The Builders Merchant Building Index (BMBI) welcomes the leading engineered wood panel manufacturer West Fraser (formerly known as Norbord) to its panel of industry experts. Simon Woods, European Sales, Marketing & Logistics Director, speaks for Wood-Based Panels, explaining trends, issues and opportunities in the market.

The BMBI, a brand of the Builders Merchant Federation (BMF), is a monthly index of builders’ merchant sales, with summary reports published each month and more in-depth reports, including Expert comments and analysis, every quarter. Developed and produced by MRA Research, the Index is the most reliable, up-to-date measure of the UK’s Repair, Maintenance and Improvement (RMI) activity. The reports and data are based on GfK’s Builders Merchant Point of Sale Tracking Data, which analyses sales out data from over 80% of generalist builders’ merchants’ sales across Great Britain.

Filling an important gap, BMBI is widely used and referenced in construction, and more widely by economists, investment companies, advisors, the media and Government. The panel of 14 leading brands, speaking exclusively for their markets, are an integral part of the Index.

MRA CEO Mike Rigby comments: “Awareness of BMBI has grown rapidly since we launched it in 2015. The Index provides reliable trend data and is an excellent platform for building recognition and understanding of our industry and for building brands. Experts are positioned as leading voices in their markets, and we’re pleased to welcome West Fraser as a new voice representing the wood panel market.”

Simon Woods adds: “BMBI is an authoritative source of data for our industry, with an extensive reach, and joining the panel gives West Fraser a unique opportunity to share our valuable insights and knowledge of the wood panel market. It’s a challenging period for our industry as demand outstrips supply of most timber products, coupled with rising prices of raw materials. The increased demand is being driven by the move to wood as a Carbon Friendly resource, the drive towards home improvement and the swing towards larger new houses. We see 2021 as a year of both optimism and frustration for all sectors of the timber market. But strong planning partnerships across the whole supply chain will help to smooth the inevitable choppy water.”

Simon’s first comment is published in the Q1 2021 report, available to download here. For all other reports, Expert commentary, or round table debate videos, visit www.thebmbi.co.uk.