WOOD PROTECTION ASSOCIATION ANNUAL EVENT AND CONFERENCE 2025
The Wood Protection Association’s (WPA) annual event and conference took place at Oulton Hall Hotel on 7–8 May, bringing together stakeholders from across the timber treatment industry to share insights, celebrate innovation, and explore strategic opportunities for future growth.
The two-day gathering offered delegates a programme of presentations from across the treated wood supply chain, networking opportunities, and activities including two golf competitions and a hosted wine tasting. The conference theme, FutureProofing Demand for Treated Wood, addressed challenges and opportunities facing the sector. Paul Pennick, Procurement Director at the h&b Buying Group, opened the business sessions by setting out what supply chain buyers expect from the treated wood industry. He called for greater clarity and consistency of specifications and urged the sector to improve the availability of authoritative data on performance and service life. He also emphasised the importance of engaging and educating all stakeholders – from merchants to architects and installers – and encouraged innovation and crossindustry collaboration. Gareth Nicholls, Head of Timber Category at MKM Building Supplies, highlighted the increasingly important role of builders’ merchants in promoting treated wood. Citing a rise in MKM’s own sales of treated timber—from 57% in 2021 to 65% in 2024—he outlined the steps being taken to support this growth, including knowledge resources, clear labelling, and ensuring all products are fit for purpose. Dr Ed Suttie, Head of Consultancy at BRE, presented interim results from a decade-long field trial of British softwood fence posts. The findings, based on sites in England and Wales, offer compelling evidence of service life performance and help counter misinformation from competing materials. “This is the opportunity,” he said. “This is real data, and it doesn’t get better than this.” Fredrik Westin of the European Wood Protection Association (EWPA) addressed the rise of circularity in EU policy and urged the industry to work more closely on political lobbying and messaging. “Wood locks up carbon – treated wood locks it up for longer,” he said. In his closing address, WPA Chairman Steve Young explored the strategic landscape for the UK treated wood market. He outlined five key areas where WPA is leading work on behalf of its members: improving supply chain knowledge, promoting sustainability, strengthening communication with external stakeholders, influencing UK government policy, and collaborating with aligned organisations such as TDUK, Confor and EWPA. WPA’s Neil Ryan previewed a new webinar training initiative to support the supply chain in selling the right treated wood for the right job: “Making wood even better than trees can!”
