BM TRADA to close services

Elements of certification, inspection and testing service provider BM TRADA is to close its timber advisory, consultancy and publications offering, it has been announced.

BM TRADA has undergone significant changes in recent years. It was acquired by Element Materials Technology in 2015 and continued to operate under that brand. In 2022, its longstanding managed services agreement with TRADA (the Timber Research and Development Association) ended. Subsequently, TRADA merged with the Timber Trade Federation to form Timber Development UK (TDUK).

Until now, BM TRADA has operated independently, providing certification, testing and technical advice to the timber and construction industries. This includes conducting surveys, offering design guidance, and publishing technical resources. 

Operator Element said in a statement that these services no longer align with its core businesses, which focus on testing, inspection and certification and are unaffected. Therefore, they will cease to operate at the end of December 2024.

"We would like to thank all our clients for their support over the many years since this business began," Element added.

TIAS (UK), a third-party organisation suggested by Element, may be able to provide timber advice and consultancy services to businesses going forward. TIAS (UK) is a new business set up by a timber consultant formerly employed at BM TRADA.