FSC Global Development is developing an online trading platform for FSC products as part of a host of changes that it hopes will not only improve the supply of FSC material but also sharpen its business focus.
In an interview with TTJ, FSC director Andre de Freitas said the online platform would enable companies to post what they had to offer in terms of FSC supply or, alternately, what they would like to buy.
The platform is expected to go live by the end of the year. “We hope by doing this to improve the flow of information which can sometimes hinder the market,” he said.
Mr de Freitas also revealed that the proposed licensing scheme to substitute the current fee structure had been postponed “until at least 2011”.
“We are looking into the whole model and how fee structure will work,” he said. “We were not confident that the model was solid, particularly against the whole economic background. This has now been put onto the back burner for 2009 and 2010.”
The development of the online trading platform and the recruitment of a new director – likely to be in place in the next four months – marks a change in focus for FSC Global Development.
“We are moving towards a more supportive mentality in terms of people using our trademarks and brand,” said Mr de Freitas.
“In the early years of FSC, the same approach to the use of our trademarks was used in relation to our chain of custody standards, which was pretty much a control approach. We are changing this to make it more service-oriented and help people use our trademarks.”
