Pacific European Timber Agency Ltd (Petal) has recorded a “notch up” in trade levels over the last 12 months, according to chairman Roger Brownhill.
Mr Brownhill, who also announced the appointment of founder Petal member Michael Bennie as new managing director, said the company had been positioning itself to deal with market changes and fashion swings in timber species.
“It was not so many years ago that Petal was procuring 99% of its supplies from the Far East to meet the demands from its UK, Irish and European buyers,” said Mr Brownhill.
“Now 50% of trade is Far Eastern, with the vacuum filled by US hardwoods, South American timbers and FSC hardwoods and softwoods from other areas.”
He said volumes had dropped in recent years and customers’ demands for a variety of products meant a flexible operation was necessary to secure business.
“It’s almost become like a supermarket. You go in there thinking you can buy fruit, vegetables, wine and soap powder, but if you can’t buy all of that from one place you go to somewhere that can.
“Meranti and sapele are still in demand but they’re no longer in the bracket they used to be. Fashion has swung to the yellow-white timbers like oak and ash. We have to adapt to the changes and to what customers are requesting.”
Mr Brownhill also had a word about the structure of the UK timber industry, cautioning on the importance of maintaining clear supply lines and giving protection to buyers by not bypassing them.
“Some of the ethos has been eroded in the trade, with some agents selling to importers’ customers. It does not help the structure of the industry,” he said.
Petal, which keeps £1m worth of stocks in Liverpool, has also noticed a growth in FSC-certified hardwood sales at a time when the general availability of hardwoods was decreasing.
Petal was established in 1986 as Magnet’s timber sourcing arm. It became independent in 1988 following a management buyout.
