Comment | 3
COMMENT
On the front cover of this first TTJ edition of 2026, Terry Edgell, the CEO and Co-founder of Premier Forest Products is front and centre. The company’s bold move
to acquire three of the former Arnold Laver depots and the National Timber Systems business – all from administrators of the National
Timber Group (NTG) – has added £80m of turnover and hundreds of employees to Premier Forest. With so much woe dominating the headlines at the
minute, the news of a timber company taking the opportunity to position itself for future growth, further diversify, plus save valued industry jobs in the process, is something positive to report. For Premier Forest, which won the TTJ Timber Trader
of the Year 2025, the move highlights the role of the independent timber companies. Our interview with Mr Edgell on Pg22, touches on private equity ownership vs independent timber ownership. While not every private equity ownership in the timber
sector has been a failure, there is clearly much angst in the industry – I have heard many views about the debt burden loaded on historic timber companies by investors. The protracted downturn after the initial Covid ‘bounce’ has been problematic for everyone though. Wind back the clock 12 months and we might not be having this debate about NTG if the market had picked up then. Premier’s expansion is part of a wider consolidation
going on in the UK timber industry. The latest news of Glennon Brothers acquiring Pontrilas Group is another example of a big acquisition, and we can expect further
TTJ – the voice of the timber Industry
moves as 2026 progresses. Here at TTJ, as we start 2026, we’ve had a thorough
look at the information we provide and how we deliver it. Media trends and how people consume information has been changing rapidly. Many readers have told us timely delivery of market data & news is a top priority for them. So, this year, we are increasing our delivery of market
data digitally to readers. Some 15 digital market reports covering a broad scope of timber products – softwood, hardwood, chipboard, MDF, plywood & OSB, fencing and pallets will be sent straight to readers’ inboxes at regular intervals to keep people abreast of latest market developments. Our softwood e-market updates had already been a feature for the past eight years. Industry interviews, allied with data, will be the backbone behind these reports. Combined with our regular TTJ e-newsletter and online news at ttjonline, we’re striving to keep people-up-to-date and well informed. Backed by our parent company Global Data plc, we’ll also bring special digital construction sector reports to readers. Our printed issues will be targeted seasonally to bring additional market report depth and background, as well as comprehensive Sector Focuses to cover product, company, and country updates, plus industry commentary. Last, but not least, the TTJ Awards this year celebrates its 30th anniversary on September 18 (Pg8).
GROUP EDITOR
www.ttjonline.com
► MARKET UPDATES Market reports on the hardwood, plywood & OSB, and fencing & pallets markets
► SECTOR FOCUS - PRESERVATIVES Preservativews & fi re retardants, with interviews with some of the main players
► SECTOR FOCUS - NORTH AMERICA A look at the North American industry, with a focus on hardwoods and softwoods
► SECTOR FOCUS - PANEL PRODUCTS Panel products are covered in this latest update - a look at companies operating in the sector and product innovations
► PLUS REGULARS
Latest UK and world news; technical news; comment from industry fi gures; and latest appointments.
www.ttjonline.com | Spring 2026 | TTJ
► HANDLING & STORAGE Materials handling vehicles and storage systems are some of the most important aspects of timber merchanting, manufacturing and distribution
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