Timber Trades Journal Bulletin
13/12/23
A roundup of the latest news articles from TTJ
UK Government publishes Timber Construction Policy Roadmap
The UK Government has published its Timber Construction Policy Roadmap which looks to boost the safe use of sustainable UK timber in construction and increase domestic wood supply.
The policy roadmap is split into priority themes which look to identify both the opportunities and barriers to timber construction in England, including improving data, promoting timber, boosting skills, and addressing fire safety.
The roadmap comes after a significant amount of work by the Confederation of Timber Industries (CTI) to advocate for timber, including a policy report - Timber in Construction: Barriers and Solutions - as well as political site visits, and APPG engagements.
Christmas sparkles at the London Softwood Club Christmas luncheon
A record attendance of 190 people was recorded at this year’s London Softwood Club (LSC) Christmas luncheon held on Thursday afternoon (December 7) at the sumptuous Royal Horseguards Hotel in Westminster.
The event, one of the most popular fixtures on the UK timber trade calendar, was attended by representatives from sawmills, importers, distributors, agents and merchants.
The presence of Christmas trees, crackers, fireplaces and the customary traditional seasonal turkey lunch in the Gladstone Library banqueting room added Christmas sparkle to the event.
Sydenhams Ltd posts ￡8.3m annual pre-tax profit
Dorset-based Sydenhams Ltd has posted profit before tax of ￡8.3m for the year ended March 31, 2023.
Sydenhams, which operates a network of timber and builders’ merchants, timber engineering sites, hire centres and kitchen showrooms, saw the profits decrease by 49% from ￡16.3m in the previous financial year.?
Annual sales were ￡95.3m (2022: ￡106.5), while it ended the financial year with net assets of ￡48.1m.
SAM to acquire W Howard in major MDF mouldings market move
Northern Ireland-based Springfarm Architectural Mouldings Limited (SAM) is to acquire W Howard in a major move in the MDF mouldings business.
Both companies issued a joint statement announcing that Antrim-based SAM is to acquire the W Howard group of companies in the coming months
W Howard’s sister companies are W. Howard Kildare Limited (WH) and Polyco Limited.
SAM and W Howard trading brands will continue to operate and trade as normal and all existing processes will remain the same until the deal is concluded, which will be subject to any usual legal and regulatory approvals.
Mortgage lenders tour Barratt timber frame factory
Mortgage lenders have toured the Barratt Developments’ Oregon timber frame homes factory.
A group of mortgage lenders and valuers including TSB Bank, Lloyds Banking Group and Nationwide Building Society, toured the ￡45m factory in Derby.
They saw how raw materials are taken from one end of the 200,000-square foot facility and placed on a giant conveyor belt, where wall and floor panels and roof trusses are put together by a combination of machines and skilled craftsmen.
Stora Enso commits to net-zero
Stora Enso has committed to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2040 by becoming a signatory of The Climate Pledge.
Committing to net-zero emissions by signing The Climate Pledge was “a logical step” for the company, said Stora Enso in its long-term ambition to become net carbon positive.
Stora Enso remains committed to deliver on its existing 2030 target to reduce absolute Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions by 50% from the 2019 baseline.?
Vandecasteele represented at FSC Amazon Business Encounter
On November 24 at the FSC Amazon Business Encounter in Bélem, Vandecasteele Houtimport’s wood traceability expert, Carla Vanessa Moraes made a presentation on the requirements of the EUDR from the perspective of a European importer.
Specialising in chain of custody control, compliance auditing, and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) initiatives, Ms Moraes contributes to Vandecasteele's commitment to sourcing the largest range of certified wood exclusively from sustainably managed forests.
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Woodlands Home & Garden completes Smart Modular acquisition
Leeds-based Woodlands Home & Garden Group Ltd has announced further growth with the acquisition of Smart Modular Ltd (trading as My Modular), an entrepreneurial and innovative modular garden building business with a network of skilled installation specialists, based locally in Otley.
Smart Modular’s portfolio of products will be rebranded and become part of the award-winning Tiger range over coming months, allowing the business to enter a new higher end category of the garden building market, while also benefiting from the reach of the Tiger brand.?
US duties on Canadian softwood lumber imports to stay in place
The US International Trade Commission (USITC) has decided that antidumping and countervailing duty orders on certain softwood lumber products from Canada will stay in place.
In its ruling, the USITC said revoking the duties would likely lead to continuation or recurrence of material injury within a reasonably foreseeable time.?
UPM invests €10m in Korkeakoski sawmill
UPM is to invest nearly €10m in the modernisation of the Korkeakoski sawmill, Finland.
A new split saw supplied by USNR will start operating at the sawmill in 2025. UPM called it a very significant investment in the efficiency and competitiveness of the Korkeakoski sawmill.
“The sawmill industry has a long history of over 60 years in Korkeakoski,” said Korkeakoski sawmill director Janne Klaavuniemi.
Bergs Timber shareholders to convene on Dec 27 for takeover approval
An extraordinary general meeting of Bergs Timber AB shareholders has been called for December 27 to approve the SEK1.54bn takeover offer from Norvik hf.
The meeting in Stockholm follows Norvik hf shareholders resolving on November 29 to complete the public takeover offer to shareholders of Bergs Timber. Norvik hf originally?announced a public takeover offer to Bergs Timber’s shareholders on October 27 through the wholly owned subsidiary Kivron AB.
The total value of the offer, based on all outstanding shares in Bergs Timber, amounts to approximately SEK1.54bn.
Kebony completes sustainable transformation at Norwegian Embassy
A renovated roof terrace on the 10th floor of Norway House, located in Brussels’s European Quarter and overlooking Rue Archimède and Le Berlaymont, the home of the European Commission, has undergone a sustainable-inspired metamorphosis using Kebony? Clear wood decking.
Hadleigh Timber Group posts 2022 pre-tax profit of ￡19.9m
The Hadleigh Timber Group Ltd (HTG), one of the UK's leading distributors of wood-based products, has posted a pre-tax profit of ￡19.9m (2021: ￡43.5m) for the year ending December 31, 2022.
The accounts, posted on Companies House in October, also detail the performance for its three main operating subsidiaries - Meyer Timber, Panelco and Timbmet.?
Group accounts show a turnover of ￡234m (2021: ￡303m) in 2022. The prior year financial performance (2021) included that of Premium Timber Products limited which ceased to trade in December 2021.
HTG stated a profit and loss reserve of ￡55.6m at the end of 2022.
National Timber Group appoints Scott Cairns as Group Chief Executive
The National Timber Group (NTG) has announced the appointment of Scott Cairns as NTG’s Group Chief Executive.
Mr Cairns spent much of his career with the Donaldson Group, where he was Group Chief Executive until 2020 and more recently, a non-executive member of the Donaldson board.
During his 26 years with that firm, initially leading Donaldson’s timber and merchanting businesses, he transformed the Group’s enterprises into market leaders within their categories. During his tenure as Group CEO, the Donaldson Group doubled its turnover to over ￡230m annualised, whilst positively transforming the Group’s profitability.
EPAL QR pallet launch marks step change in pallet traceability
EPAL UK & Ireland has announced that EPAL has launched a traceable pallet that will significantly improve the traceability and efficiency of users’ supply chains.
The EPAL Euro QR pallet features a scannable code linked to a unique serial number, helping to boost supply chain visibility, improve efficiency, and optimise stock management.
Located on the right-hand side of the pallet, the QR code can be linked to the goods being transported, and gives users other essential information such as the pallet manufacturer, age of the pallet, how many times it has been used in the EPAL network, the number of repairs it has had, storage times, and location.