The London Hardwood Club
The London Hardwood Club

29th March 2017

Apologies were received from David Venables who could not attend the meeting. Instead, the presentation was made by Neil Summers (Timber Dimension) on behalf of AHEC.

 

Neil initially showed the audience slides depicting the US forest cover; not unsurprisingly the Hardwood Forest is densest in the Appalachian region.  He then highlighted the key export markets and trends by showing statistics. The US remains by far the world hardwood leader, followed by Thailand and Malaysia. The main markets for sawn hardwood are China, the EU, Canada, Vietnam, Mexico and Japan. Hardwood Lumber products exported to China from the US are now mainly for Chinese domestic consumption while exports to Vietnam are processed there and re-exported for other markets. The largest importer of US hardwoods in Europe is now the UK followed by Italy, Germany and Spain. In the UK, White Oak is by far the primary species. In Germany it is Tulipwood, while Italy imports more red oak than White (possibly) indicating a trend that might sweep the rest of Europe. In Italy the Red Oak is stained to a darker finish for interior joinery and furniture components. AHEC is hoping this could be a great opportunity for US hardwood producers as a third of US forests is covered by red oak.

On legality and sustainability, AHEC has developed the American Hardwood Environmental Profile. AHEP; is a document which can be sent by AHEC members to their buyers to give proof of legality while also providing life cycle data. Lastly, Neil showed some great examples of US hardwood applications such as the Endless Stair and the Smile, both showcasing the potential of cross laminated hardwood using tulipwood.  

We are located at:

Our meetings are held at the following location or via zoom while Covid 19 restrictions apply :

The Globe
83 Moorgate 
London 
EC2N 6SA

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