Alex Goodfellow, CEO at Donaldson Offsite, has been appointed chair of the Confederation of Timber Industries (CTI), which represents the UK’s timber supply chain.

Succeeding Roy Wakeman OBE, Alex Goodfellow has more than 35 years’ experience of working within the housebuilding and offsite timber frame industry, bringing vast and varied experience to the Chair role of the CTI, having previously served as a Non-Executive Director. He worked at Stewart Milne Group for 20 years and has led the UK-wide growth of their successful Timber Systems business, now Donaldson Timber Systems. He is also Chair of the Strategy group, ensuring our House-building business is future-ready by leading the Product Design and Accelerated Build strategies as the business maximises the use of MMC to deliver sustainable long-term growth.

Well respected across the industry, Alex is a board member of the Structural Timber Association, having previously served as Chair, and Director of Offsite Solutions Scotland, an organisation established to grow offsite manufacture across the UK and internationally. His industry influence allows him to build innovative and collaborative relationships with many UK housebuilders and other industry influencers in the drive to ensure offsite timber manufacturing continues to provide an effective MMC solution to the housing crisis.

Mr Goodfellow said, “I am pleased and proud to be taking on this role at what is an exciting and pivotal time for the sector. With the global shift to achieving net-zero, the recognition of the sustainability of timber and its vital role in decarbonising the construction sector has been brought into sharp focus. Timber is rapidly becoming the material of the future and the use of timber frames and modern methods of construction are key to ensuring the UK can meet its housing needs.

I look forward to driving forward the mission of the CTI and placing timber at the centre of a sustainable, vibrant and prosperous modern UK economy. It is more important than ever we work collaboratively to promote and protect the markets for, and interests of, timber and timber products and systems. Building in timber is a form of carbon capture and storage and is essential to decarbonising construction. To make this happen we have a full calendar of engagements, political advocacy, market research, policy reports, and other events in the year ahead. Our many thanks to Roy for his hard work over the last four years to advance the interest of timber, and helping to secure a better, stronger future for our industry.”

As a result of Roy’s stewardship the influence of the CTI as an advocacy group for timber has increased significantly, with the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for the Timber Industries, reports like ‘How the timber industries can help solve the housing crisis’, and events bringing industry and politicians together strongly highlighting the status of timber as the material of the future. This means the CTI is poised to help the UK Government make construction more sustainable and move towards a zero-carbon economy.

Timber has a significant role to play in helping to decarbonise the structural fabric of new and existing homes, with every cubic metre of timber sequestering almost one tonne of carbon dioxide, and as a versatile material, it lends itself to Modern Methods of Construction (MMC), which can help the UK build homes quicker, and to higher quality – which is essential if the UK is to overcome the housing crisis.

After serving four years as Chair of the Confederation of Timber Industries (CTI), Roy Wakeman OBE, has decided to leave his post to spend more time on his other interests.

Roy said, “I have spent more than 55 years in the wood processing industry starting out as a lad tallying and measuring timber for Montague L Meyer in their Hull base. In all that time I have not lost the passion nor drive for the material and I am pleased beyond doubt to see that at last we have moved the issue to the top of the agenda. I wish the organization and colleagues every success in their quest for an even wider awareness of the unique advantages and selling points of the material in the construction, building, home improvement and consumer markets.”

Roy has been elected President of the British Woodworking Federation three times, is a Member of the Institute of Wood Science, as well as a member of the Institute of Materials and Fellow of the RSA. He was awarded the OBE in 2012 for his services to the Joinery Industry.

Upcoming next month for the CTI is the relaunch of the APPG for the Timber Industries, with the inaugural Annual General Meeting coming up on Monday 28 June, together with a new #NetZeroNow campaign highlighting how timber can help the UK Government deliver on its economic, employment, housing, and climate targets now.