Visitors fell into three categories but all were interested in sustainability. Firstly there were the public. They expect that timber and timber-related products are automatically from legal, third-party certified sources and are more concerned about the energy used to produce goods and the environmental impact of transporting them.
Designers, specifiers and architects at the show wanted to specify sustainable products, while the construction sector was also interested in products being fit for purpose and meeting current norms and standards. The fact that some products we displayed met EN 13986, Construction Products Directive and the EN relating to product groups themselves stimulated their interest.
We backed the show to raise our profile as a PEFC/FSC-accredited company and to make people aware of the products that are available. We also wanted to highlight that there is commitment in the UK timber industry to environmental issues, and to demonstrate that we have a real interest in sustainability and getting people to understand that forests have a value.
Contractors were looking for new and sustainable products; well now, they learned, they can get plywood from the Far East, North and South America, Scandinavia and, of course, MDF and OSB from the UK and Ireland.
Sustainability and sustainable construction are high on the agenda for most people, from end users asking about the origins of furniture in their homes, to contractors who have had it specified at a corporate policy level. The timber industry must respond.
We generally only see adverse publicity in the press so we need to let our customers and the public know that timber and timber-related products can be legally sourced and third-party certified. We need to promote and sell the benefits and get the message out by targeted marketing. Contractors should now be in a position to specify and receive a wide range of sustainable timber products.
Chris Sutton is director of James Latham‘s panel division and a director of James Latham plc.
