The timber industry is potentially on the “cusp of a golden age” of market opportunity, but needs to make the most of it.
This was the message from Timber Trade Federation chief executive John White to the North East Timber Trade Association annual dinner in Hull.
Timber, he told the audience of 150 at the Mercure Hull West Hotel, ticked all the government boxes in terms of its potential contribution to sustainable construction and development.
“But we need the evidence to support our [environmental] claims, including life cycle analysis data,” he said.
The anti-illegal wood EU Timber Regulation being introduced next year, he said, would further validate what the industry had done to ensure its sources are legal and sustainable.
“And for TTF members, who now have to use our due diligence tool, the Responsible Purchasing Policy, it should hold no fear,” he said.
But, he added, to make the most of its chances, the industry had to invest in training and take up the new NVQs developed with National Skills Council Proskills, and the apprenticeship scheme it has in the pipeline. It must also focus on product development and innovation.
“We need to make timber easy to purchase and develop complete product solutions for customers,” he said.
The guest speaker at the dinner was author and climber Andy Kirpatrick.
According to NETTA chairman Edward Bennett, who was hosting the last dinner of his term before handing over to James Southern in July, the event raised around £1,000 for the TTBS.
