Despite over a decade in the timber trade, I am afraid that my banking background still shows through when considering the policies the Timber Trade Federation and the trade need to consider in the years ahead.
We need to be prudent and careful with resources but still look for new opportunities. The TTF is emerging from a difficult period and we will continue to rebuild its financial stability, yet also develop services which will retain members and encourage lapsed members back into the fold.
The UK economy is weakening and companies will face increasing pressure on margins. The inevitable result is they will scrutinise costs and we need to make sure the TTF has ticks in the “value for money” box.
Hopefully my role within UCM Timber plc, which is the largest timber agency in the country, gives me a reasonably broad insight into the trends in the industry, both in the UK and internationally.
For example, we have recently opened an office in China and just achieved chain of custody certification for the Group in the UK and Eire – and we are not alone in addressing these two issues.
Timber trading is truly global and the TTF has to develop its relationships with overseas supplying nations. There are issues which cannot be resolved at corporate level and that’s where trade associations come to the fore, especially when talking with government.
With countries like China decimating western manufacturing, yet emerging as a source of low cost competitive products, we need to look at the long-term impact on the UK timber trade.
Quite rightly, we are toughening our environmental standards in the UK, yet we are putting more trade with countries that have much lower standards. This creates an uneven playing field, which is even more apparent when we look at the wider issues of corporate social responsibility. Again, we need to take a prudent and measured approach.
My goal as vice-president and then president will be to leave the TTF stronger in every sense and more valued by members.
