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continuing to grow. It stated that timber use for panel products, pulp and paper had doubled from 1950 to 1960, and would do the same by the mid-1970s. Solid timber consumption had grown a third and was expected to rise a further 15%. The conclusion was that western Europe would depend increasingly on imports of wood products. That was also prescient to an extent. But the report did not foresee how this dependence would actually manifest from the early 2000s, with the massive offshoring of wood products manufacture to lower labour cost producers, notably China, a trend TTJ monitored. Another key development TTJ followed was growth in timber frame building. As early as 1963 it was acknowledged that ‘traditional’ construction could not satisfy UK housing needs alone. With bomb damage and the post-war baby boom, the government concluded the country required 400,000 new homes annually. Focus turned to so-called high speed ‘industrialised building’, including timber frame. As TTJ reported, the latter took a serious hit after a 1983 World in Action TV report probed the shoddy ‘system build’ standards of one leading timber frame developer. It took time to recover, but, of course, recover it did and TTJ was there to cover its resurgence and technical advance. Those 60s and 70s mass timber frame pioneers would have marvelled at the modern methods of construction used by their 21st century counterparts, let alone today’s 80m and rising residential blocks in engineered timber. It’s also unlikely they would have foreseen that 21st century timber building would be regarded as not just key to meeting housing need, but also to helping prevent life-threatening climate change through decarbonising construction, a topic now rarely off TTJ’s pages. The TTJ followed advances in wood
processing machinery too. And interestingly, in a special edition to mark its 100th anniversary, a piece predicted how far it would advance by 2073. Some of it was not entirely serious, including the forecast that machinery efficiency would be enhanced by development of square trees. But some predictions were bang on, bar the fact that the advances had been achieved by 2023. Among them were continuous automated production lines, machine tool changing in seconds, and visual grading replaced with high speed scanning machines. The article said the focus would be on getting maximum yield and that new products would be derived from wood to substitute those based on diminishing supplies of fossil materials. Which brings us to the environment. Sustainable forest management was recognised as vital in the timber sector way before the emergence of the green NGOs in the 1960s. But some in the wood and forestry industries took the cut and run approach. And, as understanding of the forests’ importance to climate and biodiversity grew and deforestation advanced, albeit in large part driven by conversion to agriculture, mining and construction, the wider timber trade became tarred by environmentalists with the same brush, as forest destroyers. In the 1990s TTJ covered NGO raids on timber yards where activists chained themselves to machinery and seized wood they claimed was from endangered forest. But we also reported the industry’s positive response in its uptake of FSC and PEFC sustainable timber certification from the 1990s. We covered too the UK government and industry’s advocacy for the anti-illegal trade EU Timber Regulation, now the UK Timber Regulation, and the EU Forest Law, Enforcement Governance and Trade programme, still backed by the UK.
Today deforestation and its environmental impact are more critical than ever given still accelerating climate change. But the story for the timber trade has changed. As we’ve reported, it is now seen as part of the solution, rather than the problem. It’s increasingly recognised that sustainable forest management and production of sustainable timber incentivises keeping forests as forests and consequently maintaining their climate regulating role, rather than converting them to farmland. At the same time, using timber in construction and manufacture to substitute energy-intensive materials is recognised as a vital way to keep global warming CO2
out
of the atmosphere. This will no doubt be a central topic in TTJ for many years to come. Through the 1970s and 1990s the magazine continued as a weekly, a hectic schedule in pre-desktop computer days. Then the layout process comprised getting columns of text the printer produced from typed copy and sticking them on a page-grid with cow gum. Literally cutting to fit. With the launch of
www.ttjonline.com in 2002 the magazine reverted to fortnightly, and, with further development of the website, became monthly. More recently, it became bi- monthly, focusing on detailed, more extensive coverage in the magazine, complemented by regular e-market bulletins, e-newsletters and website coverage. What shape it will take in the future only time will tell, but, as it has for one and a half centuries, it will continue to evolve with the advances and ever changing needs of the timber sector.
The owner of a French timber media group described TTJ to me as the ‘granddaddy of timber magazines’. Here’s to it being referred to as the great-granddaddy, as it continues to report on and represent what is now increasingly acknowledged as one of the most important industries on the planet. ■
DONALDSON GROUP AND TTJ HAIL FROM SAME ERA
“As a fellow stalwart of the timber industry, we’d like to congratulate the TTJ on reaching this incredible anniversary, said Andrew Donaldson, group CEO, Donaldson Group. “As a business that has been around since
1860, the TTJ has been there with us every step of the way, providing news, insight and industry commentary. When we celebrate our own milestones, the TTJ is always the one to share the news, and we’re proud to have such a long-standing relationship.
“A particular highlight for us was in 2020, when our president, Neil Donaldson was honoured with a lifetime achievement award at the TTJ Awards. “As our business has evolved over the last 163 years, so too has the TTJ. Together we have navigated the many changes to the construction industry and economic landscape, continuing to grow and diversify to remain current and meet the needs of our respective audiences.
“So, here we are in 2023, and timber
as a building material is experiencing a renaissance. As the world seeks more sustainable methods of construction, timber has its moment to truly shine. There has never been a better time to celebrate this beautiful, renewable product, and we hope to continue to share this joy of timber with the TTJ for another 150 years and more.
“Thanks for the century and a half of support. Keep up the great work!” ■
www.ttjonline.com | July/August 2023 | TTJ
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