It’s amazing to think that another year’s gone by; where did it all go? Did we achieve even a fraction of what we set out to do? What will we try to do in 2005? Perhaps, rather than focusing on one thing, it would be better to set out a wish list (maybe we could call it ”would. be good”?):
- Support the TTF – it’s our only chance of survival against the forces of government, lobbyists and competing products.
- Get behind the Levy Scheme and TTF Responsible Purchasing Policy so that we can promote timber, responsibly, with a budget that will make an impact.
- Ask the UN to broker peace between the PEFC and the FSC so they stop driving their tanks over our lawn and let us get on.
- Find some buyers for the chain of custody (CoC) wood we stock because of the hoo haa made by certain certification bodies, zealously guarding the planet, while plastic, steel and aggregates seem to be good for us.
- Ask the FSC to quantify what their zillions of acres of forests contain so that when our customers ask for certified zebrano, we’ll know where to find the stuff.
- Get the certification bodies to explain to the construction industry that CoC does require them to check advice notes and invoices, not faxed copies of spurious certificates. They started this, so they should sort it!
- Have a legislation free year, on the basis that pretty well everything changed in 2004.
- Continue to focus on quality and specification so that we add value to what we sell.
- Importers and agents accept that by promoting wet, ungraded, unseasoned carcassing, they’re leading merchants into temptation. We all know it must not be used inside a building, so why sell it in the first place?
- Before our sheet material brethren feel left out, please remember that any product permanently fixed on any building site is meant to be CE compliant.
- Go to the TTJ Golf Challenge in December – those who’ve never been, don’t know what you’re missing and it’s cheap as chips!
- Lastly, try to actually make a profit!
