Timber Trade Federation chief executive John White described the industry as being “on the cusp of a golden age for timber” in his address to the East Anglia Timber Trade Association dinner in Cambridge this week.
Held in the Great Hall at King’s College, the event attracted over 200 people.
Mr White told the audience that, despite the current economic conditions, there were numerous reasons to feel optimistic about the future for wood. Firstly fashion.
“Wood is the new black,” he said .
He added that increasing exposure to wood and wood products was helping architects, engineers, contractors, builders and clients learn how to get the most from the material and said that this week’s inaugural Timber Expo show was an example of how the industry was improving its presentation to customers.
He also described the value of increasing co-operation between different parts of the industry. One product of this is the Timber Industry Manifesto unveiled by the Wood for Good generic marketing campaign on its Timber Expo stand. “The Manifesto enjoys the support of all 12 of the industry’s trade bodies and establishes a common narrative [for the industry] as well as seven policy demands on government,” said Mr White. ‘
He added that the TTF’s own just-approved five-year Action Plan was “very much focused on our customer base”.
Timber’s market position had been further strengthened thanks to the “work of the TTF and the industry in largely removing customers’ timber purchasing environmental risk through certification and The Federation’s Responsible Purchasing Policy”.
Mr White also reminded the audience that the trade now had to engage with the new EU Timber Regulation, which comes into force in 2013 to help combat the illegal timber trade. Otherwise, he warned, companies could risk prosecution.
