The timber industry needs to wake up to the threat posed by potential unification moves by concrete sector representative bodies, Timber Trade Federation president Neil Donaldson has warned.
Mr Donaldson described recent meetings in the concrete industry as a real threat. “We must recognise it and address it sooner or later.”
Two concrete industry stakeholder meetings have now taken place. The most recent meeting, attended by 15 companies, included presentations by the British Cement Association, British Precast Concrete Federation, Quarrying Products Association, Concrete Centre and Concrete Society.
The meeting, held with a view to improving alignment of the industry’s various bodies, agreed that the groups should strive to work closer together and look at future ways to structure the associations. It is understood that further discussions will be held.
“The problem for us in the TTF is we do not have eight big members who count for most of the membership [as in the concrete sector]; we have many, many members,” said Mr Donaldson.
“One of my visions for the future is to try and ensure we have a timber industry in the UK that has a united front in terms of promotion, education, training and political lobbying.
“I honestly believe there is an appetitite in the timber industry to find a more co-ordinated approach to dealing with these areas of interest.”
Mr Donaldson said other countries, such as Sweden, had one body representing their timber industry. “I think that’s going to come to the UK”.
Earlier this year a concrete sector source told TTJ that a merger of bodies was one of several suggestions designed to promote more “joined-up thinking” in the concrete industry.
