Search Results: 'Bank of England'

Just getting across the line
10 January, 2024
The UK hardwood sector is experiencing testing times. Mike Jeffree reports

Stewart Milne Group in administration
09 January, 2024
Scottish house-builder Stewart Milne Group has entered administration, following a failure to find a buyer. Administrators from Teneo were appointed on January 8.

Ireland bound
19 December, 2023
Geoff Rhodes, independent consultant and former long-serving marketing and sales director at MEDITE looks back 40 years to Medford Corporation’s multi-million dollar investment in the Clonmel factory

UK tropical wood imports down
19 December, 2023
After a buoyant couple of years, UK tropical timber imports have trended lower this year, reports Sustainable Wood

Building steady support
24 October, 2023
Confor repeats its call for government to put words into action and plant more trees

Housebuilding decline takes toll
23 October, 2023
The chipboard sector may not feel the full extent of the fall in housing starts until next year. Keren Fallwell reports

Europe sets mood for UK MDF market
28 August, 2023
UK demand for MDF is holding up but Europe’s situation is the bigger influence on the market. Keren Fallwell reports

Westminster report sets out case for timber production in England’s forests
19 July, 2023
A report by a House of Commons committee sets out the case for putting timber production back at the heart of forestry policymaking, according to Stuart Goodall, chief executive of forestry and wood trade body Confor.

Weather dampens fencing demand
28 June, 2023
The weather, the economy and a post-lockdown lull are conspiring to make the fencing market quieter than usual. Keren Fallwell reports

Chipboard demand better than feared
25 April, 2023
The UK chipboard sector is heartened by Q1 demand exceeding expectations but slowing housebuilding activity could impact later in the year. Keren Fallwell reports

2023 - Plotting a course through choppy waters
15 February, 2023
A relative degree of calm may have returned to UK politics. The economic picture is less than pretty, however, with forecasts for 1.3% shrinkage in GDP over the year. Consequently representatives of timber and related businesses and industry associations asked for their outlook by TTJ see challenges for the sector and its markets through 2023. But, at the same time, they identify opportunities and highlight their plans and projects for making the most of them. Mike Jeffree reports

From tropical surge to slowdown?
22 December, 2022
After a strong start to 2022, deteriorating market conditions threaten to slow the UK tropical timber trade. That’s according to latest reports from Rupert Oliver of Forest Industries Intelligence (www.forestindustries.info) for the International Tropical Timber Organisation’s market information service (www.itto.int), of which the following is a summary

Clouds on hardwood horizon
20 December, 2022
The outlook in the UK hardwood market is darkening, but the last two profitable years should help insulate businesses from a downturn, say importers. Mike Jeffree reports

Headwinds fail to blow Scotline off course
18 October, 2022
Times may be challenging, but the leading timber and forest products shipper has maintained investment and development. Mike Jeffree reports

Preparing for tougher times
18 October, 2022
Chipboard demand has cooled and the sector is bracing itself for more difficult trading ahead but the situation is far from catastrophic. Keren Fallwell reports

MDF demand slows but sector remains optimistic
24 August, 2022
The MDF market in the UK has slowed but the brakes are being eased on rather than squeezed. Keren Fallwell reports

TTJ Softwood Update: Low consumer confidence weighs on softwood market
14 July, 2022
The solid softwood market is uncharacteristically quiet for this time of year, and buyers are reluctant to commit to volumes on the forward market while prices are under pressure. Most merchants attribute weakened demand to a collapse of confidence in the retail and DIY market.

Not out of the woods
10 June, 2022
Confor recently warned that the UK faces declining supplies of home-grown wood due to lack of productive tree planting. With the country currently needing to import over 80% of its wood requirement, the UK could be sleepwalking into a timber shortage crisis in the not too distant future. Stuart Goodall, Confor chief executive, examines the threats to supply and why the UK must urgently move productive tree planting up the agenda

Strategy for growth
10 June, 2022
The Archwood Group has initiated a new three-year strategy for growth for its leading Richard Burbidge, Atkinson & Kirby and Masons Timber brands. Stephen Powney reports from the Group’s base in North Wales

Demand stable but challenges at every turn
10 June, 2022
UK traders are generally happy with demand for plywood and OSB but the war in Ukraine, the economy and Covid are causing pressures and uncertainties. Keren Fallwell reports