Author: TTN Admin

The year 2008 was pretty tough on a personal front as my wife Paula was in the final stages of bowel cancer (diagnosed in 2002). She went into palliative care just before Christmas and died at 6.55am on Thursday, January 22.

This was only five years ago and yet so much has changed in the industry. At this time TimberTrader News was well settled in its offering. We cover the manufacturing, marketing and merchandising (my 3Ms) of timber to readers in building materials centres; timber and hardware merchants; the fabrication sector; joiners, flooring retailers and reputable floor layers and sanders; furniture manufacturers and specifiers who love to design utilising the world’s most beautiful building material. This is anyone who considers themselves part of the timber industry.

This year we got back to doing what we do best – profiling people on our front covers. After a period of time of having advertising on our covers, including the first six months of this year, I made a decision to go back to the roots of our magazine. The catalyst for this was our triple century issue in June. I believe we’re better attuned when we concentrate on the people who make TimberTrader News – our readers.

Let’s look at the TimberTrader News covers for 2012. There was Mike Daglish, the knock-about timber bloke who had turned his hand to a number of roles (Vic); Kevin Skauge, the CEO of the Australian Institute of Building Surveyers (NSW); brothers Peter and Phillip Alexander, of Peuker & Alexander (Vic); father and son John and Gary Walker, Belmont Timber (NSW); brothers Skene and Michael “Fin” Finlayson, Finlaysons Timber & Hardware (Qld); father and son Bill and Mark Twitchen, of Trueform Frames & Trusses (NSW); husband and wife Ken and Anne Otto, Otto & Co (SA); brothers John and Noel Paine, Danahers T&H (Vic); another couple in Caroline and David Aikins, Flooring Concepts (Vic); Jim Oliver, Woodlite Joinery (SA); Bruce Allen, Wren Timbers (Qld); and Rohan Treasure, of Beaconsfield Home T&H (Vic).

This is now really recent history, with a number of significant events covered during the year that are still fresh in the memory.