Tim Johnston
This year the VAFI Annual Industry Dinner is a particularly special event, as it marks 130 years of industry representation in Victoria. Source: Timberbiz
The dinner, to be held on Friday 18 November, will be a great celebration of an industry and an association with a proud history and a bright future.
From 1886, when sawmillers met at the Orient Hotel in Melbourne, through to the Hardwood Millers’ Association of Victoria, then the Victorian Sawmillers Association, and finally, the Victorian Association of Forest Industries: this is the long and strong history of the association, and it is a legacy that VAFI staff is proud to uphold.
“We have come a long way since those early days at the Orient, although some of our challenges remain eerily similar,” Tim Johnston, CEO said.
“However, VAFI is no longer just sawmillers, we are also growers, managers, contractors, and processors.
“We work in plantations and in the natural forest, and we live in rural, regional and metropolitan Victoria. Some of us even live interstate.
“From the seedling to the stick of timber or ream of paper, we are all that and everything in between.
“I am very honoured to be the CEO of an association that is a trusted voice for the forest and wood products industry. We have worked hard for our strong reputation for service and advocacy in Victoria.
“With your help we would love to make 2016 a year of celebration. We would love to hear your stories about the industry in Victoria and we would love to see your photos from the past, and the present.
“This industry would not be the great industry it is today without all of you.”
To be a part of the celebration contact the VAFI office at [email protected] or call 03 9611 9000.
