The timber industry has to punch above its weight in promoting its environmental credentials and focus on making wood easy for customers to select and use.
This was the message from Timber Trade Federation (TTF) vice-president Martin Gale speaking to the North East Timber Trade Association annual dinner last week.
Mr Gale, who succeeds TTF president Kevin Hayes later this year, told the 101-strong audience that the environment and renewability were becoming a key focus for marketing across a range of industries and timber had to follow suit.
“Whether you accept that climate change is a reality or not, all industries are pushing renewable resources,” he said. “We tend to do that less than our competitors and, given the small amount of funding available to us as an industry, we have to punch above our weight.”
He added that, compared with other materials, wood was still “difficult to buy and utilise”.
“If the multi-benefits that timber delivers are to be fully realised, then the industry must make it easier for the customer/designer/specifier to gain access to an expanding range of timber products,” he said. “Currently getting construction quotes from the timber industry is cumbersome and hard work compared to the other construction product.”
Mr Gale also maintained that, under the leadership of chief executive John White, the TTF had been revolutionised and become a “lead organisation in the forestry sector”, especially in its communication and influence with government.
Chairman Peter Hunt listed some of the projects NETTA had undertaken over the last year that both promote use of timber and support good causes. These included supplying decking and other products to the Hull Behavioural and Educational Centre and various materials to Netherlands Special School in Bradford.
“I want to emphasise that we’re not an association that just collects money from people,” he said. “We do things with it.”
The dinner also hosted the presentation of the NETTA Structural Timber Award, which goes each year to architecture students who come top in a timber-based building design competition. This year they had to devise a public pavilion for Newcastle’s Jesmond Dene Park. The winners were students Natalie Ellis, Jonathan Marsh and Adam Brookbanks. The competition committee was chaired by James Southern and the sponsor was Gill & Robinson
