Entries by Michael

The New AHEC Logo

In Washington DC in October the Board of the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC) took the decision to adopt a new logo after more than 25 years. Here’s the background: When, in the late 1980s, the Hardwood Export Trade Council (HETC) was renamed and its light brown circle with tree logo was abandoned, a brief […]

We can learn a lot from Japan about wood

I have always admired the Japanese for their use of wood and a recent visit to Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara and Hakone served to remind me of the relevance today. Just when professionals globally are coming round to appreciate both the environmental credentials and the performance potential of wood, one is reminded that the Japanese have […]

American Cherry – no exception to fashion cycles

The hardwood business is like the fashion business. We consume hardwoods for two reasons – performance and personality. We choose hardwoods first because they are fit for many purposes. They perform in strength, durability and machinability; like clothes perform for warmth or coolness or resistance to bad weather. Second we use hardwoods simply because we […]

The Price of Rubberwood

This material vital for the furniture industry in Malaysia, and to a lesser extent in Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam, is not grown for wood. Latex is the main reason for growing these trees and the demand and price for Rubber has taken a hit in the current global economy. Rubber trees become productive at 7 […]

Tsunami Fund

The Turnstone Tsunami Fund is a charity set up in 2005 by Michael Buckley and Roger Miall following the dreadful tsunami that struck Sumatra in Indonesia. Its purpose was to assist victims of the Easter earthquake that followed. Over US$65,000 was raised with particular help from the Carpenters’ Company in the City of London, UK. […]

The Case for Wood

From an environmental standpoint, compared to other materials wood produced in a sustainable manner is an extraordinarily friendly material. Over its full life cycle (cradle to grave), wood is estimated to release up to 47% less air pollution; up to 23% less solid waste and requires up to 57% less energy to manufacture than other […]