STEVE YOUNG

We caught up with Steve Young, Chairman of The Wood Protection Association Ltd, to ask him a few questions.

Where are you from originally? Education?

I’m a Yorkshireman, born and bred – raised in a village on the outskirts of Leeds – attended Castleford Technical High School, Chelsea School of Art and Leeds Polytechnic.

Describe your previous work experiences prior to your role(s) with the WPA?

Head of corporate communications for an international chemicals group with business interests in wood preservation, coatings and merchant distribution. Became an independent consultant in 2000 with the Timber Decking Association as a client.

Do you recall your first day at work within the timber treatment sector?

June 1984 when I joined Hickson’s Timber Products as publicity manager and learned, on day one, that the only way to make wood last outdoors was to impregnate it with preservative in a huge pressure vessel that, to a novice like me, looked akin to a submarine! Plants are much more technically sophisticated these days.

How would you define your current role with the WPA? Priorities?

The WPA is the voice of the wood protection industry in the UK – driving technical standards and quality; influencing buyer knowledge and demand. Our strategic objectives are set by the consensus opinions of our membership and board. As Chairman, my role is to ensure the effective delivery of our objectives in conjunction with an experienced management team of individuals from our industry. The ultimate role is to preserve confidence in the use of wood and the wood protection interests of our members.

What do you feel are the most important issues within the sector right now?

Producing and selling preservative treated wood is a highly competitive business. Like all highly competitive markets, quality is often compromised in the drive for volume sales. Changing the perceptions of those who buy treated wood fence posts that are not compliant with the minimum preservative penetration and retention specifications in British and WPA Standards is a major objective. Premature failure is an inevitable consequence of incorrect treatment and/or end use installation and opens the door to non-sustainable, substitute, man-made materials.

The WPA continues to prioritise the need to improve supply chain knowledge about wood preservation, the need for marking treated wood products by their application suitability and the added value benefit of independent quality assurance of individual treated wood product groups. Such quality schemes have, for many decades, successfully sustained demand for preservative treated wood in Scandinavia, the USA, Canada and part of Europe. They can work in the UK too and we are reaching out to other major timber trade organisations to help us achieve this as well as leveraging the sustainability and ecological benefits of using wood made highly durable by wood protection technology.

How was this year’s WPA Conference?

Judging by the feedback from delegates our 2026 WPA Conference was the best yet with a programme of speakers focused on actions to preserve confidence in wood. For me it was a watershed event where delegates seemed united in emphasising support for WPA action to ‘keep wood in the game’ and, in particular, the strengthening of the WPA Benchmark quality assurance scheme to focus exclusively on the fitness for purpose of individual treated wood product groups which will come into effect in Autumn.

Away from work what are your interests and hobbies?

I live in Ilkley, on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, with my wife Eugenie. We have been empty nesters, apart from our two cats, for some time but love nothing more than to spend time with our daughters Jody and Sophia and our five grandchildren who live close by. Ashley, our son is somewhat farther afield on Vancouver Island, Canada, but videocalls to him and our grandson are a much-anticipated part of family life.

I’m a big fan of Pilates to keep fit and agile and golf is my default hobby. I recently played four rounds on a week’s holiday in the Algarve with ten golfing buddies – alas, my handicap remains unchanged, but it was a lot of fun!

IN THE HOTSEAT

Where would you most like to visit in the world?

Machu Picchu, the 15th-century Inca citadel in the Andes mountains of Peru.

Which do you prefer most… wine, whisky or real ale?

Pale ale is my ‘go to’ when with friends and I have a liking for a good mellow red wine if dining out.

What is your favourite film of all time?

That’s a tough one. There are so many contenders but Gladiator will be up there.

What is your favourite band / singer / type of music?

Motown and Soul music get me on the dance floor every time and for easy listening, Bruno Mars and Olivia Dean are my current favourites.

What was the last book you read or are currently reading?

A page turner called The Wager by David Grann. A true story of shipwreck, mutiny and murder on an 18th century English ‘man of war’.

Which sports if any do you follow most closely?

Football and golf. Love watching my grandsons play footy and it’s also good to see that my hometown team, Leeds United, have survived in the Premier League. Delighted that Rory McIlroy won the US Masters. I can only dream of playing golf like that!