Touchwood Wall Bracing (TWB)                                     NEW WALL SYSTEM A new wave in solid wood construction is here.       Touchwood Articles	Touchwood is proud to introduce a new patented (Patent # 546468) wall brace panel that has exceeded the companies expectations while meeting all the requirements of the NZ Building Code. In fact the new 600mm panel (TWB6) is the strongest brace around of it's size having an astonsihing bracing  value of 145 BU/m for wind and 165 BU/m for earthquake. Click here to view our Manufacturers  Appraisal.   Success! R&D pays off. Touchwood can now offer exclusive Touchwood distributors and clients more benefits than ever before. With the new wall system we can minimise costs furthur and reduce overall construction times. Click here for photo's of walls under construction.  In the News-Sunday Star Times Article on Touchwood.
The evolution of TOUCHWOOD. A history.	(c) Fairfax New Zealand Ltd 2004 reproduced courtesy of Sunday Star-Times. All rights reserved.
The pedigree in the development of solid wood construction products and design runs deep in the LaGrouw family’s bloodline.  Jo LaGrouw senior and his partner John vanLoghem began their foray into the solid wood construction industry in New Zealand in 1951with the setting up of the now internationally renown Lockwood Building system.
Jo LaGrouw senior was involved with the very successful company for 50 years and was the founding partner and the architect and engineer of the company for that time, developing house designs and systems that were foreign to the housing market in the beginning but found great favor with customers over the many years.   His son, Corgi (Cornelis) joined that company in 1967 and was molded by his father to follow in his footsteps in the research and development position and was groomed to play a major part in the operation of the company culminating in becoming a major shareholder and after having spent several years as General Manager/ Director, became Joint managing Director of the Group.
After committing 35 years of his life at the company and having been involved in all spheres of the operation from sweeping floors to technical drawing, house design, manufacturing management, inventing and implementing new building products and the setting up of manufacturing operations in Malaysia and the Philippines and having been involved with exporting solid wood housing components to many areas of the world, he sold his shareholding to his brother in 1998.
Today and having spent considerable research and development, a revolutionary solid wood construction product, Touchwood, has been developed produced by his son Brooke and his friend and business partner Ivan Scott.
Ivan spent his entire life dedicated to building construction and 20years designing, selling and constructing solid wood homes and commercial structures. He contributes considerable entrepreneurial, commercial and practical strength to the Touchwood building system operations and the development of its products and business practice. Ivan also brings selling and product marketing to the business mix specializing in solid wood products. He has the nouse and building knowledge to determine cost efficiencies for manufacturing and on site construction techniques and efficiencies.   Brooke has his direct bloodline from his grandfather Jo LaGrouw senior, a similar technical passion for the creative innovative, solid wood building products. He has the youth and drive required to achieve success. He has the technical training and having had ten years building solid wood homes in New Zealand, Korea and Japan underpinning the knowledge, which is required to ensure compliance with, and application of product design. Brooke has undertaken the production of the actual product registered designs, computer building consent and construction drawings, detail and construction manuals and product specifications as well as setting up websites and promotional materials.     Together, Corgi, Ivan and Brooke mix the talents and experience of all three to bring about a revolutionary new solid wood building product, Touchwood to the market. We offer a choice to those who desire the hard wearing durability and beauty of natural  radiata pine sculptured into homes and commercial structures for the enjoyment of their owners.