Wood Industry Fall 2022

MANAGING

EDGETEQ S-500

Highlights

The selectable feed rate of 16-20, 25 (30) m/min enables demand-based productivity for woodworking shops and for businesses with higher performance requirements.

More possibilities

Thanks to the extended range of units available they provide access to an even wider array of possibilities for individual requirements. PUR, EVA and airTec can be processed with one machine on request.

EDGETEQ S-300

Increased productivity

Multifunctional profile trimming unit for corner rounding and flush trimming.

Short setup times thanks to pneumatic adjustment of the units.

Intuitive operation

Control machine functions directly using the powerTouch monitor in widescreen format. Help and assistant functions simplify operation significantly.

Simple processing

The Intuitive operation with the powerTouch control system and the new woodCommander 5 makes it even faster, safer and more flexible.

Optimal and precise results

Zero joints with airTec for optimum jointfree finish or the flexible glue application system for easy changing of the color and glue type (EVA, PUR).

Industrial manufacturing starts here.

Flexible equipment. Precise units. Fast feed.

A HEARTFELT THANKS FROM THE PUBLISHER

FOR THE LAST FEW MONTHS, I’ve had the great pleasure of travelling across Canada, meeting with our readers, touring shops, and chatting with wood industry stakeholders about where we’ve been, where we are today, and the planning needed to move forward with optimism, grit, and resilience. I am continually humbled by the positive feedback and support we’ve received as we’ve taken steps to develop the Wood Industry / Le monde du bois brand. When we achieve our goals, we do so because others have helped, supported, and directed us along the way. Given October is a month for giving thanks, I wanted to take this opportunity to share my heartfelt appreciation for the many readers who’ve been part of this journey. I’d also like to thank our writers and contributors for digging into the industry issues that matter, as well as the industry associations—the movers and shakers that keep us focused on the future while ensuring we don’t ignore our past. None of this would be possible without you.

Well, the summer sure slipped by quickly, and if there was a vacation in there some where, it’s a long-lost memory now that fall business has ramped up. Happily, we are seeing the return of in-person trade events. First, we have the CWMDA (Canadian Wood Machinery Dealers Association) Woodworking Technology Days Event coming to the To ronto area October 18 through 22nd. Then we have the Kitchen & Bath Canada Show and Conference, also in Toronto, October 26th through 28, followed by the SIBO Trade Show on October 27 through 29 in Drummondville, Quebec. I hope to see you out there, and to be able to share my thanks in person for your ongoing and valued support.

Sincerely,

GRAPHIC

to Cana dian

$60 U.S. and foreign, $20

Sheppard Avenue East, Suite 500, Toronto,

Mike Neeb

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Tafisa’s New VP of Sales and Marketing

The management of Tafisa Canada has appointed Pierre-Luc Bérubé as vice-president of sales and mar keting, effective August 15, 2022. He will succeed Eric Dedekam, who will retire at the end of Oc tober. Bérubé holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from HEC Montréal. He has extensive experience in sales, marketing, and supply chain management. He brings 15 years of industry experi ence to his role, which he acquired in various leadership positions at L’Oréal Canada, then subsequently as general manager for the Matrix & Biolage Canada brand. Over the last three years, he has been sales director for Canada and the United States with the kitchen manufac turer Miralis.

Bérubé’s experience, collabora tive leadership style, and ability to identify and seize business oppor tunities are expected to benefit the company as it continues to execute its development plan and drive market growth.

Bérubé came to the company a little more than a month after Ta fisa Canada announced plans to invest $62 million in a new facility and upgrade an established facility in Lac-Mégantic.

New CKCA Board of Directors

Following its recent AGM, CKCA members voted to elect the Board of Directors for 2022/2023. Heidi Bou dreault has completed her term as president and moved into the pastpresident position. The new Executive Officers include: Pete Fournier, Triangle Kitchen – President Amrita Bhogal, Sunrise Kitchens – Vice-President James Dewinetz, Pacific Rim Cabinets – Treasurer

Heidi Boudreault, Denca Cabinets –Past-President

Sandra Wood, CKCA Staff – Secretary

DIRECTORS: Trevor Chaulk, Chaulk Woodworking Craig Atkinson, Marathon Hardware Joerg Brauns, 2020 Giuseppe Castrucci, Laurysen Kitchens Earl Ducharme, Hafele Canada Varun Gajendran, Lucvaa Kitchens

Gerald Van Woudenberg, Van Arbour Design Luke Elias, Muskoka Cabinet Company

Wes Love, Taurus Craco

CKCA would also like to acknowledge and sincerely thank departing Board member Mike Slobodian, Decor Cabi nets, who also served as CKCA Presi dent 2018 – 2020.

New appointment for AkzoNobel Industrial Coatings

Daniela Vlad has been appointed Managing Director of AkzoNo bel Industrial Coatings. Vlad will lead the strategic direction across a diverse product portfolio, includ ing Coil and Extrusion Coatings, Packaging Coatings, Wood Finish es, and Wood Adhesives.

Bringing a wealth of experience to the role, Vlad joined AkzoNobel from Philips in 2019. Since then, she’s held various key leader ship positions within the coatings businesses, having previously led Automotive and Aerospace activi ties. During the last four years, she successfully led Powder Coat ings through the company’s 15 by 20 journey and implemented an ac

celerated growth strategy under Grow & Deliver.

“I’m both proud and delighted to be leading such a diverse business as Industrial Coatings,” she said. “Its various activities cover a wideranging industry and product port folio. As well as helping customers keep garage doors and building fa cades protected and beautiful, we also coat 50% of all beverage cans, keep kitchens beautiful, wooden floors protected, and hold wooden roof beams together.”

Simard’s New Shareholders

Amid a period of growth at Simard Kitchen and Bath, Mathieu and Vincent Simard announced that Emmanuel Renaud, General Man ager, and Laurie Larochelle, Di rector of Operations, have become shareholders in the company. The announcement supports Simard’s desire to integrate active succes sion into the organization as it strives for continuity and sustained growth. The third-generation, family-owned company remains fo cused on preserving the founder’s legacy by increasing possibilities through advancing technology and reducing manufacturing times.

Weinig’s CEO Appointment

The supervisory board of Michael Weinig AG appointed Gregor Ba umbusch as CEO for a further term of office until December 31, 2027.

Leadership on the management board remained unchanged. Ba umbusch will be supported by Dr. Georg Hanrath (technology) and Axel Steiger (financial).

“This vote is a clear recognition of Gregor Baumbusch’s previous achievements and lends valuable continuity to the company,” said Thomas Bach, chairman of the su

pervisory board. Bach said that it was his firm belief that the contract extension would set the course for the next five years of Weinig: “We know that the huge challenges that lie ahead are in the best hands with him, and we wish him the very best of success.”

Christopher Hacker Receives WMMA’s Baldwin Award of Excellence

The Wood Machinery Manufactur ers of America (WMMA) announced that past president Christopher Hacker received the association’s highest honour, the Ralph B. Bald win Award of Excellence. The an nouncement was made during a special private reception on August 22, at the 2022 International Wood working Fair (IWF) in Atlanta, Georgia. Hacker, who serves as Vice President for James L. Tay lor Mfg. / JLT Clamps / Cameron Automation in Poughkeepsie, New York, has a long history of service to the association and larger indus try. Hacker has been a member of WMMA since 2006, and a dedicated volunteer dating back to 2010 when he became Chair of the Interna tional Business Development Com mittee. In 2011, he took charge of what’s now known as the Member ship Development Committee, and

was responsible for improving the WMMA website and newsletter while championing new advertis ing programs, marketing projects, and increasing membership. From there, he quickly progressed to the Board of Directors, then Treasurer, Vice President, and ultimately Presi dent in 2018-2020. Hacker is cur rently serving a six-year term (20182024) as WMMA’s representative to the IWF Management Committee. He has also participated in numer ous special projects and task forces over the years. The Ralph B. Baldwin Award of Excellence is named for Ralph B. Baldwin, long-time member of the WMMA.

IMA SCHELLING WELCOMES

NEW CFO

Maximilian Lehner will be stepping into the role of CFO at IMA Shelling, succeeding Stefan Gritsch, who has been actively leading the company as managing partner for 21 years. Mov ing forward, Gritsch will be respon sible for the investment management of the Vorariberg-based LEGRO Group GmbH. As the top manage ment holding company, it has signifi cant stakes in various international industrial companies, including IMA Schelling Group GmbH. Gritsch’s task in the future will be the acqui sition and sale of other holdings and

the strategic management of the sub sidiaries.

“I couldn’t ask for a better succes sor than Maximilian Lehner, and I am sure that he will continue to lead the company towards the future with focus and commitment,” said outgoing CFO Stefan Gritsch.

Lehner joined the company in 2015 after studying in London, then working at Schelling in the finance department. He went on to support IMA’s Managing Director in Luebbecke, Germany, where he ran the organizational development department. In 2018, Lehner moved to the sales department where he became global sales director for the entire group in 2019.

Leadership Moves at Canfor Canfor Corporation has announced changes to its senior leadership team.

After 14 years with Canfor, Alan Nicholl, executive vice president of bio-based solutions and pulp opera tions, has accepted the role of man aging director with Licella Holdings, Canfor’s joint venture partner in Arbios Biotech (Arbios). Nicholl will continue to serve as president and CEO of Arbios.

David Calabrigo, senior vice president, corporate development, legal affairs, and corporate secre tary, has assumed responsibility for

leading the Bio-Innovation team as the company continues to pursue op portunities to develop bio-based solu tions to address the growing demand for low carbon, renewable products.

HOMAG CFO’s Appointment Extended

The Supervisory Board of HOMAG Group AG has extended the appoint ment of CFO Rainer Gausepohl until February 28, 2026. Gausepohl has been part of the company’s three-strong Board of Management since Febru ary 2020. Originally due to terminate on February 28, 2023, his contract has been extended by three years.

Gerhard Federer, Chairman of the HOMAG Group AG Supervisory Board, said: “Rainer Gausepohl is an experienced financial expert who has excellent knowledge of the mechani cal engineering business and stands for a structured management style with long-term focus. Since joining HOMAG, he has played a key role in shaping the company’s commercial processes, the organization, and the IT landscape, thus enabling signifi cant efficiency gains. His contract extension is an important signal that HOMAG’s sales growth continues to

be accompanied by a continuous opti mization of the company’s structures and processes.”

THE WTD 2022 MACHINERY SHOWCASE UNVEILED

The third annual Woodworking Tech nology Days event will run from Tues day, October 18th through Sunday October 22nd in eight showrooms throughout Mississauga, Brampton and Cambridge, Ontario. The WTD focuses on new technology, bringing some amazing industry solutions to the labour shortage.

Some of the machines at this year’s showcase include: the Felder patented panel saw safety technology system PCS, winner of a 2022 Challengers Award at the recent IWF fair; from Holz-Her/Weinig, the POWERMAT 700 moulder featuring a new and revo lutionary operating concept; from SCM, the MORBIDELLI X-200 CELL new generation of Nesting CNC machining centres; the Biesse ROVER 5-Axis ma chining centre; from Taurus Craco, the KOCH SPRINT SELECT LINE 5PD drilling/inserting machine; the Akhurst Altendorf Hand Guard panel saw; from IMA Schelling, the Novimat R edge bander; and many more.

Visit the WTD website at www. woodworkingtechnologydays.com to register and see the full list of presenta tions with videos.

Weekly E-digest

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Think you have something to con tribute to the conversation? We’d love to hear from you. Please send us an email at gracet@mediaedge. ca so we can chat about the best way to share your thoughts and opinions with the community. Even if you don’t have news to share, you should still sign up for the weekly e-digest at www.woodindustry. ca/subscribe-to-our-industry-enews/.

Available in both English and French, we share stories about the Wood Industry from across the country.

Trust the Clean Air Experts.

WHY I QUIT ARCHITECTURE TO DESIGN MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE

Filling homes with memories

By Anh Ly, Designer of Mim Concept

It started with passion. I grew up being creative — dancing, painting, and playing music. From the feel of my piano bench where I sat and practiced, to the floors where I danced to ABBA, my home was leaving memories in me, just as I was leaving memories in my home.

I learned great practical value aspects at Curtin University in Western Australia. Over the years, I developed a tremen dous passion for architecture and found inspiration in my professors, including the one and only Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. I relished being an academic and taking in everything Mies brought to the world. As one of the most influential ar chitects of the 20th century and the titan of the minimalist style of “less is more,” his methodologies flooded every part of my being. Mies rejected traditional sys

tems of his times, injected minimal inter secting planes, and dissolved the bound aries between interior and exterior. This concepts became part of everything I created, then and still today. I worked my way to a Master of Architecture by age 23 and took on my first position at Baumschlager Eberle.

At this time, doing a startup wasn’t on my mind. Instead, using my educa tion, I worked closely with building ser vice engineers, construction managers, quantity surveyors, and architectural technologists, creating building designs

- ANH LY

and proposals to heighten my skills. We designed great solutions, and there, a passage from my thesis was proven to be true:

The Dwelling - Since early man, built form has played a significant role in ensuring survival and comfort for its occupants. Dwellings required a tempo rary nature due to the continuous move ment of people, but as time has gone on, the concept of “dwelling” has become far more permanent. Due to this contempo rary permanence of “dwelling,” the con cept of the home began.

“I QUICKLY UNDERSTOOD THE NEED FOR BEAUTIFUL DESIGN COMBINED WITH FUNCTIONAL DESIGN”

Yet the concept of home developed far beyond this simple explanation. Histori cally, the term home was not limited to that of physical structure. On a grander scale, one’s township or country may feel like home (often expressed through the longing for one’s home or homesick ness). It is within the residential that both architecture and psychology have a significant influence on the feeling of home. The current architectural envi ronment appears to lack any real focus on the development of homes. It seems to favour the object and its cosmetic experi ence rather than design that reflects the needs of occupants and how they will live within the spaces.

To understand home, it is essential first to understand how we perceive it, and we must analyse the conscious and the unconscious regarding their effect on the topic of house and home.

After a few years as an architect, I was ready for a new challenge; I left Perth and found my way to Ontario. At David Small Designs Inc., I specialized in designing building interiors for safety, functionality, and aesthetics; creating mood boards; and extending my design skill-set to tackle furniture for various clients. I quickly understood the need

for beautiful design combined with func tional design. This experience was fun damental in shaping the very foundation of what my brand is today.

Like Mies, if I’m bold enough to say, I wanted more than to design pieces for select customers; I wanted to break boundaries. I had shared my vision for a retail brand in past roles, but it wasn’t yet time to give birth to Mim Concept. But in 2018, the urges inside me to do more had to be set free; I needed to realize my ideas for a brand with which people could cre ate memories. My thoughts were scoffed at; maybe they thought a woman couldn’t do it, I wasn’t brave enough, or it was too difficult. That drove me to show the world it’s not true; maybe I enjoy being the un derdog, seeking the hurdles that others shy away from, and thriving when taking personal responsibility for success and failure. It was time to create my own.

Place and identity are inextricably bound to one another — we hold from the memories of those spaces and places that shaped us, where we live, and how we live. The idea of Mim Concept is be ing a part of those moments. Moments that distinguish your home from others, moments that make your home ‘home,’ moments that make home a haven where

all social standards and expectations are non-existent.

Long before I dreamed of architec ture, the word “home” had always had a profound and unique meaning, as much as we shape them; therefore, our home also shapes us. In 2018, I left architec ture and decided to become a designer, entrepreneur, and woman willing to take a risk. Architecture left me with design principles: minimalism is exquisite, less is more, and form follows function. With all my experiences, Mim Concept brings affordable luxurious furniture that lasts and grows old with you.

Looking back, my early experiences probably paved my way to being willing to take risks and venture on my own even today. The adventures of a job couldn’t offer me the opportunities and new challenges I needed, nor provide the new set of goals like my parents did for me back in Vietnam. Maybe this will be another step to another mountain, but I can already say it’s the most challeng ing and rewarding endeavour I’ve tak en. It has pushed me past limits, forced me to learn faster, battle patience, and create furniture that is an affordable luxury, will last, and grow old with you in your home.

R

EVOLUTION

Silentia+

new-generation of soft close hinges from Salice.

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.

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shape to be perfectly adjusted.

THE IMPORTANCE OF BACKING UP YOUR DATA

By Jim Mitchell, Planit Canada Technical Consultant

maintaining backups of your data. You should always keep three copies of your production data, including two different storage mediums and one offsite copy for disaster recovery. The data origi nates or centralizes here, and you know how many hours of setup, configuration, and design work it represents. This data is essential to you and your business, and its loss would set you back signifi cantly.

WHAT ARE THE THREE TYPES OF BACKUPS?

Your three storage mediums could in clude an external hard drive, a Network Attached Storage (NAS), and cloudbased storage.

Backup Medium One

Now that we’ve understood how im portant your production data is to you, you’ve made a copy of it to a device such as an external hard drive, a NAS (net work-attached storage), a tape drive, or some appropriate type of storage media adequate in size for your backup needs. Now, if something were to happen to your production data, you could recover easier with a well-maintained backup of your data.

Backup Medium Two

WHAT IS DATA BACKUP USED FOR?

The purpose of data backup is to create a copy that can be recovered in case your primary data is lost. Data loss can come in many forms, such as ransomware, hardware failure, corruption, malware, natural disasters such as fire or floods, or maybe even a break-in that could leave you needing to rebuild from scratch.

Having one copy of data in one loca tion may seem like enough but imagine

if the unthinkable happens; a water main break completely floods your server room, destroying equipment. Where are your backups, and will you have what you need to restore into pro duction?

WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO BACK UP YOUR DATA?

The 3-2-1 principle of data backups is the tried, tested, and true method for

While you strive to be continuously op timistic, you’re also aware of Murphy’s law that states, “Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong,” and make yet an other copy of your data to maintain on an added media. Your last media type was an external hard drive, and you’re now considering a NAS (Network-At tached Storage) to simplify the process. Still, regardless any added media type fits the 3-2-1 principle.

- JIM MITCHELL

Backup Medium Three

You now may feel we have reached a level of paranoia. How many back ups of data do you need? To outline the importance of the offsite backup, we need to consider aspects outside of potential hardware failures and physical scenarios such as losing devices to natural disasters such as fire, flood, or break-ins.

Many people have a cloud-based storage solution such as Microsoft One Drive or Google Drive. They may not even be aware of it but backing up to

one of these, or a similar provider fits the model of 3-2-1 for offsite storage.

HOW MUCH DOES CLOUD BACKUP COST?

Backup Storage Pricing

Below we address some of the costs as sociated with a backup storage. Cloud backup storage can vary in price, and many users may already be using a ser vice that includes cloud storage, such as Microsoft or Google Suites.

Understanding the pricing scope will help you determine the initial invest

ment needed to implement the 3-2-1 of backups for your business. It is worth noting that the cost associated with pre ventative measures is far less than the cost related to disaster recovery.

Developing a strategy for maintain ing data is essential to the success of your business. Adapting the 3-2-1 of data backup is the base fundamentals for all sizes of organizations across the globe. The sooner you adopt these or similar principles, the easier and more natural it becomes to mitigate the risk and cost associated with data loss.

Heat, cleanliness, and more BEYOND CUTTING TOOL QUALITY

By Roger Bouffard, Normand Specialist in Cutting Tools

BEWARE OF THE HEAT

Heat is a destructive element for the cutting edge of a tool, and it is, therefore, essential to have the correct parameters to avoid any unnecessary friction. When in op eration, the tool must evacuate chips rather than dust. The reason for this is that the chip carries heat with it. If the chip is too thin, the feed rate should be increased un til the finishing quality is no lon ger acceptable. Subsequently, the speed should be gradually reduced to match. This will ensure that the highest possible output is obtained from the tool.

Our representatives can assist you in choosing your next tools by advising you on the different feed and rotation speeds that will pro long the life of your tooling without sacrificing the finishing process.

PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO CLEANLINESS

Each application requires a proper analysis to choose the best-suited cutting tool for the task. Using the right cutting tool will save you time and money depending on the machine’s brand, the material being processed, and the shape of the surfaces in question. A well-thought-out choice will allow you to get the greatest performance out of your CNC machining centre.

The chucks and collets used to fit the cutting tools on a machine are of paramount importance as they constitute the mandatory trans mission path to achieve the preci sion expected from your machining centre.

The chucks must always be clean and tidy, using specialized prod ucts that do not contain petroleum. The chucks and spring collets should never have traces of resin, rust, or signs of damage caused by shocks. It’s important to know that the life span of a spring col let is typically between 500 and 700 working hours.

A solution worth looking at THE BENEFITS OF OUTSOURCING

By Grace Tatigian

The lack of skilled workforce is a pinch that we’ve all been feeling for a while, and last issue, we explored automation as a long-term solution to the problem. For this issue, we’re looking at a shorter-term solution to the problem: outsourcing.

Within the broader world of manu facturing, that’s the first logical step. Many large companies are looking to cut corners and save money where pos sible, but that comes at a price. Many in our industry aren’t willing to pay that price and aren’t willing to com promise on quality. Most of our read ers take pride in their products being manufactured in Canada and aren’t interested in sending their work over seas. The idea of outsourcing can be scary to some — many associate the term with sending the work out of the country to somewhere with underpaid staff and fewer regulations. Luckily, there are domestic companies who are prepared to take on the work.

If you’re a company that has planned ahead, invested in automa

tion, and secured a strong team, you have the luxury of taking on more projects. This means you can put the time and effort into marketing and sales to find independent customers, or you can partner with competitors and take on the work they can’t han dle. An arrangement like this stands to be beneficial to both parties; the outsourcer can get back on schedule, and the outsourcee can make the most of their remaining production capac ity. Outsourcing can also be a way around supply chain issues, rising business operation costs, and more. It can provide the temporary relief you need to get your business back on track.

“We do expect the supply chain will settle down as the world re

turns to a new level of normal later in 2022/2023,” said Sandra Wood, Executive Director of the CKCA. “The demand and expectations for products will level off. There is no doubt that with current trends, our industry will continue to be kept busy in the foreseeable future — this is good news! But the difficulty around the labour shortage poses the big gest hurdle we have ever faced. This industry-wide challenge will require more creativity and tenacity than ever before. As an industry, we are working together on this unifying issue with other organizations be cause we know that to affect change, we must collaborate and innovate to gether if we want to see this industry thrive and prosper.”

- SANDRA WOOD

One company that is undoubt edly thriving is Lev2 Millwork. This family-owned business designs and manufactures luxury custom cabine try, commercial interiors, and readyto-ship affordable whole home cabinet solutions. They have also been taking in other companies’ outsourced work.

“We have build spaces available for both cabinetry and MDF CNC work along with long-term availability for our new automated paint line,” said Chris Thompson, Director of E-Com merce and Business Development at Lev2. “If you have need of a partner to help you with your projects, please reach out to us; we are happy to work with you. From concept to prototype to large-scale production, we deliver high-quality products in a timely fash ion. We use state-of-the-art equip ment to deliver speed, scalability, and precision to you and your end user.”

This can also be an excellent solu tion for small companies who want to provide more to their clients. If it’s hard enough to keep up with demand, offering detailed component options or more finishes is likely unrealistic. Having a partner with the capacity to deliver that level of work can elevate your offerings.

“We understand that by paying at tention to the little things, we make the biggest difference, no matter how large the project,” said Thompson. “That’s why, with our advanced inhouse expertise and technology, we’re here to help you regain control of your schedules. We can create anything you need from commercial level flat pack product all the way up to com plete custom products.”

This idea of partnership might seem counterintuitive, but it works on similar principles to that of clusters and associations: like-minded corpo rations working towards a common goal. The reason it’s a challenging en vironment right now is not that there’s a lack of work; instead, there’s so much work that it’s tough to keep up.

“Many define the current situa tion as the ‘perfect storm.’ No matter what label you use, the bottom line is you’re in business to make money, and remaining profitable in this envi

ronment can be difficult,” said Wood. “These are challenging times to be in our industry, and you have done an amazing job of operating despite the many obstacles faced. Supply chain, COVID-19, health and safety, labour shortage, increased business opera tion costs, to name a few.”

The kitchen cabinet industry in Canada generates an estimated $1.5 billion in annual sales and employs more than 25,000 individuals in an estimated 4,000 SMEs; there’s more than enough to go around.

“NO MATTER WHAT LABEL YOU USE, THE BOTTOM LINE IS YOU’RE IN BUSINESS TO MAKE MONEY”

Plywood is used in many interior applications that need a high-quality, high-strength sheet material. Quality in this context means resistance to cracking, breaking, shrinkage, twisting, and warping — all important when building a kitchen. For a decorative surface, plywood cabinets can be faced with hardwood, including birch, oak, maple, ash, mahogany, teak, and many other hardwoods.

Plywood for kitchen use generally uses marine-grade plywood designed to with stand moisture. It uses a water-resistant phenol-formaldehyde glue to prevent de lamination and retain strength in high humidity. Cabinet-grade plywood is generally made from hardwood with the inherent properties of the source wood providing the colour and pattern. Birch and ash are often used and have a beau tiful light colour. The options for cabinet doors are endless: from plain contempo rary and cottage panels to decorative de

signs. Choose to keep the wood aesthetic or add a paint finish to suit the kitchen style.

The adhesives used in plywood have become a point of concern for homeown ers and environmentally conscious build ings. As a result, many manufacturers are turning to low formaldehyde-emit ting glue systems, denoted by an “E” rating. Plywood produced to “E0” has effectively zero formaldehyde emissions. In addition to the glues being brought to the forefront, the wood resources them selves are becoming the focus of manu facturers, due in part to energy conser vation and concern for natural resources.

The sustainability of plywood is de termined by how the wood is being sourced and the manufacturing process. The wood wastage of the plywood manu facturing process is significantly less than traditional lumber practices, and

we choose to work with Canadian For est Stewardship Council (FSC) certified plywood to guarantee ethical manufac turing and ensure the plywood is form aldehyde-free.

One of the many great aspects of plywood is its affordability, mak ing it an ethical and budget-friendly option. There are several certifica tions available to manufacturers who participate in these programs. Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC), FSC, Leadership in Energy and Environ mental Design (LEED), Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), and Green guard are all certification programs that ensure that production and con struction practices are sustainable. Many of these programs offer tax benefits to the manufacturer and, ul timately, the end user.

Tips for hiring a business consultant EXPERTISE YOU CAN TRUST

The pressures that small and medium-sized business owners face can be intense. Starting, taking over, or learning to manage a business is hard enough as it is. Still, such owners also often have to play the roles of VP Finance, Head of HR, Director of Sales, Marketing Specialist, and many more, all at once. Small business owners can quickly run out of capacity and mental strength with so many hats to wear. Having no time to “do it all” is one of the top stresses of small business owners.

Consultants can provide expertise and an objective eye to help guide a busi ness, with consultants specializing in various industries and areas, including strategy and management, operations, human resources, finances, funding op portunities, IT, and more.

Despite the benefits of business consulting services, some business owners may be wary of engaging them. Researcher Lance Lindon has complained that consultants

“would borrow our watch to tell us what time it is.” That is, some business owners may feel that con sultants cannot tell them anything that they don’t already know. Other business owners and managers may reject consultants out of discomfort with sharing the business’s prob lems with an outsider.

However, both concerns can be alleviated by choosing the right con sultant for your business, one whose

expertise will make a real difference to your firm’s growth.

Select a consultant with a proven record of results. You might speak to other business owners and managers in your circle and see if you can get a rec ommendation.

You can also dig into the backgrounds of potential consultants through their websites and social media sites. Who have consultants worked for, and what is their educational experience? How long have they been in business? Such information will help ensure that your chosen consultant is a qualified expert who will provide concrete results.

For instance, your government fund ing consultants should understand fund ing programs and possess sharp project management abilities. Your ideal IT consultant should have a deep under standing of the relevant hardware and software and excellent communication skills. The Journal of International Man agement Studies identifies the following additional key soft skills for consultants:

• Capacity to cognitively collect, syn thesize, and analyze information about a business

• Empathy for the client’s situation

• Discretion about the client’s opera tions

• Adaptation to the client’s readiness for change and available resources

• Ability to “read” the client’s environ ment and fit in Consultants should understand your motives for engaging them and ap proach the consulting work as a part nership. Development of this partner ship can be the key to a business owner saving time and money and reducing stress while positioning the company for longevity and success.

BUILDING DREAM HOMES

Olympic kitchens’ custom approach

By Matthew Bradford, Wood Industry Contributing Writer

It’s not easy making dream homes come true in less-than-ideal markets. Nevertheless, Torontobased Olympic Kitchens Inc. is a testament to how industry experience, airtight planning, and solid relationships tip the scales.

Founded in 1973 by brothers George and Jim Katsis, the family-run outfit is no stranger to navigating industry speedbumps. And today, those speed bumps range from material delays to pricing uncertainties, timing re straints, and beyond.

“It’s a tough landscape,” says cur rent Olympic Kitchens’ lead Louie Katsis. “We’re seeing companies similar to us that can’t get materials. Then, there are companies in Toron to filing for insolvency because they priced jobs a year ago that ended up being delayed, and now they’re com ing back to those projects to find that the costs of materials have risen dra matically.”

Olympic Kitchens has witnessed these challenges first-hand. However, the team’s affinity for planning and managing expectations is key to its ongoing success.

“We’re seeing a lot of companies in our space enter untenable situa tions where they can’t survive. We are quoting projects today that are to be installed eight months from now,” said Katsis. “So when we take deposits, we’re saying, ‘We’ll secure your or der now, but we won’t know the price of material you want for your kitchen until the drawings are finalized, and it comes time to order, so we’ll need to reprice when we get to that point.”

He admits these can be difficult conversations, but giving clients a heads up from the start helps create a mutual understanding.

“After a few conversations, most will get that we’re in a weird and un predictable time right now and that we’re not trying to rip anyone off; we’re just trying to cover ourselves.”

Establishing realistic timelines also helps. According to Katsis, the

gold standard for custom home jobs is typically four months, including four weeks to discuss and finalize plans and twelve weeks for manufacturing and installation. Yet, with current supply chain delays making the wait for materials even longer, he suggests getting orders in as soon as possible and being upfront with clients about how long the process might take.

“If someone approaches you and says they’re building a custom home and will be ready to install cabinets in three months, well, you have to set those expectations right up front and say, ‘It could take four weeks or months to fi nalize plans and time after that to get everything we need to install,’” says Katsis. “Clients don’t often

know what it takes to get through the process, so getting them on the same page as early as possible is the best approach.”

Of course, maintaining strong in dustry relationships can make a dif ference in times of stress. Herein, Olympic Kitchens’ success is owed in no small part to the reputation it has with long-time suppliers.

- LOUIE KATSIS

“CLIENTS DON’T OFTEN KNOW WHAT IT TAKES TO GET THROUGH THE PROCESS, SO GETTING THEM ON THE SAME PAGE AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE IS THE BEST APPROACH”

“We’ve been fortunate to have great suppliers,” Katsis says. “They’ve re ally taken care of us and given us a heads up when certain materials are running low. That communication has been key in helping us get through this.”

Olympic Kitchens has kept busy over recent years. Recently, it put its experiences and industry relation ships to work in bringing a custom home to life in Hamilton, Ontario. The 3,500 sq. ft. project included the in stallation of a new kitchen, connecting wall units, a bar area, and additional ground-level amenities. Elsewhere, Katsis and the team worked on a main floor powder room, an upstairs laun dry, and multiple bathrooms.

“This was a welcome challenge for us, and it turned out amazing,” says Katsis. “We were working with a young couple who had bought a piece of land, tore down the existing prop erty, and came to us looking for some one who would help them build their dream home.”

The project took nearly five months to complete, from the initial design to the final installation. Simultaneously, Olympic Kitchens successfully applied the abovementioned strategies and worked closely with the pair to realize their vision.

“It helped that they had a specific style in mind,” adds Katsis. “The wife had done her research well in advance and came to us with images and online pictures we used for inspiration.”

This latest Hamilton project adds one more showpiece to Olympic Kitch ens’ portfolio. Looking ahead, Katsis says the team is eager to help more dream homes take shape and build on the family name.

THE FASTEST NON-CONTACT TRIGGERING SAFETY DEVICE IN THE WORLD!

Felderʼs Preventative Contact System-PCS prevents accidents at the speed of light.

Every woodworker (and woodworking company) has ten good reasons not to compromise when it comes to working safetyPCS prevents accidents and assures dexterity and a quality handshake forever!

Today, all state-of-the-art saws and panel saws need to have standard safety equipment such as a splitter and an overhead saw guard in accordance with the applicable Ontario Health and Safety accident prevention regulations. For some years, there has also been a technical solution that largely prevents cuts due to instant blockage of the saw blade, but it destroys the saw blade as well as the saw unit. The consequential costs for the repair are the price that you have to pay for saving one or more fingers. Until now, because there is a better way:

• If the system detects movement past a certain threshold - which surrounds the saw blade and protects against access from all directions - a safety lowering mechanism is triggered. The system lowers the sawblade below the circular saw bench a few milliseconds after a risk detection. Its extremely fast response time is possible thanks to the principle of electromagnetic repulsion, says Felder.

• The safety lowering mechanism does not cause any damage to the blade or incur extra costs. And the table saw will be ready for reuse at the push of a button.

• The PCS system doesn’t feature any wear parts - avoiding the need to adjust or maintain anything beyond regular machine maintenance.

system is amazing. No one else has anything comparable to the system. It acts without being touched, it drops down at light speed without causing any damage, and the customer is able to restart the machine right away.

Robert Tratter, Head of R&D at the Felder Group

1Surveillance of danger zone with advance approach detection.

In the case of an unexpected fast approach in the saw blade area the PCS drop down safety feature is triggered. The area of protection encloses the sawblade and prevents access from any direction.

2

Accident prevention in a matter of milliseconds.

After detecting the risk of an accident PCS triggers the retraction of the saw blade under the table in a matter of a few milliseconds. The method used on the electro magnet repulsion principle enables a never before achieved ultra fast action time.

FELDER GROUP

ON 1-866-922-8879 info@felder-group.ca

3Immediately ready for use again. The Panel saw with the PCS retraction is ready for use again at the touch of a button and does not require additional attention or cleaning cycles. Felders Preventative Contact System is available on the Kappa 550 Emotion

FELDER GROUP CALGARY, AB

BURNABY, BC Ultimate Tools 1-604-291-WOOD(9663) felder@ultimatetools.ca

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DEALER

A vision for the future of forestry RENEW, REJUVENATE, REIMAGINE

By Patrick Christie, TWIG Organizer

Today we are creating an industry-leading forest products innovation ecosystem for the livelihoods of people who live and work in the forest regions of BC.

Rooted in wood science, informed by craft, and focused on increasing connectivity through design and creativity, every month we come together to discuss ideas, share information, and find solutions for the projects we are working on.

Our organizing team took this year to reflect on the past, our successes, key connections, and moments and to look ahead to create something that would be long-standing, with sustainable perpetual growth. The past 18 months were focused on R+D and prototyping of different formats, and skilling up to host the events in an online format. We built a new website, and developed our voice and positionality to help set a course for the next three years. One of the core initiatives we kickstart at TWIG is “The Perennial.” We created it to get input and feedback from the industry with a future vision of it being something biggersomething physical (and in-person).

The Perennial is a recurring com ing-together event to celebrate new growth, deepen our relationships, and find collective strength through con nected action. Our goal is to renew, re juvenate and reimagine a shared vision for the future of forestry in our prov ince and beyond.

Over the years at Outside the Box, we hosted some amazing guests who shared their stories, research, innovations, ideas, and artworks. Some memorable moments included David Robinson, an artist and Indigenous educator working with youth, using carving as a medium and medicine for transformation and sto rytelling. Susan Simard joined us after filming her TED talk and spoke about how trees communicate through mush room networks. And Michael Dunn, a local luthier who’s been making guitars that are works of art since 1965. The re lationship with UBC took us to the Mal colm Knapp research forest, Botanical Garden, and Treewalk on campus, and inside the Center for Advanced Wood Processing and research labs at FP

Innovations. Our group also hosted international voices, such as Lars Sandberg, an entrepreneur in resi dence at FP Innovations from Swe den, and presented concepts for the future of the BioEconomy in 2015.

Over the years, many relationships were formed, enabling a handful of

projects and new businesses to start. Although TWIG was not directly re sponsible for this success, the group was a place where these people felt belonging and could ask specific questions and get expert feedback due to knowledge of people within the network. When we asked ourselves

who we should host and what we should feature as part of the monthly online series, we looked within our community and asked longtime par ticipants to come back and talk about their journey. The third monthly fea tured Rangate, an integrated tooling machine and woodworking supply

company that assisted in engineering an outswing solid wood passive house window for West Tek. The fifth fea tured Adam Corneil, the CEO of Un builders and Heritage Lumber, who spoke about reclaiming high-quality old growth from homes. The seventh was the history of ChopValue and their franchise venture with chop

sticks, where TWIG member John Neels is leading the fifth franchise expansion to Chilliwack. At the most recent monthly, we got a virtual tour of the purpose-built wood tile factory in Port Alberni, BC, where Timber Tiles has just started production of Hemlock subway tile heading to mar ket this year.

Looking ahead, TWIG will be aligning its programming with the fall and spring semesters at universities where we hope to attract those studying in wood-based programs or interested in joining the conversations each month. We are reaching out to local wood-success stories like Michael Green Architecture and working to develop more partnerships with aligned organizations to expand the discussion around the use of wood. This year we were able to foster a collaboration with the third-year Industrial Design Class at Emily Carr University led by Christian Blyt and the Unbuilders through Adam Corneil, where students worked with 2x4 reclaimed lumber to develop a furniture set featuring a table and benches.

We are looking forward to hosting our first “pitch” night in August, inviting people to talk about any new ideas they have — a place for budding ideas to get exposed, and our panel discussion to launch our fall programming, which will focus on purpose-built microstructures.

Day by day, month by month, year by year, it’s an iterative process that is ever-changing and ever-evolving. The life of a tree is simple yet highly complex as we still don’t fully understand how these excellent natural innovations function, nor can we recreate them. We like to think of TWIG similarly, adjusting and adapting to seasonal changes, the importance of roots to keep us grounded and being a participator in a larger ecosystem. As life moves back to being more physical and in person, we won’t be returning to normal. We will adapt and evolve again and keep with us the capacity to use technologies to stay connected, spread knowledge, and pair that with the physicality of hands-on learning. When we started TWIG, we realized that we could host not only a local conversation or one that’s province-wide, but we could potentially involve all parts of the globe where wood grows and where the industry needs to evolve for the betterment of humanity.

Building Trust. Creating Together.

October 18 -

OMNITECH SELEXX SERIES

High-Performance Nesting CNC Router for Maximum Output

The Omnitech Systems Selexx Series CNC Router has been developed specifically for higher production CNC router requirements demanding the utmost precision and accuracy, all within a cost-effective investment. It is the ideal CNC router for nesting applications as it is packed with standard and optional features to maximize output. Available as a stand-alone solution with automatic part offloading or integrated into a full line solution.

ANDERSON STRATOS PRO FULL LINE

Maximum Throughput, High Volume Nesting CNC Router Solution

The Anderson Stratos Pro Full Line CNC Router System is a fully integrated automatic nesting CNC router line that greatly reduces cycle times by shortening the loading & unloading operations. It is equipped with our unique one step loading system that can grab the panel and load it into the machine in a single operation

PINING OVER BUG-DAMAGED WOOD

Beetle-killed forests can create stunning salvaged products

By Clare Tattersall, Coverings Editor and Wood Industry Contributing Writer

About 20 years ago, a rice-sized insect began to wreak havoc on British Columbia’s interior landscape. In one year alone, 140 cubic metres of mature lodgepole pine were wiped out. What was left behind was a barren forest filled with blue-grey-stained, needleless trees.

brown, orange, yellow, red and pink. The ‘tinting’ is purely cosmetic and does not affect the structural integrity of the wood. And because it is an all-natural and organic product, no stains or paints are needed to enhance it.

This situation is not unique to the coun try’s westernmost province or Cana da. Similar devastation can be found throughout the Western United States. However, all is not lost, thanks to com panies like Sustainable Lumber Co., Al pine Blue Home and Azure Furniture Co. that specialize in producing recy cled, reclaimed and sustainable timber products. This includes beetle-killed pine. Instead of letting these trees rot on the stump, they salvage them.

Beetle-killed pine is used for pine trees killed by the mountain pine beetle, a member of a group of insects known as bark beetles. This tiny insect has decimated more than 100 million acres of timber at an 80 to 90% kill rate in Canada and the U.S. The mountain pine beetle bores into the wood, lays its eggs, and ultimately suffocates the tree by cutting off its water and nutrient supply. The beetle lives out its life cycle within

the bark, except for when adults emerge and attack new trees.

After the beetle kills a tree, it be comes known as dead-standing timber. If left in the forest, the dead tree will eventually fall over, decay, and either become fuel for catastrophic wildfires or release its carbon back into the atmo sphere, resulting in higher greenhouse gases. However, if harvested within five years, the tree can be manufactured into wood products like siding, wall planks and panelling, cabinets, shelves, doors, furniture, moulding, flooring and decorative accessories, such as mirrors, wine racks, and more.

The distinct blue ‘stain’ of beetlekilled pine results in one-of-a-kind wood products. Created by the fungus carried by the mountain pine beetle that stops the tree from producing its natural defence resin, each board’s co lour varies and can include blue, purple,

In the case of Sustainable Lumber, it ‘hand picks’ beetle-killed ponderosa pine trees found in the Big Hole Val ley of Montana that range between 100 and 400 years old. Due to its thick bark, ponderosa pines hold moisture in the tree ten times longer than com mercially harvested lodgepole pine. This moisture allows the fungus from the mountain pine beetle to penetrate deeper into the wood to create the vast array of colours seen in the company’s sustainable wood products. Sustainable Lumber also selectively harvests older trees because they have a very tight ring count, typically 15 to 20 rings per inch, that create stronger boards for its wood flooring products.

After visually grading and methodi cally cutting the trees to maximize the natural colour and character, Sustain able Lumber slowly kiln dries every plank at 125 F for between 10 and 14 days to 6-8% moisture. This prevents shrinkage of the wood and kills 100% of the fungus that created the natural dis colouration in the tree.

Beetle-killed wood products are gen erally more expensive than those manu factured from living trees because only approximately half of a beetle-killed tree can be salvaged. As well, it’s a very la bour-intensive production process, often requiring defects in the wood to be man ually removed using a mitre saw. Howev er, some products like Sustainable Lum ber’s wood flooring are less costly than other species like oak, hickory, walnut, maple and ash.

THREE MUDROOM ESSENTIALS

Designing a space that works for the whole family

By Rhonda Thornton

When it comes to residential cabinetry, there’s no question that most of the projects are destined for the kitchen or the bathroom. However, there is a lot to be said for the potential of the mudroom in large family homes. Often forgotten because they aren’t a lived-in room, properly furnishing and designing that space can make a big difference to a busy family’s hectic lifestyle.

Odds are, most only think about their mudroom when it’s causing them prob lems, but we believe that this space should never be an afterthought. A functional mudroom can make a huge difference in the efficiency and organi zation of the entire family — and who wouldn’t want that, especially during the back-to-school month?

CUSTOM-BUILT STORAGE

By nature, mudrooms tend to be pretty small in terms of square footage. Nev ertheless, with proper planning, it’s possible to fit in plenty of storage by get ting a little creative. Most families rely on haphazard baskets and bins to keep track of outerwear, bags, and footwear, but custom-built cabinetry can provide a tailored solution to unique challenges. This is an ideal way to organize tattered dog toys, smelly sports equipment, and mountains of shoes that would other wise create tripping hazards and eye sores. Talk to your client about their lifestyle and the challenges preventing them from getting out the door. Much like a kitchen, it’s essential to under stand how your client uses this space so that you can design the right fixtures for them.

In terms of storage and looking beyond cabinetry, hooks are also a functional and necessary addition to the mudroom built-ins. These are great for guests’ coats or grab-andgo items like school bags. Finally, include a boot tray for the family’s snowy or muddy outdoor shoes.

A PLACE TO SIT

Somewhere to sit is a necessary and of ten forgotten detail. Be sure to include a space where your customers can sit down and organize themselves daily. No one wants to hop around their mud room, trying to get their boots on. This is also great for parents who need to help their little ones get dressed before heading out the door. We love incorpo rating benches into our mudroom de signs. To make the best use of the space, you can include storage under the seat

and hooks along the wall. This setup is functional, and the bench cushion allows customers to play with fun patterns and colour. A custom built-in bench also ensures stability and effective use of space. There is no need for the customer to go out and find the right piece to fit into their newly renovated mudroom.

KEEP CLEANING IN MIND

It’s no mystery why it’s called a mud room — this is where people will ditch all of their outerwear when they come back home. It’s bound to get a little dirty, especially in the winter. Ideally, the material used for the cabinetry will be one that can handle getting wet and is easy to wipe down. In the mudroom, TFL is a great option to work with be

cause it can take a little more wear and tear than natural wood.

Finally, depending on how much room you’re working with, a sink might be a helpful addition to the space. That way, there will be no need to walk through the house to the kitchen to wash your hands after working in the garage or garden. That also makes it easy to fill up a bucket to quickly mop up the salt stains that build up throughout the winter.

THE TAKEAWAY

The mudroom can transform your cli ent’s family’s organization and timeli ness. If you’re redesigning this small but mighty space, put practicality and storage first.

RESPONDING TO CHANGE

Reaping the benefits of an ERP

By Sandra Wood, Executive Director, CKCA

Stanley Walter is like many of CKCA’s members; he wears many hats and is responsible for production, purchasing, and marketing within his company. It’s no secret our industry is under duress from ongoing challenges with supply chain, price increases, restrictions of COVID-19, and client/builder expectations. Stanley and his team are living through it too, but they are managing it and believe there are reasons why they are not as panicked as some companies are.

A GROWING ENTERPRISE

Netley Millwork is located in Pe tersfield, Manitoba. Operated by the Netley Hutterite Colony, Netley Millwork came to be in 1999 out of a desire to use traditional Hutter ite craftsmanship combined with modern manufacturing capabilities to serve the high need for custom cabinets and millwork in the Win nipeg area.

Netley’s story will sound famil iar to many. They started with just 1,000 sq. ft. of the shop and progres sively added more space over the years. Now they have a combination of a 2,000 sq. ft. showroom and an 8,000 sq. ft. finishing shop, plus their main manufacturing facility is 25,000 sq. ft., and in 2022 they’ll be finish ing a further expansion into another 30,000 sq. ft. Netley now employs 20 full-time employees and has two main manufacturing facilities.

CKCA: Why do customers come to you?

Walter: We provide a completely cus tomized experience for our customers and emphasize one-on-one interaction between the customer and our design ers to help properly plan out their space. Doing this streamlines the process and gives the customers a unique connection to our side of the equation.

CKCA: Who are your customers?

Walter: We do 50% private residen tial, 20% builder, 20% dealers, and about 10% commercial. The vast ma jority of our customers are through word of mouth and builders. We also have a partnership with Nu Trend Kitchens in Brandon, Manitoba, to serve the Western Manitoba region, which has worked well for us.

CKCA: How far out are you currently booking business?

Walter: We have never been as busy as we are now and, as a result, we are actively booking into September/Oc tober. This is partly due to the high work volume and the longer lead times for components, materials, and hardware.

CKCA: Where do you see your business in the next 5-10 years?

Walter: We are adding 30,000 square feet of manufacturing space to help

keep up with the high demand in the Winnipeg and Manitoba market.

As everyone knows, the housing market is very active right now.

While everyone is busy, we want to expand our capabilities to diversi fy our customer base further.

A combination of private residen tial, builders, dealers, and commer cial has always given us a unique mix of customers and helps protect our business against economic fluctua tions. We also feel that as the cost of single detached homes keeps increas

ing, there will be more demand for multi-unit residential projects such as apartments and condos. Increas ing our manufacturing capacity al lows us to serve our customers in that area better.

CKCA: With the high pressure on companies right now, what steps are you taking to ensure you are not operating in a reactive mode?

Walter: Our entire industry has re acted to everything happening in the past year. By now, everyone has been dealing with the struggles of a supply chain in complete disarray. Because of this and all the uncertainty, it has become essential to see four to five months ahead in the manufacturing process and recognize where we are in inventory and what is needed for future projects.

We have been using Enterprise resource planning (ERP) software from Cienapps (another CKCA partner!) for 5+ years now, and it has allowed us to manage our in ventory down to each hardware item for each project.

We have been highly proactive in knowing what items are needed for each project, when it is required, and where it is in the supply chain. We also have great partnerships with suppliers like Richelieu, Blum Canada, Robert Bury, Whitewood, Mckillican, and many others. We have been highly proactive in estab lishing local inventory availability, proper allocations, and adapting to future demand as needed.

GAINING VISIBILITY INTO THE WORK FLOW

CKCA: What would you recommend to other companies to help them manage their workflow even with the significant highs and lows of the new normal?

Walter: Constant communication be tween you, the customer, suppliers, and partners is required. We are in daily contact with our suppliers and partners on what is needed and where we are regarding material and hardware availability. Every one is working overtime to ensure projects are completed on time and materials arrive as expected, but it becomes even more challenging without everyone knowing what is to be expected. After that, we feel Cienapps, or a similar ERP plat form can help gain visibility into the workflow.

AVOIDING MAJOR ISSUES

CKCA: How do you think your ability to work proactively pays off with your customers?

Walter: We made a decision in March of 2020 to hold more inventory on essential items, and because of the insight Cien apps gave us into our weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly inventory usage, we were able to provide our suppliers with this same information, and they were able to forecast their purchasing and inventory allocation levels based on our needs. As a result, despite the logis tical issues many have faced, we have avoided any significant problems, allow ing us to serve our customers as needed.

CKCA: How is this proactive approach helping to maintain an engaged work team?

Walter: We have made a considerable effort to ensure our entire team is

aware of the situation and try to be as proactive as possible when engag ing our customers on a potential is sue. Because of the constant commu nication with our suppliers, we can transfer that information to our sales team, and in turn, they can quickly notify customers of changes in the industry. These days, those changes are happening almost weekly. As customers demand more functional ity and efficiency out of their homes, we have to maximize all the rooms in the house.

DESIGN TRENDS IN THE FUTURE

CKCA: What trends are having a positive impact on your business?

Walter: While trends tend to swing back and forth over the years, we have seen a definite and permanent shift towards modern European de signs incorporating sleek high gloss and super matte finishes. In 2018, we invested in our manufacturing capa bilities to be able to process these materials. Since then, there has been a high demand for those designs in standard kitchens, vanities, and com mercial projects.

We feel these trends will continue as they offer more cost-effective op tions to designers and provide much more freedom in creating the desired look and feel of a space. There has also been a high demand for painted finishes, and our extensive finishing capabilities have allowed us to serve our customers with almost unlimited color options. We feel that being ad equately set up to serve our custom ers on both fronts gives us a unique advantage in the market.

As a company, we are proud of what we have achieved and are excited to con tinue on our path of customer and em ployee satisfaction.

CKCA Members strive for quality, professionalism, and innovation. For more profiles like these and many other benefits, consider becoming a CKCA member!

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FINDING THE BEST MATERIALS FOR YOUR DESIGNS

Why TFL is the popular choice

By Ariane Bouchard, Marketing Manager at Uniboard

It truly is an exciting time to be in the design business. Many trends and ideas for kitchens, offices, closets, and commercial projects can now bring high quality, durability, and environmentally-friendly options to create custom cabinetry. One of the most significant advances in this field has been the increased reliance on TFL, MDF, or particleboard decorative panels to create installations of exceptional beauty without breaking the project bank.

TFL has come a long way in terms of flexibility and reliability when mak ing the perfect custom cabinet materi als and finishes. While utilizing postindustrial wood, it creates panels that can be milled to an exact thickness. These boards are created by fusing a resin-impregnated sheet of decorative paper directly into a substrate such as MDF or particleboard. Designers and contractors can specify tight tolerances and strict specifications. MDF and

Particleboard panels can be manu factured with various physical prop erties and dimensions, providing ul timate design flexibility. MDF and particleboard make ideal substrates for TFL because they are uniform in strength, consistent, and defect-free. Every TFL board produced is identi cal, making it ideal for cabinet-mak ing material.

“Today’s clients are more open to the idea of engineered wood materials such

as TFL, MDF or Particleboard panels because they actually have more control than they might have with the actual wood itself,” explained Don Raymond, Vice-president of Marketing and Sales U.S. with Uniboard. “TFL technology has come so far that it is often considered to be more desirable than wood because of its strength, durability, and design flex ibility.”

Certain types of wood can be hard to find, expensive, and challenging to

work with, but there are none of those problems with TFL. Wood-alterna tive cabinets are the perfect option for designers who love the appeal of wood but require a more durable and affordable surface. Many design ad vancements in wood-alternative cabi nets have led to contemporary styles which further replicate the look and feel of “real” wood.

TFL technology has advanced so rapidly that a new generation of rep lica wood products can provide a more authentic look for classic textures like Maple, Walnut, and Oak. Builders and designers can deliver wood’s stunning character and texture in options that run the spectrum. TFL panels can be used alone or complemented by HPL, edge-banding, 3DL and 5-Piece, ther moplastic, and polyester doors to be as unique as the client wants them to be. Perhaps the greatest appeal of wood is its texture, with unique swirls, grains, and knotholes reflecting nature’s beau ty. Some customers write off TFL as an option because they associate it with the characterless white panels of Ikea furniture. But thanks to an innovative synchronization process that presses a wood pattern into the surface, it can

have the rich texture and feel of natu ral wood without the expense. Woodalternative cabinets are a great way to save money on a kitchen or office design. They can be used to allow maximum storage space without sacrificing style or quality.

Kitchen and office cabinets can take a beating; natural wood requires consid erable care and maintenance. For ex ample, softer woods can damage easily and might need special oils to maintain their appearance.

On the other hand, wood-alternative cabinets are highly resistant to scuffs and scratches. TFL cabinets are ex tremely easy to clean, making them per fect for busy households or hectic offices.

Designers and builders face many concerns while creating fabulous kitch ens, offices, bathrooms, closets, and work areas for clients. Many want to reduce reliance on timber products to manage costs and increase design flex ibility, with a nod toward making the most efficient use of natural resources. But they also want to provide a durable end product that looks stunning without going over budget, which explains why many in the field are moving to woodalternative materials like melamine to

benefit from advantages such as du rability and affordability with easy-tohandle maintenance routines. Perhaps most important to today’s eco-conscious consumers is utilizing technology that appreciates and preserves the earth’s natural resources.

“Designers and builders also like to tell their clients about the eco-sensitive aspects of our products,” added Ray mond. “We ensure the proper use of wood fibre waste into value-added and environmentally friendly products. We recuperate and reuse post-industrial and urban wood waste to reduce wood fibre consumption and landfilling.”

Whether imagining commercial or residential designs, a designer’s goals are to fashion layouts that reflect the client’s personality and create a beautiful and functional environment while staying within the given budget. While some may insist on the need for natural wood, more clients are now open to the idea of choosing woodalternative cabinet materials for their designs, such as melamine. Today’s wood-alternative products are manu factured to be more durable and func tional while still allowing plenty of room for artistic creativity.

THE START TO A SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS

Design by learning

By Ewelina Pankowska, Founder, Reforest Design

Seeing balance led me to see sustainably. Sustainability never crossed my mind until after I left university. Still, the tools I was introduced to while studying were necessary to train my eyes to see the world in balance. Even though the tools were designed for learning specific subjects, overall, their approach taught me a skill that went unnoticed — they taught me to time travel.

History of architecture, history of furniture, history of art, history of products, history of this, history of that, create future architecture, create future furniture, create future art, create future products, create future this, create future that. Every day, my mind was going into the past to learn and into the future to create. Although many emotional constructs drive the design of the physical, primarily through aesthetics, my program taught me balance through design for the physical needs of humans.

My balanced vision helped me see furniture as it is today — this was not part of the curriculum. On city streets, most people walk around a broken, beaten chair they saw as garbage, but I would stop to inspect its injuries, picture its life story, and wonder where it would go next. Furniture garbage inspired me, it was littered everywhere on city streets, but no one would talk about it, not even my design program. There are 9.8 million tonnes of furniture waste created every year. Shouldn’t the statistics of furniture waste be taught in ‘history of furniture’ books? Our history is literally littered at our feet. Can anyone else see this? Shouldn’t the effects of each individual’s waste be common knowledge? What happens to furniture garbage? What happens to all trash? Are there any solutions to these problems? My questions didn’t stop there and only expanded with curiosity.

For the first time, “create for the future” had real meaning, and I realized that all my current furniture was designed for the present. It was designed for the same result as furniture of the past; aside from aesthetics, nothing changed. I finally understood that creating for the future meant envisioning what I wanted the future to look like. My picture of the future was still very blurry at this point, but I knew one thing for sure, my vision of the future had no furniture waste.

“FOR THE FIRST TIME, ‘CREATE FOR THE FUTURE’ HAD REAL MEANING AND I REALISED ALL MY CURRENT FURNITURE WAS DESIGNED FOR THE PRESENT”

-EWELINA PANKOWSKA

I practiced time-travelling with every material, process, and need through each furniture endeavour. I travelled to the past and learned stories of seeds and elements, their ability to transform into usable resources, and their capacity to shape humanity’s observable reality. I travelled to the future through statistical knowledge and learned that I could see a clear picture of potential outcomes for Earth and that these projections show a world far from the beauty I see in my mind. Ultimately, my focus on human needs led me to see the needs of Earth and business too. This is where I saw sustainability for the first time and when I started to understand sustainably.

I now design by learning from past mistakes, envisioning the future world, and meeting the present’s needs. I use sustainable sight to look at a physical

object with depth and across time, and by doing this enough, I see that everything, in the end, proves to be connected.

Although I do not have the funds, I have a formula, a seed, a vision that could transform our physical world into a balanced, sustainable reality. This seed holds a plan for what is beautiful because beauty is all I see in our future. I know that sustainability is complicated, but it is necessary for survival; therefore, we must learn about it and act responsibly. Instead of tip-toeing around the terms ‘sustainability,’ ‘green,’ ‘earth-friendly,’ ‘eco-friendly,’ maybe we need to sit down and fully understand its complexity, especially in the physical design of our reality.

Sustainability is the magic that will save Earth and humanity; we all have it; we must learn how to use it.

Getting the best from your edgebander ACHIEVING OPTIMUM PERFORMANCE COLUMN

By Ryan Akhurst, Akhurst Machinery Vice-President

DUST COLLECTION

Proper dust collection is often over looked but is possibly the most critical factor in achieving quality edge band ed parts. Machines are often installed into an existing shop, and the dust sys tem has been altered over time without regard to optimum airflow. If you are not removing the chips and dust prop erly, you can contaminate your glue pot or leave chips on the material surface, which can cause inconsistencies with various tracing shoes or rollers. Duct ing should be designed in a way to op timize airflow. Gradual angles rather than sharp 90° turns ensure less re sistance. Work with rigid steel ducting for as much as you can while minimiz ing the use of flexible ducting. Flexible ducting has more friction, and this can greatly affect airflow.

COMPRESSED AIR

Edgebanders tend to be one of the more complex machines to oper ate in a woodworking shop, and their performance has a substantial impact on the quality of your finished product. Proper machine setup, main tenance, and cleaning play a significant role in achieving the best edgebanding results. Below are some essential tips that can greatly reduce the downtime you experience on your edgebander and keep it producing quality components.

POWER

Virtually all edgebanders today come with sophisticated electronics such as PLCs and inverters. Most standard woodworking machines allow for up to

+/- 10% input power variations. Equip ment with electronics has a smaller threshold for input power variation, whereas they can accept only +/- 5%. Power is outside of this threshold can cause issues with the controls result ing in machine inconsistencies and can cause the machine to operate inconsis tently. If your power is above or below the 5% threshold, you should consider installing a transformer. If your power is inconsistent, we highly recommend an isolation transformer that isolates the highs and lows of your incoming power, delivering a more constant volt age to your machine. These tend to be more expensive but are worth the ex tra money.

Edgebanders are full of pneumatics that operate pre-milling units, pres sure sections, end trim saws, clean ing devices, etc. There are two things to pay close attention to when talking about air: supply and quality. It is es sential to have enough air volume com ing to the machine so that the various pneumatic devices are not starved for air when they are in use. This can cause inconstancies resulting in mate rial defects. We strongly recommend a dedicated supply line to the machine and eliminate the use of a quick-con nect fitting as this will reduce airflow. A ½” dedicated line will ensure opti mum airflow. The quality of the air coming to the machine is vital. The temperature in many shops can vary overnight, and moisture can build up in the lines. This air will travel into the pneumatics even with a line filter in stalled. This can cause the pneumatics

to be sticky, resulting in malfunctions. The seals on valves and cylinders can also wear out prematurely, resulting in costly repairs and downtime. Having an air dryer installed is highly recom mended and drains the airlines’ water each morning before use.

CLEANLINESS

It may seem basic, but cleanliness is often overlooked in woodworking shops. Dust and chips can create havoc in many of the moving components of your edgebander. The working units can gradually fail, and you will see your edge quality deteriorate accord ingly. When blowing out your machine, blow the chips away from the gluepot. This is critical, especially when the pot

is warm. Edgebanding trimming and dust will accumulate around the glue gate, which can cause issues with its op eration. Clean off the glue spindle gates after each use to ensure they can open and close freely. Try to do a full clean on the gluepot quarterly. If your gluepot is Teflon coated, this process is quite sim ple. When the glue is warm, place some wood strips in the gluepot standing up. Let the pot cool down overnight. Come in the next day and turn the gluepot on; when it gets to 100°, the glue will sepa rate from the bottom of the gluepot, al lowing you to remove the wooden sticks with the glue. Continue to use a wooden scraper to remove any excess glue in the pot. Some then choose to use a gluepot cleaner to do a complete clean.

LUBRICATION

Depending on the brand of your edge bander, the glue pot may require reg ular amounts of high-temperature grease. As the gluepot operates at a high temperature, you want to reg ularly lubricate the bearings with high-temperature grease to ensure they do not wear prematurely. It is essential to refer to the manual’s rec ommended lubrication specification and intervals. It is vital to lubricate the conveyor chain bi-weekly. This will prevent premature chain wear. The lack of lubrication or incorrect oil will result in defective or malfunc tioning cylinders and valves.

GLUE QUALITY

It is essential to follow the manual and use the recommended glue and oper ating temperatures. Using incorrect glue and heat can result in poorly bonded workpieces and damage your glue pot. Store glue in a sealed con tainer to prevent impurities from entering the gluepot and ensure opti mum quality of the adhesive.

SHARP TOOLING

The sharpness of the tooling can be easily overlooked because it isn’t easy to see. Dull tooling can result in poorly machined edges. Always have a spare set of tooling on hand and inspect your panels closely to see when edge quality begins to decline. Dull tooling can also be hard on the trimmer motors as they require more force to cut the material, leading to premature wear.

It’s Time To Get Your Production Moving.

Maintaining your edgebander and ensuring it is kept clean is critical to its overall performance. Often edge banders are neglected, and problems arise, resulting in poor quality out put, defective parts, and expensive repair fees. By following the tips pro vided above, you can ensure the best possible environment for your edge bander, saving you a lot of headaches in the future.

Doing the math for your ROI THE COST AND VALUE OF TRADE SHOWS

By Julie St-Arnaud

Trade shows are essential in the woodworking industry. While many manufacturers attend trade shows to learn about the new est products and tools, many of our readers may never have exhibited before. Pulling the trigger and reg istering to exhibit can be daunting, whether at a major show like SIBO or a smaller local home show.

Participation in trade fairs is part of a successful marketing strategy. However, it is not enough to partici pate in just any trade show. Finding the trade shows that best suit your company’s situation is crucial. There are additional challenges when deal ing with an international clientele.

It’s a great way to network, get your name out there, and see what’s new. While it can be expensive, the return on investment can be significant if you take the right approach and make the most of it.

But before you can enjoy the return, you need to consider the investment. Exhibiting can cost as much as $100,000, which is a shocking price tag. When deciding, it’s essential to understand where these costs are coming from. You can get some of this information from the trade show’s website, but there are additional costs that can quickly add up.

Here are the things to consider in your budget planning.

TRAVEL COSTS

Travel costs can be a significant ex pense when attending trade shows. The bill will be different if it is held within a 100 km radius than if it is held in anoth er province or country. Here are some questions to ask yourself that will affect costs.

Will you have to sleep on site? If so, how many nights? Are you driving or flying? Do you need to hire a car or is it better to plan for taxi travel? How many people will be attending?

TRANSPORTATION COSTS

Unlike travel, transportation costs are the expenses associated with transport ing the goods and equipment used at trade shows. Again, you will need to ask yourself several questions about what you need to make a good impression and its costs, especially if you are mar keting heavy and bulky products. Wood products, for example. Our industry standard is to have physical samples for people to touch and look at. This means you’ll have to factor in high shipping costs like a 53’ trailer.

Your decision will potentially have an impact once you get to the show. Have

you considered the need for a handling service, such as a forklift, to move your products? Handling services are very often based on the weight of the items being transported, so the heavier the items, the more ex pensive it is! Budgeting to finalize the look of your booth and ensure the WOW effect is necessary. You need to make a good impression quickly and stand out to get a good return on your investment.

PROMOTION COSTS

It is therefore crucial to budget ac cordingly. Participation in trade fairs is a strategy that we often favour and regularly brings a significant return on investment. However, it is necessary to point out that the benefits of a trade show are not always immediate, especially in areas and sectors where the sales cycle is long.

If you plan to participate in one or more trade shows each year, purchase equipment that reflects your image (por table booth, plants, televisions, carpet ing, etc.). Many solutions are available on the market, and experts can advise you. You will save money and better position your brand image!

Trade shows are often ideal for build ing strong relationships with business partners. Informal and festive happen ings for your customers and sales team can benefit your company, but it’s crucial to budget accordingly. Participation in trade shows is a strategy we often favour and regularly brings a significant return on investment. However, it is necessary to point out that the benefits of a trade show are not always immediate, espe cially in areas and sectors where the sales cycle is long.

Endurance Diamond Finger Joint Cutter

The Peak Toolworks’ Endurance diamond finger joint cutter is strong enough to cut through all types of solid wood materials, including wood with knots or defects. It can be used for softwoods, hardwoods, structural, and non-structural work. These diamond insert knives are designed with adjustable radial, lateral, and angular runout. They can be produced up to 19” in diameter with 16 wings, making them adaptable to any project. The product does not have to be sharpened between replacements. It provides quality production and the best consistency available in the industry, from the first use to the last. It has a 200-500x run rate when compared to HSS.

Brema Eko 2.2

Biesse’s Brema Eko 2.2 is the new compact and versatile vertical boring machine with a reduced footprint for machining panels of different thicknesses and sizes. The ideal solution for “just in time” production, even for the most complex routing machining processes. The machine’s structure and components guarantee the highest precision level for any machining operation. The work table is fitted with a counter-pressure system that keeps the panel in position and perfectly aligned along its entire proper height, per the thickness of the machined piece, ensuring maximum precision. The High-Performance Kit for the accelerated management of gripper movement along the X-axis allows for speeds of up to 110 m/min with rapid acceleration ramps. The kit helps significantly increase machine productivity thanks to the greater speed with which the panel movement and gripper repositioning phases are executed.

Beam Saw TECTRA 6120 Series

In times of precise customer requirements and low production quantities, custom solutions are required to achieve the synergistic effects of horizontal panel saws combined with intelligent charging equipment. As with Holz-her’s TECTRA 6120 lift, charging is possible using an integrated lifting table system or on the TECTRA 6120 power, direct charging to the machine from a horizontal storage facility. For maximum performance requirements, the TECTRA 6120 dynamic model allows the pressure beam saw to be charged with new panels from storage even while the previous cutting operation is still in progress, without interrupting the current sawing cycle. Thanks to its high acceleration values and feed rates, the horizontal panel saw TECTRA 6120 can rationally process even large quantities of panels. This versatile saw has various cutting lengths and widths, allowing it to be adapted to highly varying applications as a custom solution.

Amerock Hardware Line

Berenson’s Amerock hardware line has expanded with new finishes and collections:

London: Faceted forms and clean geometric patterns create a sophisticated modern statement in London. Customize your space with 12 different split finish combinations.

Mulino: The inviting lines of Mulino are a testament to the allure of simplicity, blending clean geometry with a split-finish assembled design. Extent: Extent redefines minimalist design with distinctive angles that create an unexpected aesthetic. The result is a modern simplified form that is approachable and impactful.

Separa: The intrinsic beauty of simple forms is realized in Separa. The collection boasts thoughtfully tailored lines and an architectural profile that resonates with elegant visual impact.

Aloft: Aloft turns the practical into the poetic with graceful curvature that gives way to a visually seamless design. Its subtle profile will add sophistication to any contemporary space.

Powerdrill Drilling Unit

The new Powerdrill drilling unit from Weinig is the perfect addition to the product portfolio for easy cutting with the OptiCut S 50+ optimizing cross-cut saw. It allows drilling and cross-cutting to be performed in a single operation. This technical change and option of our optimizing crosscut saw give you new possibilities in designing your production process and maximizing production capacity. By combining two machining steps on one machine, we enable you to produce with high efficiency what previously had to be done on two separate, often manually operated machines. This ensures time-saving, process-reliable, and higher-quality production. Using the OptiCom –control system, all cross-cuts and drill holes can be intuitively created and modified in lists without prior PC knowledge. This can also be done from an office PC, which works even faster.

Dowel Boring Machine FD 29 Professional

Expect maximum precision when dowel boring with the Felder FD 29 professional. With 29 high-quality drilling spindles positioned at 32 mm intervals, drills with a maximum diameter of 35 mm can be used, and exact rows of holes and dowel bores are guaranteed. The welded chassis, combined with the solid cast iron table, rigid side and longitudinal stops, pneumatic workpiece holders, and ergonomically designed operating elements, ensure that the FD 29 professional is a boring dowel machine of the top class.

WingLine L

Hettich’s WingLine L solution lets you produce folding sliding doors in a completely new dimension of convenience. The revolutionary Push / Pull move opening mechanism provides access to everything inside the cabinet with just one hand movement. An impressive panorama effect! Further highlights include: Optimized running performance. Soft opening and closing. Tool-less installation. Minimal door protrusion for efficiently organizing the space inside. WingLine L competently and securely moves door wings weighing up to 25 kg and measuring up to 2,400 mm in height: a talented all-rounder for the bedroom, kitchen, and office. Folding door solutions from Hettich provide a wide range of interesting front design options. Freely moving doors, cabinet body hugging, or guided systems offer solutions for optimizing folding door applications. Year in, year out, these fittings easily and reliably move door elements in any size, material, and weight.

CNC Cut Centre

Thermwood’s Cut Centre helps you quickly and easily create most products a cabinet shop offers without a CNC programmer. You can also operate the Cut Centre as a traditional CNC Router. The Cut Centre is the ultimate in next-generation CNC routers. It doesn’t require programming, and most people can operate it with little or no training or guidance. It is complete and fully contained, with all the ancillary equipment smoothly integrated into a package that almost runs itself. The Cut Centre guides you through each step of the production process. If there is anything you don’t understand, it will show you a video of what to do. It manages your tooling and keeps track of routine maintenance. It will show you a video of how to clean filters or top off lubrication. It will turn your vacuum pump on or off as needed and ensure it is holding properly.

Diamond-Tipped Multifunction Cutters

CLUNID FMZ 6000 Control Panel Series

The CLUNID FMZ 6000 Control Panel Series from Flamex provides a simple touch screen interface for all FLAMEX System applications. Advantages include critical function redundancy for increased reliability, automatic plausibility checks to prevent user errors, and greater event memory (message history). New communication protocols allow use with a wider range of detectors and actuators. Individual modules can be replaced in the panel during operation, so no shutdown for modifications are required. The 7” full colour touch display allows intuitive, rapid navigation for all events. FM Global Approved.

Solid-core panel and facade material processors get complete flexibility with the two new diamond-tipped multifunction cutters from LEUCO. With just a single tool, the user can join, mill cutouts, drill, countersink, and chamfer. Precise coordination of material, tool, and application parameters for the application is the ideal solution for maximum productivity and efficiency, particularly when it comes to many pieces or daily use. For one-off production, initial orders, or small-volume production, which is often the case in project business, this usually means one or more special tools with less than common dimensions. LEUCO is expanding its comprehensive catalog range to include two smart, multifunctional tool solutions. Each of these new multifunction tools represents a broad range of applications, high flexibility, and ease of use with a clear investment.

MLS Multi-Bunk Loading System

The Anderson MLS Multi-Bunk Loading System from Akhurst is designed to automatically load full sheets of panel material onto an Anderson fullline CNC router. This system dramatically reduces the loading time, immediately increasing productivity and profitability. Why Anderson Multi-Bunk Loading System? Maximize efficiency by reducing the dead-time between loading sheets of material. Automatically select from up to six pre-staged lifts of material; sheets can be intermixed. The one-step loading system quickly loads the next sheet, which increases throughput. Automatically push off finished cut sheets and place the new sheet in one process! Continuous production without any downtime

Drawer Assembly Clamp

Ideal for custom and volume production runs, Doucet’s DWM Drawer Master Assembly System offers the rugged construction and ease of set-up of high production machines at a fraction of the price. This machine assembles drawers with standard fingertype dovetails, sliding-type dovetails, bored and doweled drawers, and tongue and dado box joints. It is also equipped with double-acting air cylinders that can apply compression progressively, allowing for easy fitting of the bottom panel in the lateral grooves. The Progressive Compression Mode operates as a jog button. It offers the operator total control and flexibility in the execution of the assembly process.

Softwood lumber’s price dropped 28%.

23%

In the fourth quarter of 2021, 23% of manufacturers reported more than ten weeks of lead times.

Source: Statistics Canada

Fuel and energy costs remain the top cost constraint affecting 76% of small firms.

Source: Canadian Federation of Independent Business

Source: National Kitchen and Bath Association

$659.5 thousand

The average revenue for wood kitchen cabinet and countertop manufacturing SMEs is $659.5 thousand.

Source: Statistics Canada

13%

There was a price increase of 13% on cabinets and vanities.

Source: John Burns Kitchen & Bath Market Index

54%

Ontario manufacturers had nearly 31,000 job vacancies at the end of 2021.

Source: Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters

54% more employers are aware that some of their employees will face mental health issues in 2022 compared to in 2020.

Source: Canadian Federation of Independent Business

MORE MACHINERY MORE LIVE DEMOS MORE NEW TECHNOLOGY

miss the third edition of the WTD! This is your opportunity to visit eight di erent showrooms and get an excellent overview of the latest technology available from world leading manufacturers. Our members are glad to welcome you, o ering a number of LIVE demos. You experience labour shortage? You need to compete? We have the solutions! No other show or single event in Canada presents such a wide display of equipment.

SIBO is back.

Make plans to return to the Quebec woodworking in event in 2022. Engage with vendors featuring the latest in woodworking technology, hardware, tooling, software, materials and much more. SIBO 2022 will take your business to a new level.

Learn from your peers and experts in educational sessions dedicated to best practices in manufacturing, marketing, and management SIBO partners with majo industry associations and institutions to deliver a stellar line up of curriculum

Le SIBO est de retour.

Faites des plans pour revenir à l’événement le plus important de l’industrie du bois 2022. Rencontrez des fournisseurs qui vous présenteront les plus grandes technol matériel, de l’outillage, des logiciels, des matériaux et bien plus encore Le SIBO 2022 fera passer votre entreprise à un niveau supérieur

Apprenez de vos pairs et des experts lors de sessions éducatives consacrées aux meilleures pratiques en matière de fabrication, de marketing et de gestion. Le SIBO s’associe à des associations et institutions industrielles majeures

OCTOBER 27-29,

Centrexpo Cogeco

SIBO is back.

CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

Make plans to return to the Quebec woodworking in event in 2022. Engage with vendors featuring the latest in woodworking technology, hardware, tooling, software, materials and much more. SIBO 2022 will take your business to a new level.

All sessions

Learn from your peers and experts in educational sessions dedicated to best practices in manufacturing, marketing, and management SIBO partners with majo industry associations and institutions to deliver a stellar line up of curriculum

be held for free at the SIBO Live stage, booth

Le SIBO est de retour.

Faites des plans pour revenir à l’événement le plus important de l’industrie du bois 2022. Rencontrez des fournisseurs qui vous présenteront les plus grandes technol matériel, de l’outillage, des logiciels, des matériaux et bien plus encore. Le SIBO 2022 fera passer votre entreprise à un niveau supérieur.

11:00 -- KEYNOTE: Adoption of Industry 4.0 by Quebec Wood Products Manufacturers

11:00 -- KEYNOTE: Roboistic’s Pioneering Robot-Made Cabinetry

Apprenez de vos pairs et des experts lors de sessions éducatives consacrées aux meilleures pratiques en matière de fabrication, de marketing et de gestion. Le SIBO s’associe

des associations et institutions industrielles majeures pour proposer un programme éducatif

Presenter: Christian Galarneau, Sectoral Labor Committee for the Door and Window, Furniture and Kitchen Cabinet Industries

Horaire/Show Hours:

Jeudi/Thursday 10:00H - 17:00H

13:00 -- Economic Considerations for Converting to Water-based Finishes

Vendredi/Friday 10:00H - 17:00H Samedi/Saturday 10:00H - 15:00H

Hôtel hôte/Host Hotel:

Presenter: Houssein Awada, Scientific Director and Head of Research at Inovem

Hôtel Grand Times 530, rue Saint-Amant, Drummondville (Québec) 819-474-5555 grandtimeshotel.com

14:15 -- How the Internet of Things Is Changing the Woodworking Industry

Presenter: Christopher Mancliere, Senior Software Specialist, Planit Canada

11:00 -- KEYNOTE: The Rules of the Art of Architectural Woodworking

Presenter: Charles Besmargian, Director General, AWMAC Quebec Chapter

Presenter: Bastien Laroche, Founder & President of Roboistic RMC

Pour de plus amples renseignements

For more information Contactez-Nous/Contact us Harry Urban Phone/Téléphone: 708.373 4344

13:00 -- The Rules of the Art of Architectural Woodworking

Presenter: Jean Michaud, GIS Inspector, Architectural Woodwork Manufacturers Association of Canada

14:15 -- Inovem’s Robotic Sanding Project

Presenter: Pierre-Luc Vallières, Productivity 4.0 Project Manager

13:00 -- Tips for Buying Your First CNC Machine

Presenter: Christopher Mancliere, Senior Software Specialist, Planit Canada