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with colleges to broaden the reach of our installer training.
For many in the structural timber supply chain, this skills gap represents a strategic opportunity. Companies that invest in technical support capabilities – providing not just products but expertise – will capture disproportionate market share as demand accelerates. The traditional transactional relationship between supplier and specifier is evolving toward consultative partnerships, particularly as projects become more complex and performance requirements more stringent.
TECHNICAL INNOVATION Timber construction approaches have diversified considerably in recent years, now encompassing open and closed panel timber frames, structural insulated panels (SIPs), and cross-laminated timber (CLT) building. Each application requires specific technical knowledge and supply chain capabilities, creating market segmentation opportunities for specialist suppliers.
The integration with modern methods of construction (MMC) and offsite manufacturing creates particular opportunities. Choosing structural timber solutions early in the build is vital to ensure designs are most cost effective. With design decisions increasingly impacting cost, scheduling, and quality assurance outcomes, early-stage planning is crucial. Timber and wood product suppliers who understand these integrated delivery models can position themselves as strategic partners rather than commodity suppliers. Meanwhile, fire safety and moisture management remain a technical challenge, with the STA’s updated Volume 1 Pattern Book providing peer-reviewed performance data for commonly used elements. This regulatory clarity removes previous ambiguities and provides confidence for the entire industry – essential for market growth. For the latter technical challenge, the STA Moisture Management Strategy document provides help to those in the construction supply chain to avoid moisture-related defects during a structural timber building’s construction process and in-service life.
QUALITY ASSURANCE The STA Assure scheme represents a market evolution toward verified competency and regulatory compliance. Participation in such quality assurance programmes becomes increasingly necessary for access to major projects and partnerships with tier-one contractors.
The scheme evaluates member
organisations on product and process controls and regulatory compliance, providing developers, insurers, and specifiers with confidence in timber solutions. This represents a shift from price-based procurement toward value-based selection, favouring suppliers
Top: Timber frame figures on government house building plans PHOTO CREST NICHOLSON Bottom left: For the timber supply chain, the next five years represent a unique opportunity to establish market penetration Bottom right: Andrew Orriss
www.ttjonline.com | July/August 2025 | TTJ
who can demonstrate comprehensive capabilities. The STA’s Installer Training Scheme (ITS) ensures site teams maintain consistency and quality throughout construction processes. For suppliers of complex systems, this training infrastructure reduces installation risks and warranty claims while building market confidence in timber solutions.
STRATEGIC MARKET IMPLICATIONS The collision of regulatory reform, housing targets, and climate commitments creates a unique market environment. Traditional material hierarchies are being disrupted, with timber moving from being an option, to mainstream application. This transition creates opportunities for established timber supply chain partners to capture significant market share but also attracts new entrants from adjacent sectors.
Success requires more than simply supplying timber products. Companies must develop technical expertise, quality assurance capabilities, and consultative relationships with specifiers and contractors. The traditional commodity-based business model is evolving toward service-integrated offerings that combine products with technical support, training, and compliance documentation.
Digital integration becomes increasingly important, with performance data, sustainability credentials, and supply chain traceability becoming standard requirements rather than competitive differentiators. Companies that invest in these capabilities early will establish market positions that become difficult for competitors to replicate.
THE FUTURE TRAJECTORY The TiC Policy Roadmap certainly provides a strategic framework for industry development, while regulatory reforms create clear quality and performance standards.
For the timber supply chain, the next five years represent a unique opportunity to establish market penetration in what will become the mainstream construction methodology. The infrastructure for change – regulatory frameworks, technical guidance, training programmes, and quality assurance schemes – is now in place.
The question is no longer whether timber will capture significant construction market share, but which companies will position themselves to benefit from this fundamental industry transformation. Success will require strategic thinking, technical investment, and collaborative approaches that go beyond traditional supplier-customer relationships. ■
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