Metsä Wood UK picks up its timber at the Boston port on the east coast of England.
“Nordic timber has the advantage of being sustainably sourced from carefully managed woodlands.”
WHEN THE PERFECT STORM HITS Steve Bourne , Head of Retail Sales at Metsä Wood UK, has seen the sales figures for timber soar during the pandemic. “What we had for years was a slow decline in sales. But, during the last year or so, we have witnessed a real perfect storm situation.” In this storm, the lockdown has forced citizens all over Britain to sit with their paychecks on their sofas and spend most of their time at home. But, sooner or later, idle hands and untapped finances always find an outlet. “Our sales just took off at the end of April 2020, and they have only accelerated since,” marvels Bourne who talks about “generational shift” taking place in the DIY market. “People are choosing to use their homes differently, so attention turns to remote working solutions or fixing up the garden. Younger and younger people are being encour- aged to try their hand at DIY,” Bourne says. DIY IS HERE TO STAY Nevertheless, while Covid-19 is on its way out, Steve Bourne believes the newfound popularity of DIY is here to stay. “We have seen a complete change in customer behaviour that makes for a super exciting time,” says Bourne, who has been with Metsä for 18 years without having ever seen anything even remotely similar to this boom. Looking ahead, Bourne says that it is essential to re- inforce the image that Metsä Wood does not sell “sticks of wood” but instead provides the means to pursue your home and garden dreams. “We want to capture the imaginations of people and show them what they can build from Nordic wood. At the same time, we want to educate the consumers about sustainability issues, starting with how Metsä plants seed- lings for every felled tree.” BEYOND BOSTON PORT Metsä Wood UK picks up its timber at Boston, a port on the east coast of England, and then takes it for upgrading to a site situated locally at the Boston manufacturing unit. Here, the timber is processed according to the customers’ specifications and sent to the DIY stores around the UK. But what is happening beyond the sea – can we track that timber back to its origin in a Finnish forest? We most certainly can. Before Metsä Fibre loads up the timber on Metsä Group chartered vessels on various ports on the west coast of Finland, the wood has already traveled a bit.
Chris O’Boyle
such as decking their gardens and boarding out lofts for extra storage space,” says O’Boyle. He also knows what the real-life Erics and Sharon’s want when it comes to wood: they look at the material and consider how the qualities of the wood fit their project. Does it splinter? Is it safe for children? “Quality of the product and consistency matter. Custom- ers want to know that the wood they are about to buy is not warped or split and will be a long-term investment.” Furthermore, sustainability and concern for the envi- ronment are certainly trending among consumers, with O’Boyle highlighting that Nordic timber has the advan- tage of being sustainably sourced from carefully managed woodlands. STRONG COLLABORATION THAT WORKS Metsä has been a supplier to Homebase for over five years. “We have built a great partnership. One thing that has helped us maintain good levels of timber supply during a very challenging time is the constant communication between us and Metsä, and the shared goal of getting it right for our customers,” says O’Boyle. How about the future of Nordic timber in the UK? Will the DIY trend and Nordic timber stay hot when Covid-19 is but a memory? O’Boyle believes that the future is very bright for both.
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