Wood Protection Association
2025 Award Winners & Conference
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The annual WPA event has been running for 11 years now, and every year just keeps getting better.
Spread across 2 days, this intimate gathering provided great opportunities for WPA members and their guests to meet new contacts, catch up with old friends, discuss shared industry challenges but also have some fun!
As always, the award judges found it difficult to select the category winners as the standard of entries was so high, particularly from the Rising Star nominations. We'd like to thank everyone who took the time to enter and encourage those who didn't pick up an award to definitely enter again next year.
Read about the conference session HERE.
Main Event Sponsors:
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WPA 2025
Award Winners
The WPA would like to thank everyone for taking the time to enter the awards – every finalist was a potential winner.
Sponsored by:
Best use of Treated Wood in the Landscape
Winner: Accsys Technologies
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The National Autistic Garden, Carmine, Scotland
Pictured: Justin Peckham and Laura Keily of Accsys
Pictured: Thomas Bengtsson, CEO and founder of the Woodsafe Group and WPA auditor Steve Adams
Pictured: Josh Horsley receiving his trophy from Janet Sycamore, WPA
Pictured: Daryll Ehrke of Impra, left, with Fraser Hall, MD of M&M Timber
Pictured: Mike Smith of James Jones, with Kathryn James from Bridewell Consultancy
Best use of Treated Wood in Buildings
Winner: Woodsafe Timber Protection AB
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The World of Volvo, Gothenburg, Sweden
Sponsored by:
Best Kept Treatment Plant
Winner: James Jones, Hangingshaw
Finalists:
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Dunster House
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Palmako, Estonia
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WJ Group - Rochester
Sponsored by:
Treated Wood Champion
Winner: Josh Horsley, Koppers
Sponsored by:
WPA Benchmark Treater of the Year
Winner: M&M Timber
Finalists:
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James Jones, Aboyne
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Walford Timber
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Palmako
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Sponsored by:
Some event guests arrived early on the first day and participated in one of two activities.
Golf Competition
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Longest drive: Graham Blyth
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9-hole: Shaun Getson, Graham Blyth, Tony Kelly, and Willie Clason
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18-hole winners: Willie Clason, Graham Blyth, Tony Kelly and Neil Ryan
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Nearest the pin: Andy Hodge
Wine Tasting
Sophia Luckett from The Drink Talking hosted an excellent afternoon of wine tasting and cheese pairing, exploring the characteristics of wines from around the world. Jan Antonovics from TFT Wood Experts won the WPA Wine Taster award.
With thanks to
Jamie Sutherland
who kept us entertained
Main Event Sponsors:
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WPA 2025 Conference
The Future-Proofing Demand for Treated Wood conference heard presentations from across the supply chain.
Paul Pennick – Procurement Director at h&b buying group:
What supply chain buyers want from the treated wood industry:
In a presentation on What supply chain buyers want from the treated wood industry, Procurement Director at h&b buying group, Paul Pennick, said the treated wood sector should focus on providing clarity and consistency of specifications and provide authoritative data on performance and service life. He added that engagement and education of stakeholders—from merchants, architects, and installers—should be an important part of this process, as well as wood preservative innovation and collaboration.
Gareth Nicholls – Head of Timber Category, MKM Building Supplies:
The role of merchants in treated wood sales
Gareth spoke about the role of builders’ merchants in treated wood sales. Pointing to the growing use of ‘treated’ products in the company’s own business—from 57% in 2021 to 65% last year—Gareth detailed how a combination of developing effective knowledge resources, clear product labelling, and ensuring only fit-for-purpose products are sold, are combining to drive sales in the sector.
Ed Suttie – Head of Consultancy, BRE:
Changing service life and performance data for treated wood
Ed presented early results from the WPA’s ongoing field trial of treated British softwood fence posts. Giving attendees an exclusive overview of the interim, 10-year findings of tests at sites in England and Wales, Ed said the figures provided vital evidence for the treated wood sector to promote its credentials on service life and defend itself from false claims from alternative materials such as cement or metal.
Fredrik Westin – European Wood Protection Association:
The future of treated wood in Europe: Unlocking business potential through advocacy
Fredrik focused on the increasing prominence of circularity in the formation of EU policy, encouraging the treated wood industry to collaborate closely in political lobbying and promoting wood as the sustainable, low environmental construction material of choice saying: ‘Wood locks up carbon – treated wood locks it up for longer.
Associate Sponsors:
Steve Young Chairman WPA:
Steve closed the conference by focusing on the strategic opportunities to future-proof demand for preservative-treated wood. He explained it was vital to understand the dynamics of the UK market for treated wood and the factors that influence its production and sale.
Steve emphasised that WPA remains focused on supporting its members and in taking a leadership role in key areas such as: improving supply chain and end-user knowledge about choosing and using treated wood correctly; promoting the sustainability credentials of treated wood; improving communications with external stakeholder organisations to foster trust in preservatives and preservative-treated wood; influencing UK government policy decisions and carbon reduction programmes through political lobbying; and collaborating with other organisations that can help achieve these priorities, such as TDUK, Confor, and the European Wood Protection Association.
Neil Ryan – Director WPA :
Making wood even better than trees can
In the afternoon, the WPA’s Neil Ryan gave a preview of the new WPA training webinar for the supply chain about the benefits of selling correctly treated wood products