wood for good is making changes in response to tough market conditions, with its boss Charles Trevor leaving the organisation.
The UK’s generic timber promotion campaign says that the impact of the global downturn has prompted a reappraisal of its strategy for the future.
Reports that its managing director Charles Trevor was leaving had been circulating in the trade for some days and it was officially confirmed on March 6. He had headed the organisation since its launch in 2000.
“We will be sorry to lose Charles, who has been instrumental in raising the profile of wood in the UK over the past eight years,” said wood for good chairman Jan Söderlind. “He has done a great deal for the industry.”
A statement from wood for good said that the recession has hit its income, most of which comes from the Swedish Forest Industries Federation, the Forestry Commission and the Confederation of Forest Industries.
“We are all aware that these are extremely challenging times for the whole industry and we need to explore new ways of promoting the benefits of timber,” said Mr Söderlind.
The wood for good shareholders, he added, are looking at focusing the campaign for the future around three “core themes”; wood and climate change, “wood solutions” and information and education.
Over the years, wood for good has undertaken a range of advertising and marketing activity, including a TV commercial campaign and press promotion to specifiers and end users. It also set up an online ‘timber academy’ training service.
At its height, the campaign’s total annual expenditure on promotional activity was reported in excess of £1m. It is now thought to be considerably less.
It once commented that its aim was to boost UK softwood consumption by 800,000m³ a year.
Commenting following his departure from the organisation Mr Trevor said: “I am keen to see the campaign continue to flourish. There is no doubt that now, more than ever, we need to be promoting the benefits of wood in the face of continued competition from other building materials.”
