Custom cabinetry trends

The International Woodworking Machinery & Furniture (IWF) supply fair was held Aug. 25-28, in Atlanta, with 972 exhibitors displaying new products for machinery, supplies and services.
Although attendance was down from the previous show, IWF 2010 had 11,425 verified buyers from 83 countries walking the trade show floor and attending the conference. IWF participated in the Department of Commerce International Buyer Program, which resulted in seventeen additional buyer delegations. According to IWF, encouraging feedback from attendees and exhibitors was heard throughout the four day event.
“Anytime you have a gathering of thousands of industry professionals good things are going to happen for the industry. The energy and enthusiasm generated at IWF by networking, product demonstrations, and new relationships cannot be replaced by any other B2B medium,” said Riccardo Azzoni, IWF 2010 chairman and president of Atlantic Machinery Corp.

Mereen-Johnson Machine Co. announced the recipients of its 2010 NorthStar Dealer Awards.
This award is presented to Mereen-Johnson machinery dealers who provide the highest level of customer service, effort, results and business integrity. Three awards were presented at this year’s IWF show, to the following Mereen-Johnson dealerships: RT Machinery in Hughesville, Pa.; JJ Hilgefort Woodworking Machinery in Jasper, Ind.; and Lindsay Machinery in Manawa, Wis.

According to Thomas Ginschel, president and CEO of Hettich America L.P., worldwide sales for Hettich were up 12 percent through the end of July, following a 9 percent sales decline in 2009.
Speaking at a press conference in the Hettich display at IWF, Ginschel said sales growth was strongest in Asia, with Germany and Europe also strong, except Spain. In North America, Canadian sales were up 40 percent while U.S. revenues were stable.
At IWF, Hettich displayed its Kitchen Concept 2015, with many advanced technologies. Grant sliding door hardware, Sensys soft-close doors and Multitech steel drawers were also featured at IWF.

Scott Grove of Green Grove Design, Rochester, N.Y., earned the Grand Prize and took the Cabinetry category for his Ski Media Cabinets in the Sixth Annual Veneer Tech Craftsman’s Challenge sponsored by CabinetMakerFDM magazine. Grove’s cabinets feature a variety of veneers including amboyna burl, quilted maple, sapele and wenge.
2010 Veneer Tech Craftsman’s Challenge Woodworking Competition winners include:

Grand Prize/Cabinetry

• Scott Grove, Green Grove Design, Rochester, N.Y.
• Distributor, Certainly Wood of East Aurora, N.Y.; Sales representative, Greg Engle

Architectural Woodworking

• Albert Grant, Albert S. Grant Fine Woodworking and Design, Melrose, Conn.

Furniture

• Abdolhay Parnian, Parnian Furniture, Scottsdale, Ariz.

Store Fixtures

• Abdolhay Parnian, Parnian Furniture, Scottsdale, Ariz.

Specialty Items

• Rob Milam, VeneerImages, Atlanta, Ga.

Student Design

• Christy Oates, San Diego State University

Honorable Mention

• Mark Bernhard, Bernhard Woodwork, Northbrook, Ill.
• Tom Knoebel, Beach Cabinets, LLC, Melbourne, Fla.
• Pattrick Loew, Hastings High School, Hastings, Mich.
• Malcolm McDowell, Tunnicliffe, Art Lights, Torreon Co., Mexico
• Earl Kelly, Earl Kelly Furniture, Pensacola, Fla.
• John Harper, EMC Woodworking, Phoenix
• Ramon Valdez, Exotic Woodworks, Bloomfield, N.M.
• Chuck Sharbaugh, Holly, Mich.
• Scott Grove, Green Grove Design, Rochester, N.Y

James L. Taylor Manufacturing Co. and JLT Clamps, Safety Speed Cut and Unique Machine & Tool Co. will be awarded the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Export Achievement Certificate at IWF 2010.
The companies will receive the certificate for making their first export sale into India. C.R. Onsrud also sold for the first time into India and previously received the President’s “E” Award for a significant effort to increase U.S. exports.
These WMMA members were assisted by the U.S. Commercial Service office in Bangalore, India, which provided research on the Indian market for woodworking machinery and tools. The awards are being presented at IWF 2010 because the show is part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, International Buyer Program (IBP), which used the U.S. Commercial Service network of 1,500 trade professionals in 77 countries to recruit foreign buyers to IWF.

The Cabinet Makers Association (CMA) will hold a workshop titled “Growth and Profit Strategies for Today’s Market,” Aug. 25, immediately after the IWF exhibit hall closes for the day.
The free workshop will be held in the convention center’s meeting room and will include CMA members and other interested woodworking professionals.
The meeting will begin with examples of strategies used by fellow members to grow during the recent past and then break into small group discussions.
Reservations must be made in advance, and participants must be registered to attend IWF 2010. For more information, call 414.377.1340.

Laguna Tools will give away an Apple IPad as part of a special drawing at the International Woodworking Fair (IWF) in Atlanta, Aug. 25 to Aug. 28.
To enter the Apple IPad drawing, show attendees must swipe their authorized IWF Badge at the Laguna Tools booth, #5634. At the conclusion of the IWF, a winner will be drawn and notified within 14 days of the drawing. The drawing is limited to one, non-transferable entry per person and the winner does not need to be present at the drawing.

There’s still time to make it to the International Woodworking Fair 2010 to be held Aug. 25 to 28, 2010 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Ga. Here are some recent updates on the show:
–IWF reports that the number of exhibitors has been increasing, and topped the 950 mark in recent days. It’s been encouraging that the number of exhibitors has increased over the past few months as the show dates approach. “The commitment of over 950 exhibitors…proves the industry is moving in the right direction,” says Riccardo Azzoni, IWF 2010 chairman and president of Atlantic Machinery Corp.
–All-day sessions begin Tuesday, Aug. 24, the day before the exhibit hall opens. Symposiums include: Selling Closets from A-Z: The Perfect Niche for Today’s Economy; Cabinet to Countertops: Turning Opportunity to Profit; Surviving in the Upholstery World of Over-Supply; and Finishing Technology and Sustainability: The Pathway to Profits.
–IWF is also offering a special deal on technical session registration. In addition to the four symposia, there will be 23 sessions to choose from. Attendees that register for any symposium can receive a free technical session registration of their choice. If they register for any technical session they will receive a second session at half price.
–New IWF online planning tools allow attendees to arrive at the show floor knowing exactly which exhibutors they want to see and where they are on the floor. Attendees can add exhibitors to their personalize “my show” planner. For more information on any of these items, go to IWF Atlanta.

Still the place to be
IWF is still the place to be, the place to compare hundreds of new woodworking products, see dozens of technical seminars and mingle with thousands of other woodworkers.
“IWF is the largest wood industry trade show in the western hemisphere,” said Chris Hacker, vice president of Taylor Manufacturing and JLT Clamps, of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., and chair of the IWF Task Force, a group of WMMA and WMIA member company representatives that are seeking to expand the show. “Nowhere else in North or South America can buyers see and evaluate more exhibitors in one place. These manufacturers and suppliers will be showing their advanced products and technology,” says Hacker.
Patrick LaFramboise, IWF president and CEO, said, “The purpose of IWF is to promote the industry and provide a platform for suppliers in the industry to make their products available to the industry in a face-to-face environment. IWF is also where industry professionals get the education they need through our conference program.
“Most importantly, IWF is the meeting point for the industry. There is no substitute for the value of networking with your peers in the environment of a trade show.”

Challengers winners announced soon
This year’s IWF features full list of participants in the Challengers Distinguished Achievement Award. This year, 65 companies entered 80 products for the competition. See the complete list.
“The Challengers Award and IWF are the platform for innovation and new product introduction,” said Riccardo Azzoni, IWF 2010 chairman and president of Atlantic Machinery Corp. “Our industry continues to invest in the future. Industry professionals will have an unique opportunity to see some of the most advanced new products available.”
New for 2010, the Challengers Award finalists and winners will be recognized all four days in a visible display area on the show floor. The special area will provide buyers and the media information about the 2010 finalists and winners. See the updated list of finalists. The award recognizes advancements in technology or significant contributions to environmental improvement and it focuses on companies that have distinguished themselves by developing innovative technology in products, services or manufacturing techniques.

Technical sessions
The 2010 education conference includes four symposiums and 23 sessions. The technical conference schedule includes lean manufacturing, regulatory issues, managing expenses, maintenance excellence, recruiting the right people, green/sustainable workshop, estimating, eliminating waste, competitive finishing and many others. Be sure to leave time to attend a session on social media and marketing with CabinetMaker+FDM’s Bruce Plantz at 8:30 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 27. A complete list of technical sessions.

Meet us on the roof!
Follow CabinetMakerFDM up the ladder to the roof! We will be hosting informal evening get-togethers during the first three days of IWF, Aug. 25, 26 and 27 on the rooftop of a nearby sports bar called Stats. It is located at 300 Marietta St. N.W., 404.885.1472 . It’s about one block from the Hall A entrance of the Georgia World Congress Center and it is across the street from the Hilton Garden Inn and Embassy Suites.
Stats features 70 high-definition televisions, popular American cuisine and beer that pours from specially made table taps. There will be free appetizers and a paid bar. We’re planning a night for Sawdust Soup participants, a night to meet editors Karl Forth and Will Sampson, and a social media night. This is a great opportunity to network in an informal setting. If you’re attending IWF, come by and see us at Booth 4465 for last-minute details.

You’re planning to go to IWF to make connections with important suppliers and to meet other woodworkers. But how are you going to connect with customers?
Social Media and the Woodworking World is a free seminar scheduled during IWF on Friday, Aug. 27 from 8:30 to 10 a.m. The seminar will be presented by Bruce Plantz, publisher of CabinetMakerFDM.com and SawdustSoup.com.
Who is making use of social media in woodworking today? Is it just for big companies that mention their Facebook address in television and magazine ads, or can small and medium-sized companies take advantage of this new medium to reach current and prospective customers?
Plantz will provide a quick overview of how companies can effectively use social media to reach current and prospective customers. In addition, a panel of woodworkers who have used social media effectively will share their examples and experiences.
For more information and to register, go to the IWF web site.

The entry deadline of June 11 has passed, the judges have made their decisions and the winners of the Veneer Tech Craftsman’s Challenge have been notified.
The results of the challenge will be revealed at booth 2067 at IWF 2010 in Atlanta, beginning Aug. 25. If you are in Atlanta and plan to attend the event, please visit the booth to see which entries have been awarded for design excellence. Visit Veneer Tech’s website to see the winning work featured, as well as to review all of the creative entries.