Custom cabinetry trends

Furniture design students at Appalachian State University are getting first-hand experience working with a new real product, Perennial Wood, by participating in the Perennial Wood Appalachian State Design Studio 2012.
Sponsored by Perennial Wood manufacturer Eastman Chemical Co., the design studio provides students with chances to ask questions to wood product experts, learn more about and interact with Perennial Wood, and create and display furniture designs in several different venues. More than 20 students are participating in the design studio, which kicked off in January  and concludes in March when students finish their design.
Several students will have the opportunity to display their furniture at High Point Market Week, the furnishing industry trade show, taking place April 21-26, in High Point, N.C. The show’s visitors will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite design, and following the show, a panel of judges will name the overall winner. The student with the winning design will receive a professionally produced video of their project and furniture design for inclusion on the Eastman Innovation Lab website.
“Partnering with Eastman for this design studio not only gives our students the opportunity to work with this exciting new material, but also the experience of contributing to an important product launch,” said Kern Maass, assistant professor in Appalachian State University’s department of technology and environmental design. “They are gaining invaluable experience doing real world design that involves interacting with professionals in design, marketing and communication, with the ultimate goal of developing a product suitable for the marketplace.” 
For more information on Perennial Wood, please visit http://www.perennialwood.com/Pages/Home.aspx.

The Cabinet Makers Association announced its last call to receive a complimentary copy of the results of its 2012 survey of the custom cabinet and woodworking industry.
To receive a free copy, subscribe to CMA’s monthly e-newsletter before March 1. Included is the full 24-page report, highlighting shop labor rates, annual sales volume, number of employees and shop sizes, pay rates for production and management employees, automated equipment usage and software preferences, as well as industry news and business management information in each monthly e-newsletter.
CMA says a trial subscription to the e-newsletter is free for requesting the information. To subscribe, go to http://visitor.eliteemail.com/?action=subctrl&bid=CA/1824&goback=%2Egmp_1790963%2Egde_1790963_member_95982525, and check the box that reads “2012 CMA Benchmark Survey Results Requested.”

Dynamic Wood Solutions, a manufacturer of commercial casework, millwork and store fixtures, recently relocated to a larger facility in Michigan as a result of increased product demand.
The company moved from its previous 9,000-square-foot location to a new 19,000-square-foot facility in Michigan, creating eight full-time and four part-time positions.
“Our new facility isn’t just a bigger building: it has more off-load space for our suppliers, an open floor plan to increase manufacturing efficiency, bettering ability to change fabrication set ups and stage our large custom pieces, and more office space for support staff,” said Ryan Gardner, partner and project director. ”We also have more room to store finished product until the moment it is needed at the construction sites, which has been a challenge for us given the industry we serve is time and field condition sensitive. This all means that we can maintain our high quality product while continuing to meet increased customer demands.”
To learn more about the company’s products, visit www.dynamicwoodsolutions.com.

The Architectural Woodwork Institute’s Georgia chapter has recently decided to dissolve as a result of declining membership in difficult economic times, and will use the remainder of its money to support the WoodLINKS USA student woodworking program.
AWI-Georgia’s remaining funds will go toward paying state license fees for up to six schools in that state, and to pay for teachers to attend the International Woodworking Fair in Atlanta.
WoodLINKS USA is currently looking for schools in Georgia interested in becoming part of its national network. If you know of a school that would be interested in becoming an AWI-sponsored WLUSA site, please send a letter of interest and include a statement explaining how the program would benefit from participation in the WLUSA program. Information should be submitted via email to woodlinksusa@medicacombb.net. For more information on the program, please go to www.woodlinksusa.org.

The National Kitchen & Bath Association released findings from its 2012 NKBA Design Trends Survey, which found new trends in cabinetry wood types and finishes, and a growing popularity in LED lighting use.
Cherry wood, which has consistently been the first or second most popular wood type for kitchen cabinetry, was specified by 69 percent of designers in 2012, down from 72 percent in 2011 and 80 percent in 2010. Maple also fell, specified by 70 percent of designers in 2012 compared to 77 percent in 2011. The survey found that instead of one or two woods capturing the majority of market share, lesser-used woods are being specified more often, including oak (22 percent), walnut (13 percent), birch (15 percent) and bamboo (10 percent).
According to NKBA, natural kitchen cabinetry is trending toward darker finishes, which were specified by 58 percent of kitchen designers. Light natural finishes were recently specified by 30 percent of kitchen designers, while medium natural finishes were specified by 55 percent.
For the first time since NKBA began its design trends survey, traditional was not the most popular design style in kitchens and bathrooms, replaced by transitional style in 2012. Traditional style was specified in 58 percent of kitchens and 59 percent of baths, down from nearly 75 percent in both rooms previously. Contemporary was next, specified in 52 percent of kitchens and 53 percent of bathrooms.
Another trend identified in the survey is the returning popularity of medicine cabinets, which were specified by 43 percent of designers in 2010 and 36 percent in 2011, but were requested by 66 percent of designers in 2012. LED lighting is also becoming popular in homes, according to the survey, as it was specified by 70 percent of NKBA kitchen designers in 2012, up from 54 percent in 2011. 
For more findings of the 2012 NKBA Design Trends Survey, please visit http://www.nkba.org/press/releases/pressreleases2012/12-02-16/NKBA_Reveals_Top_Kitchen_Bath_Trends_for_2012.aspx.

Biesse America will hold its first One2One event of the year on April 26-27, at the Charlotte, N.C. headquarters.
This open house event allows industry professionals to exchange ideas and do hands-on woodworking machinery training. Biesse’s machinery, including the new Skipper V31, will be under power for demo for the first time in North America. Show demonstrations will include the processing and milling of solid wood and wood panels, and a range of machinery for shops of all sizes.
To register, please go to http://www.biesseamerica.com/one2onespringclt2012. 

The Association for Retail Environments is hosting GlobalShop, a tradeshow dedicated to store design, visual merchandising and shopper marketing, Feb. 29 through March 2, in Las Vegas.
The tradeshow will feature new products and business opportunities, educational sessions and networking events. Keynote presenter Dr. David Bosshart CEO of the Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute, will speak about the future of retail.
For more information, please visit www.globalshop.org/.

Spencer Dick, CEO of stop-gauge and linear positioning systems provider TigerStop LLC, was appointed to serve on the International Trade Administration’s Industry Trade Advisory Committee for automotive equipment and capital goods.
The committee advises U.S. trade representatives on trade matters and functions, providing policy and technical advice, information and recommendations regarding trade barriers, negotiation of trade agreements, and implementation of existing trade agreements.
“Serving on this committee gives me the opportunity to be a small voice for something I hold vitally important to the future of the U.S. economy,” said Dick.
He said he is optimistic that his 30 years of manufacturing and trade experience will offer solutions on resolving the unfair trade practices that have damaged the U.S. middle class.
To learn more about the ITAC2 committee, please visit http://trade.gov/itac/committees/itac02.asp. To learn more about TigerStop, please visit www.tigerstop.com.