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They say that successful investing is about managing risk, not avoiding it. And for Laminate Works, investing in high-quality solutions has been worth the risk.
Based in Gaildorf-Broeckingen, Germany, the BMK Group is one of the world’s leading suppliers of surface-coated and impregnated films. BMK recently partnered with PurChem Systems of Canada to offer an innovative single-layer decor, SilentTouch, featuring an anti-fingerprint, soft-touch surface. To learn more about BMK, SilentTouch and the company’s plans for North America, Surface & Panel posed a series of questions to Dr. Stefan Woerl, head of R&D and quality assurance at BMK, and Robert Clausi, president of PurChem.
Not surprisingly, the emphasis is on design at Italian furniture maker Composit. But it’s not all about design at the family-owned, Pesaro-based company.
In Germany, the analogy is strong between the automotive industry—often considered the most vivid expression of what a culture is about in a time—and the kitchen industry. In both, the end product not only has to function, but it has to look great, be efficient to manufacture with regular modifications and give pleasure to the operator.
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.
Five 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.
When your title is “chief disruptor,” you aren’t intimidated by technologies that are permanently changing the way we conceive, design, manufacture and sell products. Instead, you embrace those technologies and see opportunities where others see threats.
Tom Wujec is chief disruptor at Autodesk—the Oscar-winning industry leader in 3D computer animation technology and one of the world’s largest software companies—and he revels in sharing today’s exciting opportunities during his celebrated talks on innovation.
Walmart finally woke up and smelled the coffee. Furniture cannot be sold online like paper towels or Fancy Feast cat food. Walmart’s new senior vice president of e-commerce home division, Anthony Soohoo, admits that furnishings and décor are inspired purchases.
The leaders at ARAUCO North America knew they had a critical need for a panel manufacturing plant in the Midwest. As it turned out, the Midwest needed ARAUCO, as well. The result? ARAUCO is constructing a $400 million, 750,000-square-foot mill in the north-central Michigan city of Grayling. Construction began in April 2017, and the plant will begin producing particleboard and thermally fused laminate in late 2018. It will be one of the largest board plants in the world.
Showplace Wood Products didn’t rush into building full-access cabinets. When the company decided to make the move, however, it did so in Showplace’s customary bold way.
“The topic came up four or five years ago,” said Bill Allen, Showplace’s vice president and chief operating officer. “We were being told by our dealer base, our sales team and our suppliers that full-access or frameless construction, specifically European-style, was coming to the U.S.”
