WPA CONFERENCE AND AWARDS – THE RIGHT BALANCE OF SOCIABILITY AND SERIOUSNESS

The second week of May saw the 9th annual WPA Awards and Conference held just outside Coventry.

The gathering of guests included members and guests invited to participate in the awards and conference, where companies, people and the projects they have been involved in, can be applauded for their commitment and contribution to the Timber Industry.

Just in case there are any amongst our readers who aren’t quite sure what role the WPA plays and why this is of importance to the Fencing and Landscape Industry, here are some pointers. The WPA – Wood Protection Association is a not for profit trade organisation, along with its members and primary partners it is dedicated to promoting the use of timber as a building material. They act as a technical and advisory body, providing guidance to professionals like: specifiers, architects, engineers and contractors on ensuring wood is fit for its intended purpose. They are also actively involved in promoting and developing technology that enhances the performance and value of sustainable softwood products, this can be through wood modification or flame retardant treatments and also preservation, which is a hot topic for any industry like fencing that relies heavily on its products being made from softwood, that as we know requires a certain amount of treatment, especially if it’s for below ground use.

It’s necessary to mention briefly the primary partners to get a fuller picture. The WPA is affiliated to TDUK – Timber Development UK (formed by a merger between TTF – Timber Trade Federation and TRADA – Timber Research and Development Association) this has created the largest timber supply chain body in the UK. The other notable partner is TDCA – Timber Decking & Cladding Association, they are an independent technical and advisory body for the timber decking and cladding industry, that offers guidance, training and vital quality assurances schemes to that sector.

This being the 9th Awards and Conference being held by the WPA, it was no surprise that the majority of attendees were notable names and were repeat visitors. The first day offered optional daytime activities for guests to enter the annual golf competition or alternatively for those nongolfers laser clay shooting, prior to the evening awards presentation and dinner. This was billed as ‘Evening networking, barbecue and entertainment’. It was a refreshing change from the usual awards dinner format of guests being seated at a table, not necessarily with people of their choice or that they know and being expected to stay there for the duration of a four course meal and then a lengthy awards presentation. Instead guests were free to mingle with whomever they chose, whilst taking advantage of an excellent barbecue buffet, with some light entertainment from a talented musical duo, Temple. Well done to the WPA Management team for trying something different, it was very liberating and allowed many more opportunities to network, which for most people is the high on the agenda.

They had also paired down the awards to only two Conferred Awards, which were sponsored by Fencing and Landscaping News, to recipients that have ‘embraced and fully uphold their WPA Benchmark Accreditations’. Congratulations to James Davies Sawmills who won the Treated Quality Award, which recognises companies that go above and beyond and whose quality processes stand out. Also, congratulations to M&M Timber, the Winner of the Marketing Award, who actively promote their Benchmark accreditation status consistently on all marketing channels.

Day two took the shape of talks by prominent guest speakers who shared their insights on subjects pertinent to the Industry and inline with their area of specific expertise.

First up was Dave Hopkins who gave an update on TDUK’s operations, specifically the work the organisation is carrying out to create a comprehensive library of timber-related knowledge, which will create a valuable resource that will be accessible to anyone working in the timber arena. Also covered was a catch up on progress on the TDUK Timber Treatment Action Plan, including awareness of Use Classes, third party accreditation of timber treatment plants and reporting on recent work on the Use Class 3 treatment of spruce.

Dr Morwenna Spear FIMMM of the BioComposites Centre spoke about the results of two research projects, a collaboration between the Biocomposites Centre at Bangor University, Coventry University and Millennium Lasers. She gave insights into how recent technological developments using lasers rather than mechanical incision have led to the appearance of holes being more discrete, which makes it more suitable for aesthetic applications like joinery or decking. The much smaller incisions are made without causing tears or splits in the timber, which historically has been a drawback of mechanical incising. The consortium have used laser incising to create perfect uptake of treatment solutions for the wood modification sector, and investigated several species with excellent results, including some promising results in spruce, which was of particular interest to members of the audience.

Colin Wheatley of Teknos gave an overview of current coatings technology, different coating types, applications methods and performance, with information on the important role coatings play in timber protection, beyond being merely decorative, and particularly the potential impact of certain flame retardant coatings that are currently available.

Finally, Charlie Law Director of Sustainability of TDUK had an update on the Timber Industry Net Zero Roadmap. Apparently, the timber industry is lagging behind on reporting and reducing carbon emissions compared to other construction industries like steel and concrete, despite being the most sustainable. The Net Zero Roadmap is the plan with targets to work towards to enable the timber industry to demonstrate its commitment to reducing emissions. Charlie summed up that there is still a long way to go to achieve better reporting and with the implementation of carbon reduction strategies.

All in all the WPA Conference and Awards was an excellent and well-organised event. A round of applause for the WPA management team who put together an enjoyable two days with a refreshing new approach, with just the right balance of sociability and seriousness, that certainly was appreciated by the attendees. Here’s what one of them, Dr Stephen Uphill, Technical Lead at Arxada had to say in praise of it,

“It’s so important that we have a trade association like the WPA that champions the use of treated timber and helps drive quality through the supply chain. With over 20 years working in wood protection, I have witnessed how the industry has developed in light of the regulatory landscape and consumer trends. At Arxada we make it our job to proactively engage with the industry. As a leader in a changing world, events such as these provide an

opportunity to touch base with treaters and industry experts on Standards, Regulations and Quality processes.

www.thewpa.org.uk