COVER STORY
The FSC label is a common sight within the timber flooring industry but there remains a small minority of traders who use the logo unscrupulously or, at least, misleadingly: “People in the industry say their products are certified and they’re not, just one is certified.”
“At Ted Todd, we simply don’t touch some woods
but John is optimistic that, in time, those traders will be squeezed out. “We can buy products quicker and cheaper that aren’t FSC but we’ve made the decision not to do that. The certification of timber products is still quite a new thing, so policing it is very difficult. But there is new legislation due and more and more images on television, and wider awareness, will help push the message through.”
“It will take decades to get people to really understand the importance of when you cut a tree down, you have to protect the woods, you have to protect wildlife, you have to do it at a certain time of the year and you have to replant and to start the paper audit there. It’s a cycle and you have to take responsibility.”
audit trail; where it’s from, who cut it, where it’s stored, what lorry it went on - a lot of work. But on larger projects, we won’t get invited if we’re not certified.”
“The certification is helping to build the business. It’s a big thing for us but we want it to be just another part of our business, just like quality is. That’s how we work and certification is just one of the many parts of the standard Ted Todd range.”
www.tomorrowsflooring.com
because they’re not certified. We have a policy not to stock any non- certified woods.” And John has some advice on spotting incorrect FSC labels: “The FSC logo is changed so often and you have to have the number underneath. If you don’t have the number underneath, you’re not FSC certified and the number’s specific to us.”
Those who exploit the FSC label are not easily caught
With certified woods costing more and, traditionally at least, the environment and sustainability falling down the financial agenda during times of recession, how has Ted Todd fared in testing times? “We’re very lucky because we only target the mid- and top end of the market so we’ve not really seen people pulling away – customers like that our products are certified and also the fact that we do different products - especially wider boards, different finishes - so we pick up quite a lot of work,” says John.
“Also, a lot of homeowners are staying put –perhaps they were thinking of moving but are not – and instead they’re investing more in their homes than they would have done and that can mean a quality wood floor,” he adds.
But John is also quick to point out that no business
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has been immune to the overriding economic conditions of the last two years or so: “Everyone has suffered and there have been some delays in placing the big orders on some contracts, although this year is a little better than last.”
Whether building for the future or weathering the recent economic storm, the diligently applied and audited FSC certification is a key part of the Ted Todd plan. John says that, aside from the certification, the brand change was “a big thing for us to do and there’s the new showroom which shows the investment in the industry, customers and the public.”
“We’ll probably be doing an academy here so you’ll come here to become an approved Ted Todd fitter and we’ll run training courses to learn about the industry as well as to say thank you to our loyal customers. We also support product knowledge – you can send your staff here and we’ll train them, or your fitters, on how to fit and treat Ted Todd boards.”
Ted Todd are not simply a part of the industry, they believe in it too: “It’s a lot of work but what we’re doing is investing in our industry. We’re passionate about timber and everything we sell but were also very passionate about the industry and we have a responsibility to anyone who buys one of our timbers floors.”
www.tedtodd.co.uk
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