Interview with Rob MacKenna, General Manager, James Jones and Sons
Responsible forestry is not only an environmental issue. It is also fundamental to long-term business resilience, supply chain confidence and economic growth. For companies working with timber and timber-based products, long-term success depends on confidence in the resource, confidence in the supply chain and confidence from customers. Responsibly managed forests help provide that foundation by supporting a renewable supply of material, enabling long-term planning and creating the conditions for investment, employment and growth.
PEFC certification plays an important role in this. It provides assurance that timber comes from sustainably managed forests and that it can be traced through the supply chain. In practice, this helps businesses demonstrate responsible sourcing, show customers where materials come from and give buyers greater confidence in the products they are specifying or purchasing. The role of PEFC is not simply to certify, but to help connect responsible forestry with strong businesses, local jobs and long-term economic resilience.
For many businesses, that assurance is now essential. Rob MacKenna, General Manager for James Jones & Sons Limited’s timber processing operations in South Scotland, explains that certification supports access to market because customers increasingly want clear evidence that the timber they buy comes from a sustainable source.
“Certification supports our business economically by providing us access to market.”
Productive forests also create wider economic value. In areas with strong forestry activity, they help support jobs, skills and investment across the wider supply chain, including sawmilling, engineering, haulage and other supporting industries. In the interview material, South Scotland is presented as a clear example of this, with significant long-term investment in timber processing linked to the availability of productive, responsibly managed forests.
Responsible forestry supports more than short-term supply. It enables long-term thinking in a sector where decisions are made over decades rather than months. Timber crops are often grown on 30 to 40 year rotations, which means responsible management is essential if businesses are to rely on future supply. Certification helps provide confidence that forests will continue to deliver environmental, social and economic value over time.
That long-term perspective also matters to communities. Sustainable forest management helps support stable employment, local investment and businesses that can continue to operate across generations. Rob MacKenna reflects on the number of long-serving employees and multi-generational family links within the business, showing how responsible timber sourcing supports both continuity of raw material and continuity of local jobs
“Without the forest being managed on a sustainable basis, we wouldn’t have the confidence to invest the amount of money we’ve invested in timber processing machinery and in turn create the jobs that the machinery provides.”
The benefits of responsible forestry also extend well beyond the forest gate. Timber grown today will become the construction materials, fencing, pallets and packaging of the future. As the interview notes, timber is an essential resource in everyday life and forests planted now will supply products needed over the coming decades. That is why certification matters not only to forest owners and processors, but also to specifiers, buyers and brands looking to make responsible sourcing decisions.
PEFC certification helps provide the assurance that these products come from a sustainable source and supports a supply chain built on transparency and trust. For businesses facing increasing expectations around sustainability and traceability, it offers a practical and internationally recognised way to demonstrate that commitment.
“For our ongoing success, our customers are looking to know that the products that they’re buying come from a sustainable source and being able to have PEFC certification associated with our products allows our customers to have those assurances.”
Choosing PEFC-certified products is therefore about more than meeting a requirement. It is a practical way to support responsible forestry, strengthen supply chain confidence and contribute to long-term economic resilience. By choosing certified products, businesses and consumers can help support forests that are managed for the future, alongside the jobs, communities and industries that depend on them.
Contact us if you want to learn more on how responsible forestry certification supports trusted supply chains and long-term business resilience.
