Vida Wood UK is marking 25 years in the British timber market, having developed from a dedicated UK sales operation into one of the main Scandinavian supply channels serving the country\u2019s structural timber sector.<\/p>\n
The company began trading in August 2001 after Ian Drane, now Managing Director of Vida Wood UK, approached Vida\u2019s senior leadership in Sweden with the idea of creating a dedicated UK business. The proposal was based on a simple market view: British customers would be better served if there was a closer link between Swedish production, local stockholding and end users in the UK.<\/p>\n
In October 2002, Vida Wood UK merged with Boras Timber UK. Today, the company operates from Billericay, Essex, with a team of just 10 people and annual turnover of around \u00a3100 million.<\/p>\n
Vida Wood UK is part of Vida AB, Sweden\u2019s largest sawmilling group. Vida operates 15 sawmills and produces approximately 3.3 million m\u00b3 of sawn timber annually. Around 88% of that output is exported worldwide, serving markets across Europe, North America, Australia, Africa and Asia. Around 30% of Vida\u2019s total production is destined for the UK, either through Vida Wood UK or strategic supply partners.<\/p>\n
Vida is also part of Canfor, the Canadian forest products group, giving the business a broader international ownership structure and access to one of the world\u2019s major softwood lumber platforms.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a group, turnover will be in the region of \u00a3850 million to \u00a31 billion each year depending on volumes and exchange rates,\u201d said Sales Director Will Royle, underlining the scale behind the UK operation.<\/p>\n
Unlike an independent importer or agent, Vida Wood UK is a wholly owned subsidiary of Vida AB. This gives the UK business a direct link to production and allows customer requirements to be fed back to the sawmills in Sweden.<\/p>\n
That distinction matters in a market where product specification, grading, stockholding and availability are central to customer relationships.<\/p>\n
\u201cI worked for other companies in the timber trade before joining Vida and at that time I did not realise the scale of the business Vida had in the UK market,\u201d Royle said. \u201cWe can do more to increase awareness about Vida as a brand in the market.\u201d<\/p>\n
The UK has long been central to Vida\u2019s export strategy.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe UK has been our biggest market since Vida was founded,\u201d Drane said. \u201cWe\u2019ve always had a strong commitment to supply in this country.\u201d<\/p>\n
That commitment has been tested repeatedly over recent years. Brexit, the pandemic, freight volatility, anti-dumping duties, tariffs and changing demand patterns have all affected the timber trade. For suppliers of structural timber, continuity of supply has become as important as price.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s been a lot of volatility in our sector over the last number of years both in the UK and globally, with the likes of Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic but also anti-dumping duties and tariffs,\u201d Royle said. \u201cThere\u2019s always been a commitment from Vida to ensure that the UK market has timber available to it.\u201d<\/p>\n
The UK office plays a key role in that process. It gathers information from customers, communicates forecast requirements and works with Vida\u2019s sawmills to align production with actual demand rather than theoretical market assumptions.<\/p>\n
\u201cI always think we\u2019re good listeners,\u201d Drane said. \u201cWe look hard at what our customers say to us and take that on board with the messages we give to the sawmills.\u201d<\/p>\n
That feedback loop extends beyond volumes. Customer requirements around cutting technology, length specification, grading preferences, packaging and treatment are passed back to Sweden, helping ensure that products remain suitable for UK manufacturing and distribution.<\/p>\n
The company\u2019s logistics footprint is also designed around demand. Vida Wood UK operates close to its main terminal operations in Kent and Essex, while a facility in Methil supports the Scottish market. The company holds stock in locations intended to reflect where demand actually sits, including CLS at Creeksea in Essex and Rochester in Kent.<\/p>\n
One of the defining parts of Vida Wood UK\u2019s business is TR26, the structural timber grade used in roof-trussed rafters and metal web joists.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are a leading supplier of TR26 in the UK market for service and volume,\u201d Drane said.<\/p>\n
Vida\u2019s TR26 production is concentrated at specific sawmills, including Borgstena in Sweden, which plays an important role in supplying the UK. The company has also strengthened capacity at Borgstena in anticipation of improved market demand later this year and beyond.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re ready to soak up more demand as and when it does finally appear,\u201d Drane said.<\/p>\n
The truss sector typically operates on a just-in-time manufacturing model, leaving little room for supply disruption. Timber deliveries must be aligned with production schedules, otherwise manufacturers cannot operate efficiently.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you haven\u2019t got product, you\u2019re not able to manufacture,\u201d Royle said.<\/p>\n
To support that model, Vida Wood UK holds stock in Rochester, Kent, and Methil, Scotland, allowing customers across the mainland to be supplied without excessive lead times. Preservative treatment facilities also allow treated timber to be dispatched efficiently, and treated stock is carried as part of the company\u2019s standard offer.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe location of our stocks is key,\u201d Drane said.<\/p>\n
Specification remains equally important. Investment by truss and timber-frame manufacturers in advanced machinery has changed how timber is ordered and processed, increasing the importance of length specification, dimensional accuracy and consistency.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe make sure that we\u2019ve got the right lengths and dimensions in stock at any one time as this is critical to fill the customer\u2019s needs,\u201d Royle said.<\/p>\n
For customers, the buying decision still comes down to fundamentals.<\/p>\n
\u201cCustomers tend to look at three core principles, those being service, price and quality,\u201d Royle said. \u201cIf we can ensure that we\u2019ve got the quality and the service covered, then the only point we need to discuss with our customer base will be forward pricing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Beyond TR26, Vida Wood UK supplies CLS and related structural grades into the timber-frame sector. The UK market remains uneven. Scotland is already heavily timber-frame based, while England and Wales still have much lower penetration.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn Scotland, housebuilding is about 90% timber frame,\u201d Royle said. \u201cWhile the Structural Timber Association estimates England and Wales is currently only 15%, this is likely to increase to around 25\u201330% by 2030, so there is a great opportunity ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n
That expected growth is being supported by several factors: labour shortages, weather risk, pressure to build faster and growing acceptance of offsite methods. Major housebuilders have also been investing in their own timber-frame manufacturing facilities.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you can get a medium-sized three-bed timber frame house watertight in less than a week compared to several weeks for masonry, coupled with the fact there\u2019s a shortage of labour, and ongoing weather concerns, then clearly that\u2019s going to be a build method that\u2019s widely adopted,\u201d Royle said.<\/p>\n
For Vida Wood UK, this positions the company within two structural growth areas: roof-trussed rafters and timber frame. Its production base in Sweden provides scale, while the UK office manages customer requirements, stockholding and market feedback.<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone expects timber usage to increase in the months and years ahead,\u201d Royle said. \u201cWe\u2019re perfectly aligned with our customer base to be able to support that.\u201d<\/p>\n
The merchant sector is also part of the company\u2019s business, although Vida Wood UK is careful about how it serves it. The company supplies CLS, roofing battens and scant directly, while C24 structural timber is distributed through selected partners.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re conscious not to step on the toes of our key supply partners,\u201d Royle said. \u201cThe products we sell into the merchant sector are mainly CLS, battens and scant.\u201d<\/p>\n
Regional preferences also matter. In parts of the Northwest, for example, scant remains the preferred product, and stock profiles are adjusted accordingly.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are a number of big merchants up and down the country that we\u2019re currently not trading with that we could be,\u201d Royle said. \u201cThey could be buying Vida\u2019s C24 timber through one of our partners, but purchasing CLS from a competitor and they might not realise they can buy Vida CLS directly from us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Raising awareness of that capability is part of the company\u2019s next phase.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe probably go under the radar for the size and scale of our business,\u201d Royle said.<\/p>\n
Despite its turnover and the scale of the wider group, Vida Wood UK remains a lean operation. Its Billericay office manages sales, accounts, certification, stock control and logistics through a small team with long experience in the business.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a relatively small team achieving that turnover,\u201d Drane said. \u201cMost people that start working for us are still here \u2013 and we have many years of experience under our belt.\u201d<\/p>\n
Across the wider Vida group, three values are often referenced: commitment, simplicity and drive.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere used to be this phrase around the group \u2013 the Vida spirit,\u201d Drane said. \u201cYou couldn\u2019t describe it. You just felt it.\u201d<\/p>\n
For the UK business, that culture translates into long-term market commitment rather than short-term reaction. The current market remains subdued, with delayed call-offs and cautious sentiment, but Vida Wood UK sees underlying demand building.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt feels like we\u2019re treading water at the moment,\u201d Royle said. \u201cThere\u2019s definitely a lot of pent-up demand. Customers have strong order books. It\u2019s just materialising those into call-off and deliveries that\u2019s taking time.\u201d<\/p>\n
For a company with sawmill capacity, stock infrastructure and long-standing customer relationships, the immediate task is to remain ready.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve got the sawmills with the capacity to produce more,\u201d Drane said. \u201cWe\u2019re well aligned to meet the coming demand.\u201d<\/p>\n
Looking ahead, the objectives are straightforward: more volume and stronger brand visibility.<\/p>\n
\u201cIncreased volumes and increased brand presence,\u201d Royle said. \u201cWe want additional volume out of the door and greater awareness of what Vida can offer.\u201d<\/p>\n
After 25 years in the UK, Vida Wood UK\u2019s position reflects a model built around Swedish sawmilling scale, Canfor-backed ownership, local UK stockholding and close customer relationships. In a market still waiting for construction demand to strengthen, the company\u2019s focus is less on expansion for its own sake and more on readiness: having the right grades, in the right locations, when British timber manufacturers need them.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":98780,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"Default","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4713,5204],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-98779","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-companies-in-the-timber-industry","category-daily-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n