Buckland Timber Achieves Grown in Britain Certification

21/09/2023

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Back in June 2023, we shared our ten-year story – 10 Years of Buckland Timber; A Locally Grown Story.

We talked about where we’ve come from and our hopes for the future, so today we are thrilled to share a significant milestone in our journey towards more sustainable practice having achieved the prestigious Grown in Britain Certification (GiB).

Where it started…

Back in 2012 when Ralph Nicholson and William Blight had a vision of maximising the potential of locally sourced timber our initial goal was to create a supply chain that would make the most of local timber resources.

At the time, facing limited demand and challenges related to price competitiveness, we pretty quickly had to change our focus to the production of bespoke glulam products, intricate designs, long-span beams, and alternative timber species.

In 2019, our desire to support local timber sourcing received a significant boost from a local partner, UK Hardwoods, run by Tom Bedford. The decision to use locally grown timber for projects like the UK Hardwoods building became a catalyst for change within our company. With a reliable source of locally grown timber, dried to the required specifications, we rekindled our vision of supporting the British forestry industry through locally grown and sourced timber.

Where we are now

Fast forward to today, and we proudly incorporate four main UK-grown timber species into our glulam production: larch, Douglas fir, oak and ash. These species are not only readily available but also offer unique qualities that cater to high-quality timber products.

Our commitment to using locally grown timber continues with approximately 50% of our in-house manufacture now being made from UK grown timber, signalling a significant shift.

While we continue to import timber and glulam when necessary, our locally grown timber projects remain a critical part of our offering, and better suppliers are contributing to the competitiveness of mass timber as a building material.

Why seek Grown in Britain certification?

We want to demonstrate to customers that they can trust we’re ethical manufacturers, so we’re already FSC certified and PEFC certified, but we also chose to apply for Grown in Britain Certification too.

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Why? Well, customers who are driven by making a more sustainable choice for a glulam project want to know exactly where their timber originated from, and the Grown in Britain certification gives them that assurance.

We increasingly get asked not just about price or aesthetics but about carbon mileage, sustainability credentials etc. and while they may not always be the deciding factor, it is important customers know they can specify UK grown timber for their project.

By undergoing the GiB certification process we can demonstrate to them all the way down the supply chain their glulam really is ‘locally grown’ – by making that choice customers can be confident they are supporting the UK Timber industry and reducing the carbon impact of their project.

If you’d like to know more about choosing Grown in Britain certified timber for your next project or have any questions, do get in touch and the team will be happy to help.