I don’t know. You wait for ages for powerful people to take note of timber and three come along at once. This week we’ve had prime minister Tony Blair, Prince Charles, oh, and deputy PM John Prescott, all showing a keen interest.
The Prince, in his best double-breasted camelhair coat, braved the elements in Latvia to open BSW’s new mill. It’s the company’s seventh plant and will develop its product range, with customers in the merchant and garden products sector especially in mind. And it might be an idea for machinery makers to drop off their catalogues at Highgrove because, apparently, HRH, who has his own mill, was particularly impressed by BSW’s high technology.
The PM and his deputy were in talks with the Forest Industries Development Council, obviously genning up on forestry, timber and sustainability for the next climate conference. It gave the industry a chance to urge government help for small- to medium-sized firms to undergo eco-certification and to voice dissent over the climate change levy and its impact on sawmills. There’s no point, it was argued, in promoting an industry that’s the ultimate in sustainability, only to hit it for six with a so-called ‘green’ tax.
Of course, it’s useful in marketing terms to get the establishment big hitters, trailing media armies in their wake, to pay personal attention to your company or industry. And, as the TTF has underlined with its recent round of ministerial meetings, it’s also vital if you want your interests to figure in the wider decision-making and opinion-forming process. If we’re not making our case, you can bet the competition will be making theirs.
Oh, and another photo opportunity might be handing Prince Charles some safety kit. Apparently, he’s currently wearing a patch because he got dust in his eye sawing a branch. He was obviously so enthused by the BSW trip, he went straight out to carve up some wood.
