The industry at the moment is going through a rocky time with the housing and renovation sections being on the bottom of the scale in the economic downturn.
As a wholesaler/importer of product I see a surplus of timber (referring to Radiata Pine and Douglas Fir) for the next few years, with the ultimate buyer being in a strong position.
Much work is being done to consolidate our industry in manufacture and distribution but will not help us unless we all get behind a real combined drive to regain lost markets and develop new markets.
Whilst changes are mooted to alter the structure of the FWPRDC, whatever the outcome, the organisation must be fully supported by the growers and producers to develop a new range, thinking outside the square to increase our per capita consumption of timber.
The markets are available as timber held them for many years and it is now only better marketing by the steel, brick and concrete producers that has taken away what is rightly ours.
We have a much more mature sawmilling basis to work from, but unless we move away from advertising and marketing as individuals into combined one point industry marketing, we will have difficulties.
The retailing and selling outlets in both truss and frame and hardware timber chains are consolidating and this should lead to improved efficiencies and lower overheads and costs.
The manufacturers and wholesale distributors are being called on to be much more efficient with “just in time” deliveries (24 hours or less) being the order of the day.
These things are happening but we must bring our forces together in the marketing drives to be the leaders and not the followers.