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mHouse Rising An Integrated Palette for Evolving Design Retail with Iconic Allure Opening the Doors of Opportunity: New markets for new materials

Finding the Sweet Spot: Update on Lightweight Panel in North America

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For the Right to Be Heard

f rom

Surface & Panel magazine focuses exclusively on the global secondary panel processing industry.

Uniting materials, technology and design is our mantra. Panel processing is the largest and fastest growing processing system in the world. It was once considered a vertical niche in the woodworking arena, but now dominates worldwide. Secondary panel processing is the system of choice in the realms of cabinetry, furniture, fixtures, organization, office and commercial environments. When Surface & Panel launched in 2003, some considered the panel processing “niche” to be insufficient to support a business-to-business trade magazine. Times change.

The International Woodworking Fair (IWF) is North America’s premier trade show for fabricators of furniture, cabinets, fixtures and components. IWF showcases material and technology from all corners of the world. It’s a global marketplace and we all know it. This is not a revelation unless you’ve been living under a rock.

The harmony and inclusiveness at IWF is something we take for granted. Exhibitors and attendees are welcome from anywhere. But like freedom and equality, it doesn’t come easy. Someone had to fight for the right to be heard, to be represented. Pearl Buck once said, “If you want to understand today, you have to search yesterday.”

A group of courageous individuals launched their own trade show in 1980 called the World Woodworking Expo because they were disgruntled with the treatment they received at IWF, then held in Louisville, Ky. These icons were the first importers of foreign made woodworking machinery and the founders of the Woodworking Machinery Importers Association (WMIA), now known as the Woodworking Machinery Industry Association. Edwin Bass, Richard Byrnes Sr., Roger Criau, Alvin Corenblum, Edward Joel, Bert Lewyn and Peter Kleinschmidt are the remarkable pioneers who made history. Winston Churchill said, “History will be kind to me, because I intend to write it.” I am sure that making history was not on their minds when they boldly launched a competitive trade fair to IWF. The group certainly made history and paved the way for a truly inclusive opportunity for international exhibitors and attendees when the World Woodworking Expo and the International Woodworking Fair joined forces in 1984 and moved IWF to its current Atlanta home.

My first IWF was in 1986. I saw imported panel saws, edgebanders and drilling machines for the first time. I was introduced to the 32mm system – and I was hooked. The precision and consistency of the 32mm system was intriguing. I was curious and had an affinity for panel processing technology.

Edwin Bass once told me that the precision of these new panel-processing machines was only half of the story. You must have precise materials, produced to specific tolerances, to make high quality products. The entrepreneurial spirit of the founders of WMIA inspired me and had a profound impact on the original concept of Surface & Panel magazine. Just like they did, we strive to unite material, technology and design in secondary panel processing.

The stage was set 30 years ago. IWF 2014 will showcase the best the world has to offer in surface and panel materials, panel processing technology and design ideas. History is kind to the founders of WMIA – they truly wrote it.

the

pu b lisher

“The entrepreneurial spirit of the founders of WMIA inspired me and had a profound impact on the original concept of Surface & Panel magazine.”

All my best,

John Aufderhaar, Publisher | Surface & Panel | jaufderhaar@surfaceandpanel.com | 920-206-1766

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mHouse Rising No longer is the mHouse stuck in the future tense. Excavation is complete, the foundation is poured, the subfloor is on, and the shell and core are under construction.

12 An Integrated Palette for Evolving Design [

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3 From the Publisher 80 From the Editor 82 Advertiser Index

Fueled by a global perspective, Haworth’s product lines are continually evolving. Creating continuity on such a grand scale for standard products in North America is a calculated effort of science and design.

20 Retail with Iconic Allure The opportunity for Architectural Group Inc. (AGI) to work on Harley-Davidson projects affords them the luxury of designing with a nearly limitless palette of materials.

26 Opening the Doors of Opportunity:

New markets for new materials By offering reasonably priced high-gloss and matte decorative panels through established distribution, Krono System is poised to meet North America’s increasing demand for sophisticated surfaces.

p u b l ish e r

John Aufderhaar President | Bedford Falls Communications 1617 Country Club Lane, Watertown, WI 53098 Ph: 920-206-1766 fax: 920-206-1767 jaufderhaar@surfaceandpanel.com

30 Finding the Sweet Spot:

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Update on

lightweight panel in north america

After six years in business, Panolite is successfully opening up new opportunities for lightweight panel.

a dv e rtisi n g

Ryan Wagner VP Sales & Marketing | Bedford Falls Communications 1617 Country Club Lane, Watertown, WI 53098 Ph: 920-261-1945 fax: 920-206-1767 rwagner@surfaceandpanel.com

On the cover:

E d it o ria l

Suzanne VanGilder Editorial Director | Bedford Falls Communications 1617 Country Club Lane, Watertown, WI 53098 Ph: 608-698-0375 fax: 920-206-1767 svangilder@surfaceandpanel.com Graphi c D e si g n

Karen Leno Graphic Designer | KML Design, Inc. 923 Forest Edge Circle, Coralville, IA 52241 Ph: 319-430-5108 fax: 920-206-1767 kmldesign@mchsi.com Cir c u l ati o n

surfaceandpanelcirculation@gmail.com

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In Harley-Davidson dealerships engineered materials, like these innovative panels from ATI Decorative Laminates, meet nearly any design objective.

36 Color Me Durable With 400-700 consumers per hour, the retail store associated with the Crayola Experience gives new meaning to consumer touch points.

43 Finishing Matters A special section highlighting the finishing industry.

44 Bringing Style to the Table

C o m p o s i t e Pa n e l A s s o c i at i o n

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Main Office

50 Automating for the Better

19465 Deerfield Avenue, Suite 306 Leesburg, VA 20176 Ph: 703-724-1128 fax: 703-724-1588 Toll Free 1-866-4COMPOSITES www.CompositePanel.org Ca n a d i a n O f f i c e

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

Architect spec:

Joey Ruiter

56 At the Show Surface & Panel's selections from the 2014 International Contemporary Furniture Fair, held in conjunction with NYCxDESIGN in New York City.

On the FM cover: Nucraft's award -winning Tesano table with the company's proprietary finish

Surface & Panel is published quarterly by Bedford Falls Communications, Inc., 1617 Country Club Lane, Watertown, Wisconsin 53098, telephone 920-206-1766, fax 920-206-1767. John Aufderhaar, President, Christine Aufderhaar, CFO. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, electronic or mechanical without written permission from the publisher.

Subscription policy: Individual subscriptions are available, without charge, to manufacturers who engage in panel processing, qualified service providers and suppliers. Publisher reserves the right to reject non-qualified subscribers. One year subscription to non-qualified individuals: U.S. $50, Canada/Mexico $75, all other countries $100, payable in U.S. funds. Single issues are $15, and must be prepaid.

Bedford Falls Communications, Inc., does not assume and hereby disclaims any liability to any person for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions in the material contained herein, regardless of whether such errors result from negligence, accident, or any other cause whatsoever. Printed in the U.S.A. Postmaster: Send address changes to Surface & Panel, 1617 Country Club Lane, Watertown, WI 53098. Please direct all subscription questions and mail to: Surface & Panel, 1617 Country Club Lane, Watertown, WI 53098 ph: 920-206-1766

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mHouse Rising b y

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he team behind Surface & Panel magazine has a fanatical dedication to create a beautifully designed magazine with interesting, compelling editorial. This dedication is owed not only to the readers, but also to the advertisers Surface & Panel is privileged to serve. We at Surface & Panel don’t take this task lightly and try our best to continually improve. We know we are only as good as our last issue.

Building the mHouse is similar to publishing a magazine. Compelling architecture and beautiful interior design are critical as we showcase the best our industry has to offer in surface materials, components and finished products. And like Surface & Panel, the mHouse is not cutting corners or playing it safe. Vetter/Denk Architects and Amy Carman Design are creating an environment in which cutting-edge products will be displayed in cutting-edge applications for the world to take in. We like to refer to the mHouse Project as a “residential research lab for tomorrow’s modern home”, but it is much more than that. John Vetter and Amy Carman are committed to creating an extraordinary space where products from multiple sponsors harmoniously meld together. The mHouse will be ethereal in its affect, creating a material-driven universe that instantly impresses on each visitor a sense of balance, beauty and brilliance.

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This project would never have been possible without the trust and commitment of our sponsoring companies.

Bedford Falls Communications is proud to salute each of the fine companies listed below: Present Tense

No longer is the mHouse stuck in the future tense. Excavation is complete, the foundation is poured, the subfloor is on, and the shell and core are under construction. RFPI Joists, RigidLam LVL and the new Ridigcoat subfloor underlayment from Roseburg Forest Products Company has been used exclusively for the mHouse’s shell and core. Architect John Vetter could not have been happier about the use of Roseburg Products, as he has consistently specified them in his other projects. He insisted on the use of new Rigidcoat underlayment as an insurance policy against the summer rains of the Midwest.

As fate would have it, 12 inches of rain fell in a 13-day period as the mHouse subfloor construction began. Roseburg’s Rigidcoat is produced with a water-repellant coating to protect the subfloor until the structure is enclosed. “This is the first time I’ve actually gotten to use this new product and it absolutely saved us,” says Vetter. “OSB or any other unprotected underlayment would likely have been a disaster after two weeks of pounding rain. The subfloor seriously looks as good as the day it was installed.”

Updates on the construction of the mHouse Project will appear in each upcoming issue of Surface & Panel magazine, online at www.SurfaceAndPanel.com and on the Surface & Panel social channels. Stay tuned for more details as the mHouse rises. s&p

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NEW STYLES, COLLECTIONS, AND INSPIRATION. PRESENTING THE 2014 HÄFELE DECORATIVE HARDWARE CATALOG. Once again, Häfele has added new collections and components to our comprehensive Decorative Hardware Catalog. Our popular Bella Italiana Collection now features over 150 pieces of high-quality Italian hardware in sizes and styles to fit a wide range of cabinetry and furniture applications. And our new Mulberry and Breakers collections offer distinctive transitional designs with both classic and contemporary appeal. Give your creative process all the tools and inspiration it needs. Explore our full selection online or request our latest Decorative Catalog 2014 by mail.

For all the decorative details, call 1.800.423.3531 or visit www.hafele.com/decorative.

Showrooms: New York, Chicago

Request our new Decorative Catalog.

Visit www.hafele.com.

An Integrated Palette for Evolving Design b y

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n 1948, schoolteacher GW Haworth borrowed $10,000 from his parents with the intention of moving his woodworking business out of the family garage. Sixty-six years and many strategic acquisitions later, Haworth Inc., is truly a titan in the world of office interiors, with over $1 billion in global sales annually, 650 dealers and operations in 126 countries. Still family-owned and headquartered in Holland, Mich., Haworth continues to expand and refine its comprehensive product offering.

“In the past, we would have been referred to as one of the big three office furniture manufacturers here in Western Michigan. And for a long time that is what the industry was looking for – chairs, desks, cubicles, casegoods, things like that,” says Julie Smith, public relations manager for Haworth. “About 25 years ago, Dick Haworth (then CEO of the company) started making strategic acquisitions with the understanding that office furniture would not just be office furniture for eternity.” The global expansion plan spanned Europe, North America and Asia, resulting in a complete portfolio of products from raised-access flooring and modular walls to contract and transitional furniture. More recently in 2014, Haworth will complete the acquisition of a majority stake in the Italian furniture group Poltrona Frau, which includes iconic design brands Cappellini, Cassina and Alias.

Fueled by a global perspective, Haworth’s product lines are continually evolving. Creating continuity on such a grand scale for standard products in North America is a calculated effort of science and design. Workspace trends are combined with materials strategy and best practices in manufacturing to create customer-centric solutions.

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Workspace Trends

Haworth’s internal Ideation group is dedicated to understanding what makes designs relevant and how workspace needs evolve. The company refers to this as Organic Workspace and it includes the understanding of market conditions, emerging needs, traditional concepts (which tend to be cyclical in office design), and contemporary expectations that respond to technology.

The working population ranges in age from roughly 18- to 65-yearsold,and is drawn from a period in time that has undergone the fastest rate of technological advancements to date. In response, Haworth develops products that relate at different levels to offer design freedom, integration and future assurance.

“We certainly still work with more traditional panel systems, they are an important part of our Integrated Palette™, a kit-of-parts that allows us to accommodate work styles and culture. Classic storage, casegoods and systems are components of solutions,” says Smith.

“But even reflected in that are improvements in design, raw materials and lean manufacturing. In fact, one of the biggest trends over the past 10-15 years is how those goods are specified and fulfilled.

Today, the market demands JIT delivery because customers want special finishes. So even though panel systems can look traditional, how they are specified, produced and configured has been a big change in our industry. It is something we continually work on.”

Another contemporary work trend is commonly referred to in the industry as the “mobile and agile worker”. The demand for more temporary divisions of space means panels are more moveable and

lightweight. Systems are designed for flexibility. Part and parcel with this is a cyclical return to a more classic concept. “We are moving into design applications for furniture and offices that were originally referred to as the ‘office landscape,’” says Diana Thorman, who does surface materials marketing for Haworth. “It was developed in the early 1960’s and marked by really organic spaces. Characteristics of the office landscape are light scale space division, both stand up and sit down work surfaces, and spaces for conferencing.”

The up-to-date iteration has its own unique drivers. Most notable is technology and its far-reaching affects. Many contemporary workers don’t necessarily have a dedicated physical space. Instead they work remotely or from home with mobile devices, coming into the office for meetings and events. “This blurs the line between residential and office furniture,” says Smith. “Which goes the whole length of design in office space from the kind of furniture chosen all the way through dealing with people who don’t have an assigned desk.

Clients often ask us how to occupy less space.” The challenge then is how to create flexible, high-tech areas with products that last longer than the technology cycle.

Although sustainability is more of an expectation than a trend in the market, it is worth noting as it influences materials choices, supplier partners and manufacturing practices. Haworth exceeds the market’s expectations with seven sustainability objectives that lead the industry by example.

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"Suite," designed by Steffen Lipsky from Haworth’s Design Studio

"Intuity" by bangdesign and Haworth design studios

Product Development

Informed by Knowledge Recent additions to Haworth’s product lines bring together all the best materials strategies and workspace trends to offer a range of diverse, adaptable, and integrated solutions.

Intuity, designed by bangdesign and Haworth Design Studio, is a simple solution that accommodates everchanging workstyles. “It is our new global benching platform,” says Smith. “The universal system is based on integrated components. Intuity demonstrates a new approach to office furniture that offers flexibility to adapt as work environments evolve.”

Suite, designed by Steffen Lipsky from Haworth’s Design Studio, brings a heightened level of flexibility to the private office; facilitating a seamless transition between individual and group work. The contemporary design can be leveraged to achieve a variety of moods – classic to modern, professional to residential. Horizontal lines, minimal hardware and lighter scale components create a clean aesthetic.

Suite’s robust product, finish and materials offering provides extensive freedom for design expression. This solution effectively responds to today’s workstyles and design preferences within a space-efficient footprint. The casegoods keep operating costs down by letting the user align a space with its purpose – from a small, comfortable office for heads-down work, to an individual retreat with easy access to an adjacent meeting space, or even a high-performance meeting room/collaborative space.

Openest, designed by Patricia Urquiola, is an ensemble of lounge furniture that blurs the line between office and residential furniture. This product line creates warm and inviting spaces and offers visual privacy.

At once playful and pragmatic, Openest provides a soft aesthetic that can be arranged to optimize available space.

For Haworth, flexible, collaborative, space-saving solutions are not just about furniture. Last year, the company introduced Bluescape, a collaborative technology in the form of wall-mounted touch screen. This always-on device allows people to seamlessly share ideas, media and documents.

“Everyone would like to have a conference room dedicated to their project, but not everyone has the space for a typical ‘war room,’” says Smith.

“Whatever work is done on BlueScape stays as a session in the cloud, so there is no need for Post-it notes or taking pictures of whiteboards. You can also run multiple sessions on it. Book that room for an hour meeting, then after, another meeting can use a different session on the same technology.

The device has up to 160 acres of space that can be written on.” n

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"Openest," designed by Patricia Urquiola incorporates "bluescape" technology

Materials Strategy

It takes a dedicated team to establish a standard material offering that encompasses Haworth’s expansive product line.

In North America Liz Johnson, senior industrial designer-material finishes for Haworth, and Kris Pierce, color and material development engineer for Haworth, worked with Thorman to develop an overarching materials strategy for the bigger volume systemic products. “We put a lot of effort into developing an Integrated CMF Palette that is workable for clients,” says Johnson. “We offer a breadth of line and a color palette that will accommodate most office or mobile/residential environments. The materials and finishes on the systemic side have to last a long time. However, as we pioneer into the world of mobile and agile work environments, we can’t just do the same things. The material strategy also has to be ever-refreshing.”

Haworth’s standard surfaces are developed for products including systems, seating, freestanding and architectural walls. On the fabric side, the Haworth+ program is an alliance with multiple fabric suppliers for seating and panel solutions. Additionally, Haworth also has a robust Customer’s Own Material program for both fabrics and finishes, which includes pre-approved HPL designs from Formica, Nevamar, Pionite and Wilsonart.

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“Texture is important in all mediums, not just furniture, but also floors and walls – things that are highly bumpy, piano smooth or high gloss.

From all extremes, texture is very current.”

Liz Johnson, senior industrial designer-material finishes for Haworth

“We do a lot of laminates in our furniture. Obviously HPL lends itself to horizontal surfaces. We work with companies like Wilsonart and Tafisa to have TFL that matches our higher-selling designs for vertical surfaces and wall systems,” says Pierce. “We also have other materials: cellulose-based, vinyl and ecologically-driven products for walls. Paint, glass, fabric, wood, and reconstituted veneer have been in our line for a long time.” The raised access flooring systems use vinyl and specialty HPL products. Conductive laminate flooring is available for computer- and clean-room applications; and a staticdissipative HPL is ideal for electronically-sensitive applications.

Much like trends in workspaces, trends in finishes also have a cyclical quality. “Texture is funny,” says Johnson. “I’ve been in the finish and fabrics business for almost 30 years. North America has really been more pattern-driven for the past 10-20 years, but the cycle is coming back to texture and plains – a simplified look to get back to the truth of materials and the truth of fiber, things that are nice to touch, that are more human-centric. Texture is important in all mediums, not just furniture, but also floors and walls – things that are highly bumpy, piano smooth or high gloss. From all extremes, texture is very current.”

The in-house team handles all of the design, testing and development for Haworth’s surfacing materials in North America. They continually look for new innovations in finishes and substrates that can improve quality while simplifying product engineering and construction.

Edgewood delivers the look and feel of natural wood grain in a composite panel.

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Best Practices

Haworth operates 19 manufacturing facilities worldwide, and was the first company in any industry to gain zero waste-to-landfill status for its Asia Pacific, India and United States manufacturing facilities, as well as its world headquarters. It is also the only global company in the industry with 100 percent ownership of ISO-certified facilities in those regions. “Our sustainability team does amazing research on many fronts, from following the chain of custody of the materials we use, to logistics and energy efficiency,” says Thorman. “Most recently we just announced that we are eliminating 56 banned chemicals from our products. We are the first in the industry to do that, but we won’t be the last. We’re asking our vendors to join us in those efforts. It is a fantastic industry to be a part of, because the different players continually raise the bar to change the industry for the better. We’re all in this together.”

The company subscribes to a “design globally, produce locally” philosophy, and still produces for the North American market in several facilities, the majority of which are located in Western Michigan. A million square-foot casegoods plant in Holland, Mich. is the primary location for the panel processing, work surfaces and walls. Two other plants near Grand Rapids, Mich. produce flooring and storage compenents. “We are pretty vertically integrated, manufacturing-wise,” says Pierce. “We have metal fabrication and powdercoating lines, lamination, panel processing, wood finishing, assembly, seating and upholstery capabilities.” The plants are set up with flexible work cells, and company-wide Haworth’s manufacturing members are engaged in LEAN practices and continuous improvement.

As a privately held company, Haworth has the flexibility to focus on the future with continuous reinvestment. International scientists and designers come together to share best practices and workspace trends, resulting in truly innovative, customercentric interior office solutions. s&p

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Eco-Certified Composites are Among the Greenest on Earth.

What are Eco-Certified Composites?

ECC stands for Eco-CertifiedTM Composite, as defined in the stringent 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 Eco-Certified Composite (ECC) mark are manufactured in facilities that are certified to meet the stringent requirements of the Eco-Certified Composite Sustainability Standard.

ECC-certified panel manufacturing facilities meet rigorous environmental standards based on objective scientific-based criteria and annual on-site audits. Each must ensure that its composite panel products 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

What about LEED Credit?

ECC certification may help achieve LEED credit for:

• Recycled Content MR Credit 4 • Regional Materials MR Credit 5 • Certified Wood MR Credit 7 • Low Emitting Material EQ Credit 4.4

Who sponsors ECC Certification?

The Composite Panel Association (CPA) developed the ECC Standard, including its pioneering Carbon Calculator. CPA administers the ECC Certification Program in North America as a third party certification agency accredited to ISO/IEC Guide 65 by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).

www.ECCproduct.org The Composite Panel Association is committed to advancing and certifying the sustainability of industry products for residential, commercial and industrial uses.

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Listen to that idle. Pop-pop…pop-pop…pop-pop…

So distinctive. It’s the sound of an engine with a V arrangement of cylinders, two pistons and a crankshaft with one pin. There’s only one bike on the road today that makes that sound – Harley-Davidson, an American icon.

With 640 independently owned and operated dealers in the United States and 1100 worldwide, there is no doubting the broad allure of the Harley-Davidson brand and related culture. Harley-Davidson offers anyone – motorhead to executive, grease monkey to grandmother – an invitation to the open road. Part of what makes Harley-Davidson unique is the degree of customization the brand offers, from handlebars and pipes to boots and bandanas. Owning a Hog is as much an artistic expression as it is a speed sport. Robust retail opportunity? Darn right.

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Test Driving New Design Concepts…Vroom

“I call it ‘transition.’ You see customers come in and you see their personality.

Whether they're shy, introverted, an outsider or whatever they are as an individual,” says Mark Wheelihan, owner of Harley-Davidson of Greensboro. “You watch them get bikes, and they meet new people and have new experiences. It becomes a part of who they are. In two to three months, they are more confident, more social. They’re more adventurous. You see a banker come in and within a few weeks he starts letting his hair grow a little differently, maybe he grows a goatee. A year later he’s wearing sleeveless shirts on the weekend and has a Harley-Davidson tattoo. It changes the people who ride.”

Wheelihan, who has a lifetime of retail expertise in markets ranging from shoes to luxury cars, is not speaking in hyperbole – the numbers back up his observation. “Even in mall environments that have a high repeat count, there might be 10 to 12 touches in a year,” says Wheelihan. “When someone buys a Harley-Davidson we have 10-14 touches a

month. We have to keep things moving, because once a person comes into the fold and the family, they are there a couple of times a week. So we have to move product around.”

Yet just as each Harley-Davidson owner is an individual, so is each dealer. From mom and pop shops that reach back four generations, to multi-location barons with big box mentalities, to retail-savvy enthusiasts with a love of the brand – it takes all types in all regions to spread the HarleyDavidson culture. Authentic regionalism is an ingenious brand strategy, provided the fundamentals of the brand are preserved.

That is where the Harley-Davidson Retail Environments Group comes in. “They want individuality in the dealers, but they create standards to guide the specifications for finishes, lighting and concepts that enhance each section of the store. And they regularly update those,” says Wheelihan. “ They don’t require a remodel every five years, but that is about the cycle of rolling out new lighting and design concepts.”

There are three design firms that are approved to do new-builds and remodels for Harley-Davidson stores, but as far as materials go, the selection of finishes is pretty much up to the dealer. When Wheelihan recently remodeled his dealership, it happened to coincide with a dramatic change in design direction. For the past 20 years, the edict for showplace dealerships was big “wow” impact when people walked in – from architecture to interior finishes. Think chrome and neon.

“Harley-Davidson decided to test with my store the idea of moving away from the building being the attraction. Instead the idea is to make the design more about the product. It was a pretty dramatic shift,” says Wheelihan.

“So the challenge was how to do that and still maintain the warmth of the store without murdering out all the surfaces? How do we keep it interesting and stay away from the brushed steel and diamond plate that has been done to death?”

The solution, indeed all the solutions for the project, came from Greensboro, N.C.based ATI Decorative Laminates, a manufacturer and fabricator of unconventional laminates. “We have eight different lines which all have the same purpose: architectural and interior decoration,” says Vern Combrink, vice president of sales for ATI. The company is in the sexy business. In addition to NuMetal – a line of traditional metal HPL that ATI distributes on behalf of Dekodur – the company manufactures seven lines of hybrid-laminated products that go beyond the ordinary. In its 75,000 square-foot facility, ATI has sections dedicated to lamination, vacuum forming, cutting, quality control,

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packaging and shipping. There is also an area for the Fusion™ process that produces large-scale graphic panels. ATI has significant storage on-site because it sells product both on a custom project basis (with a 5-10 day lead-time) and to stock big box retailers.

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Wheelihan’s remodel used two specific ATI products in several applications. The first is Mirroflex, a decorative foil and PVC thermoplastic laminate available in sheet or panel. The product is vacuum formed to give it deep texture and installed without a substrate board. The result is a very lightweight decorative product that is Class A fire rated and easy to install. A specialty overlay film developed for ATI called “TuffCote” is added to give the product high chemical, stain and impact resistance.

“We have between 90 and 100 patterns, and 35 finishes, so there are about 3500 possible looks for MirroFlex,” says Combrink. “It can look old world with heavy patina, ultra modern with subtle coloration and geometric designs, and everything in between.”

To tone down the space in the dealership, MirroFlex Cascade pattern in EccoFlex black finish was applied directly over the mirrored columns in the store. “We also used one of the MirroFlex ceiling panel systems with the Madison pattern in the same black finish,” says Wheelihan. “It is subdued, but still has interest unlike just a spray painted black ceiling, which is what a lot of businesses do. It is a more finished look.” A bubble-patterned MirroFlex adorns the store’s cashwraps, while MirroFlex in Sahara with a paintable surface custom finished in Harley-Davidson orange is used for the walls surrounding the “chrome consulting” area. “That is where we as dealers sit down with customers to do design on their motorcycles, so it is a work space,” says Wheelihan. “You can touch the Mirroflex and it is so solid that you can’t tell what the material is for sure. It holds up really great. This is the second time I have used ATI laminate in remodels in that store and it looks as good when you take it down as when it was put up.”

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During the design process Wheelihan and people from the Harley-Davidson Retail Environments Group toured ATI to learn more about their materials and options. “One of the challenges was how to create more warmth with graphics,” says Wheelihan. “We came back wanting to do historic Harley-Davidson photos on large scale panels. ATI was able to blow up the images to as big as 72 feet while maintaining clarity.” The product is ATI’s Fusion, which is made using a proprietary process to infuse an image into the coating of the substrate, resulting in a graphic that is fused into the material, as opposed to digitally printed on the surface. “We can do Fusion on FRP, wood, aluminum, glass, tile, fabric and more,” says Combrink. “Greensboro Harley-Davidson chose plywood with a maple veneer because they wanted something a little softer than metal. You can actually see the woodgrain come through. Because the pictures are vintage, the substrate and the images married together perfectly for what they wanted to achieve.”

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The Fusion panels are installed both as accents in the ceiling above the cashwrap and on the walls of the parts and motor-clothes departments. “We put the graphics behind the products so as product sells, pieces of the art are exposed,” says Wheelihan. “As you walk around the store, you catch these cool designs and it gets more interesting. Then when we move displays around, the graphic effect changes. It is a really cool concept and the result is fantastic.”

The completed remodel succeeded in meeting the updated Harley-Davidson retail criteria.

In fact, Harley-Davidson’s Retail Environments Group was so pleased with the project and the materials that they granted blanket approval for any dealer to source any ATI product. “Their eyes bugged out of their heads because now they are thinking about all these possibilities,” says Wheelihan. “It turned out so well that they are looking at highlighting our store at the next dealer show in August.” At the end of the day, the materials and designs have to match the culture of the Harley-Davidson brand: Live to ride, ride to live. s&p

Materials to Match Dealers

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arley-Davidson’s Retail Environments Group leaves it up to each individual dealer to guide the look and materials specifications for his or her store. After that, one of three authorized design firms helps to bring that vision to life in accordance with Harley-Davidson brand standards.

Craig Jacobs is a LEED® AP designer for Covington, Ky. design firm Architectural Group Inc. (AGI); one of the few chosen firms that gets to work on Harley-Davidson Projects. The opportunity is lucky for AGI, because working on Harley-Davidson projects affords them the luxury of designing with a nearly limitless palette of materials. The classic looks call upon the motorcycles themselves, diamond plate, brushed steel, chrome, and leather. Some dealers go more for highlighting the local feel with cedar slats, distressed wood or graphics. Sometimes it is just about cool materials and textures. “We recently utilized metal beaded curtains as a backdrop for a point of sales and helmet display,” says Craig. “And in another dealership we used large-scale, metal-ribbed panels on the walls to add texture and break up the space. It brings attention back to the product.”

Engineered materials are also popular because they can effortlessly replicate the look of original materials (often with better performance and lower cost), and they can do things that just aren’t possible in natural finishes. “In the Lynchburg store, we used a black Panelmax Lava 3D laminate cover with an aluminum Bar and Shield,” says Jacobs.

“We also incorporated some aluminum slats on the millwork and a focal wall.”

At eight years of operation, the Southern California-based Panelmax is a relatively new company, though its founders are fourthgeneration woodworkers who clearly understand the niche of stunning 3D laminate. “We use six different film manufacturers, Renolit, Riken, Omnova, SSI, Dakor and Amtra/ Bonolex to offer a wide range of colors and patterns,” says Jason Williams, sales director

for Panelmax. “We use Sierra Pine Medite FR as our standard MDF for both commercial and residential projects. When requested, we use the FSC-certified product because Sierra Pine has done the due diligence to get chain of custody verification.”

Panelmax’s biggest investment is taking its membrane-pressing capabilities directly to the A&D community. With over 4000 colors and patterns available, and the patronage of one of the three designers that is authorized to do Harley-Davidson dealerships, it is not surprising that 3DL is finding retail traction where the rubber meets the road. n

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Opening the Doors of Opportunity: New

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s a general rule, design sensibilities throughout North America vary with regional preferences and original concepts.

Fashion is never stagnant and European stylings influence North American trends. The trend path is somewhat predictable, with fashions first landing in the multi-cultural region of Quebec and then filtering down the East Coast of the United States. As new ideas move throughout North America, they are embraced or modified to meet the local demands.

One such influence is the Euro-modern style for furniture and full-access cabinetry, which has opened the door for new surfacing aesthetics and the materials that deliver them. The latest line to be offered to North America – available through distribution by Richelieu – comes from the Italian company Krono System srl. The company was originally founded in 1976 under the brand Eurocomponenti

by Mr. Silvio Montagner, who spent the previous 30 years running a business that supplied value components to important furniture manufactures and DIY chains throughout Europe. Weary of specifications that continually called for lower quality products and shrinking margins, Montagner reached out to European kitchen and furniture manufacturers to identify the most desirable design and perfor-

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mance characteristics for modern materials. He then collaborated with engineers and chemists to develop high-quality panels to meet those criteria, and in 2006, Krono System was born.

The panels are made from a proprietary polymer mix that addresses some of the common challenges that come with processing high gloss.

Available in 60 standard colors of high gloss (100 gloss), 20 colors of matte (4 gloss), along with wood patterns and prints, Krono System’s panels are already widely used throughout Europe in office furniture, kitchen, bathroom, accent doors and exterior applications. There is also a line of panels called FaceStone made with fine metamorphic rocks and a product with an anti-bacterial surface for healthcare and educational applications. “Our company exports more than 60 percent of its turnover, so we are used to working with different cultures and tastes,” says Valentina Montagner, commercial director for Krono System. “We deeply analyze any market we face to understand its furniture habits, trends and colors. We listen carefully to what customers ask in terms of products and design, and are at the disposal of architects and designers who want to develop innovative products or projects. What we see from talks with distributors is an interesting growth of 20 percent per year for modern kitchens, especially on the East Coast.”

The Material

Krono Systems’ specialty material is a co-extrusion of acrylic (ABS) and PMMA (poly methyl methacrylate) bonded together with a proprietary adhesive. The resulting panel is 1.4 mm thick and provides the benefits of each material without the common issues. “The reason for co-extruding the two materials is to create a light weight sheet that is a good alternative both in terms of cost and weight to full acrylic,” says Montagner. “Yet it keeps the same features of high-gloss or super matte with the extraordinary capacity to be repaired (buffed) should scratches occur.” Krono System also offers a total anti-scratch panel perfect for furniture and store fixture.

According to Montagner, other acrylic products on the market are either remarkably thin (.08 mm) to keep costs low (which can result in telegraphing or “orange peel” that ruins the gloss surface when laid up on a substrate) or are 4mm thick with no substrate – resulting in panels that look great, but are costly and difficult to manipulate. At 1.4mm, Krono System’s sheets can be specified and pressed onto particleboard, MDF, or lightweight honeycomb board. The sheets can also be laid up on marine plywood and postformed for wet environments. In fact, Krono System won a RED DOT DESIGN Award at interzum 2013 for a bathroom vanity application, featuring an anti-bacterial matte acrylic door with a patent-pending grip 30° post-forming profile.

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The combined materials lend other advantages to the product, such as resistances to heat, water, stains and UV exposure (which prevents the sheet from yellowing over time). Unlike the traditional lacquering process used to achieve a mirrored high-gloss finish, Krono System’s panels emit no VOCs. Both thermoset plastics used to produce the sheets are biocompatible and fully recyclable.

Applications

“Krono System, the name itself, represents our intentions,” says Montagner. “’Krono’ means ‘time’ and ‘system’ means ‘service.’ Thus, choosing to collaborate means working with a modern company that offers innovative products and flexible solutions in terms of minimum order quantity and quick delivery.” In addition to the company’s large standard offering, Krono System can make the ABS/PMMA sheets to

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virtually any custom color specification. The company also collaborates with architects, designers and fabricators to develop product lines, often resulting in stunning store fixtures, furniture pieces, cabinetry, wall paneling and interior doors.

Although Krono System panels can be machined with typical woodworking equipment, they can also be specified with or without hardware, pre-edgebanded, or pre-drilled. “Any value-added process to our acrylic product is very easy,” says Montagner, “And we are always available to answer questions or train fabricators about the handling of any Krono System product.”

That educational component and commitment to service makes it easy for a wide variety of customers to integrate the high-gloss or super-matte look into an end product. “In Europe, one of the most popular product lines is modern, high-gloss interior doors that are ‘filomuro’ or ‘flush with the wall’”, “says Montagner. “Krono System will work with the customer to make product to exact specifications.

So if a customer is a manufacturer, they can offer a collection of doors and finish them to order. If it is a contractor for multi-family homes or hospitality, they can get the look of a sleek modern door without having to do all the processing.”

By offering reasonably priced high-gloss and matte decorative panels through established distribution, Krono System is poised to meet North America’s increasing demand for sophisticated surfaces.

The relative light weight of the panels – and durability that comes from the proprietary co-extrusion – add to the product’s allure. “It is a great opportunity for this new technology to enter Canada and the US,” says Montagner. North America’s design curiosity and affinity for new materials makes for a good product/market match. If the panels are as successful as anticipated, Krono System will consider setting up production in Canada, a presence that will create jobs and strengthen the local economy. s&p

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Finding the Sweet Spot: Update on Lightweight Panel in North America

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ightweight panel (sometimes called lightboard) is an ingenious concept: A thick panel built by sandwiching a paper honeycomb core between two thin sheets of particleboard, MDF or HDF. Within certain criteria, the lightweight panel offers many advantages. Impressive strength-to-weight ratios allow for finished products that achieve big, bold aesthetics while components remain easy to transport, assemble and install. By virtue of the fact that lightboard uses less material than standard panels, it has environmental benefits both in terms of efficient use of raw/recycled materials and in the reduction of VOC emissions. Perhaps the most compelling advantage of lightweight panel is the potential for lower costs when boards are 1 ½-inches or thicker.

Introducing any new product into a market is a learning process.

In fact, despite the obvious advantages of lightweight panels, only a few companies in North America are producing the wood-based composite panels – and it is typically for internal use.

The exception is Panolite. Located in Lac-Mégantic, Quebec, the company is the first Canadian manufacturer of lightweight panels that is dedicated to selling lightboard and component parts into the North American market. After six years in business, Panolite is successfully opening up new opportunities for lightweight panel

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through a combination of two things. The first is a growing understanding of the panel-processing market: how fabricators work with lightboard and which end products are viable in terms of production and price point. The second is that the company’s location allows it to work within a local industrial community that essentially functions for full vertical-integration.

“You know, a year ago there was a terrible tragedy here,” says Antoine Pansera, plant manager for Panolite, referring to the catastrophic derailment of an unattended train loaded with volatile fuel oil. The resulting explosion destroyed a large swath of Lac-Mégantic’s downtown and left 47 people dead. “For a while after that, there was not a lot of activity. But the people here are very dedicated to rebuilding. The outside world should know that our industrial complex was unharmed and is fully functioning. When a contract comes in, we try to give as much work as we can to the people around us. All the different industries are working together to make great products and help re-establish the community.”

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Serving the Market

Panolite goes to market several different ways. The simplest, both in terms of production and application, is selling standard sized lightweight panels through distribution. However, selling a handful of sheets at a time is not enough to sustain a business. Panolite also had to learn what makes a successful lightboard product line, and then figure out how to make it easy for fabricators and end users to work with the material.

To understand the market for lightweight panel, Panolite researched how North American designers could integrate lightweight panel into profitable products. This tended to eliminate the most obvious market segment to benefit from easy to handle components: RTA. While a behemoth like IKEA can automate at a volume that takes advantage of the economies of scale, most RTA manufacturers cannot command the prices necessary to maintain a limited line of lightboard products.

With this in mind, Panolite increased its efforts into a segment where it already experienced a measure of success: high-end office furniture.

The company is currently helping some of the biggest names in the industry – companies like Artopex, Knoll and Teknion – to develop lines with substantial aesthetics.

However, it is not enough to have the interest of the big names.

Panolite had to learn how to best serve the fabricators. “When we started this project six years ago, we thought that it would be similar to what was happening in Europe. There was big hype surrounding Rehau, Häfele and Hettich, that their new technologies would address the challenges of edgebanding and affixing hardware to frameless

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lightweight panels,” says Pansera. “We had to realize that people in North America wanted to process lightboard like a regular panel, just thicker and lighter. So in most cases, we now add framing and supply cut-to-size components.”

Lightweight panel also hits the sweet spot for market segments such as kitchen cabinets, interior doors, exhibits, signage and convertible residential furnishings, like wall beds. The more the lightboard is put into use, the more clearly defined the intersection of design and marketability becomes. It begs the question: what other applications are waiting to happen?

Bringing it all Together

“What has changed the most is that we are doing more store fixtures,” says Pansera. “Retail designers like the bold look of a thick shelf. We like that the market segment is more design-driven than price-driven. If we please them on the aesthetic level and get one store, then we get all the other locations, too.” Several major clothing retailers already make use of lightweight panels finished in HPL, TFL, veneer or lacquer. Since it is sometimes sales people that end up installing the fixtures rather than professionals, Panolite meets its retail clients’ needs by supplying complete kits that are easy to install. To fulfill this, Panolite reaches into Lac-Mégantic’s local manufacturing community for all the necessary value-added steps.

A great example is the program of RTA shelving solutions Panolite produces for Lolë, a Montreal-based yoga and lifestyle apparel company that is steadily taking market share from Lululemon. “We have lightboard shelving products in the kit. The framing, top and bottom panels come from Tafisa. Bestar does the drilling and edgebanding.

The veneer set is sourced from Industries Manufacturières Mégantic, a division of Masonite. The other set is lacquered in Lolë’s signature yellow by local subcontractors,“ says Pansera. Every company involved is located in Lac-Mégantic, making for streamlined sourcing and a broad range of end-product possibilities. It is good for customers that are integrating lightweight panel into their designs, and benefits the local community. s&p

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executive advisory board:

John Beck Sauder Woodworking John Benson KapStone Paper Jean Briere Shaw Industries Kenn Busch Material Intelligence Stephen Canary Panolam Industries Dave Field Interprint Michel Fortin Interprint Terry Jenkins KapStone Paper Vitali Panov Momentive Michael Phillips Bausch Linnemann James Scott Onyx Specialty Papers Lee Miller OCI Melamines Linn Yeager Southern Chemical Corp.

For sponsoring and additional information please contact: Ryan Wagner, Vice President of Sales & Marketing 920.262.2080 | rwagner@surfaceandpanel.com

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Manufacturing Light Weight Panels As the markets for lightweight panels become more clearly defined, the potential for increased demand has more companies investigating the actual process of manufacturing lightboard (which is essentially honeycomb core between two thin MDF, HDF or particleboard panels).

According to Martin Taillon, general sales manager, industrial packaging for Cascades Specialty Products Group, all lightweight panel production, regardless of scale or end use, begins with a piece of equipment called a honeycomb expander that stretches and dries the core material. “As a supplier of core, we also supply the equipment to work with the material,” says Tailon. “Our machine features the latest technology. It has tighter tolerances, more consistency and is faster for a competitive edge.”

From that initial step, subsequent processes are based on desired volume, level of automation, and intended end product. The prepared honeycomb core is either inserted into a pre-built frame for a framed construction, or set directly between top and bottom boards for frameless construction.

A highly-automated facility, such as Swedwood’s plant in Danville, Va., builds massive frameless panels on a continuous basis that are Pub Surface & Panel-3_out.pdf 1 2014-07-01 01:32 PM cut-to-size further down the process.

A smaller operation like OFC

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Panel Products in Muscatine, Iowa, cuts the core to size, places it in frames, and then builds the panel around it. Panolite, which produces both custom panels and sheets to stock for distribution, does both hand and automated production.

Adding framing to the panel is more costly and requires more customized production, but enables fabrication with standard edgebanding equipment and hardware. It also means that thinner top and bottom panels can be used to make the lightboard, offsetting the weight of the frame. Framing can be standardized, or minimal and strategically placed based on the requirements of the finished product.

Frameless panels are generally made in standard panel dimensions and later cut to size, which presents challenges for edgebanding and fittings. One solution for edges developed in conjunction with Dollken and Ima involves applying a secondary structural edgeband prior to the decorative edging. Both Hafele and Hettich have lines of hardware and fittings specifically designed to work with frameless lightweight panel. Another solution is simply specifying the panel with thicker top and bottom layers, lending support to the edges and providing adequate screw-holding.

“After identifying the type of lightboard product, the next step in developing the process is choosing a glue option,” says Taillon.

“Sometimes companies already have laminating and pinch press equipment that can be put into the process. The level of automation also matters. There are different suppliers (Akzo Nobel, Jowat, Dural, Kleiberit, Dynea) and equipment options (Burkle and Torwegge) for application depending on that specification.”

Although the term lightweight panel is often used to describe any honeycomb board product, there are a lot of variations to the basic construction process and end product. Understanding those options, as well as the adhesive and equipment requirements that support them, is fundamental to taking advantage of the increasing demand in the marketplace, whether a fabricator is considering building with lightboard or producing it. s&p

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“People draw on anything,” says Christie Kratzer, interior designer and principal for Cincinnatibased Reztark Design Studio. Anyone who has ever handed a child a crayon knows this to be true.

Now imagine creating a retail space at the end of an experience designed to ignite creativity. Fill that space with interactive displays that feature the entire Crayola product line (crayons, markers, paint, glitter glue and more), and then send 700 people through per hour.

That was the task handed to Kratzer when Reztark was tapped to design the store at the newly renovated Crayola Experience in Easton, Pa., (the birthplace of Crayola Crayons). Her team was given three objectives: maintain the brand, make the product shine and ensure the store can stand up to heavy traffic. “It is all about color and fun,” says Kratzer. “And it had to be built like a battleship.”

Establishing the Brand

Situated in five historic buildings that encompass 55,000 square feet of space, the Crayola Experience is a one-of-a-kind venue. Following a significant renovation and expansion in 2013, the entertainment elements are better, bolder and brighter than ever before. Colors follow the theme of Crayola throughout the building. “The lobby is all about transporting the guest into a world of creativity,” says Kratzer, whose research and finish specifications for the retail store were also used throughout the Crayola Experience and café.

photogr aphy by John Sterling Ruth

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Visual branding in the space is accomplished by using Crayola’s signature color scheme. When dealing with a company based on hues, the color palette is not conservative, but it must be precise.

“There are four main brand colors, two greens and two yellows. Then there are nine secondary and tertiary colors that can be used,” says Kratzer. ”We chose to use Abet Laminati HPL throughout the space because they have the best color range of solid laminates for matching the Crayola brand colors. Plenty of companies have great colors, but we could not get them as standard materials.”

Starting with the first interaction at the ticket counter, Crayola’s signature greens help to differentiate the brand amidst an environment devoted to all colors. The familiar yellow compliment is painted on the brick flooring as a means of way-finding in the facility.

Adjacent to the Experience is the 5,500 square-foot retail space.

Visitors enter by crossing through bright yellow portals and descending a flight of stairs. This provides unique views, allowing even children to scan the entire store prior to entering. Of course, where there are children there must also be durable counters, walls and surfaces.

“The overall goal for the store was to allow the Crayola product to shine, which is currently hit or miss in other environments since retailers don’t stock all the lines,” says Kratzer. “This store is the only location where 100 percent of Crayola products are available. It gave an opportunity to tell the story and offer unique products that are only available there.”

Making the Product Shine

With the brand identity established, the next design intention was to make the product shine. The store is wide, divided into three sections and packed with Crayola’s full array of 121 hues. Colorful gift counters flank the entry into the retail space. “It was important to create an impression of movement in the store, so we cut two sweeping curves in the flooring to direct one’s eyes into the space,” says Kratzer.

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Upon entering the store, guests get a glimpse of the main focal point in the back of the space. The biggest wow-factor is a 40-foot long wall displaying 75 colors of crayons and 12 colors of markers. “Each color is four inches wide and 12-feet high, so it is a veritable rainbow,” says Kratzer. “At the base of the bin, you can take a tin and select your own collection. Crayons and markers are out of boxes, and people are allowed to draw on anything and do what they want anywhere in the store.” The bins are built from mirrored Acrylite panels, which are translucent, scratch resistant and reflect the colors in the display.

“Everything about Crayola is bright and colorful, including the packaging,” says Kratzer. “We needed something to give it a backdrop and we didn’t want black, so we specified Formica ChemTop in white. The only way to keep fixtures from staining is to use the laboratory grade laminate. Color core, solid surface or regular HPL wouldn’t hold up to the constant coloring.”

The packaging for many Crayola products is Mylar with a threedimensional effect. “We considered using 3DL for some of the installations, because that material also works from a stain-resistance standpoint,” says Kratzner. “But this is a one-off project, not a rollout proposition with lots of fixtures in multiple locations, so we were not going to use enough material to make it viable from a budget perspective.”

White is also carried through to the countertops, which are rendered in LG’s Viatera quartz surface. After much research, Kratzer’s team found the material virtually indestructible. Perhaps more importantly, crayon can be easily wiped off with a Magic Eraser.

Building Durability

To bring the concept to life, Reztark Design Studio partnered with IDL Worldwide, part of Mathews Brand Solutions. “We needed a fabricator that could work in laminate, acrylic, metal and stone,” says Kratzer.

IF YOU CAN IMAGINE IT, WE CAN MAKE IT. Formica Envision™ Custom Laminate

1-800-FORMICA | formica.com/envision

“And we had a tight budget, so we needed someone who could efficiently engineer solutions.” With locations in Pittsburgh and Portland, Ore., IDL is a brand design firm with capabilities that span every aspect of retail channel translation: 2D to 3D design, architectural and spatial limitations, budget and investment levels, consumer behavior and brand messaging. IDL knows retail. The firm’s impressive portfolio includes Nike, Coca-Cola, Luxottica and more.

IDL works with clients in many different capacities, from full-service turnkey solutions to consulting specifically on brand messaging, retail design and installation. The company’s in-house competencies make it a great fabricator partner. “This project was a little different from IDL’s scope of work, because when Reztark came to us, they already had a great level of detail about the specifications. It is a thorough shop and we are proud to have been a part of bringing the concept to fruition,” says Scott Girard, senior national account manager for IDL, responsible for the Crayola project. IDL’s industrial design team engineered the cash wraps, ceiling discs and floor fixtures (complete with bumpers to ward off all the strollers) for the Crayola retail space. “Not only does the Crayola Retail Store celebrate the breadth of Crayola’s product collection, but it also provides specialty services that are only found at this specific retail location,” says Girard. “Our engineering and industrial design teams recognized the importance of taking the unique spirit of this environment into account when designing the store elements.” Its environmental, creative and execution team, differentiated by the name Crack, carried out the fabrication and installation of the project.

The Full Experience

Palettes of High Gloss, Supermatt, Contemporary & Classic Designs: IWF Booth #1831

American RENOLIT Corporation www.renolit.com/design www.laminatefinder.com For more information: info@laminatefinder.com +1.973.706.6912 40

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Once in the Crayola Experience, visitors can inject dye with the makeyour-own-marker machine and melt down old crayons to reform into fun shapes at the crayon hospital. There is a room dedicated to Model Magic clay, another that encourages different explorations of paint and exhibits that use technology to put visitors directly in the art they make. The entire experience is dedicated to color and creativity, and is compelling enough that the average time it takes to explore all of the interactive exhibits is 2-3 hours.

Upon exiting, the engaging fun continues in the store where visitors can “Pick-Your-Pack” of drawing supplies, “Create & Print” customized coloring pages or simply commemorate the experience by having their names emblazoned on giant crayons. Regardless of age, there is something in the Crayola store to spark the imagination of any guest. The brand is clear, the products shine and the environment is ready to take on the crowds. s&p

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August 20 14

Matters

bringing style to the table automating for the better

bringing Style to the table

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lthough Nucraft has been in the contract furniture business for 70 years, its entry into conferencing products in the mid-1980s was a defining moment for the company. That specialization drove material and processing innovations that are a departure from standard casegoods on many levels. One is scale. Designing for large expanses requires an understanding of materials that goes beyond four-by-eight panels and box construction. As well, because conference tables are essentially elevated horizontal work surfaces, Nucraft’s finish has to be both beautiful and extremely durable.

Through in-depth research, Nucraft developed a finishing process that does justice to its sophisticated products.

“One of the big things we did that established the company as an industry leader was introducing the first conference product line and category in the mid-1980s when nobody else was doing that,” says Matt Schad, CEO of Nucraft – a fourth generation family-owned business. “That is a niche that has developed for us over the past 30 years. We’ve gotten very good at understanding what our customers value in terms of design and performance, and very good at the manufacturing in that category. It is one of the first things that differentiates us from the rest of the market.”

The company cultivates a robust culture of problem solving, in which innovations in one area benefit development of other products. In 2002, Nucraft entered into casegoods and the company also has lines of reception, occasional and training tables. This allows the company to provide high-end, harmonious solutions to top architecture and design firms serving corporate clientele throughout North America, as well as internationally.

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Capabilities Meeting Client Demands

“Customers often bring new ideas to us and we strive to figure out how to integrate them into our products.”

Bob Surman, product development manager, nucraft

Despite the fact that Nucraft has an impressive standard offering, about 60 percent of the business is custom to some degree, whether that is a special finish, size or shape of a product.

“We’re known for our ability to respond to just about any custom request, whether it’s based on materials, design, technology accommodation or other criteria,” says Bob Surman, product development manager for Nucraft. “Customers often bring new ideas to us and we strive to figure out how to integrate them into our products. Receiving positive feedback from the market in that respect is one source of innovation. Once a great solution is developed, we ultimately end up incorporating it into something new.”

Nucraft is a highly vertically integrated manufacturer with 250 employees and 200,000 square-feet of manufacturing space located in Comstock Park, Mich. “Starting from the typical raw materials in our industry – lumber, veneer and core – we perform all processing steps to finished goods,” says Michael Fredrigo, vice president of operations for Nucraft.

“We also have metal fabrication capabilities which not all wood manufacturers have. Being located in Western Michigan, we are blessed with an outstanding supplier base, which gives us locally the opportunity to work with a wide variety of materials. Our products are not only wood, we also do a lot of other materials such as glass, laminate, solid surface and painted surfaces.” Nucraft’s modern manufacturing facility houses traditional wood, metalwork and panel processing capabilities as well as state-of-the-art finishing.

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Finishing Strong

When custom projects are requested, Nucraft works externally through different supply chains to establish relationships for materials, and internally to develop new competencies. Rather than viewing custom requests as inefficient, Nucraft embraces them as an opportunity to drive new concepts.

The long list of accolades awarded to the company – which is relatively small in comparison to other contract furniture manufactures – suggests that this is a successful approach to mining innovation and staying on the leading edge of technology.

“Conference is really our lead category in terms of product development. Many of our conference products have a very unique aesthetic or function in terms of what they do,” says Surman. “Over the years, we have developed reconfigurable tables that can be broken into different arrangements and then be brought back together to form what appears to be a single boardroom table. We have articulating tables that can open up on one end to give a clear line of sight to a presenter or screen. Those ideas aren’t new today, but they were when we did them a decade ago. And every year we introduce new conferencing products to the market.”

Nucraft has two featured conferencing products for 2014, Kai and Tesano. Kai is possible because of a proprietary process for adhering veneer to aluminum. The light substrate material allows it to span 20-feet with only two bases It is also available with a stunning high-gloss automotive paint finish. Tesano exhibits a 2-ply veneering application that is unique to Nucraft. It’s substantial aesthetic is the result of a process where a thinner particleboard panel is v-grooved on a Weeke machining center and then miter-folded to give the appearance of a thick top. (See Designer spec page 48).

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One area of research and development that benefits all of Nucraft’s product lines featuring wood and veneer is finishing. Years ago the standard finish was a conversion varnish, but the company was looking for something that was lower-emitting. They launched a large R&D project and investigated all the choices in the market place before finding a solution that meets both industry indoor air quality standards and internal performance standards.

“We have the same finishing system for all of our wood finishes,” says Fedrigo. “It is a system that comes out of Italy which includes a urethane acrylic topcoat that is by far the best product we have seen in the industry for meeting all the criteria we feel are important. We were looking for something that has excellent chemical and scratch resistance, clarity, good UV inhibitors and is both a really hard product and still reparable.”

The post-catalyzed product is mixed in real time and hand sprayed using a dual 2K system, which pre-atomizes the catalyst and then introduces it. “The potlife on the product is only about 30 minutes,” says Fedrigo. “If we weren’t using a 2K system, it would be difficult to use this product.”

Nucraft runs four different finishing lines, three of which focus on staining and wood finishing, and one that is more dedicated to paint for both wood and metal parts. “We finish a high percentage of our parts already assembled, which is relatively uncommon in our industry,” says Fedrigo. “We do that because we get better quality that way. Better color consistency and fewer visible fasteners when the product is complete.”

The lines are flexible, which allows Nucraft to move production in between them as necessary to accommodate the different geometries of conferencing products, occasional tables, casegoods and credenzas. Each line includes all steps of stain, sealer and topcoat in line. Nucraft designed and built the specialty halogen bulb UV- style oven for curing after sealer and topcoat. Oven curing reduces the cycle time in the plant as well as the risk of damage from handling.

By both specializing and customizing, Nucraft cultivates an environment where creativity thrives. After a product is developed, it is almost inaccurate to call it a finished product. Nucraft’s culture of on-going problem solving makes each piece more like a “continuing product,” one that may very well hold the seed of the next award winner. s&p

FINISH FIRST STILES FINISHING TECHNOLOGIES

In our 25,000 square foot sanding and finishing laboratory in High Point, North Carolina, we can test and prove out any process on any material so you can be certain you achieve the best results for your products.

Stiles has automated finishing solutions for almost any application in any industry.

We offer the latest technology available in: • Roll coating lines • Spray lines • Vacuum coaters • Panel cleaners • Sanding machines • Digital printers • Profile systems • Edge processing • Curtain coating

Our consultants have years of finishing industry experience, and are ready to lower your costs, increase your quality, and manage all your logistical support.

Talk to us. We’re ready to help.

For more information, contact Don Leblanc at 616.698.7500 or dleblanc@stilesmachinery.com. Please visit us at www.stilesmachinery.com.

For information on how Stiles can put new technology and new thinking to work for you, contact Stephan Waltman, VP of Marketing and Communications, at 616.698.7500 or swaltman@stilesmachinery.com.

Software. Education. Training. Parts. Service. Support. Leasing. Rebuild.

Joey Ruiter

S&P:

How does your collaboration with Nucraft work?

I get a project brief, and they are pretty loose from Nucraft, generally. We talk back and forth about what the hopes and goals are for the next project. Then I’ll go back to the studio for a while. I usually don’t think much about materials, more about the concept and design and what I am shooting for: thin or a certain scale or a cantilever or whatever the big feature is. Then the team at Nucraft sits down to decide if the idea is possible. At first we sort of suspend the engineering mind, then try to figure out what kind of process we can make. I have an open sketchbook. It starts with an idea, and everybody’s knowledge and talents in the room builds it.

Ruiter:

The brief for the NeoCon Gold-winning Kai table asked for something “stunning.” The idea you presented to the team was a 20-foot-long table with four legs. How did you arrive at that?

S&P:

With styling that meets everyday needs in unexpected ways, Joey Ruiter is one of today’s most imaginative and sought after designers. Located in Grand Rapids, Mich., his practice J. Ruiter + Studio incorporates a broad range of disciplines to create objects that stand out.

Ruiter’s collaborations with Nucraft over the past several years have resulted in some of the industry’s most innovative and award-winning furniture designs – including 2014’s featured products Kai and Tesano which earned NeoCon Gold and Silver recognition respectively.

Ruiter recently spoke with Surface & Panel about his process.

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There is no surprise that it looks like Kai is doing more for you. I wanted to promote the veneer, the wood as much as possible. In my mind there is no better way than floating a single sheet in space, so that is how it came about. We have this beautiful veneer laid up seamlessly, perfectly, and supported by the thinnest, lightest scale structure. The aluminum top is 5/16 of an inch thick. I want the structure to almost go away so that when people stand around the table, the veneer is the icon of the room. Nucraft has a great history of wood furniture, but they can do anything custom and are willing to push for innovation. So the only wood in this product is the veneer, the rest is aluminum and steel, which allowed us to keep it to four legs and really reduce the materiality of the piece.

Ruiter:

S&P:

Tesano earned a NeoCon Silver recognition, what was the intention there?

It is a thick top and leg structure all in one, so it shows off the big cathedrals. The way the veneer wraps around the product highlights the wood. We developed a two-ply veneering process on miter-folded particleboard panels and really integrated the structure so we can span longer distances with minimal support.

Ruiter:

S&P:

Is there any singular, unifying philosophy through your table work?

Tables should just be tables, now and in the future. Not tables in support of current technology, which is a departure from the trend of the contract furniture world. I don’t want to put a timestamp on them by cutting holes in the surfaces and embedding technology.

Then a table loses the essence of what a table should be. So we developed cord and power solutions that are removable without tools and don’t mar any visible surface of the product, but they are still readily available to the user. The products are still instantly recognizable as tables and have greater longevity. n

Ruiter:

A Great Finish is Only the Beginning

McKeever Inc. talks about the Chemcraft Mobile Product App We traveled to El Cajon, CA, just outside of San Diego to talk with Dan McKeever, owner of McKeever Inc, and Rob Olivarez, his Finish Specialist from Chemcraft Distributor E.B. Bradley.

McKeever Inc. was founded in 2005 and produces architectural millwork, cabinetry and custom woodwork for commercial and residential customers.

“We’ve had a long relationship with Rob and E.B. Bradley,” said Dan McKeever “They’ve been with us from the beginning.”

“As Dan said, we’ve been with Mckeever since about 2005, but only in the last couple of years have we been supplying their coatings.” said Rob Olivarez, “We also provide them product training and technical support. Because of the Low VOC regulations here in Southern California, one of the most important things we supply is product documentation. We make sure they have what they need for the inspectors and regulators.”

“It’s a real a challenge keeping up with all the VOC data for the products.” said McKeever, “We need to have the information readily available for inspections and for submitting new project bids.”

Front, L to R: Rob Olivarez - Finish Specialist, E.B. Bradley. Dan McKeever - Owner, McKeever Inc. Back, L to R: Terry Best - Sales Representative, E.B. Bradley. Colin McKeever, Technology Supervisor, McKeever Inc.

“The Chemcraft App has made it a lot easier.

It’s the same information as before, but now it’s at Dan’s or someone else in the facilities fingertips.” said Olivarez.

“On new jobs, we have to show product data up front, and the mobile app makes it easy for us to pull that information up.” said McKeever, “It works out pretty well for us. The app is a very good thing to have. It’s easy to use, and you can find what you need quickly.”

“From a distributor side of things, I really like the tools that Chemcraft has brought to market to benefit the end-user.” said Olivarez “The app is a great example of that. To put product information, how-to videos, a © 2014 AkzoNobel

Chemcraft® is a registered trademark of Akzo Nobel Coatings Inc.

troubleshooting guide in an easy-to-use app is great. While this is all information that I have readily available to give to our customers, there are just times when they need it faster. It’s a great tool.”

To get the Chemcraft Mobile App, go to chemcraft.com/mpi on your mobile device and follow the instructions to download.

Coming soon for the Canadian market!

Visit chemcraft.com to locate your nearest distributor.

Booth #2813

Automating for the Better

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utomated finishing technology offers consistency, transfer efficiency and increased production – with the added benefit of a cleaner finishing environment. It is a significant investment. For Four Woods Laminating, an Amish-owned family business, the move to automation was a carefully planned process with far-reaching benefits. “Our number one priority is to take care of our customers. To give them good product and service,” says Maynard Yoder, eldest son and general manager of Four Woods Laminating.

“And for our employees to have a good environment to work in.”

Four Woods Laminating is located in Topeka, IN, a small town in close proximity to some of the largest recreational vehicle manufacturers in the United States. Patriarch Glen Yoder started the endeavor in 1985 when the manufacturer he was working for needed a supplier for hardwood door and drawer fronts.

The RV industry is both a thriving and notoriously demanding market segment defined by high quotas, speed to market and quality standards. According to a new forecast by RV industry analyst Dr. Richard Curtin, RV shipments are expected to rise for a sixth consecutive year in 2015, with wholesale production forecasted to reach 360,100 units. This marks a gain of 3.1 percent over the projected 2014 total and the industry’s highest total since 2006. “The RV marketplace

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has confirmed the perfect match between the continuous innovative process used by RV manufacturers and suppliers, and the enduring appeal of the RV lifestyle among consumers,” Curtin said.

The RV industry is also a good match with the traditionally strong work ethic of the Amish. Four Woods Laminating begins work in the small hours of the morning and ends when the quota is met, regardless of how long it takes. Afterward, many of Four Wood’s Amish employees return to their homesteads to care for their crops and animals.

Fueled by a working community dedicated to quality, Four Woods Laminating grew from a small shop adjacent to the family farm into one of the RV industry’s leading cabinet door suppliers, employing 120 community members and occupying three buildings totaling 55,000 square feet of space. Four Woods Laminating made careful investments over several years to keep up with the ever-increasing demand for excellent product and fast fulfillment. The resulting automated finishing operations are state-of-the-art. “The stain line was the bottleneck of our business, so we decided to look into automated machinery,” says Maynard Yoder. “We started three years ago with two automated stain lines, and just recently added two topcoat machines. We’ve gained probably 25 percent more production, going from 20,000 doors and drawers a week to 25,000.”

i m a g e c o u r t e s y o f J ayc o I n c .

Adding Technology

“Any time you bring in new automated technology there are elements of calibration and learning,” says Bryan Copsey, sales manager for Four Woods Laminating. “It is always a collaborative effort between materials supplier, equipment suppler, and the company itself to perfect the system and make it be efficient and consistent.”

The initial step toward automation was simply power. “Up until a few years ago there was no electricity through the plant. Everything was run by hydraulics. Therefore a decision like that couldn’t be made,” says Copsey. “But Four Woods is conducting business on a pretty grand scale and it provides a lot of benefit to the community. Automation made sense. So the decision was made to bring electricity to the facility. Now the plant runs power from two Volvo diesel generators.”

Next came the machines and materials. Over a three-year period, the Yoders partnered with Stiles Machinery and CCI-Finish Works to design systems for both stain and topcoat. “Anytime Stiles is involved with a coatings application, we work very closely with the coatings supplier,” says Tom Pluchar, district sales manager for Stiles Machinery, Inc. “The two of us have to know what each others’ needs are in order to develop the best solutions for our customer.”

Stain Line

The first investment in automation was the acquisition of a pair of Makor Kronos reciprocating spray machines that were put to work in a dual stain line. “The technology is very user friendly. It has a simple touch screen interface with control panels that are easy to read. They enjoy the ease of use,” says Pluchar. “There are programs available that allow them to repeat different jobs. Once the program and coating is selected, all that’s left is loading the machine.”

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i m a g e c o u r t e s y o f J ay c o I n c .

Forrest sets the standard for excellence with these new top-quality blades: • Woodworker II 48-Tooth Blade for general-purpose applications. Features a 20º face hook, a 25º bevel, and sharp points for clean cross-grain slicing and quiet, smooth cutting.

• PVW Blade for rip and cross cutting plywood and plywood veneers without splintering, fuzz or chipouts. Commercialquality, 10º hook, 70 teeth, and high alternate top bevel grind.

• 2-Piece & 4-Piece Finger Joint Sets with reversible, interlocking 8” blades. Ideal for rabbets and grooves.

Blades have 24 teeth and standard 5/8” bore. Reversible for 3/16” and 5/16” cuts or 1/4” and 3/8” cuts.

• Thin Kerf Dados for clean cutting of 3/16” to 1/4” grooves in thin plywood and man-made materials. Available in two-piece and three-piece sets for table or radial arm saws.

Our blades are U.S.A-manufactured and have a 30-day, money-back guarantee.

Custom sizes available. Order from Forrest dealers or retailers, by going online, or by calling us directly.

www.ForrestBlades.com 1-800-733-7111 (In NJ, call 973-473-5236) © 2014 Forrest Manufacturing

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The reciprocating spray machines are equipped with a front light bar that reads the part and optimizes the spray pattern based on its geometry. It also provides feedback on filter status and spray booth pressure. “That is important for the atomized spray pattern,” says Pluchar. “If the pressures vary or the booth is drafting in and out, the atoms will waver as well, affecting the quality of the finish.”

Finish quality is of the utmost importance to the RV manufacturers, so it was crucial to maintain consistency through the transition from hand spraying to automated finishing. “We had to make sure that we did not alarm Four Woods’ customer-base,” says Paul Carr, director of branch program development for CCI-Finish Works. “So we needed to maintain, as close as possible, the established look while implementing the new materials and processes. Aesthetically, parts coming off a flat-line look a little different than parts that are manually sprayed. On that frontier, we faced a lot of challenges with formulation and application.”

To ensure a seamless transition, Carr and Yoder (along with a chemist from CCI-Finish Works) traveled to Stiles’ finishing lab in High Point, N.C. where they developed a mastery of Four Woods’ stain colors prior to the installation of the stain line. “We developed some new technology that we felt would be better suited for the flat-line application,” says Carr. “Then the actual formulation is done at our plant in North Carolina.” Four Woods uses a proprietary solvent-based, post-catalyzed product that is mixed by hand and agitated by machine.

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With the automated stain lines up and running, Four Woods’ production increased, as did its consistency and speed to market. There were other benefits as well. “The environmental people definitely like us using the stain machines. It is more environmentally friendly because it filters product before it goes out the stack,” says Yoder. “Then there is the transfer efficiency of our material. There is not much overspray on the product. It is a much cleaner process.” In fact, the automated stain line was so successful so quickly after implementation that Four Woods again turned to their equipment and materials partners to discuss adding more automation.

Topcoat Line

Following a second trip to Stiles’ finishing lab, Four Woods made the decision to automate their clear-coat sealer and topcoat operations with two additional Makor Kronos reciprocating spray machines. The biggest challenge was working the equipment into the available square footage of the plant. “We did AutoCAD layouts of the facility because flat-line requires a substantial length of line,” says Carr. “There is the flash tunnel, the UV cure station, the IR ovens. It creates a very long line. And in order to make a turn at the end of the line and accommodate larger parts, you need large radiuses. They did not have the square footage to add two more lines into a continuous flow.”

What Makes Our Powder Here’s a Coated MDF Different? few hints...

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The solution was to install the twin topcoat spray lines in a Siamese set up: one inputs west and runs east, the other inputs east and runs west. “Separating the stain lines from the topcoat lines is actually a growing trend. The advantage is that you can change the colors independent from your topcoat production,” says Pluchar. “One small challenge to the layout is that it creates a little more material handling and labor, but they were willing to balance that out.” A little extra labor doesn’t scare Four Woods. In fact, all sanding and sprayand-wipe glazing is still done by hand.

The Siamese set up has the added advantage of making the topcoat lines more flexible. “They run three sheen levels, with one of them being the core product that we also use as the sealer coat for everything,” says Carr. “Depending on their production orders, they can run the sealer on one line and the different topcoat sheen levels on the other, or they can set up for a large job and run on both. It allows them a lot of versatility to work through the system.”

A little extra labor doesn’t scare Four Woods. In fact, all sanding and spray-and-wipe glazing is still done by hand.

Offers -

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Each time new lines were added, Stiles and CCI-Finish Works sent in their teams of service engineers to have all the equipment installed and running within a week.

Top Quality Finishing Equipment The Dan-Am Company (sole importer of Sata Spray Equipment) is pleased to announce a dedicated technical team to support the wood finishing market.

Sata provides superior atomization of coatings whether it is by AirAssited Airless, HVLP or RP applications.

Better for Everyone

The new processes increased productivity, consistency and efficiency, enabling Four Woods to stay true to its commitment to provide quality products and service to its customers. One of the unique things about Four Woods is that the manufacturer is closely tied to the community. In that sense, the automated systems are also an investment in the people who work at Four Woods. The facility is a cleaner work environment, and as finishing is no longer a bottleneck, production schedules are more standardized. The end results of the Yoder’s investments are better products, job security and more time to devote to other aspects of community. s&p

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photogr aphy by John Muggenborg

at the Show Innovations in materials, geometries, texture and technology characterized the 2014 ICFF and NYCxDESIGN events. Here Aperiodix non-repeating concrete wall tile system brings tessellation and gray scale to surfaces.

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Composite panels and decorative surfacing materials are high-tech products.

Processing them into finished goods involves even more engineering. Yet it is important to remember that manufacturing design-driven consumer products is an extension of the global fashion industry.

With regards to furniture, it is tough to beat New York City in May when looking for emerging design practices spanning many disciplines. For 26 years, the International Contemporary Furniture Fair has served as North America’s platform for global design. The event is held in conjunction with NYCxDESIGN, New York City’s official citywide celebration intended to establish the city as the design capital of the world.

Surface & Panel was there this May, walking the show and touring exhibits staged throughout New York City. From artisans and collectives showing original work to receptions hosted by some of the biggest names in furniture, trendsetters and design hunters from around the world converged. It is impossible to report on every great idea presented. Indeed, considering the diverse design tastes across North America, it is even difficult to relay which fashions are poised to sweep the market. Yet there are many interesting trends – often driven either directly or indirectly by technology – that are shaping the way people think about interior spaces. The following pages contain a short tour of furniture and lighting.

NYC 2014

Osidea “fortune cookie” table in Walnut

Maria Rose HG Antique White

Satin X Fancy Red HG

Osidea "hi-lo” table in gray

PG White HG

PG Black HG Vanilla Stix Matte

introducing new items! Visit us at IWF booth #1911 new items: super matte SF finish, 3D AP finish, 2D DN finish AVAILABLE FINISHES: High Gloss | Satin | Matte | Desktop We’ve Moved! Our new office is in Novi, Michigan.

2014 RIKEN USA CORPORATION 26200 Town Center Drive, Suite #135, Novi, MI Tel: 248.513.3511 Fax: 248.513.3510 info@riken-usa.com | www.riken-usa.com 58

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Finding Furniture One noticeable shift is designers moving away from untouchable ultra-modern to a more organic, real, even retro sensibility in both shape and materiality.

The Osidea collection plays with these concepts with classic bent plywood, soft edges and shapes that invite interaction.

rustic, vintage, chic.

2014

Lamitech COLLECTION Lamitech Ref.: Provincial Oak 1501

2014 COLLECTION

Phone: (57-1) 644 9898 Fax: (57-1) 644 9897

We are inspired by natural creativity.

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NYC 2014 A resurgence of smaller-batch design is evident in furniture across a broad spectrum of designers. On one end are the traditional craftspeople like Michael Garman who are rendering pieces by hand from natural materials.

Michael Garman's “Rocker�

Photo by Alex Wang

Architects, craftsmen, designers and manufacturers of cabinets, furniture, casework and store fixtures specify States superior hardwood panel products to develop beautiful and durable designs.

What are you creating today?

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Decotone Torino Wood Laminate Collection

Decotone Metallic Laminate Collection

Decotone Designer Collection Laminates Tel: 908-301-0600

email: sales@decotonesurfaces.com

Decotone Zenolite High Gloss Acrylic Panels

Decotone Translucent Panels Los Angeles

Miami

New Jersey

New York

www.decotonesurfaces.com

Oregon

Toronto

NYC 2014

However, the increasing availability of flexible technology, such as CNC machines, is putting the power of agility in the hands of many. The capability to precisely process fosters new mash-ups of materials. Patrick Weder Designs incorporates walnut and Corian into his credenzas for an intriguing and sophisticated look.

Patrick Weder Designs

IWF Booth #2421

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12 Osgood St. | Lawrence, MA 01843 P : 978-688-7400 | F : 978-691-5015 jerryvilla.aacc@gmail.com | www.AACC-Hotmelts.com

Jowat | your partner in bonding

NYC 2014 .

F 2014 at the IW 014 s u it Vis 3, 2 t 20 - 2 Augus 6113 Booth

Jenny Triue and her winning chair “Infinite”

Jowat offers a variety of Adhesives for furniture components that covers • 3D Membrane Pressing (1K and 2K) • PUR Hot Melt Adhesives for High Gloss Flat Lamination • Thermoplastic and PUR Hot Melt for Edgebanding • Hot Melt Adhesives for Precoating and Laminating Jowat – One supplier for all system components.

Jowat Corporation 5608 Uwharrie Rd. Archdale, NC 27263 Phone +1 336 434 9000 Fax +1 336 434 9173 www.jowat.com

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Even in large-scale production, technology makes it possible for designers to experiment with a myriad of aesthetics even within a single engineered material. 2014 marks the 10th anniversary of Wilsonart® Challenges, a student design competition that engages participants to create chairs that celebrate the richness of laminate surfacing materials without the restraint of mass production. Wilsonart selected the College of Architecture at the University of Houston to host the 2014 Challenge.

The competition unfolds as a semester-long course, this year taught by Professor Jeff Feng and Grace Jeffers, design historian and materials specialist. The winning chair, “Infinite,” was designed by Jenny Triue. It epitomizes mid-century modernism through its unique structure, bold colors and mixing of materials.

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NYC 2014

WITHSTANDS THE ELEMENTS.

LIKEWISE.

The Gap Office Building in San Bruno, California, designed by William McDonough+Partners, features dining room cabinetry built with FSC-certified Collins Pine Particleboard.

Collins Pine FreeForm® MR50 Particleboard Information and Sales: 800.547.1793 Mike Shuey mshuey@collinsco.com Cindy Wigen cwigen@collinsco.com CollinsWood.com

Kitchens, baths and other environments with high humidity and incidental moisture are no match for FreeForm MR50, the first particleboard to attain the ANSI’s highest standard for moisture-resistance.

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CARB Exempt NAF-no added formaldehyde Declare Product FSC®-certified particleboard High Pine Content 100% post-industrial recycled/recovered content

Visit us at IWF this year for samples of MR50.

Booth #1761

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Feel good about it

“Maker” chairs from Joris Laarman Lab

Perhaps the most eye opening example of flexible technology and small batch production was the exhibition Joris Laarman Lab: Bits and Crafts, at Friedman Benda Gallery. The lab collaborates with craftsmen, scientist and engineers to exemplify the emerging technologies of CNC systems, 3D printing, robotics and simulation software.

Laarman’s exhibition was a testament to the seismic impact of digitalization on the design world. It explored the ways in which the digital revolution affects how physical objects are designed, manufactured, distributed, protected and recycled. The four facets of the exhibit: Maker furniture, Micro Structures, Vortex and Spirographic – are each the culmination of massive research, cutting edge fabrication, handcraft and personal aesthetic.

Two of Laarman’s themes used the archetypical form of the chair to explore technology. Read more about them on the following page.

THE SUCCESS OF YOUR PROJECT STARTS WITH THE LAMINATES YOU CHOOSE.

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NYC 2014 Micro Structures: Representing Laarman’s delve into the deeper facets of 3D printing furniture, this group of work, including the Gradient Chair, is engineered on a cellular level. Elaborating on a long history of polyurethane use in furniture design, the Gradient chair is made of 3D printed thermoplastic polyurethane modulated at its structural points to be solid, and at the open parts, to be flexible and soft like foam that is engineered on a cellular level.

Maker: Born out of disagreement with the limited bounding box and poor material choice of many today’s digital fabrication methods, Maker pieces are built from many parametric parts engineered to fit exactly like a 3 dimensional puzzle. Multiple materials (resin, solid woods, plastics, metals) and differentiated shapes (triangular, hexagonal, figurative, pixilated) respond to strength and aesthetic necessities, while the multiplicity of small elements enable greater freedom and complexity of shape.

Laarman plans to publish the blueprints on the Internet for free, leaving the design unlocked for people to modify.

The Maker puzzle chair is the world’s first crowd fabricated prototype also available for home printing.

“Gradient” chair from Joris Laarman Lab

In general, metal aesthetic is moving away from stark stainless to oxidized black and brass. A similar softening is happening in finishes, where gray scale is prominent and textures tend toward matte, tweed and leather.

Endless solutions.

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Custom built display and retail.

All projects are comprised of multiple pieces. JB Cutting will take your designs to a whole new level. Our capabilities include membrane pressing, CNC machining and panel processing. Let us be the final piece of your design puzzle.

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Metal Microstructures chair from Joris Laarman Lab

Success doesn’t come by chance Success A home run is not a matter of luck but the result of hard work and dedication.

Schattdecor Inc. will be introducing The Raw Essentials – its latest color trends for the North American market – at IWF 2014. To learn more, please visit the Schattdecor Booth #2613.

We make decors successful.

NYC 2014

Light Bright Advances in LED technology make it possible for designers to do more with light than ever before. This category is exploding with imagination as designers gain unprecedented control over the color temperature of the diode. More so, the new technology means that designs are no longer beholden to accommodating a bulb or a tube, and those classic shapes almost take on purely iconic meanings. The King Edison pendant Lamp designed for Mineheart combines the pure simplicity of an Edison light bulb with the romance and glamour of a King’s chandelier.

See more intriguing examples of creative lighting designs on the following pages.

Meeting Point Surface Super Matte to Piano Finish KLEIBERIT HotCoating®

Surface design trends are diverse. Taking an example from nature, designers develop new ideas regarding a pleasant and warm feel, texture and structure with high quality requirements on surface quality. In order to meet these requirements, the KLEIBERIT HotCoating® process was developed and offers modification possibilities in the same step – super matte, high gloss, embossed all at the push of a button.

Experience new possibilities first-hand – from high gloss to super matte Hot Coating, Flat Lamination and 3D Pressing – at the KLEIBERIT booth 7153.

F u r t h e r i n f o r m at i o n at www . k l e i b e r i t. c o m

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the “king edison” pendant lamp for Mineheart

NYC 2014 Many designs set out to domesticate light.

The Black and Blond by Liquid Design of West Sussex captures the bulb in wood and dark metal to bring light to earth.

“black and blonde” by liquid design

 - 

 

surface&panel

Q3 2014

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NYC 2014

pablo pardo's “light bench” the “Bel Occhio” by pablo design

Distinctive Designs

15015 Smoke Acrylic

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exotic veneer | high gloss acrylic | textured tfl and 3dl | transitional wood shakers | supermatte 3dl thermofoil

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866-344-8132 | www.northerncontours.com

NYC 2014

Tired of surface relationships?

The Bel Occhio by Pablo Design is the opposite, a study in weightlessness and transparency. The hybrid design has a suspended inner column that creates focused illumination while its surrounding shell produces a transformative ambient glow. Designer Pablo Pardo also takes the fusion of furniture and light to the Light Bench, a fully dimmable platform for display or seating.

There was no shortage of flat lighting on display at ICFF, often presented in gradated shapes and sizes. Koncept lighting showcased several tabletop lamps including the Mr.n LED Table Lamp is arch-shaped. Its advanced panel technology causes the entire outer surface of the lamp to glow with soft, warm, omni-directional light, perfect for difficult-to-illuminate spaces.

“Mr.N” table lamp from Koncept

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surface&panel

Q3 2014

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NYC 2014

Koncept's Lady7 desk lamp boasts a whispy-thin telescopic silhouette and step-less dimming.

New Engineered Flooring System Only from Union Tool Engineered flooring is used as an alternative to solid hardwood flooring. The Union Tool Corporation offers a complete material handling and coating system for laminating engineered flooring.

• Includes a hot melt roller coater, lay-up conveyor and multi-nip roll machine.

• The hot melt roller coater applies a controlled and consistent amount of (PUR) adhesive.

• The lay-up conveyor allows a piece of lamella to be placed on top of the coated core.

• The multi-nip roll machine is then used for pressing and holding the two pieces together.

Count on Union Tool for your next engineered flooring system.

The Union Tool Corporation 574-267-3211 E-mail: sales@uniontoolcorp.com 74

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Call or visit our website today to learn more about Union Tool’s complete line of automated machines!

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NYC 2014

LED, in both bulb and flat panel, was ubiquitous at the show from floor and table lamps, to pendants, wall sconces and chandeliers. One of the most charming designs, and certainly the most interacted with lamp at the show, was the Float Chandelier by Bower Studios. Built with a series of LED lamps that are magnetically pulled outward towards a central ring from above and below, the lamp creates a magical tension in space. The Float Chandelier feels otherworldly, seemingly breaking the laws of physics. It is the first piece in an upcoming series from Bower that will explore the sense of weightlessness that is possible through magnetic attraction and repulsion.

the “float chandelier� by Bower Studios

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NYC 2014

“stalactite” by meystyle

ranier white

LED lighting enables designers to integrate illumination into a wide array of applications. Functional hardware is increasingly used for accent or interior lighting in furniture.

Now the extreme flexibility of the technology is finding its way into surfaces proper, from tiny artistic pin-pricks of light that enhance a graphic to LED illuminated wallpaper. This example,

by London-based MeyStyle, is adding another dimension to the medium. Not only does LED enhance the depth of pattern, it turns the wall itself into a light structure. s&p

954.420.9553 www.SynergyThermofoils.com “Dolomite” by meystyle 78

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GRITTY DETAILS H O W M U C H $ $ A R E Y O U S A N D I N G A W AY ?

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Talk to us. We’re ready to help.

For more information, contact Tim Middleton at 616.698.7500 or tmiddleton@stilesmachinery.com. Please visit us at www.stilesmachinery.com.

Software. Education. Training. Parts. Service. Support. Leasing. Rebuild.

f rom

the

editor

©istock.com/andresrimaging

Making Connections

Ah, the furniture and store fixtures issue. What I love about this emphasis in general is that it is about connections.

Superficially, the end products are all intended (to some degree) to engage the end users.

Retail – with its classic mantra “orient, engage and entertain” – is all about evoking emotion.

“No other material group is better suited to meet the full spectrum of applications in retail than composite panels carrying decorative surfaces”

Whether the brand is lofty and elegant, or bold and fun, store fixtures are used to guide shoppers through an experience. No other material group is better suited to meet the full spectrum of applications in retail than composite panels carrying decorative surfaces. The products are so design-flexible, from flat panel goods that perform in insanely high-traffic retail experiences (see Crayola page 36) to 3DL and unconventional laminates that are versatile enough to reflect the individual personality of a store owner (see Harley-Davidson page 20), panel-processed goods capably answer any criteria posed by a retail designer.

Furniture is also intended to engage, particularly in the workspace setting where the environment can impact productivity. At one point, we made clear differentiation between office and residential furniture, but now the line is blurred by how people live with products. Furniture is so ubiquitous and so anthropological, that the market segment is both terrifying and exhilarating to approach from an editorial point of view. It is simultaneously giant (see Haworth page 12) and boutique (see At The Show page 56). People who work in furniture tend to stay in it, putting in time with big names and specialty companies alike (see Nucraft page 44). Welcome to the Hotel Western Michigan – you can never leave! Yet, that familiarity makes the vast landscape a smaller space, a community of innovation. Proprietary advances ultimately make it into the mainstream, driving the entire industry forward. That engagement within the segment itself continually raises the bar, bringing about better environmental standards, processes and products.

Market advantage comes from knowing your customer, and aligning material and processing technologies in a way that allows for accommodation and agility. Ultimately, size is less important than performance, and secrets are less important than service. There are two stories in this issue (Four Woods page 50 and Lightweight Panel page 30) that openly discuss their respective businesses. They completely differ from each other in subject and materiality, yet share a common thread of tying manufacturing into the local community for the greater good. These are certainly not the only examples of engaged companies. In fact, in my experience writing about industry, the most successful operations typically have a sense of purpose beyond the bottom line. However, it is a good reminder that those who make goods also make connections.

Thank you to everyone who shared his or her expertise or story to make this issue possible. I hope it is half as intriguing to read as it was to produce.

Sincerely,

Suzanne VanGilder | Editorial Director | svangilder@surfaceandpanel.com 80

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WINNERS LEED . LEADERS WIN. ®

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800-676-3339

a d v e r t i s e r

i n d e x

Page

Page

American Adhesive Coatings LLC 62 978.688.7400 www.AACC-Hotmelts.com

Kings Mountain International 65 704.739.4227 www.kmiinc.net Kleiberit 70 +49.7244.62.0 www.kleiberit.com KML-Kustom Material Laminates 16 888.358.5075 www.KMLcorp.com Krono System 57 +39.0422.850418 www.kronosystemsrl.it Lamin-Art 67 800.323.7624 www.laminart.com/fixtures Laminati 76 877.863.7908 www.laminati-usa.com Lamitech S.A. 59 +571.644.9888 www.lamitech.com.co Momentive 17 888.443.9466 www.momentive.com

Black Brothers 71 800.252.2568 www.blackbros.com

Blum, Inc. 83 (IBC) 704.827.1345 Perfecting motion www.blum.com

Boise Cascade 5 888.264.7372 www.bc.com Cabinotch 6-7 877.413.4299 www.cabinotch.us/CabinotchDesignLibrary Cascades 34 414.923.1268 http://packaging.cascades.com Chemcraft, a brand of AkzoNobel 49 336.841.5111 www.chemcraft.com Clarion Boards 35 800.373.4383 www.clarionindustries.com Collins 66 800.547.1793 www.collinswood.com Composite Panel Association 19 866.4Composites www.DecorativeSurfaces.org

DC Distributing 75 800.727.0917 www.dc-dist.com

decorative surfaces conference 33 920.262.2080 www.surfaces-conference.com Decotone 61 908.301.0600 www.decotonesurfaces.com DVUV 54 216.741.5511 www.dvuv.com Element Designs 24 877.332.3396 www.element-designs.com Flakeboard 23 Can 800.268.9830 US 877.273.7680 www.flakeboard.com Formica 39 800.FORMICA www.formica.com Forrest 52 800.733.7111 www.ForrestBlades.com Grecon 18 503.641.7731 www.grecon-us.com Greenlam America Inc. 41 877.647.0388 www.greenlam.com Hafele 11 800.423.3531 www.hafele.com Hunstman 53 281.719.4916 www.huntsman.com Interprint, Inc. 2 (IFC) 413.443.4733 www.interprint.us IWF 42 404.693.8333 www.iwfatlanta.com

iZone Imaging 22 888.464.4663 www.izoneimaging.com

JB Cutting 68 586.468.4765 www.jbcutting.com Jowat 64 336.434.9000 www.jowat.com Kastamonu +90.216 554 30 00 63 www.keas.com.tr KCD Software 6-7 508.760.1140 www.KCDsoftware.com/cabinotch 82

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Northern Contours 72 866.344.8132 www.northerncontours.com Omnova Solutions 29 866.332.5226 www.omnova.com Panel Processing 32 800.433.7142 www.panel.com Panolam 203.925.1556 84 (BC) www.panolam.com Renolit 40 +1.973.706.6912 www.renolit.com Richwood Industries Inc. 73 616.243.2700 www.polybak.com Riken USA Corporation 58 248.513.3511 www.riken-usa.com Roseburg 77 800.245.1115 www.Roseburg.com SATA 55 800.533.8016 www.satausa.com Schattdecor 69 314.400.6100 www.schattdecor.com ShopBot 51 888.680.4466 www.ShopBotTools.com SierraPine Composite Solutions 81 800.676.3339 www.sierrapine.com States Industries 60 800.626.1981 www.StatesInd.com Stevens Industries 9 800.574.7838 www.designartsurfaces.com Stiles Machinery, Inc. 47/79 616.698.7500 www.stilesmachinery.com Surface Source International 38 973.598.0152 www.ssinorthamerica.com Synergy Thermal Foils 78 954.420.9553 www.SynergyThermofoils.com Tafisa Canada 31 877.882.3472 www.tafisa.ca Thermwood 27 800.533.6901 www.thermwood.com Uniboard 15 800.263.5240 www.uniboard.com Union Tool Corporation 74 574.267.3211 www.uniontoolcorp.com

West Fraser Sales Ltd. 25 250.992.9254 www.westfraser.com

More space in the same place.

Make the most of any space with LEGRABOX, the new full extension box system from Blum. With an ultra slim profile of only 1/2" and a perfectly square interior, you can offer storage and access that seem almost impossible. Look for LEGRABOX and see the other ways Blum is perfecting motion at Booth 2637 at IWF 2014.

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Perfecting motion

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