AST branches out into forestry

Specialization in Forestry Translation

Professional translations for the forestry industry have been added as the latest specialism to AST’s areas of expertise. This focus is particularly on the giant German market. Our new website page sets out what we can offer to the forestry and timber sector.

The development has seen AST in the news with a full report on The Business Desk news website. Additionally one can find more magazine coverage in the pipeline.

MD Andrew Schlich is well-qualified to lead the company into the sector. “The German forestry industry is much bigger than ours. The potential for us in that sector is huge, so I’ve been planning this development for some time. Sustainable forestry is a vital part of the German economy,” said Andrew.

“We’ve just launched our new timber page and will be targeting timber exporters, forestry websites or wood industry trade magazines.

“In fact any wood industry manufacturer or saw-milling company with a need to translate their marketing website, product manuals, safety guides or training documents into European, Asian or Middle Eastern languages would be grist to our mill.”

AST’s Bilingual Advantage and Heritage Connection

Forestry accounted for 1.3m jobs in Germany in 2019 and had an annual turnover of over $150 billion. Some 33 per cent of Germany’s land area is forest.

“This is a natural area for us to focus on because everyone employed by the company – all 10 of us – are German speakers. We cater for over 65 different languages. However, not many of our competitors could say that everybody in the company can speak the same second language. We are effectively a bilingual company,” Andrew added.

He is a tree enthusiast whose family associations with forestry, trees and the German language feature in his bloodline like sap: “My German great grandfather, Sir William Schlich, came over to the UK in 1880. He had been head of the Indian forestry service for the British Raj and was appointed to set up the School of Forestry at Oxford University. “

Andrew’s ancestor took British nationality and was knighted for his services to the empire and to Oxford.

AST’s new specialism also chimes in with the not-for-profit organisation Trees For Nottingham, which Andrew established 14 years ago. Additionally, it aligns with AST’s sponsorship of the Future Trees Trust, a timber industry research organisation devoted to propagating disease-resistant trees in species such as elm and ash. These trees can profitably benefit the British timber industry.

Commitment to Sustainability: Trees For Nottingham

Trees for Nottingham offers businesses a sponsorship package enabling them to secure the planting of single trees or to take part in larger planting schemes. Plantings have been sponsored by local companies including T&S Heating and Thomson-Reuters.

Another good omen for AST’s forestry future is the actual name of the company. “A recently-recruited translator here, Tom Dixon, who is also a tree enthusiast, pointed out to me that ‘Ast’ means branch in German…

“It’s entirely coincidental – but it does seem like a sign of things to come.”