Markets for volume commodities and raw materials like timber have changed drastically over recent years – and they continue to evolve rapidly. New, voracious and still rising demand from Asia, notably China, India and Vietnam, has fundamentally altered trading conditions for suppliers, traders and end users alike.
The impact for hardwood products manufacturers among the latter has been rising raw materials costs and commoditisation of the market, inhibiting affordable supply against specification.
“Competitiveness in today’s trading climate for western hemisphere manufacturers demands minimum inventories and supply on specification that is tailored to their specific manufacturing processes,” said Dirk Voorderhaak, managing director of Voorderhaak BV, the Netherlands-based international hardwood importer and trader. “And that implies that suppliers should deliver to size and volume.”
Voorderhaak itself, he added, has adapted over the years to changing market conditions, specialising in the supply of dimension, cut-to-size timber in both better-known, and new and less familiar species.
Originally focused on European hardwoods, notably oak, ash and beech, the company’s timber spectrum now includes North and South American species for flooring, interior and exterior joinery, cladding and garden products. To ensure continuity of supply in an unpredictable market, it has established direct contact with mills in north-west and eastern Europe, the US and South America. And these relationships, added Mr Voorderhaak, also have benefits in terms of quality control and assurance.
Species stocked
Among the species now stocked are North American varieties, such as hickory, ash and maple, plus South American CITES-certified mahogany, basralocus, cedro, cumaru, jatoba, pumaquiro, walaba, and nogal – or the “beautiful tropical walnut”, as Mr Voorderhaak describes it.
“We particularly promote new and lesser known hardwoods from the South American forests with their large variety of species offering an excellent alternative to traditional ones,” he said.
Voorderhaak has extensive storage facilities, including new warehousing, and modern kilning to offer “well kiln-dried, well-bundled, export prepared orders”.
“Depending on final application, most of our timber will now be kilned for stability and optimal use,” said Mr Voorderhaak. “And we also offer machining in close co-operation with nearby specialists.”
A member of the Netherlands Timber Trade Association, Voorderhaak is also firmly focused on sustainability and has both FSC and PEFC chain of custody.
“Another reason for us to establish close co-operation with reliable supplier partners is to ensure that we are sourcing from forestry that is sustainably managed with respect for local laws and the interests of local communities,” said Mr Voorderhaak.
Voorderhaak is located in Rucphen, which sits in the ‘delta’ between Rotterdam, Antwerp and Flushing. This gives it considerable logistical advantages and ready access to transport routes across Europe. And, said Mr Voorderhaak, it makes it particularly well placed to service the UK, where it has supplied timber and wood products to customers for several decades and now offers rapid turnaround delivery on orders from quarter to full trailer loads.
For more details, visit www.voorderhaak.nl
