“Over the last couple of months, OTL have been challenged with some of the biggest hurdles we’ve ever faced as a business in over 20 years. Every company has its challenges, however sometimes people are sceptical to share their experience for the fear of exposure. By sharing our story, I hope it’ll benefit others to keep in mind that no matter how big a sudden problem there’s always a resolution!
We have certainly been tested, but have come out fighting the other end, a huge testament to the culture we have at OTL.
The challenging experience has actually been a good thing and highlighted other factors in our business we should have looked into way before now.
I would like to thank our great team and clients for their support and understanding over the last couple of months.
Thanks everyone.“
James, Managing Director
Here’s our story over the last couple of months…
On 8 March 2022 FSC International announced that because of the association of the forest sector in Russia and Belarus with armed invasion, no FSC-certified material or controlled wood from these countries will be permitted to be traded.
As our formers were made from FSC certified Birch plywood (which is predominately sourced from Russia) this news changed our approach overnight. In true OTL style, we didn’t shy away and tackled this problem head on.
Our team instantly went into product development mode, sourcing alternative materials and putting them through a series of stringent tests.
Many unsuccessful, however driven by immense determination, persistence, and an incredible team we finally struck gold, with an Indonesian plywood performing as well, if not slightly better than birch plywood we’ve used for over the last 20 years.
Our new WBP Marine Grade Performance Ply is a high-quality hardwood, well known for its excellent strength making it suitable for heavy duty floors. It has a high density, strength, and biological durability over other species and is also used as a structural material within the Marine Industry.
So, we are delighted to say that we can provide an uninterrupted service to our clients, and do what we do best, manufacture wet room formers, and overcome any client challenges, allowing our business to continue to not only survive but work to service our customers better than before.