Obituary – Tony Hall

Tony came into the Timber industry in 1963 having first obtained a degree in Civil Engineering at Nottingham University, and then spending seven interesting and instructive years in the Destructive Testing division of De Havillands aircraft factory, in Hatfield.

Trada was Tony’s first employer in the Timber Industry.  From Stocking Lane, he went to the racking company Dexion in Wembley, where a young and vibrant team would have a profound influence on the rest of his working life. For it was there that he met Norman Lawrence, who was ultimately responsible for introducing Tony to the team setting up a UK arm of the Finnish company, Schauman. But before then and to cement his association with Finland, Tony went from Wembley to the Finnish Plywood Development Association (or FPDA).  

When Schauman UK  started in 1972, Tony was the choice for Technical Director, a position he held until 1979.   During this time he started the manufacturing offshoot, Schauman Wood Services, the company he was also Managing Director of.

In 1979, he left to run Finnish Plywood International (Formerly FPDA) and act as a consultant to the trade.

During the following years he would write many papers on plywood and its uses, become an external examiner for the Timber Technology Degree course at High Wycombe, as well as setting questions for the Institute of Wood Science, which he ultimately became a Fellow of.  He was a consultant for the Chipboard Promotion Association (CPA) and sat on many BSI standard committees.

He made many friends and was very well known across the trade until he retired in 2001.

Tony died peacefully on the 21^st of June leaving his wife, Janet and two sons, Adrian and Martin.

Anyone wishing to join the family to celebrate Tony’s life, please contact

JJ Burgess on 01707 391 808