the Passivhaus energy efficiency standard.
NHLA convention returns to Chicago
America’s largest hardwood industry event will return to its roots in Chicago in September.
Steico targets small builder sector with I-joists
Engineered wood products manufacturer Steico UK Ltd has made a strategic move to convert the small builder market to using I-joists with the launch of an off-the-shelf “tradejoist”.
Movac expands with Reading branch
Coatings supplier Movac Group Ltd has expanded into a new area – Reading – to increase its branch numbers to eight.
Wood Window Alliance in accord with industry
The Wood Window Alliance (WWA) has become the latest trade body to join sign up to the new accord between timber industry organisations.
Vapo interim profits fall
Diversified Finnish forest products group Vapo reported a 6.5% drop in interim turnover, due to a decline in activity across its various business areas, but increased profits by around 2%.
Rougier sales dip in first half
Rougier’s sawn timber and plywood sales declined 5.4% and 6% respectively in the first half of 2012, according to the Paris-based company’s latest results.
Wadkin machine extracted through roof
Daltons Wadkin has extracted a three-and-a-half ton Wadkin machine through the roof of a Sheffield office block.
Scientific tests to verify FSC certification claims
FSC says scientific testing of wood will help assure the legitimacy of FSC product claims.
Port of Liverpool container terminal plan gets boost
The Port of Liverpool’s £305m plans for a giant new in-river container terminal have been boosted by the European Investment Bank agreeing to provide almost half the finance for the project.
China sawlog imports fall
Chinese sawlog imports dipped 15% in the first half of 2012 due to its slowing economy, according to Wood Resource Quarterly.
Egger profits rise 15% to €262m
Panels giant Egger has posted a 15% rise in annual earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation to €262m.
Accoya revenue grows
Accoya modified wood producer Accsys Technologies plc boosted its turnover by 35% to €4.5m in its first quarter ended June 30, compared to a year ago.
Covers expands into Kent
Covers Timber & Builders Merchants opened its first Kent branch on August 13 in Tunbridge Wells.
JELD-WEN football helps cancer charity
JELD-WEN raised £1,300 for a cancer charity at the company’s first employee football tournament held recently at Sheffield Football Club.
Ahlmark completes acquisition of Jönsson Nova AB
Ahlmark Lines AB has strengthened its position in the shipping sector by completing the acquisition of Jönsson Novabolagen AB for an undisclosed sum.
Metsä Wood posts €16m first half operating profits
Metsä Wood has posted first-half operating profits of €16m from sales of €471m but the company hinted that its third-quarter performance would be hit by a number of factors.
LP’s OSB division shows well
Increasing OSB sales volumes and prices helped Louisana-Pacific’s (LP) main OSB division return second-quarter operating profits of US$17m (2011: US$23m loss).
Joinery firms get Green Deal guide
UK joinery firms can now get advice to understand the commercial benefits of the Green Deal thanks to the launch of a guide by the British Woodworking Federation (BWF).
Gibson to avoid Lacey Act prosecution
Leading guitar manufacturer Gibson has reached an agreement with the US Justice Department which will see it escape criminal charges for allegedly importing illegal ebony wood from Madagascar.
Controversial roof batten report removed from internet
John Brash has removed its controversial roof batten report from its JB-Best of British website following discussions with the National Federation of Roofing Contractors (NFRC).
PWG acquires Eurojoinery
High-specification joinery product importer Eurojoinery has been acquired by the Performance Window Group (PWG).
UPM timber division records €2m operating profits
UPM’s forest and timber division has recorded €2m second-quarter operating profits excluding special items.
BSW and AV Birch in Porcupine incising technology partnership
A new partnership between sawmiller BSW Timber and machinery manufacturer AV Birch is set to offer new timber incising technology to the UK timber treatment market.
Majority stake acquired in leading US timberland investment firm
US financial services firm TIAA-CREF has taken a majority stake in one of the country’s leading timberland investment management organisations, GreenWood Resources.
Rusforest gets new CEO
Russian sawmiller Rusforest has made two top-level appointments with a mandate to realise the “significant” value in the company’s assets during what it calls a challenging time for the business.
EATTA organises new shippers’ meeting
An autumn shippers’ meeting is to be held by the East Anglia Timber Trade Association (EATTA) for the first time.
ICF announces student awards
Andrew Macqueen of Aberdeen University, Sian Jones of University of Edinburgh, and Richard Belcher of Bangor University have been named the Institute of Chartered Foresters’ Best Student on each of their Forestry degree courses.
British Christmas Tree Growers Association appoints new secretary
A new secretary has been appointed by the British Christmas Tree Growers Association (BCTGA).
House completions rise 6.2% at Bellway
National housebuilder Bellway plc achieved a 6.2% rise in house completions to 5,226 homes in its financial year ended July 31.
AHEC announces new LCA breakthroughs
The American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC) has announced latest key developments in its major timber life cycle assessment (LCA) project, including its technical design challenge for students at the Royal College of Art (RCA) in London.
Biomass subsidy review hits energy and timber
New government subsidies for biomass electricity generating stations have drawn fire from both the energy lobby and the timber industry.
OSB hits the road
OSB suppliers have been on the road with an OSB Get on Board tour to promote the panel to tradesmen around the country.
Travis Perkins Offsite gains first supply deal
Travis Perkins Offsite, an offshoot of the company’s Managed Services division launched this year to target modular building manufacturers, has secured its first contract.
Closure is an option for Sonae’s Knowsley plant
Sonae Industria (UK) Ltd has begun consultations with employees to discuss the future of Knowsley chipboard manufacturing and finishing factory and says that closure is one option.
PDS invests six figures on plant
Performance Doorset Solutions has invested a “six-figure sum” in new paintline technology and also expanded its Littleborough plant to meet current and future demand.
Biomass success for BSW Timber
BSW Timber has gained Renewable Heat Incentive accreditations for the sustainable heat produced by the company’s three biomass plants.
Oregon Timber Frame back to black
Oregon Timber Frame has moved back into the black after investment and business efficiencies turned unchanged sales figures into a healthy profit.
Euro-wide FSC success
JELD-WEN has attained a multi-site Forest Stewardship Council certificate for all of its European operations.
Record year for Westbury Windows
Westbury Windows & Joinery has notched up a record year so far with turnover and order volumes up significantly on 2011, the company said.
Confor calls for jobs action
New statistics showing an increase in the future availability of wood offer a chance to create thousands of jobs in the forestry sector, says Confor.
US housing lift for Norbord
North American panels giant Norbord saw earnings rise threefold in the second quarter, with figures boosted by a long-awaited pick up in the US housing sector.
Unicut P opens gate to increased output
A Unicut P, Weinig’s latest cross-cut saw, is among the new technology installed by the Suffolk Gate Company Ltd to enable it to “meet a growing order book”.
Rain screen a clear winner
Lonza Tanalised Clear pressure-treated timber has been used to create a rain screen system that curves around part of the Gateway section of a major redevelopment at Durham University.
Arch boosts Lonza wood treatment business
The addition of Arch Group, which included Arch Timber Protection, helped boost revenues at Swiss chemical giant Lonza by nearly 65%, the company reported in its first-half figures.
“Game changer” deal boosts Tricoya
Accsys Technologies has secured what the company has described as the latest in a series of game changing agreements to develop the manufacture and sales of its modified wood products.
Taylor Maxwell profits up
Timber and brick importer and merchant Taylor Maxwell boosted profits, despite a slight fall in turnover at the Bristol-based business.
North American markets improve
Improving lumber markets helped lift earnings among some North American timber companies, which also reported encouraging signs in the US housing market.
Milne’s £6.25m contract wins
Stewart Milne Timber Systems has announced new contract wins worth £6.25m.
James Jones completes its first EC5 compliant roof
James Jones & Sons’ Timber Systems Division has designed its first fully EC5-compliant timber roof for a Scunthorpe school.
Timber building firm fined after fall
Modular timber building producer RG Stones (Buildings) Ltd has been fined £6,500 after an employee fell through a canopy, missed safety landing bags and suffered multiple injuries.
Saint-Gobain to cut back
Saint-Gobain said it is drawing in its horns after the construction materials supplier posted a 34% fall in net income for the first half of the year.
Construction faces continued decline
Construction is facing two more years of decline according to a flurry of new reports that provide a blizzard of bad news for the industry.
Balehaus project receives EU funding
University of Bath has secured European money to help certify and scale up production of its pioneering straw bale buildings.
Milestone SIPs project buoys Innovaré
SIPs supplier Innovaré Systems has completed its largest project for a £12.8m housing development on a former council depot and park and ride site in Maidstone, Kent.
Port expands forest products facilities
Port of Hull has signed a five-year deal with Jenkins Shipping for the handling and storage of paper and forest products at a new 9,500m2 warehouse under construction at Queen Elizabeth Dock.
Gunns starts selling Green Triangle forests
Gunns has sold about half its stake in a forestry investment trust based in South Australia and Victoria for A$64m.
July 2012
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Sonae begins consultation on Knowsley’s future
Further question marks have been raised over the future of Sonae’s Knowsley plant after the company announced it was starting consultations with employees.
Coillte’s profits fall to €19.9m
Coillte’s after tax profits fell 38% to €19.9m in 2011 but the company says strong log prices in Ireland and improved prices for panel products in export markets drove “good results in a difficult trading environment”.
New chairman to lead BWF training forum
Sharon Gorf has been appointed the new chairman of the British Woodworking Federation’s (BWF) Woodworking Industry Training Forum (WITForum).
Obituary – Ian Chalmers
Ian Chalmers, business development director at Calders & Grandidge, has died.
Finewood marketing launches Far East office
Finewood Marketing’s technical director, Nigel Haigh, has moved to Malaysia to head the company’s Far East regional office.
WPIF reacts to RO banding review
The Wood Panel Industries Federation (WPIF) has spoken out following the Renewables Obligation (RO) Banding Review saying that DECC has “failed to deliver a comprehensive strategy which will offer a level playing field to all industries involved in the wood supply chain”.
NHBC reports drop in new home registrations
The NHBC’s latest figures for new home registrations in the UK show a 24% decrease in the second quarter of 2012 compared to the same period last year.
Grange features on TV garden makeover show
The current series of Alan Titchmarsh’s Love Your Garden show has featured Grange Fencing’s Apollo pergola.
Minister visits BSW’s Fort William mill
Defra cabinet secretary Richard Lochhead has visited BSW’s Fort William sawmill to mark the next stage of its five-year £37m investment programme.
Wet weather dampens Travis Perkins profits
Travis Perkins plc has reported a 7.3% rise in pre-tax profits for the first six months but says the exceptionally wet weather wiped around £10m off its results.
CLT proves performance in school gym
Timber build specialist B&K Structures has supplied cross-laminated timber (CLT) panels for the construction of a London school gym and three classroom blocks.
JELD-WEN supplies Cornish housing development
JELD-WEN has supplied timber windows and doorsets to Guinness Hermitage, a member of The Guinness Partnership, which is one of the UK’s largest affordable housing providers.
West Fraser shares rally after second-quarter results
West Fraser Timber Co’s shares rose by 2% as it reported second-quarter earnings of C$27m and earnings per share of C$0.63 on sales of C$774m.
Stora Enso continues production cuts after weak Q2 results
Stora Enso plans further production cuts after reporting almost a halving in second-quarter net profits.
Lavery to steps down as UPM Tilhill managing director
UPM Tilhill managing director Steve Lavery is leaving the company.
BMF appoints managing director
The Builders Merchants Federation (BMF) has appointed John Newcomb as managing director. He takes up the post on August 1.
Doubts over Australian illegal logging bill
Australia intends its anti-illegal logging bill to be the equivalent of the EU Timber Regulation and America’s Lacey Act – a means of minimising the risk of illegally harvested wood entering its market from both overseas and domestic sources.
Wood modification debated at LHC
Modified softwoods are competition to hardwoods in only limited circumstances, the London Hardwood Club has heard.
Housing market stutters in June
The UK housing market continued to stutter during June, according to the latest RICS UK housing market survey.
Panel report gets thumbs-up from trade
The timber trade has given further positive reaction to the publication of the Independent Panel on Forestry’s final report to government.
Howarth Timber Engineering suspended by UKTFA
Howarth Timber Engineering has been suspended by the UK Timber Frame Association (UKTFA) for failing to register a Stockport timber frame structure – which was hit by a serious fire during construction - under the association’s SiteSafe scheme.
Administrators seek buyers for CR Taylor assets
Administrators are planning a sale of CR Taylor (Timber) Ltd’s assets after closing the long-standing timber engineering and merchanting business.
Jurassic park art
An Oxfordshire company has started selling garden and park ornaments and features made from petrified timber.
Vollmer holds PCD Days in Biberach
About 30 UK customers of Vollmer UK travelled to the company’s German headquarters in Biberach last week for a PCD Days event to update on the latest developments with poly-crystalline diamond tooling.
Conservatory manufacturer kick-starts investment plans
Timber conservatory manufacturer David Salisbury has posted 20% sales growth for the first half of 2012 and plans to kick-start capital expenditure again with an investment of about £100,000.
British larch features in Olympics celebration
Larch timber sourced from BSW Timber’s Newbridge-on-Wye sawmill has taken a starring role in an eye-catching project heralding the start of the Olympic Games in London.
Ligna bookings running ahead of 2011 event
The world’s largest woodworking machinery and technology show has reported a 17% growth in exhibitor numbers for the 2013 event compared to the same time in the lead-up to Ligna 2011.
New wood construction show launches
A new European wood construction exhibition has been launched and will have its first airing at Namur, Belgium next summer.
ETTF finalises harmonised due diligence system
The European Timber Trade Federation (ETTF) has almost completed its harmonised due diligence illegal timber risk assessment system, which will enable all members to comply with the upcoming EU Timber Regulation, according to the organisation’s secretary-general André de Boer.
New oak death variant increases alarm
The discovery of a fourth variant of the fungal pathogen Phytophthora ramorum,which is killing a wide variety of trees and plants worldwide, has increased concerns over its spread, virulence and ability to adapt.
Obituary – Frank Hellyer
Frank Hellyer, a former timber director with Covers Timber & Builders Merchants, died on July 9.
ITW Industry team reigns at golf day
ITW Industry emerged victors of Stewart Milne’s golf day held at The Wychwood Golf Club.
Gill & Robinson sold to Kullik & Rullman
Ian Robinson has sold his company Gill & Robinson to German agency Kullik & Rullman.
Wood Germany attracts new member
Glulam bridge specialist Schaffitzel + Miebach-Fascination Brücken GmbH has joined international marketing platform Wood Germany.
TTF workshop brings trade up to speed on EUTR
The UK is well placed to comply with the forthcoming EU Timber Regulation (EUTR), according to Stephen Lowe from Defra’s International Forestry Team – but there is still room for further clarity and guidance on certain aspects of its implementation.
Rembrand over the sea to Skye
Rembrand Timber has increased its branch network to 18 with the launch of a new outlet on the Isle of Skye.
Students recognised by Institute of Carpenters
Two carpentry and joinery apprentices who are students at Leeds College of Building have won a prestigious competition organised by the Institute of Carpenters (IOC).
McDonald’s serves up timber building
Glulam, timber cladding and decking feature in McDonald’s flagship Olympic Park restaurant.
Ireland’s first SpaceStud house under construction
Building is under way on Ireland’s first SpaceStud house.
UK timber imports 4.9% higher in first four months
Overall UK imports of the main timber products were 4.9% higher in the first four months of 2012 compared to a year ago, according to the Timber Trade Federation’s latest statistics bulletin.
Parquet industry welcomes action against Germany
The European Federation of Parquet Importers (EPFI) has welcomed the European Commission’s decision to refer Germany to the European Court of Justice over the country’s decision to impose a national mark on construction products.
Cheap competition hitting Moelven export sector
Norway-based Moelven said the Nordic softwood export industry is “paying a price” for having sound finances in its home country, compared to much of Europe.
Sierra Pacific to pay US$47m in record settlement
Sierra Pacific is to pay US$47m and hand over 22,500 acres to the federal government as part of a settlement for the fire that devastated northern Calfornian forests in 2007.
FMB appoints new commercial director
The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) has appointed Nigel Stubbings as its new commercial director.
M&M Timber makes new board appointment
M&M Timber Ltd, one of Europe’s largest manufacturers of machined round timber and a supplier of garden and landscape products, has appointed Andy Hodge as commercial director
CR Taylor Timber in administration
Denholme-based CR Taylor (Timber) Ltd has been closed by administrators after running up losses, but the central Bradford merchanting business has been bought back by former chairman Charles Taylor.
Confor welcomes forestry investment news
Confor has welcomed the recent launch of the 2011 IPD Forestry Index, which showed a record return of 34.8% on investment.
TTF survey to gauge trade's readiness for EUTR
The Timber Trade Federation (TTF) and NEPCon (Nature, Ecology and People Consult) have teamed up to conduct a survey that will assess the current levels of awareness and preparedness for the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR).
Glennon Brothers recognises long service
Glennon Brothers celebrated the long service of two employees at a recent function at Longford Rugby Club.
PTG installs additional plant at Cumbernauld
PTG Treatments has installed its latest plant at Cumbernauld, enabling it to offer both low pressure and high pressure treatment from one site in Scotland for the first time.
BWF offers help on CE marking
The British Woodworking Federation (BWF) has started a 12-month countdown to the introduction of compulsory CE marking next year.
BM TRADA gets UKAS energy extension
BM TRADA Certification has won an extension of its UKAS accreditation to certify energy-efficient door and glazing installation to PAS 2030-2012.
Wood recycling scheme wins award
The work of the National Community Wood Recycling Project (NCWRP) has been recognised in the National Recycling Awards.
Pöyry advises panels sector on surviving double dip
Timber sector consultancy Jaako Pöyry has produced a report on how Europe’s wood-based panels sector can survive a double dip recession.
Setra reduces first half losses
Setra’s second-quarter operating profits have fallen to SKr29 from SKr40 last year but the company remains buoyed by its performance, given the economic climate.
Weyerhaeuser procurement favours Tree Farm System
Weyerhaeuser has announced its preference for purchasing wood certified under the American Tree Farm System. The American Forest Foundation’s scheme covers more than 89,000 family forest owners sustainably managing 27 million acres of forestland.
Meyer converts to bisTrack
Meyer Timber has converted to bisTrack enterprise management software across its business.
Grafton’s turnover rises in first half
A more favourable euro/sterling exchange rate helped Grafton Group increase turnover by 4% in the first half. Revenue for the six months to June 30 rose to €1.05bn, compared with €1.01bn in the first half of 2011.
Timber Construction Germany reports sales growth
Germany’s largest carpentry/timber construction association says total sales for its membership are expected to increase by 3% to €6.15bn in 2012.
NZ gears up for timber engineering conference
The World Conference on Timber Engineering is preparing to kick off in New Zealand.
Accoya maker posts €14.4m after tax loss
Accoya modified wood manufacturer Accsys Technologies plc has posted another heavy annual loss after tax - €14.4m (2011: €14.4m loss) but it believes a series of licensing deals and an increasing sales growth trend point to an eventual path to profit.
Industry-sponsored students graduate
Two Edinburgh Napier University students have just completed their engineering degrees thanks to sponsorship from timber industry companies.
TTBS national golf day rescheduled
The Timber Trades’ Benevolent Society’s (TTBS) national golf day on July 6 at the Marriott Forest of Arden club in Warwickshire was a victim of the unseasonable weather, with heavy rain forcing a postponement.
Chiltern International Fire expands consultancy team
Chiltern International Fire (CIF) has appointed James Godfrey as a product consultant, based at the company’s Bristol offices.
Industry “accord” signed by UK timber trade organisations
The 11 trade bodies representing the forestry and timber industries have signed an accord in order to improve industry competitiveness and performance.
Södra makes first-half loss
Södra says it is in a “strong financial position” despite recording an operating loss for the first half.
Lonza renews and updates Tanalith E treatment
Lonza Wood Protection is launching a more powerful version of Tanalith E wood preservative with a patent pending technology to provide what it says is a next generation timber protection.
European Commission debates wood products’ inclusion in carbon rules
The European Commission has debated the inclusion of harvested wood products in the EU’s climate change commitments.
Metsä in €30m Vilppula sawmill upgrading
Metsä Group is to invest €30m in upgrading its Vilppula sawmill.
Timbmet Group sells TDSL stake
Timbmet Group is selling its minority shareholding in Timbmet Door Solutions Ltd (TDSL) as part of the acquisition of the latter by Laidlaw Interiors Group.
UK sawmills predicted to retain market share
Domestic processors should be able to hang on to their increased market share of the UK softwood market, even if the euro weakens, according to UPM Tilhill timber operations director Peter Whitfield.
Defra appoints EUTR policing body
The National Measurement Office (NMO) has been appointed as the body to police the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR) in the UK.
Glennon marks export success
Timber processor Glennon Brothers has celebrated achieving €10m of exports of home-grown timber into the French market.
Persimmon banks on land investment
Housebuilder Persimmon reported increased sales and completions during the first half of the year, with turnover up 13% and average house prices up 7%.
Steenberg retires from Masons
Paul Steenberg, head of operations at Masons Timber Products, is retiring after more than 40 years of service to the Nottingham-based timber manufacturer. His most recent achievement is in leading Masons to achieve PEFC accreditation.
Shipston boosts capacity
Lancashire-based furniture components supplier P Shipston and Sons has increased capacity with the installation of a Salvador Superpush S200 optimising cross-cut saw.
Next step at Stairplan
Stairplan, the family-owned timber staircase and joinery component manufacturer, has completed an upgrade of machinery after moving to new premises.
Government panel backs Wood First
The government’s Independent Panel on Forestry has recommended that local authorities should use their Local Plans to introduce a “Wood First” policy for construction projects to increase use of wood in buildings.
BSW mill construction progresses
BSW Timber is making progress with the construction of its K2 sawmill at Fort William.
Austrian research body wins parquet industry prize
Testing body Holzforschung Austria (HFA) has been named as the winner of the first European Federation of the Parquet Industry (FEP) Award.
Finnish forests’ timber volume rises
The volume of wood in Finnish forests has increased to its highest level in recorded history, according a new report.
Falling demand crushes optimism
New figures reveal another plummet in the fortunes of the construction industry, laying waste to the optimism of improvement earlier in the year.
School champions CLT
A showpiece cross-laminated timber (CLT) project involving 500 tonnes of the product is nearing completion in London.
Kronospan seeks loan for MDF mill
Kronospan is awaiting final approval of a massive euro bank loan to build an MDF and laminate flooring plant in Belarus.
MakeIT Wood awards presented
Wood for Good’s David Hopkins presented the MakeIT Wood awards at the National School of Furniture in Oxford.
Ligna home set for rebuild
The owners of the Hannover Exhibition Centre, home of Ligna, are to rebuild two halls as part of a €60m package of improvements over the next 10 years.
Licence deal “next step” for Accoya
Accsys has agreed terms with a multi-national speciality chemical business that will boost production of Accoya and lead to greater “availablity and competitiveness”.
Confor plan pledges 7,000 rural jobs
Confor is using a new report to press the government to recognise forestry and wood processing for its economic and green credentials.
BSW’s Tony Hackney wins top entrepreneur prize
BSW Timber Group CEO Tony Hackney has won Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year award in Scotland for increasing group profits by 60% in the past four years.
South London Timber celebrates 25 years
A host of timber product suppliers and customers have helped South London Timber celebrate its 25th anniversary.
MKM opens Kent merchant branch
A Kent site has been added to the now 38-strong branch network of MKM Building Supplies.
Homag project sales top £100m
Homag has broken through the £100m sales barrier for its project business in just the first five months of 2012.
UPM concludes sawmill business restructuring plans
UPM is to sell its Kajanni sawmill and close the Aureskoski and Heinola further processing mills after concluding restructuring talks.
June 2012
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EU publishes Russian softwood log duty quotas
The EU has published export tariff quotas for Russian logs in advance of Russia joining the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
US scientists “create” wood
A Florida-based research company claims to have solved the question of deforestation by “creating” wood through combining plant cuttings and a special agent responsible for forming shells in nature.
Public housing registrations fall 41% in second quarter
Public sector housing registrations continue to fall, with a 41% drop recorded in the NHBC’s latest quarterly figures.
Kingfisher’s responsible timber sourcing rate reaches 86%
B&Q owner Kingfisher plc said 86% of group timber products sold (by volume) during 2011-12 were responsibly sourced.
Obituary – Roger Collins
Roger Collins, who was semi-retired but still active in the timber trade, has died.
UPM named most innovative company at ethical awards
Finnish forest products company UPM has been named “most innovative company” at the 2012 Ethical Corporation Awards for a string of innovations including creating the world’s first biodiesel from wood raw material.
Weyerhaeuser expands into reclaimed wood market
Weyerhaeuser, one of the US’s largest wood product distributors, has added reclaimed wood to its offering.
BMF restructure woos back former members
The Builders Merchants Federation’s (BMF) decision to restructure and cut subscription rates has led to a “swathe” of former members rejoining the organisation since April.
Lathams holds open day at new Leeds depot
Customers flocked to James Latham’s new Leeds depot last week during an open day, which also featured displays by many suppliers.
Pritchard joins NorDan as regional director
High performance timber window and door manufacturer NorDan UK Ltd has appointed Jason Pritchard as regional director in its Gloucester office.
Timber roof batten report highlights “massive failings”
A mystery shop investigation into roofing battens has indicated “massive failings” in the quality of products supplied to UK construction sites, as well as fraudulent BS marking.
TTF attracts 14 new members
Fourteen new members have joined the Timber Trade Federation (TTF) in the second quarter, including Quebec-based sawmiller Eacom Timber Corporation and credit insurer Prophet Group.
Management in buyout of UCM Timber (Specialties) Ltd
UCM Timber (Specialties) Ltd, the only surviving part of the UCM Timber plc business, has been bought out by management for an undisclosed sum.
Setra reduces shifts at glulam factory
Setra is reducing shifts at its Långshyttan glulam factory in Sweden because of weak market demand.
Internet garden products market worth £220m
The internet garden products market has grown to an estimated £220m, according to latest research.
Trade warned not to underestimate EUTR
The timber trade must sit up and take notice of the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR) or else run the risk of harming the reputation of the industry, members of the Timber Trade Federation (TTF) were told at the organisation’s AGM.
PTG in Tilbury fire retardant investment
PTG Treatments has invested over £100,000 in modifying its Tilbury treatment facilities to use a new exterior fire retardant just launched in the UK.
Baltic shippers reaffirm their supply role with UK
The wider market may still be slow but Baltic mills are maintaining a constant level of business with the UK
Timberwolf rewards loyalty
As part of a new marketing initiative, Suffolk-based chipper and shredder expert Timberwolf has awarded a life-changing prize to one of their loyal customers.
Tomorrow’s Garden City is timber frame feast
Three different types of timber frame systems have been used to build 60 units in an £8m flagship housing scheme in Letchworth.
Lathams posts 10.4% annual sales increase
James Latham plc has recorded a 10.4% growth in annual sales to £143.6m (2011: £130.1m) for the financial year ended March 31.
Timber trade responsible sourcing levels improve further
The UK timber trade is pushing its responsible sourcing levels still higher, according to a new report.
BSW makes Easi brand visible on UK roads
BSW Timber has unveiled new “Timber Made easi” branding on 10 delivery lorries.
Carvers set to rebuild fire ravaged site
Work to rebuild the main site at Carvers Building Supplies in Wolverhampton, which was destroyed in a fire earlier this year, could begin next month.
Sawmill calls time on lorry bottlenecks
A Swedish sawmilling company has been pilot testing a new system for logging trucks to book unloading slots at sawmills and paper mills.
Royal approval for Good Bros
Sally Good, director of Good Bros (Timber Merchants) Ltd, enjoyed a conversation about timber sourcing with the Prince of Wales at the recent Ideal Home Show.
Outdoor products sales decline hits Homebase
DIY retailer Homebase suffered an 8.1% fall in sales during the second quarter, principally due to a 15% reverse in seasonal outdoor products.
Online system to ease FSC claims process
Timber Trade Federation (TTF) members are being sought to take part in the development of an FSC Online Claims Platform designed to maintain the integrity of the FSC system and make it easier to operate for traders.
Norwegians compare notes on forestry
A 26-strong forestry delegation from Norway has been checking out forestry and sawmilling operations in Scotland.
Joinery firms upgrades extraction
West Country Joinery has modernised its wood waste extraction with a totally ducted system that eliminates manual handling and reduces health and safety risks.
UK minister impressed by forest products sector
UK government minister Lord Taylor of Holbeach has told the UK Forest Products Association (UKFPA) members that he was “very impressed” by the UK forestry and forest products sector.
New timber transport group for north-east England
Egger director John Paterson is to head a new organisation aimed at improving transport links for north-east England’s forestry industry while reducing its impact on the region’s roads.
Agnew racks up improved storage
A new cantilever rack system has revolutionised the warehousing of wood mouldings at Agnew & Co in Ireland following a fire that destroyed the company’s storage facilities.
Green light for new European wood promotion campaign
A new European wood promotion campaign and tougher lobbying to defend against increased hardwood log exports from Europe to China have been agreed by sawmilling representatives.
Rollinson and Bonfield honoured by Queen
Forestry Commission director general Tim Rollinson has been awarded a CBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list.
Amazon deforestation at record low
Record low levels of deforestation in Brazil have been credited to the creation of sustainable forestry plantations in the country.
FSC recognition for teak plantation
Indonesian forestry company Perum Perhutani, the world’s largest teak producer, has achieved its third FSC certification of the year and the fifth in the past eight months.
Carrefour attracts 10,000
France’s leading timber show Carrefour International du Bois this year saw visitor numbers remain stable at 10,000.
Westframe’s first floor cassette project in masonry housing market
Timber frame manufacturer Westframe has completed its first timber floor cassettes contract in the residential masonry build market.
JT Dove back in profit
Merchant JT Dove has dramatically turned its fortunes around – posting a £535,000 pre-tax profit in newly published accounts.
Timber Talks at Timber Expo
Timber Expo has unveiled its Timber Talks seminar programme of more than 80 sessions to discuss the commercial, technical and aesthetics possibilities of timber.
UPM opens rebuilt plywood mill
UPM has completed the extension and modernisation of its plywood mill in Savonlinna, which it planned as the most modern of its type in the world.
AHEC teams up with Royal College of Art
The American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC) is looking to put hardwood centre stage once again at the London Design Festival through a chair design project with the Royal College of Art.
Timberwise fined £18,000 over asbestos
Timberwise (UK) Ltd, the damp and timber repair specialist, has been fined for four offences involving the unlicenced removal and storing of asbestos.
Chinese buy timber firms in Gabon
Chinese furniture producer Guangdong Yihua is to take over six forestry companies in Gabon by direct acquisition or buying up controlling interests from the China Forest Group.
JELD-WEN to acquire Craftmaster
JELD-WEN Inc is to acquire door manufacturer Craftmaster in a move which will increase its focus on environmentally-friendly wood composite exterior products.
BWF urges level playing field for Green Deal
The joinery industry has given a cautious welcome to the government's publication of the final Green Deal Policy but is still concerned that vagueness in the policy could disadvantage sections of the supply chain.
Resolute leads FSC league
Resolute Forest Products, formerly AbitibiBowater, has become the largest manager of FSC certified forests in the world.
Södra introduces rapeseed fuel for timber trucks
Södra is introducing rapeseed alternative fuel for its timber trucks, loaders and forklifts in Sweden to reduce fuel costs and become more eco-friendly.
Building Centre’s timber and merchanting presence is strengthened
Three of the main organisations representing UK timber and merchanting industry interests will have a presence in the same central London office building come September.
Obituary - Ron Vickers
Ron Vickers, who had a long career in the timber industry, has died. He was 86.
Administrators fear joinery firm may close
Administrators have warned that a Midlands joinery firm may be forced into liquidation if a buyer is not found soon.
Poland remains top European parquet flooring producer
New figures show that Poland maintained its position as Europe’s leader of parquet floor production in 2011.
Arauco to buy Flakeboard for US$242m
Arauco’s agreement to purchase Flakeboard for US$242.5m will see it become the largest panel producer by volume in America (North & South America) and the third largest in the world.
UK timber and panel imports up 3.7% in first quarter
UK first quarter imports of the main timber and panel products were 70,000m3 (3.7%) higher than a year ago, according to the Timber Trade Federation.
Beaumont adds to fleet
Beaumont Forest Products has added three new trucks to its delivery fleet - two 16-tonne Mercedes-Benz Atego 1624 trucks and the company’s first Japanese Fuso Canter.
Indonesian forestry minister visits James Latham
Indonesia’s forestry minister Zulkifli Hasan has dropped into James Latham plc as part of delegation in the UK to learn about the London 2012 Olympics timber purchasing policy.
Global sawlog price index falls 9%
A near 9% fall in the global sawlog price index was recorded in the first quarter, according to the latest report from Wood Resource Quarterly.
Bellway records buoyant spring selling season
National housebuilder Bellway has reported resilient demand throughout the spring selling season.
Saint-Gobain to acquire Celotex
Saint-Gobain has signed an agreement to acquire leading UK insulation manufacturer Celotex Group Ltd.
Fire briefly interrupts BSW Newbridge production
BSW Timber employees were evacuated from the Newbridge-on-Wye sawmill after a small fire broke out in the early hours of Thursday morning.
Allan Brothers delivers upbeat message to workforce
Danny Hughes, managing director of timber windows and doors manufacturer Allan Brothers, has told his 180-strong workforce that the company is winning new business in a “very competitive and difficult market”.
Timber cladding market share remains low in US new homes market
Timber cladding’s share of the exterior fascia market in newly completed single-family homes in the US remains at just 8% of the market, according to latest statistics.
Hackney Wood First policy defended
Warnings that Hackney Borough Council could be mired in legal challenges if it gives timber preferred status as a building material have been dismissed by campaigners for the changes.
Prowood launches priming operation and expands stocks
Importer/distributor Prowood Ltd has invested in excess of £100,000 in an additional warehouse, new machinery and extending its operations to include priming and finishing operations.
Boost for certified woodland
Latest Forestry Commission figures on woodland area, planting and restocking showed 13,000ha of new woodland was created in the UK for the year ending March.
Tricoya tested at Jubilee horse show
“Extreme Durable” Medite Tricoya MDF was put through its paces in an exterior application for a Land Rover stand at the Royal Windsor Horse Show.
Euro business award accolade
Glennon Brothers has been named as a national finalist in the European Business Awards.
Scottish sawn timber output grows by 7%
Scotland’s sawmilling industry has posted a 7% increase in sawn timber output for 2011, according to the latest statistics released by the Forestry Commission.
Fire protection and lightweight boards in focus at panels conference
The fire protection ability of wood-based panels, lightweight boards and thermally-modified plywood are just some of the topics being covered at the European Panel Federation’s (EPF) 2012 Symposium.
Södra ramps up biofuel
Södra Cell is to develop a wood pelleting plant alongside a new lime kiln at its Värö pulp mill in Sweden.
Ainslie raises £5,000 for Cancer Research UK
Just over five months – and 746 training miles – after announcing his intention to run the Edinburgh marathon to raise funds for Cancer Research UK, in memory of Steve Jones and other colleagues in the timber trade, Sunday May 27 saw Keith Ainslie, sales manager with James Jones & Sons, take up position on the start line with around 12,000 fellow runners.
BSW incised post in Benchmark certificate first
BSW Timber’s newly launched incised fence post – easipost15 – has become the first spruce post to be awarded a Wood Protection Association Benchmark (WPA) quality assurance certificate.
Posi-Joists solve design challenge
Posi-Joists solved a design challenge for a new stable block near Dunfermline.
App aids interview prep
A former timber trader for Taylor Maxwell is behind a new smart phone app coaching job applicants on interview techniques.
TTF guide to Green Deal
The Timber Trade Federation has issued a bulletin to explain the government-sponsored Green Deal and how TTF members can use it to generate business opportunities.
Grafton to restructure DIY chain
Grafton Group said its UK operations will be unaffected by the restructuring of its loss-making DIY chain Atlantic Home Care, which has 13 outlets in Ireland.
Triple choice for Striebig
A chain of independent sheet material suppliers is now running Striebig Compact vertical panel saws at all three of its branches in the north-west.
Kerto showcased at Summer Exhibition
Engineered timber from Metsä Wood has a starring role at the Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy in London.
Weather clouds B&Q spring sales
Bad weather blighted B&Q’s spring business causing a sharp fall in sales of outdoor seasonal products and a 13.8% slump in retail profits.
Members’ day sparks BWF debate
The British Woodworking Federation (BWF) Members’ Day generated robust debate on key issues facing the industry.
Vapo inaugurates €10m sawmill
Vapo Timber’s new €10m sawmill at Hankasalmi has been inaugurated.
May 2012
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Russian sawmiller's losses grow
Russian sawmilling group RusForest AB recorded a net loss of SKr115.7m for the first quarter.
Södra Timber focuses on reversing negative trend
Södra Timber says it is working hard to reverse the negative trend in its business.
TRA urges consultation over solar panels in roof designs
The Trussed Rafter Association (TRA) is urging housebuilders to consult trussed rafter manufacturers at the earliest opportunity when planning to install solar photovoltaic panels on roofs.
Timber trade in for an easi ride
Global trade volumes rise 25%
Global trade in lumber has risen 25% in the past two years.
P&A Group moves site to boost turnover
Pallets and timber garden products manufacturer the P&A Group has acquired new premises as part of a move to grow turnover by 30%.
Kebony modified wood wins innovation prize
Modified wood producer Kebony has won a Best Innovation prize at one of the UK's highest profile business awards.
Work starts on CLT record breaker building
Lend Lease is aiming to break the cross-laminated timber (CLT) building records books by constructing the tallest CLT structure in the world in Australia.
SCA Timber Supply appoints and promotes
Malaysian exporters warned to heed trend for legal timber
Malaysian timber products exporters must be mindful of the rising demand in major markets for legal timber and ensure they comply with new rules, said plantation industries and commodities minister Tan Sri Bernard Dompok has said.
Fire hits Stockport timber frame construction site
A large fire has hit a timber frame building under construction in Stockport town centre.
Fixings manufacturer Expamet acquired
Structural fixings manufacturer Expamet Building Products Ltd has been acquired by Birtley Building Products in a “pre-pack” deal from administrators PriceWaterhouseCoopers.
Obituary - Barry Lewis
Former Schauman Wood managing director Barry Lewis has died after a long illness.
Brazilian president vetoes parts of Forest Code
Brazil’s president, Dilma Rousseff, has vetoed parts of the country’s proposed new forest code – a move that may stop tracts of land being opened for large-scale agriculture.
ElecoFloor panels installed at West Park
Stramit’s ElecoFloor has been widely used in the £12m West Park residential development in Manchester.
Sulphur Directive approval to cost Finnish forestry sector €200m
Final approval of the Sulphur Directive will cost the Finnish forest industry €200m in annual extra costs.
Hackney council to put Wood First to public consultation
Halspan’s Moralt investment to create new market opportunities
Van Drimmelen boosts Bulmor fleet
Life cycle study gives timber the edge
Mill retrofit achieves 50% savings
New Osmose owner pledges investment
Rumours hint of UK CLT production plans
Finnish green groups ‘forcing’ FSC audits on forest owners
Finnish forest owners say environmentalists are putting undue pressure on them to submit to Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) audits, but the FSC itself described the claims as ‘exaggerated’.
Sonae in stalemate with planners
Exhibition centre star attraction at Meyer open days
TFT in new teak and mahogany project
UK house registrations down 15%
Stewart Milne completes S-shaped timber frame project
Finnish green groups ‘forcing’ FSC audits on forest owners
Timber trade urged to back £1.8m woodland centre
Carpenter receives royal seal of approval
Presidential award for US lumber exporter
Stora Enso to supply Finland’s biggest wooden roof
Plywood mill colouring line starts up
Weyerhaeuser offers rebates to builders
Marine ply concerns prompt new TTF guidance note
Laesti's second sawmill opens in Estonia
Södra turnaround on mill shutdown
Forestry Commission unveils changes to boost conifer planting
Sonae reduces loss in first quarter
Metsä Wood considers €30m mill investment
New stats show home-grown timber growth
Setra consults on Horndal sawmill closure
UK timber imports up 5% in opening months
Scott Timber fined for worker injury
Howells re-elected as TTBS president
Xylexpo 2012 attracts 43,295 visitors
“First” UK-sourced solid timber building
Boise celebrates 40 years with distributor challenge
Ainsworth reports higher OSB volumes and prices
BSW Timber strengthens purchasing team with senior appointment
Rainfall “moderates” Grafton performance in April
Travis Perkins grows but rain affects trade
Premier buys Ireland-based Brooks Group
Brash in scaffold board fire treatment first
Hackney in frame to be first Wood First council
Finnish production “difficult” in first quarter
Commons hearing for UK forestry
Lord Coe fails to address Olympics timber procurement complaints
UK start-up to open Romanian oak mill
Offsite mortgages receive qualified welcome
Warranty first for Medite Tricoya coating
Nordic mills record Q1 improvement
Technodomus attracts 33,843 visitors
Enhanced grants for productive woodland
Indicators "uncertain" about construction
Price drop hits Vapo Timber results
Construction outlook remains subdued, says CPA
Canfor invests C$40m in BC mills
New package reduces transport damage
Saint-Gobain delivers “satisfactory” performance
TRADA launches underfloor heating research
New Moralt business emerges with Anglo-German support
Ainslie tackles the Highland Fling
Södra Timber extends summer shutdown
Fire door certification seminar
Malaysia timber export revenue reaches M$20bn.
Truss Form expands easi-joist production
Pallet manufacturer sentenced for health and safety failings
Metsä Wood posts €4m Q1 profits
Latvijas Finieris celebrates anniversary
Industry committee welcomes new chair
Steico reports improving trend
Law takes a walk for fundraising
ABP profits grow, volumes fall
Weyerhaeuser reduces wood product division losses
Fiji launches sustainable mahogany brand
Stewart Milne ships house kits to Falklands
Western Canadian shipments to China grow
Howdens sales rise in first four months
Retailers frustrated at lack of EUTR guidance
April 2012
Top
Latin American panel producer explores modified wood panels
Private/public sector housing gap widens
Norbord's profitability improves
Mumford & Wood windows make the grade on listed building
Leading contractors strike PEFC/FSC balance
Xylexpo targets 50,000 visitors at 2012 event
Long-term trend is positive, agent tells London Softwood Club
Incising test rig installed at Lonza
Canadian backing takes Wood Awards forward
Burmese teak trade prospects grow after EU sanction move
Advanced Machinery Services on the advance
Ecojoists in new Solihull hospice
Gibbs & Dandy rolls out chain of custody
Parquet markets present polarised picture
Conturex boosts flexibility at Hall & Tawse
Hoppings marks Howe's retirement
Fire hits millionaire's new cedar house
Dubai WoodShow positive feedback
Scottish minister discusses biomass energy issue at BSW
Pallet giant PGS grows turnover
Stora Enso sales “stable”, but cost reductions continue
Proskills will continue to develop timber training
KLH strengthens management team
Olympics could disrupt timber deliveries
Ghana's export volumes fall, value rises
Major Scottish developer opts for Norbord flooring
Mighton Products makes appointments
Finns recover forestry confidence
Alsford Timber goes dotty for Demelza's
Felling under way to combat Asian longhorn beetle threat to UK hardwoods
South Africa faces timber shortage
Grange Fencing sponsors Paralympic archer
Ecobuild attendance confirmed at 57,000
Weyerhaeuser engineered wood business grows
Beetle threatens BC timber supplies
OFT approves Jewson acquisition of Build Center
Extra energy-efficiency measures dropped from new Part L
Managers in new positions at Södra
Timber features in temporary Christchurch cathedral
Timber imports stats in January highest for three years
Setra names new president and CEO
BC holds talks on supplies to beetle-hit mills
Wood Awards 2012 open for entries
Report signals growth of UK standing softwood timber volumes
Dale Windows expands sales team
Egger UK factory investments come on stream
Forestry machinery manufacturer sets sights on foreign markets
James Jones & Sons hosts Walking With The Wounded
EUTR information platform attracts support
Timber frame to forge market lead
Stewart Milne goes the extra mile for Maggie's Centres
Ontario state government becomes Timber Expo sponsor
RusForest rights issue oversubscribed
TTF consolidates number of RPP auditors
North American OSB price rises
UPM unveils further mill closure plans
OFT considers Build Center consultation responses
Egger sets up forestry company in Germany
US companies accused of importing illegal Amazon timber
Södra starts production of new composite material
Offner Group buys CLT producer KLH
Rougier posts €4.4m annual net profits
Prince backs forestry programme
Firm fined £8,000 after timber delivery driver impaled
Steico develops coated floor deck product
Fire door diploma receives good take-up
New marketing manager joins Coillte Panel Products
Accsys adds red alder to Accoya range
Combilifts help Bristol Port handle new timber contract
Wood action day targets Brussels
Lawsons marks milestone with fund-raising
India targets trade boost with FSC pact
Stewart Milne showcases AIMC4 homes
Europe threatens UK product sales, says CPA
Sino-Forest sues Muddy Waters for defamation
Pallet manufacturer fined £10,000 for unsafe fires
Sabah plantation production hits new record
Richard Chandler appoints team for Sino-Forest restructure
OSB accolade for top apprentice
Tasmanian protestors offer campaign suspension
New England Forestry Commission in place
Pfleiderer profits grow as parent company files for insolvency
March 2012
Top
Maple to invest £1m in new production line
Indonesian timber trade wood legality commitment
TTF members face expulsion over RPP submissions
Timber tower signals IKEA estate's sustainability
Wakeman receives Queen’s honour at Buckingham Palace
World first Olympic timber procurement success confirmed
First outbreak of Asian longhorn beetle confirmed in UK
Public sector housing wane accelerates
Court decision prompts Pfleiderer AG insolvency proceedings
Top architect keynote at BWF members' day
Cheshire Mouldings doubles output with new moulding line
Wolseley reports 28% profits growth
FEFPEB launches language websites
Forest Garden stars at Ideal Home Show
Canfor completes purchase of Tembec mills
Fortunes vary at B&Q and Homebase
Metsä Wood launches new plywood formwork panels
Timbmet chairman presents TRADA student design award
Ecobuild India to launch in Mumbai
New NVQs a "major opportunity for timber"
Lifetime accolade for Neil Donaldson
Minister praises TTF leadership for responsible purchasing
Ecobuild timber exhibitors report good feedback
Grafton raises £130k for Macmillan support line
Sri Lankan police seize illegal timber
Egger invests in long-term OSB supply to UK
Ugandan MPs call for U-turn on harvesting ban
Weyerhaeuser starts OSB exports to Japan
"Budget for business" unveiled by chancellor
Congo Basin deforestation rates double
International Timber joins TTF
New disease threatens sweet chestnut
Smartphones influence Moelven’s new website
Hardwood traders report rise in certified product demand
Steico and MGM Timber in wood fibre insulation partnership
North American overseas softwood shipments fail to register price growth
BMF sells London HQ and progresses with renewal plans
Keith Ainslie elected softwood club president
BWF chief puts joinery case to chancellor before Budget
Parliamentary biomass group ignores timber interests
Oakworth Joinery assets sale “largest of its kind” in UK
Door manufacturer fined £35,000 after worker death
TTF issues EUTR countdown warning
Still hooked
From trainee to manager, LDT’s Vicki Link has never lost her enthusiasm for the hardwood trade
New timber NVQs launch at Ecobuild
Södra appoints sustainability director
Arrests follow major fire at wood recycling plant
Gabon Special Economic Zone to process timber
UK imports drop more than 8% in 2011
Peter Latham receives OBE medal
Finland sceptical on EU biomass plans
SCA aiming to grow builders merchant business
High hopes for Cairo Wood Show
Industry welcomes NewBuy scheme to boost building
Timcon lobbies ISPM 15 extension consultants
DLH promises growth after "landmark" year
Brazilian sawmills improve performance
Covers opens revamped Horsham branch
Smartphone technology to improve timber bridges
Hoppings sets up customers with online shops
PEFC brands LEED draft “discrimination”
SCA acquires French wood processor
Government assures TTF on plywood quota action
Brooks granted bankruptcy protection
Lyptus signs new UK distributor
Danzer sells Congolese subsidiaries
New branch manager for Leicester Gibbs & Dandy
MgO panels target timber frame sheathing market
Timber buildings can go up to 30 storeys, says report
Grafton UK merchanting sales up 4%
Russian sawmilling groups posts big losses
Malaysian deforestation continuing apace, report claims
Lower grade materials to blame for rise in decking disputes
Carvers pledges to rebuild business
Medite Tricoya “to take construction by storm”, says McCloud
CPET workshop on sustainable timber procurement
Construction orders fall "extremely concerning", says CPA
Obama biobased procurement directive “sidelines” wood products
Glulam design “too expensive” for Queen’s Jubilee concert stage set
Wolf collaborates to develop super-quiet floor detail
TTJ Awards return to The Savoy
Engineering a career
Weinig UK managing director Malcolm Cuthbertson has made his passion his career
Boise Cascade hit by poor US housebuilding sector
Scott Group strengthens sales team
LP steps up UK and European market push
Latham’s on sustainable timber fact-finding trip
Fake batten markings could “flood” the market
Huge fire destroys Carvers’ main Wolverhampton site
Wyckham Blackwell starts self-build business
Timber Expo launches show awards
John Brash appoints new managing director
Wood Campus online learning launched
Scott acquisitions reinforce pallet leadership
Lionex celebrates 40th anniversary
February 2012
Top
New co-ordinator appointed for TTJ Awards
Cedar producer to invest C$16m in mill
Door and window hardware manufacturer Avocet acquired
Persimmon increases timber frame construction
Allan Brothers appoints sales director
Balcas signs mouldings partnership with US coatings manufacturer
Cedar producer Western reports profits boost
Sarawak minister embroiled in logging allegations
Fire crews tackle huge Tilbury power station biomass fire
BASF and Finsa showcase new lightweight board
Rorvik Timber posts SKr163m loss
Finsa UK in new board distribution deal
MPs back motion to extend EU Timber Regulation along supply chain
Blaze hits Travis Perkins timber warehouse
New diploma heralds launch of Fire Door Inspection Scheme
US offshore softwood exports surge
EU not doing enough on illegal wood, says WWF
Rougier starts 2012 "stronger"
New panel aims to take chipboard loft market share
Local authorites lag on green procurement
Vida’s timber division posts SKr41.8m operating profits
Travis Perkins profits up 37% to £269.6m
Ainslie runs in memory of industry colleague
Finnish wood product exports up 4% in 2011
Metsä Group sheds jobs in centralisation of finance operations
Russia preparing to lower log export taxes
Confor business plan identifies action list
Saint-Gobain profits grow, outlook is challenging
Modified wood producer reports rising sales
Södra Timber makes SKr307m loss
TTF engineered timber products division kicks off
Vapo Timber records €9.3m operating loss
Mild winter boosts B&Q outdoor product sales
Call for collective action
Rob Simpson, managing director of SCA Timber Supply, says the industry should work towards a more resource-efficient, sustainable product offering
Timber Expo signs new show partners
Finding your ideal partner
Colin Dean, business development director with Progressive Solutions, says that listening to end-users is an important consideration when reviewing software needs
Kronospan spends £5.5m on UK embossing first
Administrators wind down UCM Timber plc
TFS appoints to board of directors
UK softwood imports worth £850m in 2011
German ZOW visitor numbers grow
OHRA in giant racking installation
Alsford trainees take on £20,000 challenge
Timber industry makes the grade for Forest Footprint Disclosure
Sarawak could lead Malaysia's furniture exports
SCA launches micronised treated decking range
Södra's new wax technology combats pests
Colorado encourages beetle-killed timber use
Timber firms could profit from California’s carbon offset scheme
LP records another “tough year”
Latvian plywood mill hit by fire
UK to record 7-9% fall in timber import volumes
US forests to receive restoration money
Heywood Rooftruss quadruples sales
Beesley & Fildes swtiches to Boise I-joists
Commission confirms another serious tree disease
Foam-forming technology could add value for wood fibre
Jewson offers to divest branches following Build Center deal
Finnforest UK changes name to Metsä Wood UK
Wood trade employment better than construction average
UPM faces claims for competition breach
Metsäliitto predicts challenging wood products outlook
TTF lobbies government to investigate claims under Coniferous Plywood Quota
Dragons’ Den publicity boosts PostSaver sales
Stora Enso operating profits fall 11.4%
NZ billionaire takes stake in Gunns
Visitor numbers increase at DACH+HOLZ 2012
BSW secures finance for new Fort William sawmill
"Name and shame" rogue plywood traders, meeting told
Australia must tighten laws on illegal timber imports, senate told
Nepalese army kills timber smuggler
London debate focuses on Congo forests
DWP Harvesting posts increased sales
Colin Dean joins Progressive Solutions
Weyerhaeuser predicts better wood products performance
Steico expects oversupply to normalise
Coillte marks FSC decade with TV’s McCloud
Window energy ratings raised in Part L proposals
Timber sector performs well in sustainability report
RusForest raises extra funds to counter weak market
Jewson hosts annual conference and exhibition
SCA’s forest products division posts SKr2bn profit
Major joinery manufacturer Oakworth in administration
Sense of justice
The Malaysian Timber Council’s Sheam Satkuru-Granzella tells Keren Fallwell how a love of the law is the foundation of her career
Chandlers expands range of timber products
Banana veneer debuts at Surfaces show
Use or lose training funding, trade warned
Montague L Meyer Group renamed
Midlands TTBS appoints new president
OFT to review Travis Perkins acquisition of Toolstation
EC Forest Products in administration
UPM timber division sees reverse in fortunes
GBS Joinery marks apprenticeship quarter century
Holmen Timber reports SKr136m operating loss
Ilim releases production figures
Associated Timber Services' shoot aids charity
Striebig alleviates bottleneck at buoyant furniture maker
Wiehag reduces delay on glulam project
UCM Timber plc in administration
Weyerhaeuser launches fire protected I-joists
January 2012
Top
Steico launches loft panel product
Large diameter tree volumes grow in Finland
Value hardwood, says president on club’s 75th anniversary
Ta Ann mill invaded by protestors
FSC terminates Asia Plywood licence
Earnshaw outdoor living focus lifts sales 22%
Forestry technology giant Kesla profits grow
Allan Brothers launches consumer strategy
Norbord’s European mills continue to grow
US housing completions dip 10% in 2011
Setra posts SKr42m annual loss
Victorian Woodworks in administration
Rembrand in new JELD-WEN door range agreement
Södra acquires parquet flooring manufacturer
CR Taylor Timber appoints new managing director
Moelven's annual profits slump
European wood pallet giant in major acquisition
Gang-Nail bullish under new owner
US and Canada agree Softwood Lumber Agreement extension
Contraction predicted for construction sector in 2012
SNBG secures Central African Bank loan for new plant
EACOM committed to Timmins sawmill despite fire
CR Taylor doubles roof truss sales in 2011
Travis Perkins renews Northampton Saints sponsorship
Rayonier fourth-quarter profits down, but sales rise
Canada extends ban on Sino-Forest shares trading
Second timber scam reported by merchant
UPM helps customers map plywood carbon footprint
Royal hardwood flooring firm fined £6,000
Government uses seized illegal logs to make school chairs
Half of Poland’s forests PEFC certified
Mumford & Wood executives join Westbury
Proskills aims to continue after losing government funding
UK’s “largest” glulam project delayed by damage to beams
European parquet flooring consumption “stabilises”
TTF asks Customs to investigate Chinese plywood imports
Setra to cut jobs at timber frame subsidiary
UK imports shrink in first 10 months of 2011
Georgia-Pacific in EWP distribution deal
Tickets available for Western Timber Association dinner
Elizabeth Turner takes on TRADA university role
Push wood's USP, urges TTF president
Canadian WoodWORKS programme expands to Atlantic coast
Decorative Panels invests in new technology
FCA reports timber treatment complaints
Scottish survey confirms 300,000m³ felled by storms
Stora Enso renames wood products division
Domotex attracts 45,000 visitors
Norbord launches YouTube channel
Online timber training academy goes live
Södra windblow reaches 750,000m³
Tolleson achieves SFI sourcing certification
Sig reports 3.5% annual sales growth
Scottish roof truss firm hit by fire
Tricoya modified MDF chosen for London refurb
TTF expels two members for environmental report failings
Martinsons to build timber roof for new football grandstand
Ilim plywood plant manufactures new product
Barratts reports sales and profits growth
Weyerhaeuser designs drainage channels into OSB deck panels
Homebase reports 2.5% sales dip
New chief executive appointed to Grafton Merchanting GB
Howdens’ sales rise 5% to £838.7m
Finsa consults staff over redundancies plan at Irish plant
Good Bros wins Prince's oak frame contract
Finnish wood procurement falls 25% in 2011
Grafton enjoys good end to 2011
Dubai WoodShow a strategic opportunity
New Accord factory produces first timber homes
Finsa UK reports 9% sales growth
National Hickman trebles production of timber roof system
Illegal Brazilian timber smuggled to Peru, says newspaper
CPA announces appointment of new chief executive
Metsäliitto trials FSC standard
Plevin biomass plans takes step forward
Wood flooring producer assets to go under hammer
NHBC says 10,000 extra homes built in 2011
Persimmon expects 50% rise in full-year profits
International roofing and timber show to kick off
BSW raises profile of branded timber with new campaign
Accoya features in TV’s Restoration Man
Barnswell builds bespoke service
Strength grading course discount offered
No sleeping in Seattle
Keith Fryer finds out if the grass is any greener for the timber industry in the US. He talks to Mike Dunn, CEO of Dunn Lumber, a US$65m timber merchanting business in Seattle, Washington State, nine time zones away from the UK
IKEA implements new pallet policy in Europe
New Woodbridge terminal targets south-east business
Rising through the ranks
Charles Hopping is a well-known industry figure and plans to continue in the trade until he’s 70 at least, but he wasn’t always destined to take over the family business
Egger boosts UK sales strength
Stenner machinery helps in recreation of famous ship
Winds cause “substantial” damage to forests in central Scotland
Latvian plywood producer posts 20% annual sales growth
RIDBA makes CE marking mandatory for members
Metsäliitto renews wood products division
Vapo launches staff reduction consultations
Rougier sells 35% stake in Africa International business
Browns picks Caberwood for new plant
BM TRADA door energy ratings first
Obsorn takes on wider BM TRADA Group role
Private housing starts to grow
Martinsons revokes redundancies plan
Forest fire destroys Arauco plywood mill
TFT helps Indonesians with legality
National media focus on wood energy and timber supply
Travis Perkins takes over Toolstation
Gibson CEO addresses Lacey Act
Greens attack Australian retail giant’s timber sourcing
Sarawak urged to invest in furniture industry
Lathams’ chairman and Performance Timber Products Group boss receive OBEs
December 2011
Top
Funding gap forces ITTO to cease its tropical wood market reports
Glennons finds 2011 tough after 2010 growth
Ghana timber export permits down by 30%
International Plywood suspends plywood purchases from Ta Ann
Joiner secures job offers with unorthodox approach
Egger records 5% growth in half-year profits
Obituary – James Grant Duncan Munro
SCA bolsters Swedish timber product distribution
Pfleiderer improves performance but faces legal challenge over restructuring
Scottish MSPs back investment in timber industry
WalkSure decking stands up to millions of feet
US housebuilding running 24% ahead of last year
Travis Perkins appoints deputy chief executive
Plywood building system trialled
New OSB plant to be constructed in Russia
€500m panels investment mooted in Belarus
Fire hits joinery where World Cup winner worked
Technical consultants rejoin TRADA Technology
ITW Industry buys Gang-Nail Systems
Kronospan takes OSB plant to Russia
Confor steps up pressure for forestry gangmaster rule exemption
Pallet reuse grows, says TIMCON
Global sawlog prices in first fall since 2009
SCA’s Buildbase forest expands
Furniture supply trade prepares for ZOW
Planning applications submitted for Port of Hull changes
New home completions up 13% in November
Floor trade gears up for Domotex
Jewson beats timber certification targets
LibDem peer tackles Lord Coe over LOCOG FSC-only stance
Kent timber frame manufacturer hit by fire
WWF offers to help timber trade meet EUTR
Mersey Timber in new web venture
Fire doors training event sells out fast
Accoya cladding chosen for island’s harsh environment
Kronospan takes train from Devon to Wales
UK imports down for 10th month
Malaysia’s APP Timber becomes PEFC International member
Forests revaluation to boost Holmen profits
TP merchant business grows, Wickes falters
Vapo launches streamlining programme
UPM to build new HQ in Helsinki
Connector company’s engineered focus
German sawmilling curtailments to continue
LP targets loft market with LSL
Södra SKr2bn investment planned in 2012
Confor welcomes forestry panel report
BSW Timber explores modified wood technology
Timber industry aids Liverpool youth centre renovation
Timber traders hit by scammers
UK furniture manufacturing turnover growth
Metsäliitto sounds profits warning
Timber trade surveyed on late payments
Nordlam expands glulam production
Kebony specified for Oslo restaurant
US softwood export values to UK grow
Poplar Association extends reach
Wolseley posts 16% profit rise
German sawmills curtail production
Canfor to permanently close two mills
Wood-plastic decking sector raises bar higher
TTF expands services into chain of custody
Malaysian states may sign VPA at different times
New generation joins Color-Board
Finnforest well positioned going into 2012, says MD
HSE and fire officers back new timber frame industry guidance
Södra invests more to aid mill’s conversion to pine
UK commercial forests values surge 34% in 2011
Eumabois bids farewell to Scherini
Stora Enso manager elected to FFIF chair
Gällö to close Tjärnviks Trä sawmill
Lacey Act protectionist, says Wall Street Journal
B&Q trade professional business soars
Philippines closes 178 illegal sawmills in crackdown
TTF clarifies warning over plywood certification
Wolf appoints Horizon co-ordinator
UPM starts talks on production cuts at all sawmills
BMF to sell London HQ and cut subscriptions by 30%
Italian wood machinery manufacturers report “stability”
Peer takes over as Helveta CEO
Barratt fined £20,000 over roof truss injuries
Accsys cuts losses and plans growth
Welsh decision on Forestry Commission Wales fuels wood processors’ fears
November 2011
Top
Severe storms in southern Sweden fell 1 million m³ of timber
Weinig expands Chinese factory
New general manager for Premdor
Canfor to acquire Tembec’s BC sawmills
UK softwood planting faces shortfall
UK grant for European timber federation
Chancellor's autumn statement welcomed by timber trade
Growers anxious on poor economy’s effect on Christmas tree sales
Steico says increased competition hits results
Södra cuts jobs at timber frame manufacturing company
Travis Perkins makes management appointments
Lathams reports £4.1m half-year pre-tax profit
Nichol retires after record service with James Jones & Sons
Guardeager takes on former RKL staff and aims for growth
Egger’s new wood recycling plant is opened
BSW adds voice to FCW merger opposition
China timber product exports reach US$31.5bn
Plywood manufacturers taking risks on structural performance
Timber importers face prison threat in Australia
Wood Awards 2012 needs sponsors
First UK installation of LunaComp decking
Holz-Handwerk 2012 fully booked
Howarth to develop new window range
BMF extraordinary meeting to be held
BSW plans extra Newbridge mill jobs
Irish minister visits Glennon Brothers' mill
RusForest records SKr77.5m net loss
UK’s biggest CLT residential development complete
TTF & NHBC welcome new housing strategy
Violent teak forests dispute resolved
Timber merchant meets new LEZ requirements
JELD-WEN/Howdens door wins top joinery prize
Government needs to encourage growth, NPPD dinner told
Södra reduces softwood sawlog prices
Government to underwrite mortgages in new housing strategy
European countries accused of "dumping" timber
Microtec tops grading machine test
PWG reorganises timber window brands
Wolseley finally exits US building materials business
TRADA issues first assessment licence to Premier Sainty brand
MM Holz invests €30m in Frankenmarkt sawmill
TTF wins battle to keep Guyanese greenheart strength class
Grafton director joins Unimer board
EACOM sales decline in weak market
AHEC supports Architect of the Year Awards
Plywood competitor panel production doubles
Kingspan sales grow despite tough market
DLH improves profits but warns of “difficult” markets
Forest products industry could learn from Apple
New housing shortfall to hit 500,000 by 2015
Russian sawmiller to buy pellet plants
Howden Joinery sales rise 6.2%
FSC makes changes to comply with EU Timber Regulation
Howarth duo reach for the stars
Accsys appoints sales manager for Italy and France
TTF warning over Chinese “Pine Deck” BBA certification
Rougier overcomes maritime difficulties to post sales growth
Forestry Commission sawlog prices rise 7.1%
Finnish timber procurement from forests “stable”
UK panel product imports grow, solid wood imports fall
Construction output falls in third quarter
Business Growth Fund urges manufacturers to apply for investment
Ainsworth Lumber reports Q3 net loss of C$58m
Setra Q3 operating profits down by SKr60m
International Timber set to grow from Jewson acquisition of Build Center
New marketing tools for American hardwoods
Olympic timber procurement confusion as LOCOG favours FSC
Record number of trainees for SCA Timber Supply
Trees labelled in wood energy campaign
Timbmet produces Red Grandis guide
James Jones expands timber treatments at Lockerbie 3
CPET posts update on EU Timber Regulation
Top prizes on offer at Bristol TTBS Christmas lunch
Setra to reduce whitewood production
Consumer campaign launches against subsidised wood energy
Pfleiderer posts sales and profits growth
TTF and Wood for Good appoint communications chief
Australian truss firm fined for accidents
Lightweight panel producer insolvent
PEFC plywood use at Olympics venue criticised
Housing market “robust” says Taylor Wimpey
Indonesian timber firms record losses
Oak importer records best annual results
Timber office building wins Finnish Wood Award
Xylexpo on target for larger exhibition
London forests conference addresses timber industry sustainability
Jewson completes Build Center acquisition
TRADA holds timber trade training event
New UK Forestry Standard launched
Westbank assets to be sold off
Boise reports increase in EWP sales
Finnish sawn timber production grows in 2011
Southern yellow pine design values changes shelved
UK hardwood traders quiz Defra on new legislation
Guernsey timber merchant joins Cemco
Setra profits fall in weak market
Dricon reaffirmed for use on London Underground
US establishes softwood lumber board
New joinery school launched in south-east
Proctor extends cladding range
Weinig event focuses on solid wood
Construction slows in third quarter
Irish minister visits Grainger Sawmills
Norbord UK mills still outshine North American cousins
October 2011
Top
Scots urge Westminster to follow biomass lead
Wood Window Alliance launches £500,000 consumer campaign
James Jones runs Forres training course
Metsaliitto to continue mill curtailments
UK forestry task force delivers blueprint for reform
Kebony modified wood used in London cinema project
“Less formal” Scottish trade dinner proves success
Weyerhaeuser faces challenging markets, but remains in profit
Timber Works area dropped from Ecobuild
UPM to reduce plywood production
Andersen windows provide New England touch
Saint-Gobain in 53.3% profits growth
UK forests campaigner deported from Indonesia
Holmen Timber posts SKr30m loss
James Jones appoints marketing manager
Marlin grows recently acquired Cheshire Timber business
NFP appointed Accoya distributor
Medite Tricoya product manager appointed
UPM records third-quarter loss
SCA records lower solid wood profitability
Mactaggart & Mickel timber frame sales increase
West Fraser lumber sales hit by poor US housing market
Kebony cladding chosen for school project
Greenpeace report misleading and inaccurate, say certification schemes
US softwood exporters overwhelmed by China market
Scotland biomass subsidies reduction plan
European softwood traders expect tough 2012
Accoya plans international expansion
BSW Timber's profits jump 280%
Dutch panel rejects Malaysian timber certification appeal
Changes to US Lacey Act proposed
Timber trade urged to learn about carbon issue
Accsys Technologies targets France
Sweden hosts third wood pellet conference
Homebase reports 35% profits decline
Moelven posts third-quarter loss
NHBC records "slight" improvement in housing starts
UNECE forecasts upturn in forest product markets
Lonza completes Arch acquisition
Furniture grade OSB gains market share
Kerridge acquires TIS Software
Stora Enso considers further mill curtailments
Premier buys assets of FG Hawkes
Finnforest launches panel for railway interiors
Kingspan switches SIPs plant to UK
BSW staff raise £4,000 in memory of Alan Wheat
Brazil's sawn wood exports fall
Greenpeace knocks “industry-driven” certification
UK softwood imports forecast to grow 3.5% in 2012
Cuthbertson appointed head of Weinig UK
Södra's profits more than halve
UK architect promotes timber construction in NZ
Confor chief encouraged after latest Westminster biomass briefing
EU tropical sawn timber imports steady
Europe still leads way in forest certification
Modified wood specification manual published
Construction industry tells MPs how to kick-start recovery
Pollmeier closes Malchow beech sawmill
African exporters concerned about European debt crisis
Timber frame manufacturer moves to larger site
UPM donates composite decking for disaster relief
Government launches tree disease action plan
Glennons highlights Anglo-Irish softwood trade
Earthquake-proof timber building wins NZ design award
New Weinig finance chief starts
Review of new Southern pine design values
Osmose team in fitness challenge
Timber prices softening in face of weaker demand
Sainsbury’s makes timber sustainability commitment
Global sawlog prices hit 16-year high
Finns contest “worst” sustainable forestry record claim
Universal doubles third quarter earnings
Larch felling embargo introduced
Wood-burning payment scheme delayed by Europe
Confor contributes to forestry debate
RH Wilson expands into hardwoods
Northern Mouldings in rebranding
Government unveils 50,000 new homes plan for redundant public sites
RH Wilson establishes hardwood department
New UK engineered wood flooring manufacturer starts up
Biomass causes stir at Plywood Club
Agepan wood fibre panels in awards final
Biomass fuel supply secured for Welsh Assembly building
Canadian lumber shipments to US grow
Glennons boss presents at timber seminar
Timber packaging campaign launched
Martinsons to construct eight-storey wood building in Stockholm
Seminar looks at breaking down timber barriers
Byko-Lat in new Dale Windows deal
Travis Perkins' turnover rises 5.9%
Tallest timber building planned in Canada
SCA in school tree planting scheme
US timber trade welcomes green building report
Certficate holders happy with FSC certification
Barnsdale completes £1.4m order
Homag to close two production sites
Third outbreak of larch-killing disease found in Scotland
Accoya in new international distribution deal
Timber procurement workshops planned
Sodra makes Norway sawmilling acquisition
Malaysia reviews timber export forecasts
Russian plywood imports surge in EU
Vapo closes “unprofitable” wood pellet plants
Japanese reconstruction boosts NZ wood panel exports
Timber shopping centre built in Finland
Report highlights economic pressures in merchanting
Construction supply chain Wood Talks seminar attracts over 100
North American wood exports to China set to double
UKTFA launches Academy to help members compete
Oregon Timber Frame appoints sales and marketing director
Timber among weakest sectors, survey reveals
Tropical timber symposium to mark ITTO anniversary
Wolseley records £391m pre-tax profits
Cedar Doors installs SCM Group machinery
Canadian lumber company closes
UK forestry firm criticised by charity
Building industry is “nosediving”, warns FMB
Leaderflush Shapland team completes relay challenge
More than 4,000 attend Timber Expo
Weyerhaeuser helps to produce wood biofuel for military jets
New sawmilling qualifications proposed
Timber importers urged to share their European Timber Regulation views
Timber fund launches new fund-raising initiative
Rothschild Foundation strikes gold at Wood Awards
Northern Mouldings appoints sales manager as it expands into Britain
September 2011
Top
Forests forum to be chaired by ex-Swedish PM
Lionex in Integroup distribution deal
Brettstaple build system chosen for visitor centre
Disaster video heads BWF campaign
LP successfully tests new timber frame wall assemblies
NHBC laments housebuilding stagnation
JB Kind signs up merchants for marketing initiative
MDF recycling business attracts interest from panel mills
Hasslacher outlines strategy at 110th anniversary
Timber trade grows charity moustaches
Scotts hails upswing in bespoke joinery
INSITE11 focuses on refurbishment
Georgia-Pacific to close plywood mills
Rothschild Foundation wins Wood Awards Gold
UPM makes FSC first for Finnish forests
Russian tax cut could have global impact
French sawn hardwood output set to rise
Lathams edges ahead in challenging times
New communications director for FFIF
Industry welcomes Labour's VAT cut proposal
EPF takes biomass debate to New York Times
Biesse acquires Chinese machinery maker
International Timber in Accoya curtain-walling contract
Mactaggart & Mickel gets in the swim with sponsorship
Wood-based panel cartel fined €42m
North-east gets in the swing for TTBS
Parallam celebrates 25th anniversary
Panels sector warns about danger of latest biomass plans
Log shortages create problems for Indian panel manufacturers
Joinery company upgrades to StairCon
TRADA launches app for timber users
Rettenmeier strikes deal on restructuring
Arson suspected in Plymouth pallet fire
Softwood lumber dispute rumbles on
North American lumber forecasts published
Certification changes outlined in TTF briefing note
ITW provides free marketing support
BSW Timber strengthens sales team with four new appointments
James Jones acquires Larch Ltd
Jobs to go at Stewart Milne timber frame factories
BM TRADA Certification creates technical development team
Tropical plywood exports fall from Brazilian state
Furniture manufacturers concerned over emissions limits
NFP Europe appointed agent for Tecsol
UK imports fall 5.5% in first half
World Cup opportunity for timber industry
"Wood first" rule sought for publicly-funded build projects
Kronospan builds Belarus wood processing plant
Lathams scoops TTJ Awards top award
Plywood Club attendance strong
Hardwood specified for luxury touch
Global Timber Products shortlisted for business award
Exporters look for return of Libyan trade
Barratt posts best result for three years
Blackpool’s new crosslam tower takes shape
Door energy ratings scheme launched
Timber doorset specification guide published
Bowen joins BM TRADA Certification
New timber importer sets up in Chelmsford
Ilim produces more than 1million m3 in first half
UPM showcases new Living range
Select Timber gives a helping hand
Wheels in motion for Tour de Jewson 2011
Gang-Nail in Bovis truss roof deal
Homebase sales dip 3.8% in second quarter
Latvia achieves PEFC certification
Timber merchant’s solar power solution
JELD-WEN responds to media reports over its finances
ADSL wins major doorset contract
Stora Enso sees growth in cross-lam
Accsys Technologies appoints new marketing manager
ConFor’s hopes for reorganised Forestry Commission
Finnish state forester shuns FSC certification
Grange’s new factory opening on track
Increased supply of forest biomass will support wood boiler growth
Interfor certification milestone
New wood pellet venture targets UK
Olympic Park pedestrian bridge timber works nearing completion
China timber deficit set to continue
Scott Group appoints new group board director
£24m deal creates combined door business
UPM Tilhill co-funds new Scottish timber road
PEFC approves China certification application
Large volumes of larch to go on sale
Egger in PEFC-certified chipwood first
US EWP manufacturer acquires rival’s assets
August 2011
Top
James Donaldson boosts sales and profits
Sodra management change places
AbitibiBowater in C$32m sawmill investment
Plywood and ekki bike breaks speed record
Growth in Swedish exports planned
Benchmarking report on world sawmilling industry published
Fire door inspection scheme ready
JELD-WEN team recreates Italian Job
Passivewall inventor joins Unitek Timber Frame
Leading wood flooring retailer Floors2Go goes bust
LP curtails Dawson Creek OSB production
BRE Global issues clarification on certification
Vandals hinder fight against tree disease
Sawlog price index reaches new high
BSW mill installs UK's largest biomass hot water boiler
Scientific study "proves" timber's environmental claims
Construction firm recycles 1,000 tonnes of waste wood
Merchants aim to cut yard thefts
Eumabois Toolgroup appoints new president
WWF launches review of GFTN scheme
Russian sawmill receives additional forest lease
Everest trekker thanks supporters
New UPM further processed products division named UPM Living
Egger posts record annual sales
Regulation driving demand for timber identification services
Woodworking companies identify gaps in management skills
MDF recycler needs cash to build full-scale plant
Finnish upturn threatened by sulphur directive
OFP Timber Frame responds to DIY SOS
Red oak Wave on show for six weeks
New group to promote forestry and timber
Merchants guard yards in riots and see board sales rise in aftermath
Postsaver fires ire of TV Dragons
Medite Tricoya goes where no wood panel has gone before
New UK legislation for legal VPA timber imports
Demolition work restarts at Sonae after fatal accident
Global Witness targets GFTN members
Holmen timber division struggles
Moralt carries on as normal despite insolvency
Medite Tricoya modified MDF will hit the market in months
Timber frame firm fined following saw accident
Timber frame factory plans move forward
More measures to tackle larch ramorum disease
Tilbury power station will need 4.6 million tonnes of wood
Rougier grows first half turnover
Gunns share trade suspension renewed
Egger responds to haulage criticism
Engineered timber chosen for biomass plant
Forest peace deal raises supply issues
Lancashire Saw invests in Vollmer
UPM to establish jointly-owned forests
M&M Timber keeps up with agricultural fencing demand
Timber hybrid tower gets under way
Travis Perkins lends a helping hand
Engineered timber triumphs at Luton school
Chiltern Dynamics invests in acoustic testing
AbitibiBowater reports improved results
Jarl Timber's production cuts take effect
Gunns puts mills on the market
TTBS holds golf secret golf challenge
Scottish Woodland Expansion Advisory Group named
EACOM Timber acquires Elk Lake Sawmill
Sonae demolition work on hold pending HSE inquiry
Meyer Timber spends £1.7m on new fleet
Wood for Good appeals for timber for show
Rougier/FRM joint venture secures Gabon concession
Timber Expo has just 10 stands left
Engineered wood products markets poised for growth surge
Forestar sells latest forestland tranche to Plum Creek
SIPs help achieve CSH level 5 first
Ramorum disease found in Cumbria
Post-mortem inconclusive after fatal accident at Sonae’s Knowsley plant
Western Forest Products and Interfor figures highlight slow recovery
Canadians sponsor In Touch with Timber session
European demand spurs North American pellet production
Fercell to supply wireless technology
Build Center acquisition alters merchant landscape
Acimall threatens disciplinary action against members attending rival show
Housing market impacts North American results
Wood energy costs money and climate
Environmental engineer receives dual certification
Timber set to star in Globe indoor theatre
Trusses give new building old twist
Forest Products Research Institute appoints new chair
Brash shingles finish off The Pods
International timber demand recovers
Norbord's UK mills in profits surge
Sonae appoints interim joint CEOs
American softwoods get Timber Expo exposure
Arson suspected in joinery fire
Weyerhaeuser reports US$10m profits
B&Q Ireland fined €250,000 for shopper death
SCA and Port of Hull in new supply agreement
Norbord in second quarter profits decline
July 2011
Top
TTBS board visits the north-east
Forestry companies continue with biodiesel plans
Saint-Gobain profits up 53% to £768m.
Travis Perkins profits up 25% to £140m
James Jones receives new Irion sideloaders
Malaysian code of conduct mooted
New home registrations up 9% in first half
BM TRADA appoints new auditor for Q-Mark
Harvested wood carbon benefits policy published
Ghana to introduce new wood procurement rules
Carbon Code will boost commercial investment in tree planting
Warning over imported timber grading marks
UKTFA demands withdrawal of timber frame fire report
Private sector recovery aids construction output growth
Appointment sets scene for CR Taylor expansion
CR Taylor wins Denholme site redevelopment approval
Howdens increases profits to £23.5m
Timber firms meet government forestry panel
Glunz faces heavy fine in competition settlement
Lumber price decline hits West Fraser
Saint-Gobain to buy Build Center from Wolseley
Weyerhaeuser donates OSB and lumber to Tornado-hit zone
New Homatherm plant set to reduce woodfibre insulation board prices in UK
Södra’s profits halve in first six months
Timber framers welcome self-build push
Timber import volumes continue to fall
Port centric logistics operation plans big expansion
Sonae enters wood-plastic composites sector
CR Taylor completes rebranding
German RMI tax incentive hopes dashed
Contractors sign up to Timber Expo buyers forum
Stora Enso boost in second quarter profits
B&Q impacted by Focus stock clearance
Donaldson staff complete their tour of Britain
New report highlights insurance implications for continued growth of timber frame
Sonae plant back to full production by first quarter 2012
Planning ruling over plastic windows
UK tree disease spreads to Lancashire
New maritime fuel directive would "weaken" Finnish forest sector
Unglazed doors out of BWF fire door scheme
Ilim helps form Russian trade group in Germany
ConFor urges support for forest research
American Softwoods relaunches in UK
Arbor receives first shipment from Holmen Braviken
European timber groups join forces
ZOW exhibitions now 100% UK owned
Glulam association rejuvenated
SCA produces pre-painted cladding boards
NYT expansion attracts TV coverage
Tarkett acquires French wood flooring manufacturer
New Russian sawmill starts production
Coulson makes repeat appearance on Radio 4
Cowie improvements give Norbord access to new markets
PDS gives modern face to 17th century mill
JOSB Done launches sample service
UPM's Myllykoski purchase gets EC approval
British larch cladding transforms mountain restaurant
Finnish sawlog sales "lively" in June
Pioneering Passivhaus timber frame firm in administration
Leaderflush Shapland man rides for charity
Raw material costs weigh on Moelven first half results
BMF conference to feature top finance speaker
Arch sold to Swiss chemicals giant
Tesco’s new windows business presents long-term challenge
Byko Lat mill increases planing capacity
Euroforest announces successor
Timber executives debate industry promotion
Kährs claims FSC/Fairtrade first
FSC strengthens Controlled Wood System
Grafton’s UK merchant business “resilient”
Arnold Laver director thanks sponsors
Homeform formally enters administration
PEFC on the verge of big expansion
VIDA acquires majority shares in timber frame manufacturer
Olympics joinery contractor goes bust
Larch-killing disease spreads to Peak District
JELD-WEN reintroduces imperial window sizes
Furniture manufacturer bought out
Steico takes over majority of Masonite Beams UK distributors
B&Q boss calls for zero net deforestation
Timber prize-winners at Edinburgh Napier University announced
Persimmon predicts stronger second half
Timber Expo creates low-cost display hubs
Roof truss fatal accident driver jailed
Egger cleared for Russian chipboard plant acquisition
Timber frame manufacturer fined for panel saw injury
Chinese plywood company’s certification first
Wadkin name relaunched on the web
Indian wood event forecasts over 10,000 visitors
Kerto "sets new level" for timber engineering
EcoBlu to supply Red Shield coated lumber for 88 homes
Dunn Lumber to open new location in Mill Creek, Washington
Kährs scoops hardwood floor award again
Smurfit wins Scotline Grand Prix
Smartroof increases the pace at Barratt development
Howdens Joinery awards £12m contract to Biesse
Sonae management discuss fire with MP and councillors
June 2011
Top
Taylor Wimpey predicts housing stability
Tolko reopens Soda Creek mill and Lakeview mill in Canada
Forestry Commission achieves ISO 14001 "world first"
Masonite Beams' UK operation to close
Jewson boss completes mammoth Marmotte
Mactaggart attracts new business
Woodfuel plan will generate £1bn business
Credit crunch billionaire loses on Sino-Forest
Klausner makes surprise purchase of Swiss Timber assets
UPM Tilhill wins Forest Products Mountain Bike Challenge
Berkeley reports 23.5% rise in profits
US softwood lumber promotion campaign agreed
Production milestone set by Irish panel producer
Meyer appointed non-executive director at Accsys
Pre-tax profits up 43% at Lathams
Export Processing Zone established in northern Brazil
100 new homes slated for Pattrick & Thompson site
Wood Awards shortlist drawn from record entries
Norbord takes biomass case to parliament
Kitchen manufacturing giant Homeform to appoint administrators
Scott Group acquires Ellis Pallets
Palahi appointed EFI assistant director of policy advice
Ruuki sells stake in Junnikkala sawmilling business
Richard Burbidge Group buys FW Mason
US agreement on Red Shield treated lumber
OSB campaign trains future builders
Japanese plywood mills to restart soon
Canterbury timber engineering business saved
UK timber companies return from German sawmilling tour
Calders & Grandidge invests £240k in MAN trucks
Timber imports down, panels up
BWF members’ chance to access grant-funded services
Stora Enso confirms plans to axe Kopparfors
FFIF appoints new energy and infrastructure head
Landfill woodwaste restriction proposal welcomed
Weyerhaeuser to sell hardwoods business
Woodworking machinery giants in battle over safety technology patent
LP acquires remaining shares in Brazilian OSB operation
Timber businesses meet government forestry panel
Guyana's timber export earnings fall
Fire forces Sonae to demolish woodchip bunkers
New cross-laminated timber plant opened in Canada
Siempelkamp wins Schweighofer Prize
LP I-joists achieve masonry milestone
Egger to make Swiss Timber offer after securing timber supply commitment
Specialist merchant in hot water
NHBC housing starts show fall in March-May
TTF chief praises trade for coping well in economic climate
European forests have "huge" potential
Finnish forests' timber stocks outlined by new report
Large fire closes Sonae UK plant
Industry rejects claim that decks are losing popularity
8,000-year-old graves star in Turkish timber promotion
Foresters receive Queen's Birthday honours
Standing room only at Solid Wood Solutions
Södra starts construction of timber tennis centre
Wood for Good backs Timber Expo
Egger considers takeover of Swiss Timber sawmill
£8m timber lodge development completed
Revised Malaysian certification scheme open for consultation
Cheshire Mouldings nets major buyer group deal and expands
MTC cements presence in Europe
Royal inspection for hi-tech JELD-WEN plant
Weinig CFO extends 50-year service
Homebase records slight sales improvement
Pallet industry flags up challenges to sector
Hardwood sits comfortably with McCloud
RusForest to acquire additional forest leases in Krasnoyarsk
New Sitka spruce report published
Netherlands rejects complaints against PEFC
Timber stables manufacturer in liquidation
Plantation hardwood decking woos Chelsea
Fears allayed over browning of Scottish trees
Government land sell-off to boost housebuilding
Södra switches sawmill to pine
400-year-old fireplace gets makeover at Pinewood
Finnish forest sector concern over shipping fuel emissions limits
Arson suspected in wood yard fire
Indian foresters Welsh fact-finding trip
Forest Garden sheds out on automation
Stewart Milne wins 50-home contract
Concern tempers forest scheme uplift
Engineered timber roof specialist goes under
Stella-Jones's revenue rises 46%
Chains eye Build Center sell-off
Major upswing in prices expected
Wood chip prices rise as consequence of pulp production
Forest Garden supports TV garden makeover programme
Donaldson's employees cycle 2,000km for charity
Construction Products Regulation will bring “significant” change, says TRADA
Joinery company fined for health and safety breach
China hosts wood products expo
Knox completes architects' line-up a TRADA conference
Wales lifts embargo on larch felling
NETTA puts shipping marks online
New UKFPA president emphasises commitment to members
Scott Group rebrands UK companies
May 2011
Top
European sawn softwood production grows 9% in 2010
Global forest products CEOs see grounds for optimism
BMF appoints new board members
Micronised licensing deal to have little UK impact
ECC completes €5m mill investment
MBM opens up new I-joist market for merchants and small builders
Green urges joiners to “stay positive”
Francis goes to extreme for charity
RusForest forges ahead despite first quarter loss
SCA to integrate Munksund and Holmsund
New home registrations level out
Opipi used for warship restoration
Supply side is issue in Focus DIY closure
Solid timber depresses import stats
Bristol joinery fined for wood dust failings
Egger creates building products division
Wood Awards entry deadline extended
Safety drive on roof truss deliveries
Sherwin renames division following Becker and Sayerlack integration
SmartPly selected for European Business Awards
Roof truss deaths driver charged
DLH records DKr4m Q1 pre-tax profits
Timberpride reports best month’s sales
CE marking acceleration may catch European timber suppliers out
FSC’s new market newsletter published
Timber frame manufacturer nets £5m-worth of new contracts
Chinese sawn timber imports grow 55% in first quarter
Global softwood demand up 18% in 2010
IWS restructures with move to Perth
Former forestry minister Morley is jailed
Brazilian government worried by Amazon deforestation acceleration
Woodworking industry health and safety document unveiled
Jacksons joins forces with cricket stars
Vida makes SKr65m kilns investment
Hardwood traders outline market challenges
Boreal forest agreement implementation gathers pace
AbitibiBowater mill investment
Red oak to get London Design Festival spotlight
Ministers to discuss European forest agreement
Wickes buys 13 Focus DIY outlets
Grangemouth haulage operations disrupted by biomass protest
Artist's timber studio is “first” UK Passivhaus industrial building
Pollmeier cuts Malchow production, invests in LVL plant at Creuzberg
Deutsche Messe and TTJ offer free Ligna season tickets
ABP signs new 10-year agreement with Ahlmark in Hull
Heijmans makes sustainable timber commitment
Timber industry takes next step in boosting unity
Future of timber industry debated
Pfleiderer’s future almost secure after latest restructuring talks
Prince of Monaco approves plantation hardwood decking for Chelsea
Final chance to comment on UK forest certification standard
Market boost for housebuilders
Campaign against biomass grows
Guyana plywood factory reopens
Scott takes the helm at Howarth’s Richmond branch
JBCitideck installed at £16m university development
Truss-Tech fabricates Gateshead nursing home attic trusses
EPLF sceptical over wood fibre claim
Pallet manufacturer makes five-year charity commitment
Unimer sells out supplier exhibition space for annual event
Responsible timber purchasing on agenda at Proforest summer training
Japanese plywood market returning to normal
Italian machinery bounces back
Laver director takes on mountain challenge
Gladedale asset sale marks end of Innova timber system
Cameroon suspends wenge and bubinga exports
CPA survey shows construction product output improvement
Westminster debates Phytophthora impact
Liberia signs EU legal timber export deal
LP posts US$23m first-quarter loss
Travis Perkins posts positive results
Holmen doubles first-quarter results
Grafton's first-quarter sales rise to €642m
UPM to sell Lohja birch veneer mill
JB Kind appoints new managing director
Boise reports US$19m first-quarter loss
Canfor predicts slow recovery for US housing market
Engineered wood markets poised for upsurge
Floor manufacturer receives FSC certification
National Forest will have role in UK construction
European timber trade welcomes Indonesian-EU trade pact
Coillte's profits rise to €32.1m
Weyerhaeuser reports US$99m net first-quarter profits
New appointment at SCA Timber Supply
Scottish plantations hit by forest fires
April 2011
Top
Forestry innovators recognised
SCM Technology Days attract joinery companies
Fire mark boosts timber stairs
Good weather boosts sales of timber garden products
Jewson buys Castle Timber and Merton Timber
Oregon Timber frame: sales up, profits down, forecasts positive
Timbmet sets out merchant strategy
TRADA launches In the regions events
Boise taps demand for pre-holed I-joists
Extra dates for hardwood grading training
BMF hosts Portugal conference for all merchants
UPM first quarter profits more than double
Irish roundwood forecast greeted with caution
Construction output slump deepens
Finnish paper industry strikes to be expanded
Timber frame chosen for 2011 Serpentine pavilion
FSC issues 20,000th chain of custody certificate
Decking and cladding resources launched
Smallbone celebrates long service
Malaysia’s Global WoodMart doubles in size in 2012
Changes at Snavely Forest Products
Credit insurer urges timber traders to be open on trading positions
Indonesia and EU strike VPA deal
Study identifies Europe’s huge wood energy increase potential
North American sawlog inflation driven by Asian demand
TTF develops Sustainability Action Plan
Firm fined for moulder accident
Illingworth Ingham buys Haydock importing division
New Blairs window business starts up
German veneer firm acquires Finnish birch plantation
Construction companies in strong end to quarter
BMF quizzes ministers on Budget
Good times at Forest Garden lead to delivery fleet investment
Longden open a door on windows
Malayisa’s Global WoodMart doubles in size in 2012
Early bookings surge bodes well for UK's premier wood machinery show
Mumford & Wood wins second conservation award
FSC consumer awareness doubles
SCA Timber Supply Swedish trip marks ten years of customer training
Mighton takes Part L strain off window manufacturers
Sale on cards for failed Triumph
Mumford & Wood in conservatory diversification
Mighton takes Part L strain off window makers
Great Southern asset sale probe urged
Tree disease found in Sitka spruce
UPM makes "solid start" to 2011
VIDA buys Harry Nilsson sawmilling business
Klenk Holz nearly doubles annual profit
Biesse improves results but still posts loss
Glennon Brothers trio score a century
Six companies suspended for due diligence failures
EFPI president addresses Wood Flooring Forum
Phytophthora lateralis confirmed in trees at second Scottish site
Plywood substitution set to continue
Paper mill strike to cost UPM “millions”
SCA rationalises maintenance at Sundsvall mills
Brooks Bros doubles size of Sunderland branch
New full-time director for FFD
Forestry Commission consults staff on budget cuts
Profits up at Scottish logging company
Pfleiderer creditors agree further freeze on debt interest payments
FSC certification in Russia hits milestone
Timber window manufacturer criticises English Heritage “heads in the sand”
Wood Window Alliance on TV again
Finnish state logger sues sawmillers
Morgan to lead Forestry Commission’s Plant Health Service
Latvia on track for FSC and PEFC certification
Japan's reconstruction will suck in softwood
Fire door inspection scheme to launch soon
Virulent tree disease now affecting European larch in England
March 2011
Top
London Assembly timber frame consultation ends
New managing director for MGM Timber
German Timber Promotion Fund monies to benefit timber industry
Builders’ workload contraction continues
European Commission looks at lowering hardwood dust exposure limits
TRADA get to grips with weathering
Wolseley UK's profits increase
Timber company to appeal hardwood decking court decision
Workshop examines illegal timber legislation
Conference to examine global wood supply dynamics
WoodMac China grows by a fifth
Australia unveils world-beating cross-lam project
Timber frame sector told to ready itself
RusForest acquires Nord Timber Group
Wood-plastic decking system gains CE mark first
Weyerhaeuser helps Japanese recovery
Timber Germany calls for more timber use
Proctor Group and Beaumont in new partnership
Architects and engineers encouraged to enter Wood Awards
France hosts Mediterranean Forest Week
Family forests backbone of Europe’s “living natural capital”
Budget boost for first-time home buyers and fuel price cut welcomed
FW Mason & Sons in administration
North American softwood output rises in response to Asian demand
PEFC-certified beer wins award
New home registrations rise in February
Construction industry gives mixed reaction to Budget
PEFC withdraws endorsement of Russian forest certification scheme
Demonstrating breathable construction becomes easier with new software
PEFC endorses Latvian forest certification scheme
Australian wood industry and NGO team up to promote wood
Setra to increase redwood mill capacity
VIDA transfers Bello sawn production to Hjältevad
Scots timber industry value could double in 15 years
Wolseley rolls out timber campaign
Stora Enso to close permanently Kopparfors sawmill
Government panel decision an “insult” to wood processing industry
Norbord attacks government biomass policy
Deal will grow certified timber use in Belgium
Joinery industry urged to prepare for change
DLH UK continues to trade under Lathams ownership
Interbuild absence creates “clear space” for Timber Expo
Pfleiderer agrees finance deal with banks and hedge funds
lim increases sawmilling muscle with US acquisition
Sarah Beeny is TTJ Awards host
UPM in Finnish FSC certification move
Wood Awards grand launch at the Building Centre
IKEA defends sustainable timber record
British hardwoods need better management, says forestry consultant
Leaderflush to end production in Devon
Vandecasteele Houtimport establishes UK presence
Government appoints panel to examine English forestry policy
STTA president predicts significant impact of due diligence legislation
Falcon achieves “heavyweight” Q-mark for doors
Japan quake expected to create lumber demand
ITTO closes offices following earthquake
Bookings hot up for German Roof+Timber exhibition
All-in-one timber house panel fabrication
Timber product import volumes grow 7.5% in 2010
Timber frame fire website probed
Rougier plans 40% sawn timber increase
Rushlift signs 10-year supply deal with JP Corry
Plywood import quota used more quickly in 2011
First disease-affected larch timber goes on sale in Wales
Weyerhaeuser is “most admired” forest products company
IKEA uses less certified timber than claimed, says The Times
Flat year ahead expected for Homebase
Canadian softwood lumber exports hit record highs
Leaderflush to close production in Devon
Pfleiderer “back in black” and close to refinancing
North America makes inroads into India softwood market
Norvik invests in second sawmill at Laesti
Rogue website knocks timber frame
North America increases wood pellet exports to Europe
New website aids international trade in SYP
Government announces new biomass boiler incentive scheme
Estonian state forests’ PEFC certification should encourage private forest owners
Barratt and ELM team up on pallet reuse
Austrian mill goes into liquidation
Cairns takes over helm at James Donaldson & Sons
Engineered wood flooring exports remain strong
Rhodes thanks trade for generosity
New financial support for biomass technology projects
SCA Bollsta sawmill invests SKr37m
Timber merchant fined for polluting canal
Expulsion faces TTF members who breach Responsible Purchasing Policy
Lathams and Cushion sponsor land speed record attempt
Forestry Commission changes tack on oak processionary moth pest
Howdens reports “outstanding results”
Woodinfo website provides access to research
Arch’s Dricon protects Scottish heritage
US mouldings market expected to recover in 2012
CIB manages largest FSC tropical forest
Timber frame fire safety solution launched
New impetus to tackle plywood mislabelling
Interbuild exhibition cancelled
Grafton's UK merchanting in profits recovery
Mobile timber products showroon hits the road
Timber frame course down in price
Reindeer Wood creates new UK-Finnish links
Convention brings German carpenters and roofers together
Worrying development with tree diseases
Timber asserts itself at Ecobuild
Persimmon pre-tax profits rise to £153.9m
Jacobi leaves European Pallet Association
February 2011
Top
TRADA expands its role in Wood Awards
Olam claims to have biggest certified tropical rainforest concession
Home Depot profits up to US$3.3bn
Lathams due to complete DLH UK acquisition
Saint-Gobain’s profits up 41% to €3.1bn
Indonesia close to EU timber export deal
Barratt reduces pre-tax losses to £4.6m
NHBC reports rise in January new home registrations
Oregon-Canadian changes name and invests in site
US softwood exports overseas up 54%
Economic recovery boosts business for Maersk
Hoppings becomes Lyptus distributor
Massive Welsh biomass plant clears hurdle
Travis Perkins profits rise 20% to £216.7m
Industry must be honest about "timber husbandry", says TTF president
Tembec permanently closes Quebec mill
Timber exports increase 65% from Brazilian city
Construction of new Siberian sawmill starts
Estonian timber frame producer targets UK
Softwood import values rise 27% in 2010
Stewart Milne Timber Systems boosts senior team
B&Q claims 100% responsible sourcing first
Housebuilding completions reach record low in 2010
West Fraser Timber back in profit
Wood window promotion campaign reaches for the Sky
TTF gives ultimatum to non-complying members
Scotline brings new Swedish service to Rochester
James Jones invests in Mahild kilns
Plans for Russian OSB plant unveiled in London
Unimer promises bigger and better member’s day
TRADA Technology focuses on engineered wood products with appointment of principal consultant
Timber solution for new sixth form centre
NHLA convention meets in Nashville
Saint-Gobain opens Greenworks Training Academy
Imports stats provide November surprise
Latvian forest industry condemns TV documentary
Södra launches black internal panelling
Wood promotional goods firm issued own carbon free certificate
Canfor continues with sawmilling investments
Government temporarily halts forests sale
Metsäliitto boosts profitability
The Forest Trust appoints North American director
Finnish sawn timber production up 17% in 2010
Philippines government shuts 56 sawmills
Forest Trust strikes agreement with major palm oil producer in Indonesia
Round Wood to launch raft of websites
Falco achieves CARB certification
New general manager for Ridgeons Forest Products
Steico predicts €4.4-6m annual net profits
New face joins Tradelink sales team
German sawmiller delivers 1,182 homes to Haiti
Timber frame manufacturer claims European first for insulation
BSW promotes British C16 to architects
Illegal immigrant workers arrested at timber firm
Trussed Rafter Association teams up with TTF
Pfleiderer calls shareholder meeting after revealing expected losses
DLH plans rights issue to bolster capital
Selco employee on the move for charity
Two die after lorry sheds roof trusses
Stora Enso records €925m pre-tax profits
Weyerhaeuser investment trust move boosts profits
New study questions ability of UK timber suppliers to meet EU legislation
Timber Expo rolls out preview events
Scotts of Thrapston reports strong roof truss sales
M&M Timber prepares the ground
Concerns grow after more “RS C16” discovered in England
Government review gives thumbs up to certification schemes
Industry sees pros and cons in Forestry Commission England sale proposals
Accord Group builds timber frame assembly hub
Södra closes Åtvidaberg, switches Traryd to hardwood
UPM reports strong return to growth
Alternative timber treatment gears up
Architecture students excel in NETTA structural timber awards
Timber imports register shortfall
Jobs to go at Forestry Commission
Harlow reopens Kettering plant
DTE appoints new general managers for Ilkeston
Door company launches online service
Alphacam increases job satisfaction
CPA hosts meeting on purchasing decision process
European shipments of Lumin to double
Cross-laminated timber receives media focus
Non-Com used on huge cladding project
Performance Group pulls out of Blairs rescue deal
Moelven turnover rises above NKr7bn
James Jones expands sales team
Expansion plans rekindled at CR Taylor Timber
Norbord achieves positive earnings
January 2011
Top
TRADA Technology appoints Eurocodes consultant
China forest certification boost
UK university wins European grant to help fight illegal logging
Setra records SKr134m annual profit
Government’s forest leasing plan a “recipe for disaster”
Stora Enso to build second CLT factory
NHBC registrations up despite December snow
Timber imports hit 16-year low at Belfast Harbour
Forest Footprint Disclosure launches second annual review
Roofing suppliers warned on tile batten rules
BC mill dedicates entire production to China
Mayr-Melnhof announces €45m investment
Stewart Milne supplies Code Level 6 homes
Forest sell-off resistance grows
Court decision costs Stora Enso €21m
Finnish FSC standard implemented
New sales director appointed at Rowlinson Timber
Indonesia’s forest clearance moratorium postponed
UK's CPET gives FSC and PEFC clean bill of health
Cameroon looks to log export ban on prime species
Weyerhaeuser expands European team
Blairs acquired by Performance group
Finnish forest legislation under spotlight
Task Force aims to reduce forest industry regulation burdens
Meyer Timber has big plans for marketing and product development
Housebuilders report better margins
Wood for good introduce new marketing team
Ahlmark moves southern terminal operation
NYT expands roof truss output after record engineered wood sales
US lumber group welcomes softwood action against Canada
Timber frame manufacturer in Austrian window partnership
Laminate flooring producers report bumper year
Dutch furniture giant gains PEFC certification
Leaderflush Shapland at the Savoy
Timber sales nearly back to normal
New consultancy helps timber ReThink
Setra sells Norwegian mouldings subsidiary
Industry takes action on reducing waste
Italian Green Building Council promotes certified timber use
Fitting memorial work for Alphacam
UPM progresses biofinery plans
TRADA Technology hosts scaffold grading course
Pfleiderer develops plant-based board
James Jones innovates on I-joists
French architects visit UK timber buildings
Yildiz buys panel factory in Turkey
North Yorkshire Timber boosts fast-growing engineered wood products business
Wood for Good announces new marketing and PR agency team
Asians buy NZ forests for supply security
Controversial forest scientist wins award
Grading stamp warning after “RS C16” found in Scotland
Huws Gray opens new branch in north Wales
Gällö Timber to streamline operations
Holmen’s new whitewood mill starts production
Howdens’ sales grow 5% in 2010
Leading window manufacturer in receivership
North America increases exports to China
Scotland increases woodland planting grant
Tanzania increases FSC-certified area
NZ hosts Sharing Power conference
7,000-year-old wood structure discovered in central London
Death in Carter Holt Harvey dynasty
Architects challenged on timber design
BSW Timber opts for Infor supply chain management software
Wood rejoins Performance Timber Products Group
Wood Talks attracts 712 delegates
FSC approves three national standards
TTJ Awards moves to prestigious new venue
Rix invests in sideloaders and racking for Stora Enso UK
Forecast detects timber sector optimism
Engineered wood and commercial arm feature in TTF’s new five-year plan
Hardwood trade regrets DLH UK office closure
Warning over IKEA and Pfizer timber pallet decisions
Grafton’s UK merchanting sales up 7%
Ghana discusses VPA implementation with EU
Chandos administrators plan asset sale
India targets 33% forest cover
Iconic doors feature in luxury apartment
American hardwoods to feature at Cologne Furniture Fair
Cygnum expands into engineered timber structures
“Missing” timber ship defendants plead guilty to piracy
Russian export duty freeze implemented
TRA appoints health and safety chairman
Mumford & Wood publishes window technical design guide
Planit gathers wood and metal workers
Cedar shingles cover sports dome
Precious Woods seeks to raise new capital
Weinig appoints Holz-Her sales manager
Sarawak plywood certification success
ICF sounds warning about government’s forest sale plans
December 2010
Top
Timber goes extreme at Ecobuild
Ridgeons fined £5,000 after worker breaks back
Swiss Timber files for bankruptcy
Government rejects call for Buildings Regs changes for timber frame construction sites
Weinig sells 38 machines at InTech
Scottish forestry battles snow to access timber
Forest Footprint Disclosure Project unveils new report
Banks give Pfleiderer debt repayment reprieve
Forestry Commission Wales unveils plans to help keep timber moving
Furniture students opt for timber
Lathams' flooring gears up for opening
Flooring giant Barlinek doubles Romanian output
Acquisitions expand UPM paper production
Industry needs image change, says TTF president
Sawmiller fined after employee’s leg dragged into machine
DLH sells African mills to complete divestment programme
US timber exporters report bumper year
Finnish timber industry growth slows
Window Alliance hits back at Clarkson
TTF warning on EU cargo declarations
Recycled plastic building panel takes on plywood
UK Christmas tree growers optimistic
Glennon Brothers returns to profit
NZ company turns sawdust into carbon
FSC remains sole scheme for LEED
Private housing starts forecast to rise 60,000
Police identify men killed in Sonae accident
UK planed whitewood imports rise 60%
TRADIS panels delivery speed school build
London Assembly wants fire sprinklers on timber frame building sites
DLH announces UK office closure bombshell
Ports fight freeze to remain open
New non-executive director joins Accsys board
Oxford student to design Ecobuild timber pavilion
British Columbia exports 40% to China
Pfleiderer aims for international reach
ThermoWood nets major contract
Ideal Home Show to feature Scandinavian timber home
Brooks Bros team visits Kebony plant
Tree disease spreads to seventh location in Northern Ireland
TRADA insulation help for timber frame manufacturers
Schools warned agains "wasting money" in dire door upgrading
Travis Perkins posts strong sales growth but weather will hit December figures
PEFC rejects Greenpeace call to ostracise APP
easi-joists chosen for vet's practice
"People want wood", designer tells Kronospan design forum
Melamine anti-dumping duties could affect European competitiveness
Localism Bill must deliver homes, says NHBC
James Donaldson appoints HR director
Ship carrying Swedish timber sinks
Finnish forest dispute resolved with Saami agreement
Australian timber jobs “saved” by illegal timber proposals
Dwelle’s timber building wins further award
Fire door training extended to non-timber doors
Timber frame producer’s low margins seal downfall
Wood Technology battles blizzard to lay out aims
Icy resolve keeps businesses going
Hazardous wood waste plant throws the switch
Ainsworth OSB mill restarts following explosion
First Medite Ultralite shipment arrives in UK
Jarl Timber to reduce production
“Sudden oak death” discovered in Scottish trees for first time
Sonae fatal incident raised in parliamentary debate
Brazil tropical sawn timber exports fall 12.6%
Guyana’s first kiln-drying plant commissioned
Two contractors die at Sonae chipboard plant
Timber vessel gets stuck in ice rescue bid
Eight-storey timber buildings for Finland
Vatican receives PEFC-certified Christmas tree
Södra invests SKr12m in automatic sorting
Graingers ships timber to Turkey
Merchant establishes high street presence
CPA predicts construction decline for next two years
Fresh snow closes Norbord sales office
Mouldings manufacturer fined following saw accident
Forests aid health, research finds
B&Q sales fall 4.7% in third quarter
Humber Joiners in administration
English yew threatened by disease
November 2010
Top
Postsaver introduces new application method
New Scottish closed panel timber frame factory opens
Finland overhauls timber price information data
SCA to curtail sawmill production for two weeks
Joinery firm’s business grows 31%
Dundee timber merchant seeks to beat heavy snow
Chipboard demand forecast to grow 5%
Special label mooted for FSC community-produced products
FFIF appoints communications manager
UK commercial forest values grow 5%
New PEFC criteria will have little impact on European traders
UK timber industry promotion should follow Europe’s lead
Weinig machinery increases SCA moulding production by 50%
US lumber company to close after 91 years
Plant health certification boost for US hardwoods
FC Wales appoints forensics expert
Welsh foresters urged to plant new species, including sequoia redwoods
Welland wins BWF joinery award
Stewart Milne wins sustainable build competition
Second Accoya road bridge built in Holland
NHBC "surprised" by new home registration resilience
London Olympics creates procurement template
German machine tool industry in triple-digit growth
Lathams posts 33% profits growth
Finland welcomes EU agreement on Russian log export duties
Setra in new production cutback
Workers lose jobs at Novia Scotia’s largest hardwood mill
ConFor puts green case on YouTube
Weinig reorganises into five divisions
Grading course demand prompts move to larger venue
Volvo in further timber truck tests
China's wood product exports soar
Brazilian Amazon forest concessions up for grabs
Foresters’ golf goes with a swing
More sponsors sign up to Timber Expo
DLH records profit, sells Malaysian operations
Floraplac in tropical hardwood MDF first
James Jones's Lockerbie 3 mill resumes full production
New CLT multi-storey apartment building under way in London
Rörvik records SKr22m third quarter operating loss
Social criteria added to PEFC certification
Engineered timber window supplier holds first conference
John Kissock takes on new role
Russia signals compromise on log export duties
Sulphur emissions restrictions will increase cost of timber transport
Duty to stamp out illegal timber remains, NPPD told
New technical services manager joins FIRA
TTF chief executive responds to Observer article on illegal timber
Ivan Savage appointed TTBS general manager
Grafton's UK merchanting profits improve
Forestry Commission softwood sawlog prices rise 28.6%
Biomass gasification plant opens in Sweden
Merchant acquires Craftsman Joinery
FSC increases presence at Greenbuild
Rok administrators make 1,800 staff redundant
Rougier sawn timber sales up 33.2%
NZ Supreme Court wins IStructE award
Norbord first to use new canal transport service
Double-glazing industry can't ignore bad reputation
IDM appoints UK mainland business development manager
Selangor authorities take action against illegal mills
Jewson launches Sustainable Building Guide
Construction industry urged to be positive in face of government cuts
Swiss Timber in CHF48.5m laminating and pellet investment
Persimmon profits up, but autumn sales flat
Kingspan sales growth slows in third quarter
DaltonsWadkin sponsors new TTJ Website Award
Timber frame loses market share in 2009, but future growth predicted
VIDA sets up sales company in Japan
Garnica prepares to open €18.5m French veneer plant
UK timber imports rise but growth is slowing
Timbmet team takes on Royal Marines
Rok’s failure creates nervousness in supply chain
Malaysia contests Dutch procurement ruling
Challenging seminar marks decade of SCA customer training
RH Wilson Lakes invests in move to larger premises
Timber in furniture school curriculum
Metsaliitto and UPM’s profits up
International Plywood secures £37m finance deal
Plywood trade event date correction
SCA and Moelven Töreboda in UK glulam supply agreement
Construction firms fined over roof truss delivery accident
TimberOne to establish manufacturing facility in Bilgoraj, Poland
CornBoard provides competition for wood-based panels
Jordan continues as FFIF chairman
Loss-making Pfleiderer admits it could breach lending covenants
Forget turnover “vanity”, plywood trader urges
Name change may have affected Interbuild attendance
Louisiana-Pacific records US$16m loss
Revisions recommended to spruce treatment
Premdor to relocate Swindon operation
Pfleiderer looks to close two plants
PEFC Finland welcomes harmonisation approach
Pine furniture bosses fined after accidents
‘Sculpted’ school building shaped by Boise
Gang-Nail nets connector plate CE approval
Bristol development specifies yellow balau decking
TRADA engineers complete Masters degrees
Canada starts wood building course in Beijing
Wolseley progresses with tax move
Brazilian rebound in tropical sawn timber exports
Sash Window Workshop appoints joint managing director
Softwood club success forces organisers to allocate tickets
Palin speaks to North American hardwood traders
Interbuild Onsite attracts 4,929 visitors
Asian countries embark on joint rubberwood promotion
Innovation speeds embassy window replacement
Dutch timber procurement body rejects Malaysian scheme
Housebuilders' profits recovery predicted
Italian woodworking machinery recovery slows
Tax reversal boosts Weyerhaeuser profits by more than US$1bn
Housebuilding slows in second half
Timber chosen for Devon supermarket
Tropical Forest Foundation appoints new head
UN timber experts forecast upturn
UPM’s Russian plywood mill celebrates 20th anniversary
Government confirms it is looking at English forests sale
Report highlights rosewood destruction in Madagascar
Plum Creek’s wood products business improves
October 2010
Top
Interbuild's timber presence falls but organisers report quality visitors
Rayonier’s profits fall on decline in timberland values
New Scandinavian partnership in UK
Andrew Donaldson joins family company
BSW Timber used in barn transformation
Scots out front in forest research, says European expert
Global WoodMart looks like an international hit
Södra grows and reaffirms UK commitment
Obituary – Desmond ('Deb') Murphy
Ghana timber export permits rise
Metsäliitto improves results but warns on currency exchange rates
UPM profitability continues to improve
Lathams extends its Moralt door service
Scotts shortlisted for two awards
Panel mills shut down in protest at biomass energy subsidies
Stora Enso in €700m pre-tax profits turnaround
Forestry Commission Wales seeks customer input
Wood Technology Society to hold launch event
Timber frame transforms housebuilder’s business
Softwood heads in the right direction
Stewart Milne scoops innovation award
FINSA products included in innovation guide
North-east traders help children
Young engineer backs timber use
Södra prepares to build timber tennis centre
Housebuilding waits for autumn uplift
Chinese business helps boost Interfor
Scottish government calms fears over forests sell-off reports
Irish sawmilling brothers scoop top entrepreneur award
Swedish wood construction market share increases
Door federation launches quality standards drive
Burbidge launches major consumer advertising push
Dutch certified timber volumes double
Town Hall restoration wins Wood Awards
Södra third-quarter profits up 600%
Holmen starts trials at new mill
Timber frame construction site blaze
FIRA sets out five-year strategy
Industry concerned over review's impact on confidence
Bristol & District TTBS Christmas lunch
Deal marks new era for Tasmanian timber industry
Softwood import volumes increase
Wood Markets organises global wood products conference
Concern over use of timber haulage route
UPM tests Finnish FSC standard
Statistics counter misinformation on timber frame - TRADA
Research shows Accoya is more durable than teak and CCA-treated timber
Tradesmen relaxed about VAT rise
International timber groups urged to promote timber
Management changes at Forestry Commission England
Latvian reassurance on FSC certification progress
Allen completes 25 years' service with SCM
Illegal logging legislation rubber stamped
Government minister shows faith in Passivhaus
Finnish logs sales return to normal
Egger to build OSB plant in Romania
NHLA announced new chief inspector
HSE fire safety document mirrors UKTFA guidance
Government quango cuts include Forestry Commission reform
Curtain goes up on timber theatre
BWF launches waste action plan
US moves to reopen lumber dispute
Gowland reaches running milestone
Carbon calculator developed for supply chain
Hyne Timber launches LVL products
German chipboard plant to close
Travis Perkins reports sales growth
MDF fibre boosts Warmcel insulation
Finnish certification standards submitted to FSC
Finnish sawmill workers’ strike ends
HSE updates guidance in wake of timber frame fires
TFF looks to help Peru achieve sustainable forestry management
New managing director for Mumford & Wood
Pontrilas makes senior appointment
Merchants to tap self-build sector in new partnership
Swedish woodworkers' union supports Finnish sawmill workers' strike
Harmonised standard planned for Finnish timber construction sector
New importer guidance for CITES-listed species
Timber sector skills council secures £3.47m of government training funding
Earthquake rebuilding could boost NZ’s timber industry
JELD-WEN staff build charity work
W10 opening day radically stronger, say organisers
Possible red list expansion worries Sarawak trade
UKFPA warns of market impact of tree disease
ELM in pallet re-use scheme with Isover
BM TRADA expands client support team
Strike closes Finnish sawmills
JB Kind appoints another sales manager
UK forestry statistics released
Finalists chosen for wood building competition
Companies book to exhibit at Timber Expo
Deeper timber stud system seeks to supersede 140mm studs
TTJ Awards 2010 – the reception
This year's TTJ Awards attracted 360 people from the timber and related industries
TTJ Awards 2010 – the winners
James Latham won the 2010 Timber Trader of the Year Award
UKTFA chief defends timber frame on national TV
Timber investors outline expansion plan
Government does U-turn on illegal timber legislation
Devon timber merchant manager jailed
DTE appoints operations director
Kronospan buys Turkish panel producer
Wood fibre insulation features in Expo houses
Microsoft and stadium projects specify Medite and SmartPly
September 2010
Top
Putin announces timber investment projects
Stora Enso invests €10m in pellet plant
Politicians and timber trade welcome EU regulation
Pasquill and RoofSpace team up for Barratt contract
Hopes for wood micromechanics research
Treated boardwalk resists elements
Forestry Commission's new inspection charges introduced
Accsys appoints Accoya distributor in NZ
Timber panel house nets RIBA award
Rougier and Egger win FSC awards
SmartPly OSB used for Irish maze
Wolseley takes cautious UK outlook
JELD-WEN achieves stair scheme first
AHEC signs up to sponsor Timber Expo
Finnish forest industry gives financial boost to university research
AbitibiBowater reorganisation plan approved by Quebec Superior Court
Cambridge dinner sell-out demonstrates confidence
Vetrotech sets up UK production facility
Engineered timber dome roof wows in Barcelona
New house registrations drop in August
Engineered timber roof cassettes used at new school
Latvia timber exports grow by 53%
SCA boosts product throughput at Stoke
Pergo launches design competition
Finnish timber organisation in "renewal"
Engineered wood products training starts
Pace of UK economic growth to slow in 2011
TV hard man actor in Amazon film screening
National Forest Programme must help ensure timber supply
Defra rejects MP criticism on illegal timber
Japan to build public facilities with timber
Chief fire officers call for timber frame review
Scottish timber trade forum launched
Wood’s increasing use as a biomaterial
Western US lumber industry records “worst” year
Numbers grow for Euopean panels conference
Eucalyptus decking to take on tropical hardwoods
Progressive's team continues to grow
Lavers plays role in papal visit
UPM Tilhill sets out 2011 challenge
Swedish wood costs reduce from high levels
New names on TTJ Awards roll of honour
TRADA joins home-grown timber research project
Unimer launches eco product chain
Pine beetle-killed lumber used for college building
Architect wins award for prefabrication
TRADA Technology appoints universities manager
Imports increase 10.4% in first half
BWF dinner strikes Churchillian note
McCaffrey joins Clive Durose Woodturners
Hardwood traders wary of bad debt
Plantations need reshaping, says Gunns chief
China timber building showcase
Aquatics Centre timber ceiling installed
Croatian timber building partnership launched
Precious Woods’ loss disappointment
Indonesia timber export ban starts
Westco expands management team
Timber frame fire prompts concern from fire chief
Storm wood features heavily in Finnish log buying
BSW takeover of Howie wins recognition
Responsible timber market website launched
Doorset manufacturer acquired by investment fund
James Jones appoints technical sales support
Wood Talks launches new events
Homebase sales reduce in second quarter
Snows creates sales and marketing director role
Australian A$65m softwood mill upgrade approved
National Forest hosts Wood in Construction seminar
Stora Enso achieves highest sustainability score
Administrators will continue to trade Connaught
Finns hold wood building competition
TRADA elects first 'non-timber' chairman
Mill which supplied Sydney Opera House closes
TTF urges traders to attend Global WoodMart 2010
Connaught forestry arm continues to trade
Forestry industry looks to reduce licensing burden
Barratt cuts losses, but warns of challenges
Build with wood, don’t burn it, says report
Unimer acquires stakes in online trading business
VIDA acquires stake in wood marketing business
New timber treatment proposals aired in New Zealand
Wind farm deal finalised on Coillte land
CPA forecasts double dip recession
Premdor plans Swindon sales office closure
Browns buys the full set from SCM
BWF officially launches stair certification scheme
Brazil timber exports on the increase
Proskills training helps architectural joinery firm
Welsh wood product manufacturers offered recycling grants
Glulam forms iconic college design
China to create new timber imports organisation
NAPD members warn of used pallet shortages
Olympics boss to speak at Plywood Club
Eucalyptus decking product arrives in UK
Brazilian certification scheme submitted for PEFC endorsement
Sarawak grows raw material imports
New managing director for Jarl Timber
JELD-WEN staff get on their bikes for 50th anniversary fund-raiser
Construction growth weakens again
Howarth in social housing contract
Government commissions impact study on procurement policy
Elcon meets Deadline requirements
American Wood Council warns of potential job losses
Leading architect hosts Wood Awards
Ground work starts on new Södra mill
Cautious Grafton eyes UK growth
Progressive strengthens support team
August 2010
Top
JELD-WEN secures major contract
Storm-felled timber buying proceeds well
NHBC new home building registrations rise in July
Italian woodworking machinery rebound
TRADA to help trade understand Eurocode 5 impact
SCA opens €35m pine shelving mill
Economic climate frustrates advance of award-winning timber buildings
Woodfab production continues after fire
Bovis opts for timber staircases
Tree disease found in private woodland in Wales
Wolf Systems responds to expanding business
Samling denies Norwegian government anti-logging claims
Ilim completes purchase of Klausner mills
Timber frame “scaremongering” follows government fire report
Arch appoints new northern regional sales manager
Versalam beams used in school walls
Central Victoria will not be logged
Exhibitors sign up for Global WoodMart
Assurance scheme launched for woodland carbon sequestration projects
Finnish shopping centre gets Kerto roof solution
Timber frame fire in Glasgow under investigation
Timber price recovery beyond expectations, says UPM Tilhill
PEFC re-endorses four national schemes
Misgivings over funding for new forest leasing scheme
Forestry contractors learn how to fight tree disease
Site erection training saves timber frame companies money
BASF insecticidal log nets win prize
Pfleiderer records €6.5m operating loss
Wood for Good advert referred to advertising watchdog
Wood fibre boards in award-winning development
Mactaggart demonstrates super quick construction
Forest machine operator training course maintains 100% record
Too early to identify construction recovery, says RICS
SIPs chosen for sustainable school
James Jones roof system in pilot housing project
Germans use Accoya to make world record window
Finnish forest industry production grows
Timber companies team up for Scunthorpe sports complex
Rorvik commissions finger-jointing facility
Timber companies sign up for Timber Expo
Holmen Timber increases profits
Ligna and Interzum collaborate
Pasquill develops RiR solution
Green Party lobbies against NSW biomass plant
UNECE figures show fall in timber consumption
Haldane helps Monty out of the rough
AF&PA welcomes US Congress concerns over boiler emission caps
SAIE focuses on the future of construction
ConFor welcomes Welsh Assembly view of woody biomass
Howie Forest Products sponsors Macmillan Cancer art exhibition
James Jones plans November restart for fire-damaged mill
NZ government has no plans to ban illegal timber imports
German wood machinery sales recover
Housing threatens US forests, says report
Masonite Beams chalks up 1,500 floors in Bellway Homes deal
Log demand boosts Sino-Forest’s results
Pontrilas boosts carcassing kiln capacity
UKFPA discusses biomass concerns with Scottish Cabinet
Woodfab Timber “open for business” after fire
Timber poachers caught in Philippines
Greenpeace welcomes Australia’s illegal timber move
News due on James Jones's fire hit mill
Construction decline expected to continue
Major fire hits Woodfab's main line
Australian government gets tough on illegal timber imports
FMB welcomes extra government money for new homes
East End Sawmills a victim of construction downturn
North Yorkshire Timber appoints new sales director
Government chief scientist updated on spread of tree disease
Spanish university hosts forestry remote sensing conference
CPET updates guidance on Category B timber
ITW rides wood fibre insulation rise
New investment will expand Cowie chipboard mill’s markets
Egger resumes growth strategy after 33% profits rise
Roundabout recruit proves a success
BSW expands low-pressure timber treatment capacity
BWF launches U-value calculation service
Brazilian plywood exports rise
SFI applies for PEFC re-endorsement
Metsäliitto returns €250m profits
Traders urged to supply wood for Papal visit
Merbau smuggling report released
Global softwood log shipments rise
Drax shelves £2bn biomass plans
Construction growth slows in July
Holbrook builds Wales' first zero carbon house
China eases restrictions on BC log imports
VRG orders the largest MDF plant in Asia
Japan awards legal status to Sarawak's timber products
Timber merchant hosts music festival
Mumford achieves new Part L compliance
Sustainability training cash up for grabs
Ghana timber sector wants tariff reduction
Western red cedar takes role in Big Brother
Uruguay submits scheme to PEFC
July 2010
Top
Unimer fanfares “outstanding results”
Weyerhaeuser returns to profitability but wood products division still in red
LP's sales up 67% in second quarter
North West Timber Treatments employee qualifies for Commonwealth Games
Akzo Nobel performance coatings profits rise 23%
Travis Perkins reports 24% profits rise
Norbord announces Cowie investment
Improved panel demand boosts Plum Creek
US housing starts fall back in June
Engineered timber teaching block blends in with landscape
Government grants more flexibility on zero carbon homes
Howdens Joinery quadruples profits
Biesse reports 61% order increase
International trade federation day focuses on sustainable sourcing
Gibson Guitars in new sourcing initiative with Rainforest Alliance
Small builders' work declines but overall construction grows
More than 10,000 trees planted for Buildbase customers
West Fraser turns loss into profit
Timber makes case for sustainable Scottish housing
Timber Direct wins karting trophy
Felling of infected larches gathers pace
Guernsey merchant diversifies into ecohomes
MP opens JELD-WEN’s new component mill
US lumber forecast report published
Composite building panel aimed at timber frame manufacturers
Homeleigh invests in sustainable future
TRADA issues statement on plywood for exterior use
Fencing company fined for planning breach
Netherlands fears for sustainable demand
Timber frame industry rounds on BBC’s report
TRADA publishes insulation guidance
Bridgman acquires McTavish IP rights
Duke of York visits Donaldsons
Stronger prices boost Södra profits
Stora Enso improves profitability in second quarter
Congressmen campaign for FSC exclusivity to be dropped
Sutton appointed deputy chairman of National Panel Products Division
Jewson takes on tropical substitute plywood
Garnica officially opens plywood factory
Joinery industry reassured over CE marking
Oak frame project wins heritage award
China's wood deficit creates opportunities
Scots first minister backs wood energy restrictions
Iroko cladding supplied to Scottish development
AW Jenkinson man wins the double
Malaysian exporters report volatile freight costs
Timber frame criticism misleading, says UKTFA
Indonesian forest concessions look for FSC certification
Better statistics from UK construction
UN timber exhibition opportunity
Competition Commission stops Bedrock's merger with Mondi
Trees can help combat disease, says study
Setra records SKr87m first-half profits
Obituary – Christopher Gabriel
Timber investment conference organised by TTJ sister company
Starr receives ICF’s highest award
FEBO notes signs of market recovery
Hands uses bike legs for charity
US MDF imports run counter to trends
Illegal timber production falls 22%
Manley expresses faith in timber frame
Finnish log sales maintain good pace in June
Southern US to become major biomass exporter
BM TRADA appoints client manager
Timber engineering conference shows interest in Accoya
RKL supplier mill gains FSC certification
Duty-free plywood quota exhausted
Pallet timber prices reach record levels
FSC establishes national office “ambassadors”
UPM in landmark US conservation deal
Council awarded prize for wood fuel project
Timber import growth slows in April
Grafton's profits recover in second quarter
New forestry minister agrees to industry task force
Auction marks end of Whitaker's long history
American Wood Council becomes independent
NBT appoints managing director
Storm damage predicted to increase in European forests
Freight prices may fall after summer “discontent”
Performance Group buys John Porter Doors
English Woodlands' burnt offering
Metsäliitto sells sawmill to Anaika Wood
Finnish FSC standard moves closer
T Brewer awards World Cup prize
Supply assurances follow Latvia's FSC suspension
DTE unveils new management team
Recession hits plywood quota take-up
PEFC UK aims to overtake France
Finnish concern at “hurried” illegal timber legislation
Forestry investment outperforms commercial property and equities
Edward Bennett takes over as NETTA chairman
Canadian library’s timber focus
Progressive appoints marketing assistant
PEFC criticised for links with Indonesian paper manufacturer
Cash injection helps fight spread of tree disease
OSB plant fire damage runs into six figures
Lathams and Decospan sign distribution agreement
Netherlands fears for sustainable demand, despite import boost
European Parliament votes in favour of illegal timber regulations
Government axes school building programme
Persimmon reports 16% rise in house completions
Illegal timber petition presented to Strasbourg
PEFC-certified fences protect Bull Run crowds
Port firms relieved over rates decision
Spanish door giant losses double
Concern, but no panic over Latvian FSC suspension
Ghana to increase annual harvest
Construction product sales rise
Dr Wolman makes management changes
Government announces school building programme cuts
Chatham House to reveal illegal logging report
Coed Cymru appoints officer to supply chain project
Finnish wood-based insulation market grows
Finnish forest industry boosted by nuclear power permits
Latvian FSC certification suspended
Travis Perkins says strong rebound continues
Glulam building to achieve highest BREEAM rating
Stora Enso finalises Kotka sawmill sale
Robbins reintroduces night shift
Timber frame stalwart receives honours
Joinery company fined after machinery accident
New verification mark launched
Welsh minister orders clearance of infected larch
Velodrome timber ceiling in place
June 2010
Top
Timber Expo sets date for launch event
Forestry leaders gather in Edinburgh
New German FSC standard approved
Latvian company starts biofuels business
Chinese delegation meets UK timber traders
UPM contributes to V&A exhibit
NZ timber arts building resists earthquakes
Flooding thwarts UK sustainable house competition entry
ICF appoints development officer
Taylor Wimpey’s house sales down but prices rise
Spanish door manufacturer to shed jobs
Turkish trade shows acquired by Clarion Survey
Panels sector unveils new campaign
Wooden sculptures benefit Tree Aid
Danger to UK forestry averted in EU draft diligence deal
European sawmill recovery forecast
US formaldehyde legislation creates import opportunities
Landmark Chinese ply shipment to arrive in UK
Business tax cuts welcomed, but industry must wait on spending
EU agrees on illegal timber prohibition
JELD-WEN Lowestoft factory closes doors for last time
SCA becomes first wood producer to sign waste agreement
Russia and China timber industry tour
New German forestry law passed
Security firm to take on forest thieves
Fire damage assessed at James Jones' Lockerbie mill
Finnish forests' carbon sink grows
Sawmill fined for roof accident
Timberwindows.com expands into conservatories
Kestrel Timber Frame appointment boosts customer service
Södra signs new transport agreement
Forestry Commission steps up biosecurity
BSW chairman takes over as TTF president
Donaldson marks 150th anniversary with legacy
Moratorium on conversion of Indonesian forests
Sveaskog strikes biofuels deal
Chancellor orders VAT rise to 20%
Testing success for Latham’s Moralt range
Wood Awards shortlist announced
Record entries for Irish Student Wood Awards
Ridgeons divisional director retires
Howarth boxes clever in Thorne
Dutch accept PEFC for public timber procurement
TTF country guidance published
Pedal power raises money for Cancer Research
TTF disappointed at Forestry Commission charges hike
UK timber tracking company wins Cameroon contract
Campsite pods get the Tanalith treatment
SCA investment to boost spruce production
Russian company buys two Klausner mills
Market tough but improving, says TTF chief
Airtightness targets get tougher
New partners join Finnish Wood Research
Industry groups encouraged by ministers’ understanding of biomass
Stora Enso considers further production curtailments
Glennon directors shortlisted for award
Zero carbon targets "unrealistic"
Brazilian eucalyptus prices increase
Architects host TRADA seminars
Timber imports continue to grow
BSW Timber awards £5m haulage contract
Danzer secures FSC certification on US hardwood forests
UK government prepares timber licensing controls
UK sales of EPAL wooden pallets grow
European panels conference programme finalised
Earnshaws celebrates 150 years
Government study to look at timber resource risks
Oregon sets up south of border
BWF launches stair and fire certification scheme
Numbers up at international timber show
Gällö Timber starts operations
Scottish forestry looking upbeat, says minister
Forest Education Initiative appeals for support
Chile forest certification breakthrough
Timber campaigns meet together
Ghana export volume rises in first quarter
Global sawlog prices continue to rise
Forest Legality Alliance formed
Travis Perkins in BSS takeover bid
Biomass accounts for a third of Sweden’s energy
Renewable energy show breaks records
Ireland's Student Wood Awards winners announced next week
Welsh PassivHaus project features Gang-Nail Ecojoists
Forum of Private Business looks forward to red tape reduction
Accsys appoints new head of product development
Stewart Milne Timber Systems wins safety award
COFORD grants support biomass research
Deutsche Bank takes stake in Gunns
Golf raises over £2,300 for TTBS
ConFor discusses new planting with minister
Minister calls in at Glennon Brothers
DLH launches T&G Lumin plywood
CPET at Public Procurement Show
CR Taylor reinstates plans to move
May 2010
Top
Timber company fined for fire regs breaches
In Touch with Timber attracts 200 visitors
Norbord supplies junior football club
UK timber imports on an upward curve in first two months
Optimistic fire door sale forecast
“Timber in refurbishment” published
Hardwood Club looks at oak barrels
Young engineers urged to support Eurocode 5
Global Witness backs coalition pledge on illegal logging
PEFC considers social criteria for chain of custody certification
Wood fibre render board nets BBA approval
ITFMA receives training funding
Sponsors sought for TTBS event
Global particleboard output to rise
Cabins accommodate bigger biomass boilers
Metsäliitto prepares for production cutbacks
BWF chief gives Queen’s Speech a mixed welcome
Daltons puts brothers back on track
Victoria Sawmills changes hands
Malaysia mixes optimism with caution
FMB and CPA welcome chancellor’s social housing cash
WWF accuses government of faltering on zero carbon
North American I-joist production boost
Holmen invests SKr3.2bn in new boiler
Boise announces net profits of US$11.4m
Richard Burbidge adds baluster range
Stora Enso expands product portfolio
Palin to deliver keynote address to NHLA
Sikkens protects larch cladding
Panel maker installs SCA beam saw and edgebander
Timber skills council welcomes coalition pledges
Appointment at SCA Timber Supply
Ground-breaking eco deal in Canadian forestry
Timber sales livelier in April
African blackwood FSC certification for UK company
Joinery company’s new over-veneer specification
Indiana forests achieve FSC certification
World’s first pine diesel plant opened
Travis Perkins reports improving sales trend
JELD-WEN opens new millworking plant at Melton
Wolseley set to beat profit forecasts
Homag posts first-quarter profit
Finland's largest biomass plant opened
Jarl Timber looks for new managing director
Industry welcomes certainty of new coalition government
“Worrying” stair procurement practice uncovered
Project certification on Olympic site
Arch appoints new marketing assistant
Otepää mill now a “significant” player
Ambass-A-Door machinery to be auctioned off
Modified wood to star at Chelsea
Glenigan points to building upturn
David Leslie to lead timber forecasting group
JELD-WEN aims to simplify stairs installation
Industry welcomes coalition stability
U-value reductions welcomed by BWF
Hardwood trader fares well in first year
Timber prices lead to tax cut for Canadian exporters
Finnish production bounces back
Blankfort door blanks in successful acoustic testing
Conference to debate wood fibre supply issues
LP reports improving market, but losses remain
Technodomus to become biennial
Holmen's Timber division returns SKr7m profit
Cameroon signs timber licence agreement with EU
Swiss Timber launches new roundwood sourcing initiative
Labelling dropped from EU draft timber legislation
Stora Enso borrows €165m to fund R&D
Venables Brothers launches new trading name
Pfleiderer posts first-quarter pre-tax loss
New glazing ombudsman scheme receives “overwhelming” response
Norbord helps Haiti earthquake victims
Housebuilding improvement boosts Grafton sales
US biomass assistance plan drives down biomass costs
Carbon profit opportunities for joinery sector
Metsäliitto says group must do better
Daltons acquires Wadkin rights
Former UPM mill managers start wood processing business
Howarth appoints manager in Leeds
Sarawak plywood makers accused of dumping
Construction sector growth sustained
Travelodge builds with Eleco Timber Frame system
Weyerhaeuser reduces its losses
Irish Timber Trade Association disbanded
NHBC new home registrations rising
2010 a year of innovation for Arch
Arch appoints fire retardant product specification manager
UPM comes out in favour of nuclear power
UK trade federations lobby EU on due diligence
Stella-Jones ties up Tangent Rail deal
Wanted May 7: dynamic and decisive government
SNP urged to rethink its dash to biomass support
Brighter times for Nordic companies
BSW's multi-million pound expression of confidence
Wood Talks series makes flying start
Timbmet reinvents online ordering
April 2010
Top
Aspect Roofing provides designs for Vivienne Westwood
Parties' pledges to timber and forestry
CTE hosts final COST Action conference
Ash cloud strands timber executives
Performance Windows acquires Dale
Fund Wood for Good, TTF president urges
Interbuild gears up for change
Glulam bird hide built for RSPB
Richard Burbidge puts it in writing
Giant Combilift has prefab potential
Housebuilding bright spot in construction gloom
Recovery fragile, warns consultant
UPM Tilhill receives dual certification
American hardwoods feature in Italian fashion capital
Bristol TTBS launches Fantasy Football League
Helveta tracking system pilots in Central African Republic
Panel Agency becomes Puu-Component agent
Downtime boosts West Fraser results
Sveaskog’s profits rise 24% to SKr$924m
Kestrel creates homes in Lincolnshire
In Touch tickets still available
UK softwood and hardwood imports increase in January
Stora Enso reports "remarkable" earnings improvement
Swedspan acquires French chipboard producer
Builders underwhelmed by politicians' housing promises
Wood Awards entry deadline looms
Flight disruption strands timber executives
Chancellor checks out biomass systems
Setra records first-quarter profits
Malaysian exhibition creates international “timber hub”
Finnforest director outlines Finnish production challenges
Södra returns to prosperity in first quarter
Olympics velodrome prepares for timber roof cassettes
Wood fibre supply in “delicate balance”
Pine beetle report forecasts lumber shortages
CMPC reassures UK after Chile earthqake
Buoyant CR Taylor sees signs of market upturn
International audience at Randek truss line launch
Plant health inspection hike inevitable
Timber qualifications set for reform
Engineer challenges trade on sourcing
Canadian forest certification map published
Brooks Bros (UK) recruits at Skelmersdale
Timber frame firm nets £250k of orders
Malaysian timber industry urged to increase downstream processing
US evaluates new ash borer treatment
Gabon workers stage bossnapping
Wood-plastic windows provide replacement solution
Lacey Act enforcement extended
James Donaldson rebrands Chorley business
Fencing manufacturer wins Olympic Village contract
Rougier looks beyond Gabon log export ban
Mr Pinelog retires after 36 years
CMPC reassures UK customers after Chilean quake
Douglas fir becomes top US overseas export species
Forestry Commission fells larches to stop spread of tree disease
Metsäliitto in upbeat trading statement
Ghana to sell state-owned sawmill
Timber tracker gains investors
TFT expands remit to cover non-wood products
Timber Retail Coalition formed by retailing giants
Chiltern International Fire invests in technical expertise
SCA starts scanning investment project
Marshall celebrates 25 years’ service
New government policy recognises value of conifers
Scotline opens new terminal operation at Gunness
Record production drop in North America
Major wood pellet facility planned at paper mill
Major investments raise UK profile of biomass
Travis Perkins assesses 2010 challenges
Apply for training cash, NWTTA president urges
Rosewood export ban reinstated
March 2010
Top
Window “scrappage” campaign creates stir
Estonian forests achieve first PEFC certificate
DLH UK unfazed by Group restructure
Altripan appoints new sales manager
Domtar sells sawmilling business
Rörvik’s SKr250m rights issue underway
Stora Enso invests €5m in value-added timber business
UK larch used for passivhaus project
UPM supplies wood to London museum exhibition
New marketing director at Södra Timber
Housing starts up 73% in February
Wood for good wins green prize
Malaysia launches Global WoodMart
UK company buys controlling stake in ZOW show
Timber windows campaign kicks off
Crown Paints appoints group commercial director
Stamp duty move key highlight in budget