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THE FUTURE BELONGS TO THE SIMPLEMINDED COUNTER BALANCE HIGHLIGHTS FROM INTERZUM 2011 SPECIAL SECTION:

Distribution MATTERS

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Use your smartphone and QR Code app to read Interprint’s magazine, The Leader.

Interprint’s

Laser

Engraving

Because an inspiring décor requires each cylinder cell to be engraved at a precise location: Next to the printing presses.

Interprint, Inc. 101 Central Berkshire Blvd., Pittsfield, MA 01201 413.443.4733 www.interprint.us

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The International Language The secondary panel processing industry is truly an international language. Visit plants in Moscow, Shanghai, Bogota or Chicago and you will find striking similarities. If you are in the panel processing business making cabinets, office furniture, store fixtures, household furniture, architectural casework or wall systems, you’ll find particleboard and MDF in all of them. Panel saws, drilling machines, edgebanders and even multi-purpose machining centers are common threads which link them all. System holes drilled on 32MM centers allow hardware and fasteners from Blum, Hettich, Salice, Hafele and Grass to fit interchangeably in products anywhere on the planet. Surface materials from high pressure laminates, thermally fused melamine, light basis-weight paper and foils rely on décor prints from Interprint, Schattdecor, Suddekor and others. So what is it that separates spectacular products from the also-rans from yesterday? You guessed it, design…pure and simple. It is not just the silhouette of truly creative furniture and cabinets that determines the winners. Surface material design is equally if not more critical for creating a top seller.

Want to see what will be selling in North America in the future? Go to interzum where the future is now. The trade show that just concluded at the end of May surprised everyone. It was vibrant and very well attended. The atmosphere was electric. Exhibitors pulled out the stops and pushed the creative boundar-

So what is it that separates spectacular products from the alsorans from yesterday? You guessed it, design…pure and simple.

ies like never before. Attendance was up significantly over previous years. One of the most impressive advances had to be in surface textures in TFM, HPL and foils. Combining unique textures with the décor printers’ amazing ability to create 3D looks produces astounding end results. Textured wood grains and abstracts have gone to a new quantum level of design, no longer copies of, but improvements on nature.

Numerous examples were shown but if I had to pick one, the Italian producer Cleaf stood out above all other component suppliers. Check them out at www.cleaf.com. Surface texture is the “haptic factor” which drives a consumer to buy even though they can’t put a finger on (no pun intended) exactly why they like the product.

Creative silhouettes…great décor prints…and unique textures are the qualities of a winning product.

You may have missed interzum, but you’ll have another chance to see the latest in surface designs and textures at the Decorative Surfaces Conference in Miami on November 1-2, 2011. See pages 6-7 of this issue for more details. Registration is now open. Go to www.surfaces-conference.com to register online.

Surface & Panel magazine’s tag line is “uniting material, technology and design.” Technology is an important part of the international language of panel processing. Ligna 2011 held in Hannover, Germany the week following interzum is where the world’s best woodworking technology was on display in one place.

If you missed it this year, plan to visit both interzum and Ligna in 2013. The shows are back-to-back and held in May, a perfect time of the year to be in Europe. For the recap on both shows and a photo review, see pages 50 and 61 of this issue.

All the best,

John Aufderhaar Publisher • Surface & Panel • jaufderhaar@surfaceandpanel.com

surface&panel

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The Future Belongs to the Simpleminded This is the decree of Mono, a Minneapolis-based advertising company who believes that simpler is better. In their own words, “The future belongs to those companies brave enough to stand for something, instead of everything.

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The Office Furniture Industry at a Crossroads The collapse of the office “working” furniture industry resulted in an unprecedented recovery effort never previously seen by the more than 150 manufacturers of commercial furniture throughout North America.

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Distribution Matters A special section highlighting the Cabinet Industry Distribution Alliance (CIDA).

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40 Sounding Board 46 Resource 47 CIDA Member Directory 51

Ligna Hannover 2011

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Drawing Confidence Floyd Beckmann has a small three-man cabinet shop in Lincoln, Neb., but that does not mean he can’t do big things.

Suzanne VanGilder/Surface & Panel Magazine 1617 Country Club Lane, Watertown, WI 53098 PH: 608-698-0375 FAX: 920-206-1767 svangilder@surfaceandpanel.com

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Counter Balance 3DL combines durability and design elegance in airport commerce.

GRAPHIC DESIGN

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Schattdecor Inaugurates St. Louis Facility

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Highlights from Interzum 2011

19465 Deerfield Avenue, Suite 306 Leesburg, VA 20176 PH: 703-724-1128 FAX: 703-724-1588 Toll Free 1-866-4COMPOSITES www.pbmdf.com

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Teachers Teach Teachers at WCA Training Session At the recent WCA Passport/Worker Credential session held at Madison (Wis.) College, teachers were brought up to date on new and advanced woodworking skills and disciplines.

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

MAIN OFFICE

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Ryan Wagner, National Accounts Manager Surface & Panel Magazine 1617 Country Club Lane, Watertown, WI 53098 PH: 920-262-2080 FAX: 920-206-1767 rwagner@surfaceandpanel.com

COMPOSITE PANEL ASSOCIATION

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A Treasure Box Wrapped in an Enigma The new Dali Museum, located in St. Petersburg, FL, expresses the architectural mastery of distinguished architect Yann Weymouth, AIA, LEED AP.

ADVERTISING

Karen Leno - KML Design, Inc. 923 Forest Edge Circle, Coralville, IA 52241 PH: 319-430-5108 kmldesign@mchsi.com

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Successful Furniture Company Makes Nothing Blu Dot might be stylish and possibly even a tad irreverent but when it comes to the furniture business it has developed a business model that works, seriously.

John Aufderhaar Surface & Panel Magazine 1617 Country Club Lane, Watertown, WI 53098 PH: 920-206-1766 FAX: 920-206-1767 jaufderhaar@surfaceandpanel.com www.surfaceandpanel.com

Michelle Bruhn/Surface & Panel Magazine 1617 Country Club Lane, Watertown, WI 53098 PH: 920-674-6943 FAX: 920 206-1767 mbruhn@surfaceandpanel.com

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ON THE COVER

Seen through "the Enigma," the Dali Museum's compelling retail space pays homage to the artistic master.

CANADIAN OFFICE

Post Office Box 747, Station B Ottawa, Ontario CANADA K1P 5P8 PH: 613-232-6782 FAX: 703-724-1588 INTERNATIONAL TESTING AND CERTIFICATION CENTER

73 Lawson Road, Leesburg, VA 20175 PH: 703-724-1128 FAX: 703-724-1588 www.itcclab.org

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Surface & Panel is published bimonthly by Bedford Falls Communications, Inc., 1617 Country Club Lane, Watertown, Wisconsin 53098, telephone 920-206-1766, fax 920-206-1767. John Aufderhaar, President, Christine Aufderhaar, CFO. All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, electronic or mechanical without written permission from the publisher. Subscription policy: Individual subscriptions are available, without charge, to manufacturers who engage in panel processing, qualified service providers and suppliers. Publisher reserves the right to reject non-qualified subscribers. One year subscription to non-qualified individuals: U.S. $50, Canada/Mexico $75, all other countries $100, payable in U.S. funds. Single issues are $15, and must be prepaid. Bedford Falls Communications, Inc., does not assume and hereby disclaims any liability to any person for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions in the material contained herein, regardless of whether such errors result from negligence, accident, or any other cause whatsoever. Printed in the U.S.A. Postmaster: Send address changes to Surface & Panel, 1617 Country Club Lane, Watertown, WI 53098. Please direct all subscription questions and mail to: Surface & Panel, 1617 Country Club Lane, Watertown, WI 53098 PH: 920-206-1766

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ANCHOR

BOISE CASCADE FIXTURE GRADE

ANCHOR (Surface&Panel) 06-30-2011 OUTLINE.indd 1 SandP_Q311.indd 5

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FAIRMONT TURNBERRY ISLE | MIAMI, FLORIDA, USA

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We are pleased to invite you to the 2011 Decorative Surfaces Conference and Workshop.

The DSC and all western hemisphere conferences presented by TCM Americas are a partnership between Kurt Fischer, founder of Technical Conference Management (TCM) and John Aufderhaar, founder of Bedford Falls Communications, Inc. The technical program covers a wide range of topics from architecture and design to market research and technical innovations, with a focus on the selection, application and use of the latest surfacing options from around the world.

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www.surfaceandpanel.com

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Image provided by Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau www.gmcvb.com

Welcome to Miami

The 2011 DSC will be our best conference yet with a wide range of new technologies, new design ideas and the latest advancements in surfacing materials from around the world. Each and every presentation will prove interesting and useful to both the surfacing professional and interior designer. Here is just a sampling of the topics and presentations you’ll witness at this year’s DSC.

Light weight panel in practice consumer acceptance at the retail level

Polyester 5-piece door trends accelerating in kitchen, closet and beyond

Hotel Information The conference will be held at the Fairmont Turnberry Isle, 19999 West Country Club Drive in Aventura, Florida 33180. Turnberry Isle is located between Fort Lauderdale and Miami and is accessible by both Fort Lauderdale and Miami airports. A limited number of rooms have been reserved for delegates and sponsors at a negotiated rate of $195 per night plus taxes. Reservations can be made at the conference website www.surfaces-conference.com or directly with the hotel at 786-279-6770. Be sure to mention you are with the Decorative Surfaces conference group to secure the negotiated rate.

Purchasing professional what’s a dream vendor?

Spectacular decorative resin panel applications a primer for the design specifier

Surface materials impact on mood and productivity in the office environment

Surface & light a critical interaction A resource librarian’s omniscient view Powder coating turns the corner opportunities are endless The latest in TFM design trends

Italian engineered veneers – how did they do that?

And a compendium of global applications

The latest in surface materials textures that sizzle The casino king when this industry specialist talks, everyone listens!

HD laminates continue to gain in popularity State of the Industry in home office furniture The “edge” as a design element The latest advances in edge treatments

3D laminate use in high-end architectural wall systems Latin design influences CEU – introduction to surface materials

DSC E x e c u t i v e A d v i s o r y B o a r d

John Beck | Sauder Woodworking John Benson | KapStone Paper Jean Briere | Shaw Industries Kenn Busch | Material Intelligence Stephen Canary | Panolam Industries Dave Field | Interprint Michel Fortin | CDM Decor Papers Terry Jenkins | KapStone Paper Scott Laprade | Interprint Lee Miller | OCI Melamine Vitali Panov | Hexion Specialty Chemicals Holbrook Platts | Platts Laminate Technology James Scott | Onyx Specialty Papers Linn Yeager | Southern Chemical Corporation

For more information and to register, please visit

www.surfaces-conference.com sponsorship opportunities are still available

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Image provided by Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau www.gmcvb.com

HPL, TFM and 3DL matching programs a designer’s view

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A Treasure Box Wrapped in An enigma

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or over four decades distinguished architect Yann Weymouth, AIA, LEED AP, has designed for some of the world’s most prestigious firms and projects, including serving as Chief of Design to I.M. Pei’s Grand Louvre Project in Paris. Weymouth is currently Design Director for HOK in Florida and his most recent project, the new Dali Museum located in St. Petersburg, FL, expresses his architectural mastery.

The new Dali Museum opened on 1.11.11 at 1:11. It was designed to provide more space and security for the collection (which is the largest outside of Salvador Dali’s native Spain) than the previous warehouse space. So how does one build a practical house for surrealism?

“In the first letter of engagement after we won the competition with our concept, we were given a directive to do four things,” explains Weymouth. “First, protect the collection from potential danger. Second, be wise in how we allocate space and solve programmatic issues. Third, manage the budget very carefully. The museum is a private institution and is continually raising money to pay for the project, so we were not to waste a dime. And fourth, oh by the way, make it spectacular, world class and iconic.”

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The building itself is in part made up of a three-story raw concrete box with 18 inch-thick walls that are heavily reinforced with steel. “To explain this part of the design we called it the ‘treasure box’ because that is what it is,” says Weymouth. The priceless collection is irreplaceable, so it is located on the third level to protect against potential storms and surges. Everything that is critical to the mission of the museum is on the second and third floor. All the public functions, entry, truck dock, community room, theatre, café and museum store are on ground level. Weymouth carefully arranged circulation patterns around an atrium with a central staircase called the “helix” which pays homage to Dali’s fascination with DNA. One of the challenges of any museum design is to create a space that is worthy of the collection but that does not compete with the objects themselves, and the treasure box fulfills that requirement. The gallery spaces in the Salvador Dali Museum are also very understated with square rooms and a neutral gray palette. Careful lighting draws attention to the art itself, allowing visitors to contemplate one intriguing piece at a time without becoming overwhelmed.

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photogr aphy by Keith Talley

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Managing Resources Carefully

In addition to the wise use of space, Weymouth and his team were charged with the task of using the budget efficiently. “We did this by prioritizing so that the spaces that are most visible to the public get the most lavish care in terms of detailing,” explains Weymouth. “This does not necessarily mean with the most expensive materials, but with durable materials that provide a lot of bang for the buck in spaces where visitors interact.”

One of the areas that received detailed finishes is the museum’s retail store, a space that affords visitors the opportunity to touch the art and actually bring some of it home with them. “My overall intent was to create a destination store. A place to relax, renew, refuel and explore,” explains Dianne Birmingham, Director of Sales & Merchandising for the Dali Museum. The museum store has hundreds of unique Dali-inspired items, everything from fine reproductions and books to wearable art, Dali fragrances, and home décor accessories.

“The main goal is for our merchandise to provide a memory of the Dali experience,” says Birmingham.

“The store is also an important part of the museum’s revenue,” explains Brenda Wawers, an interior designer who worked on the project. “The new retail space is three times the size of the store in the previous location, so the museum spent a lot of time programming the merchandise, and I spent a lot of time figuring out what kinds of containers and shelves we needed for everything. This was especially important because in the new setup 70 percent of the inventory is out on the floor.” In the end, Wawers came up with a standard set of six merchandising components that could be configured in different ways.

These combine with custom casework for jewelry and a custom cash wrap to create a well-organized and manageable retail space.

t r a d i t i o n

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Since 1973, Funder America (FAI) has drawn from its centuryold Austrian heritage to bring vertically integrated innovation, technology and flexibility to customers throughout the U.S. Three strategically located TFM panel and component-manufacturing facilities include the Mocksville, N.C., headquarters, which houses Funder’s exclusive saturation business, large-volume panel lamination and full component capabilities. It’s also home to a recently added state-of-the-art powder-coating facility; MDF powder coating is a cost-efficient and environmentally friendly technology that offers design flexibility, seamless edges and an unlimited range of shapes.

Whatever your decorative surface needs, Funder has an innovative cost-effective solution.

Funder’s own Navigator Collection of 10 on-trend woodgrain designs brings excellent realism and rich character to panel-based furniture, fixtures and casework.

F u n d e r A m e r i c a at a G l a n c e

n Largest component fabricator in North America. n Vertically integrated company with a packaging division for labeling and assembly n Surface Synergies partner to provide exact matches for various laminates (TFM, HPL, thermofoil, edgebanding) 336.751.3501 | 10

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BRINGING SURFACES TO LIFE You are going places.

We want to go there with you.

No matter what kind of project you are working on, with over 200 colors and patterns we’ve got a laminate you can use. www.arborite.com www.arborite.com 1.800.361.8712 1.800.361.8712 Visit us at Neocon 2011

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“We wanted the casework to look a part of the design, but not compete with the merchandise,” says Bruce Merenda of Studio B Design Concepts, who designed the custom retail fixtures for the project. “When I was designing the cases I had to take into account Dali’s paintings themselves and the architecture of the building. I wanted the cases to be unique and Dali-esque to pick up on the free form shapes. Yet it had to be understated.” Wilsonart Contract Laminate in Asian Night was specified for the casework. “It has a lot of texture and variety and color to it. The High Pressure Laminate (HPL) is very warm with a terrific gray on gray tone that works well with the palette of the building,” says Merenda. “At one point we had considered a stained wood veneer, but the HPL was a considerable cost savings, which was very important to this project. Plus, laminates hold up well in hightraffic public spaces.” Dali created some very unique jewelry, so the designers wanted a strong jewelry counter with free form shapes and metal mesh to pick up on the building itself. “The Wilsonart HPL works

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really well aesthetically,” says Merenda, “it is appealing on the surface and the glittery jewelry sparkling out of those cases really pops, which allows you to focus on the product. Especially with all the natural light pouring in from the huge freeform geodesic glass structure.”

Hang on, huge freeform geodesic glass structure?

SPECTACULAR, WORLD CLASS AND ICONIC

Surrealist works feature the element of surprise and unexpected juxtaposition, but not without purpose. Part of what makes the Dali Museum with its vast collection of Salvador Dali’s work so valuable is that it allows people to appreciate that surrealism is more than objects distorted for shock value. It is an expression of a philosophical movement that changed art forever. Many of the European artists displaced during World War I believed that excessive rational thought and bourgeois values had brought war upon the world, so they used the antithesis of the rational as a means of cultural inoculation. This basic premise evolved over time, particularly in the realm of visual arts, to include the idea that by stripping ordinary objects of their normal significance psychological truth will be revealed.

Thus, Weymouth designed a compelling asymmetrical geodesic dome comprised of 1,062 glass triangles of all different sizes. The structure, reminiscent of Weymouth’s hero Buckminster Fuller, is beyond ordinary formal organization and it takes the museum itself beyond its normal significance. “The concrete box is very tough, raw, geometric, and rational, and this is more naturalistic, an almost irrational form of glass,” says Weymouth. “We called it the ‘enigma’ because it bursts out of the box and disrupts it, giving views to the natural world.” The light from the enigma, and the smaller geodesic structure dubbed “the igloo” actually provides a natural clarity to the public spaces in the museum, as well as about 90 percent of the functional areas in the building.

Considering that the collection is safe, the organization is functional and the project was finished on time and $700,000 under budget, the only criteria left to question is whether or not the museum is spectacular, world class and iconic. It certainly is stunning, but in light of the fact that surrealism evolved in the visual arts in order to evoke empathy from the viewer, the only way to know for sure is to experience the Dali Museum in person. s&p

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Venerated architect Yann Weymouth’s career spans more than four decades and includes projects in North America and Europe. A Harvard and MIT graduate, he has successfully led design teams on large-scale projects for the most important international firms such as I.M. Pei and Partners, Arup and most recently HOK. In 1983, Weymouth worked with I.M. Pei as his Chief of Design for the Grand Louvre Project in Paris (and much more). Mr. Weymouth spoke with Surface & Panel about his latest project, The Dali Museum.

S&P: How do you indicate that this is not your normal museum?

YW: None of the galleries are on the main level. You have to go 30 feet higher, so that led to the need for a beautiful skylight with daylight floating in from above and a spiral stair that is practical, but it is also indicative. It says, “Climb me. This is the way up.”

We are on a great site on the bay of the St. Petersburg waterfront with great views. So that meant gigantic bay windows and a balcony.

That led to the glass structure that is based on Buckminster Fuller’s early work in the last century. He is a hero of mine and many architects, and he was a friend of Salvador Dali’s. So that led to using Buckminster Fuller’s work, but taking it into the 21st century required not keeping it contained to a spherical structure. All of Buckminster Fuller’s geodesic domes had to be spherical in their time. But being able to warp it and morph it in order to enlarge the dome makes the store bigger and gives more light to the shop windows. It tempts people to come in to see the view.

The pop-up roof gives a sense of light and volume and excitement when you are in the atrium, so the building ended up being really two things. The concrete box, which is very masculine, tough and raw. It’s very geometric and rational. And then this somewhat more naturalistic, almost irrational form of the glass. We called it the enigma because it bursts out of the box and disrupts it.

I understand your interest in manufacturedSans materials; used a lot uréeweformaldéhyde of them on the project. There are new materials, new technologies, new ways of drawing. I am drawing with pen and pencil and ink and watercolor and computer and 3D. I am fascinated with 3D modeling and prototyping. They are terrific, and one can do extraordinary things with them. For The Dail design, we could not have done it even 10 years ago. The BIM technologies we use allowed us to model things in 3D and compute their behavior. There are NAUF 1,062 different triangular - Melamine pieces of glass in the enigma and the igloo, and not one is identical to any other in size or shape, and they were all made by robots and tracked by barcode.

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YW: I’ve started working on the University of Miami Frost School of Music. It is a small campus inside a larger campus. The music school Sans uréeproject formaldéhyde - Mélamine is right on the lake. Gorgeous. It is a very interesting for 21st century music making. s&p

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S&P: What is next?

S&P: You have been an architect for quite awhile. How have things changed and how do you stay up-to-date on new materials and techniques?

YW: I am curious. I get excited. When I was a child, I read tons of science fiction. We’re living in the future right now, and we’re living in the most amazing age of things, and it is moving so fast. It is fascinating.

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF BLU DOT

Successful Furniture Company

Makes Nothing B Y

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o, this is not the final episode of Seinfeld. But it is about a furniture company that doesn’t make anything and has a great sense of humor. In fact, a smile is a fundamental part of the company’s ethos. Blu Dot might be stylish and possibly even a tad irreverent but when it comes to the furniture business, it has developed a business model that works, seriously.

It all started back in 1997. Three friends, John Christakos, Charlie Lazor and Maurice Blanks were ruminating. The recent college graduates shared passion for art, architecture, design and inevitably, high-brow European furniture. Of course as recent college graduates, they could not afford high-brow European furniture. In their words, “We figured we were not alone and we were naïve enough to try and do something about it.” They decided to make well-designed furniture more accessible, both geographically and from a cost perspective. And then they did.

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The Design Equation

Easygoing as the Blu Dot culture is, there is very conscientious planning behind the appealing designs. Co-Founder Maurice Blanks explains, “The basic design philosophy is design to manufacture, and the process is really the solving of a complex multi-variable equation.” Variables include what material is most efficient, how it will be processed, produced, packed, assembled and shipped. “Once you solve for all those variables, the product comes into existence.”

Considering that the furniture is the solution, it stands to reason that panel products play a fundamental role in Blu Dot’s early product lines. Although Blu Dot’s offering has in recent years expanded into upholstery and lighting, panel goods remain an integral part of its furnishings. “It makes sense because RTA panel designs save cost. You can sell a product less expensively because basically you are outsourcing the assembly to the end user, who is happy to save money and spend time doing it,” says Blanks. “Flat-packing also has big benefits when it comes to packaging for warehousing, transport and assembly. We have started using (lightweight) hollow-core panels for some of our designs, and those are even more environmentally friendly. They take less material to make and less fuel to move.”

By adjusting the variables to the design equation, Blu Dot is able to manufacture furniture that adjusts as fashion shifts. Er, uhm, rather other OEM’s do the manufacturing.

Photos courtesy of Blu Dot

Manufacture This

“We had to use design as an ally early on because that was sort of all we had,” says Blanks.

“We didn’t have enough money to buy equipment, so from the beginning the idea was we would go to the local fabricators, and we would find somebody that could panel process, and we would find somebody who could finish it. Then we’d find somebody who could cut steel, and we would find a powder-coater, and basically we would go around and job shop. We would subcontract all the pieces and then ultimately have them come back to our warehouse, which was tiny at the time, and we would pack them up ourselves with assembly instructions and fulfill the orders from there.” Back then this approach was an economic necessity, but soon the team at Blu Dot realized that it was actually beneficial because it allowed the company to expand its palette quickly and without capital investment.

“The basic design philosophy is design to manufacture, and the process is really the solving of a complex multivariable equation. Variables include what material is most efficient, how it will be processed, produced, packed, assembled and shipped. Once you solve for all those variables, the product comes into existence.”

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But wait. This edgy, high-design, mid-range furniture company gets even more reasonable. “We tend to stay away from things that are brand new processes or materials just because it tends to drive up cost. We’d rather be innovative within what the manufacturers are already good at than push them to try a new machine, method or material,” says Blanks.

HUMOR SELLS

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Blu Dot furniture is not just for young urban hipsters. “When we originally started Blu Dot, everything stylish was difficult to get and mostly European. We sort of had a sense that there was a little bit of looking down the nose of the design industry on everyday people,” says Blanks.

“Modern furniture can be fun; it doesn’t have to be intimidating.” In the beginning, Blu Dot used humor because it was disarming and made the brand more accessible. Also, it was cheap. “We didn’t have a whole lot of money early on, so we had to rely on creativity to get free publicity.”

Blu Dot is now a profitable brand offering a collection of 150 pieces that are sold through 125 independent retailers and two dedicated stores.

And humor still plays an important role in the company’s goal of bringing good design to as many people as possible.

Check out Blu Dot’s “Real Good Chair Experiment” at surfaceandpanel.com. The piece was created in collaboration with Mono (see page 24) and is a Cannes-winning social media experience. s&p

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lu Dot’s business model mirrors the “Smile Curve,” a concept of value-adding potentials of different components during production. The graphical representation labels the x-axis as time across the manufacturing of a product and the y-axis as the value added to the product. The concept was first proposed in the early 1990s by Stan Shih, the founder of Acer. Shih observed that when plotting production on this graph, for most products there is a lot of value added in the early design and concept phase, then the value goes down in the middle (manufacturing), and then goes back up when the product reaches marketing and retail. According to theory, companies that focus on the beginning and/or end portions of the value chain enjoy larger profit margins. They also tend to be companies that don’t merely watch their home market, but innovate toward a global marketplace.

Blu Dot’s business model organically fits this concept, but is there merit to it? Certainly Blu Dot is doing well in a long-suffering market segment during a challenging economic time based on 1. design and 2. marketing. In fact, they don’t do any manufacturing at all. As Maurice Blanks, co-founder of Blu-Dot says, “The least amount of value is added in the middle, so why stay in the middle?”

If this is accurate, what does this mean for North American manufacturing? And what does it mean in a global market place? Is the Smile Curve a natural economic by-product of commodity manufacturing? Could it potentially describe opportunity, particularly because to a certain degree, both design and marketing rely heavily on geography in terms of cultural context and lead times? Could strengthening the middle portion also support the extremes?

In the April 1, 2011, edition of the Taipei Times, Huang Tien-lin, a former national policy adviser in Taiwan, makes an interesting observation of this phenomenon as it relates to Taiwan outsourcing its lowvalue-added manufacturing to China. “In the past, many Taiwanese businesspeople have moved to China to take advantage of China’s lower salaries. This has indeed given temporary relief from falling added value, but it has also delayed investment in innovation, R&D and industrial upgrading.”

In a global industry where most North American companies do at least a portion of their manufacturing overseas, it will be interesting to see how the Smile Curve applies as geographic production shifts and technology levels the proverbial manufacturing playing field. Additional variables such as sourcing raw materials, physical distance and cultural context may also take on new importance as the value-added model evolves worldwide. s&p

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Teachers Teach Teachers

AT W C A T R A I N I N G S E S S I O N

WoodLINKS USA and Skill Standards Group Prepare Evaluators

T

eaching the teachers is at the core of education and training in any endeavor, including woodworking.

Moving to another critical phase, the Woodwork Career Alliance (WCA) is taking steps to ensure a new generation of current employees and entry-level workers are prepared for the future of the woodworking industry in North America.

In late April, a group of WoodLINKS teachers and a crew of seasoned wood tech instructors met at Madison (Wis.) College to pass on basic and advanced woodworking practices to future WCA teacher/evaluators. The day long session, which was held in Madison College’s Wood Tech Department, represents the next phase in the WCA’s effort to certify teachers and evaluators under the group’s Woodwork Passport program.

The three WoodLINKS teachers are among a group of a dozen instructors nationwide who are being trained as WCA evaluators. The Woodwork Passport is portable and is set up to record successful worker assessments on three levels for over 50 tools and machines.

The WCA and the Architectural Woodwork Institute, a sponsor of the WCA effort, have a goal to provide woodworking skill standards to professional woodworkers in over 150 woodwork operational skills on over 50 of the most common tools and machines used in plants and factories today. WoodLINKS USA partners with the WCA program and is working to develop more cooperative projects.

“This is a great opportunity for our WoodLINKS teachers to partner, learn from, and assist with what the WCA is doing for the entire woodworking industry with its Skill Standards Passport Program,” WoodLINKS USA Interim National Program Director, Steve Ehle, says.

“It’s really a good fit for both of us.”

For more information on WoodLINKS USA see its website at www.woodlinksusa.org.

The WCA has developed a 260-page book of skill standards that is available to teachers, employers and wood industry employees. When woodworkers are ready to create a record of their skills and achievements they can enroll in the WCA Passport program by logging on to www.woodworkcareer.org.

When a woodworker earns enough “Tool Stamps” in the Passport program, he or she will qualify for one of five Credentials – “the kind of credentials employers are looking for,” says Greg Heuer, WCA secretary and Madison College Cabinet Making and Millwork Department Program Director.

nationwide. Select Skill Evaluators will be nominated in the near future as Chief Evaluators.

The WCA maintains a number of portals for virtual support of its training and certification mission. The program has recruited a team of faculty instructors who oversee the program.

THE PURPOSE OF THE WCA IS TO:

• Promote competency among woodwork professionals; • Develop observable, measurable skills standards for the woodworking industry; • Provide a career path of knowledge and skills for individuals interested in woodworking; • Established woodworking as a certifiable profession; • Enhance both productivity and safety among woodworkers; • Recognize the skill sets and achievements of woodworkers through credentials; and

SKILL STANDARDS HANDBOOK

• Provide the public with a means to identify those professionals who have demonstrate competence.

The WCA has prepared a handbook for “Premier Candidates” for WCA Skill Evaluator positions

Future WCA Passport training sessions are planned for sites across the country. s&p

WOODLINKS PARTNERSHIP

WoodLINKS USA, whose goals are in line with the WCA and AWI in the area of woodworker training, focuses primarily on high school and post-secondary technical education in wood tech disciplines. WoodLINKS serves more than 80 schools nationwide and offers a student certification program.

THE ALL-DAY WCA TEACHER-CREDENTIALING PROGRAM HELD AT MADISON (WIS.) COLLEGE IN LATE APRIL FEATURED A TEAM OF SIX INSTRUCTORS WHO PUT WOOD TECH INSTRUCTORS THROUGH A BATTERY OF SPECIFIC TRAINING EXERCISES.

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Stiles is taking care of business.

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We helped Moduform streamline material handling.

Moduform needed a better way to track, store, retrieve, and make best use of raw materials in their specialty furniture operations. Enter Bargstedt’s IntelliStore system. The completely automated system holds, retrieves, stacks, and feeds exactly the right panel stock for each job—and evaluates the remnants for reuse—all in one machine. The result? Better inventory control. Better material flow. Better use of material, people, and space. And—since materials are now retrieved and handled automatically—the Fitchburg, Massachusetts company also enjoys less forklift traffic and better organization throughout its plant. Visit www.stilesmachinery.com/moduform to learn more about their story.

Find out how Stiles can help you take care of your business. Call Stephan Waltman at 616.698.7500 or email swaltman@stilesmachinery.com. stilesmachinery.com

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PHOT

The Future Belongs to the

Simpleminded

T

B Y

S U Z A N N E

V A N

G I L D E R

his is the decree of Mono, a Minneapolis-based advertising company formed in 2004 by Michael Hart, Chris Lange and Jim Scott.

See, Mono believes that simpler is better. In their own words, “The future belongs to those companies brave enough to stand for something, instead of everything. And to those who believe innovation, creativity and leadership come from solving complexity rather than creating it.” If their client list, which includes such recognizable brands as Sesame Street, Blu Dot, Apple, Herman Miller and Harvard Business School, is any indication, Mono’s approach is effective. The company’s recently expanded office incorporates its guiding principles into the design concept, resulting in a space that is relevant, functional and engaging.

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Photos by Chad Holder , courtesy of Mono

Unify

According to Lange, “The first step in creating a brand is to strategically figure out what it is that the client is trying to achieve. We might need to start a conversation about a specific subject or expand the knowledge base of what a brand is about. It is important that when we sit down to concept, we know what success looks like.” For its office project, Mono worked with architect and designer Charlie Lazor to conceptualize what success would look like for the office space. “We said, ‘Look, this is Mono. We are a collaborative, creative organization. We like to work together on large projects, and we like those projects to be out in the open for anybody in the company to look at,’” says Lange.

Frosted glass “work walls” hang from gantries in the center of the office space, providing plenty of room for story boarding and visual

access to projects. Inside the walls is an area affectionately referred to as the “Salt Lick” which contains the printer, copier, lunch table and kitchen. “All the things that everybody needs to do their daily work is inside this structure, so you are physically forced to interact with the wall just by virtue of entering the space inside of it,” says Lange.

“Collaboration is a big part of what we encourage in our company, and we wanted to design the space around that.” To further emphasize this collaborative area, a gigantic skylight sits over the “Salt Lick” roughly 12 feet above the rest of the ceilings in the converted warehouse space.

“Inside the skylight we put a piece of cloth, and that glowing white fabric draws your eye, no matter where you are, to the center. It is the most important place so we wanted it to be the most inviting,” says Lange.

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“Collaboration is a big part of what we encourage in our company, and we wanted to design the space around that.”

Moving out from the center, a zone of workstations sits outside of the work walls like a piazza. Nobody at Mono has an office. Beyond that the space is symmetrical; a zone in the front is designated for conferencing and client meetings, and a matching zone in the back houses the library, storage and paste-up production rooms. “Functionally it is working really well,” says Lange, “because within a unified space there are different zones for different types of work.”

Simplify

Mono believes in the power of simplicity in terms of design as well as solving marketing problems. “Apple is a really good example of a company that also believes in simplicity,” Lange points out. “Everybody knows what to expect and knows what the brand is about. People know what their products are even though they are very technically sophisticated. There are not a lot of extraneous things attached to that brand.”

Greg Richels is the General Manager and Project Manager for Artifex Millwork, Inc. Located in Wyoming, Minn., just outside Minneapolis, Artifex is the custom manufacturer that fabricated the bookcases, reception desk, millwork and kitchen for Mono. With a 36,000-squarefoot facility, 30 employees and around $6 million a year in sales nationwide, Artifex has the capacity to do extremely complicated projects that incorporate many different materials, from glass, granite, stone and metal to wood, laminates and solid surface.

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7/12/11 11:19 AM

But for a hip communications company like Mono, the intention was to strip away the unnecessary layers of things. As Lange puts it, “Adding adornment for the sake of adornment isn’t really our style.”

Instead Lazor specified a palette of simple white and blue, with clean lines and the occasional wood accent.

“We don’t inventory any product or product line. We use many suppliers,” says Richels. “So when we got the sketches or napkins or whatever it was Charlie (Lazor) dreamt on, then we did the shop drawings and ordered the materials.” To achieve the simple, clean look that is the Mono visual brand, the built-ins were fabricated primarily of white TFM and white HPL on top of particleboard. PVC edgebanding (also white) was used to avoid the black line. Where Lazor specified an exposed plywood-edge aesthetic, Richels used a plywood substrate with matching HPL surface for enhanced performance. All the cabinetry is frameless and utilizes European hinges. “Right now we are using Grass due to quality and price,” says Richels, “but as far as I am concerned they are all pretty equal.”

Amplify

Another Mono axiom: “A company that is single minded with its voice yet multi-faceted and innovative with its communications will be big winners in the new hyper-competitive, growingly complex business landscape.”

Everything about Mono’s carefully designed office space encourages collaboration and innovation, down to the furnishings sourced from the company’s impressive client list. Herman Miller is well represented, including the Eames molded plywood chair and the revolutionary Embody chair, which was recently launched by Mono. There is traditional desking by Knoll as well as pod-like A3 independent workstations. Blu Dot’s bent plywood Counterstool Counterstools line the counter in the “Salt Lick” and its Modulicious product is used in different configurations throughout the space.

Traditionally advertising has been a one-way street, but now it is more collaborative and involved than that. People are engaged with things that they like or are interested in, they blog about them and send their friends links online. Consumers no longer passively wait for information to come in without sending opinions back the other way.

“We are doing a lot of things that have never been done before,” says Lange. “We are figuring out innovative ways to use technology, not only to get press but to advance the conversation for the client.” s&p 28

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COURTESY OF HERMAN MILLER , INC .

The Office Furniture Industry AT A CROSSROADS B Y

M I C H A E L

A .

D U N L A P

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COURTESY OF HERMAN MILLER , INC .

L

ike many solidly entrenched manufacturers of capital, commercial, and consumer goods, the first decade of the 21st Century was not kind to the office furniture industry. After hitting its peak in year 2000 of $13.3 Billion in shipments of USA made office furniture, supplemented by $1.6 Billion in imports for a total of $14.9 Billion in consumption, sales and production fell for the next three years until it bottomed out in April 2004 after plummeting 32% to $10.1 Billion in consumption by the end of 2003.

The rebound through the next five years was pretty good, only to be hit with the great recession of 2009 when sales plummeted $7.8 Billion in 2009, nearly the same percentage – this time in only four months, not four years!

The office furniture business built its business model during the 1980’s and 1990’s with “systems” furniture. If you are a fan of Scott Adams’ daily cartoon “Dilbert”, the term “cubicle” is probably more recognizable to describe the product line.

By the mid to late 1990’s, chairs became pretty “sexy”, especially after Herman Miller’s introduction of the iconic Aeron® chair. Close competitors countered with their own iconic products starting with Steelcase (Leap ® and Think®) and Haworth (Zody®, and Very®). Knoll charged back with Generation® in 2009. Dozens of other manufacturers tried to duplicate HMI’s success with multiple versions of “mesh” based chairs that simply never matched the original.

Meanwhile, after Herman Miller followed with Cielle®, Mirra®, Embody®, and Sayl®, it probably makes them the industry leader in seating unit sales.

www.surfaceandpanel.com

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COURTESY OF STEELCASE

Offices are now collaborative, or team-based, workspaces and its furniture may be found in a multitude of working environments. The “executive” chair you once envisioned can be found at a nurse’s station, a teacher’s desk, or your next hotel room.

While systems furniture (“cubicles”) once comprised 36.6% of the industry’s sales in 2000, it has tumbled to 25.9% in 2010 and is still falling, replaced by more open “benching” products. This style of working is touted to be more collaborative and more in tune with the work styles of the future. Seating is now the industry’s leading product category with 30.1% of total sales during 2010, according to BIFMA International.

The collapse of the office “working” furniture industry resulted in an unprecedented recovery effort never previously seen by the more than 150 manufacturers of commercial furniture throughout North America.

Diversification for and in an industry that made its impact mostly on “office” furniture presented a nearly overwhelming challenge.

The spotlight now moved to the healthcare (“healing”), educational (“learning”), and hospitality (“leisure”) markets which have proven to be this industry’s lifeline during the past half decade.

The North American industry is led by ten major manufacturers, with a wide range of annual sales volumes: 1. Steelcase: $2.4 Billion 2. HNI (HON, Allsteel, Paoli, Maxon, Gunlocke): $1.7 Billion 3. Herman Miller: $1.5 Billion 4. Haworth: $1.2 Billion 5. Knoll: $820 Million 6. Global Group: Est. $750 Million 7. KI: Est. $700 Million 8. Teknion: Est. $650 Million 9. Kimball Office: $445 Million 10. izzy plus: $160 Million In 2004, only Herman Miller had much experience in the healing environment. The Milcare® brand, with its roots to the late 1970’s had traction, but still had limited sales and market position.

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courtesy of steelcase

“When an industry like this reaches a crossroads, it can’t take just one path. It needs to take them all.”

KI, through a diversification strategy that goes back to the 1980’s already had a strong market presence in both healing and learning. For the most part, both markets were ignored for two or three decades by other manufacturers.

2005 brought forth the beginning, of what I call, “Crossover Furniture”, mimicking the auto industry’s “Crossover Vehicles”, which don’t fit a specific product or market category. Much like passenger cars, vans, SUV’s, and pick-up trucks that blended into multi-purpose vehicles, the furniture industry developed products that were equally

at home in the office, in education, in healthcare, and even the hotel room. Some products were equally in place in the home – and not just the “home office”.

By the late 2000’s, the so-called “office furniture industry” embraced the healing and learning fields with vengeance. During the recession, each manufacturer in North America was reinventing itself into another “full line” company. Some even abandoned the working environment entirely, focusing exclusively on the healing or educational fields.

2011 brings a scenario that is both peculiar and intriguing. Herman Miller, Knoll, and Steelcase have all entered into the retail markets from stand alone stores, e-based sales, and big-box avenues, while continuing to serve other markets through traditional dealers. Many competitors are bound to follow in some form or another, although the impact on top line sales will probably be minimal for the immediate future.

The days when office furniture was viewed as desks, credenzas, chairs, file cabinets, and private offices have simply disappeared.

Offices are now collaborative, or team-based, workspaces and its furniture may be found in a multitude of working environments. The “executive” chair you once envisioned can be found at a nurse’s station, a teacher’s desk, or your next hotel room.

When an industry like this reaches a crossroads, it can’t take just one path. It needs to take them all. s&p Mike Dunlap is Principal of Michael A. Dunlap & Associates, LLC, a business consulting services firm that focuses primarily on issues that involve the office furniture industry. Dunlap has more than 30 years experience in the industry. Contact him at (616) 786-3524, e-mail mike@mdunlap-associates.com, or visit the Web site at www.mdunlap-associates.com.

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Distribution J U LY

2 011

MATTERS

Q&A with Paul Vella

Distribution Methods

Sounding Board

Relationship Advice from CIDA Manufacturers and Distributors who Talk the Talk and Walk the Walk

CIDA Member Directory Resources SandP_Q311.indd 35

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22/06/2011 8:52:00 AM 7/12/11 11:28 AM

Q&A with There are all sorts of distribution methods that evolve in response to specific markets served, but are there basic guiding distribution principles that can be identified?

I am not sure that there are any “guiding principles” that work for all situations.

To oversimplify the answer, a good distributor has to provide value to both their customers and suppliers. In today’s challenging economic times, having enough inventory, getting it to the customer in a timely fashion, having enough people to provide service to the customer, carrying the receivable and at the same time providing enough volume for the supplier is a very complicated affair. And we need to do all that and make money. A distributor’s success is a direct result of how well they manage these issues. In our market segment, consolidation has forced us to be better at what we do or we will not survive.

Suppliers have partnered with fewer distributors and in turn expect more from them in return. Our customer base has shrunk and the ones that are left expect more from their distributors. It may sound odd, but the recession has made us a better distributor.

Paul Vella

Atlantic Plywood

How can architects and designers get more benefit from relationships with distribution?

From our experience, the wealth of information that most distributors have is under utilized by the A&D community. As distributors, we can answer questions about our products, suggest money or time saving solutions, and in some cases help eliminate incorrectly spec’d material. We have five individuals that call on the A&D community and we are constantly looking for ways to spread the message.

How can manufacturers get more benefit from relationships with distribution?

I believe that manufacturers with fewer, stronger distributors are more successful. In these situations, there can be more open discussion regarding the goals of the manufacturer and how the distributor can reach them. The dis-

tributor in turn will be more inclined to share very specific market information. These open discussions are key elements in any strong distributor/supplier relationship. As distributors, we need to know what suppliers want and what they are willing to do to achieve the goals that are set. We can then formulate a plan on how we are going to achieve it. They know the product and we know the market.

What types of education and training are available to professionals in the distribution channel, and why are they important?

As an active member in NBMDA/CIDA, we try to take advantage of the many classes they offer. Along with ongoing product knowledge development, we send our salespeople to a number of different value selling seminars.

Our goal is to make our people more knowledgeable than those of our competition.

“In today’s challenging economic times, having enough inventory, getting it to the customer in a timely fashion, having enough people to provide service to the customer, carrying the receivable and at the same time providing enough volume for the supplier is a very complicated affair.”

surface&panel

8:52:00 AM

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“It is my feeling that CIDA has made all of us better distributors.”

Co

Are there identifiable trends in distribution?

What are the benefits to a distributor belonging to CIDA?

I see four major trends: 1. Consolidation into larger, better funded, multi-branch regional distributors 2. Customers want more than just a “cheap” price. There is demand for more services and more education; 3. More product crossover. Hardware- centric distributors are becoming more involved in wood panels and plywood- centric distributors are becoming more involved in hardware 4. A strengthening of the supplier/distributor relationship. The walls between the manufacturer and distributor are finally coming down and true “partnering” is starting.

For me, the major benefit has always been the ability to meet and network with other strong distributors and suppliers that share the same market segment. It has exposed me to best practices in a number of important areas of our business. As a company, we created new relationships with manufacturers that eventually became our suppliers.

The association consistently brings in topical speakers to addresses industry-wide concerns. It is my feeling that CIDA has made all of us better distributors.

What is the role of technology and social networking in distribution?

Technology has made all of us more efficient. The way we communicate, the way we write orders, the way we pull and deliver orders, and the way we manage our inventory have all been changed by technology.

Our sales per employee metrics have increased strictly due to the use of technology and to survive the last few years, it was necessary. Our industry is typically not an early adapter of any new technology, but I see distributors being much quicker to accept new technology in the future. That being said, I am showing my age in regard to social networking. I am sure it will have a place in our business, but right now, I am not sure what it is.

P in

What are the benefits of dealing with CIDA distributors?

It general, you would be dealing with the “best of the best”. CIDA distributors are more likely to be ahead of the curve in dealing with industry trends and more likely to have enhanced resources behind them.

Is there anything else that would be of value to share with the A&D community, as well as specifiers for larger companies? Some who buy through distribution, and some who sell through distribution?

I may be biased, but I think that distributors can bring value to any situation. It could be in the form of better information or it could be in the form of just- in- time inventory. We are here to provide service to both the supplier and the end- user. We are more than willing to have the A&D visit our facilities to see and feel our products. We can answer questions, show actual species of wood, and hopefully solve problems before they happen. DM

Seattle Portland

• Complete Formica® line of high pressure laminates and Formica® Solid Surface products stocked

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• 18 locations for same day shipping and will call

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• Formica® and Würth Louis and Company FSC certified • On-line ordering – we are available to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week Please visit our website to find the location nearest you.

Headquarters: 895 Columbia Street, Brea, CA 92821 • (800) 422-4389

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6/21/11 8:33 AM 7/12/11 11:31 AM

Sounding Board Relationship Advice from CIDA Manufacturers and Distributors who Talk the Talk and Walk the Walk B Y

A

good building material distributor is much more than merely a supplier of inventory. It moves manufacturers’ products into the hands of customers and helps those customers utilize them to become more profitable. The quality of stock per se is of course important, but the wholesaler as an agent offering expertise in a category or brand of product defines the role. It’s the distributors’ job to identify and fill gaps in the market, study trends and help create demand for manufacturers’ innovative designs.

Maintaining this balance of cost and effi ciency keeps the building material industry alive and moving forward.

“As a supplier to diversified clientele, we must be knowledgeable about a number of interactive items so customers can rely on us for whatever goes into a project, from adhesives to construction of box to special hardware to installation,” says Bill Sauter, president of Nebraska-based OHARCO. “We are seeing more and more successful distributors working in concert with manufacturers to achieve this level of service.”

The Cabinet Industry Distribution Alliance (CIDA), the segment of NBMDA focusing on collaboration from make to end use, proves how adding value is at once a science of economy and an art of sales. It offers members, who include distributors and manufacturers of hardware, surfacing materials and industrial wood products, tools for excelling at customer service through education, training, statistical research and networking. Along the 40

L A U R A

R O W L E T T

supply chain, communication among diversified players about everything from correct specification to warehousing to marketing strategy is key.

According to Scott Sittler, marketing manager for Wurth Wood Group, a one-stop shop in Charlotte, N.C., with 12 distribution centers between Baltimore and Tampa, qualities of a thriving distributor-fabricator relationship are communication about industry trends, available products, fabricator initiatives and goals. “Strong ties are built on trust and reliability,” Sittler says. Regarding manufacturer-distributor partnerships, he says shared goals and commitments as well as a belief in each other’s abilities to perform in the industry are of critical importance. “We want to be the supplier that customers prefer doing business with because we’ve earned their trust. To do so, we strive to consistently deliver quality products that have a proven record of performance with first-class customer service.”

Wholesalers’ approach partnerships with fabricators differs from outreach to designer specifiers, who are an important sector to reach in terms of product awareness and end use but who may not actually place orders.

“Distributor sales teams are drawn to fabricators because we can provide not only the specified products but all of the related fabrication materials and shop supplies,” Sittler says. “In working with the A&D community, it’s difficult to accurately measure the results of our efforts; while it’s possible that specified work materializes at one of our fabricator

customer shops, it’s also possible that shops outside of our distribution range bid and secure the work, allowing another distributor to take the order.”

Along the East Coast, Pennsylvania-based C.H. Briggs offers a three-pronged approach to A&D outreach. According to president Donald Schalk, C.H. Briggs employs a sales division devoted to serving the A&D community and end-use accounts such as healthcare facilities, universities and corporate offices. Providing additional support is a specialist who educates decorative surfacing customers in the company’s Pennsylvaniato-Georgia operating area about proper fabrication and installation of materials. “That is unique today from the standpoint that some organizations outsource or have cut that position,” Schalk says. “This ensures that when solid surface is specified, it is installed with the highest level of quality and expertise via our fabrication network.

Second is C.H. Briggs’ initiative, as one of the first distributors of DuPont Corian in the 1970s, to inspire and expand the A&D community’s understanding of what’s possible with DuPont’s surfacing materials through its Philadelphia-based Corian Design Studio. A dedicated resource that supports the sales and distribution process, the Corian Design Studio is where designers experience applications of solid surface Corian other than in countertops. Third is the distributor’s relationship with two schools, Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia and Philadelphia University’s Department of Industrial Design

www.surfaceandpanel.com

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7/12/11 11:33 AM

Fulterer a

A dedicated resource that supports the sales and distribution process, C.H. Briggs’ Philadelphia-based Corian Design Studio is where designers experience applications of solid surface Corian other than in countertops.

Program. “We have sponsored student outreach projects to create new products, but our overarching strategy is customer intimacy. We have always had a focus on training and education because we believe what we bring isn’t

products but solutions,” Schalk says.

A regional distributor’s complex role includes enacting manufacturers’ marketing strategy via product education while maintaining multiple brands’ footholds in market

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7/12/11 11:34 AM

Fully operational, manufacturersupplied displays make the CourterCo showroom a veritable classroom for fabricators as well as specifiers from the A&D community.

With that in mind, what works well for one company in one geographic area may flop in another part of North America. For a decorative and functional hardware distributor, a challenge is finding ways to make a select few companies’ similar products stand out from the competition. At CourterCo Inc.

in Indianapolis, for example, president Doug Guthrie supports cabinetmakers. His showroom is where fabricators can preview Formica laminate and solid surface installations, sample Northern Countours’ cabinet doors and drawer fronts, handle Amerock and Schaub decorative hardware and try out Blum, Salice and Rev-A-Shelf functional hardware among other brands. Private-label products fill gaps in the market to meet every price point, and when word-of-mouth referrals bring homeowners in search of updated hardware, CourterCo is a storefront to the general public.

Fully operational, manufacturer-supplied displays make the CourterCo showroom a veritable classroom for fabricators as well as specifiers from the A&D community.

Going further down the supply chain, as a service to its customers, CourterCo. can provide display kits and samples at a greatly reduced cost to cabinetmakers. “Every part of the country is different in terms of design preference and products’ market share and as such requires a different approach to education. Our job here is to know what our customers want from a design standpoint,” Guthrie says. “We have a high degree of knowledge about our local market.”

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7/12/11 11:35 AM

ROS S&P

www.Roseburg.com

Delivering a World of Panel Options

Introducing New Duramine Debut Series Designs Inspired and created by the finest designers in Europe, Roseburg’s new 2011 thermally fused melamine (TFM) Debut Designs represent the most current trends in TFM design and color.

Our Twilight, Acorn, Evening and Tierra Linea designs provide timeless beauty with linear patterns that incorporate shades of color that fit virtually any residential and commercial application. Their design fits 40’s era, art deco, modern and traditional interiors, making them exciting TFMs that are sure to be an instant hit with architects and designers. Auburn Mahogany is a fresh new look at mahogany with deep rich red-brown ribbon striping, enhanced color play accented with subtle cross-fire figure. The design will work perfectly in residential, commercial and store fixture applications.

To receive free samples of Roseburg’s new debut designs, visit us on the web at Roseburg.com

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Doug Guthrie says supplying clients and prospective customers allows for keeping a pulse on HPL and solid surface trends, meaning CourterCo. can keep the most popular colors and styles in stock for quick shipment.

In addition to convenient access and credit accounts, distributors can offer cost-savings to its fabricator clientele by carrying valueadded inventory. For example, CourterCo. carries cabinet components that are already machined and ready for assembly, saving cabinetmakers an entire step in production. Other value-added propositions appear as services instead of stock. Guthrie says CourterCo.’s color-matching expertise for solid surface orders not only eliminates unsightly batch-tobatch variation that can occur when fabricators buy directly from a manufacturer, but it also allows for identical add-ons and hassle-

free swap outs of replacement pieces with typically next-day shipping.

According to C.H. Briggs’ Schalk, competitive advantage has to come in adding value.

“If all you’re doing is selling products, then anybody can do that,” he says. “Someone else will eventually undercut your price. Our knowledge of local markets and an ability to be brand specialists leads manufacturers to select us as the best vehicle to sell their products.”

Jeremy Penny, Wurth Wood Group sales manager, suggests the shrinking market for products that Wurth distributes has been a

most significant challenge during the past three years. “Many customers have left the space, and competition for the remaining business is fierce,” Penny says. “As a result, our sales force has become more entrenched with a smaller group of top customers. In addition, the deterioration of price by our competition devalues name brand, top-quality products or pushes customers to consider more ‘economical’ products that could be of less perceived and/or actual quality. He says during these times a collaboration with key customers, working as a true business partner, is imperative. DM

One of the first distributors of DuPont Corian in the 1970s, C.H. Briggs expands the A&D community’s understanding of what’s possible with DuPont’s surfacing materials through its Philadelphia-based Corian Design Studio.

44

www.surfaceandpanel.com

SandP_Q311.indd 44

7/12/11 11:37 AM

MLC3032

Finish in style Guide

Finish In Style Guide from M.L. Campbell Created by our designers, this annual Finish Forecast takes the leading influences on

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color and design and focuses on five major categories of kitchen styles in our world today. Our Finish In Style guide coordinates m.l. Campbell’s high performance stains, glazes and pigmented finish colors into stepby-step finishing instructions, creating looks that will be relevant far into the future.

See your nearest M.L. Campbell distributor to get your NEW copy of Finish In Style, Volume II .

®

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Smart People. Brilliant Finishes.

Expertise is the key ingredient in all we do at M.L. Campbell.

Not only in formulating our products, but also in providing invaluable technical answers. Our expert distributors are the best in the business. And they’re at your disposal with unmatched product knowledge and training programs.

Along with our easy-to-apply products, this support gives you the wood finishing results you demand.

6/22/11 5:00 PM 7/12/11 11:37 AM

ROSEBURG Products Made in the USA Roseburg is one of the largest privately held forest products companies in the United States. We make the right “Made In The USA” wood product for the job.

Roseburg Produces • Hardwood Plywood • Particleboard • Vinyl Overlaid • Light Basis Weight Paper Overlaid

Distributor Services Founded in 1968 by Jerrold Delaney, Distributor Service, Inc. (DSI) began as a distributor of decorative paneling to lumberyards in the Pittsburgh market. Today, DSI has grown into a regional distribution powerhouse with eight locations and well over 100 employees.

While Pittsburgh houses the corporate headquarters, DSI has established a significant presence in Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, Millersburg, Indianapolis, Nashville and Louisville.

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Partner Support Roseburg has skilled and knowledgeable partner support teams located in Dillard, OR and Atlanta, GA. In addition, Territory Sales Managers strategically located throughout the country are available to provide field assistance.

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To find out how you can become a Roseburg Distribution Partner, call 800-245-1115 www.Roseburg.com

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Still family owned and operated, CALL ONE OF OUR LOCATIONS TODAY: DSI currently distributes over 150 • Green Bay - 800.236.2211 • Milwaukee - 800.642.1733 different product lines from the finest • Pekin - 800.879.9123 • Sun Prairie - 800.879.7123 manufacturers, including hardwood • Traverse City - 877.700.5190 plywood from Columbia Forest Products, • West Salem - 800.879.8123 decorative laminates from Nevamar, melamine particleboard from Flakeboard and large selection of Green Building products.

DSI also stocks over 20 species of hardwood veneer plywood in various thicknesses and sizes. These products are distributed directly to cabinetmakers, millwork shops, the store fixture industry and furniture manufacturers.

Complementing the panel products, DSI distributes a complete line of wood finishing products from M.L. Campbell. Each DSI location also has a color studio for all your custom stain matching needs. Additionally DSI offers a wide range of complimentary lines and services including solid surface, hardware, adhesives, abrasives and LEED AP’s on staff to answer any questions about Green Building products and procedures.

DSI has set itself apart as the wholesale distributor that has it alloutstanding selection and product availability, competitive pricing, knowledgeable staff, and a wealth of value-added services.

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www.distributor-service.com 46

www.surfaceandpanel.com

SandP_Q311.indd 46

7/12/11 11:39 AM

Manufacturers Accuride International 12311 Shoemaker Ave. Santa Fe Springs, CA 92679 P (562) 903-0200 F (562) 903-0208 www.accuride.com Advanced Affiliates 96-12 43rd Ave. Corona, NY 11368 P (800) 367-4393 F (718) 565-1444 www.decorite.com Amerock Corporation 3 Glenlake Pkwy NE Atlanta, GA 30328 P (704) 987-7545 f (704) 987-7534 www.amerock.com Arborite 385 LaFleur LaSalle, QB H8R3H7 P (514) 366-0262 f (514) 366-7982 www.arborite.com ARPA USA 13300 Vantage Way Jacksonville, FL 32218 P (877) 277-2669 www.arpaindustriale.com Berenson Corp.

2495 Main St., #111 Buffalo, NY 14214-2152 P (716) 833-3100 f (716) 833-2402 www.berensonhardware.com BHK Of America, Inc. 11 Bond St. / P.O. Box 37 Central Valley, NY 10917 P (845) 928-6200 f (845) 928-2287 www.bhkofamerica.com Birchland Plywood Limited P.O. Box 430 Thessalon, ON P0R 1L0 P (705) 842-2430 f (705) 842-2496 www.birchlandplywood.com Blum Inc. 7733 Old Plank Rd. Stanley, NC 28164 P (704) 827-1345 f (704) 827-0799 www.blum.com C.A. Technologies LLC 337 South Arthur Ave. Louisville, CO 80027 P (303) 438-5707 F (303) 438-5708 www.spraycat.com

Century America, L.L.C. 4774 East Paris Avenue SE Kentwood, MI 49512 P (616) 988-4788 f (616) 988-5777 www.century-hardware.com Chemetal 39 O’Neil Street Easthampton, MA 01027 P (413) 529-0718 f (413) 529-9898 www.chemetalco.com Choice Brands Adhesives 666 Redna Terrace, #500 Cincinnati, OH 45215 P (513) 772-1234 f (513) 772-9118 www.choicebrands.com Color Rite, Inc. 600 S. Ranchwood Blvd.

Yukon, OK 73099 P (405) 354-3644 f (405) 354-3645 www.coloriteinc.com

Element Designs P.O. Box 7747 Charlotte, NC 28241 P (704) 332-3114 www.element-designs.com

Hettich America L.P. 4295 Hamilton Mill Rd., Ste 400 Buford, GA 30518 P (770) 887-3733 f (678) 537-0115 www.hettichamerica.com

Flakeboard Co. Ltd. 80 Tiverton Court, Ste. 701 Markham, ON L3R 0G4 P (905) 475-9686 f (905) 475-3827 www.flakeboard.com

ITW TACC 56 Air Station Industrial Park Rockland, MA 02370 P (781) 878-7015 f (800) 231-8222 www.itwtacc.com

Formica Corp.

10155 Reading Rd. Cincinnati, OH 45241 P (312) 735-2043 f (513) 786-3566 www.formica.com

John Boos & Company P.O. Box 609 / 315 South First St. Effingham, IL 62401 P (217) 347-7701 f (217) 347-7705 www.johnboos.com

FormWood Industries, Inc. 1601 Production Rd. Jeffersonville, IN 47130 P (812) 284-3676 f (812) 285-5074 www.formwood.com

Kerfkore Company 2630 Sidney Lanier Drive Brunswick, GA 31525 P (912) 264-6496 f (912) 262-9763 www.kerfkore.com

Columbia Forest Products, Inc. 7900 Triad Center Dr., Ste 200 Greensboro, NC 27409 P (800) 637-1609 f (336) 605-6969 www.columbiaforestproducts.com

Fulterer USA, Inc. 542 Townsend Ave. High Point, NC 27263 P (336) 431-4646 f (336) 431-4620 www.fultererusa.com

King Plastic Corporation 1100 N. Toledo Blade Blvd.

North Port, FL 34288 P (941) 493-5200 f (914) 497-3274 www.kingplastic.com

CompX National/ CompX Waterloo P.O. Box 200 Mauldin, SC 29662 P (864) 297-6655 f (864) 297-9987 www.compx.com

Gemini Coatings 421 S.E. 21st St El Reno, OK 73036 P (800) 262-5710 www.geminicoatings.com

Knape & Vogt Company 2700 Oak Industrial Dr. NE Grand Rapids, MI 49505-6082 P (616) 459-3311 f (616) 459-0249 www.kv.com

Darlington Veneer Co., Inc. P.O. Box 1087 / 225 4th Street Darlington, SC 29540 P (843) 393-3861 f (843) 393-8243 www.darlingtonveneer.com Deerwood Fasteners 638 Reese Dr. Conover, NC 28613 P (828) 469-1075 f (828) 469-1050 www.deerwood.com Doellken-Woodtape, Inc. 18 Covington Drive Palm Desert, CA 92260 P (760) 862-1285 f (760) 862-1820 www.doellken-woodtape.com Edgemate, Inc. P.O. Box 72 / 333 Closson Rd. Roaring Spring, PA 16673 P (888) 307-2150 f (425) 349-2121 www.edgemate.com

Grand River Wood Products 360 Remington Rd. Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44224 P (330) 945-6464 f (330) 923-8699 www.gr1879.com

Kuehn Bevel Inc. 10 Furnace St. Stanhope, NJ 07874 P (800) 862-3835 f (973) 584-1855 www.kuehnbevel.com

Grass America Inc. 1202 Highway 66 S. Kernersville, NC 27284 (336) 996-4041 (336) 996-4547 www.grassusa.com

M.L. Campbell 101 Prospect Ave., 525 Republic Cleveland, OH 44115 P (216) 566-2904 f (216) 515-7756 www.mlcampbell.com

Helmitin Inc. 3518 N. Druid Hills Rd. Decatur, GA 30033-3731 P (404) 915-3535 f (404) 321-5179 www.helmitinadhesives.com

Michigan Maple/Bally Block Co’s.

P.O. Box 245 / 1420 Standish Ave. Petoskey, MI 49770 P (231) 347-4170 f (800) 447-7975 www.mapleblock.com

Hera Lighting L.P. 3025 Business Park Drive Norcross, GA 30071 P (770) 409-8558 f (770) 409-8531 www.heralighting.com

Mirka Abrasives, Inc. 7950 Bavaria Rd. Twinsburg, OH 44087 P (800) 963-6427 f (800) 843-3904 www.mirka.com

SandP_Q311.indd 47

Cabinet Industry Distribution Alliance

CIDA Member Directory

surface&panel Q 3

2011

47

7/12/11 11:39 AM

Cabinet Industry Distribution Alliance

CIDA Member Directory Northstar Chemicals, Inc. 19 Smiley Ingram Rd. Cartersville, GA 30121 P (770) 386-6961 f (770) 386-0615 www.northstarchemicals.com

Roseburg Forest Products LP 12000 Findley Road, Suite 320 Duluth, GA 30037 P (678) 474-1265 f (877) 297-0305 www.rfpco.com

Valspar 1823 English Rd. High Point, NC 27262 P (336) 802-4768 f (336) 802-4711 www.valsparwood.com

Baer Supply Co. 909 Forest Edge Dr. Vernon Hills, IL 60061 P (847) 913-2237 f (847) 913-9606 www.baersupply.com

Olde Virginia Wood Products, Inc. P.O. Box 33001 / 1583 Marine Dr. West Vancouver, BC V7V 1H0 P (604) 683-2979 f (604) 683-2989

Royal Mouldings 135 Bear Creek Rd. Marion, VA 24354 P (276) 783-8161 www.royalmouldings.com

Veneer Technologies Inc. P.O. Box 1145 Newport, NC 28570 P (252) 223-6359 f (252) 223-3511 www.veneertech.com

Omega National Products 900 Baxter Ave. Louisville, KY 40204 P (502) 583-3038 f (502) 584-1022 www.omeganationalproducts.com

RPC-Terry Hardware 2020 Seventh St. Rockford, IL 61104 P (815) 966-2000 f (815) 966-2026 www.rockfordprocess.com

Babcock Lumber Company P.O. Box 8348 / 2220 Palmer St. Pittsburgh, PA 15218 P (412) 351-3515 f (412) 351-1522 www.babcocklumber.com

VT Industries, Inc. P.O. Box 490 / 1000 Industrial Park Holstein, IA 51025 P (712) 368-4381 f (712) 368-4186 www.vtindustries.com

Bennett Supply Co. 300 Business Center Dr. Cheswick, PA 15024-1071 P (888) 236-6388 f (724) 274-5528 www.bennettsuply.com

Pan American Screw Inc. 630 Reese Dr. S.W. Conover, NC 28613 P (800) 951-2222 f (828) 466-0070 www.panamericanscrew.com Panolam Industries Int'l Inc. 20 Progress Drive Shelton, CT 06484 P (203) 925-1556 f (203) 225-0050 www.panolam.com Patriot Timber Products Int'l P.O. Box 19065 Greensboro, NC 27419 www.patriottimber.com Peter Meier Inc. 1255 South Park Dr. Kernersville, NC 27284 P (336) 996-7774 f (336) 996-1812 www.petermeier.com Prime Wood, Inc. 1646 51st Court Vero Beach, FL 32966-2339 P (772) 564-2035 f (772) 564-2052 www.primewoodproducts.com Pro-Ply Custom Plywood Inc. 6370 Kestrel Road Mississauga, ON L5T 1Z3 P (905) 564-2327 f (905) 564-2330 www.proply.com Rev-A-Shelf LLC 2409 Plantside Dr. Jeffersontown, KY 40299 P (502) 499-5835 f (502) 491-2215 www.rev-a-shelf.com

48

Ryan Forest Products 165 Ryan St. Winnipeg, MT R2R0N9 P (204) 989-9614 www.ryanforest.com Solua Inc. 68 SW 10th Terrace Boca Raton, FL 33486 P (336) 506-7440 www.soluainc.com SR Wood Inc. 1801 Progress Way Clarksville, IN 47129 P (812) 288-9200 www.srwoodinc.com Tafisa Canada 729 Meloche Ave. Dorval, QC H9P 2S4 P (514) 780-1324 f (514) 780-1354 www.tafisa.ca The Penrod Company 2809 S. Lynnhaven Rd., Ste. 350 Virginia Beach, VA 23452 P (757) 498-0186 f (757) 498-1075 www.thepenrodcompany.com Tresco International Ltd. Co. 801 E. Middletown Rd. North Lima, OH 44452 P (330) 549-2230 f (330) 549-2260 www.trescointl.com Uniboard Canada – U.S.A. Div. 2078 Normandy Dr. Wooster, OH 44691 P (330) 264-9337 f (330) 262-8767 www.uniboard.com USA Laminates, LLC 200 W. 24 St. Hialeah, FL 33010 P (305) 863-7908 f (305) 863-7910

Distributors A & M Supply Corp.

6701 90th Ave. North Pinellas Park, FL 33782 P (727) 541-6632 f (727) 546-3617 www.a-msupply.com Aetna Plywood, Inc. 1401 St. Charles Road Maywood, IL 60153 P (708) 343-1515 f (708) 343-1616 www.aetnaplywood.com Alpine Plywood Corporation 12210 W. Silver Spring Rd. Milwaukee, WI 53225 P (414) 438-8400 f (414) 438-8401 www.alpineplywood.com Alpine Sales Inc. 9650 Millfield Rd. Columbia, SC 29223 P (803) 788-9160 f (803) 788-9162 www.alpinesalesinc.com Atlantic Plywood Corp.

8 Roessler Rd. Woburn, MA 01801 P (781) 933-1932 f (781) 933-3654 www.atlanticplywood.com Amerhart Ltd. P.O. Box 10097 / 2455 Century Rd. Green Bay, WI 54303 P (920) 494-4744 f (920) 494-0388 www.amerhart.com

Bond Plywood, Inc. 988 E. Saratoga Ferndale, MI 48220 P (248) 548-3150 f (248) 548-0265 www.bondply.com BPI (Building Plastics, Inc.) 3263 Sharp Ave. Memphis, TN 38111 P (901) 744-6202 f (901) 745-6344 www.bpidecosurf.com C.H.Briggs Company P.O. Box 15188 / 2047 Kutztown Rd. Reading, PA 19605 P (610) 929-6969 f (610) 790-1105 www.chbriggs.com Cabinetparts.com 1301 West Copans Road, Ste. G-6 Pompano Beach, FL 33064 P (954) 428-3800 f (954) 977-3006 www.cabinetparts.com Cabinetware Inc. 2025 Cattlemen Rd. Sarasota, FL 34232-6202 P (941) 296-0956 f (941) 379-9654 www.cabinetware.com Cedar Creek Wholesale P.O. Box 1900 / 6500 S. 145th E. Ave. Broken Arrow, OK 74013-1900 P (918) 258-9688 f (918) 251-6405 www.cedarcreek.com Central Florida Cabinet Supply 2617 Pemberton Dr. Apopka, FL 32703 P (407) 292-3644 f (407) 292-3799 www.flcabnts.com

www.surfaceandpanel.com

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Central Wholesale Supply Corp.

1532 Ingleside Road Norfolk, VA 23502 P (757) 855-3131 f (757) 855-4140 www.central-wholesale.com Chesapeake Plywood, LLC 1700 Ridgely Street Baltimore, MD 21230 P (410) 244-0055 f (410) 244-1269 www.chesapeakeplywood.com Colorspec Coatings Int'l, Inc. 1716 Church Street Holbrook, NY 11741 P (631) 472-8251 f (631) 472-8255 www.colorspeccoatings.com

E.B. Bradley Co./ West Coast Laminating P.O. Box 58548 / 5080 S. Alameda St. Los Angeles, CA 90058 P (323) 585-9201 f (323) 585-5414 www.ebbradley.com

McFadden’s Hardwood & Hardware Inc. 2164 Buckingham Road Oakville, ON L6H 6M7 P (416) 674-3333 f (905) 855-8822 www.mcfaddens.com

F.W. Honerkamp Co. Inc. 500 Oak Point Ave. Bronx, NY 10474 P (718) 589-9700 f (718) 378-2843 www.honerkamp.com

McKillican International, Inc. 16420 118 Ave. Edmonton, AB T5V 1C8 P (780) 453-3841 f (780) 481-6904 www.mckillican.com

Fessenden Hall, Inc. 1050 Sherman Ave. Pennsauken, NJ 08110-2674 P (856) 665-2210 f (856) 382-0250 www.fessenden.com

Metal Mouldings, Inc. 1314 Marquette St. Cleveland, OH 44114 P (216) 391-8400 f (216) 391-8544 www.mmisupplyco.com

Connecticut Plywood Corp.

P.O. Box 330236 W. Hartford Ind’l Pk /9 Andover Dr W West Hartford, CT 06133-0236 P (860) 953-0060 f (860) 953-0599 www.connply.com

Hardwoods, Inc. of Atlanta 5400 Riverview Rd. Mableton, GA 30126 P (404) 792-0910 f (404) 799-2079 www.hardwoodweb.com

CourterCo, Inc. 5373 W. 79th Indianapolis, IN 46268 P (317) 879-2050 f (317) 879-2454 www.courterco.com

Holdahl Co. Inc. 1925 Annapolis Ln. Plymouth, MN 55441 P (612) 333-7111 f (612) 550-9966 www.holdahl.com

Dakota Premium Hardwoods, LLC 6805-C Imperial Drive Waco, TX 76712 P (244) 772-9663 f (254) 772-9664 www.dakotahardwoods.com

Industrial Wood Finishers 14622 Southlawn Lane Rockville, MD 20850 P (301) 424-3033 f (301) 340-9023 www.industrial-finishes.com

Darant Distributing Corp.

1832 E. 68th Ave. Denver, CO 80229 P (303) 289-2220 f (303) 289-2225 www.darant.com

Lensing Building Specialties P.O. Box 965 / 600 N. 6th Ave. Evansville, IN 47710 P (812) 423-6891 f (812) 421-3788 www.lensingonline.com

Diamond Hill Plywood Co. P.O. Box 529 / 600 East Broad St. Darlington, SC 29540-0529 P (843) 393-2803 f (843) 393-1245 www.diamondhillplywood.com

Lumbermen’s, Inc. 4433 Stafford SW Grand Rapids, MI 49548 P (616) 538-5180 f (616) 261-3223 www.lumbermens-inc.com

Distributor Service, Inc. 1 Dorrington Rd. Carnegie, PA 15106 P (412) 279-7824 f (412) 279-8454 www.distributor-service.com

Louis and Company P.O. Box 2253 / 895 Columbia St. Brea, CA 92822 P (714) 529-1771 f (714) 990-6184 www.louisandcompany.com

Dougherty-Hanna Resources Co. 6000 Harvard Ave. Cleveland, OH 44105 P (216) 271-2400 f (216) 271-2405 www.dougherty-hanna.com

Mac Murray Pacific 568 7th St. San Francisco, CA 94103 P (415) 552-5500 f (415) 552-5840 www.macmurraypacific.com

Russell Plywood Inc. 401 Old Wyomissing Rd. Reading, PA 19611 P (610) 374-3206 f (610) 374-9138 www.russellplywood.com Trade Supply Group 624 W. 52nd St. (btwn. 11th &12th Ave) New York, NY 10019 P (212) 255-2522 f (212) 255-4670 www.manhattanlaminates.com U.S. Industrial Fasteners 2026 E. Cedar St. Tempe, AZ 85281 P (480) 967-8702 f (480) 967-1907 www.usifaz.com Walmark Corporation 101 W. Belvidere Rd. Round Lake Park, IL 60073 P (847) 546-0400 f (847) 546-1777 www.walmark.com

Metro Hardwoods 9540 83rd Ave. N. Maple Grove, MN 55369 P (763) 391-6731 f (763) 391-6741 www.metrohardwoods.com

Web-Don, Inc. P.O. Box 26367 Charlotte, NC 28221 P (704) 375-0250 f (704) 375-6655 www.web-don.com

Meyer Decorative Surfaces 340 Patton Dr. Atlanta, GA 30336 P (404) 507-1200 f (404) 222-1980 www.meyer-laminates.com

White-Wood Dist. Ltd. 119 Plymouth Street Winnipeg, MB R2X 2T3 P (204) 982-9450 f (204) 632-7416 www.w-group.ca

OHARCO P.O. Box 27427 / 8109 F Street Omaha, NE 68127 P (800) 228-9460 f (888) 808-5575 www.oharco.com

Wood Stock Supply, Inc. 4705 South I-90 Service Rd. Rapid City, SD 57703 P (605) 341-6900 f (605) 341-0271 www.woodstocksupply.com

P.J. White Hardwoods Ltd. 1200 E. Kent Ave. Vancouver, BC V5X 2X8 P (604) 327-7216 f (604) 327-9712 www.pjwhitehardwoods.com

Wurth Wood Group P.O. Box 668005 / 4250 Golf Acres Dr. Charlotte, NC 28266-8005 P (704) 887-7951 f (704) 394-2141 www.wurthwoodgroup.com

Parksite, Inc. 1109 Classic Road Apex, NC 27502 P (919) 335-0000 f (919) 387-1525 www.parksite.com Rayette Forest Products 60 Rayette Rd., #22-24 Concord, ON L4K 2G4 P (416) 661-0831 f (905) 669-3562

NBMDA Headquarters 401 N. Michigan Ave. Chicago, IL 60611 P (312) 321 6845 toll free (888) 747-7862 f (312) 644-0310 info@nbmda.org www.nbmda.org

Richelieu Hardware Ltd. 2617 Uwharrie Rd. / P.O. Box 400 High Point, NC 27261 P (336) 841-5100 f (336) 887-8677 www.richelieu.com

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Cabinet Industry Distribution Alliance

CIDA Member Directory

surface&panel Q 3

2011

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HANNOVER 2011

Provides Added Momentum for Industry Upswing

S

ignificantly higher international participation was the hallmark of LIGNA HANNOVER 2011. “The LIGNA slogan ‘Making more out of wood: innovative, efficient, trendsetting’ proved persuasive for visitors and exhibitors alike. The show’s successful run had effectively underscored its reputation as the industry’s No. 1 event. “Exhibitors and visitors regard LIGNA HANNOVER as a hot spot for industry innovations. Hannover is the perfect place to generate the kind of business leads that are needed to translate those innovations into sales,” remarked Stephan Ph. Kühne, Member of the Managing Board, Deutsche Messe.

During the five-day run of the fair, some 1,765 exhibitors from 52 nations showcased their products and services on total display space of approx. 1.4 million square feet. Alongside Germany, the most stronglyrepresented exhibiting nations this year were Italy, Austria, Spain, China (including Taiwan), Switzerland, Denmark, Turkey, Sweden and the Netherlands. A huge array of promising innovations filled the 13 halls and the openair site. “Innovations are clearly the driving force behind LIGNA. Many businesses sync their innovation cycles with LIGNA, and the breakthroughs unveiled here give users exactly what they need,” Kühne commented.

LIGNA HANNOVER 2011 attracted a total of 90,000 visitors – an increase of 13 percent over the previous event. While the fair has always demonstrated great international appeal, this year’s upsurge in foreign visitors marked an impressive milestone in the

event’s history, with some 40 percent of all visitors attending from abroad – a 26 percent jump over foreign attendance in 2009. “That is a truly outstanding figure,” reported Kühne.

Visitors came from a total of 90 nations, with major increases in the case of Russia, Finland, the United Kingdom, Austria and Sweden. Attendance was also up from the U.S. and The Netherlands.

“Half of all visitors ranked as top managers with purchasing authority. A great number of projects were initiated, scores of deals transacted and countless leads generated.

The number of purchase orders signed this year was up 30 percent over 2009, which is very impressive indeed,” Kühne reported.

Exhibitors too, expressed great contentment with the technical expertise and decisionmaking caliber demonstrated by the show’s 90,000 visitors. According to Riccardo Quattrini, Sales & Marketing Director of the Cefla Finishing Group: “We made some excellent contacts right at the start of the show, which bodes well for the second half of 2011.”

The efficient use of resources is rapidly becoming a top priority for more and more sectors of the industry. For example, lightweight solutions for furniture making were featured prominently at LIGNA 2011.

The “lightweight.network” special presentation in Hall 24 highlighted the links between machines and subcontracted components in the furniture industry. Companies took advantage of the special display to showcase their lightweight furniture production solutions. Activities here included the first “Think Light” international conference on lightweight designs.

The show’s professional audience was particularly interested in the latest designs trends and innovative surface finishing processes, with demand focusing mainly on products characterized by a high degree of individual flexibility – for example, digital printing.

The next LIGNA HANNOVER will be staged from 6 to 10 May 2013, once again in Hannover, Germany. s&p

surface&panel

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Drawing Confidence B Y

S U Z A N N E

V A N

G I L D E R

F

loyd Beckmann has a small three-man cabinet shop in Lincoln, Neb., but that does not mean he can’t do big things. Twenty-eight years ago Beckmann started doing remodels and custom furniture pieces. As he honed his skills he worked with remodeling contractors and homeowners fabricating cabinetry and furniture for their new projects, remodels and light commercial. Through the years he has worked on numerous multimillion dollar homes, historical homes, and commercial projects.

“My drawing software is KCD,” says Beckmann. “I have used it since the early 1990s when it was the DOS version. Immediately it increased my speed and accuracy, which is a major consideration for a shop like mine.

Previously all jobs were hand drawn with hand figured takeoff sheets for the guys to work on. The time spent was very long and demanding. Today I use version 9 of KCD and sometimes take it to the extreme. The upgrades are very useful and not cost prohibitive like some programs I have seen, where the maintenance fees can be large and definitely hurt the cash flow for some small companies.

KCD also has great customer service. You always talk to a person, you are never put on hold. I like that personal and professional touch.”

52

www.surfaceandpanel.com

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For Architectural and Cabinet Designers

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Powerful and easy to use, you’ll love its timesaving features, professional look and extra details. Create your own custom libraries and pull down menus tailored exclusively to your business.

KCD’s software suite grows with your business; with design, pricing, cut lists and manufacturing, whether you add features now, or later.

Custom sizes? No problem. With KCD’s highly advanced formula engine, you can customize your cut lists for both traditional and CNC construction.

Cost-effective and risk-free, you can purchase or rent at any level. If you’re renting and decide to buy, KCD Software will apply a portion of your rental directly toward the purchase price.

Call today for KCD’s powerful, fully-customizable software with unparalleled customer service.

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508.760.1140 • KCDsoftware.com Software You Can Build On™

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SynDeco

In order to compete with bigger shops, Beckmann has to instill in his clients a sense of confidence and trust. “A lot of that has to do with organizational skill,” Beckmann says.

“Beyond achieving a certain look, I have a simple philosophy, inside first and outside last.” To ensure quality fulfillment and accurately time phase production, Beckmann takes the time to learn all of the specifics of a project from floor to ceiling.

“Quality orientated contractors and home owners expect you to know business. Some people put too much emphasis on the outside of a home, and all the sudden it becomes crunch time. The majority of the work needs to be done, and no one has figured out the cabinetry!

This is where you have the most people and the most talented trades working.” Beckmann understands that while he is involved in a project for a period of time, the owners have to live with it. “It may be a backwards philosophy for some people in the trade, but that way I make sure the clients get exactly what they want.”

Beckmann’s proactive approach means he is building cabinets, millwork and furniture for a project sometimes before the hole is dug for the foundation. He relies on KCD software’s 3D rendering capabilities to establish trust with his clients. “I like the personal touch. I’ll go over to a home or office with my laptop and sit down with the client and walk them through the drawings. I can make adjustments right there, and people like that.” Not only does the software’s rendering capability help to establish rapport, it often helps Beckmann to close the deal. “In some areas of the country you can charge for initial drawings, not in Lincoln. If you send out your drawings they’ll get passed around until they find the lowest bidder, and all your effort is wasted. With the software, not only do clients get personal service, but presenting the project in person protects my work. And more often than not the clients are impressed by what they see.” s&p

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4/9/10

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SynDECOR®-based overlays: The next great thing in decorative laminates!

SynDECOR®, a biaxially-oriented polypropylene (OPP) based film, provides cabinet and RTA furniture producers an exciting, cost-effective alternative to today's laminate substrates. This thin, strong barrier film is UV-stabilized and modified to chemically bond to glues for lamination.

SynDECOR is surface printed and e-beam or UV-coated

by AET Films converter customers.

No more water or moisture issues Because SynDECOR is an OPP-based film, it has all of the water resistance your applications will ever need. Meeting 24-hour test requirements is no issue, whether the laminates are based upon our 23, 32, 41 or 56 gsm products.

Its “Living Hinge” is ideal for miter-fold construction Unlike most materials, polypropylene actually strengthens when it is flexed. This inherent, high resistance to flexural fatigue, combined with SynDECOR’s high resistance to tear-initiation, allows and inspires product designs that include foldable backs, v-grooved cabinet carcasses, lightweight panels and shelving. Furniture and cabinet producers can now improve product design and appearance while reducing the overall costs.

IF water-resistance, living-hinge and versatility are not

enough to convince you, then also consider these additional SynDECOR benefits: • consistent chemical bonds with today’s commonly used glues • superior print fidelity • converter-applied coatings that deliver exceptional mar, scratch and abrasion resistance • formaldehyde and melamine-free • polyolefin-based construction, widely considered the most sustainable of all plastics

Wrapped profiles and five-piece doors MDF and SynDECOR-based overlays are made for one another. The thin, yet strong SynDECOR-based laminate will highlight the intricate detail of routed products.

Five-piece doors can now be produced with one substrate and one print surface, delivering consistent design with improved durability. The functional surface of SynDECOR chemically bonds to the PUR or water-based glues.

The Hidden Advantage™

www.SynDECOR.com For more information on SynDECOR, call 1.800.688.2044.

AET is a proud member of the CPA and we truly believe that SynDECOR - based laminates are an “Innovative Product for a Sustainable Future.”

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COUNTER BALANCE

3DL Combines Durability and Design Elegance in Airport Commerce

W

Appearance, functionality and the ultimate performance characteristic, durability, are all part of the consumer experience.

56

B Y

L A U R A

R O W L E T T

hat's in a successful commercial fixture upgrade?

Is it just affordable brand identity in a design featuring low-maintenance materials? Or is there more to it? A well-designed commercial counter system is an oasis. Think frenzied shoppers skittering through the aisles to a check-out offering customer service. Imagine frantic travelers finally deplaned after hours in the air reaching the rental car counter where the next leg of the journey begins. Appearance, functionality and the ultimate performance characteristic, durability, are all part of the consumer experience.

Dave Jackman, account executive at Triad Manufacturing in St. Louis, says his company, sunk $250,000 into an ORMA 3D vacuum thermal laminator machine about three years ago specifically to support a nationwide roll-out of mobile phone displays and kiosks for Best Buy stores. Triad, a wood and metal fabricator and decorative surfaces laminator with an automated powder-coating line and in a nearly 1 million-square-foot shop, decided the potential to extend sanitary, seamless surfacing options to fixtures projects in the hospitality, food service and commercial sectors was worth the investment of in-house 3D Laminates capabilities. “When we were successful with the Best Buy stores, we began to ask, ‘Who else can we help with this product?’” Jackman says.

In November 2009, Triad's experience with pressing 3D Laminates films by Omnova Solutions attracted Enterprise rental car company, which had recently acquired Alamo and National and aimed to update the three brands' counter systems in more than 20 airports across the U.S. The large-scale overhaul called for vertical surfaces engineered to withstand the abuse of around-the-clock battering by hurried travelers parking heavy luggage and awkward wheeled carts against a counter

www.surfaceandpanel.com

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2011SnP_

OMNOVA Solutions’ Harmony program facilitates design and color matching across multiple OMNOVA product constructions - Paper, Flat, and 3D Laminates including surf(x)® 3D Laminates. The program provides the best application of laminate based on cost and functional requirements.

Benefits of the Harmony program include: • Enables uniform design for furniture and fixtures with coordinating laminates • Reduces development time and improves speed to market for new products • Simplifies supply chain, eliminating need for multiple vendors • Controls end product cost by using a range of constructions based on functional needs To learn how OMNOVA Laminates can make a difference in your cabinetry, furniture or fixtures, contact us today! Or visit our online Design Center to see our broad offering, obtain additional information and order samples – www.omnova.com/designcenter.

OMNOVA Solutions is a leading designer and manufacturer of Paper, Flat and 3D Laminates including industry leading surf(x)® 3D Laminates Learn more at: www.omnova.com/laminates laminates@omnova.com 866.332.5226

HARMONY is a trademark of OMNOVA Solutions Inc. SURF(X) is a registered trademark of OMNOVA Solutions Inc. © 2011 OMNOVA Solutions Inc.

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Counter tops are solid surface DuPont Corian or Silestone.

Jackman says even the most value-conscious companies can achieve a strong brand image with 3DL surfaces.

9 OUT OF 10 DOCTORS AGR E E …

HEALTHCARE FIXTURES ARE BETTER IN 3-D!

KNOWN SIDE EFFECTS OF USING 3-D LAMINATED COMPONENTS: Safe, patient-friendly design; better looking projects; economical; durable; easy to clean; happier clients; higher margins.

www.jbcutting.com • 586.468.4765 58

system to complete a quick rental car transaction. Specifying a highly durable surface material such as 3D Laminates surfaces for vertical panels can provide this level of high quality and unique design at an affordable price point.

Jackman says even the most value-conscious companies can achieve a strong brand image with 3DL surfaces. In the case of the Enterprise brands, for example, pairing Omnova Solutions surf(x) 12 millimeter-thick films with the right FSC-certified MDF substrates provided a moisture- and stain-resistant vertical panel that is easyto-clean. Curved corners eliminated “laminate lines” and catchable edges. Because 3D Laminate surfacing doesn't chip, costly laminate repairs won't interrupt customer service. “Plus, the 3D Laminates will dent – but only slightly – in impact situations where other laminates would crack,” Jackman says.

He says Enterprise (marketed as cost-efficient), Alamo (specializing in car rentals for vacationers) and National (the branch focused on business travelers' transportation needs) required preserving those independent identities but designing a common consistent, attractive and reliable counter systems. "This meant creating the same luxury rental experience for all customers, those looking for an economy model or their dream car."

Triad installed the first of these systems in the Atlanta Hartfield International Airport in January 2010 and has since completed more than 20 more. Its vertically integrated manufacturing capacity allows designing, fabricating and installing all structural framing and metal accents in complement to the engineered wood and laminate components. “The fact that 3D Laminates are only slightly more expensive than traditional laminate and comes in virtually any woodgrain or color imaginable can surprise clients, especially when considering its lifetime and performance characteristics,” Jackson says. Omnova Solutions surf(X) films in metallic finishes are now part of the latest National car rental rebranding project, which Triad recently installed at the Dallas Forth Worth Airport.

“Overall, our clients’ response to 3D Laminates has been very positive, and we are now looking at other areas where we may be able to use the product, such as clients' back rooms and break areas to increase the lifespan of those types of fixtures and furniture pieces,” Jackman says. s&p

www.surfaceandpanel.com

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Schattdecor Inaugurates St. Louis Facility

SCHATTDECOR INC MANAGING DIRECTOR TOM DRAZEN

CEO REINER SCHULZ, SCHATTDECOR AG.

LEFT TO RIGHT: THOMAS SCHWEIGER, CHARLIE DOOLEY, TOM DRAZEN, WALTER SCHATT, REINER SCHULZ, MATTHIAS SONN, ANJA SCHATT AND ROLAND HEEGER.

A who’s who in the surfacing industry celebrated in style at the June 21st inauguration of Schattdecor’s spectacular décor print facility in St. Louis. Industry veteran and managing director Tom Drazen pioneered the North American market for 15 years building a base of business worthy of a dedicated facility. Walter Schatt and CEO Reiner Schulz rewarded Drazen and his team’s hard work and commitment with the new 110,000 square foot building and the first of potentially four printing machines. The building also contains spacious offices for the 40+ employees, a laboratory and beautiful design center. Schattdecor originally invested $31 million in the project in the St. Louis suburb of Maryland Heights, a short distance from the St. Louis International Airport. An additional 18 acres of land was purchased adjacent to the current property.

The company is very optimistic about the large growth potential in North America and is prepared to increase its capacity to serve the 7.5 billion square foot laminate industry. Over 200 guests enjoyed a beautifully orchestrated inauguration ceremony, traditional German fare and an evening of first class entertainment. s&p

ABOVE, LEFT: FROM LEFT, PETER FUNDER,

FUNDER AMERICA, REINER SCHULZ, SCHATTDECOR AG

ABOVE: ST. LOUIS COUNTY EXECUTIVE CHARLIE

DOOLEY ADDRESSES ATTENDEES AT THE INAUGURATION CEREMONY.

LEFT: FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: ECONOMIC AFFAIRS MINISTER MATTHIAS SONN, GERMAN EMBASSY, WALTER SCHATT, CHARLIE DOOLEY, REINER SCHULZ, TOM DRAZEN

ABOVE: SCHATTDECOR

FOUNDER WALTER SCHATT (CENTER) AND THE TRADITIONAL GERMAN ENTERTAINERS TRAVELED FROM THANSAU TO PERFORM. LEFT: THE PROUD EMPLOYEES AT SCHATTDECOR US.

surface&panel

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interzum2011:

the sector presents its innovative fireworks in the halls of Koelnmesse

“Sensational. It was our best interzum ever,” was the general consensus amongst exhibitors at the end of this year’s interzum. With 52,400 trade visitors from 147

Roseburg Duramine 2011 Debut Designs Inspired and created by the finest designers in Europe, Roseburg's new 2011 thermally fused melamine (TFM) Debut Designs represent the most current trends.

Twilight, Acorn, Evening and Tierra Linea designs provide timeless beauty with patterns that incorporate hues that fit virtually any residential and commercial application. Their design fits 40’s era, art deco, modern and traditional interiors.

Fresh TFMs are sure to be an instant hit with architects and designers.

countries, the leading international trade fair for the furniture supplier industry was able to announce growth of 13 percent as compared to the previous event in 2009. The internationality of the visitor structure, traditionally always high anyway, increased significantly this year by 24 percent. “It was an extraordinary interzum! Great atmosphere, fantastic flair, attractive exhibitors with some very individual presentations,” commented one trade visitor from abroad.

This year’s interzum was the international meeting point for the supplier industry. The mood was extremely good, exhibitors were able to make new contacts and boost business. And visitors had the opportunity to get a comprehensive overview of what the sector has to offer.

There were sophisticated newly developed products on show in all segments. “We’re very satisfied. The visitor response was much stronger than expected, the public was extremely international and the quality of the contacts was high as well. All in all, the mood was very positive. For us, coming to Cologne was definitely the right decision,” says Tobias Lorenz, Marketing Team Leader, Süddekor GmbH.

To receive free samples of Roseburg’s new debut designs, visit us on the web at www.Roseburg.com 60

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SILENTIA. SILENCE INCLUDED.

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From the experience, the passion and the commitment of Salice are born the innovative Silentia hinges, designed to eliminate the noise produced by the closing of furniture doors. Silentia is the hinge with a combined deceleration effect.

The decelerating system is no longer an external element, but it is hidden from view and completely combined with the hinge components. It does not alter the furniture’s look but does allow the door to shut slowly. With Silentia rediscover the silence in your home.

SALICE AMERICA INC. - 2123 CROWN CENTRE DRIVE - CHARLOTTE, NC 28227 - U.S.A. Tel. 1 800 222 9652 - 704 841 7810 - Fax 704 841 7808 - www.saliceamerica.com - info.salice@saliceamerica.com

Salice Silentia Included 1

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3 MORE EXHIBITORS, MORE VISITORS

In 2011, 1,434 companies exhibited at interzum, this figure represents an increase of almost six percent as compared to the previous event (2009: 1356). The total exhibition space grew by eight percent and the leading international fair occupied ten halls – one hall more than in 2009. As in the past, it was mostly decision-makers who came to interzum, an important aspect repeatedly applauded by exhibitors. “The very good visitor rate and the huge potential in terms of international visitors from all over the world are confirmation of interzum’s status as a leading fair. interzum is the platform for presenting innovations, conducting market tests and showcasing the company’s capabilities. The very positive way the fair unfolded demonstrated the trade show’s huge importance for exhibitors, visitors and media from all over the world.

It is proof of what a very good job Koelnmesse and the industry have done,” says Hubert Schwarz, Managing Director, Blum GmbH. The supporting program for this year’s fair was more extensive than ever before and went down extremely well with visitors.

In particular, the second edition of “innovation of interior,” a forum for interior designers, tradesmen, architects and developers, was a huge success.

“I’m absolutely thrilled. What happened here for the duration of the show is incredible.

For four days, the exhibitors have been showing what I can only describe as a fireworks display. The industry has been celebrating itself – with good reason,” concludes Frank Haubold, product manager of interzum and director of the imm cologne. s&p

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interzum 2013 13 – 16 May 2013 With interzum, imm cologne and LivingKitchen, ORGATEC, spoga+gafa and Kind + Jugend, Cologne is the No. 1 trade fair venue for interior design.

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2 SALICE 3 RESOPAL 4 HETTICH 5 HÄFELE 6 HALEMEIER 7 TECHNOCELL DEKOR

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McKillican 877.734.6473 www.mckillicanc.om

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Amerhart 800.236.2211 www.amerhart.com

45

M.L.Campbell 800.364.1359 www.mlcampbell.com

11/46

Arborite 800.361.8712 www.arborite.com

18

Northern Contours 866.344.8132 www.northerncontours.com

13

Arclin 877.689.9145 www.arclin.com

42

Oharco 800.228.9460 www.oharco.com

67 (IBC)

Blum, Inc. 704.827.1345 www.blum.com

21

Olon 800.387.2319 www.olon.com

5

Boise Cascade 888.264.7372 www.bc.com

57

Omnova Solutions 866.332.5226 www.omnova.com

27

Cefla 704.598.0020 www.ceflafinishinggroup.com

18

Riken USA Corporation 609.387.2011 www.riken-usa.com

20

Chemetal 800.807.7341 www.chemetalco.com

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Roseburg 800.245.1115 www.roseburg.com

42

Choice Brand Adhesives 800.330.5566 www.choicebrandsadhesives.com

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Salice 800.222.9652 www.saliceamerica.com

39

Columbia Forest Products 880.637.1609 www.cfpwood.com

19

Schattdecor 314.209.1655 www.schattdecor.com

65

Composite Panel Association 866.4Composites www.DecorativeSurfaces.org

29

Stevens Industries 217.540.3100 www.stevensmelamine.com

50

Curava 800.449.0356 www.curava.us

23

Stiles Machinery, Inc. 616.698.7500 www.stilesmachinery.com

46

Distributor Services 1-800-745-1778 www.distributor-service.com

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Süddekor 413.821.9000 www.suddekorllc.com

41

Fulterer 336.431.4646 www.fultererusa.com

31

Surface Source International 973.598.0152 www.ssinorthamerica.com

10

Funder America, Inc. 336.751.3501 www.funderamerica.com

55

Syndecor/AET Films, Inc. 800.688.2044 www.syndecor.com

2 (IFC)

Interprint, Inc. 413.443.4733 www.interprint.us

47

Tafisa Canada 888.882.3472 www.tafisa.ca

58

JB Cutting Inc 586.468.4765 www.jbcutting.com

6/7

TCM America 920.206.1766 www.surfaces-conference.com

53

KCD Software 508.760.1140 www.KCDsoftware.com

32

Therm O Web, Inc. 800.323.0799 www.thermoweb.com

25

KML-Kustom Material Laminates 888.358.5075 www.kmlcorp.com

15

Uniboard 800.263.5240 www.uniboard.com

34

Lamitech S.A. 571.644.9898 www.lamitech.com.co

28

West Fraser Sales Ltd. 780.413.8900 www.westfraser.com

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Würth Louis & Company 800.422.4389 www.wurthlac.com

Perfecting motion

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American Adhesive Coatings LLC 978.688.7400 www.AACC-Hotmelts.com

The Hidden Advantage ™

www.surfaceandpanel.com

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S TAY T U N E D . . . O U R L I B R A R Y I S G R O W I N G

A R C H I T E C T S

A N D

D E S I G N E R S

Build Your Knowledge with Tools and Materials from the Composite Panel Association

Continuing Education at your fingertips...

Thermally Fused Melamine: Where Ecology, Economy, Aesthetics and Performance Meet

3D Laminates: Versatile Surfacing

Material for Today’s Environments

Decorative Foils Give Weight to Cost-Effective Surface Design

The Evolution of Sustainable, Cost-Effective Decorative Surface Materials

Courses Available Online at www.DecorativeSurfaces.org COMPOSITE PANE L ASSOCIATION

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| 866-4Composites

| www.DecorativeSurfaces.org

7/12/11 11:57 AM

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To Market, To Market One of the interesting things about working on a publication like Surface & Panel is the underlying themes that come out during production. In this issue, innovation kept presenting in terms of how goods actually come to market. There seems to be a trend of making things comprehensibly smaller and more personal in order to get them into the hands of the end user.

On a very fundamental level, this is what retail is about.

Yann Weymouth’s Dali Museum design (page 8) managed to encompass the work of a master

Whatever it is you sell – and everybody sells something – it has never been more important to have a clear niche, a simple message and a creative approach to engaging your audience.

who will forever impact art into a building where it can be appreciated. Going deeper, the design team created a retail space that further made the conceptual obtainable, using the tools of clean and simple design.

The folks at Mono (page 24) provide some very interesting insights regarding marketing communications. Their theoretical approach to unify, simplify and amplify messaging is a powerful means of condensing complicated information. Mono emphasizes the importance of engaging with the audience, of a singular message and a multi-faceted approach.

Another interesting exploration of how goods come to market is the CIDA section of this issue (page 35). Distribution Matters offers up a comprehensive look at how important distribution is to bridge suppliers and end users. Again we see multi-faceted approaches that are specifically customized to geographic market. Distribution is the link in the value chain that literally brings goods to market.

In that sense, Blu Dot, a contemporary American furniture company, has found a successful business model not in manufacturing but in innovative design and distribution. Blu Dot’s approach, which is very different from the traditional manufacturing-centric model of the American furniture industry, allows it to shift its product offering to match design trends at very little cost. This maximizes Blu Dot’s cultural relevance. In a way the company functions as a distributor for value-added components, bringing them from the manufacturer to the market. Its emphasis on branding/design and marketing/retail closely matches the Smile Curve (page 20), an economic model identified by Stan Shih, the Taiwanese CEO of Acer.

And then of course there are the trade shows. So far in 2011, the big industry shows are all reporting increases in the numbers of both exhibitors and attendees. Perhaps this is an indicator of the consumer’s desire to literally go to market and engage.

Whatever it is you sell – and everybody sells something – it has never been more important to have a clear niche, a simple message and a creative approach to engaging your audience. If there is any validity to the Smile Curve, this will become more important than actual production, possibly leveling the global manufacturing playing field.

What are some of the ways you interact with your market? Let us know on Surface & Panel’s Facebook page. I dare you.

Suzanne VanGilder • Editorial Director • svangilder@surfaceandpanel.com 66

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BLUM-178

Turn your manual waste bin into an automatic.

Our new waste/recycle kit with SERVO-DRIVE transforms cabinets into an entirely hands-free solution. So now all you have to do is tap thePerfecting motion drawer with your knee, hip or elbow for quick and easy access.

Perfecting motion

Visit us at AWFS booth 1833 / 800-438-6788 / blum.com

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