Growing the Future Together: The Spirit of Timber and the Power of AGRI

When you look across TWK’s Timber Division, you quickly realise it’s not just “forestry” or “processing”. It’s a full journey, starting with a tiny seedling and ending in a product that supports customers here at home and across the world.

And through that whole journey, one thing stays true: it’s our people who make it work.

Every day, our teams pitch up and get it done, at the mills, in the nurseries, in workshops, out on the plantations, and in the meetings where we solve problems together. It’s hard work, but it’s also something we’re proud of.

That’s AGRI in action.

A – Accountability: Owning Every Step of the Journey

Accountability starts right at the beginning, with people like Bryn and his team. He spends his time researching which trees we should be planting, because the choices we make now shape the forests we’ll rely on tomorrow.

Then you’ve got Tinus and his hands on team at SSS. He takes that work and turns it into thousands of seedlings. When you see strong, healthy plants going out, you’re seeing their accountability in real life.

And out in the field, there’s Bob and his passionate team, planting those young trees and looking after them as they grow. That kind of accountability doesn’t come from a checklist; it comes from care, patience, and pride in the land.

That’s the point: every person in this chain owns their part, and the next person can rely on it.

G – Grow Trust: The Foundation of Every Team

Trust isn’t something we talk about once a year. You feel it in the day to day, when people keep their word, help each other out, and show up for the team, even when it’s tough.

And then one day, that ten year old tree arrives at our mills, or at RBCM, with Eddie and his dedicated team, under the sharp guidance of Ferdie, and in a matter of seconds, you see the transformation. That tree becomes:

· RBCM Chips bound for Japan,

· Rutland Dunnage and Mining support for Bedrock,

· Rockland WOS for pallets and packaging,

· Or STTP treatment poles for agriculture and transmissions.

None of this happens by accident. It works because we trust each other, right through the chain, from forest to mill to market.

Trevor and his solutions focused team help make that trust real by keeping our processing entities supplied. He supports our farmers, balances supply, and makes sure the value chain keeps moving.

And when the product is ready, Steve and his customer focused team build trust with our customers by finding the right home for every piece of timber we produce.

Andre and his vigilant team play a huge role in keeping that trust strong. Leading Health and Safety for the Timber Division, he helps make sure every one of us can go home safely at the end of the day, because production means nothing if people aren’t protected.

Louise build trust by holding the line on what we stand for. She’s responsible for certification and environmental work, making sure we do things the right way, meeting our standards, protecting our environment, and keeping our operations credible and future focused.

Behind the scenes, Elmarie and her attention to detail team build trust by keeping us financially secure, compliant, and responsible. It’s the kind of quiet consistency that helps the rest of us do our jobs with confidence.

And above us all, Didi builds trust by leading all of us with faith, clarity, and the kind of support that helps people grow.

R – Resilience: Standing Strong Through Every Season

If forestry teaches us anything, it’s resilience. Trees push through storms, droughts, wind, and changing seasons, and in our own way, so do we.

The current environment is challenging, and the pressure is real, but resilience isn’t the absence of difficulty, it’s the decision to keep moving forward.

You see resilience in every team, from the mills to the nurseries to the plantations. It’s people backing each other, staying focused, and doing the next right thing, even under pressure.

The season we’re in doesn’t define us. What defines us is how we show up for each other while we’re in it.

I – Innovation: Creating Tomorrow, Not Waiting for It

Innovation isn’t only about technology. It’s a mindset, curiosity, courage, and the willingness to ask, “How can we do this better?”

You can see that mindset everywhere in Timber, from research and silviculture to processing, marketing, finance, and leadership.

We look for better ways to grow trees, process them, and serve our customers. Just as importantly, we look for better ways to develop our people, because that’s where the long term wins come from.

At TWK, innovation isn’t “someone else’s job”. It’s part of how we think and how we work.

A Message Beyond Timber

Although I’m speaking from the Timber Division, this message is really for all of us across TWK.

Just a reminder:

• Accountability builds excellence

• Trust builds unity

• Resilience builds strength

• Innovation builds the future

In Timber, we’re not only producing timber, we’re building opportunities. We do it responsibly, sustainably, and together.

If we keep living AGRI, not as words on a page, but in the way we speak, decide, and work every day, then the future we’re building at TWK will take care of itself.