A project team of representatives from each body will now work on the detail, including the structure, sharing of resources and the timeline for the merger.
The respective memberships will also be consulted. BWF chief executive Iain McIlwee told TTJ it was hoped that the merger would be completed by the two organisations’ AGMs in June next year, but “sooner if possible”.
He added that it was important that the consultation with members was transparent and open. If the proposals are approved by the memberships, the BWF and TTF would continue as separate entities, with their core activities driven by their respective councils. However, a new group company would bridge the two, led by a chief executive supported by a head of woodworking and head of timber trades.
The new company would provide a central resource for a range of activities including promotion, research, policy and market development and membership services.
Members of both federations have responded positively to the joint venture. “The BWF has had a very positive response from its members, who can see that this is a very exciting opportunity to raise the profile and understanding of the benefits that the timber supply chain provides the economy, environment and individual customer sectors,” said BWF president David Pattenden.
TTF president Stephen King said the deal was “founded firmly on the principle of mutual benefit”. “Through working together in this way we could significantly increase our abilities to provide a wider range of support activities and to operate in circles that individual companies would find difficult or impossible, no matter how large, to undertake alone,” he said.
Earlier Mr King had told TTJ that since the TTF and BWF had gone public on their merger talks, there had been approaches from other bodies asking to be kept informed.
“I don’t think I’m being naïve in saying it may have set a ball rolling,” he said. “As an industry we still punch below our weight at the bigger tables because our representation is less united than other sectors. There may be associations that won’t want to join and it may be after my time it happens, but we are now actively pursuiing a process to head towards some form of wider confederated industry body.”
