Gerry Van Leeuwen
Vice President
International Wood Markets Group

Mr Van Leeuwen has more than ten years of senior managerial and operational experience with a major coastal B.C. forest company. With twenty-seven years experience in the B.C. coastal wood products industry, Mr. Van Leeuwen has gained in-depth knowledge and experience in all aspects of the forestry and sawmill business. His business and managerial experience includes log and chip trading, sawmill management, mill efficiency improvement, global wood product markets, new product development, grade and value recovery, margin enhancement, value-adding processes, and team building related to lumber manufacturing. He has also been directly responsible for the marketing and sales of all grades and qualities of lumber and remanufactured products into the Pacific Rim, Europe, and North America.

Mr. Van Leeuwen has also travelled extensively to visit many industrial manufacturers throughout North America that produce cut stock, doors, windows, mouldings and millwork products. As well, Gerry has made dozens of marketing trips to Japan and Europe to meet with key industry customers. Gerry has developed excellent strategic insight into key industry operating issues and can provide analysis and recommendations for operational and marketing elements for investment purposes, plant renovations/ upgrades, new construction, and the due diligence process.

Grant Smith
CEO
Energy for Industry Limited

Grant has worked in the Australian and New Zealand energy markets in roles including power station development, strategy and business development, technology research, commercial and trading risk management and in retail sales and marketing.

His current role is CEO of Energy for Industry Limited, a business specialising in clean energy, waste to energy and demand side market solutions. Energy for Industry currently has around $50m of assets operating or in development on customer sites in the New Zealand energy markets, is a member of Wood Processors and Forest Industry Engineering Associations, and owns and operates heating plant in the sector. Grant is board member on Bioenergy Association NZ, which recently published its vision and strategy for bio-energy related developments in New Zealand over the next 30 years.

EFI recently established Wood Energy NZ as a business unit providing woody biomass fuels to industry and institutions across New Zealand and Grant this an important business activity complimentary to EFI’s core energy centre developments and the reduction of carbon emissions from New Zealand export industries.

Stephen Walker
Chairman of FTMA

Stephen has 26 years experience in the building industry the majority of which has been in roles that involve technical disciplines such as roof truss and wall frame design, mid-floor design, industry education and industry representation. Stephen also has extensive knowledge of residential construction having worked as a carpenter for many years.

Stephen is currently in the role of Residential LVL Manager with Carter Holt Harvey Woodproducts NZ and represents Carters on the FTMA Executive. He also provides representation for WPA, FTMA and BIF on various industry committees including the NZS3604 technical committee.

Kersten Gentle
Executive Officer
FTMA Australia

Kersten Gentle is the Executive Officer of the Frame and Truss Manufacturers Association of Australia and has been since her appointment in February 2009. Kersten’s experience in the timber industry comes from her grassroots involvement as a Lobbyist for Australian Timber Communities during her 13 years employment with Timber Communities Australia.

FTMA Australia, like its New Zealand counterpart is a national organisation providing a unified voice, to protect and advance their two billion dollar industry and to be involved in the setting of standards and guidelines that serve as benchmarks for all those who deal with the Australian frame and truss industry.

Her grandfather, who was the idol of her life was a logging contractor and sawmill owner working in the Central Highlands of Victoria’s magnificent Mountain Ash country where her family has lived for over 100 years in the small Yarra Valley community of Healesville.

Kersten has been involved as a founding director and spokesperson for the Australian Environment Foundation and Barnool Indigenous Skilled Employment and has been actively involved in promoting Women in Timber throughout the past decade.

Kersten is married to Scott Gentle who is the Executive Officer of the Victorian Forest Contractors Association and has three children Neil (19), Darcy (17) and Nikita (14). Even though she is born and bred Victorian, she is a passionate Rugby League follower and Melbourne Storm supporter and also loves Union even though she feels it is disrespectful and un-Australian that her son and husband are All Black Supporters.

Jason Guiver

Jason has been involved in timber and joinery for nearly 30 years, starting in joinery in his early teens.

After completing his Civil and Structural Engineering degree at Trent University, he returned to joinery to become involved in timber conservatory systems and structures, eventually manufacturing over 7,000 timber conservatories a year for the UK and European market.

Jason moved with his family to Nelson in April 2007 and joined Hunters to run the project glulam taking over as General Manager in Oct 2007; he continued to lead the company forward to its purchase in July of this year by the Ranex group.

Jason has become actively involved in the NZ structural timber community, including the PMA, Stratalam, STIC and the TDS and has been instrumental in moving Hunters back to the forefront of NZ Glulam both here and overseas. The joining of Hunter Laminates into the Ranex group will help in promoting NZ Structural Timber products and Hunter Laminates both in NZ and overseas.

Robin Jack
Managing Director
W & R Jack Ltd

Robin Jack is the MD of W & R Jack Ltd, specialist suppliers of woodworking machinery.

As agents for the Weinig Group since 1972, Jacks have supplied a major part of the plant used by NZ’s remanufacturing industry. Robin joined the company 40 years ago and has led it for the past two decades.

Now back at the helm of Jacks after 5 years as founding MD of Homag Australia, Robin’s current focus is on new technologies for prefabrication of building elements (wall, floor and roof elements) suitable for high speed assembly on housing or commercial construction sites. This workshop will look at Weinig’s systems for cross laminated timber, Homag’s equipment for timber framed modules, and Minda’s solutions for manufacture of glulam.

Chris Woodhouse
Managing Director
Woodhouse Timber Company

Chris Woodhouse heads Woodhouse Timber Company as Managing Director. Chris founded the company in the early 1980’s. Chris has a strong background in construction and building products and has been servicing the Australian merchant market, building material outlets and truss and wall frame manufacturers for nearly 30 years.

Woodhouse specialises in the importation and distribution of timber building and renovation products.

Woodhouse operates on the Australian east coast, servicing a broad customer base from two centrally located warehouses in Brisbane and Sydney.

Owen Griffiths
Marketing Director
McIntosh Timber Laminates

Marketing Director of McIntosh Timber Laminates Ltd. For 34 years Owen has been involved with McIntosh Timber Laminates in expanding the awareness of Glulam’s potential as a prime structural design option.

He is actively involved in the Structural Engineered Timber Manufacturers Association, NZ Timber Design Society, NZ Timber Certification Board and NZPMA. His commitment to the importance of design detail and quality in service and production has seen McIntosh Timber Laminates make significant penetration into markets that have previously been dominated by steel and concrete.

McIntosh has been at the leading edge of Glulam development in NZ since their beginning in 1957. Over the last 30 years they have been extending the international market for their added value NZ pine structural Glulam providing design and manufacturing construction packages. The export of raw unprocessed logs is seen as a poor return on a unique, renewable natural resource capable of much greater potential.