70 | People
Moelven strengthens UK operations with appointment of Simon Paz
Mr Paz brings with him five-and-a- half years of experience from within the timber industry, most recently serving as commercial director at Metsä Wood UK. In addition to his timber industry expertise, Mr Paz also has a strong background in other sectors, having held senior roles at Coca-Cola Enterprises and Kettle Foods. This diverse experience will bring valuable new perspectives to Moelven’s operations and strategic development.
Above: Simon Paz
As part of Moelven’s strategic and ambitious growth initiative in the UK, the company has appointed Simon Paz as managing director of Moelven UK Ltd. He joined the team on October 6.
Moelven has recently commissioned major investments in its production facilities, particularly at Moelven Valåsen and Moelven Edanesågen. These upgrades are now operational and enable significantly larger volumes of planed structural timber for export, including to the UK market. These investments are central to Moelven’s growth strategy in the
Chris Powell named eastern region chair at TRA
Mr Powell is sector director – residential at Saint-Gobain Off-Site Solutions, the organisation behind market-leading systems from Pasquill, a national specialist in trussed rafters and timber engineering. With more than 20 years’ experience in timber engineering and off-site construction, he brings strong commercial, technical and leadership expertise to the Trussed Rafter Association.
Above: Chris Powell
Chris Powell has been named eastern region chair of the Trussed Rafter Association (TRA).
His career includes senior roles in sales and design, where he built a track record in driving growth, improving margins and leading high-performing teams across multiple UK locations. Mr Powell has also played a central role in advancing modern methods of construction and encouraging collaboration in housing delivery.
TALO appoints Ant Allen as technical director
Timber offsite housing specialist TALO, has announced the appointment of Ant Allen as technical director.
A chartered structural engineer, he has been a member of the Engineering Council and Institution of Structural Engineers for over 30 years. His experience spans new build housing, refurbishment, commercial
and leisure developments, and around two decades specialising in MMC. He has worked across both the public and private sectors, as a lead structural designer for social housing and award- winning architecture, and on forensic interrogation on behalf of major building insurers.
TTJ | November/December 2025 |
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UK, where the objective is to broaden the product portfolio and achieve a significant increase in sales. As Mr Paz steps into the role of managing director, Pehr Eriksson will become sales director, with a strong focus on expanding Moelven’s presence in the UK. Mr Eriksson’s strong customer focus and deep market understanding will be key as Moelven continues to grow. “As a UK team we are very excited about the investments becoming fully operational,” said Mr Eriksson. “They will bring real benefits to our customers through increased capacity, improved efficiency and an opportunity to provide better solutions.
“I want to express a very warm welcome
to Mr Paz as he joins the Moelven family, particularly the UK team. We have an exciting journey ahead.”
Murray Sturgeon retires
Murray Sturgeon retired at the end of September, concluding a long and respected career in the forestry and wood processing industries. Until recently, Mr Sturgeon served as chairman of Nelson Pine Industries Ltd (NPIL), Tasman Pine Industries Ltd, and Sumitomo Forestry New Zealand Ltd. He joined NPIL in 1984 as chief executive, bringing with him extensive experience from Fletcher Group and Canterbury Timber Products. His leadership played a key role in establishing NPIL’s operations around a then-emerging product: MDF. Under his direction, NPIL commissioned the world’s first continuous MDF production line in 1986. Following its success, a second line was added in 1991, and a third in 1997 – making NPIL the largest single-site MDF producer globally at that time.
In 2002, the company expanded into
LVL production, enabling broader utilisation of regional log and forest resources that would otherwise have been exported.
Mr Sturgeon also contributed to industry development through active involvement in organisations such as the Wood Processors and Manufacturers Association (WPMA) and the Japan New Zealand Business Council (JNZBC).
People
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