Irish timber processors in the Wood Marketing Federation  and food producers combined this year at Bloom to create a unique garden. Designed by Eugene Boyle, The Garden of Plenty – Sustainable Living which won the Silver Gilt medal. It was the first time that this combination – food and wood – was attempted at an Irish exhibition, which is surprising as both are compatible in many ways.

The Garden of Plenty – Sustainable Living, is a small interpretative and productive garden that began life at 8^th Festival Internacional de Jardins de Ponte de Lima in Portugal last summer. The visitors to the Ponte de Lima festival would certainly appreciate the wood and drink connection as it just north of Douro Valley where the famous port wine is stored in oak barrels. The garden was voted best design by an overwhelming majority of the 100,000 visitors.

Bloom is a collaboration between the Wood Marketing Federation and Woodcollective. It features over 50 varieties of vegetables, fruit and herbs supported and enclosed by timber and timber products, sourced from sustainably managed forests in Ireland.

Both organisations are known for their work in promoting wood.  WMF works with timber processors, research agencies, timber treaters and State companies to promote timber as a renewable, sustainable and versatile natural material.

Garden of Plenty, winner of the Silver Gilt medal at Bloom, before the arrival of the estimated 110,000 visitors.

But why Bloom which is essentially a horticulture and food festival?  “The combination of food and wood is an ideal mix according,” to Paul Harvey, chairman, Wood Marketing Federation. “The Garden of Plenty is essentially about sustainable living and wood, the greatest renewable resource,  is a key element of the exhibition,” he says.

Eugene Boyle made a number of changes to the Portuguese garden, to cater for an Irish environment and audience. “The ideas underlying the garden are layered like the soil that feeds it and the sustainable wood that supports and encloses it,” he maintains. “It links the forest and the garden by drawing on cyclical themes and natural systems on which both depend for growth and regeneration.”

The Garden of Plenty was located close to the Victorian walled kitchen in the Phoenix Park It contrasts with the walled garden, which is a permanent space, but there are many similarities. Both inspire and educate the public about sustainable living and the growing of garden plants.

Eugene began the project over a year ago when he completed the first phase for the Portugal project. His company – Woodcollective – and WMF combined to organise the Irish exhibition in co-operation with 20 different organisations involved in horticulture, wood processing, woodworking and craft to create a garden for an Irish environment and audience.

Padraig and Louise O’Shaughnessy of Aqua Landscapes began growing the vegetables and herbs for the exhibition earlier this year in tunnels before moving them outdoors. “As a result of the prolonged cold spring, all plants are over two weeks late so we are fighting against the clock this year,” Padraig said. However all plants comprising fruit, herbs and vegetables were successfully established.

Timber was sourced mainly in Coillte’s sustainably managed forests and was processed and shaped into a wide range of sizes and products to facilitate the unique design of the garden. It provides a temporary enclosure as well as supporting the raised beds and other features.

There was a strong collaboration element to the project. The Murray Timber Group provided the home grown timber structure from its sawmill in Ballygar. The eased edged planed all over looked magnificent in the Phoenix Park setting.

Coillte Panel Products provided the oriented strandboard (OSB) which enclosed two sides of the Garden of Plenty. Laois Sawmills were responsible for supplying bark mulch. The structure was built by the Wicklow company John Staunton (Glenealy) Ltd. Minister Simon Coveney opened the Garden of Plenty and the project was supported by his Department.

Eugene Boyle (left) who designed the award winning Garden of Plenty with Patrick Murray, Murray Group who supplied the timber for the exhibition and Paul Harvey (right), chairman Wood Marketing Federation who sponsored the exhibition.

The objective of the awards is to encourage students to explore functional, aesthetic and design aspects of wood. The awards are judged by professionals in the fields of architecture, engineering and design. The feedback from the judging panel is extremely valuable to students.

Categories

The 3^rd Level Student Wood Awards are divided into the following categories:

• Timber and engineering in construction
• Architecture
• Innovative use of timber in design

 Prizes

Total prize fund is €6,000. Awards presented to category winners while an overall award may be presented for a project of exceptional quality. Individually sculpted awards will be presented to the winners while certificates will be presented to commended projects. Placements may also be offered with Irish companies specialising in wood and wood design.

See attached poster and application form.

Application Forms Awards 2013

THIRD LEVEL STUDENT WOOD AWARDS A MAJOR SUCCESS

University of Ulster, Queens University Belfast and GMIT Letterfrack win main awards

Duncan Stewart, architect and RTE television presenter praised Irish students for incorporating wood in architecture, engineering and design projects at the 2011 Third Level Student Wood Awards in the RDS, Dublin. He said he was encouraged to see that almost all colleges were now taking part in the competition and urged the few remaining colleges to follow their example, because wood is a proven sustainable material with major environmental benefits.

The objective of the awards organised by the Wood Marketing Federation in association with Wood-NI was to encourage students to explore functional, aesthetic and design aspects of wood and wood products. The main sponsors were Coillte who also provided administrative support. Generous funding was provided by COFORD, Department of Agriculture, Marine and Food the awards were also sponsored by the Society of Irish Foresters.

Nine students made it to the shortlist, representing universities and institutes of technology from Dublin, Limerick, Galway, Belfast, Lurgan, Bray and Limerick.
University of Ulster and Queens University Belfast won the architecture and engineering competitions, while the award for best design project went to GMIT Letterfrack.

Architecture
Caitriona Hickey of University of Ulster won the architecture section for an ambitious project: the Big House in the City. Designed as a temporary residential complex to house homeless people, the project comprised 21 dwelling units and a “Big House” to “hold public and communal facilities”. Apart from the strong wood content in the complex, the judges were impressed by Hickey’s social commitment to the issue of homelessness.

“My building is a shelter from the storm,” said Caitriona. “It provides sanctuary for those who require it in their time of need, allowing them to stay until either the storm has passed or until they feel that they are once again ready to weather the storm.”

Engineering
The winner of the engineering award, Neil Campbell demonstrated the strength qualities of steel reinforced prestressed timber beams that could be applied to home-grown Sitka spruce.

In a highly innovative project the Queen’s University Belfast student convinced the judging panel of the strength qualities of his product, claiming “initial experiments on softwood glulam beams reinforced with grade 8.8 steel threaded bar show a decrease in deflections”.

Design
Letterfrack College, which is the furniture design centre of Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, has been a consistent winner of the national student wood awards. Jens Kosak maintained the college’s winning streak with an easily assembled “Fixing Free Bed” made from poplar plywood.

While Kosak’s project will be marketed as a flat-pack design, it will have one major advantage over its competitors as it can be assembled without the use of tools or metal fixings. The Letterfrack student has submitted it for testing to British Standards to guarantee the strength of the product.

The Awards
The Student Wood Awards are much sought after by third level students of architecture, engineering and design in Ireland who incorporate wood as an inherent element in their projects. Past winners have gone on to pursue successful careers in wood and related businesses and have exhibited at Irish and international shows.

A number of students are discussing the commercial production of their projects including Jens Kosak and fellow Letterfrack student David Monson who incorporates waste wood in jewellery design. In addition, shorlisted student Robert Stack, Bray Institute of Further Education plans to commercially produce his mobile timber marquee, which is designed to be manufactured using home-grown larch.

The awards were judged by top professionals in their fields. Chaired by Duncan Stewart, the judging panel comprised Simon O’Driscoll, O’Driscoll Furniture, Ireland’s leading furniture designers, Malcolm Jacob an engineer who specialises in wood construction and Maurice Brooks, Director Wood-NI.

Prize winners at the Third Level Student Wood Awards: Neil Campbell, Queen’s University Belfast (engineering); Jens Kosak, GMIT Letterfrack (design) and Caitriona Hickey of University of Ulster (architecture) with Richard Lowe, Wood Marketing Federation and main sponsors Coillte.

Duncan Stewart, chairman of judging panel tries out the “Fixing Free Bed” designed by Jens Kosak (left), watched by Malcolm Jacob, awards judge.

WOOD MARKETING FEDERATION 2012 THIRD LEVEL STUDENT AWARDS

The 2012 Third Level Student Wood Awards were open to final year students who incorporated wood as an inherent element in their projects.

Total prize fund was €6,000 with specially designed sculptures and certificates for award winners. The awards were divided into the following categories:

• Timber and engineering in construction
• Architecture
• Innovative use of timber in design

The judges also reserved the right to present an overall award for a work of outstanding merit. In addition, placements may have been offered with leading Irish firms specialising in wood, including processors, manufacturers, architects, engineers and designers.

The judging panel comprised top professionals and experts in architecture, engineering and design. Coillte once again were the main sponsors of the awards organised by WMF in association with wood-ni. Generous funding was also provided by the Department of Agriculture. Food and the Marine.

Irish forest owners are fortunate to find ready and lucrative markets for all logs produced on the island. However, new outlets will be required in the future especially for new species, which is why the Wood Marketing Federation (WMF) encourages third level students to explore new and innovative ways of creating new markets for wood and wood products.

For a number of years WMF has been promoting greater use of wood especially in third level colleges. As a result, there has been an increase in time and input devoted to wood in architecture, engineering and design courses but Irish colleges are well behind other countries in this regard.

This was acknowledged by Duncan Stewart in his closing address at this year’s  Third Level Student Wood Awards. The architect and television presenter called on colleges to place timber at the heart of architecture, engineering and design courses.

“I throw out a challenge to third level colleges to make timber mainstream in these courses, which is not happening at the moment,” he told the audience at Farmleigh House. “In my role as chairman of the judging panel I have been impressed by the work carried out by the students, but they need greater support from their colleges.”

He stressed the importance of wood and wood products in Irish construction. “We need to get away from being a high carbon dependent society by turning to sustainable building materials especially wood,” he said. “Timber is now being used in large-scale projects including high storey timber frame buildings in other countries but Ireland is lagging well behind these in sustainable construction.”

 The awards were presented by Shane McEntee, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. “My Department’s involvement in supporting this work stems from the need to grow the use of wood products in home and export markets,” he said. “As Irish forests grow and mature, the level of wood production is set to double over the coming two decades, so in this light it is important that our future architects, engineers and designers are familiar with wood products and their properties.”

 THE AWARDS

Once again, Northern Ireland colleges dominated the awards. University of Ulster and Queen’s University Belfast won the top architecture and engineering prizes while the award for best design project went west, to Letterfrack College in Galway Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT).

Fergal Rainey, University of Ulster (UU) won the architecture award for his project entitled ‘Making Space, Werburgh Street’. He designed   a house and workshop for a guitar maker and his family in Werburgh Street, Dublin. The key to the project was the student’s response to the existing buildings and his sensitive selection of building materials. He chose Dublin calp limestone and Irish grown spruce to ensure that the building is compatible with the existing streetscape.

Duncan Stewart praised Fergal for his innovative use of Irish softwood, which he said, was a positive statement on the sustainable application of building material. The UU student also demonstrated that, with proper preservation, softwood species such as spruce can be used externally.

The Queen’s University project presented by Connor O’Higgins involved the construction of a flexible dome, which has commercial potential.

The Queen’s team researched and designed a new method of timber dome construction based on the principles used in the ‘FlexiArch’ system. This system allows quick construction of a fully formed dome from flat pack units, which as potential for outdoor shows, exhibitions and concerts.

“The project involved construction of models to achieve a rapidly installed timber dome system, culminating in the design, construction and testing of a prototype,” said Connor O’Higgins who received the award on behalf of the Queen’s team.

 The winning design student, Craig Cox of Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, produced a video booth for “recording special moments at weddings and parties”. He redesigned this for Diaryroom, a company that rents out video booths. “The original booth was not performing as desired, as it was too cumbersome, so through research, testing and model making, we produced a new innovative quickly erected booth,” said the GMIT student. “The design was developed and manufactured to a high quality, using common wood products and modern manufacturing techniques,” he said.

The judges were impressed with the project, which demonstrated that an elegant, lightweight product can be made from wood-based materials instead of plastics or other synthetic materials.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of the awards, organised by the WMF in association with Wood-ni, is to encourage students to explore functional, aesthetic and design aspects of wood and wood products. The awards are judged by top professionals in the fields of architecture, engineering and design. In addition to Duncan Stewart, the adjudicating panel comprised Simon O’Driscoll, O’Driscoll Furniture, Des O’Toole, engineer with Coillte and Maurice Brooks, Director Wood-ni.

Paul Harvey, chairman WMF, thanked the main sponsor Coillte and COFORD, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine along with the Society of Irish Foresters. “Our aim is to encourage and reward architectural, engineering and design students who use wood as an inherent element in their projects,” he said. Minister McEntee congratulated the organisers who have built on the event since it was established in 1996. “The wider efforts of the Wood Marketing Federation and Wood-ni are contributing to the development of a green and sustainable construction sector into the future,” he said.

Model of the winning project at the Third Level Student Wood Awards by Fergal Rainey, University of Ulster. The structure plans to use home-grown spruce combined with Dublin calp limestone.

At the Third Level Student Wood Awards in Farmleigh, presented by Shane McEntee Minister of State with responsibility for forestry: Duncan Stewart, architect and chairman of judging panel: Paul Harvey, chairman, Wood Marketing Federation (WMF); Donal Magner, WMF; Richard Lowe, Coillte; Simon O’Driscoll, O’Driscoll Furniture; Craig Cox, Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, winner of the Design Award; Fergal Rainey, University of Ulster, architecture, award winner; Connor O'Higgins, represented the Queen's University team who won the engineering award; Maurice Brooks, Director Wood-ni; Minister McEntee; and Tara Ryan, Coillte and awards co-ordinator.

It runs in tandem with the 3rd Level Student Awards and the response from the colleges has been very positive without exception. Sustainability is a major focus in the minds of the students and lecturers alike. Wood ticks all the boxes for them.

A number of colleges are prepared to increase their input of wood and wood related studies in their courses. Both National Universities University College Dublin and University College Galway have specifically agreed to provide more hours with wood input in their architectural and engineering courses as a result of our promotional drive.

Convincing other colleges that wood needs to be an inherent element of courses will take longer and we need to provide colleges with more support but the response has been positive.

A number of WMF members have agreed to co-operate with colleges in organising field days and study tours. For example, Waterford Institute of Technology students have visited SmartPly and WMF in association with Coillte and Murray Timber organised a field trip for relevant lecturers and administrators in UCD and NUIG last April.

 Field trip to Coillte and Murray Timber
Attendance at Wood Marketing Federation field trip which began in Coillte HQ to promote wood usage to third level colleges – Donal Magner, WMF, Christy Conway, WMF, Richard Lowe, Coillte, Neal Murphy, UCD, Karen Foley, UCD, Dr. Paul Fanning, UCD, Sophia Meeres, UCD, Elizabeth Shotton, UCD, Tony McTigue, UCD, Dr. Annette Harte, NUIG, Willie Fitzgerald, Enterprise Ireland, Michael Lynn, COFORD and Ticso Fabia, UCD.

The group was joined at Ballon Sawmill by Patrick Murray (left), Murray Timber Group and John Brady, Woodfab Timber (fourth from left).

• Stephen Fitzpatrick, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, who provided an  update on the regulation and its implications for the wood industry.
• Ann  Weddle,  NEPCon UK & Ireland on the role of Monitoring Organisations.
• Pat Neville, Coillte Stewardship & Risk on the Coillte view.

 EU TIMBER REGULATION

 The European Union Timber Regulation (EUTR) came into force on 3^rd March 2013.  After that date any operator who places timber or timber products on the EU market for the first time must ensure that they have been legally produced.

 EUTR places an obligation of due diligence on importers who will face severe penalties if they trade in illegal timber. The Regulation aims to:

• Prohibit the first placing of illegal timber and timber products on the EU market.
• Put an obligation of “due diligence” on operators (those who place timber and products on the EU market) to take measures to verify the legality of timber or timber products traded. They will need to ascertain that the timber they sell in the EU was harvested legally in accordance with the laws of the country where the timber is sourced.
• Insist on basic traceability for traders (other than ‘operators’) to keep records on suppliers and customers

Key aspects of the Regulation will be its policing and monitoring which will be carried out by the following two bodies in each Member State:

• A Competent Authority (CA).
• Monitoring Organisation (MO).

The Irish CA will reside in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and MOs have yet to be appointed either in Ireland or the other Member States. See attached presentation at the WMF meeting on 26^th February  by Stephen Fitzpatrick, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

Slide Presentation EU TR Feb 2013

A project we have identified for our 2012-13 programme is Vessel by the award winning architects O’Donnell + Tuomey. This is a major international project, which will promote Irish design and culture at the Venice Biennale. It also has huge potential in promoting Sitka spruce, a species at the centre of our forestry and forest products industry.

The Venice Biennale, begins in August, is regarded as the world’s greatest architectural exhibition. It is visited by the most influential international architects, designers, urban planners, developers and critics.

O’DONNELL + TUOMEY ARCHITECTS exhibited at the Biennale in 2004. This year David Chipperfield, artistic director, Biennale, has invited them to prepare a special installation Vessel. This has so impressed the Biennale that O’Donnell + Tuomey have been allotted one of the most prominent locations at the Biennale. Their likely companions are Kazuo Sejima, co-designer of the Rolex Learning Centre, Lausanne and the New Museum New York,  Luigi Snozzi, the highly influential Swiss based architect and  Vittorio Lampugnani, the former editor of Domus, the widest circulation design magazine in the world.

Vessel – model of 9-m high installation in Sitka spruce by O’Donnell + Tuomey Architects proposed for the 2012 Venice Biennale.

Vessel is a contemplative space; a funnel of light, illuminating a structure that represents all that is best in Irish creative expression. Built in layers of planked home-grown FSC certified spruce, the temporary structure will contrast with the existing permanent brick structure of the Corderie at the heart of the Biennale.

In this central location, O’Donnell + Tuomey Architects will build a nine-metre high installation in Sitka spruce planked timber. Vessel, which is a contemplative space, connects to an exhibition featuring Irish creative works. When the exhibition is over, the work will return to Ireland where it will be installed in a prominent public space in 2013.

AS PART OF THE COLLABORATIVE PROCESS, the architects have enlisted the support of growers and processors as well as representatives of the literary and craft communities including:  Joseph Walsh, furniture maker; Tim Robinson, writer and cartographer; Seamus Heaney, poet and Nobel Laureate; and Martin Hayes, musician and composer.

O’Donnell + Tuomey Architects have sought support from the Irish forestry and forest products industry including the timber processing sector, preservative companies, State agencies and other stakeholders either individually or through the Wood Marketing Federation.

THE PROJECT has been extremely well received as WMF members believe that it will promote Irish timber and the wood processing industry internationally, which is extremely important at a time when the sector is almost totally dependent on exports.

This project pushes the boundaries of creative marketing and promotion, and is compatible with the WMF mission to promote wood as a renewable, sustainable and versatile natural material. It is an opportunity for the sector to support a truly international project, which is why we commend it to our members and supporters.

Glennon Brothers has committed to sponsor all the timber required. Coillte is providing generous sponsorship while COFORD, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is supporting the project. Lonza Timber Protection, The Murray Timber Group and the Society of Irish Foresters are also providing sponsorship.

After the Venice Biennale, it is planned to install the work at an Irish venue in 2013. We welcome support from WMF members and other forestry stakeholders for the next phase of this project.

The keynote speaker was Glen Howells, Glenn Howells Architects the Birmingham based practice. Howells who is Visiting Professor at Nottingham Trent University has led the practice to win numerous major design competitions and awards for a diverse range of building types including the Savill Garden Visitor Centre, Windsor: Newman University College, Birmingham; and the Market Place Theatre and Arts Centre, Armagh. His talk featured a number of case studies including the Savill buildings. It is regarded as one of the finest examples of  sustainability, practicality and architectural elegance in one building where oak and larch are used throughout.

Savill Garden Visitor Centre, Windsor with larch gridshell roof clad with green oak designed by Glen Howells, the keynote speaker at the Wood for All Seasons conference.

Ciaran O’Connor the Irish award-winning architect discussed the Green Public Procurement Document for Construction while Gordon Knaggs presented a paper on plywood and panel board products. He was critical of some plywood imports from China, which were of extremely poor quality.

Pat Glennon discussed innovative ways to capture markets with homegrown timber. Papers on timber treatment including preservation and coatings were presented by Colin Molloy, Pat McCarthy and Paul Harvey. The seminar was chaired by Richard Lowe, Coillte.

Interior, Savill Garden Visitor Centre, Windsor.

Some of the speakers at the Farmleigh seminar: Pat Glennon, Glennon Brothers, Gordon Knaggs, G Knaggs & Associates, Ciaran O’Connor, OPW and Richard Lowe, Coillte and seminar chairman.

WOOD FOR ALL SEASONS SEMINAR

Held in Farmleigh House 

on May 11, 2012

The half-day seminar was part of the 2012 Wood Marketing Federation programme. It explored the innovative use of wood and wood products mainly in external applications. This event featured wood use and design using wood sourced from sustainably managed forests. Speakers included experts from the fields of wood science, architecture, timber processing and timber treatment.

The objective was to inform a wide range of stakeholders of the importance of wood as a sustainable material for construction, design and other applications including fencing and leisure products. It  addressed issues such as small and large scale construction, treatment, maintenance, engineered wood and species suitability.

After spending more than 20 Years in the Wood Preservation business Sean Mc Namara registered his own Irish Company which specialises in the supply of a very comprehensive range of Wood Protection Coatings from the only Company who are specifically specialising in Wood Coatings . Drywood Coatings B.V. in the Netherlands.

Drywood Coatings track record spans 20 years of research and development of coatings which are specific to Wood Joinery and External Wood Cladding. Drywood Coatings Laboratory research team led by Dr. Mari de Meijer has developed and pattened protection products directly related to the long term protection of External Wood Joinery .A range of specific Products to meet the variety of desired finishes required for the different species of external wood cladding is also available. 

Contact Wood Coatings Ireland at  00 353 16104357;
mobile 00 353 87 9096300 or email , sean@woodcoatingsireland.com

The exhibition which was commissioned by the Wood Marketing Federation in 2008 featured Irish wood using eased edged all over Sitka spruce sourced from Murray Timber. Designed by the award-winning architect Ciaran O’Connor, the result was widely acclaimed at the time by visitors to Plan Expo.

The Wood Marketing Federation was delighted that the show organisers, Coillte,  Enterprise Ireland, Murray Timber Group, Grainger Sawmills and Glennon Brothers.

AHEC is the leading international trade association for the American hardwood industry, representing companies and trade associations engaged in the export of a full range of U.S. hardwood products, including – lumber, veneer, plywood, flooring, moulding and dimension materials. American hardwoods derive from sustainably managed forests in the United States. American hardwoods can be used for a wide range of applications and offer a huge diversity of colour and character. Examples are: interior and exterior joinery, furniture, and flooring.

AHEC provides the global hardwood industry importers, specifiers and end-users with promotional assistance, technical information and sources of supply for American hardwoods from its offices located in Europe, Mexico, Japan, Hong Kong and Shanghai to serve the needs of the global community.

AHEC has played a major role in the WMF in supporting shows such as Plan Expo and Woodspec A Guide to Designing, Detailing and Specifying Timber in Ireland.

DRICON® is the most renowned fire retardant protection available for timber. It has a proven surface spread of flame protection for interior and weather protected external applications, which meets both British and European building standards. It is the only fire retardant treatment for timber that carries the prestigious BBA (British Board of Agrément) certificate. NON-COM® Exterior treatment has a proven track record of fire protection for exterior timber applications. Both of these fire protection products are applied under strictly controlled operations within industrial vessels to ensure the correct levels of protection.
www.archtp.com

Coillte’s forestry businesses include log sales, farm forestry services, plant sales and laboratory services. Coillte’s core purpose is to enrich lives locally, nationally and globally through the innovative and sustainable management of natural resources for which it receives internationally recognised Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) certification.

The company also has a Panel Products Division comprising SmartPly Europe Ltd. which produces Oriented Strand Board (OSB) and Medite Europe Ltd. producers of Medium Density Fibreboard (MDF). These sustainable timber products play a key part of building for a carbon neutral future as well as demonstrating innovation.

Coillte,
Newtownmountkennedy,
Co. Wicklow
T +353 1 2011111
F ++353 1 2011199
E pr@coillte.ie
W www.coillte.ie

NEWS FROM COILLTE

Coillte launch new panel product

Coillte Panel Products, a division of the Coillte Group, has launched an innovative and groundbreaking new product – Medite Tricoya – at Timber Expo 2011 in Coventry.

Speaking at the event Gerry Britchfield, Managing Director of Coillte Panel Products said: “Medite Tricoya represents the culmination of two years of intensive joint effort with our partners, Accsys Technologies. During that time, we have concluded a substantial body of research and development together to create the new product we are launching this week.

“Medite Tricoya is a unique and ground breaking wood based panel product. It handles long term exposure to wet environments, it is a stable and extremely durable fibreboard and it retains the traditional machinability and smoothness expected of all Medite products.

“We believe that Medite Tricoya presents a compelling case for building professionals and manufacturers looking to combine sustainability, durability, stability and design freedom. It genuinely represents leading edge innovation in this space.”

Innovation is a core value at Coillte Panel Products and the launch of Medite Tricoya is a great example of bringing this value to life. In recent years, Coillte Panel Products has launched a range of new products, aimed at adding value to the timber resource managed by Coillte and growing the value of exports.

Commenting on the launch of Medite Tricoya, Chief Executive of Coillte David Gunning said: “The Timber Expo Event in Coventry this week was a unique opportunity for Coillte to launch this new product with our partners Accsys Technologies and tell the story of Coillte and its timber to existing and new customers in the UK, our single largest export market.”

“Working with our sawmill customers to promote Irish timber to the UK market has been a key part of Coillte’s strategy in recent years as the Irish construction sector collapsed,” added Mr Gunning.

The company has an ethos of continuous improvement which is reflected in quality products as a result of industry advances in areas such as kiln drying, pressure treatment and specialised machining facilities. All Grainger products have Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) accreditation.
www.graingersawmills.com

Murray Timber pioneered eased edge quality construction timber and in addition to the high quality planed finish, all the company’s construction timber is kiln dried and graded in accordance with NSAI standards.

The Murray Timber Group supplies products to the construction, garden, fencing and packaging markets in Ireland and the UK. Murray Timber currently processes in excess of 400,000m3 of logs annually. The company employs 135 people directly and 140 indirectly in transport, harvesting and service areas.

Murray Timber Group
Ballygar
Co. Galway
T +353 90 6624688
F +353 90 6624735
and
Ballon
Co. Carlow
T +353 59 9159178
F +353 59 9159206
W www.mtg.ie
E info@mtg.ie

Products include kiln dried strength graded carcassing, pallet and packing case material, CLS for the timber frame manufacturing industry and machined whitewoods for the construction and garden shed industries. In addition, Glennon Brothers offer Glendeck timber decking and Glenfence fencing for outdoor use, as well as timber frame homes and engineered roof trusses.

Glennon Brothers also design, manufacture and supply timber frame homes and engineered roof trusses through Dempsey Timber Engineering in Arklow and Alexanders Timber Design in Troon, Scotland. These are approved by NSAI in Ireland and BM Trada in Britain while all products by Glennon Brothers have FSC accreditation while timber frame products. The company was the recipient of the prestigious Ernst & Young Industry Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2010.
Glennon Brothers
Dublin Road
Longford
Co. Longford
T + 353 43 3350800
F + 353 43 3350806

Glennon Brothers Cork Ltd.
Farran South
Fermoy
Co Cork
T +353 25 37400
F + 353 25 36335
E info@glennonbrothers.ie
W www.glennonbrothers.ie

The Sikkens range includes both translucent coatings (woodstains) for external timber and solid paint colour that can be specified with confidence. RAL, NCS and an extensive range of colour choices are now available that can provide for years of protection in any colour.

Sikkens provides coatings to cover the following timber end uses:
• Stable – Minimum movement (doors and windows)
• Semi-stable – Some movement permitted (tongue and groove cladding, wood houses and garden furniture
• Non-stable – free movement permitted (overlapped cladding, fencing, decking)

www.sikkens.co.uk

Protim Osmose supply timber preservative systems for use in the timber frame and landscape sectors along with specialist fire retardants, wood densification systems for softwoods and stabilizing oil processes which can be pigmented for enhancing timber such as cladding and decking.

Contact Colin Molloy and Gemma O’Brien for information on Osmose Wood Preservative, Stabilizing Oil, Fire Retardant, Wood Modification, Anti-Sapstain, Colouring and Remedial, and Micro Pro. Osmose has developed into this country’s leading timber preservative supplier by uniting its customer focus philosophy with the products and expertise of several established wood preservation companies.

The company offers expertise in high and low pressure systems, anti-sapstain products, canned preservatives and decorative applications, decking accessories, remedial preservation services. Protim also provide expertise in timber treatment plant design and manufacture, and pressure treated timber marketing services

www.osmose-europe.com

• High quality products
• Reliable service
• Competitive Price

The company has an innovative programme that ensures high quality products in its following three companies:

• Laois Sawmills – produces pallet, fencing and garden/leisure products.
• Laois Garden World – the retail section provides sawn timber as well as garden furniture – including sheds and play equipment – stains, decking, water and lighting features and picket boards.
• Greenwood Pellets and Wood Chip – This state of the art facility has the capability of producing
  40,000 tonnes of pellets annually and 20,000 tonnes of dried wood chips.

Wood. This facility produces pellets and woodchip to the highest standard from vigin clean material.

Also located only 10km from Avondale, the home of Irish Forestry, we are proud to be part of an industry that has such an important role to play in sustainable development. Wood is a natural resource and plays a vital role in the control of greenhouse gases by acting as a carbon sink. From 2008 to 2012 Irish forests will remove over 2m tonnes of carbon dioxide each year from the atmosphere thereby playing a very important part in climate change mitigation.

Sustainability is at the core of Woodfab Timber from the sourcing of logs in sustainably managed forest to a range of end products including sawn timber for fencing, decking and packaging and co-products such as sawdust, woodchip and bark. Our logs are sourced from well managed forests in accordance with the principles and criteria of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).

We maintain a strict environmental policy and the preservatives we use ensure that our products are non hazardous to the environment. In additional, our electricity is supplied by Airtricity from renewable sources. 100% of every log we process is utilised in a worthwhile fashion. As well as producing Sawdust is used in the manufacture of chipboard. Woodchip is used in the manufacture of medium density fibreboard (MDF) and bark is used for garden mulch. Also woodchip and sawdust are used as animal bedding.

We also maintain a policy of continuous improvement where we are continually adding to our range of value added products for the benefit of our customers.
A subsidiary company, Woodfab Structures Ltd. (www.woodfabstructures.ie ) was formed in 2001 to manufacture a new range of fencing and acoustic barriers, all to I.S. EN standards as specified by the National Roads Authority (NRA).

www.woodfabtimber.ie