Pro Edge Technology is proud to introduce the PET SqueezeTight Throughfeed Automatic Case Clamp, a totally automatic hydraulic case clamp that allows an operator to simply place the assembled product on the conveyor and let the machine do the rest!
No programming is required as the case clamp automatically recognizes the product dimensions. The PET SqueezeTight offers sturdy construction that’s built to last and eliminates the need for constant adjustments. This dependable, easy to operate machine comes with an industry-leading two-year warranty.
Visit www.proedgetechnology.com for more information.
The 2023 LMC Leadership Summit was more than just an event; it was a platform for transformation, set to redefine leadership in the LBM industry. Attendees left inspired and ready to pioneer a new era in leadership excellence with practical insights and a memorable networking experience.
“The Summit was a practical source in giving me tactical ways to strengthen my leadership as an individual and improve our team as a whole,” said Allison Carter from Builders Supply Company.
The Summit brought together LMC Dealers in Columbus, Ohio, for a pivotal moment in leadership evolution, focusing on practical concepts to shape their future. Organized by LMC and the LMC 21st Century Leaders Committee, the event was led by Kathy Pearson, President and Founder of Enterprise Learning Solutions, Inc., who shared insights on achieving ‘Business Excellence.’
John Humphrey from North Atlantic Corporation stated, “The LMC Leadership Summit is an important setting for current and up-and-coming industry leaders to build relationships with one another, and to discuss innovative ways to improve our businesses in the near future.”
Dr. Angus Fletcher, an Ohio State Professor known for his leadership development work, introduced “Simple Not Easy,” a new leadership training program rooted in the wisdom of U.S. Army Special Operations. Dr. Fletcher’s sessions tackled leadership challenges with practical solutions, providing insights into cognitive barriers and actionable strategies for improvement.
Melissa Johnson, VP of Cameron Mitchell Premier Events & Community Relations, discussed how faith in people and a culture of hospitality have driven Cameron Mitchell Restaurants’ success. This conversation highlighted the importance of culture in shaping the company’s identity and operations.
Dr. Fletcher continued to empower leaders on the second day, offering insights into envisioning the future, team empowerment, emotional intelligence, and innovation. Attendees learned techniques for sharpening foresight, making informed decisions, and navigating complex situations confidently.
Lanny Rubin, Assistant Vice President of Technology Staff Operations at Nationwide Insurance, shared Nationwide’s success in crafting a strategic multi-year plan while enhancing the customer experience. Rubin emphasized the importance of aligning long-term planning with a company’s vision and values.
Kelsey Paasch, Founder of Contour Consulting, guided attendees in designing deliberate steps and routines for their leadership journey. Real-life examples and proven strategies facilitated the creation of personalized strategic plans.
LMC is the leading Forest Products and Building Materials Buying Group in the USA owned by independent lumber and building material dealers. There are more than 1,800 LMC dealer locations in the United States and the Bahamas. “Building Business Together” is LMC’s philosophy, rooted in a history of working together and standing the test of time since 1935.
Visit www.lmc.net for more information.
Modern Fronts, manufacturer of made-to-order precision cabinet door fronts and components, has launched as an online-based resource for cabinet and closet makers.
Owners Kenneth and Paige Allender, themselves third-generation cabinet makers, know all too well the challenges that cabinet and closet professionals face in today’s market and are on a mission to help them be more profitable.
“Rather than taking a transactional or order-taking approach, we focus on having a true partnership with our customers,” said Owner and President Ken Allender. “When you open a project with us, you’ll be assigned a dedicated specialist that will work with you throughout the process and ensure that you deliver the high-quality products your customers expect.”
“When you set up an account on our website, you’ll have easy access to our full product line,” said Director of Sales Sam Allender. “Through your account dashboard you can contact your dedicated specialist, get a quote, order samples and place an order—it’s a very user-friendly experience.”
Headquartered in Maryville, Tennessee, Modern Fronts produces high-quality Acrylic and TFL cabinet doors and components that are always on-trend and feature Laser Edgebanding and “Zero Glue Line” technologies for a sleek, clean and modern look. Modern Fronts products are ready-to-hang with no finishing required and are custom labeled for easy identification of individual cabinet doors. Modern Fronts is an official partner in the EGGER Door Manufacturer Program
Visit https://modernfronts.com/ for more information.
Woodworking Manufacturing Month (WWMM) 2023 opens Sunday, October 1 in a month-long global showcase of the latest innovations and new product and technology introductions from more than 50 top-tier wood products industry manufacturers and service providers.
This year, WWMM has fielded the largest number of manufacturer participants (51) in its three-year history. This year’s production of North American woodworking’s largest annual event benefits the Tunnel to Towers Foundation with IWF representing all WWMM participants as a Proud Supporter in the Foundation’s mission to house catastrophically injured U.S. veterans and first responders.
Produced and presented under the theme Innovation Shaping the Future, WWMM 2023 shines a global spotlight on the industry’s most innovative companies to showcase product and technology advances designed to power industry growth, and to attract a new generation to industry career opportunities.
WWMM is the North American wood products industry’s Innovation Celebration. Across the woodworking landscape, innovation harnesses the power of all the big ideas, solutions, and technology shaping the wood products industry to get things done smarter, faster, and better.
All WWMM participating manufacturers and service providers will be showcased across all IWF digital marketing platforms and in all channels through a continuous industry outreach program running 31 consecutive days—with a special sneak-peek preview premiering September 28. WWMM 2023 will be the exclusive content posted in full takeover of the highly-trafficked IWF Atlanta home page—where every WWMM participating manufacturer and service provider will be featured in high-visibility panel ads posting in rotation through October 31. In addition, IWF will deploy 14 WWMM-exclusive organic emails with each featuring WWMM participants in rotation. Outreach will additionally include feature coverage in the October editions of IWF Network News and a robust and far-reaching social media campaign.
Woodworking Manufacturing Month was created by the Woodworking Machinery Industry Association (WMIA) and Wood Machinery Manufacturers of America (WMMA) and is developed and produced by the International Woodworking Fair (IWF), which is slated for August 6-9, 2024, in Atlanta, Georgia.
Visit www.iwfatlanta.com for more information on WWMM 2023 and IWF 2024.
The Kinvaro T-Slim from Grass America creates options in the design of overhead wall cabinets with its new lifter system for wooden flap doors by combining the aesthetic advantages of almost invisibly blending into furniture cabinetry with the functional advantages of extremely smooth movement, outstanding strength and durability.
The Kinvaro T-Slim fittings are hidden from view and engineers have succeeded in reducing the width of the complex flap mechanism to a compact 12 mm, small enough to be inserted into wood and MDF side walls as thin as 16 mm. Alternatively, the ultra-thin mechanism can be screwed onto side walls and hidden by overlaying cover plates available in multiple colors. The clean look of sidewalls with all the fittings hidden is clearly a more appealing design when cabinets are open.
Hiding the lifter fittings is especially important for the design of wall cabinets which are usually mounted at eye level. Grass is the first to market with an invisible flap fitting solution that meets this design requirement, carrying forth its 70-year tradition as a pioneer and innovator.
In addition to the aesthetic advantages, the reduction in size also offers another benefit: the flap lift mechanism takes up very little room, so that storage space can be utilized to its full potential. The movement of the Kinvaro T-Slim is very smooth, secure, and precise.
Wall cabinets with front flaps provide storage space at an ergonomically optimal height. They are easy to reach, and the storage space is quickly accessible. For these reasons, wall cabinets are often used as storage fixtures in kitchens, bathrooms, offices, living rooms, laundry rooms, and bedrooms. The innovative Kinvaro T-Slim flap lifter will make wall cabinets even more usable and attractive.
Visit www.grassusa.com for more information.
Blum Inc., a solutions-oriented provider of functional hardware for cabinetry, is proud to announce that Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Wolfgang Kueng was named the 2023 CFO of the year by the Charlotte Business Journal in the Large Private Business category. This recognition highlights Kueng’s leadership during the challenges of increased product demand during a time of labor, capacity and supply-chain constraints.
“Wolfgang has helped navigate many uncharted waters over the last few years. His expertise and attention to detail have been instrumental for our success,” Shannon Lafferty, Blum Inc. President and CEO said. “As a team, we are proud of Wolfgang’s accomplishments within our business and the community.”
The award from the Charlotte Business Journal is designed to recognize the top financial executives at Charlotte metropolitan area companies. To win this award is a testament to Kueng’s approach to financial success and strategic growth. The CFO of the Year award not only recognizes individual excellence, but also sets Kueng as a role model to finance professionals in the industry.
“I am humbled and honored to be recognized as the CFO of the year by such a prestigious organization,” Kueng said. “This award is not only a reflection of my work, but also of the amazing team that I have the privilege to lead and collaborate with every day. They are the ones who make our company successful, and I owe them a lot of credit and appreciation.”
As the CFO of Blum, Inc. Kueng has played a pivotal role overseeing all aspects of financial management including accounting, financial planning and analysis, risk management, treasury, audit and internal controls, taxes, compliance and legal.
“There has certainly been more pressure in recent years on CFOs,” Kueng told the Charlotte Business Journal. “You can’t get it all done alone nor should you try. I have a great team that I can rely on.”
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Hospitality
Ironwood Manufacturing has developed a breakthrough interior furnishing. Rich and elegant, its components embody unique intellectual property designs, incorporating customized Italian technology for edgebanding and boring, all driven by a European design application not widely used in the U.S.
Tom Deady, general manager at Ironwood, describes one project, constructed for a large aerospace company. “It was intended to match the aesthetic of its private corporate jets,” says Deady. “The Etimoe veneer originated in North Africa, was fumed in Spain, then processed through Danzer Veneer in Indiana. The doorlites are from 3form, and encapsulate silk strands hand-woven in Nepal, between two layers of acrylic.”
The $55 million Riverview Health Westfield Hospital project is special for several reasons for Erica Irvin and the design team at American Structurepoint.
Rebecca 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.
The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino is a premier destination entertainment resort in Las Vegas that features the 11-story Hard Rock Hotel tower with 640 guest rooms; the 17-story Paradise Tower with 490 rooms and suites; and the all-suite HRH Tower with 359 suites, eight spa villas and seven penthouse suites. The property also boasts a large casino space; flexible meeting and convention areas; 4.8 acres of tropical pool paradise; a concert venue, nightclubs, restaurants, lounges, retail stores and a fitness center.
Finishing
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.
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.
A Conestoga is a vehicle used to transport essential goods and open new frontiers. It is also an apt name for North America’s largest manufacturer of custom kitchen door and drawer components. Despite more than 50 years of experience, Conestoga Wood Specialties is anything but old fashioned. The company is continually trailblazing, with ongoing technology investments that increase capacity and deliver new materials across the land.
The beauty, versatility and durability of decorative surfaces have made dramatic impacts on newly built and renovated residences and commercial buildings for decades. They’ve created nearly unlimited design options in a wide variety of wood-based applications, cabinets, molding, flooring, furniture, countertops, store fixtures, doors and shelving.
