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Various professionals in the UK timber industry expressed their insights on the key topics and issues anticipated for the year 2023. Their responses shed light on the industry's perspective.<\/span><\/p>\n James Scott, Managing Director of Scotts Timber Engineering, expressed a positive outlook for the new homes market in 2023. According to Scott, there is a strong demand for timber-engineered products, with stable timber prices, sufficient material supply, and healthy production volumes. Although last year's mini-budget and rising living costs affected homebuyer confidence, signs of recovery in the housing market are emerging. Scott expects interest rates to decrease in the near future, and mortgage lenders are optimistic about offering competitive deals in the coming months.<\/p>\n Volume housebuilders are already reporting increased site visitors and sales inquiries. Scott believes that the shift towards timber engineering and the increased use of wood in construction aligns with the UK's mission of achieving a net zero economy, which presents a significant growth opportunity for the industry. Scotts Timber Engineering aims to capitalize on this market growth and anticipates a busy year ahead.<\/p>\n Stu Devoil, Group Head of Marketing at James Latham, discussed the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war on the availability of timber products, particularly birch plywood. While it is true that a significant portion of birch plywood comes from Siberia, there is a misconception that the UK has lost access to this specific supply chain.<\/p>\n Devoil clarified that alternative birch plywood suppliers exist throughout Europe, offering identical grades as their Russian counterparts for the past century, and at competitive prices. Countries like Latvia, Estonia, Poland, and Finland have stepped in to fill the gap. Devoil mentioned UPM's Finnish WISA-Birch range as a high-quality alternative available from their own portfolio. Furthermore, advancements in plywood performance and composition have led to the development of similar sustainable products within the category.<\/p>\n Devoil highlighted Garnica's maple-faced Globulus as an exciting new ply product. Designed as a response to the birch ply market's turmoil, Globulus enhances poplar ply by incorporating a robust blue gum eucalyptus veneer, offering comparable strength to birch plywood. Its slightly pinker Maple face, long grain format, and competitive price point have made it popular in the specification market, presenting a near-identical alternative to Russian birch and non-Russian birch ply. Devoil observed that Globulus eucalyptus is gaining traction in the UK market.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Various professionals in the UK timber industry expressed their insights on the key topics and issues anticipated for the year 2023. Their responses shed light on the industry’s perspective. James Scott, Managing Director of Scotts Timber Engineering, expressed a positive … Continue reading