Confor

What Confor does

Confor (Confederation of Forest Industries (UK) Ltd), registered in Scotland as SC34467 and headquartered at 22 LG1 Forth Street, Edinburgh, is a UK-wide not-for-profit membership organization representing the private sustainable-forestry and wood-processing sector. Its remit spans the entire supply chain — forest nurseries, woodland owners, forestry managers, timber processors and sawmillers — and its core activities are political engagement (including leading the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Forestry and Tree Planting), market promotion (notably the Trust UK C16 campaign and the partly-owned Wood for Good promotion vehicle), and member services. The organization is led by Chief Executive Stuart Goodall (in role since 2004) and Chair Lord Ian Duncan (since 2017), with three National Managers covering England, Scotland and Wales and a Regional Chairman for Northern Ireland.

Confor's product surface is service-based, not technology-based. Core offerings include the Confor Membership subscription, the bi-monthly Forestry and Timber News magazine, the Member Directory, expert helplines (legal via Brodies and Michelmores, chemical/pesticide via Colin Palmer, woodland taxation via Hazlewoods), the Forest Industries Education & Provident Fund, the HIRP collaborative pest-management research programme, the annual Confor Awards, and the APPG secretariat function. The organization operates a website, an e-newsletter, a YouTube channel, and a member portal; no software products, SDKs, APIs or proprietary technology platforms are disclosed.

Revenue is generated through recurring membership subscriptions (pricing varies by business type and is not publicly disclosed), supplemented by grants, partner-contributed services (helplines), conference/awards sponsorships (e.g., James Jones & Sons, Tilhill Forestry, Forestry Commission), affinity partnerships (Dell Technologies discount scheme), and project-specific funding such as Aviva Investors / Par Equity support for the Forestry Operations New Entrants Programme. Confor is member-controlled with no external venture capital or private equity involvement.

Name

Confor

Legal name

Confederation of Forest Industries (UK) Ltd

Website

https://confor.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Confor is a UK not-for-profit membership organization headquartered in Edinburgh that represents sustainable forestry and wood-using businesses through political engagement, market promotion, and member services across the entire supply chain.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Association - Forestry and Timber

NAICS

Support Activities for Forestry (115310)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Forestry & Reforestation (BPAGAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Forest Management & Silviculture Services (Cruising, Planning, Compliance) (IMAMAAAD), Timber Tract Operations & Forest Ownership (Timberland) (IMAMAAAA), Forest Certification, Compliance & Chain-of-Custody Support (AFAMAAAH)

Keywords

• Forestry trade association
• Timber industry advocacy
• Membership services forestry
• Wood supply chain representation
• Sustainable forestry policy

Headquarters

HQ city

Edinburgh

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership subscriptions: Confor generates revenue through membership fees from forestry and wood-using businesses. Membership fees vary depending on business type and size, with different categories for various types of forestry operations. The organization is not-for-profit, using revenues to support advocacy, market promotion, and member services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Confor is a UK not-for-profit membership trade association (Confederation of Forest Industries (UK) Ltd) that supports sustainable forestry and wood-using businesses through political representation, market promotion of wood products, expert helplines (legal, chemical and woodland taxation), a bi-monthly member magazine (Forestry and Timber News), an online member directory, member events and conferences, charitable grants via the Forest Industries Education & Provident Fund, sector research programmes such as HIRP, and the Trust UK C16 campaign promoting home-grown timber in construction. Members include woodland owners, forest managers, timber processors, sawmillers, forest nurseries, and forestry service companies across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Product overview

Confor is a membership organization for sustainable forestry and wood-using businesses, not a software product company. Its offerings include membership services (political representation, market promotion, member support), Forestry and Timber News magazine, Member Directory, Expert Helplines (legal, chemical, taxation), Forest Industries Education & Provident Fund, Trust UK C16 Campaign, Hylobius Research Programme, Publications Library, Nursery Producers Group, and APPG on Forestry. These are service-based offerings for the forestry and timber sector rather than software products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Nursery Producers Group: A special interest group of progressive, commercial UK forest nurseries operating under Confor's umbrella, focusing on promoting UK-grown nursery stock and supply chain traceability.
• Wood for Good
• Hylobius Industry Research Programme (HIRP)

Products and services

• Confor Membership Membership of Confor, the UK not-for-profit trade association providing political representation, market promotion and member support services to sustainable forestry and wood-using businesses across the entire UK timber supply chain. Fees vary by business type and size.
• Forestry and Timber News (FTN) magazine Bi-monthly members' magazine covering news, markets, sustainability and industry developments across the UK forestry and wood sector, from nurseries to sawmills. Distributed in electronic and select online article form.
• Online Member Directory Searchable online directory where Confor members can promote their services and where members and non-members can find forestry service providers by location or specialism.
• Member Helplines (Legal, Chemical and Woodland Taxation) 30 minutes of free initial expert advice for members on legal matters (Brodies Solicitors in Scotland, Michelmores in England/Wales), chemical/pesticide use (Colin Palmer, Rural Services), and woodland taxation (Hazlewoods LLP).
• Forest Industries Education & Provident Fund Charitable fund awarding financial support to members (and dependants) for technical and professional courses, training, educational trips and hardship assistance, with awards of up to £1,000 per application.
• Trust UK C16 Campaign Confor-led industry collaboration with BSW Timber, James Jones & Sons and Glennon Brothers (and partners RIBA, RIAS, IStructE and TDUK) to promote domestically grown and manufactured C16 timber in UK construction.
• Hylobius abietis Industry Research Programme (HIRP) Confor-led collaborative research programme developing sustainable integrated pest management solutions for the large pine weevil (Hylobius abietis) in UK forestry, in partnership with Forest Research, the Scottish Forestry Trust, Bionema and Syngenta, including the HIRP Conference 2025.
• Confor Publications Library Online archive of Confor publications and reference documents available for download, including industry reports and research outputs for the UK forestry and timber sector.
• Nursery Producers Group Confor special interest group for progressive commercial UK forest nurseries, promoting UK-grown nursery stock with supply chain traceability and Forest Reproductive Material (FRM) compliance.
• All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Forestry and Tree Planting Political engagement secretariat run by Confor, working with MPs and peers across parties to ensure the forestry and wood industries benefit the UK, raising political and public awareness of forestry's role in the economy and environment.
• Wood for Good UK wood promotion campaign partly owned by Confor, working to promote wood as a sustainable, beautiful building material to designers, architects and construction professionals.

Quantifiable outcome

• Forestry delivers £1.1 billion annually to Scottish economy and supports 34,000+ rural jobs
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 March 2026UK's leading architectural body partnering with Trust UK C16 campaign to raise awareness among architects of the benefits and strategic importance of domestically grown timber in construction.
• Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 March 2026Scotland's national architectural body partnering with Trust UK C16 campaign to promote UK timber use in Scottish construction and architecture.
• Institute of Structural Engineers (IStructE)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 March 2026Professional body for structural engineers partnering with Trust UK C16 campaign to ensure homegrown timber is understood and specified throughout the construction process from design to completion.
• BSW TimbercoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 October 2025One of the UK's three largest sawmillers partnering with Confor and other sawmillers in the Trust UK C16 campaign to promote domestically grown and manufactured timber. BSW Timber joins the campaign to rebalance supply chains and futureproof UK timber requirements.
• James Jones & Sons LtdcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 October 2025One of the UK's three largest sawmillers partnering in the Trust UK C16 campaign. James Jones & Sons is a leading privately owned timber and forestry company, working to promote UK timber in construction.
• Glennon BrotherscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 October 2025One of the UK's three largest sawmillers with sawmills in Scotland (Glennon Brothers UK Ltd., Troon and Windymains Timber Limited, Edinburgh) and Ireland. Partnering in Trust UK C16 campaign for domestic timber promotion.
• Timber Development UK (TDUK)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 October 2025Trade body partnering with Confor to support the Trust UK C16 campaign. TDUK represents timber specification and supply chain interests in the UK construction sector.
• Wood for GoodcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK's wood promotion campaign partly owned by Confor. Works to promote wood as a beautiful and sustainable building material to designers, architects, and construction professionals.
• Timber Transport ForumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerForum supporting forestry by ensuring the timber industries can access forests and market timber in a sustainable way, particularly regarding transport logistics.
• Brodies Solicitors LLPcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLegal helpline provider for Confor members in Scotland. Brodies' team of lawyers is experienced in all legal issues impacting forest owners including employment law, health and safety, planning, tax and property law. Contact: 0131 656 3795.
• Michelmores LLPcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLegal helpline provider for Confor members in England and Wales. Provides legal advice on matters affecting forest owners and the forest industry. Contact: 0333 004 3456.
• Hazlewoods LLPcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProvides woodland taxation helpline for Confor members. Contact: Nicholas Smail at +44 (0) 1242 680000, Staverton Court, Cheltenham GL51 0UX.
• Colin Palmer (Rural Services)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProvides chemical helpline for Confor members on pesticide use in forestry. Contact: 01531 633500, [email protected].
• Coed Llandegla / UPM TilhillminorOthersConed Llandegla Forest covers 650 hectares and is owned and managed by UPM Tilhill. Provides services to owners of nearly 200,000 hectares of woodland, managing 22,000 hectares in Wales alone.
• Forest ResearchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment forestry research agency and HIRP partner. Publishes research on Hylobius abietis integrated pest management and provides technical expertise for the forestry sector.
• Bionema Group LimitedminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of HIRP Conference 2025, specializing in biocontrol solutions for forest pest management including entomopathogenic nematodes and fungi.
• SyngentaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of HIRP Conference 2025 and manufacturer of Lanzarta (chlorantraniliprole), an insecticide for Hylobius control. Holder of product approval for forestry use.
• Dell TechnologiesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTechnology partner offering Confor members up to 20% discount on selected Dell UK laptops, desktops, servers and accessories. Also provides access to Small Business Technology Advisors.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Timber Development UK (TDUK): UK timber trade body representing the timber supply chain in construction; directly comparable to Confor as a membership/advocacy body and confirmed campaign partner on Trust UK C16.
• Scottish Forestry Trust: Scottish charitable trust funding forestry education, research and awards; partners with Confor on HIRP and presents the Dr Cyril Hart Memorial Award at Confor ceremonies.
• Institute of Chartered Foresters (ICF): UK chartered body for forestry professionals providing accreditation, training, and policy engagement; overlaps Confor's professional membership and advocacy remit and presents one of Confor's awards.

Broad incumbents

• Scottish Forestry: Scottish Government agency delivering forestry policy, regulation and grant support; adjacent to Confor's Scottish advocacy work and a key counterpart for Confor's Scotland National Manager.
• Forest Research: UK forestry research agency and Confor's HIRP partner; comparable as a sector-knowledge hub but publicly funded rather than member-funded.
• Forestry Commission: UK public-sector forestry agency overseeing national forests, regulation and policy; covers overlapping policy and advisory territory and co-sponsors Confor's awards, but operates as a government body rather than a private membership association.

Others

• CEI-Bois (European Confederation of Woodworking Industries): European-level wood industry federation; relevant as the continental analogue of Confor's advocacy role for UK wood-using members operating in cross-border supply chains.
• Wood for Good: UK wood promotion campaign partly owned by Confor itself; included to flag the in-house market-promotion vehicle that differentiates Confor's offering from other forestry associations.

Emerging players

• Forest Stewardship Council (FSC): Global non-profit promoting responsible forest management through certification; comparable as a sector NGO Confor's Nursery Producers Group references for FRM compliance.

Regional players

• Natural Resources Wales (Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru): Welsh public body managing the Welsh Government Woodland Estate and forestry regulation; Confor's Wales National Manager came from NRW, and the bodies interact closely on Welsh sector policy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCIg0oUWF084aaXiev70B4dQ
• Xx.com/forestsandwood
• Facebookfacebook.com/forestsandwood
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/confederation-of-forest-industries-uk-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Confor