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BRINGING HOSPITALITY TO HOSPITALS MARLITE'S MAKEOVER UNSHACKLES DESIGN CHOICE MODERN SOLUTIONS FOR MODERN MANUFACTURERS NEW HOSPITAL SPECIAL FOR DESIGNERS, REGION AIS FURNITURE GOES ALL-IN FOR LAMINATE
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Is This Wood?
If So, What Kind of Wood Is It? I love these questions: Is this wood? If so, what kind of wood is it? Those were actual questions submitted by a person named Cynthia in July 2018 to Home Depot’s website in reference to the Martha Stewart line of cabinets. The brand has been sold at Home Depot for nearly eight years. The question was regarding a line of door styles named PureStyle™ launched in 2014. PureStyle doors are a collection of five-piece, profile-wrapped doors in both textures and smooth finishes and flat-panel or slab doors in textured and smooth thermally fused laminate. The consumer’s questions are instructive in that she apparently liked the look and feel of the doors but was curious about the materials or possibly suspicious. So what about the answers to the questions: Is this wood? If so, what kind of wood is it? Below are two responses. One is a direct answer to the question from a Home Depot customer care representative and the second is Martha Stewart’s description of the PureStyle door collection. HERE IS THE HOME DEPOT REPRESENTATIVE’S ANSWER:
“Thank you for your interest in Martha Stewart Living Cabinetry! Tipton doors are made of PureStyle™, which is a durable laminate-based material that provides superior abrasion resistance and meets/exceeds all of the KCMA performance standards. On Tipton, PureStyle™ is wrapped around rails and panels (versus form pressed onto a Medium Density Fiberboard slab like Thermofoil) and has a top coat for superior durability. The lineals and core panel material are made of MDF to ensure a consistent and stable product. The cabinet boxes come standard with Furniture Board, or can be upgraded to All Plywood Laminate or All Plywood Finished. Please see your local Home Depot designer to determine which cabinet box construction is the best option for you and your lifestyle.” Understanding the variety of surface materials in our industry can be daunting for anyone, including industry professionals. Some leeway must be given in this case. All in all, the answer was OK and likely constructed from a standard script. I can’t help but think the customer care rep took some liberty and editorialized based on personal impressions. There was no mention that PureStyle surface material is “paper,” but the rep does a decent job of differentiating from 3DL thermofoil doors. And the rep gave a nice endorsement of medium density
“None of us should be bashful about proudly proclaiming: This product is made from particleboard and MDF.”
fiberboard, described as stable and consistent, which I attribute to HGTV home improvement hosts repeatedly informing consumers about the wonders of MDF. Here’s where I have a problem: “Furniture Board” (capitalized, no less)? What is that? Is this some new wood composite that the Russians have covertly released on the world? Is that why the Composite Panel Association refuses to recognize the Russians? Whatever it is, trainloads of it are being used. Call up the military. Someone has to do something about this! OK, we know that Furniture Board is particleboard. But why are we so shy or ashamed to admit what it is. Some of the most expensive office furniture, store fixtures and kitchen cabinets in the world are made with particleboard. Environmentally sound, made from waste materials and highly engineered, particleboard is the perfect composite material. Let’s call it what it is. HERE IS HOW MARTHA STEWART DESCRIBES PURESTYLE;
“PureStyle is a superior-quality finish that replicates paint or wood with the added advantages of superb durability, easy maintenance, and an affordable price point. PureStyle is also a more environmentally conscientious option, as the doors are made from a high percentage of recycled wood fiber materials.” She even has a video where she describes the construction and benefits of profile-wrapped lineals. She effectively positions PureStyle as superior to painted products. While Martha Stewart doesn’t reference particleboard and MDF, she makes a great case for PureStyle. Martha Stewart put her name on thermally fused laminate made with particleboard and five-piece doors made from MDF profile wrapped with paper. If she gets behind our industry’s products, none of us—and certainly not Home Depot—should be bashful about proudly proclaiming: This product is made from particleboard and MDF.
John Aufderhaar | President | Bedford Falls Communications | john@bedfordfallsmedia.com | 920-206-1766 surface&panel
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6 Material, Technology & Design Symposium Glimpses of the 2018 Material, Technology & Design Symposium @ CPA Fall Meeting, held in September in Nashville. 10 Bringing Hospitality to Hospitals Materials play key role as Nashville’s Inner Design Studio works to make healthcare environments more comfortable. 22 Marlite’s Makeover Unshackles Design Choice Leading manufacturer of pre-finished interior wall systems invests $6.5 million to install world-class ‘BlueSky’ finishing line incorporating digital printing. [ D E P A R T M E N T S ]
3 From the Publisher 66 Advertiser Index
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30 Inspirational Interzum to Turn 60 in May 2019 In May 2019, the global community for furniture supply, interior construction, architects, interior designers and developers will find new inspiration at Interzum. 32 Wilsonart Coordinated Surfaces Program Expands Offering The program has experienced exponential growth—and in the process has become the go-to solution for design continuity and value-engineering. 34 Modern Solutions for Modern Manufacturers Laminate Works takes pride in solving customers’ problems.
P U B L IS H E R
John Aufderhaar President | Bedford Falls Communications 302 N. 3rd Street, Watertown, WI 53094 PH: 920-206-1766 john@bedfordfallsmedia.com
42 Cefla Live Expands, Evolves in 10th Edition As new technologies create new opportunities, Cefla stays a step ahead in the world of finishing.
CONTENT
Scott W. Angus Editorial Director | Bedford Falls Communications 302 N. 3rd Street, Watertown, WI 53094 PH: 920-261-1947 scottangus47@gmail.com
44 Digital’s Efficiency, Versatility Making Waves in Woodworking Some 60 people gathered in Atlanta for the inaugural Digital Printing Symposium, an event created by IWF, Surface & Panel magazine and Keypoint Intelligence.
A DV E R T ISI N G
Ryan Wagner VP Sales & Marketing | Bedford Falls Communications 302 N. 3rd Street, Watertown, WI 53094 PH: 920-261-1945 rwagner@bedfordfallsmedia.com Daniel Davidson Sales & Marketing Specialist PH: 920-261-1947 dan@bedfordfallsmedia.com
46 New Hospital Special for Designers, Region Laminates help make new Indiana healthcare facility timeless and durable. 54 Zero-VOC Solutions for Healthy Homes Are Here Non-added formaldehyde, zero-VOC solutions are here today in wood composite products, and the enabling technology is bio-based. 56 AIS Furniture Goes All-in for Laminate Commercial office furniture manufacturer bets on growth by investing in a new factory and panel processing technology.
G R A P H I C D E SI G N
Karen Leno Senior Graphic Designer | KML Design, Inc. kmldesigninc@gmail.com Mitch Tannis Graphic Designer/Photographer Bedford Falls Communications mitch@bedfordfallsmedia.com
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62 Italian Companies Combine Experience and Expertise Five renowned Italian companies have joined under the name Alliance Décor Technologies to offer the panel industry a complete package.
& U N I T I N G M AT E R I A L S , T E C H N O L O G Y A N D D E S I G N
64 Understanding Wood Wilsonart aims to educate architects, designers about endangered and threatened wood species.
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MARLITE'S MAKEOVER UNSHACKLES DESIGN CHOICE MODERN SOLUTIONS FOR MODERN MANUFACTURERS NEW HOSPITAL SPECIAL FOR DESIGNERS, REGION AIS FURNITURE GOES ALL-IN FOR LAMINATE
As AIS Furniture evolves and expands its products into different markets, it has developed seating products, manufactured its own laminate case goods and offered pre-packaged products such as tables.
Surface & Panel is published quarterly by Bedford Falls Communications, Inc., 302 N. 3rd Street, Watertown, WI 53094, telephone 920-206-1766. John Aufderhaar, President, Christine Aufderhaar, CFO. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, electronic or mechanical without written permission from the publisher. Subscription policy: Individual subscriptions are available, without charge, to manufacturers who engage in panel processing, qualified service providers and suppliers. Publisher reserves the right to reject non-qualified subscribers. One year subscription to non-qualified individuals: U.S. $50, Canada/Mexico $75, all other countries $100, payable in U.S. funds. Single issues are $15, and must be prepaid. Bedford Falls Communications, Inc., does not assume and hereby disclaims any liability to any person for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions in the material contained herein, regardless of whether such errors result from negligence, accident, or any other cause whatsoever. Printed in the U.S.A. Postmaster: Send address changes to Surface & Panel, 440 QUADRANGLE DR, STE E, BOLINGBROOK, IL 60440-3455. Please direct all subscription questions to: Surface & Panel, 440 QUADRANGLE DR, STE E, BOLINGBROOK, IL 60440-3455; or call: 630-739-0900 option 1; or e-mail: subscriptions@cds1976.com
Nashville Symposium Hits All the Right Notes
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ountry might be the dominant music in Nashville, but rock ‘n’ roll might better describe the energy and atmosphere at the second annual Material, Technology and Design Symposium @ CPA Fall Meeting in late September. More than 300 people converged on Music City for this year’s event, which featured high-powered speakers, an inspirational trade show and two days of valuable industry networking that no doubt initiated some business deals and helped close others. The lead acts at this year’s show were speakers Todd Bracher and Tom Wujec, both internationally known for creative thought, envelope-pushing innovation and strong market growth among their business clients. Bracher, an acclaimed industrial designer who is founder and creative director of Todd Bracher Studio, pushed audience members to think in new ways with his presentation titled “Design for Strategic Differentiation.” Wujec, who is chief disruptor at Autodesk, the Oscar-winning industry leader in 3D computer animation technology and one of the world’s largest software companies, inspired attendees to look ahead in his talk “The Future of Making: Revolutionizing How We Imagine, Create & Distribute Products.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 8 ›
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Other top speakers included Stephanie Pierce, director of designs and trends at MasterBrand; Mayan Metzler and Michala Hlavackova of German Kitchen Center; and Greg Triplett, vice president of sales and marketing at Marlite. The final session featured a panel of top interior designers from Nashville discussing how and why they specify decorative surfaces. The symposium is a high-powered, must-attend event that brings together leaders of the composite panel and decorative surfaces industries, along with users and specifiers of those products. For the second year, the symposium was co-sponsored by Surface & Panel magazine and the Composite Panel Association in conjunction with CPA’s Fall Meeting. “The symposium has become a fixture of the CPA Fall Meeting in only its second year,” said Jackson Morrill, president of CPA. “The excellent speakers, diverse program and unparalleled networking opportunities have led to record attendance and rave reviews. We are excited to continue building on this early success by attracting wider participation from specifiers, designers and end users of decorative surfaces made with composite wood panels.” Among attendees were CEOS, cabinet makers, component suppliers, distributors, furniture manufacturers, industry suppliers, interior designers and store fixture manufacturers. “I truly believe this high-energy event hit all of the right notes,” said John Aufderhaar, publisher of Surface & Panel. “The speakers were engaging, provocative and inspiring. The exhibit hall offered great new ideas and concepts, and the networking was continuous and productive.” s&p
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Bringing Hospitality TO HOSPITALS
Materials Play Key Role as Nashville’s Inner Design Studio Works To Make Healthcare Environments More Comfortable B Y
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ebecca Donner fell in love with creating healthcare environments when she was first exposed to designing them more than 25 years ago, but she believed they could be more inviting and comfortable–more hospitable, if you will. She pursued that idea with a passion, and it’s safe to say she has never looked back. Donner owns Inner Design Studio in Nashville, and designing healthcare facilities with hospitality in mind is what she and her nine co-workers do. The approach has been successful: The company is celebrating its 25th anniversary, and it has completed more than 880 projects across 42 states—plus a few international projects—and holds seven state licenses. “I just found there were different ways to approach things,” Donner said of her awakening about healthcare design. “When I started in the early 1990s, it had this very clinical look to it. And I believed we could make it look nicer—not more residential but more hospitality.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 12 ›
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THE RECEPTION DESK AT MOUNT REGIS CENTER IS MADE OF WILSONART PARK ELM HIGH PRESSURE LAMINATE, WITH FROSTY WHITE AS A BACKDROP.
Among elements that help create the right feel are materials, and Donner is a fan of laminates. “We are huge proponents of laminate,” she said. “I think for the money and for the look, it’s fantastic.” REBECCA DONNER A free-standing addiction treatment center in Salem, Virginia, completed in 2017, offers great examples of strategic use of composite panels with decorative surfaces. The reception desk at Mount Regis Center is made of Wilsonart Park Elm high pressure laminate, with Frosty White as a backdrop. The vertical side panels in patient areas are made of Pionite Tiramisu HPL. When Donner first got out of college, she worked mostly on museums and homes. When the economy slowed, she moved to a firm that specialized in healthcare, and her passion was ignited. “I fell in love with it. I loved the challenges. There is never a dull day, and there is constant collaboration—whether it’s with architects, engineers or code enforcers. And I like how fast it moves compared to the residential and museum world.” Donner decided to go out on her own with the support of a key client, and she slowly grew her client base by following a marketing strategy of “never make anybody mad.” “Healthcare, especially in Nashville, is very connected,” she said. CONTINUED ON PAGE 14 ›
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Donner started working with one healthcare provider, which was bought by another. She then worked for the buyer, and people from the first provider moved to a different one and hired Inner Design. “And so on and so on. And that’s really how I built my business—one at a time and just keeping everybody happy.” As she thought more about how to bring hospitality to healthcare, she attended hospitality shows and began introducing different elements to her designs, making hospital lobbies feel more like hotels, for example. “It might be decorating the lobby with nicer lamps and nicer arrangements or end tables. Or other small things—decorative mirrors in bathrooms as opposed to what was typical. I just started to work harder at finding things that were outside of what was expected in healthcare.” Among the firm’s first big projects reflecting the approach was the TriStar StoneCrest Medical Center in Smyrna, Tennessee, in 2003. Medical center officials were leery of the building looking too fancy, given the mounting focus on affordable healthcare, so Donner had to convince them that cherry laminate for the vertical surfaces on the
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: CHERRY LAMINATE WAS SPECIFIED FOR THE VERTICAL SURFACES ON THE
CASEWORK AT TRISTAR STONECREST MEDICAL CENTER IN SMYRNA, TENNESSEE. PATIENT AREAS AT MOUNT REGIS CENTER IN SALEM, VIRGINIA, FEATURE VERTICAL SIDE PANELS MADE OF PIONITE TIRAMISU HPL. AT THE FORREST HEALTH ORTHOPEDIC INSTITUTE IN HATTIESBURG, MISSISSIPPI, GREEN ACCENT PANELS ARE MADE OF 3FORM VARIA ECORESIN IN THE COLOR OF LINEN MOSS. 14
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casework was economical as well as functional and beautiful. “I remember when we had the open house,” Donner recalled, “one of the presidents took me aside and said, ‘I can’t get over how warm it feels. This is so inviting.’” As for current trends, Donner noted that “the psychology behind design” is playing a bigger role. “There is a big push for evidencebased design, and we’re starting to get an audience. As designers, we’ve known this for some time, but our hospitals are now listening to us.” For example, allowing more daylight into a hospital translates into quicker recovery times, Donner noted, and minimizing stressors such as overwhelming signage can positively affect patients. Turning down light levels in corridors after 8 p.m. also helps. “We’re learning how to take these stressors out. They sound very small, but they are making a difference.” When it comes to selecting materials, Donner said four factors come into play, and laminates often meet all of the requirements. “First, is it code compliant? Second, we look at durability—if it can take the abuse that we see in a healthcare setting. Obviously, it’s different in an emergency room compared to an overnight stay area for a patient who had cosmetic surgery. Third, we look at cleanability. Is this surface going to hold bacteria or not? “And lastly, budget dictates everything. It can be the best thing in the world, but if you can’t afford it, it is thrown out.” Inner Design’s love of laminates has led it become creative in CONTINUED ON PAGE 16 ›
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their use and incorporating them with other materials, such as a Corian, quartz or others. While laminates are “everywhere” in Inner Design’s buildings, it’s critical that everything coordinates, so the firm looks to manufacturers that can provide products that match elements required in healthcare settings, such as corner guards, crash rails and hand rails. “Right now, the top ones are Wilsonart, Formica and Nevamar. I think they are doing the best job when it comes to looking at other materials we have to use for wall protection and other things,” she said. When it chooses wood-inspired laminates, Inner Design emphasizes fashionable patterns and colors. “There was a time where we couldn’t get anything but oak. Oak was laminate. And maple, to a degree. And then we started getting cherrys, and now walnuts are popular. So it’s companies that stay on trend, that coordinate with the furnishings that we’re going to use. Those are the ones that tend to stand out.” Among Inner Design’s preferred software programs is AutoCAD, rendered with Photoshop and Revit, Donner said. While the firm doesn’t choose hardware, it sometime specifies metal trim on casework. It especially likes Futura’s aluminum extrusions used as slimline cornerguards, “which are low profile and don’t distract from our designs but protect the edges of plastic laminate,” she said. For the Mount Regis Center in Salem, Inner Design enhanced the hospitality by using higher-end lighting, including wall sconces and ceiling-mounted fixtures, and incorporating textures, such as
the white stone veneer wall outside the facility’s intake rooms, which were accented with a patterned wall covering. Along with HPL for the reception desk, the firm mixed Cambria quartz countertops, and it capped the HPL-clad patient dividers with white Corian and 3form polyresin. The nurses station features Wilsonart’s Park Elm and Arborite Crème Chamois. For the Forrest Health Orthopedic Institute in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, the budget was higher than usual because orthopedic hospitals typically have large revenue streams. That allowed Inner Design to add high-end finishes and accents. Green accent panels are made of 3form Varia Ecoresin in the color of Linen Moss, while wood accents throughout are Shaker Cherry HPL from Wilsonart. All vertical surfaces are HPL, and countertops are made of Nevamar’s Tea Stain Spun Yarn. “In general, we use many kinds of laminates throughout our facilities, but we especially favor HPL for vertical surfaces on casework, and we use melamine (thermally fused laminate) for the interior of our cabinets. We use 3DL for our nurse stations,” Donner said. Among Inner Design’s partners in creating healthcare environments is the CCI Group of Longview, Texas, which manufactures laminate-clad casework for medical facilities, institutional and other commercial projects. James Hodges of CCI concurred that laminate cabinets are ideal for medical facilities. “Healthcare providers want to create positive patient experiences while maintaining function, durability, and cleanability,” he said. CONTINUED ON PAGE 18 ›
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THE PLANO SURGERY CENTER IN TEXAS WAS AMONG THE PROJECTS ON WHICH INNER DESIGN AND THE CCI GROUP COLLABORATED.
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“Utilizing plastic laminate can help design professionals meet these goals.” Laminates are impervious and therefore don’t allow dirt, mold or other hazardous materials to absorb, Hodges said, and they can be cleaned with sanitizing agents without harming the finishes. HPL for exterior surfaces is durable and cleanable, while thermally fused laminate works well on interiors, he said.
Functionality, however, isn’t all that JAMES HODGES laminates offer. The wide variety of colors and patterns allows designs that are best suited for the environment. “Bright colors and creative patterns may work for a pediatric clinic, where soft woodgrain patterns may make an adult patient feel comfortable,” said Hodges, adding that many woodgrain laminates are difficult to distinguish from the real thing. “This allows the design professional to give the care space a warm look while maintaining a durable and sanitary surface.” The Plano Surgery Center in Texas was among the projects on which Inner Design and the CCI Group collaborated. Inner Design created a color palette that included a warm woodgrain laminate on the cabinet exteriors, as well as the walkthrough doors. Thermally fused laminate was used on the cabinet interiors, making the surfaces easy to clean, as well. “The result was a warm, inviting space that was part of a positive patient experience from the moment they walked in the door until they left,” Hodges said. In other words, it’s clear that as Inner Design Studio—working with firms such as the CCI Group—moves into its next quarter century and continues promoting hospitality in healthcare, the warmth, durability and functionality of laminates ensure they will increasingly be an important part of the material mix. s&p
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ROOTED IN OUR PAST.
GROWING OUR FUTURE. So much has changed in the last one hundred years, but one thing has remained the same—Timber Products Company’s commitment to choice, quality and sustainability. As an organization, we are rooted in the past but are growing our future.
Founded as Tomlin Box Company by John Tomlin in 1918, this small manufacturer of wooden boxes quickly grew, officially becoming Timber Products Company in 1930. The organization expanded, converting to a sawmill that processed mostly pine. In the 1940s it opened veneer and plywood plants in Medford, Oregon. At the end of the decade, the Gonyea family and their partners, the Pritzker family, acquired Timber Products. The Gonyeas obtained full ownership in 2004, and their involvement continues to this day with more than four generations of the family serving the organization. It is because of the family’s commitment to reinvestment in the company that Timber Products has experienced sustained growth and innovation.
Over the last fifty years, Timber Products has grown the business through the addition of a trucking division, particleboard and softwood veneer plants and the Spectrum business from Medford Corporation. Timber Products was the first hardwood veneer plywood company certified by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative. Today, we offer a wide range of diversified wood products, and own and operate timberlands and nine manufacturing facilities across the United States. As we look to the successes of the past, we see ample opportunity on the horizon for growth in the years ahead.
Timber Products’ business depends on a renewable resource that must be managed responsibly. We have implemented year-round sustainability programs to ensure abundant and healthy forests remain for future generations. Our commitment to innovative manufacturing solutions has led to greater efficiency, less waste and more beautiful products. These proactive solutions have allowed us
to weather the many hardships that we’ve faced together over the last century. With our employees, we’ve survived the Great Depression, World War II, Y2K, enormous advances in technology and, most recently, the Great Recession. While our company remains rooted in the past, we are growing our future. We continue to work together to be the leading supplier of wood products and transportation services in North America as we strive to meet and exceed our customers’ expectations. Our executive team is committed to exercising good judgment while recognizing and leveraging emerging opportunities. Our team has expanded and has recently been joined by Steve Killgore, the first CEO outside the Gonyea family since the 1940’s. One hundred years is a remarkable period for any company, especially a private one. As we celebrate our past, we look forward to a bright future ahead.
THAT’S HOT! AMPINE’S FIRE-RATED PRODUCTS Wood in interior commercial applications is hotter than ever, but standard engineered wood products can present a major safety risk. It’s for this reason that Ampine, Timber Products Co.’s composite panel division, offers two Class 1(A) fire-rated (FR) particle boards—Apex FR and Encore FR—to ensure that building designers and owners get the look they love backed by strong protective properties. Apex FR is a Class 1(A) FR panel engineered for exceptional strength and machinability and is intended for the most demanding applications. Encore FR is a Class 1(A) certified sustainable design particle board made from recycled wood. Rather than using a fire-retardant coating that could potentially be sanded or machined off, Encore and Apex products are
processed with a fire-resistant additive that is blended with the wood fiber to ensure the entire product has flame retardant properties. Of course, Ampine isn’t the only one interested in ensuring the products’ fire-retardant properties. Ampine FR particleboards have been certified since 2016, providing designers with
guaranteed performance properties. David Smith, Vice President, Composite Panels, based in the company’s Sacramento office, explains that the company works with third-party underwriting body Guardian FireTesting Laboratories. Guardian is responsible for testing and certifying FR products and
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GENDER DIVERSITY IN THE WOOD PRODUCTS INDUSTRY How can a company improve financial performance by 40 percent without an increase in spending? According to recent studies, promoting or hiring women into strategic decisionmaking roles boosts business profitability and success. In a 2016 study of Fortune 500 companies, businesses with at least three female directors had a 40 percent higher return on capital, sales and return on equity compared to less-diverse companies. The research revealed a direct relationship between the diversity of a company’s top management team and competitive performance.
manufacturing processes in accordance with ASTM E84. This Standard Test Method for Surface Burning Characteristics of Building Materials tests the particle board’s flame spread, or how quickly a fire can spread across a set length of material. As top-performing Class 1(A) products, these flame-retardant materials see a flame spread rating of 0-25, as compared to standard Class 3(C) particle board’s flame spread rating of 116-178. Where designers want to apply an attractive interior wood finish in commercial applications, these firerated products are demanded by code. You can find FR particleboard lining the hallways and offices of schools and hospitals, providing siding for wood kiosks or walls throughout malls and decorating atriums and offices within government buildings.
A recent study reported by Forbes found: • Diverse teams made decisions twice as fast with half the meetings. • Decisions made and executed by diverse teams delivered 60 percent better results. • Gender-diverse teams (3+ women) made better business decisions 73 percent of the time. Put simply: homogenous teams are more likely than diverse teams to make poor decisions and will subsequently struggle to execute those decisions. By including employees of different genders and experience levels, companies make better, faster decisions.
Opportunity for Improvement
Unfortunately, a significant portion of the wood products industry is maledominated. A 2016 study by Oregon State University’s Department of Wood Science and Engineering, College of Forestry found women hold fewer than 16 percent of top management jobs in the forest sector. Furthermore, 84 percent of the companies studied had two or fewer women in top management and their positions were frequently in human resources, communications or other departments disconnected from strategic decision making. The study recommended companies: • Seek input from three or more women on key decisions. Research suggests three is the “magic number,” whereas one or two women may
Jet bridges at most airports use FR particle board, and the product can be found throughout airport terminals. “If they want a wood look they might put veneer on it, but it’s FR particle board beneath,” Smith says. Ampine keeps its FR products stocked across the full range of standard sizes at its mill in Martell, Calif., to fulfill the demand for large jobs. Inventory is also available at the company’s relocation center in Pennsylvania, making FR panels available on demand from coast to coast, including the Northeast, to serve projects in cities like Boston, New York and Philadelphia. Ampine prides itself on ensuring this fireresistant particle board is available to support the varying needs of builders and manufacturers throughout the US and rest of North America.
feel like token members and suppress their opinions. • Engage with women who work on a project basis for their insights and expertise. • Retain talent by allowing male and female employees flexible working conditions to accommodate family needs. • Recruit and mentor young women so they are well-placed to climb the corporate ladder.
Supporting Women in the Wood Products Industry
Women in Wood, a forest industry group based in Canada, reports women represent slightly more than 18 percent of workers in the forestry and logging industry in Canada, but
women are starting to outnumber men in forestry school. Over the past two years, Women in Wood has grown to approximately 650 members with representation from the US, Canada and many parts of Europe. Encouraging women to build a career in the wood products industry is an investment in diversity and longterm success. Just as a single-species planting is more vulnerable to disease, a homogenous business culture is susceptible to myopic thinking and stagnant growth. As executives retire, companies have the opportunity to promote talented women to top management, strengthening decision making, their business and our industry as a whole.
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Marlite’s Makeover Unshackles Design Choice Leading manufacturer of pre-finished interior wall systems invests $6.5 million to install world-class ‘BlueSky’ finishing line incorporating digital printing
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alk about game-changing technology. Marlite has totally transformed its decorative panel surfacing prowess since scrapping its antiquated rotogravure finishing process in favor of a cutting-edge digital print finishing system. The new UV-cure technology, dubbed BlueSky Advanced Finishing System, is dramatically more agile, versatile and environmentally friendly than its more than half-century-old predecessor. As its name implies, BlueSky allows Marlite to offer an almost limitless range of custom pre-finished panels for retail, healthcare, institutional and other end-use markets. Whereas only a year ago, Marlite customers were bound to three dozen or so standard colors, they can now choose from the full Sherwin-Williams palette numbering more than 7,000. In addition to the expansive selection of solid color finishes, the hybrid BlueSky
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system incorporates a state-of-the-art digital printer for replicating photos, scanned images and patterns onto high-density fiberboard (HDF), fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP) and other flat substrates used for wall panels, ceilings and other interior applications. The BlueSky system also maximizes order flexibility. It can efficiently accommodate batch size one production or tackle highvolume runs. Greg Triplett, vice president of sales and marketing for Marlite, said: “It used to be that we would go on a sales call with a group of designers and throw the Marlite palette across the table. They would say, ‘This one here looks pretty good. Let us have that.’ They would actually pick one of those 35 finishes. Now that never happens. Now they tell us the exact color and pattern that they want, and it’s up us to meet those requirements.”
OUT WITH THE OLD
With annual sales of approximately $70 million, Marlite of Dover, Ohio, is one of the largest manufacturers of pre-engineered and pre-finished panels in the United States. Marlite’s former rotogravure finishing process, commissioned during the 1950s, played a huge role in helping the company establish its leadership position. In recent years, however, as the aging rotogravure line became increasingly prone to mechanical failure and proved inflexible to supporting customer demands, it became alarmingly clear that a technological overhaul was in order. “The first components of the old line were installed during the Eisenhower administration,” Triplett said. “It was not dependable. It was difficult to get parts. The amount of energy required to fire up the ovens was a problem. And these were just the internal issues. It certainly was not environmentally friendly. We were using a lot of solvents. And from a market perspective, it was a very dated process. The finishing quality was inferior, especially when you compare it to the progress you’ve seen with high pressure laminate, thermally fused laminate and things like that. “Another issue was the print quantity,” Triplett continued. “For every finish we offered, whether it was a woodgrain or an abstract print, we had to have these giant copper cylinders engraved with that particular pattern and a rubber transfer roll. The investment for any new finish was about $20,000 to $25,000. Therefore, the quantity of our palette was limited to about 30 to 40 finishes. “Finally, there was the changeover. It took so long that we could only run one or possibly two finishes a day. We had to inventory a tremendous amount of paint,” Triplett said. “Our employees were literally on their hands and knees after every shift cleaning up paint.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 24 ›
-standoffs.com
GREG TRIPLETT
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About six years ago, Marlite assembled a project team to explore potential replacement finishing technologies. “The team developed the attributes we wanted the new line to have and connected with three potential manufacturers. The project became how to create a finishing line whereby we can print on a variety of substrates, do it at high speeds with minimal changeover, offer a virtually unlimited palette, and apply durable topcoats over these finishes or prints. “What complicated all of that,” Triplett added, “was we were sold twice within the same year. It became a front burner/back burner type of project. I’m sure the equipment manufacturers were frustrated with us. They probably thought it would never happen.” Indeed, 2015 was fraught with anxious moments for Marlite employees. The year kicked off with the company being purchased and merged with Nudo Products of Springfield, Ill. The year ended with Nudo’s assets being acquired by Grupo Verzatec of Monterey, Mexico. Bringing the acquisition full circle, Verzatec also owns Stabilit, parent company of Glasteel, Marlite’s long-time supplier of FRP sheets. “Obviously one of the first thoughts many of us had after the acquisition by Verzatec was the possibility of our jobs being moved to Mexico,” recalled Triplett, a 25-year veteran of Marlite. “Not only did Verzatec keep the jobs here, but six months later, they committed $6.5 million to the new finishing line. They invested in us and our community. We couldn’t be more thankful.” BLUESKY SYSTEM IN ACTION
Marlite’s owners are guarded about divulging the manufacturers of the key finishing and digital printing equipment incorporated in the BlueSky Advanced Finishing System. But Triplett was able to provide some general information. The 704-foot-long, U-shaped finishing system is housed in a clean room occupying about one-eighth of the 375,000-square-foot Dover facility. In addition to a high-speed digital printer, the BlueSky line includes a pair of wide-belt sanders, a panel cleaning station, a roll coater, a pair of high-capacity dual reciprocating systems each equipped with four spray guns, and multiple UV and low-temperature
dryers. All of the equipment was precisely placed, sequenced and calibrated to work in harmony. The goal is to cure basecoats, topcoats and sealers without over-cooking the substrate or adding to the destruction of the Earth’s ozone layer through the release of VOC emissions. “All of the Sherwin-Williams coatings are water-based and like the inks are UV-curable,” Triplett said. “One of the key reasons why the line is more than two football fields long is that to obtain enhanced durability, you have to cure panels at a lower temperature for a longer period of time. We don’t want to cure our finishes at a temperature greater than 120 degrees Fahrenheit. With the old line and use of solvent-based finishes, we were firing our ovens up to 300 degrees. Most substrates could not withstand temperatures that high. It could lead to panel curling and other things you don’t expect. Plus, the energy savings alone is substantial.” The one-pass BlueSky system line runs about 32 feet per minute, which Triplett noted “is a bit slower” than the old rotogravure line. He hastened to add: “The savings is in changeover. This new line doesn’t care what it’s printing on or applying a finish to. Any type of changeover we have for a different substrate—how we level the sanders and adjust the oven temperature—can be done in five or 10 minutes. This line is very versatile. We can be running a solid color at one end of the line and direct feed a PVC sheet into the digital printer, and down the B-side of the line, we can be spraying a topcoat.” Adding to the system’s flexibility, Triplett said the high-speed digital printer can simultaneously print two different images on two different panels in about 35 seconds. “We’re talking extremely high definition printing of up to 600 dpi. When we say you can put the world on a wall, we mean it.” The image quality of the printed wall panel is largely dictated at the front end, Triplett noted. “It’s garbage in, garbage out. If the file you’re working with is crappy, then your output will be poor. Our design team uses a scanner that can go up to 800 dpi, which is really remarkable.” How well that “remarkable” image translates to a panel is also largely dependent on the surface quality of the substrate. “What you do to prep a surface to be print ready is really critical in terms of quality and durability of the image. When you are working with digital printing, you need to build your color off a common base. That is why regardless of the substrate, we put down a white primer to start with CONTINUED ON PAGE 26 ›
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N ATURE RED EFINED
3dLUXEsurfaces.com
THIS RECENT MARLITE BLUESKY INSTALLATION GRACES LUTHER BURBANK SCHOOL IN BURBANK, ILLINOIS. EACH PANEL REPRESENTS AN EDUCATIONAL THEME FOR EACH GRADE AND TIES THE HISTORY OF THE SCHOOL INTO ITS NEW ENVIRONMENT. ARCHITECT/ENGINEER: CANNON DESIGN, CHICAGO, IL APP PARTNER: CARROLL SEATING, ELK GROVE, IL
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a pristine, smooth surface to introduce to the printing process.” HDF from MJB Wood Group and FRP from Glasteel are the two main substrates of choice Marlite uses for its wall systems. “We have two main requirements for choosing a substrate,” Triplett said. “Number one is impact resistance. Our products go into high-traffic areas like restaurants, grocery stores, schools and hospitals. Number two is moisture resistance since our walls are subjected to regular cleaning, mop water and a variety of other solutions. “HDF is one of our staple products because it’s got really good moisture properties compared to particleboard, and it machines really well for adding grooves and v-grooving. FRP really is kind of our niche business. We find that smooth, white FRP makes a great canvass for digital printing. We can take this non-sexy FRP sheet and make it look like brick or an exotic veneer. We can make it come to life with graphics and photographic images. We can replicate leather, marble, stone, granite—just about anything.” Customers can test drive BlueSky by mailing Marlite a pattern to scan or uploading a photo or scanned image to Marlite’s website and requesting a sample in HDF, MDF, FRP, acrylic or PVC. “I always say we don’t get a sale until we get a sample in someone’s hands for approval,” Triplett said. “So we have a really nifty process whereby you can order a custom sample and within a few days have the particular image or solid color you want on your substrate of choice.” CONTINUED ON PAGE28›
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AS ITS NAME IMPLIES, BLUESKY ALLOWS MARLITE TO OFFER AN ALMOST LIMITLESS RANGE OF CUSTOM PRE-FINISHED PANELS FOR RETAIL, HEALTHCARE, INSTITUTIONAL AND OTHER END-USE MARKETS.
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CRACKING INTO NEW MARKETS
While the current focus is on servicing current and new wall system clients, Triplett said BlueSky also opens opportunities for Marlite to break into new markets such as kitchen cabinetry, furniture and other products. “We do not know the OEM market. We’re basically being introduced to it for the first time,” Triplett said. “If you are using high pressure laminates, we can be a lower price point, but we don’t carry the same durability as HPL. With walls, we don’t need Taber abrasion because it’s kind of irrelevant. On the cheaper side, we’re competing with foils and papers. Our sweet spot appears to be the customization, the lower minimums and the dynamics of the print itself. “I think the key element to our future success is understanding who we are and what we want to be,” Triplett said. “We are a panel manufacturer, and we want to be among the best in the world doing that. All of our enhanced design flexibility with speed combined with our value-added machining capabilities are our value proposition. We have no minimum requirements; we have great capacity, and we’re versatile. At the same time, we’re seeing that we sort of have to create the market for it. I think the real challenge is getting people to understand that custom doesn’t have to be scary. Custom doesn’t have to mean higher prices and longer lead times. “We’re really in our infancy of figuring out where our product fits into other markets. But I know that we have something unique to offer. What makes it really exciting is that our biggest customer is probably out there, and we don’t even know who they are.” s&p
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Smooth, matt, scratch resistant surfaces: reliable against the unexpected
RENOLIT ALKOREN SOLID COLORS New matt surface finishes, right on trend An exciting new range of fashionable solid color 3D thermoformable films are now available through the Global 3D Laminates and North American stock collections. Finished in either RENOLIT ALKOREN Supermatt or RENOLIT ALKOREN Suedette Matt textures which create elegant, smooth and durable surfaces with superior physical properties and a stunning, touchable appearance. For full details on coordinated TFL matches and product samples, please email us at designamerica@renolit.com or call us at (856) 467-3800. www.renolit.com/design
www.laminatefinder.com
interzum.com
Years
Furniture production Interiors Cologne, Germany
Inspirational ’s d ’s orrlld Wo W d a ingg Le d a Le in Eve nntt Ev e
The future starts here.
interzum May 21– 24, 2019 Attend interzum 2019 to stay ahead of the curve ! › Source the products shaping tomorrow’s living spaces, unique in quality and international scope › Seek out the latest technology, innovations and design trends from key brands › Take part in THE leading global supplier show for furniture production and interiors Buy your tickets now and save up to 25 % ! interzum.com/tickets Koelnmesse Inc., 8600 W. Bryn Mawr Avenue Suite 410 N, Chicago, IL 60631 – USA Phone 773-326 9926 k.myzia@koelnmessenafta.com www.koelnmessenafta.com
Interzum TO TURN 60 IN MAY 2019
I
n May 2019, the global community for furniture supply, interior construction, architects, interior designers and developers will find new inspiration at Interzum, the world’s leading industry event for furniture production. The show, which will celebrate its 60th anniversary, takes place every other year in Cologne, Germany. Show dates are May 21 -24, 2019. Travelling to Cologne for Interzum will provide a sneak peek into the global future of interior living spaces and the use of the latest materials, designs and innovations. The event not only connects regional markets but also drives internationalization in the areas of furniture production and interior fittings. The trade show will be accompanied by a comprehensive conference program, including awards for best and most innovative designs. The main Interzum segments will consist of “Materials & Nature,” “Function & Components” and “Textile & Machinery,” allowing visitors a targeted and efficient search by hall when sourcing for products. Matthias Pollmann, vice president trade fair management, said: “We are excited about the upcoming Interzum as we project to host a record setting 1,800 exhibitors from all over the world. The early booking phase shows that we are well on course to achieve 5 percent growth in our exhibitor base, making it the leading international industry event and the place-tobe for the furniture supply industry.”
Alongside the industry’s big names, plenty of smaller, highly innovative companies will also participate again at Interzum 2019. About 13 percent of the companies registered will be attending Interzum for the first time. Main topics at the show will include resource conservation, sustainability, living in a small space and the trend towards digitalization in the production process. Interzum 2017 was attended by 69,000 people from 152 countries. Among them were hundreds of North American buyers who regularly attend this show. Interzum will again cooperate with LIGNA in Hannover, which will take place from May 27-31, 2019, beginning just three days after the end of Interzum. Attendee passes purchased for either event will grant access to both shows. The event also offers a VIP buyer program for qualified buyers, which includes free use of the VIP Lounge (free food/beverages/Wi-Fi), complimentary show admission, multilingual VIP management services, free show catalog, tours, exclusive buyer activities and more. Delegations or groups of 10-plus visitors from North America will enjoy assistance with travel arrangements, bilingual support, registration and free admission, as well as access to a welcome reception and show tour. For more information, visit www.interzum.com. s&p
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The event not only connects regional markets but also drives internationalization in the areas of furniture production and interior fittings.
Innovation through experience
Melamine powder resins Tel. + 39 0331 523 351 - www.chemisol.it surface&panel
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Wilsonart Coordinated Surfaces Program Expands Offering
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WILSONART CABINET DOORS & MOLDINGS OFFER AFFORDABLE AESTHETICS
lot can happen in four years; another Leap Year, Olympic Games and World Cup gone by. The same can be said for world-leading manufacturer and distributor, Wilsonart Engineered Surfaces, and its Coordinated Surfaces program. Since launching in 2014, Wilsonart’s Coordinated Surfaces offering has experienced exponential growth—and in the process has become the go-to solution for design continuity and value-engineering. In the first two years of its existence, the program introduced more than 230 bestmatched designs and nine finishes for HPL, TFL Panels and Edgeband—more than any other competitive program in the industry and the first program of its kind to offer such a wide selection and quality of match. Then in 2017, Wilsonart acquired manufacturing assets in Oxford, Mississippi as a logical extension of Wilsonart’s state-of-the-art manufacturing operations in North America. Exclusively dedicated to the production of best-matched TFL Panels, the facility supports increasing market demands. By the end of 2018, the company will have also added a dedicated fleet to Oxford; further emphasizing Wilsonart’s commitment to reliable, on-time service. Building upon its consistent track record and culture of delivering high-quality matches for HPL, TFL and edgebanding, Wilsonart expanded its program this year to include ready-to-install Cabinet Doors and components. Introduced at KBIS 2018, Wilsonart offers made-to-order doors and components in seventeen select designs, five moldings and three rail/stile profiles. Whether used in multi-family, healthcare, hospitality, residential or commercial applications, Wilsonart’s wide selection of cabinet doors offer many on-trend styles.
COORDINATED VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL SPACES WITH EXPERTLY MATCHED SURFACES
WILSONART OFFERS A MIX OF BEST-MATCHED SURFACES FOR HOSPITALITY SPACES
“Wilsonart’s 5-piece shaker style doors are particularly popular among designers in multi-family installations,” notes Meghan Jeske, Wilsonart’s national sales manager for coordinated surfaces. With availability through nationwide distribution centers, no minimums on in-stock designs and flexible minimums on made-to-order options, Wilsonart’s door offering has been a well-received solution not only for designers but also fabricators and contractors whose reputations are highly dependent upon obtaining product at the price they need, when they need it. “As demand continues to expand rapidly, Wilsonart dutifully ensures that it has an extensive manufacturing footprint for TFL in North America. This year, Wilsonart has grown beyond its three owned facilities to include four partner facilities. These facilities ensure dependable supply and reduced freight costs,” said Wilsonart’s vice president of product management, Ron Ubertini. While Wilsonart works closely with a dedicated door supplier, its ability to offer separate cabinet door components makes it an attractive choice for leading cabinet manufacturers. Ubertini elaborates, “Because our cabinet doors and moldings are made of a high quality composition that outperforms alternative materials, you can expect more durable performance. When you pair our reputation for high quality products and our extensive supply chain network, we really do become a preferred provider.” Current trends in the hospitality and office furniture markets are also strong drivers for the development of Wilsonart’s entire Coordinated Surfaces offering. “Just one example is extended stay hotels whose owners are increasingly looking to capture a tailored boutique look by utilizing custom-designed case goods. Coordinated Surfaces, in particular, continues to be a powerful tool to reduce costs while at the same time adding impactful design,” said Amy Morgenweck, Wilsonart’s industry manager for the hospitality segment. Many corporate offices are adding custom-designed residential and hospitality-influenced design elements, and according to Jeske, “When it comes to our coordinated suite of products, designers are especially excited to specify their favorite Wilsonart Laminate color while avoiding long scavenger hunts for matches.” When considering how designers view the Cabinet Door program, Jeske shares, “Designers prefer our quality-made laminate cabinet doors over foil-wrapped or painted panel doors. Painted doors tend to “move” and leave a strong paint line while foil-wrapped doors often have a molded or plastic look, and are prone to delamination. Our high-quality cabinet doors are not only more visually appealing, but their built-in performance ensures they are made to last.” Driven by the philosophy that “customers deserve reliable service, design integrity and budget-friendly choices”, Wilsonart continues to make investments that ensure consistency in texture, finish and overall quality across all elements of its Coordinated Surfaces program.
WILSONART 5-PIECE DOORS & MOLDINGS SUPPORT DURABILITY AND DESIGN
In 2019, Wilsonart plans to expand its Coordinated Surfaces finishes offering in order to provide even more choices for its customers. Ubertini elaborates, “Choice and quality are what sets Wilsonart apart. We understand that the existing offerings are not good enough to meet designer demands and that specifying coordinated design isn’t always easy. That’s exactly why we continue to expand a program that offers one convenient, best-matched bundle.” Attributed to a steadfast commitment to quality and service that aligns with the company’s mission, Ubertini said, “Growth in Coordinated Surfaces has been, and will continue to be, a priority for us because we know our customers have a universal, perpetual need for consistent quality, variety and easy access to coordinated designs.”
“Coordinated Surfaces continues to be a powerful tool to reduce costs while at the same time adding impactful design.” AMY MORGENWECK
OFFICE CASEWORK UTILIZES COORDINATED SURFACES FOR AN ORGANIZED LOOK
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MODERN SOLUTIONS FOR
Modern Manufacturers
Laminate Works Takes Pride In Solving Customers’ Problems
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he story of Laminate Works is about more than a flexible OEM experiencing year-after-year growth while serving multiple market segments with a 96.69 percent quality on-time record. It’s about the successful application of modern manufacturing trends to panel processing. Bert Clothier, president of Laminate Works, will be the first to say that when he started the company 20 years ago, his strategy wasn’t to become a thought leader harnessing the power of modern machine technology and analytics. Rather, the company was founded to solve a problem for a company in the elevator industry. “Our vision is ‘to use our everyday ordinary lives to serve others.’ We’re not trying to sell something. We’re trying to solve problems,” Clothier said. “The other thing that is very unusual about what we’ve done is to focus on customers that have a problem that needs to be solved, not a specific customer base, market segment or product line.” Instead of marketing custom HPL parts and HPL panels, Laminate Works markets capabilities. The drive to solve problems leads Laminate Works to develop solutions—both for customers and internally—that integrate modern tools. Open-source software, demand-driven manufacturing and advanced planning/scheduling make Laminate Works an extremely flexible OEM partner, capable of producing high-precision goods at low or high volume with short lead times. Simultaneously, by serving a wide variety of customers with similar needs and unique problems, Laminate Works receives something just as valuable as profit: market data. A classic OEM sells
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capacity on equipment to customers whose demand doesn’t justify their own investment. A modern JIT OEM such as Laminate Works uses advanced analytics to make predictive investments in technology and meet customers’ ongoing needs. “As we continue to grow into a national company, we have to have capacity to respond and capabilities to solve problems,” Clothier said. “I pay very close attention to what problems customers are having and work hard on infrastructure today so we have a solid foundation to build on later.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 36 ›
BERT CLOTHIER
Bring the outside in. Meet the latest in thermally fused laminates. Our 16 newest Prism TFL designs are inspired by things we love about a walk in the woods—natural tones, timeless textures, the relaxing freshness of the outdoors. The serene light ash, relaxed pine and subtle, warm oak looks in this collection bring understated elegance to any indoor space. We can’t wait to see you turn ‘em into something fun. Sun: WF441 Burlap, Tree: WF448 Seared Oak, Bird: WF445 Sahalie Pine, Leaf Left: WF439 Outlandia, Leaf Right: WF446 Charred Oak
Order a sample or explore our full catalog online at
www.prismTFL.com
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RESPONSIVENESS
Machinery Matters “When choosing equipment, we pay attention to who is leading the way. There’s a lot of great machinery out there, and relationships play a role. While reconfiguring our manufacturing floor, we’ve worked closely with many companies, including IMA, Stiles, Onsrud, Burkle and others.” BERT CLOTHIER, PRESIDENT, LAMINATE WORKS
EQUIPMENT IN LAMINATE WORKS’ KANSAS CITY FACILITY:
• Black Brothers presses • Schelling saws • Onsrud routers • IMA straight-line and contour edgebanders • Homag boring machines • Burkle PUR glue line—coming soon “All together, the equipment amplifies our ability to function and meet demand in the near future. We also have redundancy to manage any maintenance or machine issues, so we are never really down.” TRAVIS MCELHANY, VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES AND MARKETING, LAMINATE WORKS
Travis McElhany, vice president of sales and marketing for Laminate Works, said customers turn to Laminate Works for many reasons: “Some people find us when they need traditional OEM work, like for a capability they don’t have in-house, proof of concept, assistance building to stock or short-term help with capacity. Sometimes, they’re adding a new machine that isn’t online yet, and we fill the gap until it’s up and running. Other customers outsource everything and look to us to make one or more parts of their product. “We put a lot of custom solutions together, even developing ongoing stocking programs if the volume and timeline demand them. Along the way, we discover there are other things customers can use help with, so we end up growing relationships.” Laminate Works collaborates with designers, purchasers, shop floor managers and owners from the industries it serves. “We don’t have a single market that is more than 20 percent of our business,” Clothier said. “The solutions are all different. It’s really taking the time to identify the real problem. Most of the time, people know what the pain is but not what the problem is.” To stay tuned in, Laminate Works attends tech tours and trade shows—not to sell but to understand where market trends are headed and what capabilities could help customers. The sales team examines recent requests that Laminate Works did not have a response to and brainstorms what could be done to address unmet needs. Team members proactively stay on top of material technologies, maintain FSC certification and have panels tested to look for the best way to manufacture in anticipation of solutions. “If you understand the different substrate options, you know when you should use MDF versus particleboard or plywood. All three substrates have key traits that impact performance. We use board from Arauco, Roseburg, Georgia Pacific and other suppliers depending on the solution,” Clothier said. “But as CARB is changing board formulations to make materials better CONTINUED ON PAGE 38 ›
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YOUR SOLUTION FOR ONE PARTNER, UNLIMITED POSSIBILITIES.
616.698.7500 | www.stilesmachinery.com
‹ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 36
INVESTMENTS, INFRASTRUCTURE AND LOGISTICS
Data tells Clothier that interest in PUR bonding has reached the point of critical mass to justify the investment. The new capability will have a positive impact on existing issues, such as allowing customers to specify thinner laminates to reduce cost, improving the
bond strength to the substrate and reducing the number of panels rejected due to those challenges. “Like with our contour edgebanders, if we can identify which of our customers would benefit from an investment and an efficient way to do it better than most people can do it in-house, we just gained a new capability and more solutions we can offer,” Clothier said. “And that increases time on my saws, my banders, my presses. So it is not just about that new profit center. It utilizes all those machines.” As an OEM, speed to market is critical for Laminate Works. Maintaining available capacity and simplifying logistics are two ways to decrease lead times. “We had two similar operations between Kansas City, Kansas, and Dallas. In July, we made the strategic decision to sell the Dallas facility
* EIR (Embossing In Registration)
for the environment, they are getting more difficult to work with. “Meanwhile, surfaces are getting better. HPL suppliers like Wilsonart, Formica, Nevamar and others are responding to customer demand with beautiful products. So we’re seeing larger format designs. Finishes are shinier, more matte, more durable, fingerprint resistant. As the HPL becomes more perfect, it also becomes more difficult to bond without telegraphing. It’s one of the reasons we are putting in a new Burkle PUR laminating line.”
J-Print Welcome to the other side of digital printing
GAZE IN AWE AT THE EMBOSSING EFFECT PRODUCED BY MYTEXTURE® TECHNOLOGY, FOUND ONLY ON THE J_PRINT LINE. WHILE YOUR EYES ADMIRE, LET YOUR FINGERS FEEL THE SURFACE AND EXPLORE NEW HORIZONS. J-Print revolutionizes digital printing by creating realistic, three-dimensional detail*, opening a whole new world of innovative solutions before your eyes, and fingers!
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LAMINATE WORKS SOLVES PROBLEMS FOR:
• Contract furniture • Restaurant furniture • School furniture • Hospitality furniture • Elevators • Store fixtures • Architectural casework
Collins Almanor Forest
Protecting the environment, LAMINATE WORKS’ PRIMARY FOCUS IS SOLVING PROBLEMS ON A NATIONAL LEVEL WITH CUSTOM PARTS AND PROGRAMS.
one panel at a time.
and consolidate all capabilities in one location to increase capacity, add redundancy and eliminate unnecessary movement of materials if one plant was over- or under-booked,” McElhany said. “We typically bond up to 600 panels and process 1,500 parts per shift, depending on size and complexity. With all our assets in one place, we can scale up to meet new customer needs.” With the decision made, Laminate Works quickly found a buyer for the Dallas operation—Wilsonart, which happened to already occupy the adjoining space in Dallas. “We’re renovating our 100,000-square-foot facility in Kansas City, redoing front office space and reconfiguring the manufacturing floor to accommodate the PUR line and new material-handling automation,” McElhany said. “The goal is to have the front office renovation completed by our 20th anniversary in February 2019 and new machinery installed over the next 6 to 12 months.” Laminate Works’ new investments in capabilities and infrastructure are in line with the company’s primary focus—solving problems on a national level with custom parts and programs. But sometimes the solutions Laminate Works provides have as much to do with information and logistics as panel processing.
Cowhorn Vineyard & Gardens Photo: Claire Thorington Design Builder: Green Hammer
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Outsourcing benefits the industry as a whole. When leadingedge technologies are acquired by a few and utilized by many, it improves production, efficiency and quality for all. In modern times, the historical stigma of not making all of a product inhouse is waning, but there are still problems to be solved for outsourcing to work. CONTINUED ON PAGE 40 ›
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A TELEVISION IN THE BREAKROOM SHARES DATA FROM A CLOUD-BASED INFORMATION BANK THAT ALLOWS ANYONE IN THE COMPANY TO HAVE REAL-TIME ACCESS TO INFORMATION.
gives the company more than increased functionality and efficiency. It provides data—data that can help analyze demand, optimize scheduling and inform future investments. “There are a lot of in-house tools we’ve built to solve problems and be more nimble. The big thing all companies face when they grow is how to continue responding like customers expect,” Clothier said. “As we continue to grow year after year, it becomes more of a challenge to offer that level of service, but when your whole niche is service, you have a duty to make the efforts.” s&p
ELMWOOD
TETE-E-TETE
“There are a couple reasons people avoid outsourcing,” Clothier said. “The biggest one used to be control. That is falling away. To me, the bigger barrier we have to overcome is how to get the necessary information to make what customers need us to make.” Information is crucial to modern manufacturing, with thought leaders going so far as to say manufacturers must become software companies. Laminate Works, which is about to complete a five-year project of updating its systems and processes to leading-edge technology, has personal experience in solving information problems. “Because we’ve created such an unusual company in how we move information, virtually none of the available ERP software was able to do what we wanted it to do. We have a lot of proprietary tools made in Access databases and Excel spreadsheets—things we’ve developed for internal use as well as to solve specific problems for customers. They are very elaborate and do pretty amazing things,” Clothier said. “But they don’t fit in the logic of existing software. “Everything is open platform, so very robust. We have a SQL database that holds all our information, and we work with a company that creates applications out of our existing solutions. Their software goes into our apps, does its thing, then goes back to the cloud-based information bank. We use a platform that allows anyone in our company, from accounting to ordering to scheduling, to have real-time access to information,” Clothier said. “It eliminates double entry and solves some very complicated things with great agility.” The first step in solving problems for Laminate Works is and always will be listening to customers. But the new information system
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Cefla Live Expands, Evolves in 10th Edition New Technologies Create New Opportunities; Cefla Stays a Step Ahead in the World of Finishing
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everal thousand people from every corner of the world converged on Cefla’s global headquarters in Imola, Italy, in October for the 10th edition of Cefla Live, which showcased the industry’s most impressive operational finishing laboratory. At the event, Cefla demonstrated definitively why it would be a misnomer to simply call the company a finishing technology provider. Cefla goes far beyond what we used to think about finishing. It is now a surfacing company—as much about creating décor as it is about coating, finishing and protecting material. Consider what Cefla offers (and what was on display at Cefla Live) in the realm of digital printing. Cefla’s J-Print TD technology is at the heart of the production of digital décor. J-Print also produces tactile effects and textures in the printing process, creating realism you have to see and feel to believe. Cefla’s descriptive phrase “See It, Like It, Scan It, Print It” is absolutely true for any level of production, from one panel to 100. The flexibility is amazing. So what did I find most impressive at Cefla Live? Simply this: I now believe two separate technologies used to produce decorative panels will coexist and complement each other in the world’s largest panel production facilities. The classic and always relevant approach to producing both high pressure laminate (HPL) and thermally fused laminate (TFL)—high production of rotogravure printed décor papers, saturated and laminated under heat and pressure—will continue to thrive. For larger runs, it is most efficient. However, digitally printed designs on solid color TFL or on basecoated composite panels allow for mass customization and a level of flexibility that the market demands and the industry needs. You want one panel, one design, no problem. It is not just an experiment. I predict that both systems will run in tandem, providing fabricators what they need, when they need it. Cefla is at the forefront of this amazing frontier with its digital printing equipment.
Cefla has every base covered, no pun intended: reciprocating sprayers, curtain coaters, roll coaters, edge finishing, profile wrapping, robotic sprayers, 3D scanning, line and machine monitoring, virtual reality training and much more. Cefla Live provided the perfect platform for displaying the company’s and the industry’s incredible new capabilities. “Cefla Live is a worldwide event, created to draw interest from global customers and partners,” said Roberto Bolognini, Cefla’s sales manager. “Nothing can replace seeing the Cefla finishing systems in action in our expanded finishing lab. And the interaction with Cefla staff, our partners, suppliers and other fabricating professionals is of great value to all of us. “I want to sincerely thank everyone who made the trip to Cefla Live. Ultimately, the success of our customers will determine the success of Cefla Live.” s&p
“Nothing can replace seeing the Cefla finishing systems in action in our expanded finishing lab. And the interaction with Cefla staff, our partners, suppliers and other fabricating professionals is of great value to all of us.” ROBERTO BOLOGNINI, CEFLA’S SALES MANAGER
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Digital’s Efficiency, Versatility Making Waves in Woodworking
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s Ron Gilboa explains it, the need to produce short-run, cost-effective decorative surfaces combined with ongoing development in digital inkjet printing has created a “perfect storm for the technology to meet woodworking’s market needs.” With that backdrop, some 60 people gathered in Atlanta at the beginning of the biannual International Woodworking Fair for the inaugural Digital Printing Symposium. The event was created by IWF, Surface & Panel magazine and Keypoint Intelligence. Participating in this inaugural symposium were industry-leading companies such as Barberan, Baumer, Cefla Finishing and Schattdecor, as well as household names from the graphic arts industry such as Canon and Vanguard Digital Printing Systems. While the companies may appear to work in different sectors, they share a common goal of meeting the growing needs of suppliers and addressing the mass customization in an 11 billion-square-meter-per-year décor market and a $140 billion annual woodworking industry in the U.S. alone. In his opening presentation, Gilboa, who is group director of production technology for Keypoint, laid out key dynamics in the market, namely the continued demand by consumers for richly decorated surfaces customized to their needs and the desires of architects and contractors looking to add unique elements to their projects.
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Gilboa emphasized the efficiency and versatility that digital printing offers the woodworking industry. It improves efficiency by allowing just-in-time manufacturing and by reducing inventories, waste and obsolescence of designs, and its versatility means it can create décor surfaces for laminates used in casework, countertops and flooring and also print directly on boards. In his presentation, Roland Heeger, chief technology officer at Schattdecor, noted that digital printing offers opportunities to create products that were impossible with rotogravure, such as designs that exceed 15 feet’ in length—or larger than the typical circumference of a gravure cylinder. Also possible are “rainbow rolls” of décor paper, which feature different designs tailored to client needs vs. the typical one-ton minimum for one design with traditional printing. Don Kuser, general manager of North American Plywood, told the symposium audience about his company’s full production line for manufacturing decorated board. From sanding and priming to digital printing and coating, NAPC meets its clients’ needs for “digital staining” of natural wood and veneers, as well as printing on panels that require full coating, Kuser said. The equipment suppliers highlighted the opportunities that digital printing offers to small and large producers alike. They all noted that successfully implementing digital printing requires the proper investment, not only in technology but—more important—in a clear business strategy, production workflow, quality assurance and trained staff. After the event, Grant Burkholder of Sauder Woodworking summed up his thoughts on digital printing: “The capabilities—creating depth of pattern, reproducing wood species, using pigmented inks—are amazing.” s&p
In his opening presentation, Gilboa laid out key dynamics in the market, namely the continued demand by consumers for richly decorated surfaces customized to their needs and the desires of architects and contractors looking to add unique elements to their projects.
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PHOTOGR APHY BY TONY FRED RICK
New Hospital Special FOR Designers, Region Laminates Help Make Facility Timeless, Durable
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he $55 million Riverview Health Westfield Hospital project is special for several reasons for Erica Irvin and the design team at American Structurepoint. First, it is the first freestanding new hospital that American Structurepoint has designed. The Indianapolis-based firm and its 450 employees specialize in “delivering innovation and vision” in architecture, interior design, engineering and much more. The firm boasts a compelling healthcare design/renovation portfolio. This is a unique project for both American Structurepoint and Riverview as it’s the only full-service hospital in central Indiana with both an ER and urgent care. Second, it is the first Riverview Health hospital built away from the system’s main campus in Noblesville, which is six miles east of Westfield. The hospital had been discussed for decades but finally came to fruition in the past few years. It opened this fall and includes 20 inpatient beds and a wide range of outpatient services. Beyond those reasons, though, the project holds extra significance for Irvin, American Structurepoint's director of interior design: “On a personal note, Hamilton County is my community, and to provide a facility that will serve a need in this community is
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extremely rewarding. I have a vested interest in Riverview Health as my children were born here and it is my healthcare system. Hamilton County is my community, and to provide a building that will serve a need in this community is extremely rewarding.” The 108,000-square-foot hospital is intended to be a one-stop shop, Irvin said, featuring a combined ER and urgent care, an inpatient unit, surgery suites, a full array of diagnostic imaging (X-ray, CT, ultrasound, MRI, mammography), pharmacy, lab and physician offices. The overarching challenge in designing the facility, Irvin noted, was ensuring that it “is timeless and durable and that the products have a long life of use.” Selecting the right materials was critical, and the hospital features laminates, tile, solid surface and other hardwearing surfaces that will stand the tests of time and heavy use that are assured in a healthcare setting, she said. The hospital also incorporated the theme of the Riverview Health campus in Noblesville by including a blend of the same materials and designs. At the same time, Irvin wanted the Westfield hospital to “stand alone with its own identity.” “The name Riverview Health comes from the main campus being located on the White River in Noblesville. I wanted to carry that
PHOTOGR APHY BY TONY FRED RICK
design through in Westfield. Many of the materials from the floor to the wall have flowing movement such as porcelain tile on the floor and the wall coverings.” The design team and contractors had to remain flexible and adapt to changes during the process, Irvin stressed. For example, the facility was originally intended to be an outpatient center. However, as construction began, the building was changed to a hospital. The design intent remained the same, and the finishes easily carried over to the new design. “Flexibility is a key component of the building’s design. It is cohesive. Every area was thought out to have flow and similar design,” she said. Changes weren’t hugely disruptive because the building was designed in modules so rooms could change functions and be switched out efficiently in the future, Irvin said. Rooms also can be doubled up for use, meaning when one area is open, it can be used as overflow for another. Irvin was especially complimentary of Advanced Cabinet Systems, which fabricated all of the millwork, cabinetry, countertops, resin panels, column wraps and wall caps. “ACS had the same challenges we did when we were presented with a change in the scope of the building. They moved with the changes well,” Irvin said. (See related story on ACS on page 48.) Asked about key trends in healthcare design reflected in the Westfield project, Irvin cited the use of color and texture. “People are very visual, so a change in material and texture as you
“Hamilton County is my community, and to provide a building that will serve a need in this community is extremely rewarding.” ERICA IRVIN, DIRECTOR OF INTERIOR DESIGN, AMERICAN STRUCTUREPOINT
ERICA IRVIN
CONTINUED ON PAGE 48 ›
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ADVANCED CABINET SYSTEMS FABRICATED ALL OF THE MILLWORK, CABINETRY, COUNTERTOPS, RESIN PANELS, COLUMN WRAPS AND WALL CAPS FOR THE RIVERVIEW HEALTH WESTFIELD HOSPITAL PROJECT.
PHOTOGR APHY BY TONY FRED RICK
ACS Emphasizes Diversity, Technology, Innovation A second generation is pushing Advanced Cabinet Systems forward, and the sister and brother coowners are especially proud of the company’s emphasis on diversity and technology. “The ACS mission is to advance our industry forward for the benefit and betterment of our team members, our customers and end-users, WHITNEY BOWERS PYLE and every single professional in and impacted by our industry,” Whitney Bowers Pyle said. Bowers Pyle and her brother, Philip Bowers, bought ACS and its parent company, JGBowers, from their father, Greg, in 2016. ACS is a casework and millwork manufacturer that offers products nationwide in healthcare, education, industry and retail. JGBowers is one of the Midwest’s leading commercial construction companies. Both are based in Marion, Indiana. Bowers Pyle said her company believes increasing diversity is critical to helping the male-dominated construction, casework and millwork industries grow. On the Riverview Health Westfield Hospital project, engineering and project management were handled by a young woman, Kayle Greenwood. Greenwood, who has worked at ACS for three years, brought “a unique perspective, attention to detail and out-of-the-box thinking to the project,” Bowers Pyle said. “Kayle has become an integral part of the day-to-day operations of the company.” In addition to recruiting and retaining people from diverse backgrounds, ACS believes it can help advance the industry “with further development of technology and innovation,” Bowers Pyle said. “Automation and technology have historically lagged behind in our industry in the U.S., but we are really seeing an increase in the availability and expansion of tech and automation now, which is very exciting,” she said. ACS is working with its suppliers to secure equipment and automation for a “very large expansion” within the next three years, which follows a $1 million expansion in 2015, Bowers Pyle said. ACS lays up its own HPL panels and produces most of its own parts, casework and custom millwork. It does buy countertop blanks from HartsonKennedy and then cuts and finishes them in-house. Other key suppliers are Wilsonart, Formica, Arauco, Charter Industries, Salice and Grass. “Phil and I are both very passionate about what we do, and we love being able to do it together as a team every day,” she said. n 48
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travel through the facility is key for wayfinding. Color choice is one way to improve the patient experience. The color palette has a hospitality vibe with wood accents, warm-accent colors and accent lighting. You are creating an environment where people want to feel protected, welcomed, safe and secure.” Irvin used a combination of paint and wallcovering, with creams and tans as the base and lighter shades of blue, green and brown as accents. “Each play off each other from the floor, wall and furnishings to provide a splash of color.” Irvin said it’s vital to choose finishes that will last. She noted that laminate and solid surface materials are being used on all cabinetry and millwork, with the laminate countertops having chemical-resistant finishes. “You want products that will be timeless and maintenance free. These types of finishes will take the wear and tear over a long period of time and still look like the day they were installed and will be durable for years to come.” Among Irvin’s favorite aspects of the hospital are the first- and second-floor lobbies, which are tied together with stone fireplaces and an opening between the floors. The first floor’s doublesided fireplace is built of limestone that matches the building’s CONTINUED ON PAGE 50 ›
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‹ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 48
exterior—“a great way to tie the inside and outside together and create that welcoming, warm environment as if you were in your home.” Furniture in the lobbies is placed strategically to create niches, rather than one big, long waiting room, she said. “I wanted to have pockets that create more intimate settings. Hospitals can be very emotional places, and I wanted an atmosphere where people could have privacy in their time together.” Also, the information/check-in desk is strategically placed so hospital staff can see straight to the front doors, while visitors can see straight to the emergency room entrance. “It’s all about the visual first contact,” Irvin said.
Starting in the lobby, laminates—especially high-pressure laminate (HPL)—are ubiquitous because of their attractiveness and durability. Columns in the lobby are clad in Nevamar Silver Dollar HPL to protect them from the wear and tear that come with wheelchairs and heavy traffic. Reception desks and nurses stations have solid surface or HPLs such as Wilsonart Evening Tigris, Nevamar Casa Piedra and Adaptable Muse and Pionite Gridlock in LA. Other Wilsonart products spread throughout the hospital include HPLs Zephyr, Burnished Chestnut and Sandy Topaz and solid surfaces Blanco Riverstone and Paris Fog. As for the software that American Structurepoint uses to create
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“You want products that will be timeless and maintenance free. These types of finishes will take the wear and tear over a long period of time and still look like the day they were installed and will be durable for years to come.”
its designs, Irvin said the firm prefers Autodesk Revit 3D—rendered by 3ds Max and Lumion—because “it allows us to show the owner in real time what the building will look like, and any conflicts in design between disciplines can be vetted early in design rather than when the project is being built.” Throughout the project, the people at ACS were strong partners in creating the millwork, casework and more, asking detailed questions to ensure that both American Structurepoint’s and the client’s expectations were met, Irvin said. She singled out the “immense coordination and implementation” that was needed when ACS created a custom-designed wall cabinet that dispenses paper towels and gloves. “ACS took the time to work it out, and it was very successful,” she said, adding that all of ACS’s work was of “high quality.” Whitney Bowers Pyle, a co-owner and vice president at ACS, said her firm was “excited and honored” to be part of the project. ACS is based in Marion, 50 miles northeast of Westfield, so it was especially proud to help facilitate better access to healthcare for residents in the region, she said. “We love having the opportunity to contribute in a meaningful way, and this project really showcases our abilities and talents across the board,” Pyle said. “Many companies and people are contributing, and it’s wonderful to see people from all walks of life working together to achieve a goal. “This facility will help people receive needed healthcare. Being able to be part of that is just very gratifying,” Pyle said. s&p
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A D V E R T O R I A L
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Zero-VOC Solutions for Healthy Homes Are Here, and They Are Grown From the Earth Non-added formaldehyde, zero-VOC solutions are here today in wood composite products, and the enabling technology is bio-based
effects that appear to be linked to time spent in a building. Chemical contaminants from indoor sources are one of the leading causes, and studies have shown adhesives, carpeting, upholstery, manufactured wood products, copy machines, pesticides and cleaning agents may emit contaminants, including formaldehyde, within the building. As a result, paint products are now widely marketed in low- or zero-VOC offerings and command a significant market share and a large amount of advertising resources.
was invented in 1938, the investments in R&D paid off, and as of October 2015, every plant in the USA and Canada now produces a nonadded formaldehyde product. Formaldehyde Emissions from Residential Fiberglass Insulation Factories in USA & Canada 600,000 2005 POUNDS PER YEAR
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hen thinking about construction, it’s easy to envision large wood sheets or lumber in a raw state used by contractors in the construction of new homes. Less so, do we consider the myriad of interior home goods we use every day that are built from engineered wood products? Reading any home décor magazine, articles are populated with happy people surrounded by their favorite home furnishings. From hosting a dinner party in a newly renovated kitchen, to playing with their pets on new wood floors, or putting their kids to bed in a new bedroom set, the images portray daily activities where we are in close interaction with the materials around us.
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3 – HEALTHY BUILDING NETWORK, 2015
What’s interesting to note is that this change was not government mandated. Jim Vallette, research director of the Healthy Building Network, summarized it pointedly, saying: “A well-informed marketplace, not federal or state environmental regulation, drove this change.” NON-ADDED FORMALDEHYDE IN WOOD COMPOSITES
2 – ZERO VOC PAINT ADVERTISEMENT, HOME DEPOT
1 – TYPICAL HOME DECOR ADVERTISEMENT, 2018 IKEA CATALOG
The chemical composition of these materials, in recent years especially, has come to the forefront of public consciousness as we have learned that many of the most common materials found in our homes can be emitting toxic levels of VOCs. These VOCs are causing what the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) calls Sick Building Syndrome (SBS). SBS is used to describe situations in which building occupants experience acute health and comfort 54
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Less noticeable, but still present nonetheless, has been the change in VOCs on insulating products for our homes. In 1980, Canada banned the use of UFFI (urea-formaldehyde foam insulation). Over the past 40 years, allowable formaldehyde emission levels have steadily decreased, and today, Health Canada’s residential indoor air quality guidelines recommend a long-term exposure limit for formaldehyde of 0.04 ppm. In response, the fiberglass insulation industry has made significant strides in developing non-added formaldehyde (NAF) binding systems. After relying on old technology that
So why have wood composite products not quite followed the zero-VOC trend? The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has put out stringent standards for retailing wood composite products, limiting formaldehyde emission levels to 0.05ppm. It’s notable that these levels are still above Health Canada’s recommended limits on residential indoor exposure. One reason has been the lack of viable binders, other than formaldehyde-based resins, that can bring acceptable performance in the manufacturing of panels. The OSB industry has experienced the largest shift away from formaldehyde-based binders toward the use of polymeric MDI (pMDI). PMDI brings significant board strength and moisture resistance improvements, while also being a non-added formaldehyde solution. In the OSB market, pMDI resin is now the binder of choice for over 50 percent of panels manufactured.
ENABLING SOLUTIONS ARE AVAILABLE TODAY
Burlington, Canada-based company EcoSynthetix pioneered a solution for healthy, renewable coatings for paper products. Their EcoSphere coatings have been a mainstream solution in paper production for 10 years. After extensive development, EcoSynthetix engineered DuraBind biopolymers for the wood panel industry. DuraBind has been designed from bio-based materials to eliminate the processing challenges in producing wood panels, while maintaining binder performance to enable the production of non-added formaldehyde products. In both PB and MDF, panels made with DuraBind have been proven to show equal or I.B. (N/mm2)
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better performance than formaldehyde-based panels while improving the processing of the binding resin system. As shown in Figure 4, the typical DuraBind/pMDI resin system meets board technical specifications for strength, bending modulus, and thickness swell, as compared to a standard board produced with a urea-formaldehyde resin system. In addition, the DuraBind adhesive system contains 30-50 percent bio-based material and eliminates formaldehyde from the resin formulation. Commercial MUF Resin Durabind Tackifier Durabind Tackifier with pMDI pMDI Only 18 TACK (CM)
Which raises the question of why has this not caught on to the same extent in particleboard (PB) and medium density fiberboard (MDF) production? Due to manufacturing differences from OSB, a pMDI resin system has posed significant difficulties in manufacturing in PB and MDF. Particleboard systems require a certain threshold of “tack,” which measures the ability of a mat of unpressed wood fibers to retain its shape before entering the press. Without enough tack, surface defects will occur. PMDI, as a resin system on its own, does not exhibit the same tack level as a formaldehyde-based binder. Some operations running non-continuous presses have lower tack requirements; however, many new plants are installing more productive continuous lines. which pose a more significant challenge in overcoming tack issues. MDF, like particleboard, also has challenges using pMDI due to processing issues. In production, MDF fibers are sent through a pressurized steam blow-line and sprayed with resin at a high pressure. PMDI, when used in this system, has a high tendency to pre-cure inside the blow-line and cause the equipment to plug with hardened resin, resulting in a facility shutdown for extended cleaning.
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independently sourcing NAF wood through their typical channels, they discovered that the financial premium to the customer for upgrading to an NAF system was only $250 total. This represented approximately 1 percent of the total kitchen installation cost. The increasing number of zero-VOC products on the market is an indication of the changing trends in consumer tastes. A study by Mckinsey & Company indicates that when it comes to green products, most consumers are willing to pay at least a 5 percent premium, with some consumers prepared to spend 20 percent or more. These trends are expected to continue to grow in favor of sustainable products. In an interview with CNBC in 2016, Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, CEO of Nestlé, said: “If you look at the millennials, they are the first generation now who are willing consciously to spend more for better quality, for sustainability, for traceability. I think there is a change.”
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5 – TACK PERFORMANCE WITH DURABIND
Figure 5 illustrates the gain in tack performance on a particleboard line. Manufacturing process improvements like these are what allow for non-added formaldehyde boards to be run through modern continuous presses without experiencing surface defects and enabling the use of non-added formaldehyde resin systems. ZERO-VOC: THE COST OF CHANGE IS FRACTIONAL
DuraBind technology has enabled the production of non-added formaldehyde composite panels, especially for particleboard and MDF. It is these products that are making their way into many of the residential interior products we purchase today. Both MDF and particleboard are used extensively in kitchen cabinetry and countertops, living and bedroom furniture, and engineered wood-flooring solutions. They are sold by both small local and large multinational retailers alike. While in North America, allowable formaldehyde emissions are regulated by CARB 2 and EPA standards, these levels are still higher than some safe recommended exposure limits. While a non-added formaldehyde system can cost more, the incremental cost of a finished product to the consumer is less than you would think. We asked local millwork contractors quoting a new kitchen installation to provide an estimate for both a formaldehyde containing kitchen and a kitchen using non-added formaldehyde wood panels. After
Share of Consumers Choosing Green. % 80 70 60 50
Electronics
40
Packaging
Building
30 20
Automotive
10 0
Furniture 5
10
15
20
25
GREEN PREMIUM (IE, ADDITIONAL CHARGE), %
6 – MCKINSEY & COMPANY SURVEY ON GREEN PURCHASING TRENDS
Other industry leaders are also taking notice. Both Walmart and Home Depot have publicly announced their intention to remove products made with hazardous chemicals from their shelves. The lists include many chemicals but make specific mention of removing formaldehyde from wood-based products. One of the largest home retailers, IKEA, addressed the Composite Panel Association in 2017 and outlined its goals for moving away from hazardous products. Johan Bruck, IKEA’S deputy material and innovation leader, presented: “The company intends to convert presently used adhesives systems from fossil-based to bio-based systems” and “continuously reduce the emission levels for formaldehyde.” Many industries are seeing this shift in consumer sentiment and importance placed on healthy, sustainable products. Bio-based chemistries are here today and are growing in application, enabling the implementation of zero-VOC systems to make renewable, nonhazardous products. n surface&panel
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AIS Furniture Goes All-in for Laminate Commercial Office Furniture Manufacturer Bets on Growth by Investing in a New Factory, Panel Processing Technology B Y
R I C H
C H R I S T I A N S O N
AIS Furniture isn’t driven to be the first. It strives to be the best. The fast-growing manufacturer of laminate casework, panel systems and other office furnishings is content to let its bigger competitors invest tall dollars in speculative product development. It prefers to wait and see which workplace trends actually gain traction and then pounce on the opportunity by designing products that it can quickly bring to market. “It’s hard to predict the future, and to a certain extent, we choose not to,” said Bill Stewich, executive vice president of design and product development for AIS. “Instead, we try to be as efficient as possible with our product design development to bring a product to market within a year. Everyone in our engineering department is proficient at creating 3D models. We go right from models to machines so we don’t have a lag in the middle doing engineering drawings and that kind of thing.” Stewich pointed to Calibrate Community, an open-plan laminate desk system introduced at NeoCon 2018, as the most recent example of the company’ s fast-track product development capability. “I was able to conceptualize the requirements for this product line based on special requests we received from interior designers and architects at the start of this year,” Stewich said. “We’ll begin shipping product in the first quarter of 2019.” 56
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‘NEW FACTORY IS OUR ADVANTAGE’
In 2015, AIS Furniture began consolidating its operations spread out at five different locations into a 588,000-square-foot facility in Leominster, Massachusetts, that was the long-shuttered former home of Tucker Plastics. Central to the move, AIS invested mightily in panel processing equipment—mostly from Stiles Machinery—to produce its own line of laminate case goods and other wood-compositebased products. The company had previously outsourced production of its laminate casework to other manufacturers. AIS also added a metal powder coating line to bolster seating production and installed solar panels edge to edge on the building’s roof. Electrical power not consumed by AIS is returned to the grid, Stewich said. Embracing new technology and instilling a culture of lean manufacturing and continuous improvement to manufacture modularly designed laminate case goods allows AIS to achieve three-week turnarounds. “The new factory is our advantage,” Stewich said. “It starts with the technology. For our Calibrate laminate lines, we use IMOS, SolidWorks and woodCAD|CAM software. Because we had no legacy products, we were able to set up a very efficient system using the latest technology capable of doing production manufacturing that is
CALIBRATE COMMUNITY IS AN OPEN-PLAN LAMINATE DESK SYSTEM INTRODUCED AT NEOCON 2018 AS THE MOST RECENT EXAMPLE OF THE COMPANY’S FAST-TRACK PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT CAPABILITY.
“The move toward simplicity in office furniture is something that everybody is striving for.” BILL STEWICH, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF DESIGN AND PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT FOR AIS
also very flexible for custom. We have the ability to stretch products, add shelves and do all sorts of other things our customers request.” “Designing for manufacturing is a big part of what we do,” Stewich added. “We universalize products maybe a lot more than the other manufacturers do. We can use the same pedestal in all of our different laminate case goods lines as opposed to having a more designed conceptual product that requires multiple SKUs and multiple disciplines for manufacturing. The variety and the speed with which we
can design and manufacture product using this very consistent product is what our customers are requiring right now.” “The market is not demanding highly stylized products at the moment,” said Tracy Reed, vice president of marketing for AIS. “We’re not seeing a ton of curves happening. People are going for a simpler aesthetic. So, we have found that this idea of being super-simplified and quasi-universal and giving people enough options through dimensionality, material, color, texture, and pull designs is our sweet spot.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 58 ›
New Veneer/Vinyl Laminating System Only from Union Tool Boost productivity and product quality with this Union equipment package. System contains a Union Hot Melt Roller Coater, Union Powered Lay-up Conveyor and Union Rotary Laminator to laminate several different core materials to a variety of different veneers and vinyl materials. • Produce a panel with a maximum size of 60 wide x 120 long and a maximum thickness up to 4 . • Runs hand-fed core materials, such as plywood, medium density fiberboard and some metals like aluminum. • Vinyl roll applicator with tension control eliminates wrinkles in the application of the vinyl to the coated core material. Count on Union Tool for your next sheet feeder system.
Call or visit our website today to learn more about Union Tool’s complete line of automated machines!
The Union Tool Corporation 574-267-3211 E-mail: sales@uniontoolcorp.com
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“We have found that this idea of being super-simplified and quasi-universal and giving people enough options through dimensionality, material, color, texture, and pull designs is our sweet spot.” TRACY REED, VICE PRESIDENT OF MARKETING FOR AIS ‹ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 57
PREPARING TO LAUNCH
AIS plans to officially roll out its new Calibrate Community line in early 2019, which coincides with the company’s 30th anniversary. It will be available in the company’s palette of approximately 20 TFL woodgrains and colors. The products feature quarter-turn fastener construction using assembly fittings from Hafele and Hettich. “We chose to use quarter-turn fittings because they provide a tremendous amount of flexibility and quite frankly are stronger than glue and dowels,” Stewich said. “The move toward simplicity in office furniture is something that everybody is striving for,” Stewich said. “I think it went a little too far about five years ago when everybody was just getting a table and a chair. I think designers and facility managers and clients ignored what the workers really wanted – things like privacy and acoustics. “What we have seen now has been a return to something more substantial. The open-plan workers want a modicum of privacy. They want ultra-privacy when they need it, such as to call their doctor. They need to collaborate, but they also need heads-down workspace. Each worker needs all of these things during the day. He needs multiple environments to be productive. “We’re trying to focus on providing those in the simplest and most adaptable ways possible,” Stewich added. “Moveable tables, movable screens and other products that can be rearranged without tools. The thing that continues to drive what we do in space design is
distribution of electrical and data. Obviously, wireless technology has changed that environment, but you still need to provide multi-circuit electrical to the open plan.” Stewich noted that the paper-less office is another key trend influencing office furniture design. “Instead of holding paper, workers need personal storage for laptops, bookcases, CPUs, etc. That whole shift in storage is one of the things driving the use of laminates today. There has been an explosion in the use of this product in the industry in the last four years.” Stewich said that while AIS uses HPL from Wilsonart and Panolam in many of its products, its standards are set by 3/4- and 1-inch TFL panels mainly supplied by Panolam and Tafisa. This includes worksurfaces, once the exclusive domain of HPL. “TFL has come a long way over the last five years in terms of quality, durability and the variety of colors that are offered,” Stewich noted. “At least half of the worksurfaces we sell are TFL, but we can only afford to stock our most popular designs. HPL allows us to expand our color palette because there are hundreds and hundreds of colors that you can get in four days from a number of suppliers. Of course, we also work with a lot of designers who require HPL in their specs.” AIS offers TFL in six different textures. “The resolution of the patterns like quarter cut or cathedral is so great that you honestly cannot tell the difference between it and wood veneer other than the CONTINUED ON PAGE 60 ›
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(R)EVOLUTION
( ) ( ) saliceamerica.com
Silentia+ The new-generation of soft close hinges from Salice. Besides showing no resistance while opening doors, the Silentia+ hinges guarantee an exceptional and consistent deceleration thanks to twin fluid dampers, delivering a perfect soft closing action in all applications and under any temperature condition.
Silentia+ incorporates an innovative switch to adjust the deceleration mechanism. This enables the closing speed of doors of any size or shape to be perfectly adjusted.
10°
+
30°
‹ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 58
price. It’s really fantastic.” AIS built its business on making panel systems, and they remain a big part of its business, Stewich said. The company also offers metal storage systems that it outsources. “We still offer a very solid line of metal products that we stretch as much as possible into the various markets that we play in, but we are certainly doing much more development these days in laminate caseworks than we are for metal.” GROWING STRONG
AIS’s commitment to expanding its manufacturing base has paid off big-time. Since moving into the Leominster facility, AIS has enjoyed more than 20 percent growth and is pushing toward $200 million in annual sales. As sales of laminate case goods have doubled, a third panel processing line was installed. The company has also added 175 jobs, bringing its headcount to more than 750, and still more workers are needed to man its two shifts. Investment has also been made to its showrooms. In addition to the one in its new Leominster facility, AIS has renovated its showrooms in Washington, DC, New York City and Chicago. “As we evolved into what we are now, we want to be the most successful mid-market, big contract manufacturer in the office furniture industry,” Stewich said. “That requires expanding our products into various different markets. So developing seating products has been one of our big focuses over the last few years. The ability to manufacture our own laminate case goods has been another component and offering various pre-packaged products like tables, as opposed to selling worksurfaces and legs. Our dealers can now really look to us for just about anything that they might need.” s&p
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Sappi Ultracast Surface Textures
t ex t u r
es
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5
Sappi UltracastÂŽ casting and release products capture and transfer 100% of the intended texture without relying on textured plates or belts. Ultracast locks the texture into a sturdy and durable matrix; regardless of heat or usage, the texture remains unfazed. Create consistent textures on your products. No gloss shifts to worry about, no fidelity loss with use. Uniform definition and surface texture 100% of the time. Our library of innovative textures are exact matches in CPL, HPL, and LPL lamination processes.
flexible, versatile, reuseable, compatible
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Italian Companies Combine Experience, Expertise to Offer Full Range of Services to Panel Industry
F
ive renowned Italian companies have joined under the name Alliance Décor Technologies to offer the panel industry a complete package from impregnation and coating of décor papers to lamination. Fabinmec Europe, Chemisol Italia, Tocchio International, Brofind and Pagnoni Impianti have combined their decades of experience and expertise to offer a more complete and competitive line of services, said Gianluca Bagatti, CEO of Chemisol Italia, representing the Alliance. “Years of collaboration and sharing skills and expertise on different projects have resulted in an important industrial synergy to grant considerable benefits from this great heritage of each branch and—at the same time—to satisfy each and every need of the market,” Bagatti said. “This partnership secures, as well, significant advantages to all customers, ensuring attention to budgets and to the quality of the final product,” he said. Alliance Décor Technologies covers the entire cycle from resin production and storage to mixing with proper additives to impregnation and coating to air purifying and solvent recovery to the production of laminated wood panels. “Considering the complexity of the working process and the unique requests of the market, this dynamic synergy promotes the development of tailor-made solutions for the customer,” Bagatti said.
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Synergy and know-how
for décor paper impregnation and coating along with lamination for the production of laminated panels
Resin Production and Mixing System
Additives for Impregnation
Impregnation and Coating Lines
Air Pollution Control Plants
Hydraulic Press Lines
THE COMPANIES’ SPECIALTIES ARE:
• •
Fabinmec Europe: Plants for resin production, storage and mixing.
•
Tocchio International: Impregnating and coating plants offering constructive and customized solutions.
• •
Chemisol Italia: Production and distribution of melamine resins in powder form and additives for paper impregnation and board production.
Brofind: Air purifying plants with particular attention to issues deriving from gaseous emissions containing volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Pagnoni Impianti: Press lines for the fast lamination of wood-based panels either with phenol or melamine impregnated papers. Press lines for the production of chipboards, MDF, OSB, HDF, plywood and sandwich panels.
“Each of these companies, which are all leaders in their specific sectors, contributes with its decades of experience to help create value-added solutions for any request of the market,” Bagatti said. s&p
Certified. Sustainable. Eco-Certified Composites are Among the Greenest on Earth.
What are Eco-Certified Composites? ECC stands for Eco-Certified™ Composite, as defined in the stringent ECC Sustainability Standard and Certification Program for composite panel products – specifically particleboard, MDF, hardboard and engineered wood siding and trim.
What makes a composite panel Eco-Certified? Composite panels that carry the ECC mark are manufactured in facilities that are certified to meet the stringent requirements of the ECC Sustainability Standard. ECC panel manufacturing facilities meet rigorous environmental requirements utilizing objective-based criteria and annual on-site audits. Each must ensure that its composite panels meet the stringent EPA TSCA Title VI and 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 v4 Credit? • MATERIALS AND RESOURCE (MR) CREDIT: Building Product Disclosure Optimization – Environmental Product Declaration • MR CREDIT: Building Product Disclosure Optimization – Sourcing of Raw Materials • MR CREDIT: Building Product Disclosure Optimization – Material Ingredients
Who sponsors ECC Certification? The Composite Panel Association (CPA) developed the ECC Sustainability 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 17065 by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).
• MR CREDIT: Furniture and Medical Furnishings • INDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY (EQ) CREDIT: Low-emitting materials
www.ECCproduct.org The Composite Panel Association is committed to advancing and certifying the sustainability of industry products for residential, commercial and industrial uses.
Understanding Wood Wilsonart Aims to Educate Architects, Designers About Endangered and Threatened Wood Species
57%
THE PERCENTAGE OF AMAZON TREE SPECIES THREATENED WITH EXTINCTION
HERE ARE TWO NUMBERS TO PONDER:
• •
99 percent of architects and interior designers cannot name a majority of endangered or threatened wood species.
Given that those numbers from a 2017 survey commissioned by Wilsonart add up to continued trouble for the world’s endangered wood, Wilsonart is doing its part to educate architects and interior designers. The company’s initiative, “Understanding Wood: Sourcing Against the Grain,” includes the second annual National Day of Learning, a cross country education tour, new content at Wilsonart’s online education hub and a renewed grant to Interlochen Arts Academy. The Understanding Wood initiative, launched in 2017, aims to educate architects and designers not only on how to identify endangered and threatened wood species but to equip them to find alternate materials that meet their aesthetic and functional needs, said Tammy Weadock, Wilsonart’s communications manager. “We learned from our outreach last year that professionals in the industry are eager to be more informed about the materials they specify,” Weadock said. “We will continue to escalate awareness around global forestry issues and help end the use of endangered woods in architecture and design.” The National Day of Learning “Global Forestry CEU” at the Center for Architecture in New York City was presented in October by Grace Jeffers, an American writer, historian and educator who is known for an interdisciplinary and integrated approach to the study of materials. The presentation was offered in person and was livestreamed across the country. 64
99%
57 percent of Amazon tree species are threatened with extinction.
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THE NUMBER OF ARCHITECTS AND DESIGNERS WHO COULDN'T NAME A MAJORITY OF ENDANGERED OR THREATENED WOOD SPECIES
In her presentation, Jeffers urged architects and designers to help change the world by asking five questions when they source wood: • What wood species is this?
• • • •
Where in the world does it come from?
What is happening in the forests there? Is this illegal wood? Is this legal wood?
Jeffers noted that while humans have consumed roughly the same amount of wood per capita over the last two centuries, population growth has led to more forests being cut at a faster rate than ever. Laminates also can play a role in helping sustain the world’s forests because they efficiently use the byproducts of solid wood manufacturing and can reduce the need to harvest more trees, she noted. In addition to speaking at the National Day of Learning, Jeffers will be touring America and speaking at architectural firms, colleges, and industry organizations and leadership groups about global forestry. As part of the Understanding Wood program, Wilsonart also added content to its Educational Hub at wilsonart.com/understanding-wood—including videos, photography, presentations and articles—that will continue to act as a resource for the A&D community. Additionally, Wilsonart renewed its support for the Interlochen Arts Academy,
a premier arts educational institution for high school students located near Traverse City, Michigan. The grant helps fund curriculum that explores the science and art of transforming a pine plantation into a beautiful native forest. It also provides students with a perspective on the role forests play as the lungs of the earth. The results of the 2017 survey continue to inform Wilsonart as it supports the Understanding Wood initiative and other efforts to educate architects and designers, Weadock said. “We discovered that 42 percent of the professionals we surveyed did not know what makes a forest protected,” Weadock said. “Only 24 percent were very familiar with the Lacey Act, which makes using responsibly harvested wood not only an ethical choice but a legal responsibility.” “Wilsonart is working to provide materials and events to educate professionals with the knowledge they need to protect their practices.” To learn more, go to wilsonart.com/ understanding-wood.
GRACE JEFFERS
t x e n r Ou
! s g n i 100 r Our history gives us a unique point-of-view that positions us for the future, as it has in the past. We see a journey, not obstacles. We prepare for challenges and work hand-in-hand with businesses like yours to achieve shared goals and success. If you’ve been a part of our first 100 rings–we want to thank you. If you haven’t –we invite you to join our journey into the next 100! Take your first step and contact us today about where we can go together.
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A D V E R T I S E R S PAGE
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Alfatherm 17 908.301.0600 www.alfatherm.it
Interzum 30 773.326.9926 www.koelnmessenafta.com
aacc
American Adhesive Coatings LLC 28 978.688.7400 AMERICAN ADHESIVE COATINGS COMPANY www.aacchotmelts.com
King Plastic 60 800.780.5502 www.kingplastic.com
Arauco 35 770.350.1636 www.arauco-na.com
Kings Mountain International 9 704.739.4227 www.kmiinc.net
Arclin 11 877.689.9145 www.arclinTFL.com
Barberan 45 +34 936 350 810 www.barberan.com Biesse 27 877.824.3773 www.biesseamerica.com Boise Cascade 5/67 888.264.7372 www.bc.com Button Fix 23 +44 (0)20 8150 7190 www.button-fix.com Cefla
Northern Contours
50 866.344.8132 www.northerncontours.com
Panel Processing
52 800.433.7142 www.panel.com Premier Eurocase 68 303.373.9718 www.premiereurocase.com Renolit 29 +1.973.706.6912 www.renolit.com Roseburg 51 800.245.1115 www.roseburg.com
www.ceflafinishing.com
Salice 59 800.222.9652 www.saliceamerica.com
Chemisol 31 1.39.0331.523.351 www.chemisol.it
Sappi 61 207.856.4000 www.sappirelease.com
Collins 39 800.329.1219 www.collinsco.com
Smartech 26 704.362.1922 www.smartechonline.com
Composite Panel Association 63 866.4Composites www.ECCproduct.org
Stevens Industries 49 217.857.7100 www.stevens-wood.com
Daubert Chemical Company, Inc. 19 866.368.3983 www.daubertchemical.com
Stiles Machinery, Inc. 37 616.698.7500 www.stilesmachinery.com
Decotone 41 908.301.0600 www.decotonesurfaces.com
Synergy Thermal Foils 40 954.420.9553 www.synergythermofoils.com
38 704.598.0020
Doelken Tafisa Canada 53 905.759.1074 18 877.882.3472 www.na.doellken.com www.tafisa.ca Element Designs 12 877.332.3396 www.element-designs.com
Timber Products Company 65 800.547.9520 www.timberproducts.com
Genesis Products 16 877.266.8292 www.genesisproductsinc.com
Toppan 25 770.957.6447 www.tia.toppan.com
Grass 15 336.996.4041 www.grassusa.com
Uniboard 13 844.302.8585 www.uniboard.com
Hexion Union Tool Corporation 7 888.443.9466 57 574.267.3211 www.hexion.com www.uniontoolcorp.com
Interprint, Inc. Vortex 2 413.443.4733 47 800.355.7708 www.interprint.com www.vortextool.com
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Reflekt Blue
Reflekt Sage
UltraMatte Blue
At Premier EuroCase we research emerging trends to stay ahead of our competition and anticipate our customers’ needs. Our recent investment in new blue/green hues and matte metallics represents a future direction in interior design. The eight new colors are available now as panels, cut-to-size doors and components.
UltraMatte Sage
New Reflekt and UltraMatte: Blue and Sage Both Reflekt high-gloss and UltraMatte acrylic collections are adding cool-toned Blue and Sage hues. These serene colors cross over traditional and modern design styles, and will be perfect for an entire space or just as an accent color in a more neutral palette.
8 new colors to our luxury collections New UltraMatte Metallics: Metallic Beige, Metallic Silver, Metallic Grey, Starlight With metallic color options already offered in our Reflekt high-gloss product line, these new matte metallics offer a different kind of surface solution without the glossy sheen. The metallic shading throughout the matte finish capture and defuse light to give off an iridescent shimmer. In addition to UltraMatte’s soft-touch and scratch-resistance properties, the new metallic colors create a stunning visual impact.
UltraMatte Metallic Beige
UltraMatte Metallic Silver
UltraMatte Metallic Grey
UltraMatte Starlight
Order samples online.
premiereurocase.com
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sales@premiereurocase.com
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303.373.9718
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