The WPA is a not for profit trade association sharing a vision with its members to champion the use of timber as a building material, something we feel passionately about here at Gripsure. Now in their sixth year, the Awards have become a popular annual event which showcases wood protection technology as a relevant and vital part of the timber industry.

We are thrilled to announce that we have been shortlisted as a finalist for TWO our of the five categories at this year’s Wood Protection Association awards! These nominations are for the ‘Innovation’ and ‘Wood Protection Project of the Year’ categories for our work on Bristol Zoo Gardens’s Bear Wood Project. This project saw over 17,000 linear metres of our non-slip decking being used for their immersive boardwalk, which included bespoke infographics to enhance the customer journey and aid storytelling.

To ensure the safety of all participants, the event will now take place virtually via a Zoom awards ceremony on 15th October 2020 at 1pm. The event will include a review of the shortlisted nominations in each category before announcing the winners live.

Collaborating with Chadwick Dryer Clarke Architects and the Accsys Group, Gripsure supplied innovative non-slip graphic panels, that help tell the story of how plants left the water for life on land, and grew into the 400,000 species we know today.

The new awards, run by the prestigious Architects’ Journal, celebrate the working relationships between UK architects and suppliers on projects which have enhanced or exceeded the brief. Gripsure developed a number of prototypes for Chadwick Dryer Clarke before settling on the final design that exceeded the architects design aspirations as well as delivering a very high slip resistance.

In addition to the graphic panels, Gripsure supplied over 1,300 linear metres of non-slip Accoya decking, which was laid in an original diagonal pattern. The project is a great example of creative use of landscaping materials and demonstrates how manufacturers work with architects to exceed client and project expectations.

If you have a project that you think would be enhanced with bespoke graphic designs take a look at Gripsure Graphics.

Jo, alongside her husband and a group of friends, walked a staggering 100km (62 miles) in 28 hours non-stop. Raising over £1,500 for Ehlers-Danlos Support UK in the process. The route started at London’s Putney Bridge stretching along the Thames riverside through the dark of night to finish at Henley the following day.

Ehlers-Danlos syndrome is a largely unknown condition that affects the body’s connective tissue. It can lead to regular joint dislocations and, as there is no cure, the condition can only be eased by pain management. EDS UK works to improve the quality of life for people living with EDS, raising awareness and providing support as part of a growing community.

Talking about the challenge Jo said “It was definitely the hardest challenge we have ever attempted but I feel so proud of our achievement. The generous sponsorship and messages of support kept us going through the night. A couple of days of pain and discomfort is nothing compared to what an EDS sufferer has to live with every day!”

In just three weeks we will be heading to Timber Expo to showcase our range of non-slip decking products. The show takes place from the 9th – 11th of October at the NEC in Birmingham and is part of UK Construction Week.

With the launch of two new products, Gripsure has expanded their range of traditional non-slip timber decking to include Gripsure Accoya^®, a modified timber decking, and Gripsure Ecodek a composite decking solution. Both products will be featured at this year’s show on stand T320 and will be part of UK Construction Week’s Innovation Trail. If you have any non-slip decking requirements or are looking to add non-slip decking to your product offering you can book a meeting with a member of the Gripsure team here.

Timber Expo is the UK’s only dedicated timber trade show covering a wide range of timber applications. Timber frame, engineered timber products, cladding, decking, fixings and fastenings and much more. If you are interested in attending this year’s show you can register for your free ticket here.

Hello, my name is Tom and I have recently joined the Gripsure team as National Technical Sales Manager. With my first week under my belt, I now look forward to working with my colleagues and introducing our products to potential clients, specifiers and contractors in the months to come.

Since graduating from York university ten years ago, I have forged my career in the timber and construction industries respectively. I have taken on a variety of roles, predominantly liaising with merchants, contractors and architects, to secure contracts for large commercial projects nationwide. During my time in the timber industry, I have been fortunate enough to visit forests and mills in Norway and Sweden. This has given me a great insight into the journey that each deck board takes; from being harvested in the forest to producing and installing the final product.

I have been getting myself familiar with all the fantastic products that Gripsure offer. By offering non-slip solutions in softwoods, hardwoods, modified timbers and composites, we really do have all bases covered and I look forward to discussing upcoming projects with interested parties.

During my visit to St Austell, I had a tour of the production facilities as well as the office. I am impressed with the quality measures in place and the desire to keep improving the processes to offer best in class quality and service. As the company has grown, Gripsure have put in place the structures required to service orders of various products and quantities quickly, efficiently and to the highest standards. With customer service at the heart of the business, the team make sure they can be as flexible as possible to service our customer’s requirements. Whether it’s a few lengths to finish a project off or a full load of deck boards for a major project, the Gripsure team go above and beyond.

The internal team are very passionate and knowledgeable about our offering. Many have been with the company since its inception, which speaks highly of the culture that has been created within the business. With the majority of quotations serviced the same day and 95% of the UK able to receive delivery of stocked items the following day, customers are sure to be happy with such an effective, quality service.

I join Gripsure at an exciting time for the business with ambitious growth plans for the years ahead. Our sales team covering the whole of the UK have done a fantastic job in growing and supporting our merchant network. They have also done incredible work with a variety of end users and contractors to offer a safe and durable product offering.

I look forward to contributing to the future success of Gripsure and if you would like to know more about our products or have an upcoming project that you would like to discuss further, feel free to get in touch with me at tom@gripsure.co.uk.

I completed my 8-week internship at Gripsure from May to early July as part of my international trade studies at Le Kreisker in Saint Pol de Léon. It was my first experience of working for an international company in a foreign country.

Gripsure is the leading supplier of non-slip decking in the UK and began exporting into the French market in 2016. At the start of this year, Gripsure launched two non-slip decking products Cumaru and treated Pine, through one of the largest builder’s merchants in France.

My main activity during my internship was to contact Builders merchants across France and introduce them to the Gripsure product range as well as offering them more information about the products to help with in-store sales. I’ve also helped with some translations of product descriptions and emails.

Not all of my time was office based. I spent some of my time helping out the production team which gave me the opportunity to see how Gripsure non-slip timber decking is made and to improve my product knowledge.

The highlight of my internship is that I was given an incredible opportunity to attended Carrefour International du Bois as an exhibitor. The show is the biggest timber trade show in France held in Nantes every two years. This was an interesting experience and taught me a lot about how to present products in a busy and professional environment. I spoke with business professionals and took contact details of people who came onto the stand. My time at the trade show really gave me a feel for working in the professional world.

I enjoyed my time at Gripsure working in a friendly environment which I will never forget. I am extremely grateful to Gripsure for offering me my first international internship opportunity it is a big step for me in preparation for my future professional career.

Gripsure was started back in 2005, and Jo joined a small team of 5 in 2008 dealing with accounts and invoicing. The business was founded by Mike Nicholson and the main office was based in Mike’s garden office overlooking the beautiful Cornish coastline!

Now, still in Cornwall but based in new purpose-built offices at Bugle, with an additional two production units and over 16 employees, Gripsure has gone from strength to strength. Expanding from a local business, to an international company and becoming the largest non-slip decking company in the UK.

Speaking of her first ten years with Gripsure, Jo said “I have enjoyed being part of the Gripsure family and feel proud to be part of the company’s success. I wouldn’t want to work anywhere else although I do miss the view! I look forward to the exciting challenges that the next 10 years will bring. Thank you so much Gripsure for my weekend away in Dublin. I shall enjoy visiting the city and sampling Guinness on the tour!”

Gripsure’s Managing Director Mike Nicholson shared his thanks with Jo and said “Jo has been an integral part of our growth success, and now as Office Manager looks after the majority of the accounting and administration functions at Gripsure. I am proud that we now have two members of the team who have reached the 10-year milestone at Gripsure, and the loyalty that demonstrates to the company.”

The garden was created by Alan and the Love Your Garden team for an inspirational girl, Isabelle Cooper, who has severely limited vision. The four-year-old has a rare degenerative eye disease called LCA – Leber’s Congenital Amaurosis, and will one day go completely blind.

Before the ITV show, the family’s back garden was a rectangle of lawn surrounded by uneven, slippery paving that made it a difficult place for Isabelle to play. The Love Your Garden team transformed it into a safe haven for Isabelle, with plants and flowers that smell, sound, feel and even taste great.

The Love Your Garden production team chose Gripsure Contemporary profile for the new garden. This timber decking was customised with green anti-slip inserts that perfectly complemented the design. The non-slip decking was used to create a walkway leading up to the play area. This has helped to create a safe environment for Isabelle to have fun outdoors all year round.

Gripsure Managing Director Mike Nicholson said: “When Love Your Garden approached us to ask if we could supply decking for this garden, we were more than happy to help. I am a big fan of the show and when we heard about the family’s situation and what Alan and the team were aiming to achieve with the garden we knew Gripsure decking would work really well with their plans. We are aware that Isabelle has not been able to play outside as much as her family would like, so we hope that providing non-slip decking will go a little way to helping her spend more time outdoors.

“We were all glued to our screens when the show went out on 9th August and were really impressed with the transformation. All of us at Gripsure would like to send our very best wishes to Isabelle and her family. We hope you have many, many happy days together in your beautiful new garden.”