Archive for February 2010
KCMA offering OSHA-approved table saw safety program
As a part of its alliance with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association (KCMA) announces a new Table Saw Safety Training Program.
The program, developed by Kelly Moore Consulting and the KCMA/OSHA Alliance Team, was approved by OSHA as a tool for cabinet manufacturers to use in training their employees on the safe operation of a table saw.
The training program is made up of five components: a PowerPoint presentation to train employees, a safety tip sheet, a test for employees to take to demonstrate their understanding of the PowerPoint presentation, an answer sheet and an evaluation of the trainer demonstration of the saw. The program is available for download.
“Through our alliance with OSHA, we strive to provide KCMA members and others with materials, guidance and access to training resources that will help them protect employees’ health and safety, especially in reducing and preventing exposure to amputation hazards,” said Dick Titus, executive vice president, KCMA.
C.H. Briggs Co. CEO invited to White House
Julia Klein, CEO of C.H. Briggs Company, was one of 70 business owners from across the country invited to the White House Feb. 17 for President Obama and Vice President Biden’s remarks on the importance of the stimulus program on the U.S. economy.
This meeting marked the first anniversary of the passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. C.H. Briggs has not been the direct recipient of any stimulus dollars, but has benefited as investments have been made in public housing, military housing and hospitals, VA hospitals and base relocation and consolidation projects, according to the company.
“We are a living example of the multiplier effect that the stimulus effort can have through the supply chain,” said Klein. “A hospital gets refurbished, architects and general contractors get hired, a subcontractor gets picked up to build the interiors, C.H. Briggs gets the supply order and in turn, we order from factories and we all keep people working.”
A diverse range of people and industries were represented at the meeting including a paving contractor, a director of a chemical and materials manufacturer, an IT consultant, an aerospace software company owner and law enforcement officers, among others.
Cabinet sales decline 28.3% in 2009
Cabinet manufacturers reported sales totaling $4.8 billion for 2009, down 28.3 percent compared to total sales for 2008, according to the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association’s monthly Trend of Business Survey.
Stock sales were down 24.1 percent, semi-custom sales were down 30.2 percent and custom sales were down 37.2 percent.
December 2009 monthly sales were down 9.8 percent compared to December 2008. Stock sales were down 16 percent, custom sales were down 25.8 percent and semi-custom reported a slight 0.5 percent increase compared to December 2008.
Survey participants include stock, semi-custom and custom companies whose combined sales represent more than 60 percent of the U.S. cabinet market.
Cutting tapers on the tablesaw
New Rockler jig makes this task safer and more precise. Read the full In the Shop review in CabinetMaker+FDM magazine.
IWF 2010 now accepting Challengers Award entries
The call for entries for the 2010 Challengers Distinguished Achievement Awards competition is underway. The entry deadline is April 1.
New for 2010, the Challengers Award finalists and winners will be recognized all four days of IWF in a display area on the show floor.
The woodworking award recognizes seven exhibiting companies, and a panel of judges will review and analyze each entry to decide the top 20 entries prior to the show. Final judging will take place Aug. 24, and the winners will be announced Aug. 25.
For more information, email iwf@iwfatlanta.com or call 404.693.8333. Registration forms can be requested online.
Woodworking industry associations
Architectural Woodwork Institute (AWI)
www.awinet.org
Association for Retail Environments (ARE)
www.nasfm.org
Association of Woodworking & Furnishings Suppliers (AWFS)
www.awfs.org
BIFMA International
www.bifma.org
Cabinet Makers Association (CMA)
www.cabinetmakers.org
Composite Panel Association (CPA)
www.pbmdf.com
International Surface Fabricators Association (ISFA)
www.isfanow.org
International Woodworking Fair 2010
www.iwfatlanta.com
Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association (KCMA)
www.kcma.org
North American Building Material Distribution Association (NBMDA)
www.nbmda.org
Wood Component Manufacturers Association (WCMA)
www.woodcomponents.org
Wood Machinery Manufacturers of America (WMMA)
www.wmma.org
Wood Product Manufacturers Association (WPMA)
www.wpma.org
Woodworking Machinery Industry Association (WMIA)
www.wmia.org
Grizzly now shipping to Canada
Grizzly Industrial will now be shipping to Canada with brokerage fees starting at $10.
“We’ve had incredible demand from Canadians over the years,” said Shiraz Balolia, Grizzly president. “Many made special trips to our Washington and Pennsylvania showrooms to make their purchases.”
The woodworking equipment manufacturer has a deal with UPS to automatically process all customs paperwork for each Canadian shipment, with discounted brokerage services and freight costs.
For more information, call 800.523.4777.
