This is a guest article written by Taylor Maxwell.
A Commitment to Responsible Sourcing
Founded in 1959, Taylor Maxwell (FSC ®C005705) began trading in bricks and timber for the coal mining industry, when wooden props were the primary means of supporting coal workings. Sixty-five years on, Taylor Maxwell Timber has grown to become one of the UK’s leading distributors of timber products.
Today, we supply a wide range of materials for construction, fencing, landscaping, pallet and packaging, and joinery applications, as well as offering a range of hardwood and flooring products. Our customers can receive full or part trailer loads delivered directly from either the sawmill or one of our strategically located stock sites.
In January we opened the doors to a new warehouse in Portishead. Well placed in the southwest near to the M4 and M5 motorways and operating with a fully electric forklift, it’s here that we hold stock of Corà Domenico and Sons square edged-European oak. This product is FSC 100% certified, so all the oak used in production originates from FSC certified forests.
Environmental Responsibility
Working with trusted supply partners is important. Alongside some of our best homegrown timber sawmill suppliers, we’ve now held FSC chain of custody certification for 20 years.
Since 2005 and our first audit there has been a clear shift in market demand for certified products accompanied by a much greater sense of environmental responsibility. We’re committed to making responsible purchasing decisions and the most effective way to do this is by sourcing FSC-certified timber and good supply chain due diligence. While standards and expectations have increased, compliance now requires more time and assiduousness - but we believe these efforts are essential.
Carbon Neutral Aspirations
Elsewhere, we’re making progress to reach our target to be carbon neutral in operations by 2030. We’ve been monitoring Scope 1 & 2 emissions since 2019/2020 and this year we’re looking at Scope 3. We’ve held sustainability workshops for all employees and our car fleet is now 93% electric or hybrid.
There’s plenty more that we can do to reduce our environmental footprint, but as we celebrate 20 years of certification, we want to continue championing responsible forestry for the future of our planet and the people and wildlife that call our forests home.
"Our 20-year commitment to FSC certification speaks to our belief that sustainable forestry benefits everyone, from the communities who depend on these resources to the wildlife that thrives within them. I’m proud of the role our business plays in safeguarding forests and driving positive change across our industry.”
- Simon Tucker, Taylor Maxwell Timber Director
“We all know that forests and trees are going to play a vital role in slowing climate change. Planting is important but even more so is managing and protecting our existing natural forests and their ecosystems. We’re committed to sourcing and selling certified timber and will work hard to maintain our FSC chain of custody certification to support forests and the mission of FSC”.
- Augusta Rumble, Taylor Maxwell Timber Certification and Compliance Coordinator
Find out more about Taylor Maxwell on their website: Taylor Maxwell | Facades and Timber