The 50th Interbuild got off to a scorching start on its opening Sunday and even though the storm clouds gathered over the NEC during the ensuing days, nothing could rain on event director Steve Webb’s parade. “I couldn’t be more pleased,” he said of the 50,000 five-day visitor total. “Numbers are important, but so is the type of person coming through our doors and it is clear that we have attracted serious people who are keen to do business.”
Anyone in search of hardwood flooring would have found serious food for thought in Hall 7. The biggest offering – literally – came from Big Hardwoods Ltd, an American company that started distributing in the UK about three months ago.
The company specialises in temperate hardwood from New York State and tropical hardwood from the Caribbean and is targeting the wide board market. A spokesperson said it regularly cuts 22ft lengths and 24in widths to order, but can cut 40ft lengths and, perhaps even more spectacular, 60in widths. These extraordinary dimensions aren’t confined to flooring as the company also manufactures beams, stair treads, panelling and counter tops.
Its portfolio includes exotics such as mango, spalted beech, devil’s wood, blue lobo and fragrant cinnamon and bay.
Also exhibiting at Interbuild for the first time was Polish company Laccy-Kolczyglowy. Its products were finding their way here via Sweden but, as Piotr Strapoc explained, it now intends selling its range of FSC-certified beech and oak flooring, cabinet doors and kitchen worktops direct to the UK.
Croatian flooring
Croatian company Exportdrvo shares that ambition. It too, was exhibiting at Interbuild for the first time. Stipe Matkovic was pleased with the level of interest in the company’s native Croatian oak, beech and ash, but was frustrated by the size of the potential orders: “We’re looking for orders around 100m2,” he said.
Other flooring companies hadn’t travelled so far: Wood Floor Sales Ltd used Interbuild to reveal its expanded Arden Heritage range to the world. As John Stringer explained, the range now includes the Castle Collection, comprising eight solid oak floors which are hand-finished to provide the patina found in old reclaimed floors.
British Hardwoods had a busy show with a visitor mix including housebuilders, architects and merchants. The company can offer a full turnkey service, supplying flooring, architraves, skirtings and so on, which its spokesperson said is “important for developers”, plus merchanting timber. It manufactures a full range of traditional oak flooring and took part in Interbuild’s daily programme of flooring demonstrations which attracted enthusiastic audiences.
The big guns in timber construction were over in halls 19 and 20. Finnforest‘s impressive two-storey stand, complete with built-in meeting rooms, bar area and plasma screen demonstrations, was all about raising the company’s profile, according to communications manager Peter Tong.
Many Finnforest products were incorporated into the stand, including Finnjoist I-joists, Kerto LVL beams (and doors), Thermowood external cladding, mouldings and flooring. The biggest draw was Beamlock, an innovative new building system which has been on the market for about six months but which had its public unveiling at Interbuild.
Suitable for “anything from a porch to a home extension”, the modular framing kit requires very little groundwork and minimal skills.
Canadian exhibitors
Canadian exhibitors represented the largest international contingent at Interbuild, reflecting, as Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation senior consultant Oliver Drerup said, “the seriousness with which Canada views the UK market”.
“Big Canadian construction companies have been globalised but, for housebuilders, internationalism is new,” he continued.
The stand demonstrating Canada’s Super E energy efficient housebuilding programme took some heavy traffic. “Super E can now show a history of performance and we’re starting to get anecdotal evidence,” said Jason Kee, business development officer of the Canadian High Commission. “We [the Canadians] are not having to explain ourselves so much this year. People seem to know about timber frame and about Canadian products, so the message must be getting through.”
Robertson Timberkit Ltd’s stand replicated one of its three-bedroomed houses and was so busy it was shuffling room only. “Our aim with the erected frame at Interbuild is to allow the attendees to have a unique opportunity to touch and feel the finished product,” said managing director Derek Hamilton.
Newly formed Murus Building Systems Ltd had its official launch at Interbuild. Like Canada’s Super E, energy efficiency is the name of the game for the Murus timber frame system, in fact the company, based in Caerphilly in Wales, claims its buildings are so well insulated they require no internal heating.
Interest in the Murus stand was keen and apparently much of it was focused on the company’s use of Wolf Systems Ltd’s easi-joist metal web floor joist system and smartroof, a “revolutionary” structurally insulated roof panel system.
Wolf’s managing director David Leaney and sales and marketing director Alan Ritchie were delighted with the quantity and quality of “really hot leads” generated at the show.
“The smartroof system is taking people by surprise – they can really see the benefits,” said Mr Leaney, adding that, in the demonstration area outside the arena, a whole roof plane had been put in place in just 16 minutes.
The first stage of the structural version of Wolf’s timber frame software package KeyBuild was also launched at Interbuild. The package is able to design horizontal framing members from gravity loads and created great excitement at the show.
Also offering software solutions was Eleco plc. Its subsidiary Consultec UK launched its Whole House Engineering module at Interbuild. As Consultec managing director Jason Ruddle explained: “The new model produces structural calculations in minutes rather than weeks. We’re aiming the tool at architectural technicians and expect it to be out in the user base by July 1.”
Joinery companies didn’t figure as prominently as at previous Interbuilds, but made up in quality what may have been lacking in quantity. Chindwell Co Ltd exhibited a selection of FSC external and internal hardwood and softwood doors and bifolds while Traditional Products Ltd displayed its turned and moulded stair components.
Managing director John Watson has teamed up with Roger Stevens to form Unique Fixings, which has developed Newel Master, a removable newel post and staircase system that improves stair access.
Howarth Timber Group Ltd flew the flag for windows, doors, conservatories, decking and timber engineering. Howarth Timber Engineering bought Marlows Timber Engineering last October and Interbuild provided the first opportunity to showcase the two together.
Award-winning products
On the windows front, Howarth was demonstrating its new fully laminate tilt and turn window (also available as a side opening) which will be available in August/September and was celebrating winning the 2004 Ultraframe Conservatory of the Year Award.
Other companies were presented with awards during the course of the show. Kronofrance received BBA certification for its Kronoply OSB 3 which, said sales and marketing manager Johnny Hamilton, will help the product’s penetration of the UK market and particularly for modular timber manufacturers for which its wide boards are well suited. “UK market share has grown significantly this year,” he said. “By the end of 2004 it should be 10-15%, up from about 5%.”
And Vincent Timber Ltd was awarded chain of custody certification by BM TRADA. The certification will provide an extra selling tool for the timber cladding specialist, which deals predominantly in western red cedar. “Until now only limited volumes with chain of custody certification have been available in the UK. That will now change,” said chairman John Vincent.
Making a mark
Finally, companies with environmental certification, or any other product information for that matter, can print the details directly onto the timber thanks to new technology from ATD Inkjet Systems. As sales and marketing director Paul Reeve explained, the IP7000 inkjet printing system can deliver tall, (up to 100mm), weatherproof graphics and text on porous materials such as timber, plywood and chipboard.
There were hot leads and money to be made all round at this year’s Interbuild – and at least one exhibitor had money in the bank at the end of the show. By day three Combilift Ltd’s multi-directional forklift was wearing a “sold” sticker.
