The wood industry in 2024: growth and increasing societal utility of a material of the future

The period of “euphoric” market recovery having ended, professionals must now learn to operate in an economy in near decline. The global economy is stalling, construction is going through a major crisis, but here again the wood material is doing well and is already growing again more significantly than other materials.

Wood, a virtuous material with growing societal utility

The place of wood in society has evolved considerably in recent decades. A virtuous material by nature, its use is deployed in proportion to the urgency of the environmental transition. The major energy crisis we are going through bears witness to this; wood energy is an alternative that is constantly developing.

Its use is also growing in the construction sector. Particularly dynamic and promising for the wood sector, the latter is currently going through turbulence. Interesting economically, environmentally and for its intrinsic properties, wood is present in our infrastructure and homes. However, construction still represents only a small market share for the wood industry. The building crisis therefore affects it less than other materials such as concrete. This situation could thus constitute an opportunity to increase the market share of wood in construction and paradoxically generate growth in a declining sector.

“We sincerely believe that wood is a material of the future, today more than ever. It's a philosophy that has driven us for more than 20 years and which led to the creation of the show in 1992, at a time when wood was considered “old-fashioned”. The idea was to provide the wood industry with a tool to allow companies to have a place to present their products and know-how,” confides Jean PIVETEAU, who succeeded his brother Pierre PIVETEAU as President of the Carrefour International du Bois in October 2021.

Wood today addresses many issues in the construction or energy sectors; it plays a major societal role in the decarbonization of our economy.

“This change in the place of wood in society can be seen directly on the exhibitors' stands: at the very beginning of the Carrefour International du Bois, there were far fewer processed products than today. Companies in the sector innovate and design increasingly sophisticated products with high added value that meet market needs, such as acoustic ceilings. Interior architects and designers are bringing more life into indoor living, there is a real opportunity developing in this sector,” he continues.

A unique meeting place, a place for the international wood trade in the making

The show quickly met with great success, to the point of taking on an international dimension both from the point of view of exhibitors and visitors. A unique meeting place for the profession, it has become a place for international timber trade by bringing in buyers from all sectors: mass distribution, importers, etc.

France only represents a small part of export volumes; it cannot compete with the United States or China, but it has know-how and many particularly high-quality products that are highly sought after for export.

The United States, to avoid recession, adapted supply to demand and drastically reduced their production (to the same level as in 1945). But as construction restarts there, great export opportunities could arise.

The various geopolitical crises also impact and reshape international flows: the markets of India and the Middle East have taken on more importance recently due to the difficulties experienced by the European market.

“Currently, wood circulates quite well in international flows. But not all markets restart at the same time, and that is the whole point of Carrefour International du Bois. It is an opportunity to diversify its customers in order to permanently maintain a sufficient flow of activity,” explains Jean-François Guilbert, general director of French Timber, a professional association representing the interests of the French timber industry.

Despite fluctuations in the markets, the Carrefour International du Bois retains its DNA: a show organized by the sector, for the sector, based on the needs and realities of professionals in the sector.