Surface & Panel Q1 - 2017

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& U N I T I N G M AT E R I A L S , T E C H N O L O G Y A N D D E S I G N

FULLY COMMITTED LUXURY CLOSETS THE AFFORDABLE WAY INVESTING IN FLEXIBILITY LOOKING AHEAD BY LOOKING ABROAD GOING CONTEMPORARY

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Of Trends, Friends and the Master IT’S ABOUT TIME

The recent NKBA Kitchen & Bath Design Trends Report reveals that contemporary design continues to grow in popularity and has overtaken traditional as the second most popular design style, after transitional. We’re not surprised. Since the launch of Surface & Panel magazine 14 years ago, we’ve been monitoring this trend, and we were confident contemporary design would ascend. We just didn’t think it would take this long to gain its current stature. Panel processing, so overwhelmingly popular in Europe and around the world, is the perfect system to produce frameless (sometimes called full-access) contemporary cabinets. It is by far the most efficient way to produce the clean lines that designers seek in today’s kitchens and baths. Check out the latest trends from the NKBA report beginning on page 60.

While the NKBA report focuses on kitchens and baths, these same trends are prevalent in household furniture, home organization, office furniture and store fixtures. As a result, panel processing will increasingly become the standard for the production of these products. Even small custom cabinet makers will begin to abandon face frame production in favor of the fastest growing, most efficient and accurate system on the planet: panel processing.

AN INDUSTRY FRIEND AND ICON RETIRES

Steve Waltman, vice president of marketing for Stiles Machinery, is retiring this spring. Steve has done so many things in his 35-year career in the woodworking field, but I think his most impressive accomplishment was his dedication to advancing the industry through education and training. Steve was steadfast in his commitment to transforming the industry we know today. His team-building attitude and ability to see the larger picture had far-reaching effects on all corners of the industry, including kitchen cabinets, store fixtures, architectural woodwork, office furniture and household furniture. Speak with any of the associations representing these groups, and they will tell you they owe a debt of gratitude to Steve Waltman. Steve was willing to take the time to advise me as I launched Surface & Panel magazine in 2003. And to this day, the magazine has his fingerprints on it.

Steve is not one to rest on his laurels. He will remain active in retirement by volunteering at the Grand Rapids Veterans Home Woodworking Program and the Wounded Warriors Project and by supporting local and industry education programs. Steve is a kind person, willing to assist others without expecting anything in return. The industry has been a better place with Steve in it. I will miss my friend.

The Surface & Panel Master launches in May. The Master is a complete view of the panel processing industry from beginning to end. As a source of supply for design specifiers and manufacturers, the Master is also an educational tool for understanding how materials, technology and design are driving the global panel processing industry.

SURFACE & PANEL MASTER

The Surface & Panel Master launches in May. The Master is a complete view of the panel processing industry from beginning to end. As a source of supply for design specifiers and manufacturers, the Master is also an educational tool for understanding how materials, technology and design are driving the global panel processing industry. The Master will include the complete Composite Panel Association (CPA) Buyers Guide, The Process Defined – panel processing from start to finish, sections for the fabricator and designer, Distribution Matters on behalf of the National Building Materials Distribution Association (NBMDA), association forecasts, custom-designed master listings and more. For more information on how to participate in the Surface & Panel Master, contact Ryan Wagner at 920-261-1945 or Ryan@bedfordfallsmedia.com.

All the best,

John Aufderhaar | President | Bedford Falls Communications | john@bedfordfallsmedia.com | 920-206-1766 surface&panel

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8 EPA Formaldehyde Regulation Affects Entire Supply Chain Jackson Morrill, president of the Composite Panel Association (CPA), addresses some of the requirements and highlights sources of additional information to help affected stakeholders comply with the regulation.

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3 From the Publisher 66 Advertiser Index

Fully Committed Showplace Wood Products didn’t rush into building full-access cabinets. When the company decided to make the move, however, it did so in Showplace’s customary bold way.

24 Luxury Closets the Affordable Way Don’t let the name Affordable Closets Plus fool you. This high-end custom home organization manufacturer boasts a wall’s worth of framed design awards and dozens of five-star customer reviews on Houzz.com, many for projects priced in the five-figures.

32 Beautiful & Functional Professional couple realizes their dreams for a new kitchen by implementing inspirations from Blum.

P U B L IS H E R

John Aufderhaar President | Bedford Falls Communications 302 N. 3rd Street, Watertown, WI 53094 PH: 920-206-1766 john@bedfordfallsmedia.com CONTENT

Scott W. Angus Editorial Director | Bedford Falls Communications 302 N. 3rd Street, Watertown, WI 53094 PH: 920-261-1947 scottangus47@gmail.com A DV E R T ISI N G

Ryan Wagner VP Sales & Marketing | Bedford Falls Communications 302 N. 3rd Street, Watertown, WI 53094 PH: 920-261-1945 rwagner@bedfordfallsmedia.com Steven Wolf Client Services Director| Bedford Falls Communications 302 N. 3rd Street, Watertown, WI 53094 PH: 920-261-1947 administrator@bedfordfallsmedia.com

36 Investing in Flexibility This panel processing story begins with a panel saw, an edgebander and a CNC router. This is a tale of survival and success – of using flexible technology to bring the sexiest materials in the industry to the masses.

50 Canadian Design Firm Likes What It Learns About TFL Two projects offer especially good examples of using Uniboard’s TFL effectively and extensively.

54 Looking Ahead by Looking Abroad As 2017 gets into full gear, manufacturers who participated in the Stiles European Benchmarking Tour are factoring in their experience abroad to shape their strategies and growth plans.

60 Going Contemporary National Kitchen & Bath Association’s 2017 design survey reveals what’s popular in kitchens and baths.

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G R A P H I C D E SI G N – P R I N T P U B L I C AT I O N S

Karen Leno Graphic Designer | KML Design, Inc. kmldesign@mchsi.com C I R C U L AT I O N

subscriptions@cds1976.com 630-739-0900, option 1 N E WS

news@bedfordfallsmedia.com ON THE COVER:

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

Showplace Wood Products bills itself as a “semi-custom” company that focuses on value for its customers, offering a mix of quality, flexibility and price. Production reached an average of 650 cabinets per day in 2016.

Surface & Panel is published quarterly by Bedford Falls Communications, Inc., 302 N. 3rd Street, Watertown, WI 53094, telephone 920-206-1766. 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, 440 QUADRANGLE DR, STE E, BOLINGBROOK, IL 60440-3455. Please direct all subscription questions to: Surface & Panel, 440 QUADRANGLE DR, STE E, BOLINGBROOK, IL 60440-3455; or call: 630-739-0900 option 1; or e-mail: subscriptions@cds1976.com

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EPA Formaldehyde Regulation Affects Entire Supply Chain

In late 2016, the EPA published a final regulation governing formaldehyde emissions from composite wood products. Manufacturers, distributors, retailers and importers of products containing composite wood – such as kitchen cabinets, furniture, architectural moulding, flooring and many others – will need to review the regulation closely to understand their potential requirements. In the following Q&A, which is the second part of a two-part series, Jackson Morrill, president of the Composite Panel Association (CPA), addresses some of the requirements and highlights sources of additional information to help affected stakeholders comply with the regulation.

JACKSON MORRILL

Q: Who else is covered under the regulation beyond manufacturers of composite wood panels?

A: While manufacturers of composite wood panels still bear the majority of the regulation’s requirements, there are also requirements that apply to fabricators, which are companies that make component parts or finished goods out of composite wood. Fabricators that make component parts using a wood or woody grass veneer (such as bamboo) attached to a composite wood core may also meet the definition for “laminated product” producers, which triggers a number of additional requirements. Finally, retailers, distributors and importers also have regulatory obligations.

Q: What are the regulatory requirements?

A: The regulation’s requirements for manufacturers, importers, distributors and retailers center on ensuring that component parts and finished goods going to end users contain compliant composite wood and that this is documented throughout the supply chain. To that end, fabricators must begin using compliant composite wood panels in all component parts and finished goods by Dec. 12, 2017, or be able to prove either that the composite wood panels or component parts were manufactured before that date or were in their inventory prior to July 12, 2017.

Fabricators must also keep all bills of lading, invoices or comparable documents demonstrating CONTINUED ON PAGE 10 � 8

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“For several years now, the industry has voluntarily committed to making all composite wood panels in compliance with the California formaldehyde emissions standard, which is the standard applied by the EPA regulation and widely recognized as the most stringent in the world today.”

JACKSON MORRILL, COMPOSITE PANEL ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT

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the purchase of compliant composite wood for three years and label all finished goods with producer’s name, date of production and statement of compliance starting Dec. 12, 2017. If fabricators are making “laminated products” with a urea formaldehyde glue used to attach the veneer, requirements for certification and testing would kick in on Dec. 12, 2023.

After Dec. 12, 2017, retailers and distributors may not sell composite wood panels or components or finished goods containing composite wood products that do not comply with the emission limitations unless the composite wood products were made before that date or were in inventory before July 12, 2017. Retailers and distributors must also meet recordkeeping requirements (i.e., bills of lading, invoices for three years) beginning Dec. 12, 2017. Retailers in particular should take note that the regulation does include a de minimis exemption for finished goods or component parts sold directly to end users if its composite wood content does not exceed 144 square inches on its largest face. This exemption applies only to labeling; products such as small picture frames and others that meet the de minimis definition must still be made with compliant composite wood and comply with recordkeeping requirements.

The new regulation also imposes an import certification requirement that will be triggered Dec. 12, 2018, for all importers of composite wood panels and component parts or finished goods destined for end use. While the details still need to be developed, essentially importers must declare that imported composite wood panels, component parts or finished goods comply with the regulation. Any violations will be subject to both civil and criminal penalties under the federal Toxic Substances Control Act. Q: Is there a sell-through provision?

A: All composite wood panels, component parts and finished goods containing composite wood panels made or imported before Dec. 12, 2017, may be sold at any time. After Dec. 12, 2017, any composite wood panel made or imported directly or to a component part or finished good fabricator must meet the regulatory requirements.

Notably, the regulation places limits on stockpiling, so product

manufacturers will need to review this carefully in preparing for the Dec. 12, 2017, compliance date.

Q: Any issues with the final regulation?

A: Yes. The regulation as currently written prohibits the labeling of composite panels and finished products as compliant before the Dec. 12, 2017, compliance date. As a result, composite panel producers and finished goods manufacturers will be required to within one day change their labeling to indicate compliance. This will pose immense problems for the supply chain, and particularly imports, due to the challenges faced in managing inventory to ensure that companies are using compliant products.

CPA and other stakeholder groups have made it clear to EPA that this provision is untenable, and we are pressing for a change to allow for truthful, voluntary labeling of compliant product before the Dec. 12, 2017, compliance date. The good news is that should EPA make this change, the North American composite panel industry would be well positioned to begin providing customers with compliant composite wood that may be labeled as such. For several years now, the industry has voluntarily committed to making all composite wood panels in compliance with the California formaldehyde emissions standard, which is the standard applied by the EPA regulation and widely recognized as the most stringent in the world today.

Q: Where can I get more information?

A: The regulation is publicly available and may be downloaded from the Federal Register by searching for 40 CFR Part 770 (Dec. 12, 2016). The EPA has also provided a website that includes guidance documents targeting specific stakeholder groups and fact sheets and FAQs for consumers and regulated stakeholders. Finally, a number of trade associations such as CPA that are focused on key affected stakeholder groups – such as the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association (kcma.org) and the American Home Furnishings Alliance (ahfa.us) – can serve as resources. s&p For more information, visit U.S. EPA at www.epa.gov/formaldehyde and the Composite Panel Association at www.CompositePanel.org.

To read the first part of Jackson Morrill's take on the formaldehyde regulation, see Surface & Panel's fourth-quarter issue of 2016 or go online to https://issuu.com/surfaceandpanel/docs/sandp_q4-2016/6?ff=true.

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FULLY COMMITTED After Measured Start, Showplace Moves Aggressively into Full-Access Cabinets

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howplace Wood Products didn’t rush into building fullaccess cabinets. When the company decided to make the move, however, it did so in Showplace’s customary bold way.

“The topic came up four or five years ago,” said Bill Allen, Showplace’s vice president and chief operating officer. “We were being told by our dealer base, our sales team and our suppliers that full-access or frameless construction, specifically European-style, was coming to the U.S.” Face-frame cabinets were still king, however, and Showplace – which opened in 2000 in Harrisburg in southeast South Dakota – was a relatively new company that was recovering from the national recession.

“A lot of things happened that kept our attention moving around. Frameless was always a discussion but never a focus until about two years ago,” Allen said. “We did much better than the rest of the industry coming out of the recession, and we had recovered. Labor had stabilized. We were on solid footing.”

BILL ALLEN Showplace, where employees continually 12

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hear about learning to walk before they run, decided the time was right to move ahead with full-access cabinets.

“We thought we were in a very good position to expand our product line,” Allen said. “Our dealers were asking for it all along. The move toward transitional or contemporary styling was in full force, so we made the decision to move forward.”

That decision involved building a 60,000-square-foot facility dedicated to full-access construction featuring the latest in panelprocessing equipment from Stiles Machinery. (See related story on page 14).

“We do things in a bold way,” Allen said.

The company hired 65 new employees, took management and senior floor people from its existing staff and dove enthusiastically into the effort.

Showplace’s boldness goes back to the company’s start, when nine cabinet professionals agreed to pursue their vision of creating a brand that offered “the most-wanted features to the most people,” according to a brief history on the company’s website.

“But this vision also included some important differences from other brands. Like modifications that were comprehensive and

ABOVE: A SHOWPLACE EMPLOYEE-OWNER APPLIES STAIN TO A CABINET FRAME IN THE COMPANY'S HARRISBURG, S.D., MANUFACTURING PLANT. LEFT: THE NEWEST MANUFACTURING

PLANT ON THE HARRISBURG, S.D., CAMPUS OF SHOWPLACE WOOD PRODUCTS. THIS FACILITY PRODUCES SHOWPLACEEVO FULL-ACCESS CABINETRY AND WAS OPENED IN DECEMBER 2015.

Powder Coated MDF Have You Tried It? affordable, often without charge. Like specialty style and finish options that were also affordably priced. Like a product offering that was complete, yet not overly complex or weighed down with too many restrictions and limitations.”

Since starting production in 2000, Showplace has expanded a half-dozen times and nearly quadrupled its space. Showplace now has three manufacturing plants – the original full-frame plant and the full-access facility in Harrisburg and a door and drawer front plant 30 miles away in Beresford. It also has two other buildings on the big and growing Harrisburg campus.

The company occupies a total of 360,000 square feet and has about 575 employees.

As documented in a book about the company titled “Built on a Handshake,” the agreement with the contractor that constructed the first plant was a simple handshake. Not surprisingly, Showplace went back to that contractor to build the new plant, which shipped its first cabinets under the brand ShowplaceEVO in January 2016.

The new plant was built as a miniature version of the original just 50 yards away. Like the original, which has seen four additions, the

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A HOLZMA SAW CUTS PANELS IN THE NEW PLANT WHERE SHOWPLACE MAKES FULL-ACCESS CABINETS

Stiles’ Equipment, Service are Winners for Showplace

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hen Showplace Wood Products decided to build a 60,000-square-foot plant to produce full-access cabinets, it asked a lot of questions of the companies that wanted to supply the saws, edge banders and other equipment.

Stiles Machinery had the right answers.

Showplace hadn’t equipped an entire factory since it set up its full-frame plant in 1999-2000. Company officials were cautious and took a diligent approach that included competitive bids.

“Through the process, Stiles became the obvious choice,” said Bill Allen, vice president and chief operating officer at Showplace. While pricing was important, customer service was a key element of Stiles’ commitment.

“Our company is built on customer service, so we ask a lot of questions about that,” Allen said. “What kind of service, tech support and training for operators will you provide? Once we write the check and you deliver, how easy will you be to find?” Allen said. “We’re not naïve enough to set up an entire plant and not think we’d have issues.”

Jeremy Seykora, manufacturing plant manager of Showplace’s full-access facility, said Stiles is dedicated to fixing problems and getting the plant up and running as soon as possible if issues arise. Stiles has technical service people dial in to troubleshoot problems, sends technicians to Showplace when needed or works closely with the house maintenance staff.

“They have solutions to whatever problems we’re having,” Seykora said. “From a manufacturing standpoint, that level of service is even more valuable than the machines themselves. That customer service is, in the end, what I’m looking for – to make sure those machines are always running. Stiles does that for us.”

Added Allen: “We’re happy.” n

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SHOWPLACE CONTINUES TO ADD VARIETY, STYLES, SUPPLIERS AND OFFERINGS AS IT RAMPS UP PRODUCTION IN PHASES.

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full-access plant will be easy to add on to when the time comes.

“We look at full access as our shooting star for growth,” Allen said. “That’s why we built the plant and staffed it the way we did. We think the market is going to grow and continue to grow.

“It’s exciting to be in my position to have that ammunition in your belt and know that’s how you’re going to be able to grow this company over the next 10 to 15 years.”

Showplace started slowly with the full-access line and is ramping up production in phases. Phase 1 involved a basic line with enough options to allow Showplace to get solidly into the market. Phase 2 added variety and styles, and phase 3, which will launch in 2017, will bring in more suppliers and offerings.

“We like to walk before we run,” Allen acknowledged.

“That way, we don’t disappoint customers, and we stay true to our philosophy and that is to deliver quality products on CONTINUED ON PAGE 16 �

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time and complete. We built this company on that, and this is nothing different.”

Jeremy Seykora, manufacturing plant manager of the full-access facility, repeated the “walk before you run” mantra and further explained how Showplace’s measured, consistent approach pays off.

“It’s like hitting a double every time you go up to bat.

Our company is good at that,” Seykora said. “When you JEREMY SEYKORA take the time to develop a product line based around that model, it allows you to think about what the market will need in the future and how the company will look going forward and producing those products.”

Seykora noted that phase 1 allowed Showplace to work out kinks. Phase 2 has involved looking at what the market wants and adding styles, such as new textures and acrylic colors, and partnering closely with panel suppliers to ensure Showplace is making good decisions about trends and demand, he said.

“2017 will bring a big phase 3, during which we will work with other suppliers and develop doors that the millennial generation really wants to see. I think frameless or full access is really where the growth is going to be,” Seykora said. “That’s why the company made the decision to put up the structure and develop a product line that is going to serve the next generation.”

Showplace makes a full range of five-piece door styles out of solid wood and MDF at its Beresford plant. At the full-access facility, it makes slab doors of textured TFL from Timber Products and exotic wood veneer. Showplace also buys kitchen-at-a-time doors in 3DL foil laminates, straight grain wood veneers and high-gloss acrylics from Northern Contours.

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Employees Buy in to Showplace’s Success

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“I think everyone involved in Showplace is proud of the fact that they are an owner.”

BILL ALLEN, VICE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER OF SHOWPLACE WOOD PRODUCTS

howplace Wood Products of Harrisburg, S.D., gets an exceptional level of buy-in from its employees because all of them have a bottomline stake in the company’s success.

Founded by nine friends in 1999, Showplace moved to an employee ownership plan in 2006, and workers have been invested at a higher level ever since.

“I think everyone involved in Showplace is proud of the fact that they are an owner,” said Bill Allen, vice president and chief operating officer. “That means something to each and every one of them – the one that started yesterday and the one that’s been here for 16 years.”

Showplace President Paul Sova explained that starting the ESOP amounted to selling the company to the employees rather than a competitor. “It was an easy sell that this was the right way to transition our business for the future,” Sova said.

The company’s original owners accepted IOUs from employees who didn’t have the money up front to invest, and those employees

have paid back the debt over the past 10 years.

“It’s really a long-term retirement program for employees,” Sova said.

John Kober, an ESOP expert with the law firm Morgan Lewis, said Showplace is a leader in the industry. “It gives other companies that want to be an ESOP a mentor and objective to follow to try to be the best. Showplace did an excellent job, and it’s all about the people from top to bottom,” Kober said.

Showplace employee Steve Schiller said the plan instills “an inherent drive and desire to make things better every day to do the best we can.” “That comes from knowing we have a stake in the company,” he added.

Allen takes special interest in training senior managers to understand Showplace’s financial statements and exactly what makes money for the company.

“They have a vested interest in success.

At that level, I think it makes a big difference.

It’s something that very few companies have,” Allen said. n

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SHARPENING

www.interzum.com AN OVERHEAD VIEW SHOWS THE REAR-LOADING HOLZMA COMPUTERIZED PANEL SAW IN THE SHOWPLACEEVO CABINET MANUFACTURING FACILITY.

Furniture production Interiors Cologne, Germany

’s d ’s orrlld Wo W din ingg eaad LLe nt EEvveent

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Showplace’s full-access boxes are 5/8-inch particleboard – and some MDF – with paper surface interiors. Framed boxes are standard 3/8-inch veneer core plywood and MDF, with upgrades to 1/2-inch and 5/8-inch veneer core plywood with both paper and real wood veneer interior options. Timber Products and Murphy Plywood supply plywood, while Roseburg supplies most of the particleboard. The company offers two paper options – a 30-gram maple and a 60-gram white. It buys pre-glued paper from American Adhesive Coatings of Lawrence, Mass., and laminates the panels on equipment from Black Brothers of Mendota, Ill. “That’s the only laminating we do, and it works like a charm,” Allen said.

Hardware comes from a consistent set of suppliers. Blum provides drawer hardware and door hinges, including full extension, soft-close drawers and soft-close doors. Rev-A-Shelf and Häfele provide other accessories or kits – “the insiders,” as Allen calls them.

One development that has surprised Allen and many others is the increase in painted cabinets. Showplace’s main plant didn’t offer solid paints until 2004, and now they are 40 percent of production on framed cabinets. The full-access line came out of the gate at 60 percent painted.

Sherwin Williams is the paint supplier, and the companies have worked together to develop custom colors for Showplace’s ColorSelect program, which Allen said offers an unlimited selection.

“One day, I can be out in the factory, and I’ll see a set of cabinets going through that are John Deere green, and the next day, I’ll see South Dakota State University Jackrabbit blue and maize. I see the most amazing rainbow of colors going through our factory.”

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The future starts here.

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Among the changes made to accommodate the trend is a shift to more panel-processed substrates because they are easier to paint and they hold the finish better, he said. Showplace uses a refined MDF from Weyerhaeuser named Glacier Green.

The company is adding a second paint line to the full-access facility, which is designed to hold three, while the full-frame plant has six.

Finishes are offered in Satin and Matte sheen levels, and

Showplace also provides free glazing along with several premium finish options, such as Vintage, Brushed Vintage, Casual Vintage and various distressing options.

Showplace distributes only through independent dealers and has a network of some 700 dealers in all 50 states and Canada. Of those, about 250 are “very active,” Allen said.

“It’s part of our heritage. No big box stores. We will not sell over the internet. We will not sell factory direct,” he said. “We stick behind our dealer network and always will. That’s what built this business, and that’s who we rely on.”

Showplace’s most important metric is on-time and complete delivery, Allen said, and its benchmark is 99.6 percent.

Among Showplace’s active dealers is Zuern Building Products, which has four locations in Wisconsin. Lori Couperus, a cabinet design specialist at Zuern’s Watertown location, said the majority of cabinets she sells are Showplace. The Watertown location does about $600,000 a year in cabinets.

Asked why Showplace is so popular, she replied: “I think it’s for the quality and construction and the features they offer. Also, the fact that if Showplace doesn’t offer it, they’ll build it for us.”

Couperus cited Showplace’s employee ownership and the obvious pride that workers take in their company and its products.

“They are built very well – a well-constructed box. Contractors love putting them in. I’ve been selling them for over 14 years, and they are still coming in and asking for them.”

While planning and launching the full-access line, Showplace was CONTINUED ON PAGE 22 �

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especially conscious of not cannibalizing its face-frame business.

“We talked about that a lot,” Allen said. “We didn’t want to come out with a cabinet line across the street that had everything that our original line had and it was built the same way and was less expensive. Why would you do that?”

Showplace took extra steps to distinguish between the two lines, starting with the separate manufacturing facility and extending to different construction, different substrates and different papers, he said.

For example, framed box construction is all veneer core plywood, while full-access boxes are primarily particleboard, with MDF in some

applications. Hardware slides and hinges are Blum in both lines, while the inside accessories are Rev-A-Shelf in the framed cabinets and Häfele in the full-access line. Interiors in the framed are either 30-gram paper laminate in maple or real wood veneer, while the fullaccess line offers 30-gram maple and 60-gram white paper laminates.

“We want to continue to differentiate the two lines,” Allen said, noting that Showplace didn’t lose “a single lick” of business on the face-frame side and, in fact, saw growth in 2016.

Combined, the two plants produced an average of about 650 cabinets a day in 2016, with 550 coming from the full-frame facility and 100 from the full-access plant.

Asked to elaborate on how Showplace has achieved consistent success, Allen – who sits on the KCMA Board of Directors – was quick to compliment his fellow U.S. cabinet makers.

“The competition in our industry is very worthy,” he said. “I’m proud of my American competition. We all build an excellent product that the American public likes.”

Domestic buyers like diversity in their cabinets and kitchens, he continued, and that promotes a broad and diversified industry.

Showplace bills itself as a “semi-custom” company that focuses on value for its customers, Allen said, although the line between “semi” and “custom” isn’t always distinguishable.

“We want to be the best value that fits our customer needs and gives them the option to go up and down from our product as they see fit,” he said.

“We may not include an option and raise prices just because

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everyone else seems to be doing that. If it does not fit with our value proposition, then we will keep it as an option but not make it standard or universal and raise prices just because everyone else is. We want to keep our product at a price point and a value that our customers have grown to know and like.”

Allen cited full-extension soft-close hardware as an example of an offering that Showplace kept as an option for many years while competitors made it standard. Soft close is now standard at Showplace.

Competition is steep at the mid-price point for cabinets, and Showplace tries to appeal to buyers of all levels “We do a lot of things that the custom guys above us do, and we do everything and a lot more than the stock, high-volume guys below us do,” Allen said.

Many cabinet attributes such as fit and finish, door styling, stain and paint colors, accessories and hardware are similar between companies because they all have access to the same suppliers.

“What distinguishes you is the price point, and how you get there is the architecture of your cabinetry, what you decide to let in or not in to your box construction. That’s what we’ve driven our company on. We’ve always wanted to keep the customer in mind – first and foremost.” s&p

SHOWPLACE WOOD PRODUCTS EMPLOYEE-OWNERS AT WORK IN THE COMPANY'S DOOR AND DRAWER FRONT MANUFACTURING PLANT IN BERESFORD, S.D.

“When you take the time to develop a product line based around that (‘walk before you run’) model, it allows you to think about what the market will need in the future and how the company will look going forward and producing those products.”

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THE AFFORDABLE WAY

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R I C H

C H R I S T I A N S O N

Affordable Closets Plus Thrives on Decluttering Homes, Organizing Lifestyles with a Passion and Flair for Custom Design

D

on’t let the name Affordable Closets Plus fool you. It belies the high-end custom nature of the Bangor, PA-based home organization manufacturer, a fact backed by a wall’s worth of framed design awards and dozens of five-star customer reviews on Houzz.com, many for projects priced in the five-figures.

So why then did this upscale business come to be called Affordable Closets Plus? Founder DeVoe Martin, who had previously helped manage a Closet Factory, said he chose the name for the 1993 start-up for two major reasons. First, he wanted to make a statement that his company could design, manufacture and install custom products at a competitive price. Second, Affordable would be at the top of the Yellow Page listings, a huge marketing advantage in the pre-Internet days.

The “Plus” kicker of the company’s moniker alludes to Affordable’s ability to service any area of the home that could benefit from professional space-saving organization. This includes everything from garages and pantries to mudrooms and laundries. On occasion. it also includes libraries with bookcases that double as entries to secret rooms.

ANGEL AND DEVOE MARTIN, AFFORDABLE CLOSETS PLUS

CLOSET INDUSTRY THEN AND NOW

The closet industry was in its infancy and dominated by an oligopoly of franchises when Affordable opened its doors. Consumers lacked information resources, and CONTINUED ON PAGE 26 �

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product options were slim. Independent closet companies such as Affordable lacked an organization to rally around.

Flash forward nearly 25 years. The closet and home storage industry has greatly grown. The competitive landscape is a mix of franchises, big box stores, independent closet professionals, cabinet manufacturers and custom woodworkers. The Association of Storage and Closet Professionals is in its 12th year. Wire management products and basic white thermally fused laminate (TFL) closet systems, though viable, are far from the only choices available due to the explosion of TFL color and texture offerings, plethora of valueadded hardware and components, and software specifically created for designing closet and other storage spaces.

Affordable has been swept up in this tidal wave of change.

Martin’s wife, Angel, a business management professional, has helped Affordable meet these challenges and opportunities since joining the company in 2003. Combining her business acumen with her husband’s tutelage of home organization, she handles the bulk of sales and marketing, freeing DeVoe to design and run the day-today operations.

The Martins discussed how Affordable has adapted to five impactful trends.

Home Builder Acceptance Convincing home builders to incorporate closet systems in their developments has taken time, but it is beginning to pay off, Angel said.

TREND #1:

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“Over the last couple of years, we have branched out with more custom builders, who are starting to realize that homeowners want more storage solutions than wire management and a shelf,” she said.

“One of our most recent projects involved seven town homes that each sold for more than $2 million. The builder arranged for us to meet with each of the buyers individually to tailor organization solutions to meet their individual lifestyles, but it was still invoiced through the builder.”

Digital Buzz The advent of cable networks such as HGTV and DIY and websites such as Houzz and Pinterest has had a dramatic impact on closet and home organization, Angel said.

TREND #2:

“Our customers are much more savvy today. They go onto Pinterest, Houzz or other sites and create an idea book that captures their vision for each space of their home.”

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TREND #3: ‘Sky’s the Limit’ with Decorative Surfaces “I’d have to say that the biggest change has been that the sky’s the limit now for color and texture,” DeVoe said. “We’ve got customers who want their master bedroom closets to look better than their kitchens, and the TFL options including the high-end textured materials allow us to do that.“ “Textured woodgrain TFL is growing, but white is still number one, at least here in the Northeast,” Angel said. “I think people like white because they see it as very timeless. People who choose white also tend to go with upgraded packages so it looks less like a white box in their closet. They’ll elevate the design by choosing decorative door and drawer fronts and a trim package.”

Affordable has used many brands of TFL over the years but lately has taken a shine to Tafisa’s VIVA, a textured panel offered in twosided embossed-in-register. VIVA is also used in 3D laminate doors that Affordable buys from JB Cutting for many of it projects.

In addition to fabricating TFL panels and components, Affordable makes its own drawer boxes, Shaker-style doors and glass inset doors. Its finishing department uses M.L. Campbell products to spray coat custom doors, moldings and other wood accents.

Value-Added Hardware and Accessories DeVoe recalled adapting hardware designed for kitchen cabinets to work for closet built-ins. Over the past decade, manufacturers have eagerly filled the gap, bringing improved functional and value-added hardware and accessories geared specifically for closets and organization products.

TREND #4:

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LIKEWISE.

FSC ®-certified Collins Pine FreeForm Particleboard was used throughout the Hillside House in Mill Valley, California by SB Architects. Photo: Mariko Reed

Just as with kitchen cabinets, soft-close is becoming standard for closet drawer slides and door hinges, Angel said. Affordable mainly uses Dura-Close slides from Hardware Resources and Salice Silentia hinges.

While hinges and slides are the staples of most projects, the real fun is in browsing the huge catalog of accessories, everything from valet rods, tie and belt racks and keyless locks through pull-out shelves, jewelry drawers and built-in ironing centers.

LED lighting has become especially popular, Angel said. “We use a lot of Loox LED flexible strip lights from Häfele that are available in different illuminations. We suggest adding LED lights mostly in spaces that can use additional lighting or for a decorative touch when used as accent lighting. We’ve used them in all applications, including closets, home offices, toe kicks, drawers and more.”

Affordable asks all customers to fill out a questionnaire, and it’s critical that they fill it out, Angel said.

“We ask things like how many pairs of shoes do you have? How do you hang your pants? We don’t want to be generic; we want to provide them with what fits their individual lifestyle,” she said.

TREND #5: Design Software Affordable was an early adopter of using Cabinet Vision to design closets and other spaces; that was many years before the software company developer released its first closets module. DeVoe said Version 9 is not only an excellent tool for designing organized spaces, but it also is a great tool for closing sales.

“It’s amazing how showing customers the CAD rendering of their next closet just blows them away.”

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The Martins have kept Affordable’s doors open through good times and bad by taking a conservative approach to running their six-employee business “Were a pretty basic but lean shop,” Angel said. “An Altendorf saw and a Brandt edgebander are two of our key pieces of equipment. We’ve always been careful not to bite off more than we can chew or try to grow too fast.”

DeVoe said he plans to go to the AWFS Fair in Las Vegas this July to shop for his first CNC router and take advantage of Cabinet Vision’s screen-to-machine capabilities.

“I’d like to take our shop to the next level, not only with CNC nesting but to be able to create different shape door patterns that we can’t get anywhere else,” DeVoe said.

“I’ve been looking at CNC for a long time, but it’s been overwhelming, and with the economy, I just wanted to be cautious with a few things and never pulled the trigger. But now we’re ready.” s&p

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beautiful Blum Inspirations

She’s a model and wants things to look beautiful; he’s a marketing expert and likes everything to be practical. Melanie Raff and Marco Hornug have teamed up to make their dream come true. They have a kitchen that combines both aesthetics and functionality.

The view from their kitchen offers direct views of a mountain lake and the rolling hills. “We both feel very much at home in these surroundings,” Melanie said. “The kitchen is the hub of our home,” Marco added. “That’s why it was so important to us to implement our ideas and think through our everyday routine in detail when planning everything.”

The couple mainly uses fresh ingredients from the area. “I love to shop at the farmers market or in our little corner shop. Fresh tomatoes, juicy cucumbers and crisp lettuce -- it’s the look of things that makes my mouth water,” Melanie said. Marco reigns over the cooktop. “He does a lot of cooking. He loves to prepare food, and his dishes are really delicious,” Melanie said.

Practice has made Marco perfect. “I used to use recipes,” he admitted. But now that he knows how to handle ingredients and combine aromas, he conjures up meals with the items Melanie buys.

“Often, I don’t know what the dish will turn out to be when I first start: Italian or Asian?” The couple’s island kitchen is stylish through and through. “The minimalist white fronts radiate a wonderful calm,” Melanie said with a smile.

The model likes things to be natural in her private life but agrees it’s important to introduce contrasts. That’s why the couple discussed the striking worktop around the sink at great length.

“We didn’t want conventional stainless steel because you can see all the fingerprints. I wanted a modern, slightly industrial feel,” Melanie said.

The two of them were able to find a solution: a 5-milometer worktop of hot-rolled stainless steel that was produced in a single piece, without joints or seams.

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functional

Marco, a passionate chef, is pleased with the smooth workflows and functional solutions that make cooking easy. The layout of the kitchen cabinets has been geared exactly to his everyday routine so everything is within easy reach.

“And I can’t complain about not having enough storage space, either,” he said with a grin. “When we planned the kitchen, we worked out exactly where every item should be kept.”

The large drawer, for instance, provides enough space for kitchen utensils so they’re exactly where they’re needed. The preparation area between the cooktop and the sink has a nice width and depth. There’s plenty of space for cutting vegetables or rolling out dough. Easy!

“It was so important to us to implement our ideas and think through our every day routine when planning everything.”

But what about the trash? No problem. The waste bins are in a drawer directly under the sink that has been equipped with SERVODRIVE, the electric motion support system by Blum. All you have to do is nudge it with your hip, knee or foot, and it opens by itself. It closes again softly and effortlessly with integrated soft-close BLUMOTION. “It’s ideal for a multi-tasker like me,” Marco said. “My hands are always wet or full, so this solution really pays off every day.”

The electric motion support system has been implemented throughout the kitchen and supports the trend toward contemporary, handleless, touch-to-open fronts. Even the extra wide drawers CONTINUED ON PAGE 34 �

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that are fully loaded with storage goods glide open at a single touch.

“If you know exactly where everything goes, tidying up your kitchen is quick and easy,” Melanie said with a smile.

There is an extra switch for turning off SERVO-DRIVE if you want – to clean the fronts, for instance. “Typical Blum,” Marco said. “The products are well thought out and are at the top in terms of quality.”

The slim and clear-cut design of the LEGRABOX drawers (made of stainless steel with anti-fingerprint coating) greatly contributes to the fine synergy of aesthetics and functionality. The matching AMBIA-LINE inner dividing system organizes interiors beautifully.

“Melanie loved the elegant, clear-cut design from the start. And I had to have the knife holder and spice tray,” he added.

Just one question remained to be answered while Melanie served the hearty quiche with crisp lettuce: Did either of them have to lower their expectations?

“No, no,” the couple answered reassuringly. All of their ideas and wishes have been implemented to the fullest in their new kitchen.

“Melanie’s sense of aesthetics and my affinity for functionality do not exclude each other. In fact, our requirements complement one another to produce a perfect kitchen,” Marco summed up.

“We’re simply an unbeatable team!” Melanie confirmed. s&p

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Certified. Sustainable.

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ECC stands for Eco-CertifiedTM Composite, as defined in the stringent ECC Sustainability Standard and Certification Program for composite panel products – specifically particleboard, MDF, hardboard and engineered wood siding and trim.

What makes a composite panel Eco-Certified?

Wood panels that carry the ECC mark are manufactured in facilities that are certified to meet the stringent requirements of the ECC Sustainability Standard.

ECC panel manufacturing facilities meet rigorous environmental requirements utilizing objective-based criteria and annual on-site audits. Each must ensure that its composite panels meet the stringent California Air Resources Board (CARB) formaldehyde emissions regulations AND achieve at least three of the following requirements:

• Demonstrate a Carbon Footprint Offset • Use Local Wood Fiber Resources • Use Recycled/Recovered Wood Fiber • Minimize Wood Waste in Manufacturing • Hold a Valid Wood Sourcing Assessment or Certificate

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Investing IN Flexibility

L

B Y

S U Z A N N E

V A N G I L D E R

ike so many great panel processing stories, this one begins with a panel saw, an edgebander and a CNC router. Set against the sultry backdrop of South Florida, this is a tale of survival and success – of using flexible technology to bring the sexiest materials in the industry to the masses.

Of course, machines are nothing without people who understand how to leverage market position and maximize supplier relationships. People such as the Canters. After years designing, selling and installing cabinetry for many different companies, patriarch Artie Canter decided to open his own operation, Distinctive Kitchens and Baths, in 1990 in Boca Raton, Fla. “We are very diverse in what we do,” said Adam Canter, president of Distinctive Kitchens. “My dad always believed in serving a wide customer base. If one part of the market slows, another might pick up. It keeps the business somewhat recession proof.”

MARKET FLEXIBILITY

While Distinctive Kitchens does everything from rental apartments to multimillion- dollar custom homes, the majority of trade is new construction, track homes and production homes for large-scale homebuilders throughout South Florida. There is also a retail and remodeling division for individual customers.

As business grew, so did the need for stability in the supply chain.

Enter panel saw, edgebander and CNC router.

In 2002 the father-son team started EuroCraft Cabinets, a semi-custom cabinet company.

“We knew if we started manufacturing our own line of cabinets, we would have one great customer off the bat,” Adam Canter said.

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LEFT: WEEKE VENTURE CNC MACHINING CENTER OFFERS FLEXIBLE TECHNOLOGY WITH A COMPACT FOOTPRINT. BELOW: EUROCRAFT OPENED A 55,000-SQUARE-FOOT-FACILITY IN 2013 TO MEET INCREASING DEMAND. BELOW LEFT: ARTIE CANTER AND HIS SON ADAM CANTER STARTED EUROCRAFT CABINETS IN 2002. INSET: JEFFREY CANTER JOINED HIS FATHER AND BROTHER IN THE FAMILY BUSINESS.

Computer-electronic whiz and second son Jeffrey Canter was recruited and sent to Stiles Machinery in Grand Rapids, Mich., to learn how to program and operate the new machinery. He developed a catalog and integrated ordering system, and by 2004, EuroCraft was profitable with two to three days of weekly production capacity to spare.

Dealers were added, and EuroCraft enjoyed exponential growth until the 2009 recession leveled out business. The company came CONTINUED ON PAGE 38 �

SMOKEWOOD

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back strong in 2010, grew yearly and closed out 2016 at $13 million in sales.

“Distinctive Kitchens carries several lines of fine cabinetry, but the reason we survived the recession and are where we are today is the flexibility that EuroCraft has in manufacturing any product we need,” Adam Canter said. “There were a lot of other players in the market, and as they exited, there was a backlog of work. EuroCraft was able to match their construction methods, door and drawer systems and finishes. Business grew a lot because of that.”

MANUFACTURING FLEXIBILITY

Over time, EuroCraft added space and equipment to meet the demand of its growing dealer network. Its 55,000-square-footfacility built in 2013 produces about 4,000 cabinets a month.

While equipment is well-maintained and regularly updated, Jeffrey Canter understands EuroCraft’s sweet spot.

“We aren’t a big company with huge overhead. Being manageable and scalable helps us survive changes in the market,” he said. “I’m not spending money on R&D to find out the next CONTINUED ON PAGE 40 �

High-Quality Customization

C

ustomers of EuroCraft Cabinets have a strong preference for plywood kitchens (see “Investing in Flexibility,” page 38). And there is nothing wrong with that--until they ask for high-gloss acrylic on plywood. Acrylic is typically laid up on an MDF substrate because surface imperfections telegraph and mar the high-gloss finish.

Achieving such an unconventional lamination without compromising quality requires a specialist.

“During a Stiles Executive Briefing Conference, we toured Premier Eurocase in Denver,” said Jeff Canter, vice president of EuroCraft Cabinets “With Andy’s technology, we knew he would be able to modify his Reflekt high-gloss panels to meet our customers’ plywood demand.”

Andy Wilzoch, president of Premier Eurocase, invests in flexible

PREMIER USES A STATE-OF-THE-ART CLEAN ROOM TO ENSURE A PERFECT LAMINATING PROCESS FOR PRODUCING THE FLAWLESS SMOOTH FINISH OF REFLEKT HIGH GLOSS. 38

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technology that he believes is the future.

“The craftsman is gone. It’s the machines that produce quality,” Wilzoch said. “We are about producing the best finished product, and you can’t do that unless you have the best processing equipment.”

In this case, the solution was found in Wilzoch’s Class-100 (ISO 5) PUR clean room, a specialized environment within the greater 300,000-square-foot facility.

“It’s got the Burkle PUR line inside, and ANDY WILZOCH, PRESIDENT it is where we process all of our sensitive OF PREMIER EUROCASE materials,” Wilzoch said. “If you don’t have a clean room and you are laminating high-gloss acrylic, you’re going to have a problem. A piece of dust in the air will create a bump.”

All of Premier Eurocase’s Reflekt products start with scratchresistant acrylic from Senoplast that is UV stabilized to retain color and luster without polishing.

“The challenge with plywood is there is a little bit of telegraphing, even with fine sanding,” Wilzoch said. “So we adjust the glue levels and do a little more filling. Those are the Premier things we do because our customers have special needs and we are willing to develop solutions. There is no magic to it. It just has to be perfect.”

The PUR line goes far beyond laminating high-gloss.

“Everything we invest in is flexible, so we can move from industry to industry. We do all of our sensitive materials in the clean room.

We laminate aluminum to honeycomb for people,” Wilzoch said. “Our work is very diverse, but it’s all the same stuff. It’s not like I have five separate companies … I am one company that uses all the same machines to support different industries.” n

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HOMAG INTELLISTORE AUTOMATED MATERIAL HANDLING MANAGES INVENTORY AND STAGES PRODUCTION.

latest and greatest color. We focus on market demand and convenience for our dealers. We respond quickly and get product to market. That is probably our strongest suit.”

EuroCraft takes advantage of the technological investments that big door and drawer front manufacturers make in developing on-trend product lines, integrated ordering software and quick fulfillment. The company puts its investment dollars into equipment that improves production speed and agility for making standard cabinet components, custom details and replacement pieces to help dealers complete installations quickly.

Recently, EuroCraft made exciting equipment acquisitions. The mainstays are all represented – updated throughfeed CNC router, additional panel saw and edgebander to increase capacity – and are supported at the beginning of processing with a new Homag IntelliStore automated material handling system from Stiles Machinery and at the end with a Homag automation throughfeed case clamp, also from Stiles.

“With the storage and retrieval system we know exactly what we have in inventory, how old it is, when it came in and where to find it.” Jeff Canter said. “The CONTINUED ON PAGE 44 �

Looking For the Cheapest Possible CNC Router?

HOW ABOUT FREE? Every CNC router, regardless of price, has one thing in common. It must be programmed. You will need a CNC programmer. A typical CNC programmer will cost you more each month than the payment on a Thermwood Cut Center, which does not need CNC programs or CNC programmers. So, if their machine was free, it would still cost you more than a Thermwood Cut Center, and in a few years the Cut Center payments go away and your programmer costs go up.

Instead of looking for the cheapest possible CNC Router, do yourself a favor and talk to Thermwood about how the Cut Center will save you time and make you more money!

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As a single-component reactive polyurethane adhesive available in hot melt and liquid formulations, Daubond® PUR goes on easily in just one step, so you’ll save time over traditional two-step adhesives. What’s more, you’ll enjoy an open time that is long enough to position the pieces you’re adhering, but short enough to avoid production delays.

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� RELATED STORY BEGINS ON PAGE 36

Alternative Materials Hit the Big Time

CONESTOGA'S DLV ALLURE

A

mong the many interesting engineered materials in EuroCraft Cabinets’ ever-evolving product mix are two lines of composite five-piece doors from industry giant Conestoga Wood Specialties.

“Our roots in wood doors go back 50 years JEFF EICHENSEER – and we are not going to abandon wood – but we are putting a lot of resources behind alternative materials because we are not going to ignore where the market is going,“ said Jeff Eichenseer, director of marketing and product development at Conestoga Wood Specialties.

Conestoga began making big investments in specialized panel processing equipment (such as edgebanders that can handle 2¾-3-inch-wide frames and PUR adhesive lines) about a decade ago.

“I think we were a bit ahead of the market with alternative materials, but that has changed because of the acceptance by the large OEMs,” Eichenseer said. “For other companies to be competitive with them, they have to follow suit and establish their own offering.”

In addition to five-piece-doors made from MDF or MDF/wood hybrid, Conestoga offers two distinct product lines of alternative engineered materials. In both cases, the doors are constructed so the grain on the stiles runs vertically and the grain on the rails runs horizontally – creating the look of a solid wood door but priced 30-60 percent below the cost with finish.

COMPOSITE FIVE-PIECE DOORS FROM CONESTOGA

“We are offering 26 colors of Cleaf’s TSS with seven different face textures for slab and three-piece doors, which is a pretty broad offering,” Eichenseer said. “Of the 26 colors, 18 are available in five-piece doors.

The product line is getting a lot of interest.”

DLV (DECORATIVE LAMINATE VENEER)

The term DLV is sometimes used as a catch-all for a variety of materials, but Conestoga’s DLV line, called Allure, is a specific, well-developed product. It is available in five-piece doors, and the center panel is textured TFL. “Late in the first quarter, we are updating our line with colors from Tafisa, Uniboard, Arauco and a manufacturer out of Italy,” Eichenseer said. “The same décor paper is taken through a different chemical bath to make it suitable for wrapping. Frames are made by wrapping molded lengths of MDF, starting and terminating within the panel groove where the center panel slides in to prevent delamination.”

Molded frames come pre-finished with an acrylic topcoat containing a UV inhibitor to ensure adhesion and color stability.

“We’ve seen a lot of growth in the alternative material lines,” Eichenseer said. “There are a lot of advantages to them. Shorter lead times. You don’t have to finish them. They are very durable and extremely stable in environments where there is a lot of change in temperature or humidity. There are some design limitations in terms of shape, but they are beautiful products at a much lower price point than wood.” n TSS STRATA WITH MATCHING EDGE

TSS STRATA WITH METAL EDGE

THERMO- STRUCTURED SURFACES (TSS)

Conestoga’s TSS line, called Strata, is made with Cleaf’s TSS product.

The material offers unprecedented depth of texture, achieved through a variation on the process of manufacturing TFL. Standard TFL is made by fusing a melamine-impregnated décor paper directly to a substrate using heat and pressure. TSS production uses the same basic process to fuse a sandwich consisting of: melamine décor paper- underlay- composite panel core- underlay- melamine décor paper. The resulting twosided decorative panel can receive a deeper impression from textured press plates.

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RELATED STORY CONTINUES CONTINUED ON PAGE 44 �

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machine can make rainbow stacks if we have a job requiring multiple materials. It rotates stock on highinventory items and will dig through as many sheets as necessary to find exactly what we are looking for. It is the coolest piece of equipment in the new building.”

Though maybe not as marvelous as the IntelliStore, the throughfeed case clamp eliminated a perpetual bottleneck and presented an opportunity to re-engineer the production line for increased efficiency.

“It will improve our capacity and labor costs,” Jeff Canter said. “Now that we are seeing the numbers we can achieve, we are figuring out how to do it in less time.”

Focusing on doing the basics well allows EuroCraft to produce cabinetry for a variety of markets. During the recession, the operation absorbed a millwork entity that used the same basic processes. In addition to residential cabinetry, the facility meets shifts in market demand by taking on commercial projects (health care, casino, education) as Distinctive Millwork.

FLEXIBLE DESIGN

THE SOUTH FLORIDA MARKET IS ONE OF THE MORE ADVENTUROUS AND FASHION-FORWARD IN TERMS OF DESIGN, PROVIDING EUROCRAFT A RARE OPPORTUNITY TO BRING SOME OF THE INDUSTRY’S HOTTEST MATERIALS TO THE MASSES.

The South Florida market is one of the more adventurous and fashion-forward in terms of design, providing EuroCraft a rare opportunity to bring some of the industry’s hottest materials to the masses.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 46 �

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“In this business, you establish relationships with manufacturers because they want to produce products dealers are happy with. It’s a two-way street,” Adam Canter said.

Influenced by intrepid material suppliers, dedicated distributors, dealer demand and Distinctive Kitchens’ work designing model interiors for production homebuilders, EuroCraft’s collections reflect the region’s distinctive style.

“There is a strong preference for plywood here,” Jeff Canter said. “Personally, I don’t think it is a superior product to particleboard, but a lot of people here associate particleboard with noxious Chinese imports and consider plywood a must for ‘wood construction.’ Yet using imported plywood is a train wreck – it’s not consistent and looks horrible.’’

All of EuroCraft’s boxes are built from Columbia Forest Products’ PureBond plywood. This, of course, creates interesting challenges for specialty laminations. (See related story on page 38).

“We don’t cut corners on quality,” Jeff Canter said.

“Our plywood is all domestic, and our hardware is all Blum. It’s superior quality and has a lifetime warranty.”

EuroCraft door and drawer front product lines represent some of the best manufacturers in the business.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 48 �

Small, Medium and Large.

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Our Roller Coaters are known to apply a controlled and consistent amount of adhesive to various foam materials for the bedding industry. These Roller Coaters can apply the adhesive to one or both sides of the foam.

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Contact Union Tool today to receive a quote on a small, medium or large Roller Coater.

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BRILLIANT, EFFICIENT LIGHT. TRULY PLUG AND PLAY. Häfele’s Loox LED lighting system is specifically designed for use in cabinetry, drawers and other previously “black holes” of furniture and casework.

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JANE KELLY COLLECTION � CONTINUED FROM PAGE 46

DECORATIVE TFL SURFACES European Designs & Textures Featuring Embossed in Register & Deep Texture Antibacterial Certified Over 11 Different Textures High End Components without the High End Costs Matching HPL & Edge Banding Roble Jerez

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Reconstituted veneer slab doors from Northern Contours offer an exotic aesthetic. Textured TFL from Funder, Tafisa and Roseburg makes for beautiful doors at an accessible price point, while Cleaf’s structured surface product is impressive.

A local company, Doormark, membrane presses the RTF doors featured in the pre-assembled closet line that EuroCraft provides dealers. High gloss is hot and still gaining in popularity, driving suppliers such as Premier EuroCase to continually develop new products.

A line of waterproof cabinets made from marine boatboard, teak or cypress reflects the region’s affinity for outdoor living spaces. Classic options such as wood and paint are available from industry giants Conestoga and Valley Custom Door, as well as several intriguing lines that are changing the way consumers view laminates. (See related story on page 42).

The Canter family built their business slowly and methodically, combining intimate knowledge of cabinet design, sales and installation with flexible and scalable production. “We’ve been in business for a long time and have great suppliers,” Adam Canter said. “Everyone is very in tune with the latest and greatest. When we see new products and possibilities, we are able to implement them into our line as a standard offering and quickly bring them to market.” s&p

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A LINE OF WATERPROOF CABINETS MADE FROM MARINE BOATBOARD, TEAK OR CYPRESS REFLECTS THE REGION’S AFFINITY FOR OUTDOOR LIVING SPACES.

Canadian Design Firm Likes What It Learns About TFL

T

he team at Design TWG starts with a vision when it approaches a project.

“Our vision is to be able to successfully transform our clients’ dreams into reality,” said Hemen Modi, Design TWG’s principal designer.

More and more frequently, that vision includes thermally fused laminate, and that TFL is from Uniboard.

“We have a very special relationship with Uniboard,” said Rishma Parikh, design manager at Design TWG. Design TWG is a full-service architectural and design service in Mississauga, a suburb southwest of Toronto. The firm focuses on commercial interior design and does work in hospitality, banks, health care, hotels, offices and more.

The key people at TWG, which opened in 1999, came from India, so they were open to new ideas and materials as their business grew in Canada. Interior design finishes tend to be labor intensive, and convenient-to-use materials such as TFL have traditionally not been used in higherend interior projects, Parikh said. Design CONTINUED ON PAGE 52 �

TFL IS USED EFFECTIVELY AND EXTENSIVELY IN THE ALBERT AND PARLIAMENT HEALTHCARE CENTER IN REGINA, SK (LEFT) AND THE NATIONAL SWEETS & RESTAURANT IN BRAMPTON, ON. 50

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B Y

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A N G U S

Turner Falls Papers is a leader in specialty papermaking because of innovation and product development.

We combine the high standards of our heritage with a papermaking vision, and our goal is not to become “another option” but “the only option” for designer and custom-made papers.

We are not a commodity paper mill but a specialty mill that will cater to small volumes, custom colors and technical grades.

Our nimbleness allows us to react to the changing needs of different paper markets. It is why we have prospered for 178 years.

Our new name replaces Paperlogic as we embark on an exciting endeavor with breakthrough technology. The rapidly evolving “paper for everything” marketplace requires innovation, and Turner Falls delivers.

We take pride in being a custom paper manufacturer, but our customers tell the final story. Through innovation in look, feel or performance, the end user must be satisfied. Each paper has a story – how it was developed from idea to fruition. You have a concept; we have the means to create. A thought is a “what if,” but to touch and see gives that paper a story.

PRODUCT STORY:

Our proof of performance is rooted in the portfolio of papers that we provide to markets outside of the decorative laminate segment: Art, Engineering, Mat & Mounting, Government and Byron Weston papers.

PROOF OF PERFORMANCE :

We run a wide array of fibers –100 percent or blended, cotton, wood based, PCW and natural or synthetic inclusions blended for visual or functional need.

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are specialty fibers used as a functional additive in papermaking to improve formation, strength and color retention. Our manufacturing capabilities surpass our needs and allow us to offer this product to the marketplace.

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VALUE-ADDED SERVICES: What determines a value-added service? Is it customer service?

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TWG learned about TFL from a millwork company – ECM – that shares its business campus.

“Since the introduction, we’ve been working regularly with Uniboard to use TFL on all kinds of projects. We are trying to use the material in innovative ways,” Parikh said.

Uniboard, based in Laval, Quebec, is a leading manufacturer of engineered wood products such as particleboard, MDF and HDF, and it is the largest supplier of TFL panels in North America.

Parikh and Design TWG point to two projects as especially good examples of how it used Uniboard’s TFL effectively and extensively.

They are the National Sweets and Restaurant in Brampton, ON, and the Albert and Parliament Healthcare Center in Regina, SK. Among Design TWG’s preferred TFL finishes are Uniboard’s Bistro and High Gloss, she said, and it favored the Caramello wood grain look in the health care center and Ember in the restaurant.

The firm hasn’t specified Uniboard’s highly textured or embossedin-register TFL finishes much to this point, but it expects to in the future, Parikh said.

Parikh said she and other Design TWG workers benefitted from a “lunch-and-learn” session put on by Uniboard in 2015. “It was great because it was about the history of TFL and the production process in general, not based only on Uniboard. It was so informative,” she said, adding that Design TWG hopes to schedule another session soon.

Design TWG is sold on TFL for many reasons, Parikh emphasized, but among the most important are the reasonable price, the ease of installation and, of course, “the aesthetic.”

“It’s very close to wood design. We love that in Canada, where people appreciate warmer finishes. Uniboard gives us that,” she said.

While other TFL suppliers have been in touch, Design TWG remains loyal to Uniboard. “Excellent customer service, ease or ordering and getting samples, ease of contacting someone for technical information – all of that really helps us a lot. It’s a very good relationship,” Parikh said. s&p AMONG DESIGN TWG’S PREFERRED TFL FINISHES ARE UNIBOARD’S BISTRO AND HIGH GLOSS. THEY FAVORED THE CARAMELLO WOOD GRAIN LOOK IN THE HEALTH CARE CENTER (PICTURED ABOVE) AND EMBER IN THE RESTAURANT (LEFT) .

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Looking Ahead BY Looking Abroad North American Manufacturers Get Invaluable View On Upcoming Trends

Plant tours run the gamut from top producers of kitchen cabinets, medical, commercial and institutional furniture to store fixtures.

TOP: ATTENDEES TAKE A BREAK TO SIGHT-SEE IN VIENNA RIGHT: THE

2016 TOUR BROUGHT TOGETHER A WIDE-RANGING GROUP OF ABOUT 30 NORTH AMERICAN MANUFACTURING EXECUTIVES TO EXPLORE THE UNIQUE PROCESSES, STRATEGIES AND BUSINESS PLANS OF FIVE OF THE MOST INNOVATIVE, EFFICIENT AND PRODUCTIVE MANUFACTURING FACILITIES IN EUROPE. OVER A WEEK, PARTICIPANTS EXPLORED NOT ONLY TECHNOLOGY, BUT ALSO HOW THESE COMPANIES OVERCAME CHALLENGES, BOTTLENECKS AND CULTURAL CHANGES AND DISCOVERED NEW WAYS TO THINK ABOUT THEIR OWN OPERATIONS.

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Grand Rapids, Mich. – As 2017 gets into full gear, manufacturers who participated in the Stiles European Benchmarking Tour are factoring in their experience abroad to shape their future strategies and growth plans.

The annual technology tour through Austria, Switzerland and Germany in fall 2016 immersed attendees in batch-size-one production, intelligent storage and retrieval systems, robotics and materials flow – offering a personalized preview into trends that are beginning to influence the North American furniture market.

The 2016 tour brought together a wide-ranging group of about 30 North American manufacturing executives of store fixtures, cabinets, closets, lockers and other furniture to explore the unique processes, strategies and business plans of five of the most innovative, efficient and productive manufacturing facilities in Europe. Over a week, participants explored not only technology, but also how these companies overcame challenges, bottlenecks and cultural changes and discovered new ways to think about their own operations.

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Plant tours ran the gamut from top producers of kitchen cabinets, medical, commercial and institutional furniture to store fixtures, including: • Hali Betriebs GmbH in Eferding, Austria, is one of the largest office furniture manufacturers in Austria, manufacturing in a 250,000-square-foot facility. The company uses batch size one processes to produce office furniture in more than 48 million possible variations in just 15 days from order to delivery.

• Loosli Küchen AG in Wyssachen, Switzerland, produces kitchen and bathroom cabinetry using a wide variety of materials, finishes and thicknesses, with only 7 percent waste. The company is in a 10,000-squarefoot facility, and the focus is on creative use of space, including a fully automated 32-level storage and retrieval system to hold finished jobs until shipping.

• Alpnach Küchen AG in Strengelbach, Switzerland, produces 1,200 styles of kitchen cabinets in its 6,000-square-foot plant. To produce about 2,000 kitchens per year, the company essentially eliminated the need for material storage by focusing its manufacturing on cabinet doors and bringing in pre-cut carcasses for edgebanding, drilling and assembly.

• Kettnaker GmbH & Co. KG in Dürmentingen, Germany, designs and manufactures highend modular furniture systems for living rooms and bedrooms using batch size one processes. The plant is notable for using no melamine in its cabinets and applying lacquer and veneer finishes in house.

• Ziefle Koch GmbH in Waldachtal, Germany, produces furniture for instructional and educational facilities, clinics, medical centers and restaurants, working in a wide range of unusual materials.

Because European manufacturing technologies and strategies tend to lead those of North American manufacturing practices by five to eight years, the annual technology tour allows North American manufacturers to benchmark themselves against companies in similar business situations and with similar limitations, including limited manufacturing space, density in local markets and labor challenges. Seeing trends in efficiency, optimization and automation gave the group great insight to the future of their manufacturing.

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MATERIAL HANDLING

Improvements in material handling allow manufacturers to increase production speeds and better control production flow and sequence to ensure that all of the parts for a particular job come out together at the same time, ready for assembly, regardless of the processes required for individual parts. Some parts, for example, don’t need to be drilled, just run through the cutting and edgebanding lines, but they need to be held and

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kept together with parts that are drilled and machined. Integrated software systems, such as enterprise resource planning (ERP), are critical to tracking and managing the movement and processing of parts and panels.

Hali Betriebs, for example, made a large investment in material handling equipment, including a two-story storage and retrieval system, as well as buffering and sorting systems to balance the lines, timing the movement of pieces and parts through one of the company’s production lines so that the entire job is delivered for assembly at the same time. To save money and time, the company eliminated labeling on the more than 20,000 parts per week moving through this line.

Instead, machinery detects and identifies parts by size, shape, and sequence. (A second production line does use labels.)

INTELLIGENT STORAGE AND RETRIEVAL

Another aspect of material handling, storage and retrieval systems are increasingly managing the inventory of sheet materials and board storage based on upcoming jobs. Driven by ERP, even before the first cut, these systems know exactly how long each part will be in any given production cell

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and where bottlenecks will occur, and they are timing everything to make sure that the entire job completes together.

Loosli Küchen, operating with limited production space, implemented both a twolevel storage and retrieval system for materials and a 32-level fully automated storage and retrieval system exclusively for finished furniture. The company manufactures about 1,100 cabinets each day, which are loaded immediately after completion into automated storage and held there until they are shipped, freeing the company’s small floor space for production.

in this cell with just three operators.

Kettnaker employs a robotic feeding system to the plant’s edgebanding line, using robotics to sort, position and handle the parts for its high-end modular furniture systems. The edgebander actually drives the process, dictating which materials the gantries pick up, how they are repositioned for edgebanding and on which pallets the parts are stacked so that they are ready to move with the rest of the job. The critical element is the integration of software and communication between the gantries and the edgebanding lines.

ROBOTIC HANDLING

BATCH SIZE ONE

Taking a different approach, Alpnach Küchen, which produces about 2,000 completely customized kitchens each year in 6,000 square feet of space, eliminated the need for a storage and retrieval system by purchasing pre-cut carcasses for its cabinets. Only the cabinet doors are cut on site. Alpnach does use a highly automated edgebanding line, with three robotic gantries feeding, stacking and repositioning materials. The company’s use of robotic handling and production control make it possible for high volume production

Ultimately, all of these improvements contribute to the goal of batch size one production – using industrial processes to produce customized store fixtures or furniture items to meet an individual customer’s requirements. North American companies are, in general, just beginning to show interest in batch size one processing, with the more forward-thinking companies beginning to adopt it in incremental phases.

Chris Dolbow, marketing manager at Stiles Machinery, said: “While many assume that implementing this type of approach is only for large companies, when it comes to batch size one, companies with just four or five employees can benefit as much – or more – than larger companies.

“The process doesn’t have to be the same for every company – it just has to work for you, for your particular challenges and for your people,” Dolbow said. “Implementing batch size one can be scalable to the situation.”

Hali Betriebs, for example, began its batch size one project in 2009, starting with its cut-to-size processing, then moving to edge processing and buffering and finally to drilling and sorting.

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THINKING DIFFERENTLY

The benefits of the tour go far beyond seeing high-tech equipment at work. Even seeing small improvements that participants can make to their own operations can make the trip worthwhile. How a company stacks equipment, for example, organizes parts before assembly or categorizes materials, tooling and supplies can inspire creative solutions back home. Transfer carts were another area of interest, often built by the plants to meet their specific needs.

Many European companies face severe space limitations, similar to those encountered by manufacturers based in the U.S. Northeast. Loosli Küchen, with a limited footprint for production, carved out a cell below ground level to house its seamless edgebanding line. The company also took a 60-by-30-foot area and went vertical to create storage – something that most in North America wouldn’t typically consider.

David Dunigan, president of Modern Store Equipment, based in Burlington, N.J., was one of the participants in this year’s tour. His company faces similar challenges to those of the European companies he toured. “Both labor and space are expensive,” he said.

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Modern Store Equipment, which specializes in liquor stores from the ground up, shares a 24,000-square-foot building between the shop and a warehouse for the company’s distribution business. The company already takes a batch size one approach to manufacturing, so he found the trip relevant.

“Since we have a small space, we don’t want to have jobs sitting in the warehouse either coming in or going out, so we basically run what we need that day–or at least that’s the goal,” he said.

New technology, particularly the robotics used in the plants and at Holzma’s and Homag’s plants, were of particular interest.

“I don’t think we’re quite there yet, but they had some really impressive stuff that we’re thinking about for our next step,” Dunigan said.

FOUR IDEAS TO TAKE FROM THE TRIP

1. Think about what will affect your business in the future. What materials will you be working with in five years?

Will you need to size the same types of parts? Will production flow change? Will you even need a saw?

2. Build on your limitations. Some of the plants that participants were most impressed with were also those that might at first glance appear to be operating under the most challenging conditions. Be creative!

3. If labor is a limitation, removing labor from a process also reduces the opportunity for operator error.

In many European plants, even large production cells, whether cut-tolength, edgebanding, or drilling, can be managed with one to three operators.

(In the U.S., 10 to 15 operators might be required for similar operations.)

4. Don’t just replace a machine when it needs to be replaced. Make a plan for where you’d like your company to be in five, eight, or 10 years. Then look at what equipment, software and strategies will help you get there. In one year, that might mean putting in place new software, then in another, making changes to a cutting line or an edgebanding line. Take incremental steps toward a smarter and more efficient production strategy. s&p

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Celebrating 30 years of excellence and innovation, Premier EuroCase is a full-service manufacturing company that specializes in panel lamination, custom components, and technical modernization.

— Large North American distribution network for panels, components, and edgebanding.

— Industry leader in dependable, durable, and impeccable laminating.

— Extensive product offerings in color and size options.

— Full sheets and custom components available with no minimum orders.

Beauty Is More Than Skin Deep, Specs Matter: — The highest rated scratch-resistant high-gloss and matte acrylic on the market.

— Chemical and stain resistance proven through laboratory testing.

— Laser edgebanded to create a seamless joint with no glue lines.

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— Cleanroom laminated for a flawless surface finish.

— No polishing after removal of protective peel coat.

Images provided by Edge|90 a division of EuroCraft Cabinets.

D ESIGNER : NAR BUSTAMANTE/PHOTO : FRED D ONHAM

GOING CONTEMPORARY Design Survey Reveals What’s Popular in Kitchens and Baths B Y

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hen it comes to styles of kitchen and bath design, transitional is still king. That’s not surprising, as transitional designs blend traditional and contemporary styles that mend the two with aesthetics borrowed from each.

But it’s the growing popularity of contemporary kitchen and design that’s likely the biggest takeaway from a recent report on design trends.

In fact, contemporary design has overtaken traditional kitchen design for the first time, according to the National Kitchen & Bath Association’s 2017 Kitchen & Bath Design Trends Report.

“More transitional and contemporary kitchens in traditional homes,” one respondent said.

“Getting away from heavy traditional lines and going to cleaner, softer lines … with no fussy moldings or trims,” another added.

The NKBA, which represents nearly 14,000 companies in all segments of the kitchen and bath industry, has tracked kitchen and bath design trends since the 1980s.

Eighty percent of respondents to this year’s survey indicated they’d designed at least one transitional kitchen, followed by 76 percent in the contemporary camp. Traditional and shaker styles tied in the third spot with 73 percent.

When designers indicated the styles they were increasingly using, contemporary held the most sway, followed by transitional, industrial and mid-century modern. Just 8 percent of respondents indicated they were seeing an increase in traditional style.

MOLLY ERIN McCABE “People are turning to a new, fresh look, and contemporary fits that bill,” said Molly Erin McCabe, an award-winning designer, general contractor and the principal designer and coowner of A Kitchen That Works in Bainbridge Island, Wash. “I think mid-century modern has had an impact on that. People are looking for simplicity and clean lines.”

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McCabe has published numerous articles and has lectured nationally on design and construction. She has contributed as a subject matter expert for the US Green Building Council’s GreenHomeGuide. com, is a member of the Thermador Design Council and was a founding board member of the Olympic West Sound Chapter of the NKBA. “I think the contemporary trend will continue to emerge,” she said.

“It just offers more flexibility, and you can do more with a contemporary or transitional design than you can with traditional.

“Traditional is very material intensive, and, in many cases, contemporary can be less expensive.” Beyond the clean looks, the engineering, materials and fittings typically found in contemporary kitchens are far better than they were years ago, she said.

“It is now much easier to spec this stuff than it used to be,” McCabe said. “There’s been a huge increase in the technology and, as a result, the products that are available.”

McCabe said contemporary design typically has been more prevalent in condos and in the higher-income population centers on the coasts.

What’s interesting in the recent NKBA report, however, is the growth of contemporary design given the fact that nearly a third of the responses came from the Midwest.

The trend report comprises responses from 562 NKBA members across North America who specified materials, product types and design for their clients in 2016.

CLEAN COLORS

White and gray painted cabinets dominate the kitchen market and show no sign of slowing down, according to the NKBA report, which added that blue painted and high-gloss cabinets are emerging trends.

“White and gray is just so flexible,” McCabe said. “You can accessorize so much more easily.

“Am I a bit tired of doing white? Yes, but they aren’t my houses.”

McCabe said the appeal of white can be tied to the historic use of white subway tiles that were “an indicator of hygiene and cleanliness.”

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Her clients haven’t adopted the use of high-gloss cabinets, which she said is evident in many celebrity kitchens seen on TV. “High-gloss is expensive and not terribly durable,” she said. “I think you tend to see that more in the condo market because it continues the condo theme of clean and simple.”

MIX AND MATCH

The NKBA report found that more kitchens are designed in a mix of colors and materials, such as mixed cabinet finishes and varying countertop materials.

“I believe a national magazine said last year that two-tone was on its way out,” McCabe said. “I don’t know, though. It’s a neat thing for many clients where you can have painted on top and wood on the bottom. It allows a homeowner to truly put their personal stamp on a kitchen.”

McCabe also advocates multiple countertop surfaces, particularly from a functional standpoint. “Do your prep center in butcher block and then do quartz around the perimeter,” she said. “If the kitchen island is not populated with a cooktop, do it in a granite or quartz that’s splashy so that island pops.”

She’s a fan of different textures, too. “Many of the high-pressure laminates that are available offer fantastic options for that,” she said.

QUARTZ IS HOT

Quartz is the most popular countertop and is trending up, according to the NKBA report. Eighty-eight percent of survey respondents specified quartz, while 77 percent designed projects calling for granite.

The survey also found that 72 percent of the quartz designers are increasing its use, while just 12 percent of granite designers labeled it as increasing in popularity. Just 1 percent of the quartz respondents said the trend was decreasing compared with 34 percent of the granite designers.

“I have quartz in my kitchen that gets a lot of use and traffic,” McCabe said. “I need the high functionality and low maintenance. I recommend quartz to my clients.”

McCabe said quartz is more and more contemporary-friendly.

“There are so many options from some really innovative companies so you can get that great quarried look,” she said.

CLEAN AND SIMPLE

Betsy Natz is chief executive officer of the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association, which represents more than 300 companies that manufacture kitchen, bath or other residential cabinets, as well as key industry suppliers.

BETSY NATZ Because the kitchen is the heart of the home, designs or redesigns reflect the homeowner’s style, she said.

“Over the last several years, we’ve seen veneer finishes become much more popular for kitchen cabinets,” Natz said. “Customers want painted cabinets such as white, gray and even more vibrant colors like red or turquoise.”

Consumers are increasingly requesting painted cabinets that sometimes requires different cabinet materials, she said, adding CONTINUED ON PAGE 64 �

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AN INCREASINGLY POPULAR TREND IN MODERN BATHROOM DESIGN, FLOATING VANITIES CAN CREATE THE ILLUSION OF A LARGER SPACE.

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that hardware such as knobs and pulls have become more modern and sleek. Natz said consumers are using mixed materials, cabinet colors and cabinets to hide appliances in high-end kitchens.

She said several designers at the recent Kitchen & Bath Industry Show in Orlando said minimalistic kitchens are becoming more popular, particularly among millennials.

The environment is becoming more important to consumers, particularly millennials.

That’s one reason the KCMA implemented its Environmental Stewardship Program several years ago, Natz said.

“The program ensures that manufacturers comply with standards in air quality, product resource management, process resource management, environmental stewardship and community relations,” she said.

BATH DESIGN TRENDS

The extensive NKBA report also looked specifically at bathroom design trends. As with kitchens, contemporary and transitional design have overtaken traditional in style preferences.

Whites, off-whites and grays are by far the most popular color schemes, and linen storage cabinets and wood vanities are the most commonly used storage solutions.

D ESIGNER : LESLIE L AMARRE / CO - D ESIGNER : J. / MICHAEL MCGINN / PHOTO : BERNARD AND RE

espite a slight dip in sales in December, kitchen and bath cabinet manufacturers posted another solid year in 2016. That’s according to the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association’s monthly Trend of Business Survey.

Based in Reston, Va., KCMA is the major trade association for kitchen cabinet and bath vanity manufacturers and key suppliers of goods and services to the industry. All major U.S. cabinet manufacturing companies belong to KCMA. Participating cabinet manufacturers said 2016 sales totaled $6.8 billion for 2016, a 4.3 percent increase over 2015.

For the year, stock cabinet sales increased 4 percent, semi-custom sales jumped 5.9 percent, and custom sales went up 1.3 percent.

While sales numbers for the year were up across the board, December showed a mixed bag that resulted in a sales drop of 1 percent from the previous December. Stock sales were up 2.5 percent, but semi-custom sales were down 0.2 percent and custom sales were off 12.3 percent.

Over the past five years, cabinet sales increased every month but two, according to a review of KCMA news releases.

Survey participants include stock, semi-custom and custom companies whose combined sales represent about 70 percent of the U.S. kitchen cabinet and bath vanity market. Sixtythree percent of KCMA cabinet manufacturer members report sales below $10 million annually.

KCMA has been compiling and reporting industry sales data for more than 40 years. n

D ESIGNER : AND REA LUPO / PHOTO : AMY GALEA

Cabinet Sales Up 4.3 Percent in 2016

Ceramic tile is still the most popular floor, but high-quality vinyl is emerging.

Other bathroom design trends include a growing use of undermount sinks, white fixtures, water-saving toilets and faucets and other features that emphasize safety and comfort.

The report also indicated that floating vanities and open shelving are increasing in popularity. “Floating vanities allow you to work in a small space and make it look bigger,” McCabe said. “Open shelves create lots of flexibility for trinkets and stuff.”

ON DISPLAY

THE mHOUSE FEATURES THE LATEST STYLES AND SURFACE MATERIALS, INCLUDING CLEAN LINES AND SIMPLE CABINET DOOR FRONTS.

From floating vanities to innovative luxury vinyl tile flooring, the mHouse in Watertown, Wis., is a testament to many ideas and trends highlighted in the NKBA report.

The house’s design is contemporary, and it features the latest styles and surface materials prominent in contemporary and transitional kitchens, including clean lines, simple cabinet door fronts, integrated appliances, other built-ins and high pressure laminate.

The house also includes materials and styles that are trending in Europe and are increasingly more popular in the US, such as textured TFL and finished foils.

The mHouse is the vision of John Aufderhaar, president of Bedford Falls Communications and the publisher of Surface & Panel.

It is a residential research lab for tomorrow’s modern home.

Surface and panel products from around the world were used in its construction, and the finished product truly represents the decorative surface and composite panel industry. For more information, visit www.surfaceandpanel.com/mhouse. s&p

surface&panel

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A D V E R T I S E R S PAGE

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American Adhesive Coatings LLC 22 978.688.7400 www.AACC-Hotmelts.com

Kings Mountain International 17 704.739.4227 www.kmiinc.net

Arclin 29 877.689.9145 www.arclinTFL.com

KML-Kustom Material Laminates 26 888.358.5075 www.kmlcorp.com

BASF 11 800.669.2273 www.performance-materials.basf.us Biesse 49 877.824.3773 www.biesseamerica.com

Blum, Inc. 67 (IBC) 704.827.1345 www.blum.com

Boise Cascade 7/61 888.264.7372 www.bc.com Chemisol 20 1.39.0331.523.351 www.chemisol.it Collins 30 541.885.3217 www.collinswood.com

Composite Panel Association 35 866.4Composites www.ECCproduct.org

Daubert Chemical Company, Inc. 41 866.368.3983 www.daubertchemical.com Decotone 27 908.301.0600 www.decotonesurfaces.com DVUV 13 216.741.5511 www.dvuv.com

Lamitech S.A. 43 +571.644.9888 www.lamitech.com.co

Northern Contours 62 866.344.8132 www.northerncontours.com Olon 65 800.387.2319 www.olon.com

Omnova Solutions 39 866.332.5226 www.omnova.com

Panel Processing 48 800.433.7142 www.panel.com

Premier Eurocase 59 303.373.9718 www.premiereurocase.com Renolit 28 +1.973.706.6912 www.renolit.com Roseburg 57 800.245.1115 www.roseburg.com Salice 15 800.222.9652 www.saliceamerica.com Schattdecor 53 800.600.6100 www.schattdecor.com Smartech 55 704.362.1922 www.smartechonline.com

Element Designs 44 877.332.3396 www.element-designs.com

Stevens Industries 63 217.857.7100 www.stevens-wood.com

Genesis Products 23 877.266.8292 www.genesisproductsinc.com

Stiles Machinery, Inc. 21 616.698.7500 www.stilesmachinery.com

Grass 45 336.996.4041 www.grassusa.com

Synergy Thermal Foils 37 954.420.9553 www.synergythermofoils.com

Häfele 47 800.325.6202 www.hafele.com/us

Tafisa Canada 16 877.882.3472 www.tafisa.ca

Thermwood Hexion 40 800.533.6901 9 888.443.9466 www.thermwood.com www.hexion.com

Turners Falls Paper I-Decor 51 413.863.4326 4-5 +86.757.83600399 www.turnersfallspaper.com www.i-decors.com Uniboard 31 844.302.8585

Interprint, Inc. www.uniboard.com 2 (IFC) 413.443.4733

Union Tool Corporation www.interprint.com 46 574.267.3211 www.uniontoolcorp.com Interzum 19 773.326.9926 Vortex www.koelnmessenafta.com 18 800.355.7708

King Plastic 58 800.780.5502 www.kingplastic.com 66

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www.vortextool.com Wilsonart 68 (BC) 800.433.3222 www.wilsonart.com

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