Timber Trade Bodies Raise Sector Profile

A major new agreement between the UK’s two largest trade bodies for manufactured timber was signed at Timber Expo, during UK Construction Week 2015. The new strategy is set to boost the wider success of the timber products sector.

The British Woodworking Federation (BWF), which represents the joinery sector and firms involved in the manufacture of staircases, doors, windows, interiors and architectural joinery, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Structural Timber Association (STA), which represents firms in the structural timber products sector including major timber frame manufacturers.

Combined, the contribution to the UK economy of the sectors the two organisations represent is estimated to be around £4 billion a year. The MOU has set out plans for the organisations to collaborate on promotional activities, principally through Wood for Good, and to work together to research key issues such as fire safety and sustainability. The two organisations will also join forces to lobby on apprenticeships and explore options for a shared CPD framework.

This important step forward will see the new partnership promote health and safety best practice, a common approach to fair payments throughout the supply chain, along with supporting each other’s accreditation and certification activities and codes of conduct.

The BWF has a long history of promoting the third party certification of timber products through its schemes for windows (the Wood Window Alliance), fire doors (the BWF-CERTIFIRE scheme) and stairs (BWF Stair Scheme).  In the last year it has fought the industry’s corner in a range of policy consultations, from Housing Standards to Business Rates, has submitted evidence to Government and lobbied key civil servants and politicians to increase awareness of the timber industry’s most pressing issues.

David Pattenden, president of the BWF, said: “The BWF is continuing to build strong, long-term co-operative relationships with organisations which share our vision and values for the growth of the UK wood products manufacturing sector.

“There are many areas in which our interests overlap, including health and safety culture, managing specification through the supply chain, promoting the advantages of timber, quality management, fair payments, and training and skills issues. We know we can achieve more for our members by working together in this way.”

Lawrence Young, chairman of the STA, added: “The dialogue between our organisations has always been strong, but this MOU will help provide a framework for our regular communication and complementary activities. We will be sharing information and best practice, regularly bringing the organisations together at member and staff levels.

“It’s about bringing together two major elements of timber in construction. We aim to grow the market for the benefit of the structural timber products which go into constructing our buildings as well as the ‘on show’ products which fill those buildings.”

This is the second MOU signed by the BWF this year. An initiative to tackle the skills shortage was launched by the BWF and the National Association of Shopfitters (NAS) in July. In that agreement, the two organisations committed to collaboration between their respective training bodies, the BWF’s Wood Industry Training Forum and the NAS’s Shopfitting Independent Training Forum.

“Collaborations between key organisations in the construction industry have benefits far beyond the people directly involved,” said Iain McIlwee, chief executive of the BWF. “In the current timber market, these agreements allow us to create more opportunities for timber manufacturers and to improve the quality and reputation of the industry.”

The British Woodworking Federation is the trade association for the woodworking and joinery manufacturing industry in the UK. It has 700 members drawn from manufacturers, distributors and installers of timber doors, windows, conservatories, staircases, furniture, all forms of architectural joinery including shopfitting, as well as suppliers to the industry.

The Structural Timber Association is currently the country's leading timber organisation, which represents a wide membership of businesses and people involved in construction using engineered timber, from across the UK. The STA leads the industry on quality, health and safety, education, technical knowledge and customer service. The STA's activities include seminars, factory tours, research, and provision of information, networking, advocacy and discussion.