DTM Timber

Ensuring A Greener Future

Business View Oceania interviews Alistair Perina and Andrew Davies of DTM Timber for our Manufacturing View sector.

Since their founding in 1988, DTM Timber has worked hard to provide a range of eco-conscious timber services to clients across Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific. Proudly Australian owned and operated, DTM Timber is passionate about supporting their local market as well as encouraging appropriate use of global trade opportunities. The company is also dedicated to improving environmental standards within Oceania’s timber industry and works to educate clients and end users on the importance of ethical timber harvest, manufacture, and application.

DTM Timber runs a multi-faceted operation that provides large logging harvest, sawmilling, timber treatment, and timber sales both locally and internationally. In the Oceania region, DTM Timber has a strong focus on quality building timber supply – a market they have been a part of for the last quarter-century. Timber products include building poles, cross arms, decking, fencing and landscaping supplies, engineered building products, flooring, piles, power poles, structural hardwood timbers, and high-end furniture and decorative timbers. DTM Timber maintains high levels of flexibility for their customers in areas such as timber species supply, sizing, aesthetics, application parameters, grade, and cost-effectiveness. They supply to residential, commercial, and industrial spheres alike.

Alistair Perina, Sales and Marketing Manager, and Andrew Davies, Operational Risk & Environmental Manager, share their profound understanding of DTM Timber’s rich history, current projects, and vision for the future. Mr. Davies begins, “DTM Timber was previously known as Dale and Meyers Operations. That entity was started in 1988; Gary Dale, a transport company owner and operator, and John Meyers, a retired army Major, began our journey supplying railway and landscape sleepers for the market in Queensland (Australia). They each had skills that allowed the business to grow very quickly, and before long it was running full throttle. In 2002 Raymond (Curly) Tatnell became a partner in the business. With the passing of Gary Dale in 2016 Curly has become the sole owner and Managing Director with Ian Haines being appointed General Manager in 2019.There have been significant expansions since its inception in the way of timber and dry mills, treatment plants, retail networks, and transport operations. We now service global clients as well as our key market in Australia, and we do it in a way that benefits everybody involved.”

DTM Timber currently employees approximately 130 staff across three locations in Australia; Maryborough (Queensland), Tiaro (Queensland), and Casino (New South Wales). These locations support a variety of timber treatment and milling facilities, fabrication plants, kilns, and manufacturing and storage facilities. The company transports their own timber up and down the East Coast and provides utility pole distribution and transport services for energy corporations and associated entities in the area.

Primarily a wholesaler to other businesses in the industry, DTM Timber has evolved over the last three decades to be a one stop shop for timber needs of clients both large and small. They proudly provide services under a number of environmental certifications, Mr. Davies explains. “Customers can come to us if they need poles, structural timber for their home, decking, flooring… Our wholesalers can come to us and pretty much get an entire package. We treat and manufacture everything in house. We’ve got Chain of Custody certification for our timbers, so we sell PEFC/Responsible Wood, and we have ISO 9001 Quality and 14001 Environmental certifications as well. Our timber comes from privately managed forests, public forestry operations, and plantations.  All sources are required to meet the same due diligence to allow for our chain of custody certification. And each of those areas are audited to the same degree, so we can ensure that every piece of timber we manage and work with is sourced in the right way.”

Keeping up with the latest advancements in harvest, treatment, and distribution technology has allowed DTM Timber to continue expanding their services and maintain the highest standards of quality in their products. Recent innovations at DTM Timber include the installation of new multi-saws, which increase the yield of board material and minimise waste. What waste is produced is repurposed through on-site finger joiners, meaning that low-value products and waste material is able to be remanufactured into premium products and put back into the market. Mr. Davies explains that DTM Timber has taken steps to ensure any waste products that cannot be used on site are passed on to other sources. “Currently, we are looking at how to make even better use of what was previously waste product. We’re doing research into producing biofuels or bio char on site, which will ensure we are a basically zero-waste site and greatly decrease our carbon footprint. We also have a great initiative going at the moment with the Macadamia industry. Our sawdust and chipped timber are both used to increase the carbon content of growing soil, and also to produce a mulch that goes over the top of the soil to protect growing plants and retain moisture. It’s shown great results in Macadamia farms here in Queensland.”

DTM Timber is deeply committed to ensuring a greener future for generations to come. A leader in sustainability for the Australian timber industry, DTM Timber is transparent in their fight against climate change and has clearly outlined their dedication to sustainable practices. Their commitment reads, “We recognise that the Australian community has high expectations with regard to the environmental performance of companies such as ours. We know that to continue to be a successful business we must constantly increase our understanding of environmental issues and take action to manage these issues. Our environmental vision is to manage our business in a way which promotes sustainable forest management, increases the efficient use of resources and energy and reduces negative impacts on the environment.”

DTM Timber has plans to continue expanding milling operations and make better use of all products that move through their sites over the next five years. Waste minimisation and management are important in terms of both economic stability and environmental responsibility, Mr Perina explains. Further expansion into other areas of Australia, particularly South Australia and Western Australia, is also on the cards. Mr. Perina concludes, “It’s exciting to see a resurgence of a lot more young people coming into the industry. I think there are a lot of bright young minds coming in that will help grow the industry and keep things up to date in the future. So, I think the future of the industry looks great.”

AT A GLANCE

DTM Timber

What: Timber logging, sawmilling, treatment, and sales services for clients in Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific

Where: DTM Timber is headquartered in Maryborough, Queensland

Website: http://www.dtmtimber.com.au/

PREFERRED VENDORS