Travis Perkins: Industry of the Month
About Travis Perkins
This month, our featured client sharing insights on the certification process is Travis Perkins. As the UK’s largest distributor of building materials, they have been serving the construction industry for over 200 years. Travis Perkins stands out due to their extensive reach and scale, which allows them to supply everything a customer needs for their building projects, no matter the location or time. Their nationwide network ensures prompt delivery of materials.
What truly sets Travis Perkins apart is their commitment to “Building for Better.” They emphasise, “We don’t just transport materials; we are actively driving Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) changes across the industry. Our business is founded on our core values, known as our Cornerstones: We Care (about safety and well-being), We Give Our Best to Be the Best (providing excellent service), and We’re Better Together (collaborating with suppliers and customers).”
FSC® & PEFC
We began our collaboration with Travis Perkins by exploring the motivations behind their certification journey. Whilst they are not equivalent standards, we asked, ‘what prompted you to pursue FSC® and PEFC certification?’ They explained, “We chose to become certified to ensure the integrity of our supply chain and to take a leadership role in responsible sourcing. For a company of our size, sourcing timber from legal and sustainable origins is a non-negotiable priority.”
Travis Perkins is dedicated to the principles of responsible sourcing. They stated, “Opting for dual certification (FSC and PEFC) was a strategic decision that enhances our supply chain resilience. It allows us to avoid reliance on a single scheme, enabling us to offer the widest range of sustainable products to our customers without compromising ethical standards.”
Dual certification
Travis Perkins has prioritised responsible sourcing in its business for many years, having obtained FSC® and PEFC certification since 2004. When we asked Travis Perkins about changes in trends and certification over time, they responded, “In 2004, certification was a differentiator—a nice-to-have. Today, it is a license to operate. The trend has shifted from niche requests to standard expectations.”
“Dual certification has actually streamlined our management process by offering flexibility,” they explained. To understand how dual certification has impacted their management processes, we spoke with the team at Travis Perkins. They shared that “historically, segregating stock could be a challenge in a busy branch. By expanding our acceptance of PEFC and implementing dual certification, we’ve simplified stock management in our yards and decreased the risk of product segregation issues. This makes it easier for our branch teams to manage product claims and facilitates smoother stock transfers between branches, as we have fewer conflicting claims to address.” To tackle the challenge of stock separation, Travis Perkins pursued dual certification, maximising supply chain resilience and ensuring they are not reliant on a single scheme. They have actively sought a more balanced dual-certification mix (approximately a 60/40 split) to improve product availability for their customers.
Industry specific benefits the team at Travis Perkins have discovered
- Certification provides verifiable proof to our customers that they are buying responsibly.
- Operationally, it has also driven significant improvements in our data quality and stock management.
- On a commercial level, it opens doors. Many of our customers work on government or BREEAM-rated projects where certified timber is a mandatory requirement. Holding these certifications ensures we can service 100% of the market, from small local builders to major contractors.
Certification Process
We spoke with Travis Perkins about their experience with certification, and they emphasised the importance of traceability. They noted, “It isn’t just a badge; it requires fundamental alignment among purchasing, operations, and sales.”
They also highlighted how the certification process revealed the connections within their systems. As they explained, “The process drove us to refine our internal coding and training, ensuring that sustainability is not just a policy at the head office, but a practical reality in every branch yard.” Having an effective management system, along with annual internal and external audits, can help uncover opportunities for growth. Certification is not merely about ticking boxes to create policies that pass audits; it’s about establishing a practical reality that adheres to the principles of certification.
“We view audits as a health check rather than a hurdle.”
- External audits from Interface provide a fresh perspective on our systems, often identifying efficiency opportunities that we might overlook.
- Internally, the audit culture fosters continuous improvement. It keeps our branch managers and staff vigilant, as they know they are regularly audited. Chain of Custody remains a daily topic of conversation at the branch, not just an annual discussion. This ensures that the golden thread of data is maintained from the forest to the invoice.
Customer Trends
Travis Perkins shared insights on the evolving needs of today’s customers, stating, “Customers are increasingly data-hungry. They aren’t just building structures; they are also reporting on carbon emissions, ESG targets, and biodiversity. If we cannot provide the Chain of Custody claim on the invoice, that timber is essentially useless to a customer trying to meet a BREEAM target.” Ensuring the sustainable origin of timber not only helps meet compliance requirements but also protects the customer’s reputation. They further emphasised, “If we fail in our Chain of Custody, we fail our customers’ sustainability goals.”
Travis Perkins not only prioritises sustainable sourcing but also actively promotes the benefits of responsible procurement. They highlight the importance of purchasing sustainably sourced materials in both the construction and timber industries. “Our strategy focuses on education and expertise. We invest heavily in our team, offering internal training courses so that our colleagues can confidently explain to local tradespeople why using certified timber is essential—not just for compliance, but for the longevity of the trade.” This approach is vital for Travis Perkins as they aim to shift the conversation from merely price and availability to value and impact. By ensuring that their branch team members are well-informed advocates, they help enhance the skills of the entire industry. Their ultimate goal is to make sustainable construction the standard practice rather than the exception.
Why choose Interface?
Why choose Interface? Well, I obviously think we are fabulous at what we do. We are rated Excellent on Trustpilot, and we continue to thrive through strong client connections. But if you wanted another perspective, we asked Travis Perkins, “Why do they choose Interface?”
They said:
“We needed a certification body that was responsive to our needs and understood the commercial realities of a business our size. As an employee-owned business, Interface shares similar values to us regarding people and integrity. We wanted a partner who would work with us to maintain compliance, rather than just ticking boxes.”
They emphasised the accessibility of our team: “With some certification bodies, you feel like just a number. With Interface, the communication is personal and prompt. Their auditors approach the process with a ‘critical friend’ mindset—they are thorough and rigorous, but also helpful in explaining complex clauses in plain English, which aids us in implementing them effectively across our branch network.”