The Wood Protection Association (WPA) has launched the conference programme and speakers for its 2025 annual awards and event, which takes place on 7-8 May at the Oulton Hall Hotel, Spa and Golf Resort in Leeds.
The programme theme is: Futureproofing demand for preservative treated wood.
For the first time at a WPA Conference, attendees will hear perspectives on the treated wood sector from both a major timber buying group and a leading chain of builders’ merchants. On the technical side, BRE will introduce a new concept for service life and performance data and provide an exclusive update on the WPA Field Trial of fence posts at the 10-year stage. The conference will also hear from the soon-to-be-established European Wood Preservation Association about its strategy for unlocking the potential of treated wood in the EU. A speech from WPA will outline its strategic priorities to defend and promote treated wood in the UK.
The Conference programme is:
Futureproofing demand for treated wood: What supply chain buyers want from the treated wood industry
Paul Pennick, Procurement Director, H&B Buying Group
H&B is a buying group that provides purchasing power for small and independent merchants. Procurement Director, Paul Pennick, believes the market potential for preservative-treated wood is strong. The government’s ambitious infrastructure, homebuilding, and carbon reduction plans align with the benefits of treated wood. However, for buyers like H&B, mixed messages about specifications and performance in the treated wood supply chain create uncertainty, hindering end-user confidence, sales, and profitability. Paul will share what he believes needs to be done to address these issues.
The role of builders’ merchants in treated wood sales
Gareth Nicholls, Head of Timber Category, MKM Building Supplies
Preservative-treated wood is just one of thousands of products sold by MKM Building Supplies, the UK’s leading independent builders’ merchant, with branches nationwide. Gareth will discuss the crucial role merchants such as MKM play when individual branches fully engage with a product like preservative-treated wood. He will highlight what’s required to sustain that engagement and increase demand for treated wood, and the rewards this delivers for merchants and the wider industry.
Changing service life and performance data for treated wood
Ed Suttie, Head of Consultancy, BRE
The emerging requirement for the declaration of Reference Service Life (RSL) under the new Construction Products Regulation has sparked a reassessment of how service life is determined and communicated. Ed will explain the RSL concept, the value of performance data for both sellers and buyers of preservative-treated wood, and present 10-year durability data from the WPA’s field trial of treated British softwood fence posts, which collated in March. Conference delegates will be among the first to hear these results, with an opportunity for questions.
The future of treated wood in Europe: Unlocking business potential through advocacy
Fredrik Westin, European Wood Protection Association
The European wood protection industry stands at a pivotal moment, with significant opportunities to expand the market for treated wood as a key enabler of sustainability, circularity, and climate neutrality. The European Wood Protection Association (formerly WEI-IEO) is driving a proactive strategy to position treated wood as the most sustainable and competitive material for construction, infrastructure, and beyond. Fredrik will share insights on how the European Wood Protection Association is strengthening advocacy efforts at the EU level to ensure a fair regulatory framework, supporting the sector’s long-term competitiveness. He will highlight the important of industry-wise collaboration to drive market growth, improve policy recognition, and unlock new business opportunities in the evolving European landscape.
Strategic priorities for the WPA
Steve Young, Chairman, Wood Protection Association
Supplying treated wood is a highly competitive business. Achieving volume sales in such markets means price often drives the buying decision at the expense of quality. Competitiveness is made worse when buyers are unaware of the need to tailor the treatment of wood to its end use. Steve will examine how the UK treated wood industry has responded to these challenges and outline the WPA’s strategic priorities to support its members succeed in producing and selling treated wood.
Nominate your Award winners now
Nominations for the 2025 WPA Awards are also now open. The WPA’s annual awards shine a light on excellence in the production, sale and use of treated wood and is a showcase for good practice in our industry. The following categories are available:
- Treated wood champion: an award made to an individual which recognises outstanding commitment to personal development and the advancement of wood protection expertise in their place of work.
- Best use of treated wood award: for any construction project in the UK or overseas that utilises wood treated with a preservative, a flame retardant or wood modification process. The project can be of any size and in progress or completed in the past two years.
- Best use of treated wood in landscaping: for any landscaping project in the UK or overseas that utilises wood treated with a preservative, a flame retardant or wood modification process. The project can be of any size and in progress or completed in the past two years.
- Two further awards – for WPA Benchmark treater of the year and Best kept treatment plant – will be conferred by the independent auditors of the WPA Benchmark quality assurance schemes.
The awards will be presented at our Annual Awards evening on 7 May.
To book your place contact Caroline Hewison.
