He was alluding to the TTF‘s new business plan, approved by the governing board in September and to be officially launched at The Federation‘s conference in London on October 11.
As a taster to the launch, Mr Donaldson said that timber’s “fundamental USP” were its environmental credentials which “must be marketed mercilessly”.
“However,” he continued, “it is also our Achilles’ heel if we do not fight with more than just words the scourge of illegal logging and plugging the gaps that allow illegal wood to enter our supply chain. This damages our reputation and inhibits significantly our ability to compete with other building materials.” He went on to exhort members to sign up to the Responsible Purchasing Policy which he described as a “fundamental business tool…I know of two cases where RPP signatories have won business over non-signatories”.
Mr Donaldson also said that the industry needed to be less fragmented and that the TTF needed to expand its service and exceed its members’ expectations. “We are a members’ organisation and as such must listen to your needs and deliver your agenda, not somebody else’s,” he said.
EATTA chairman Keith Arnett agreed that the environment was playing an increasing role. “We have to keep reminding everyone that timber is the only truly renewable material – we have to keep defending our status,” he said, adding that the 2012 London Olympics presented a great opportunity, “but only if we can supply certified timber”.
In referring to restricted supply and rising prices, Mr Arnett commented that “maybe we will now start selling timber for what it’s worth”.
