Surface & Panel 2009 JULY/AUGUST

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DID YOU SEE SOMETHING OVER THERE? DOOR TRENDS: THE COMPOSITE FIVE-PIECE DOOR IS COMING

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WOW! HI-TECH SYSTEM CONTROLS FOR POP-UP TVS

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With 14,641 miles of paper and counting, Mike’s flawless colormatching run is the longest in history...

It also happens to be a record Alex Matkovsky is beating. For 33 months running – 18,549 miles of paper and counting – Alex hasn’t registered any color rejects either. That’s enough paper to stretch three quarters of the way around the globe. The bar has been raised and the competition is on!

As Mike and Alex are quick to explain, however, the competition is actually a team event, and success isn’t measured by the mile, rather by the satisfaction of Interprint’s customers.

... of anyone not named Alex.

The only thing subtle about the gigantic press Mike Carlow runs is the shifting color it could print if not monitored closely. And on a scale where ink is measured in gallons and paper in tons, shifting color can get expensive very quickly. It’s the nature of the beast.

Alex Matkovsky Print Team Leader Interprint, Inc.

That’s why Interprint and its customers have developed comprehensive quality control systems that detect even the most subtle color flaws. Mike’s a supporter of color quality systems and he’s glad they’re in place. He maintains a great relationship with the QC staff, even if he hasn’t heard from them in awhile: Since the summer of 2006 – more than 30 months running – Mike hasn’t had a single color reject. That’s 14,641 miles of paper, up to 8 feet wide, printed with flawless color. It’s a record he and his Interprint teammates are proud of.

Now trash practically takes itself to the bin.

Our SERVO-DRIVE touch-to-open feature gives you easy access to everything from the waste / recycle drawer to the silverware drawer.

Perfecting motion

Mike Carlow

Perfecting motion 800-438-6788 / blum.com

Printer Interprint, Inc.

Interprint, Inc., 101 Central Berkshire Boulevard, Pittsfield, MA 01201 413.443.4733 www.interprint.us circle #37 on reader service card

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circle #01 on reader service card

It also happens to be a record Alex Matkovsky is beating. For 33 months running – 18,549 miles of paper and counting – Alex hasn’t registered any color rejects either. That’s enough paper to stretch three quarters of the way around the globe. The bar has been raised and the competition is on!

As Mike and Alex are quick to explain, however, the competition is actually a team event, and success isn’t measured by the mile, rather by the satisfaction of Interprint’s customers.

... of anyone not named Alex.

Alex Matkovsky Print Team Leader Interprint, Inc.

Interprint, Inc., 101 Central Berkshire Boulevard, Pittsfield, MA 01201 413.443.4733 www.interprint.us

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The Exchange of Ideas I enjoy getting feedback from readers. Following my recent column

If housing can strike up an interesting discourse, I can hardly wait to

(May/June 2009…Let it Rain) I received some interesting responses

see the responses generated by my most recent ponderings.

about the future of the housing industry. Here are the perspectives of

I don’t normally get political, but I am getting increasingly frustrated

two industry leaders:

with our politicians in Washington. So few of them have ever been

LETTERS TO THE PUBLISHER

like to produce a product and provide jobs. Most of them are elitist

I was just reading Surface & Panel and was quite impressed, and

career politicians interested in their own personal aggrandizement. But

particularly with your housing outlook. I agree that there is a pent up

I found one representative who may just be worth keeping…

business owners, worked for a business or even have a clue what it’s

demand that may translate into more houses, although I suspect it may take a bit longer than your rosy optimism to get there. The softwood guys say it may take another five years to return to the appropriate level

In the Federalist Papers, James Madison wrote: Congress can make no law which will not have its full operation on

due to the shock of confidence that has hit the market. In the end, it

themselves and their friends, as well as on the great mass of soci-

is consumer confidence that will determine when the market returns…

ety. This has always been deemed one of the strongest bonds by

and there are way too many wildcards in DC right now for any of us to

which human policy can connect the rulers and the people together.

have too much confidence. The gilded age is over, and I guess we will

It creates between them that communion of interests and sympathy

just have to cope.

of sentiments, of which few governments have furnished examples;

Mark Barford, CAE Executive Director National Hardwood Lumber Association The purpose of this e-mail is to congratulate you on a great opening commentary in the most recent issue of Surface & Panel. You are not all wet!! I believe you may have nailed something that many are not seeing. I agree with your perfect storm theory and I agree that single family housing increases will be preceded by the remodeling of existing homes, foreclosed homes and unfinished homes. I also believe that few people are paying much attention to what is going on in the multifamily, healthcare and off campus housing. I have a friend who owns a large HVAC contracting company. One year ago he refocused his attention on those specific industries. His sales are up over 20% and profits have more than doubled. I just wanted to drop you a line to tell

but without which every government degenerates into tyranny…If this spirit shall ever be so far debased as to tolerate a law not obligatory on the legislature, as well as on the people, the people will be prepared to tolerate anything but liberty.

In the current debate over healthcare, recall that Congress has access to the best medical benefits in America as part of FEHBP (Federal Employee Health Benefits Program), and would be exempt from any public “option.” It makes you wonder if our politicians read, much less understand the wisdom of our founders. Do you really think they have a “communion of interest” with us? Well, at least one congressman gets it. Louisiana Representative John Fleming, MD thinks congress should live up to their promise to selflessly represent the people they are privileged to serve, and put their money where their mouth is. He recently sponsored House Resolution 615 which says that “members who vote in favor of the establishment of a public, fed-

you that I believe every word you wrote in your column.

eral government run health insurance option are urged to forgo their

Tom Kohlmeier

right to participate in FEHBP, and agree to enroll under that public

Chairman

option.” Keep an eye on House Resolution 615. Do you think it will

Seemac Incorporated

ever see the light of day? Let’s hope so. Politicians who vote against it should be run out of town on a rail.

What do you think? I would enjoy hearing from you.

John Aufderhaar Publisher, Surface & Panel • aufderhaar@charter.net

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PUBLISHER

John Aufderhaar Surface & Panel Magazine 1617 Country Club Lane, Watertown, WI 53098 PH: 920-206-1766 FAX: 920-206-1767 aufderhaar@charter.net www.surfaceandpanel.com ADVERTISING

Ryan Wagner National Accounts Manager, Surface & Panel Magazine 1617 Country Club Lane, Watertown, WI 53098 PH: 920-262-2080 FAX: 920-206-1767 ryanwagner20@yahoo.com CIRCULATION

Michelle Bruhn Surface & Panel Magazine 1617 Country Club Lane, Watertown, WI 53098 PH: 920-674-6943 FAX: 920 206-1767 mlbruhn@sbcglobal.net EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

Suzanne VanGilder Surface & Panel Magazine 1617 Country Club Lane, Watertown, WI 53098 PH: 608-698-0375 FAX: 920-206-1767 suzannevangilder@sbcglobal.net

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Inspired by Nature, Hotel Indigo Hotel Indigo, an Intercontinental Hotel Group brand, is created to be an environment that doesn’t just shelter guests, but inspires and reenergizes them.

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Did You See Something Over There?

Occasionally something truly unique enters the market that stirs everyone’s curiosity and sparks the imagination. The decorative surfaces market is about to be introduced to just such a design, but look carefully, it’s easy to miss.

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Premium Commercial Interiors He may not say so himself, but Bob W. Shaw is an artist.

The soft-spoken Texan’s studio is a 90,000 square foot manufacturing plant, his canvas is elite commercial spaces and his unusual medium is wood veneer.

ON THE COVER:

Robert Shaw Mfg. Co., Inc.'s in-house veneering capabilities give them precise control for premium woodwork

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The Composite Five-piece Door is Coming The classic five-piece cabinet door has been around forever.

But there is new five-piece door set to make its debut in the US.

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Higher Education Theoretically, college is a learning experience. Certainly University of North Florida’s new residence hall, Osprey Fountains embodies the ideal of taking new information and applying it to practical purposes.

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WOW! Hi-Tech System Controls for Pop-up TVs Everyone likes control. Everyone likes to push buttons to get results.

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[ D E P A R T M E N T S ]

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Funky Family Home Heywood-Wakefield furnishings add overall continuity to a Mid-Century family home.

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C O M P O S I T E PA N E L A S S O C I AT I O N

From the Publisher About the CPA Industry News Regenerate Climate change standards and wood products Designer Spec Dreyfus and Blackburn Architects discuss their role in CalPERS renovation.

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Tech Spec Commercial furniture industry launches "level" certification program.

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Advertiser Index Resource From the Editor

DESIGN/PRODUCTION

Karen Leno/ KML Design, Inc. 923 Forest Edge Circle, Coralville, IA 52241 PH: 319-430-5108 kmldesign@mchsi.com

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MAIN OFFICE

19465 Deerfield Avenue, Suite 306, Leesburg, VA 20176 PH: 703-724-1128 FAX: 703-724-1588 Toll Free 1-866-4COMPOSITES www.pbmdf.com CANADIAN OFFICE

Post Office Box 747, Station “B” Ottawa, Ontario CANADA K1P 5P8 PH: 613-232-6782 FAX: 703-724-1588 INTERNATIONAL TESTING AND CERTIFICATION CENTER

73 Lawson Road Leesburg, VA 20176 PH: 703-724-1128 FAX: 703-724-1588

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Surface & Panel is published bimonthly by Bedford Falls Communications, Inc., 1617 Country Club Lane, Watertown, Wisconsin 53098, telephone 920-206-1766, fax 920-206-1767. John Aufderhaar, President, Christine Aufderhaar, CFO. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, electronic or mechanical without written permission from the publisher. Subscription policy: Individual subscriptions are available, without charge, to manufacturers who engage in panel processing, qualified service providers and suppliers. Publisher reserves the right to reject non-qualified subscribers. One year subscription to non-qualified individuals: U.S. $50, Canada/Mexico $75, all other countries $100, payable in U.S funds. Single issues are $15, and must be prepaid. Bedford Falls Communications, Inc., does not assume and hereby disclaims any liability to any person for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions in the material contained herein, regardless of whether such errors result from negligence, accident, or any other cause whatsoever. Printed in the U.S.A. Postmaster: Send address changes to Surface & Panel, 1617 Country Club Lane, Watertown, WI 53098.

Please direct all subscription questions and mail to: Surface & Panel, 1617 Country Club Lane, Watertown, WI 53098 PH: 920-206-1766

8/28/09 10:53 AM

Š I STO C K PH OTO.CO M / M B B I R DY

Don’t gamble with the products you provide to your customers.

This is one bet you cannot afford to lose.

Are you confident your supply of imported MDF and Particle Board is CARB compliant and certified?

PROFESSIONAL SERVICE INDUSTRIES, INC. (PSI) in association with CHAFFIN AND ASSOCIATES can provide assurance for your supply from China and Southeast Asia. Direct your mill suppliers to use PSI as the California approved third party certifier for CARB. Contact us for details.

PSI Engineered Wood Products (EWP) Division provides the widest range of independent trademarking, testing and certification services for your global wood products requirements. PSI is TPC No. 2 for the state of California CARB certifications. As one of the largest accredited, independent testing laboratories in the world, we are able to provide the quality assurance needed for your project or product testing. Located in Eugene, Oregon, in the heart of the Willamette Valley, EWP Division works globally with foreign and North American manufacturers, governments, associations, business development, marketing, code officials and customers. For more information see our website at www.psiusa.com.

Chaffin and Associates has overseas offices in Nanjing, China and Sibu, Sarawak, Malaysia. These facilities are involved in the certification of plywood, MDF and particle board mills, providing laboratory testing of wood products for formaldehyde, ongoing quality assurance of production, and other activities for the purpose of assuring CARB compliance for products imported to the U.S. The certification services and laboratory testing are in conjunction with Professional Service Industries, Inc. (PSI).

Contact: Ralph (Mike) Vaughn Professional Service Industries, Inc. 2710 W. 5th Ave. Eugene, OR 97402 541-484-9212 541-344-2735 fax ralph.vaughn@psiusa.com

Contact: John E. Chaffin CHAFFIN AND ASSOCIATES 1733 Playa Vista San Marcos, CA 92078 760-591-9957 760-591-9754 fax johnc@chaffin-law.com CIRCLE #03 ON READER SERVICE CARD

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Whether you’re looking for time-tested performance or eye-popping aesthetics, you won’t find a broader range of decorative laminates than those available from OMNOVA Solutions. More designs. More constructions including NEW EFX™ 3D Laminates.

More value. And all in one place.

TFM Matches. A broad offering of 3D Laminate designs that match popular HPL and TFM products, including those from Tafisa, Panolam and Flakeboard.

Multiple Constructions. A full complement of stock and make-to-order Paper, Flat, 3D and Specialty Laminates.

Largest Design Library. Our selection of laminates represents hundreds of textures, embossings, patterns and colors, as well as realistic woodgrains and effects.

Custom Capabilities. Custom colors, designs, embossings, coatings and constructions to meet a unique or specific requirement.

Eco-Preferred. New EFX 3D Laminates offer a non-PVC alternative to traditional 3D Laminates.

To learn how OMNOVA Laminates can make a difference in your cabinetry, furniture and fixtures, contact us today! Or visit our online Design Center to see our broad offering, obtain additional information and order samples – www.omnova.com/designcenter.

JUST INTRODUCED!

EFX (pronounced: e-fex) 3D Laminates are a new environmentally preferred surfacing alternative to traditional 3D laminates.

EFX 3D Laminates exhibit the same functional and decorative characteristics as OMNOVA’s surf(x)® 3D Laminates and can be membrane-pressed or vacuumformed to contoured surface profiles. Their dimensional flexibility eliminates the need for T-molding, edge banding, visible seams and special edge treatments.

866.332.5226 • laminates@omnova.com • www.omnova.com/laminates Office furniture photo: www.kennbusch.com Retail photo courtesy of Hallmark Cards Inc. SURF(X) is a registered trademark of, and EFX is a trademark of, OMNOVA Solutions Inc. © 2009 OMNOVA Solutions Inc. circle #04 on reader service card

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About the Composite Panel Association

C PA‘ S E P P P R O G R A M S

CPA offers an Environmentally Preferable Product (EPP) certification program, which certifies composite panel products that contain 100% recycled or recovered fiber and meet low formaldehyde emission limits. Most EPP-certified mills have also achieved compliance with California‘s tough new regulation on formaldehyde emissions-the CARB rule.

& 2009 UNITING

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YING AND SPECIF SOURCING SURFACES A GUIDE TO DECORATIVE PANELS AND COMPOSITE

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WO O D - BA S E D C O M P O SIT E PA N E L S

The three types of wood-based composite panels in the marketplace today are particleboard, medium density fiberboard (MDF) and hardboard. These panels can be engineered to the customer‘s specific physical properties and surface characteristics to create durable, functional end products. By their very nature, wood-based composite panels are among the greenest materials in the world, and a great choice for environmentally-conscious consumers.

D EC O R ATIV E SU R FAC E S

Decorative surfaces are used in a wide variety of applications including: cabinets, mouldings, flooring, furniture, countertops, store fixtures, doors and shelving.

Composite panels provide an ideal substrate for decorative surfaces – one that is consistent, uniform in strength and free of defects.

Decorative surfaces are broadly separated into overlays and coatings, and are applied to composite panels by various techniques. Overlays include foils, high pressure laminates, light basis weight papers, TFM (thermally fused melamine), veneers and vinyls. Coatings are available in both liquid and powder forms.

This first-ever Voluntary Compendium of 2009 Standards for Decorative Voluntary Compendium of Overlays sponsored by Standards for Decorative Overlays the Decorative Surfaces Council (DSC) covers overlays made from celluD S C losic or polymeric materiC P A als. This comprehensive resource, published in August 2009, highlights the six major types of overlays; describes industry-accepted test methods to determine the performance and physical characteristics of different overlay types; and helps the reader select the appropriate product for a particular application.

SPONSORED BY

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ANSI Standards for Particleboard and MDF (2009)

ANSI A208

.1-2009

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nal Stan Earlier this year the American dard Particleb oard National Standards Institute (ANSI) approved ANSI A208.12009 Particleboard and ANSI A208.2-2009 MDF for Interior Applications, the revised national voluntary standards for these products. Sponsored by CPA, the standards include new grades and product Standard National categories as well as American ) oard (MDF nsity Fiberb Medium De or Applications harmonization with the For Interi formaldehyde emission requirements recently enacted by the California Air Resources Board. an Natio

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ciation e Panel Asso 6 Composit burg, VA 2017 306, Lees 724-1588 ue, Suite Fax (703) field Aven m 724-1128, .pbmdf.co Tel (703) Web www

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Visit www.pbmdf.com for more information or to order these publications.

M O R E IN FO R M ATI O N

Composite Panel Association 19465 Deerfield Avenue, Suite 306 Leesburg, Virginia, USA 20176 (703) 724-1128 www.pbmdf.com

surface&panel

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URFACES

of the

OMPOSITE

.1-2009

JANUAR

Compendium of Voluntary Standards for Decorative Overlays (2009)

ANSI A208

PRODUCED IN A FACILITY THAT PURCHASES AT LEAST 50% CPA-CERTIFIED EPP PANELS.

N E W F R O M C PA

-2009

CPA‘s EPP has been extended to include finished (downstream) manufacturers that use EPP panels.

Products carrying the EPP Downstream logo were manufactured by a company that has demonstrated its DOWNSTREAM environmental commitment LICENSED FACILITY by purchasing EPP-certified composite wood panels.

CPA sponsors the 2009 Surface & Panel Buyers Guide, which is dedicated to providing the most comprehensive product information available about North American composite panel and decorative surfacing products. The Guide includes in-depth descriptions of the different types of composite panels and decorative surfaces available, along with key features and services offered by the E ID U G S ER major producers of BU Y these products.

ANSI A208.2

Founded in 1960, the Composite Panel Association (CPA) is dedicated to advancing the North American wood-based panel and decorative surfacing industries. CPA represents both industries on technical, regulatory, quality assurance and product acceptance issues.

CPA General Members include the leading manufacturers of particleboard, medium density fiberboard (MDF) and hardboard, representing about 95% of North American manufacturing capacity.

CPA Associate Members include manufacturers of decorative surfaces, furniture, cabinets, mouldings, doors and equipment, along with laminators, distributors, industry media and adhesive suppliers. All are committed to product advancement and industry competitiveness.

CPA is a vital resource for both manufacturers and users of industry products.

The association provides leadership on federal, state and provincial regulatory and legislative matters of interest to industry, particularly those with environmental implications. As a highly-regarded and accredited standards developer, CPA writes, publishes and maintains industry product standards.

CPA operates an International Testing and Certification Center (ITCC) in Leesburg, Virginia and manages the Grademark Certification Program, the largest and most stringent testing and certification program of its kind for North American composite panel products. The association also helps manufacturers create in-plant quality control programs through educational programs and on-site assistance.

CPA compiles and publishes the most definitive industry performance data, as well as technical bulletins on the use of industry products and other educational materials.

The association also partners with Surface & Panel magazine in publishing this magazine as well as a yearly "Buyers Guide."

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2009 CPA Scholarship Award Winners The CPA Scholarship Program, in memory of Robert E. Dougherty, is proud to announce the recipients of the 2009 Scholarship Awards. This year, the Foundation voted to award four scholarships of $5,000 each, as recommended by the Selection Committee. The scholarship recipients are Steven Kelly, Pennsylvania State University; Daniel Roethle, Virginia Tech; Jeff Vaughn, Oregon State University; and Michael Kofoed, University of British Columbia.

The Foundation Board thanks members of the 2009 Selection Committee: Dr. David P. Harper (Selection Committee Chairman), University of Tennessee; Dr. John Janowiak, Pennsylvania State University; Dr. Frank Lam, University of British Columbia; Dr. And Charles E. Frazier, Virginia Tech.

The Program received eleven applications from juniors, seniors or graduate students enrolled in a forest products, wood science, wood technology, chemistry, mechanical engineering or industrial engineering curriculum. ■

School is in Session for Interprint Tech IP Tech is a collegiate-type training program for Interprint customers and other industry participants. The program corresponds with the three major areas of Interprint's business: design, manufacturing and quality control. The school (the first of its kind in the industry) engages participants in "hands-on" workshops in labs and on the plant floor, at least three times a day.

“They get experience in mixing pigment and doing 'draw-downs' to get a color,” says Interprint Managing Director William M. Hines, Jr. “They also learn the intricacies of our decorative rotogravure printing process, complete with an introduction to our new laserengraving facility.”

The program is taught solely by IP employees who do the actual work on the floor. The sessions have resulted in rave reviews for these “homegrown” instructors who also benefit from the program. "It provides an opportunity for our employees to learn about themselves – and for them to learn about each other," says Hines. “It takes a lot of teamwork to make this product exactly right for each customer." ■

CHRIS BAILE, VP OF NORTH AMERICAN SALES FOR COVERIGHT AND INTERPRINT’S DENNIS KINNE LEARN THE ART OF COLOR MATCHING FROM A MASTER.

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Designer Hans Hansen Wins “RedDot Design Award” with Duropal HPL-Solid Whenever Hans Hansen talks about HPL from Duropal, his eyes sparkle: “I am fascinated by such an honest form of material.”

The designer from Arnsberg (Germany) has worked with it for two years. In the meanwhile he has brought out a whole series of furnishings made of HPL-Solid – with great success. His international customers are delighted, the jury of the renowned “red dot design award” is impressed: Hansen has won the coveted “red dot design award” for his “Library” modular storage and shelving system made of high-pressure laminate from Duropal.

“Library” features a minimalistic design, which is Hansen’s trade mark: Symmetrical and simple, made of eight-millimeter-thick HPL with a shining white surface and distinctive black edges, it is of pure elegance.

“Both robust and hard wearing,” comments Hansen. Before he discovered HPL-Solid from Duropal for his design work, he had been working with sheet steel for a long time. “I was able to build on that experience,” he explains: “I work with HPL-Solid in the same way as with sheet steel – with the difference that HPL doesn’t dent.” Hansen also works with wood, steel and stainless steel, often in combination with HPL-Solid, “an ideal supplementary material.”

But HPL-Solid has many advantages also in its “pure” form. Hansen’s “Library” is the best example: With minimum thickness, the material has maximum stability. At the same time, HPL-Solid is water resistant, scratch proof, easy to clean and thus also suitable for outdoors. The designer shows the letter from the jury of the North Rhine Westphalia Design Center, which awards the “red dot design award:” The high quality of the shelving system’s material was the ultimate criterion for the award. ■

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CIRCLE #05 ON READER SERVICE CARD

CPA’s International Testing and Certification Center

CPA’s International Testing and Certification Center (ITCC) in Leesburg, Virginia, is a state-of-the-art facility engineered with tomorrow’s ultra low-emitting wood products in mind.

In 2009 the ITCC added six new ASTM D 6007 Small Chambers to significantly increase its chamber capacity. These new chambers are available for CARB quarterly compliance testing, daily mill quality control testing, informational/screening tests and servicing new clients. With a demonstrated 12 month track record, the ITCC’s state of the art sample conditioning area made entirely of inert material ensures accurate results for ultra-low emitting products. The ITCC also features three Large Chambers, perforators, desiccators and a full compliment of physical, dimensional and mechanical property testing.

Opened in May 2008, CPA’s newest facility expands on 40 years of independent, reliable testing services and CPA’s designation as “TPC-1” – the first certification agency in the world to be approved as a Third Party Certifier by the California Air Resources Board.

The CPA Formaldehyde Certification Program is the largest and most stringent in North America. CPA also offers its Environmentally Preferable Product (EPP) and physical and mechanical certification programs, as well as certification to mill specifications.

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CHAMBER TESTING CAPACITY SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED IN 2009

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ITCC NOW PREPARED TO OFFER DAILY QC TESTING FOR PANEL MANUFACTURERS

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NEW CLIENTS BEING ACCEPTED FOR PRODUCT CERTIFICATION SERVICES OR INFORMATIONAL/ SCREENING TESTS

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SPECIALIZING IN PARTICLEBOARD, MDF, HARDBOARD AND HARDWOOD PLYWOOD

ASTM E 1333 and D 6007 Test Specimen Conditioning Room

DEMONSTRATED TRACK RECORD OF ACCURATELY TESTING ULTRA-LOW EMITTING PRODUCTS SUCH AS CARB’S NAF & ULEF AS WELL AS FINISHED FURNITURE. New ASTM D 6007 Small Chambers for CARB Compliance Testing or Mill QC Testing

COMPOSITE PANEL ASSOCIATION Contact the ITCC today about available services and fees.

ITCC 73 Lawson Road, Suite 101 Leesburg, VA 20175 (703) 724-1128 Director of Laboratory Services, bharrington@cpamail.org Director of Certification Services, csurak@cpamail.org www.pbmdf.com

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NexGen 2009 a Success, Repeat Event Planned for Early 2010.

Biesse and Stiles are pleased to report that the inaugural NexGen Event was a success and have agreed to hold another event early next year.

In an unprecedented joint organizational effort between these two industry players, a new type of event has emerged. For the entire week of June 8, including Saturday, the companies held concurrent open houses at their North Carolina facilities.

Both companies stated that they were satisfied with the attendance level and the results achieved. The event proved that being closer to their customers is especially important in today’s economic climate. Visitors expressed their appreciation and encouraged the two organizations to continue to pursue

this alternative way to experience state-ofthe-art machinery in action.

For this reason, Biesse and Stiles have decided to hold an expanded second edition of NexGen Event in February 2010. Invitations are being extended to other partners who are also committed to this new way of doing business.

For more information, please contact either of the company’s representatives listed below. n BIESSE: Federico Broccoli 704.357.3131 federico.broccoli@biesseamerica.com STILES: Stephan W. Waltman 616.698.7500 swaltman@stilesmachinery.com

Legislation to Stimulate Remodeling and Home Furnishing Purchases Congressman Henry Johnson (D-GA) and Nathan Deal (R-GA) are sponsoring legislation, the Home Improvements Revitalize the Economy (HIRE) Act of 2009, to provide tax credits to stimulate the purchase of kitchen cabinets and other remodeling and home furnishing improvements.

“Not only would this help stimulate the manufacturing market for home furnishings and buildings products, it would save retail jobs, generate billions in revenue and increase home values at the time when we really need a boost,” according to Johnson. “By creating this tax deduction, we will offer incentives for consumers who would otherwise forego spending in 2009 and 2010. We will encourage environmentally sound practices by doubling the benefits for the purchase of building products and home furnishings that meet nationally recognized environmental standards.”

Under the proposed HIRE Act, individual consumers and joint filers would receive respective $2,000 and $4,000 tax credits for purchasing items that meet recognized environmental standards (LEED, NAHB, Green Globes, SFI/FSC and ESP). Retailers, contractors and building product resellers can receive up to $10,000 for covered purchases.

A coalition that includes 14 associations representing kitchen cabinets (Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association) home furnishings, flooring, paint and coatings, carpet and rug, and other interests have joined forces to support passage of the legislation.

“This bill would help everyone in our industry – manufacturing, retail, design and suppliers.

The costs would be more than offset by increased economic activity and saved jobs. The incentives cease after three years. This definitely is a pump-priming effort of limited duration and near immediate payback,” according to KCMA Executive Vice President Dick Titus. n

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Uniboard Nu Green Receives Coveted F4star Certification Uniboard is pleased to announce that NU GREEN® particleboard is now recognized to comply with the Japanese International Standards (JIS) A5905 2003 (also known as Super EO or F4Star).

“NU GREEN® is the flagship product in our green product portfolio,” states Don Raymond, VP Marketing of Uniboard. “Launched in 2007, NU GREEN® particleboard continues to gain momentum in the North American market. NU GREEN® has quickly become the #1 panel of choice, offering the greenest solution on the market for architects, designers, panel fabricators and manufacturers of kitchen, office and residential furniture. The addition of the Japanese F4Star certification expands the marketability of NU Green and further positions Uniboard as a consistent leader in green composite panel products.” The F4Star compliance applies to both NU GREEN® raw particleboard and NU GREEN® thermofused melamine particleboard.

Uniboard has elevated its standards in creating a product that is an NAUF composite panel offering up to 6 LEED points, which is FSC, EPP and now F4Star certified. Uniboard is a supplier committed to meeting customer expectations and finding solutions in both product and servicing needs. Our environmental policy is based on the sustainable use of natural resources and underlies Uniboard’s entire manufacturing process. n

Stiles Makes “Inc.” Magazine’s List of Fastest-Growing Private Companies For the third consecutive year, Stiles Machinery Inc. has earned a position on the 2009 Inc. 5000, Inc.’s annual ranking of the fastest-growing private companies in America.

As an Inc. 5000 honoree, Stiles shares a prestigious pedigree with some of the most successful businesses in America. Inc. recognizes the creativity, dedication, and hard work involved in building the company into what it is today.

Inc.’s list has served as evidence of the significant accomplishments of entrepreneurial companies since debuting in 1991 with 100 of the fastest-growing private U.S. companies, then expanding the following year to the Inc. 500 and again in 2007 to the Inc. 5000. Complete results of the Inc. 5000, including company profiles and a list of the fastest-growing companies that can be sorted by industry and region, can be found at www.inc5000.com. n

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Biesse and Intermac Canada to Roll out the Red Carpet for Customers this Fall Biesse and Intermac Canada have recently completed their move into a brand new Canadian Headquarters in Mirabel, QC, just northwest of Montreal via Highway 15, exit 31 and will mark the occasion by providing a three-day open house and One2One event for their customers.

The event takes place this fall from October 28th to 30th and will run each day from 9:00 AM to 6:00PM. The official Ribbon Cutting Ceremony will be held on October 28th at 2:00PM and will feature a number of notable local public figures.

For all three days, Canadian customers are welcome to visit the new building and take part in the festivities that will include live machine and software demonstrations.

Refreshments will be served daily, and experts will be on hand to answer customer questions about Biesse and Intermac technology.

Construction of the new Canadian headquarters began in October 2008, and the new 25,000-square foot structure contains

nearly 6,000 square feet of space dedicated for offices and meeting and training rooms.

A number of green building approaches have been incorporated into the design, such as the liberal use of glass, which will let in abundant sunlight and improve energy efficiency by lessening the need for electric lighting.

The building’s design keeps with that of the surrounding buildings and is wrought primarily of brick, steel, and glass. Inside, a 6,000 square foot state-of-the-art showroom allows for year-round live demonstrations of Biesse

and Intermac machinery, and the building also features a 13,000-square foot, 8-ton craned warehouse.

Biesse continues to maintain a 6,200-square foot facility in Toronto, which includes a 5,050-square foot showroom, and also utilizes the BCIT Showroom in Vancouver, BC. In an effort to enhance service for its Canadian customers, the company has been building up its overall presence, expanding its dealer network, and bringing aboard additional sales and technical personnel. n

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Hettich Launches “Kitchen Concept 2015” As part of its forward-looking innovation management activities, Hettich is launching “Kitchen Concept 2015” a trends forecast for future kitchen and home environments. “Kitchen Concept 2015” focuses on design, convenience, ergonomics, electrification and multimedia networking.

In terms of design, “Kitchen Concept 2015” interprets the kitchen as the hub of the home. Rather than trying to be the centre of attention, the kitchen of the future will be integrated into the living areas. Essentials such as appliances, sinks and taps, disappear behind fascias when they’re not needed. Hardware that retracts electronically allows flush-fitting fronts and drives new architectural options. An extremely shallow sink discreetly blends into the forward-pointing kitchen landscape and reduces the consumption of water. Retracting faucets underpin the trend of reducing kitchen design to what is needed without compromising on function.

As a focus of home living, “Kitchen Concept 2015” is also synonymous with a positive attitude toward life. This is where convenience plays a central part. Drawers and pot-and-pan drawers that can be opened from both sides provide access to contents from either side of the work center. Electrical appliances are also set to provide greater convenience.

Separately controllable drawers in the dishwasher can also be opened from both sides, making cooking with friends even more of a pleasure.

From the aspect of ergonomics, “Kitchen Concept 2015” shows height adjustable wall units. Control panels on the base unit make it possible to raise and lower cabinet elements independently of each other, ergonomically moving cabinet contents to the level that best suits the user. The kitchen is increasingly evolving to fit with those using it. Older people in particular are influencing product design.

In the future, multimedia networking will boost convenience. In the “Kitchen Concept 2015,” different electrical appliances will communicate with each other. The touch screen in the countertop or large screen in the kitchen front can be used to display measurements like oven temperature and remaining cooking time. Internet, television and other building services will be controlled from a central point.

In creating “Kitchen Concept 2015,” Hettich draws on experience with electric kitchen furniture elements and demonstrates possibilities in many application scenarios. Ideas from project studies and cutting-edge technologies are reflected everywhere in the kitchen's design, which also caters to the “iPod generation.” For example, individual zones on the cook top are no longer firmly defined. Instead touch technology can define the size of the heating element to fit the pot or pan being used.

“Kitchen Concept 2015” aims to provide kitchen furniture and whitegoods manufacturers with inspiration for taking the kitchen forward as the hub of the home. Evolving hardware, multimedia networking and materials technology will drive kitchen design to better meet the desires of the kitchen user, ultimately adding practical value to the open home environment of the future. n 14

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SierraPine Introduces New Sustainable Flame Retardant Particleboard SierraPine has announced the introduction of Encore™ FR – a Class 1 (A) certified, no added urea formaldehyde (NAUF) particleboard. According to the company, Encore FR is the newest addition to a line of Sustainable Design Particleboard products which include Encore and Encore MR. Encore FR is designed specifically for green building and other environmentally sensitive applications where fire safety is a concern and where local, state or federal fire code regulations must be met.

“I’m extremely proud of the hard work and successful efforts of our Springfield, Oregon technical and operation teams in the development of Encore FR”, said Chris Leffel, vice president of sales and marketing. “There were a lot of challenges to overcome, but our experience and innovative spirit has once again demonstrated SierraPine’s industry leadership, commitment to environmentally preferable products and ability to continually raise the bar for new product development.”

Encore FR is produced with a non-borate flame retardant system which expands lamination and coating options. In addition, the product has been engineered with superior physical properties to other comparable products. Encore FR is available for immediate shipment out of SierraPine’s Springfield, Oregon plant with the option of FSC certification. ■

Olon Industries Acquires Creative Products Olon Industries Inc. is pleased to announce the acquisition of Creative Products in Jeffersonville, IN. Creative is an innovative manufacturer of high quality profile-wrapped moldings serving the US residential and commercial office furniture markets. Creative has specific expertise in oversized and custom moldings plus is centrally located in southern Indiana. The acquisition perfectly compliments Olon’s Canadian profile wrapping capabilities in Georgetown, ON and its drawer side production in Washington, IN. For further information, please contact Olon Creative Products customer service at (812) 282-8594 please visit our website at www.olon.com. ■ CIRCLE #08 ON READER SERVICE CARD

Who’s WHO W H O ’ S

N E W

DSM Melamine Americas, Inc. Announces Organizational Change Linn Yeager, President and Sales Director of DSM Melamine Americas (DMA), has taken the decision to retire on August 1, 2009 after 31 years with DSM. As a result of Linn’s retirement, the DMA organization will be realigned as follows: Jan Maarten Bosch, Global VP Marketing & Sales DSM Melamine will assume the additional role of President, DMA. Sergio Quadros will be appointed Director of Marketing & Sales, DMA. He will also assume direct responsibility for business in Brazil as well as the DSM agents in Chile and Argentina. Sergio previously worked for DMA as Sales Manager before moving on to Asia where he served as M&S Director for DSM Melamine. Most recently, he has served as Business Director, DSM Resins.

Reporting to Sergio will be Cathy Luo, DMA’s current Sales Manager. In the new organization, Cathy will focus more on North American sales, along with the Business Intelligence function within DMA. ■

Smartech is the source For Steinbach Membranes.

Olon Industries Retirement After almost 30 years of innovation and industry leadership, Olon Industries, Inc. would like to announce the retirement of its CEO, Rick Locke and the promotion of Don Hambly to the position. Don has been with Olon as its President & COO for the past year and a half. s&p surface&panel

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Inspired byNature

HOTEL INDIGO

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Breathe In. And Breathe Out Learn to relax and escape If only for tonight

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H

aiku is Hotel Indigo’s preferred form of communication, This style of poetry is composed of three-lines, the first with five syllables, the second with seven syllables, and the third with five syllables. The simple graceful form is anchored in mathematics but allows for limitless expressions, which pretty well captures the design concept behind Hotel Indigo, the industry’s first “branded boutique” hotel.

Hotel Indigo, an Intercontinental Hotel Group brand, is created to be an environment that doesn’t just shelter guests, but inspires and reenergizes them. To do this, each unique property is carefully conceived to fit into the natural surroundings. The first Pacific coast Hotel Indigo is located in Ontario Rancho Cucamonga, California. Wholesale Commercial Interiors, Inc. (WCI) a comprehensive design firm out of Portland, OR was commissioned to design the project so that it fit

the feeling of the locale. The property includes 92 guest rooms and 34 suites. WCI’s longtime partner, Northland Furniture, manufactured all the headboards, nightstands, desks and chest of drawers throughout the hotel.

Sand. Salt. Wind. And Sea None of these is really here But it feels like it

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“We chose natural elements throughout the property, but there was no way we could use real wood for the floor.

Wilsonart Commercial Flooring gave us the look of wood, which ties into the entry garden and locale. But unlike real wood floors, the commercial laminate has legs. It will look great even in high traffic areas like registration.”

Interior Designer Larissa Burden (Project Coordinator for Hotel Indigo Ontario)

The project presented refreshing and unique design opportunities. According to Jennifer Hatfield, owner and founder of WCI “The franchise does not dictate the exact design, so our designers were able to use their creativity within the specification parameters to create a bright and lively atmosphere.” Interior Designer Larissa Burden was the Project Coordinator for Hotel Indigo Ontario, she worked with Lead Designer Tracy Thompson to create spaces that combine math, art and nature in perfect symmetry. The Hotel Indigo design concept is based on natural elements and the “Golden Mean,” also known as the Fibonacci Sequence or Phi. This is evident in the Hotel’s brand icon, the chambered nautilus, which embodies the universal design constant. The designers used a “pure” color palette for the project, made of distinctive hues of aqua, butter yellow, crimson, black and crisp whites. Natural shapes and textures are used throughout the property to provide a sense of universal connection. One of the unique requirements of the brand franchise is that each corridor and guestroom, as well as the fitness center and the bar, must have murals that depict the California landscape.

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The Co

Do we ever move Forward, or just wrap around To the beginning?

The project also presented a challenge.

Construction of the hotel was already a quarter complete when the decision was made to franchise as a Hotel Indigo. For WCI, this meant working closely with IHG’s design department to become familiar with the brand requirements. Fortunately, WCI is uniquely qualified to handle the design, purchasing and installation for the entire project in all areas of the hotel. “Having a good relationship with our vendors, distributors and manufacturers was extremely beneficial in getting products to the property in time for the opening,” says Thompson.

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The soul of the Hotel Indigo brand is the retail-inspired concept of renewal. Much like a store changes its display window seasonally, WCI designers created an active interior, adorned with nature-inspired elements that accommodate regular décor changes. “At the heart of the design is the dark wood designs of the flooring and furniture,” says Thompson.

“Its aesthetic brings warmth to the guestrooms, plus it provides a very solid design foundation. That allowed us to make a very dynamic interior.” Within the guestrooms area rugs sit on top of the Wilsonart Commercial Flooring design “Black Walnut.” The rugs, along with the plush duvets, slipcovers and even murals are switched periodically, providing even the

most frequent guest with fresh experiences.

Common spaces that are enhanced with music and aromas also change with the seasons. But one thing that remains the same is the “Vertical Bamboo- Black” HPL floor that welcomes guests to registration. “We chose natural elements throughout the property, but there was no way we could use real wood for the floor. Wilsonart Commercial Flooring gave us the look of wood, which ties into the entry garden and locale. But unlike real wood floors, the commercial laminate has legs. It will look great even in high traffic areas like registration,” says Burden.

Likewise, Ebony HPL from Formica’s Naturelle collection was used for the horizontal surfaces of all the furniture. “The HPL was specified for the furniture tops because that is where the guests are going to set their coffee cups,” says Mike Angus, Director of Operations for Northland Furniture, ”if you don’t have HPL on top you are going to end up with little circles. It turns into a maintenance nightmare for housekeeping.” Northland furniture specified the materials and built the pieces based on Thompson’s design. All the furniture has solid maple moldings and legs. The box sides are made from a maple veneer laid up on formaldehyde-free particleboard from States Industries, which uses a soy-based glue rather then a polymer-based adhesive.

“All of our furniture is made with the greenest materials available. The particleboard is very uniform and workable, plus it comes out of Eugene, Oregon, so it is very local to our manufacturing facility. The UV finish in “espresso” is 99.9% solid. Not only does it fit the look of the design, but it is extremely hard and emits virtually no VOC’s,” says Angus. The stain and lacquer used in the finishing comes from Akzo Nobel located out of Bend, Oregon.

“We try to source our materials from suppliers who are close to home,” says Angus.

Although the use of non-CARB compliant materials is allowed in California for an extended period of time to provide suppliers and manufacturers an opportunity to work through their current inventory, Northland Furniture manufactures their case goods exclusively out of CARB compliant materials. According to Angus, it has been an easy switch to adopt because most manufacturers have updated their materials and operations to make certain their products can still be sold in CA. Northland Furniture maintains a very low inventory and buys all their raw materials right before beginning to build a project. This helps them to stay on top of advancing material technology.

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“The HPL was specified for the furniture tops because that is where the guests are going to set their coffee cups. If you don’t have HPL on top you are going to end up with little circles. It turns into a maintenance nightmare for housekeeping.”

MIKE ANGUS, DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS FOR NORTHL AND FURNITURE

Egyptian cotton Four-hundred threadcount heaven Sleep in angel wings “Dedicated to providing the highest quality 3D laminate with exemplary service and support, one customer at a time”

“We exist to help you succeed” Photo Courtesy of : DIRTT Environmentals & Wahu

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Always in stock, full rolls or cut to length, with same day shipping.

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Surface Source International 961 Route 10 E, Unit 2-I Randolph, NJ 07869 P. 973.598.0152 / F. 973.598.0156 info@ssinorthamerica.com / www.ssinorthamerica.com CIRCLE #11 ON READER SERVICE CARD

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In addition to the contribution to indoor air quality and the durability the furnishings were built to be elegant. Brushed-metal accents add a little light play to the headboards, while unique shapes and clean lines provide a foundation that the rest of the interior features can virtually dance around. Hotel Indigo, Ontario, CA is a great example of WCI’s ability to coordinate every aspect of a design, from flooring and casework to wall coverings, drapes and soft goods. “We have worked with WCI for 10 years. They cultivate supplier relationships, which makes it possible for them to deliver complete packages to their clients,” explains Angus. “Their complete service means that the customer does not have to worry about any of the little details of the job, WCI takes care of everything.” This comprehensive approach made WCI especially well-suited to do the design for Hotel Indigo, Ontario, CA since the interiors change with the seasons.

The Hotel Indigo brand uses art, math and nature to provide the weary traveler with a peaceful and refreshing experience. Each unique location resonates with the surrounding environment. When the team at WCI was hired for the first Pacific coast location, they used their creative wisdom and supplier relationships to create a design package that was not only in harmony with the surroundings, but was also finished on time. s&p

Totally at ease I bask in sunny environs Life’s one big hammock

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Lamitech Refs.: Chocolate Oak 1808 - Chianti Cherry 1811 - Aluminum Brush 2030

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Did You See Something Over There? NAH, NEVER MIND… B Y

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t is not often a branded and internationally recognized design finds its way into the decorative surface industry. Historically, winning décor designs emerge from the collaborative efforts of design professionals at the world’s finest printers and laminate manufacturers. But occasionally something truly unique enters the market that stirs everyone’s curiosity and sparks the imagination. The decorative surfaces market is about to be introduced to just such a design, but look carefully, it’s easy to miss. The design is called “Break Up” and it is already a best-seller in the outdoor sporting industry because of its strategic use of shadows that “break up” the surface of the pattern, making it difficult for the eye to focus on. Mossy Oak® Brand Camo, owned by the outdoor industry leader in modern camouflage design, Haas Outdoors, Inc, perfected the design. The true innovation of the “shadow” patterns is that they make “Break Up” the first camouflage design that is as difficult to see up close, as far away. Though designed to blend into nearly any background, the pattern can be seen in a multitude of products from apparel, gunstocks and all-terrain vehicles to baby clothes. If it is useful to hunters and outdoorsmen, it ought to come in camo. Now, for the first time ever, the design is available in a wide range of surface materials, and there is no visible end to the possibilities.

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can you see us now?

Mossy Oak is all about what you can’t see. At Roseburg we are very proud of what you can see; a Duramine Decorative melamine panel that is a perfect match to MOSSY OAK’s BREAK UP design pattern. Imagine the possibilities now that designers, architects and manufacturers have a design like Roseburg’s Mossy Oak Duarmine to present to their client.

In fact we think this panel is a sure fire hit for store fixtures, cabinets, storage organizers and more.

MOSSY OAK BREAK UP melamine is available from all four of our specialty panel facilities in all standard sizes, thickness and cores options including our Hybrid Green SkyBlend® particleboard.

P. O . B o x 1 0 8 8 Roseburg, OR 97470 We s t e r n S a l e s T F 8 0 0 . 2 4 5 . 1 1 1 5 Eastern Sales TF 866.387.2646 FX 541.679.2543 w w w. R o s e b u r g . c o m

Mossy Oak® is a registered trademark of Haas Outdoors, Inc

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“In this channel to market, there is a branded design with instant recognition. It is established and in a way, presold.

Arclin’s job is to get out in front of the brand, get it to market and facilitate the transfer.”

JIM RYAN, BUSINESS DIRECTOR OF DECORATIVE SURFACES AT ARCLIN.

OUT OF THE WOODS

Arclin, a leading provider of bonding, surfacing and related products for today’s engineered materials (and natural resource markets) has been granted exclusive rights to Mossy Oak’s licensed camouflage patterns and related trademarks for use in decorative surfaces. The agreement gives Arclin access to Mossy Oak’s banded designs for use in surfacing applications for low and high -pressure laminates, edgebanding and laminated panels for all of the Americas. The new designs will bear Arclin’s E-Gen™ designation as an environmentally friendly product and will be GREENGUARD certified.

“This is a unique opportunity to bring a new, branded design to the decorative surfaces market,” says Jim Ryan, Business Director of Decorative Surfaces at Arclin.

“We are excited about this alliance and the opportunity it provides Arclin and our downstream customers to offer new and unique design choices.” Arclin will be working closely with Schattdecor, who is the exclusive décor printer of the Mossy Oak designs. The current downstream customers of the alliance consist of Roseburg, Thermo Pressed Laminates (TPL) and Timber Products.

“Traditional design to market channels start with designers in the HPL venue, who identify color and pattern trends, which are often matched by other surface material suppliers,” explains Ryan. “In this channel to market, there is a branded design with instant recognition. It is established and in a way, presold. Arclin’s job is to get out in front of the brand, get it to market and facilitate the transfer.”

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Roseburg Forest Products announced that it will offer Mossy Oak in its Duramine Decorative Melamine TFM panels produced at all four of its melamine production facilities. This is the first time a Mossy Oak pattern has been offered in a TFM panel, and Roseburg will also make the design available in its RediShelf line of decorative shelving.

“Because Mossy Oak has been so successful branding its designs, we anticipate a very high demand,” says Tim Lewis, Director of Panel Sales for Roseburg States, “it will be available at all of our 150 distribution partners in North America.”

NOT SEEING IT EVERYWHERE

Obvious end use applications for Mossy Oak designs include store fixtures in outdoor and sporting retailers, as well as garages, storage and trailers. But the true potential of Mossy Oak as a surface material will not be known until fabricators across the country experiment with new applications. Once the product is available at the distribution level, creative ideas will undoubtedly pour in from the consumer end, where the brand is already highly recognized.

Don’t be surprised if game room cabinets and home office furniture throughout the nation begins to disappear into the background.

In fact, the real measure of the success of Mossy Oak in décor panels will likely be defined at the retail level. “I think the connection to Mossy Oak has the potential really to be an outstanding opportunity for virtually everybody involved,” says Pat McNeal of Thermo Pressed Laminates. “Mossy Oak is by far the world’s number one producer of sporting (not military) camouflage, it already has a following.” Considering that outdoorenthusiasts often describe their relationships with nature as “obsessive,” providing them access to both shelving and cut-to-size panels may generate more uses than anyone within the composite panel industry ever imagined.

That sort of heartfelt customer interest can quickly create “pull through” demand from consumers. Even though the real power of the “Break Up” pattern for surface materials is in its ability NOT to be seen, savvy fabricators will surely keep an eye on this design, or at least try to. s&p

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See us at Greenbuild. Booth #4426

NOW YOU CAN BRING THE OUTDOORS IN

THERE’S JUST NO HIDING A GREAT IDEA. Working WHERE IDEAS GO TO WORK

together with Mossy Oak® and Schattdecor, we’ve created an exclusive alliance, allowing us to bring an exciting new branded design to the market– Mossy Oak® Break-Up®.

This new design is available with Greenguard Certification for a variety of surfacing applications: low- and high-pressure laminates, edge banding and laminated panels. For more information—and more great ideas— visit www.arclin.com, call 253-682-3222 or email jim.ryan@arclin.com.

Innovation applied — it’s how we work at Arclin.

BONDING & SURFACING SOLUTIONS FOR TODAY’S ENGINEERED MATERIALS MARKETS

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Please inquire about FSC availability.

Cert no. SCS-COC-001423 The mark of responsible forestry © 1996 Forest Stewardship Council A.C.

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PREMIUM COMMERCIAL INTERIORS B Y

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MANUFACTURING ART

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PH OTG R A PH Y BY J O H N DAV I S O F DV D E S I G N , I N C . , F O R G E N S LE R

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e may not say so himself, but Bob W. Shaw is an artist. The soft-spoken Texan’s studio is a 90,000 square foot manufacturing plant, his canvas is elite commercial spaces and his unusual medium is wood veneer. Shaw is the President of Robert Shaw Mfg. Co., Inc. A premium furniture and architectural millwork manufacturer, located in Fort Worth, TX, that serves the upper-most echelons of the market. All woodworking operations depend on four major components to function: personnel, materials, information and equipment. What makes Robert Shaw Mfg.’s work so close to perfection is the team’s ability to conceptualize and carry out highly complex projects. Like any true artist, Bob Shaw has an elevated awareness of the creative process. But he also has the engineering ingenuity to anticipate solutions before challenges arise.

Although not matte and framed, Robert Shaw Mfg.’s work is on display in many fine venues. A good example of the company’s commercial work is the custom furniture and vast expanses of premium architectural millwork installed in the new Fluor Corporation Headquarters in Irving, TX. Fluor Corporation is one of the world’s largest publicly owned engineering, procurement, construction, maintenance services and operations companies, employing an international workforce of 35,000 people in 25 countries. The time frame for the project, from purchasing the site to move in, was an ambitious nine

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months. It was completed in eight. Gensler was the Architect of Record for the project, Clayco, Inc. was the general contractor and Robert Shaw Mfg. was chosen from a few elite manufacturers invited to bid for the millwork. “This was a true collaboration in which the design, schedule and cost needed to come together,” said Judy Pesek, principal and managing director of Gensler.

“Fluor’s mantra from the beginning was ‘We’re going to do this right.’ And we did.

Shared Values

One characteristic of premium architectural woodwork is fastidious attention to detail. For Robert Shaw Mfg, that precision is a collaborative effort of professionals who possess two important traits beyond expert trade skills and a commitment to quality. The first is a comprehensive knowledge of wood species and their characteristics, and the second is the ability to work well with a team. “Longevity is a characteristic of people who work in the premium architectural millwork industry,” explains Project Manager Ken Harris, who has been with the company for 35 years. “The success of the operation relies of the continuity of each person’s skills, and their understanding of what it takes to make the right things happen for each unique job. People tend to stay with the company for a long time, which is good because highly-trained and experienced people are very difficult to replace.”

Robert Shaw Mfg. is a family business founded by Robert H. Shaw in 1946. Although the elder Shaw still puts in full days at the office, he handed control of the business over to his son Bob W. Shaw in the mid 1970’s. Bob Shaw is as close to the quintessential Renaissance man as it gets in Texas. In addition to operating a well-run business, he has an artistic sensibility and a thorough understanding of design, materials and manufacturing equipment. And although

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Visit www.stilesmachinery.com/vector to watch a video of the machine in action and learn more about how the Vector Revolution 180 is a smart solution.

For more information, visit www.stilesmachinery.com or contact Stephan Waltman at 616.698.7500 or swaltman@stilesmachinery.com.

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powerful Continuous developments ensure that Holzma panel saws feature the latest in technology while providing the highest level of efficiency.

Available from Stiles, the Power Concept enables Holzma 380 series panel saws to crosscut different strips to different part lengths in the same cutting cycle at cutting times reduced as much as 40%, driving down costs and lead times.

When you work with Stiles, you get experienced manufacturing consulting, steadfast service and support and the long-term value that you can only get from the experts. It’s all part of our commitment to your success.

Now that’s powerful.

For more information, visit www.stilesmachinery.com or contact Bill Pitt at 704.861.8239 or bpitt@stilesmachinery.com.

he can carry on a thoughtful philosophical conversation, he is anything but pretentious.

Bob’s brother William Shaw runs the veneering operation that provides the company with the necessary tight control over their materials. Their sister Julie manages the office. (And yes, by all accounts they get along very nicely with one another). In addition to family, the team is made up of a highly trained engineering staff, and 35 experienced craftspeople.

Most people have been there for 20 years or more. As the project manager, Harris works as a liaison between the shop, the installer, the contractor and the architect. “Bob owns the project when he takes one on, and he does not let anything out of the shop unless it is first class.” says Harris, “The entire team here is very particular.”

Premium Materials for Premium Projects

From the initial vision of the architect, the team at Robert Shaw Mfg. begins the almost supernatural process of bringing an idea into reality. “I learned a long time ago to listen carefully,” says Harris. “The architects describe a color range, and how slick or flashy they want a design to be. And that tells us what sorts of wood species we are looking for in a veneer and how it should be cut.” Harris relays the information to Bob Shaw, and then the two 28

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select logs to match the architect’s intent.

“One of my favorite parts is shopping for the logs,” concedes Harris.

To achieve the interesting, elegant and integrated visual effects throughout the Fluor building, several different wood species were chosen. The primary veneer is makore with a large-scale crossfire. The figure marks run perpendicular to the grain creating an almost iridescent brilliance. A floating dining room that spans the atrium on the third floor is done with zebra wood. Wenge was chosen for the credenza and window framing in the dining room because its dark chocolate tone matches the darker striping of the zebra wood. Thick Texas mesquite was used throughout for the flooring, and also to create a parquet effect around the building’s elevator portals. Regardless of the face, high quality MDF is always used for the core. The veneer faces for the Fluor Building were built up with Sierra Pine NAUF Arries, which was the best available MDF at the time. Now Robert Shaw Mfg. uses Medite II SDF as their standard core material. “We work diligently to make our products as perfect as possible.

The core must be absolutely smooth so the veneer will lay flat. And it has to be stable. If the core moves, it will take the face with it,” says Harris.

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CIRCLE #15 ON READER SERVICE CARD

CONSTANT INVENTION

Choosing the veneer is just one of thousands of small decisions that have to be made to keep a job moving forward. “As a project progresses there is a hierarchy of information that is available. For example, once construction is underway, the measurement of the field conditions rarely matches the drawing. So we are constantly planning and making adjustments,” explains Bob Shaw.

While it takes skill and knowledge to layout the individual leaves so they match for width and grain pattern, it is the ability to modify that plan when parameters change during construction that makes a premium architectural millwork operation masterful. “Bob Shaw has this heightened wisdom that comes from a

lifetime of experience,” says Harris. “He can anticipate possible challenges in a project before they arise, and identify the best solution from a huge number of possibilities. He can see around corners.”

That last part may be a bit of an exaggeration, but there is no doubt that Bob Shaw fully understands the process and is passionate about his work. “We have been in business 63 years, we know how to do what we do,” says Shaw. “We are sensitive to the aesthetics of a project, the scale and the way things fit together. Our up-to-date, fully outfitted shop gives us the capacity to complete even large premium projects correctly and on time.

Nothing is perfect, but we work to put out near perfect product every time.” s&p

versatile Wemhöner pressing solutions from Stiles set the standard for versatility and production integrity.

For faster lay-up of parts and reduced labor, the automatic Variopin® system eliminates the need for fixture boards and provides speed and efficiency. Membrane pressing technology delivers a better heat transfer to help the foil stretch and provides a higher quality glue line. Versatile Wemhöner pressing solutions maintain the integrity of your products with a consistent, durable finish.

For more information, visit www.stilesmachinery.com or contact Stephan Waltman at swaltman@stilesmachinery.com or 616.698.7500.

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Creating the Medium

Kuper Splicer and Diehl Splicer

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o produce nearly perfect products, Robert Shaw Mfg. maintains very tight control over their materials. While the company does not actually cut logs, they do build up their own veneer faces, process panels and hand finish all their materials in a 90,000 square foot manufacturing facility.

Once a log is chosen for a project, the leaves are carefully organized and numbered to achieve the design intent. Experience has taught the veneer team to reserve back- up leaves when working complicated sequences, just in case something is added during production. A guillotine cuts both edges of a leaf perfectly parallel, so that it stays exactly square. From there, the faces go to the veneer splicer. “We just bought a new Kuper veneer splicing machine. It applies a thin strip of virtually invisible glue along the edges of two leafs and then glues them together under pressure and heat,” says William Shaw. His lifelong work in the premium architectural woodwork industry makes him the perfect person to head the veneer

Italipresse

operation. “The Kuper produces a tapeless veneer joint, which is the typical spec for premium jobs.” In-house splicing allows Shaw to make certain the seams are completely sealed. Anything less could result in a line or crack at the joint after finishing.

While the veneer is being spliced, the MDF cores are sanded through a wide belt DMC sander and machined to match the veneer sequence. “The Medite II SDF is the best substrate for our work. Plywood doesn’t stay flat, it has some warp or twist in it. And

Sennerskov feed-through hot press

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particleboard is less dense. We do a lot of edge detail, and there are many processes in our machining operation. So the core has to be stable,” says, Shaw.

Every part (individual leaves, veneer faces core and backer) is numbered. They are properly matched and put through one of two hot presses. The Italpresse XL is well-suited for smaller production runs due to its ease of operation, and the big green Sennerskov feed-through hot press is oriented around large production runs. “If specified or appropriate we will also band a piece of solid lumber to the core before it is pressed to create an edge detail that allows it to look like the veneer flows over the edge,” says Shaw. This technique adds depth to the finished product, so that it closely resembles solid wood. Once the veneer is flawlessly laid up it goes back the DMC sander before being cut to size in the machining area. All the subsequent assembly, sanding and finishing is done by hand.

While equipment gives Robert Shaw Mfg. the in-house veneering capability necessary to manufacture premium products; the machines are little more then state of-theart hunks of metal without the people who operate them. Every piece that comes out of the factory passes through the best available equipment, as well as the careful hands and watchful eyes of master craftspeople. The quality of Robert Shaw Mfg.’s work can be described in terms of the amount of effort and wisdom the people who manufacture the products put into the process. The investment in state of the art equipment is just another way of giving the artisan woodworkers more influence over the their magnificent materials. s&p

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Climate Change Standards and Wood Products

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t sounds like a pun to refer to the Global Warming issue as a hot topic, but with the U.S. Congress set to consider legislation on Climate Change in 2009, it is certainly a relevant subject for Regenerate.

It is relevant because of the profound and positive impact that wood, nature’s most useful carbon storage resource, can and does have in every equation concerning the human impact of building and home furnishing products on our planet. But attention to the topic of global warming brings politics. Thus, the wood story could turn out to be a good news/ bad news story. Here’s to our hope that good carbon science doesn’t lose out to politically driven science.

Additionally, wood products manufacturing uses a huge proportion of ‘carbon neutral’ biomass energy in their manufacturing operations, between 50-67%. Over 60% of the biomass fuel consumed in the U.S. is in fact used to create wood products. (Murray et al. 2006). Comparisons are almost pointless since no other commodity industry comes close, when it comes to the use of biomass fuels.

In its pointed summary of the facts related to wood, the not-for-profit Dovetail

Partners’* Carbon Science vs. Carbon Politics report, (Bowyer, et.al., 2008) gets quickly to how much better wood is than some of the competing materials. “High energy efficiency and low fossil fuel consumption, combined with the fact that wood is one-half carbon by weight, means that wood and the products made from wood tend to be not only carbon neutral, but carbon negative. That is to say, that even when carbon emitted in all the steps of processing is considered, the net result is carbon stor-

WOOD IS GOOD, REALLY GOOD

The primary reason wood ends up with such a positive result when the scientists tally up all the factors in their carbon equations is energy; more specifically, ‘embodied energy’.

Trees use the ultimate renewable source of energy, solar energy, to pull carbon out of the atmosphere and create wood. Approximately half the weight of wood comes from carbon.

Wood products manufacturing also expends much less energy to turn that natural resource into lumber, composites and even kitchen cabinets.

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Dovetail Partners Report “Carbon Science vs. Carbon Politics”

SOURCE:

NOTE: Value for Plastic = 2502 kg C/mt

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Dovetail Partners Report “Carbon Science vs. Carbon Politics”

SOURCE:

NOTE: Value for Plastic = 2502 kg C/mt ASSUMPTION: Wood = 49% Carbon

age rather than emission of carbon; this is not the case for any other construction material” Figure 1 is a bar chart of some selected comparison materials.

The Dovetail Partners report goes into much greater detail in this area. It is recommended reading. So the science says “wood is good, really good” when it comes to carbon storage and carbon use. Unfortunately, the politics of carbon (carbon treaties, carbon trading, etc.) paint a much murkier picture.

POLITICS OF CARBON

As the Dovetail Report notes, “In developing incentives and protocols to reduce carbon emissions and increase carbon sequestration, one glaring omission stands out. Storage of carbon within wood products has thus far been ignored by policy analysts, as has the low energy intensity (and even lower fossil fuel intensity) of wood products in general.

The omission is significant since in the United States alone carbon stored within wood products is over one-third that being sequestered annually within the nation’s forests.”

Because the embodied energy in wood products is low compared to equivalent products made of competing materials, energy is saved and emissions avoided each time wood is substituted for these other materials when building homes or stocking them with furnishings. Dovetail continues, “As long as substitutions are appropriate (i.e. result in similar durability over time), and the management of forests from which wood is harvested is sustainable, there is clear environmental

“High energy efficiency and low fossil fuel consumption, combined with the fact that wood is onehalf carbon by weight, means that wood and the products made from wood tend to be not only carbon neutral, but carbon negative.”

advantage to use of wood wherever possible.”

Currently, forest-related strategies available for earning carbon credits toward compliance with the Kyoto protocol are limited to the establishment of forests on areas previously lacking forest cover, or on lands degraded by agriculture or mining. Despite a large body of research on wood’s carbon storage capability, there is no recognition to date by climate negotiators of the potential for storing carbon in wood products or of avoiding carbon emissions through product substitution. The current assumption regarding the fate of harvested wood is that once a tree is harvested, all of its carbon is released and that the net stock of carbon in long-lived wood products is unchanging.

Fortunately, there is now broad recognition that the existing assumptions about wood are faulty. There are initiatives underway that would bring changes and allow for carbon storage within carbon accounting schemes. Although there appears to be tentative discussion about the carbon storage issue under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC), the outcome is far from certain.

It is unlikely that a decision on the carbon storage issue will be based on science alone.

Dovetail goes on to say, “The data on carbon storage in wood products and their low-energy intensity is increasingly well documented and readily available. The time is right and strong opportunities exist for carbon protocols and markets for carbon credits to recognize the carbon storage benefits of wood products.”

SUMMARY

Mankind continues to search for ways to capture the power of the sun. It turns out that one of our most familiar materials – wood – is produced almost entirely from solar energy.

Wood products store carbon, in massive amounts. The manufacture of these products is not only highly energy efficient, but the resultant emission of carbon dioxide is lower, in the extreme, compared to other materials.

If society is serious about reducing carbon dioxide, recognition of these differences is important in the development of green building and green purchasing programs. As governments adopt green principles into law and regulation, they need to remember that one part of the solution is growing on trees. s&p * The Dovetail Partners is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation that provides information about the impacts and trade-offs of environmental decisions, including consumption choices, land use, and policy alternatives. For more information, visit www.dovetailinc.org.

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THE “GREENING” OF AN EXISTING BUILDING

B Y

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PROJECT AND PHOTOS BY DREYFUSS AND BLACKFORD ARCHITECTS

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he California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) provides retirement and health benefit services to more then 1.6 million public employees, retirees and their families and more than 2,500 public employers. Located in Sacramento, CA, the original CalPERS headquarters, located in Lincoln Plaza North building, was completed in 1986. It is connected via an underground car and pedestrian passageway to the new Lincoln Plaza East and West buildings, a combined office and retail space comprised of 560,000 square feet the was completed in 2005. The new buildings are LEED certified Gold in New Construction by the US Green Building Council.

Recently Dreyfus and Blackford Architects of Sacramento, CA was engaged to update the original building at Lincoln Plaza North to achieve LEED EB (existing building) Silver Certification. For nearly 60 years the firm has operated on the cutting edge of innovation. Founded in the Modernist tradition, Dreyfus and Blackford specializes in

sustainable design. Creating lasting and efficient buildings is the forefront of their design concept, which is why the firm enjoys long-standing relationships with many of their clients who return again and again for updates and new projects. Project Manager Greg Schulmeister talked with Surface & Panel about the renovation of CalPERS’ dining space, an area referred to as the Servery.

Careful selection of materials, including MDF from Sierra Pine and Wilsonart HPL, made significant contributions to the building’s upgraded LEED status.

S&P: How did Dreyfus and Blackburn become involved with the CalPERS renovation?

Schulmeister: The firm did the original building in Sacramento in 1985, so it has always been involved. Last year CalPERS made the decision to go for LEED EB (existing building) Silver certification. We have longstanding relationships with many clients, so we are often asked to do renovations and new projects for existing clients.

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A

”

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S&P: What materials did you specify?

Schulmeister: We used Tree Frog Veneer wall panels with a finish that has little stained stripes. It is actually individually stained wood so the visual is very intriguing.

It adds a real feeling of elegance to the area.

We chose Wilsonart HPL in a maple design for the case work. Because it is a food service area the Health Department came out and inspected everything before the space could be used. All the finish materials had to be smooth and washable.

S&P: What special considerations were made to help achieve the LEED EB Silver certification?

Schulmeister: When we were choosing

“As a designer I have to be very careful when choosing materials, not only does it have to meet the green building requirements, but it has to last.�

S&P: What changes were made to the Servery to improve its Green Building status?

Schulmeister: The Servery, which is the dining facility, had to be updated. The overall space had to be increased, so we removed a portion of the exterior wall and expanded the area of the Servery. All the equipment needed to be modernized, so we brought in a food service consultant who designed the layout of the equipment. With that layout in mind, we designed the interior environment.

S&P: How was that accomplished?

Schulmeister: We designed the Servery renovation to have a high-end retail look.

To do that we used a lot of rich colors and robust surfaces. Of course anytime you are designing in a commercial space, it is absolutely important to make certain the materials you put into that space can withstand heavy usage. In the case of the Servery, not only are employees coming through everyday to eat, but the place is deep cleaned on a daily basis.

materials we were looking for NAUF panels that were made from recycled content and met the LEED requirement of being manufactured within a 500-mile radius of the site.

Plus the local Fire Marshall is kind of particular and the entire building had to adhere to Class 1 fire ratings. Sierra Pine Medite FR MDF panels were used as the substrate for both the wall panels and the case work. The product fits all of the requirements for indoor air quality, local manufacturing and flame spread. It is obviously versatile, as we were able to specify it in different applications, and the fabricators say it is easy to machine.

As a designer I have to be very careful when choosing materials, not only does it have to meet the green building requirements, but it has to last. s&p

S&P: Were their specific aesthetic design objectives for the space?

Schulmeister: They wanted the Servery to look different from the rest of the building.

The idea was to create a space that would give a sense of being somewhere different for lunch. Conceptually, CalPERS wanted to provide employees with a change of scenery so their break felt more like a respite from the workday.

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Toronto | Canada

December 3–4, 2009

T M TECHNICAL CONFERENCE MANAGEMENT

www.laminates-conference.com www.tcm-americas.com circle #18 on reader service card

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The Composite Five-Piece Door is Coming B Y

S U Z A N N E

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he classic five-piece cabinet door, with cope and stick or mortise and tenon joinery, has been around forever. With a raised or flat panel, this door style in solid hardwood is the staple of custom woodworkers and mass producers alike.

But there is a new five-piece door set to make its debut in the US. Its popularity in Europe has spread through Eastern Canada, gaining momentum as it moves into the North American market.

This new product is not made from solid hardwood, although most consumers won’t know the difference. Instead it is made from profile-wrapped MDF moldings that are usually finished with vinyl films or polyester post impregnated paper, although oriented polypropylene films (OPP) are also used. Polyester is currently the dominant wrapping material for composite five-piece door construction due to the high print fidelity and versatility of décor paper. Printed papers from suppliers like Interprint, Suddekor, Schattdecor, Toppan and others can either be saturated in melamine resin for the production of TFM or saturated in polyester, a more flexible resin, for the production of profile wrapping material. Using the same paper design for both processes ensures the stiles and rails (mostly cut at 45 degree angles) and insert panel are perfectly matched. Not only are composite five-piece doors convincing and consistent, they are generally made with materials, techniques and equipment already in use in the panel processing industry

The Europeans have known the benefits of the composite fivepiece door for a long time. In recent years Quebec has exploded with multiple manufacturers, including Concept Avanti, Prestolam, Meralis and others. Currently the North American market is confined to Quebec and eastern Canada, where the five-piece door has as much as 30% of the door market. Remarkably, in Ontario it is less than 2% and in the US less than 1%. That is likely to change. “Seven to eight years ago, many of the manufacturers in Quebec were small operations serving their local markets,” says Don Hambly, president and CEO of Olon Industries, Inc. “Those manufacturers have matured and are looking beyond their own boundaries. Now their market share in Quebec is impressive.

Composite five-piece doors could easily capture a similar market share in Ontario, not to mention the Untied States. The potential is enormous.”

THE NEW CLASSIC

So what’s so special about these doors? Fidelity. The printed surface patterns are perfect, as is the defect-free face of the composite substrate. This translates to very little waste and improved yields, which positively impacts the bottom line. An old time woodworker from North Carolina used to say, “God grows trees, so we have to accept grain variations.” Not any more. The advanced printing technology of the digital age makes photo-realistic products that eliminate grain variations and flaws. Multiple color-ways of any given pattern only enhance kitchen designers’ options. Once these doors are installed side-by-side in a kitchen, the clean lines of perfection create an entirely new look, which can range from contemporary to traditional and anything in between.

“We are seeing increasing interest in five-piece door production in Ontario and the United States.

Our goal is to stick with our initial strategy – remain solid partners with door fabricators.”

DON HAMBLY, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF OLON INDUSTRIES, INC

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Setting the standard

Uniboard – Build with a leader When you think MDF, think Uniboard and think big.

Now nearing completion, Uniboard’s new world class Moncure MDF facility will offer the industry’s highest quality panels, manufactured right here on American soil.

Using Southern Yellow Pine fiber, our new facility will feature the latest in MDF manufacturing technology. From the 10 foot continuous press, to super refining, to the latest in sanding and cutting technologies, Moncure MDF will be unparelled for product flexibility and consistent product characteristics. Whether your project calls for deep machining, painting, or thermoforming, Uniboard’s Moncure MDF will become the industry benchmark for all types of applications.

Superior surface quality, uniform density, precisely controlled thicknesses and sanding smoothness are just some of the qualities you can expect.

Excel+ MDF samples using the Moncure fiber are now available, so feel free to ask your Uniboard sales representative or Customer Service Representative to send you one. Samples are available in the following sizes: 8¨ x 10¨, 24” x 24” and full sheet sizes of 4’ x 8’.

Uniboard’s Moncure MDF facility is part of the Moncure mega-site, which already offers a wide spectrum and grades of particleboard, MDF and thermofused melamine panels, providing true one-stop-shop mixed load capabilities.

Just think...as a distributor or if you buy direct, how many panel companies can bring this to the game!

Think Big Think Uniboard MDF

Start-up is planned for Q4 2009 so get ready…we’ll be there to serve you with the products you need.

Uniboard USA LCC 985 Corinth Road, Moncure, NC 27559 1866.446.0412 | www.uniboard.com

MDF plant at Moncure currently under construction for start-up in November 2009 CIRCLE #19 ON READER SERVICE CARD

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Supplying the Trend

Successful proliferation of the new five-piece door depends on coordinated industry players. In eastern Canada the key suppliers have programs to serve the door makers. The TFM suppliers like Tafisa, Uniboard and Flakeboard have all worked closely with Olon to match TFM designs with the polyester wrapped moldings.

As the largest supplier of polyester wrapped moldings in North America, Olon is at the heart of this growing phenomenon. “We are seeing increasing interest in fivepiece door production in Ontario and the United States.

Our goal is to stick with our initial strategy—remain solid partners with door fabricators. We’ve made some acquisitions and integrated vertically upstream to insure that we have the latest technology and productive capacity to effectively serve the market,” says Hambly. “Stevens Industries in Teutopolis, IL is a great example of an early stage program. They’ve acquired the mortise and tenon equipment, have the systems in place and their sampling programs are established. They have the capacity to grow very quickly.”

The five-piece door market is not limited to the polyester wrapped moldings/ TFM insert approach. Vinyl and other synthetic 2DL laminates are also very viable options. PVC is an excellent wrapping material, and in combination with 3DL membrane-pressed raised panel inserts, this combination offers more “dimensional” styling options. PVC also offers a perfect match, but requires separate printing cylinders for each pattern.

The paper based polyester-TFM approach has far more design options because the saturating grade paper can be shuffled and shared between HPL and TFM companies, as well as the polyester saturators. While both options for producing five-piece doors will succeed, it is the wide range of available prints…and therefore possibilities…which will likely drive the sales of paper based products higher. Nevertheless, “insurmountable opportunities” exist for everyone.

employed by the seasoned manufacturers, much of the trial and error has been eliminated. A large percentage of the five-piece construction is 45 degree mitered stiles and rails with mortise and tenon or bore and dowel joinery. There is a wide range of processing equipment available to fabricate these parts, including Accusystems, Unique Machine, Koch and others, but according to Hambly, “from what I’ve seen, Balestrini equipment (sold and distributed by Solid Wood Systems, Inc.) is the defacto gold standard in Quebec.”

The “barrier to entry” for composite five-piece door production is also rather low. TFM insert panels and MDF wrapped profiles for the stiles and rails are really the only material ingredients. Although processing equipment is a significant investment, many companies in North America already possess the technology necessary to manufacture the components. Other critical costs that must be considered include sampling, sales, marketing and advertising. Neglecting these crucial facets of business will inevitably lead to the failure of the endeavor.

What About Demand?

The remaining, and most important, question surrounding the composite five-piece door is this; will the American consumer share the same appreciation for this product as the consumers in Quebec? It’s true that residents of Quebec City have more in common with the European sense of style and design. But domestic manufacturers have historically underestimated the American consumer’s desire for high style products. For those who question the above statement, please refer to the IKEA website. While American consumers typically have difficulty defining their preferences, they know what they like when they see it. There is a very good chance that when America sees the classic styling of five-piece cabinet doors, created with the consistency and fidelity of composite materials and matched decorative surfaces, they will like what they see. For the American market, it is less a question of “Will the demand will arise?” and more a question of “Who will be the innovators that truly capitalize on the new five-piece door phenomena?” s&p

Processing technology is key

The homework has been done. Considering the level of technology and talent invested in the production of the key “ingredients” of five-piece door manufacturing, the complexities of fabricating the doors have been minimized. While there are many proprietary techniques 40

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CIRCLE #20 ON READER SERVICE CARD

Olon 5-Piece Door and Accessory Mouldings

The 5-piece door in pre-finished materials is rapidly gaining wide consumer acceptance and manufacturers’ confidence. It is an economical alternative to wood and an upgrade to membrane pressed doors.

The top selling features of the 5-piece door using Olon “PolyPlus” laminates are:

C O N TA C T U S AT:

1-800-387-2319 [GEORGETOWN, ON]

1-800-522-8521 [WASHINGTON, IN]

1-877-656-6872 [GENEVA, IL]

812-282-8594 [JEFFERSONVILLE, IN]

• Olon “PolyPlus” polyester laminate is a GREEN product containing an antimicrobial additive to help protect against bacteria – perfect for use in homes, healthcare facilities, schools and commercial buildings.

• No staining or finishing is required, though the product may be further upgraded by glazing or highlighting.

• This door perfectly resembles a wood door with its perpendicular grain direction and stile and rail construction.

• Mouldings are an exact match to thermally fused melamine panels.

• Moulding and drawer components are offered with FSC certification.

For stock and custom programs, please visit our website at www.olon.com

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Highest Abrasion Class with KLEIBERIT HotCoating®

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he German based company KLEBCHEMIE has once again drastically advanced the patented HotCoating® technology.

The flooring industry can now use this innovative technology and reach the highest abrasion class.

With extensive research in the lab and application department, the experts at KLEIBERIT, located in Weingarten/Germany, were successful in adding abrasion resistant fillers in the HotCoating® matrix, so that flooring producers can now reach up to the highest abrasion class (AC51. according to DIN EN 13329. The coating is still applied in just one step with easy to use application technology. Due to this step this extraordinary coating material also boasts the following properties: ■ Highest abrasion resistance with relatively low coat weight (AC5) ■ Excellent shock resistance ■ Transparent ■ Universal adhesion to decorative paper, print, veneer ■ Warm touch ■ Room acoustic advantages ■ Easier application technology; ■ Single HotCoating® application ■ Improved distribution of the filler in the HotCoating® matrix compared to conventional lacquer systems ■ Impressing of pores easy 10 realize with use of an impregnating calendar.

Due to these properties the HotCoating® process stands out from conventional technologies, which achieve high abrasion resistance.

Durability of press plate when used for corundum containing overlays is no longer an issue when HotCoating® is used. It is also no longer necessary to apply several, single layers of lacquer to achieve the required coat weight and thus abrasion resistance.

KLEIBERIT HotCoating® offers excellent shock resistance.

With KLEIBERIT HotCoating® the flooring industry can achieve the highest abrasion class.

FLEXIBLE TECHNOLOGY

The flooring market no longer just differentiates between real wood and laminate floors. Many new developments like direct prim, veneer or recently digital prim floors are on the market. All of the versions have one thing in common: The decorative surfaces can not be refurbished through sanding like real wood floors and therefore must be protected with a highly abrasive resistant coating.

KLEIBERIT opens up a technology, which is very flexible and easy to use for manufacturers and offers perfect abrasion protection with excellent shock resistance.

Above all, HotCoating®, in combination with digital print, shows how innovative both of these technologies are and which possibilities are available for manufacturers and their customers. Individually designed floors with a perfect protective coating can also be produced in small lot sizes with a simple process.

HIGH GLOSS AS A NEW HIGHLIGHT

KLEBCHEMIE`s latest development is completely in trend. Using an almost identical HotCoating® machine configuration, a high gloss surface can be achieved, which reaches a gloss level of over 90 (measured at an angle of 60°). To get this high gloss surface, one single application of HotCoating® in combination with the high gloss "TopCoat" is required. Intermediate sanding and expensive multiple applications are omitted.

This technology not only opens new possibilities for users in the flooring industry, but it is also interesting for furniture, doors and wood based material industries. s&p 42

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C O M P E T E N C E

KLEIBERIT

PUR

INDUSTRIAL

KLEBSTOFFE • ADHESIVES

ADHESIVES

An innovative finishing system based on a reactive, PUR hot melt system KLEIBERIT HotCoating® is applied like a polyurethane hot melt to the substrate – the coat weight is adjustable depending on

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customer requirements.

An additional very thin layer (inline) application of KLEIBERIT’s UV curing TopCoat allows for precise variations in gloss level and variations in coloring.

The surface is then finished!

All types of surfaces can be finished:

• Flat materials like flooring, doors, flat panels, etc.

• Rolled materials like veneer, paper, etc. al!

sensation

• Natural look and feel • durable finish (up to AC5) • Unlimited design possibilities and small batch sizes

Kleiberit Adhesives USA, Inc. 109-B Howie Mine Road Waxhaw, NC 28173 Phone: (704) 843-3339 Fax: (704) 843-4930 email: info.usa@kleiberit.com

the perfect alternative to lacquering CIRCLE #21 ON READER SERVICE CARD

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Commercial Furniture Industry Launches “level”

Certification Program for Furniture Sustainability Standard

T THE LEVEL CERTIFICATION PROGRAM CONTINUES TO GROW WITH MORE COMPANIES ADOPTING THE PROGRAM AND CERTIFYING PRODUCT TO THE STANDARD. HERMAN MILLER'S VIVO INTERIORS HAS ACHIEVED LEVEL 1 CERTIFICATION.

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he commercial furniture industry has long been a leader in the quest for responsible manufacturing processes, facilities and products. But the industry needed a common language, framework and approach to help evaluate and improve the sustainability of its enterprises. Therefore, BIFMA International, the trade association for the commercial furniture industry, recently premiered the product certification program level™. level verifies conformance to the first fully transparent, multi-attribute furniture sustainability standard addressing all aspects of sustainability, including material utilization, energy and atmosphere impacts, human and ecosystem health and social responsibility. Manufacturers evaluating products to the BIFMA e3 sustainability standard and undergoing an independent, third-party certification process can achieve the level conformance mark. level includes a standard developed by the Joint Committee on Business and Institutional Furniture Sustainability. In 2006 the Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association (BIFMA) and NSF International began drafting the standard with a broad and diverse group of stakeholders following the American National Standards Institute consensus process. The draft standard, known as BIFMA e3-2008, was released for consensus body vote and public comment in June 2008. Modeled after the U.S. Green Building

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C O M P O S I T E

P A N E L

A S S O C I A T I O N

“We have to give our customers a simple, comprehensive and verifiable way to understand how products contribute to green buildings and sustainability as a whole.”

TOM REARDON, BIFMA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Council’s LEED Rating System, the standard provides measurable market-based definitions of progressively more sustainable furniture by establishing sustainability performance criteria in four areas: Materials, Energy and Atmosphere, Human and Ecosystem Health, and Social Responsibility.

In order to achieve a level certification, a manufacturer must contract with a recognized, independent, third party certification body.

That certification body then uses the BIFMA e3-2008 sustainability standard as a framework to conduct the audit function, measure all required information and finally certify the specific product with the level conformance mark. Manufacturers that evaluate their products against the BIFMA sustainability standard without the third party auditing process will not be able to use the level conformance mark and their products are not considered “level certified”. There are presently four certification bodies authorized to certify products to the level sustainability standard; Intertek Testing Services NA, NSF International, Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) and UL Environment. As the standard continues to grow and is adopted throughout the contract furniture industry more independent auditing firms are expected to apply to participate in the program. Consult the level website (www. levelcertified.org) for a current list of recognized third-party certification bodies. level has three conformance thresholds within the standard.

Products can be awarded a level 1, level 2 or level 3 certification mark based on the combined score achieved in the sustainability evaluation. level 3 is the highest award a product can achieve. These thresholds are analogous to the silver, gold and platinum rankings within the LEED rating system, but they provide the flexibility to add new thresholds to the program in the future as the industry evolves to become even more environmentally and socially responsible.

In the level certification process, a product, as well as the organization and facilities that produced it, are scored according to sustainability criteria in the four areas of Materials, Energy and Atmosphere, Human and Ecosystem Health, and Social Responsibility. In order to be level certified, products must meet certain minimum requirements in each area, and then must earn additional optional credits in order to achieve higher levels of conformance. Meeting the level thresholds is a lot harder than it sounds. It requires months, if not years, of work by manufacturers to measure their manufacturing process inputs and outputs, incorporate new material formulations, create design protocols, and formalize corporate actions around social responsibility. The level conformance mark is an easily identifiable but hard-earned symbol of a company’s commitment to sustainability.

GUNLOCKE'S MENU LINE OF OFFICE CASEGOODS HAS ACHIEVED LELVEL 1 CERTIFICATION.

“For the past three years we have been following the ANSI process, working with stakeholders and experts from inside and outside the industry to create a standard that can be used by all furniture producers,” said Tom Reardon, BIFMA Executive Director. “We also understand the importance of an independent evaluation and conformance verification process. We have to give our customers a simple, comprehensive and verifiable way to understand how products contribute to green buildings and sustainability as a whole,” he added.

In a world of information overload and a rising tide of environmental claims, level is important because it provides a single, fully transparent way of understanding and communicating what a sustainable furniture product is. The standard provides a common, but challenging set of criteria for furniture producers and their supply chain to evaluate the sustainable aspects of products. And level ensures that an independent third party has conducted the conformance assessment.

For more information, visit www.levelcertified.org ABOUT BIFMA

Established in 1973, BIFMA’s mission is to lead, advocate, inform and develop standards for the North American office and institutional furniture industry. As a not-for-profit organization BIFMA provides an effective forum for members to cooperate and collaborate on appros& p priate industry issues.

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HIGHER EDUCATION

B Y

S U Z A N N E

T

V A N

G I L D E R

heoretically, college is a learning experience. Certainly University of North Florida’s new residence hall, Osprey Fountains embodies the ideal of taking new information and applying it to practical purposes. Located eleven miles from the beach in Jacksonville, Fl, Osprey Fountains is energy efficient, resident-centric and environmentally friendly. UNF’s housing authority collaborated with design/ build firm The Haskell Company to design the 1000 bed student housing facility. Harwil Fixtures fabricated all the casework for the project. Some of the innovative features of the building are easy to see simply by walking around the property. But a closer look reveals how carefully the creative team planned even the smallest details of Osprey Fountains.

College students, in general, are not the most maintenance- oriented group of residents. In addition to being short-term occupants they are busy people (think studying, socializing and surfing). At UNF, Osprey Gardens does more then offer great amenities and a convenient location, it also provides an environment that teaches students to be conscientious residents.

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A STUDY IN GREEN

Paul Riel is the UNF Director of Housing. “UNF is dedicated to green initiatives. Any new building must be designed to meet at least Silver LEED certification,” says Riel. “There are costs associated with getting the actual certification, but we are committed to creating sustainable and maintainable buildings, and LEED is a great tool for that.” The facility has many devices built-in that contribute to energyefficiency. Even seemingly small gains become substantial when multiplied by 1000 residents over time.

One of the non-traditional building features of Osprey Fountains is the galvalum roof, which has a reflective factor as well as insulating properties.

Although the initial cost is higher then a traditional roof, it has a long life span of 50-75 years and contributes to energy efficiency. All the lighting in common spaces and hallways uses sensors, so they are only on when people are present. Within student bedrooms residents can control the lighting, but an automatic shut-off feature makes sure that no one leaves the lights on when they head off to the library.

Several devices are in place to make wise use of water. For example, Jacksonville is so hot and humid that there are many days in the year where air conditioning is not optional.

Osprey Fountains has a system that captures the hot water bi-product from the commercial AC system for reuse as potable water. The bathrooms showcase several water-saving devices including waterless urinals. And the low-flow toilets flush in two directions. Turning the handle in one direction uses minimal water for liquid waste.

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the perfectly specified green panel Roseburg SkyBlend™ Particleboard is EPP certified to be 100% recycled wood fiber content particleboard and has No Urea Formaldehyde added during the manufacturing process.

SkyBlend particleboard is available as a raw laminating panel. It can also be specified as a core substrate when ordering the following Roseburg manufactured panels: • Roseburg Duramine Melamine Panels • Roseburg Hardwood Panels • Roseburg Durashelf Melamine Shelving • Roseburg Pre-Finished Light (Low) Basis Wt. Paper Overlaid Panels • Roseburg Pre-Finished Vinyl Overlaid Panels • Roseburg Pre-Finished UV Clear-Coated Panels • Roseburg Pre-Finished Painted Panels

FSC Supplier SCS-COC-000300 The mark of responsible forestry © 1996 Forest Stewardship Council A.C.

P. O . B o x 1 0 8 8 Roseburg, OR 97470 We s t e r n S a l e s T F 8 0 0 . 2 4 5 . 1 1 1 5 Eastern Sales TF 866.387.2646 FX 541.679.2543 w w w. R o s e b u r g . c o m

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To improve the indoor air quality of the residence hall all of the casework throughout the kitchenettes, suites and common areas was constructed out of Roseburg SkyBlend. “We used SkyBlend white twosided particle board for all the box construction, the the SkyBlend with a maple one-face was used for all the doors,” says Louis Cici, President of Harwil Fixtures.

The maple is a Wilsonart design, and was laid up at Roseburg before the panels shipped to the manufacturing facility. Before installation, Harwil added a 3mm PVC edge to the doors. “With the PVC rounded over the corners, the doors become a lot more resistant to chipping,” explains Cici.

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In this case the PVC was supplied by Charter Industries and applied with a specialty station on a large edgebander. HPL was used to finish all of the exposed ends of the casework.

“School facilities are heavy-traffic high-use areas. Not only did UNF want to make certain that the interior was healthy, but that it would last,” says Cici.

STUDENT FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT

Osprey Fountains is comprised of four, fivestory buildings that contain mostly four-room suites, with a handful of six-room suites and private rooms. Each floor has its own kitchen that services about 50 students. As a residence hall, it goes way beyond sleeping quarters. There is a sports lounge for fans, an

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“From a building owners perspective, Osprey Fountains is designed and built in a way that allows us to utilize resources and minimize maintenance, yet it is still a very comfortable place to live.”

PAUL RIEL IS THE UNF DIRECTOR OF HOUSING.

CIRCLE #23 ON READER SERVICE CARD

aerobics studio, fitness center, game room, convenience store, bean bag lounge, wii lounge, lazy river, track, basketball court, sand volleyball court, pool and putting green. Smart machines in the laundry room will send a text message when a load is finished or a dryer is free. There is even a surfboard washing station for those who like to catch a few early morning waves before class.

An additional bonus to living at Osprey Fountains is the educational value of the careful design, which also contributes to LEED points. Residents are made aware of the special features built into Osprey Fountains that help increase energy efficiency and indoor air quality. UNF has even adopted a streamlined recycling program that allows for off-site sorting, making it easier for students to recycle.

“From a building owners perspective, Osprey Fountains is designed and built in a way that allows us to utilize resources and minimize maintenance, yet it is still a very comfortable place to live,” says Riel. Students are not required to live on campus, but a residence hall as safe, comfortable and sustainable as Osprey Fountains make it a preferred choice for student housing. s&p

HPL was used to finish all of the exposed ends of the casework. “School facilities are heavy-traffic high-use areas. Not only did UNF want to make certain that the interior was healthy, but that it would last.”

LOUIS CICI, PRESIDENT OF HARWIL FIXTURES

IN STOCK NOW W H IT E

B L AC K

UM TIN P L A G R AY

IVO R Y SAN D

Colors may vary due to individual computer monitor settings.

For exact color representation, please contact MultiSource for samples and complete product line information.

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WOW! Hi-Tech System Controls for Pop-up TVs B Y

D O U G L A S

G L E N N

C L A R K

“A TV that can turn around 360 degrees is flexible.

You can watch from a couple different rooms. And the lift only uses up about ten inches of space. So it can fit into almost any cabinet or buffet or book case.”

JIM ANTONI, THE OWNER OF MASTERCRAF T FURNITURE IN CHICAGO

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T

he homeowner had no intention of spending a little extra money.

All he wanted was a pop-up television that could disappear into a cabinet. The installer didn't push. But what he did next helped close the sale of an upgrade that eventually led to a long line of lucrative referrals. It all happened because the customer uttered one threeletter word. “WOW”.

Jim Antoni, the owner of Mastercraft Furniture in Chicago, has built custom cabinets and installed motorized TV lifts for more than 15 years. A decade ago he says clients were giddy about hiding bulky or flat screen units until they wanted to watch their favorite programs.

Now that the disappearing act is commonplace, Antoni makes it a point to demonstrate an even greater advance in home entertainment: a hi-tech system control box.

The sophisticated new control box, operated by a remote, is not merely an assortment of jazzy bells and whistles designed to entice consumers to spend more. Rather, the 21st Century innovation is worthy of WOW because it is quietly expanding the way homeowners experience and integrate audio-visual elements in bedroom, family room and kitchen designs.

“Sometimes clients just want a TV in a cabinet. But in certain situations, I talk them into installing one of the new system control boxes.

Weeks later they call back and say, 'Jim, that's the best decision I've ever made.' Referrals have been good, too, because they tell their

friends. The world is becoming more and more automated.”

Indeed. The ability to make a flat panel television turn on, lift and then swivel 360 degrees may not seem like one giant step for mankind.

But consider how it applies to home life. With the push of a button, the swivel function may allow one unit to serve a variety of angles in both a kitchen and living room. “A TV that can turn around 360 degrees is flexible. You can watch from a couple different rooms. And the lift only uses up about ten inches of space. So it can fit into almost any cabinet or buffet or book case,” says Antoni.

Also, as master bedrooms take on the double duty of sleeping area and den, home dwellers can watch TV in bed or swivel the unit toward a couch or set of easy chairs. Then, of course, when it is time to turn off the lights, the flat panel LCD screen can be concealed in a cabinet, ceiling or behind a painting on the wall.

The key is sophisticated electronic controls. The innovations not only satisfy clients, they are also reliable and easy to install. When Antoni began using lifts and controls in his cabinets, he played the field. He soon settled on the 50-year-old firm Auton Motorized Systems.

“I used a couple different brands but I felt Auton was the best. The gear mechanism is a simple meshing of gears and the tracking system – the bearings – is smooth. And now thanks to audio integrators the sound starts when the TV appears. I've never had them fail. I've never had a call from a client with a complaint. The less calls the better.”

THE PRESIDENTIAL WOW!

Everyone likes control. Everyone likes to push buttons to get results.

Even business people and vacationers who treat themselves to the presidential suites offered in leading hotels. Jaime Diaz, production manager for Westwood Interiors in Los Angeles, builds cabinets and installs TV lifts and systems in the high-end rooms at luxury hotels. He fully appreciates the convenience and adaptability a swivel function bestows. “If you're sitting in a corner of the suite, you can turn the TV to face you. You could be in various areas – the mini-bar, bedroom – and its automatic. You push a button. It defeats the purpose of having plasmas all over the place.”

But it is the Auton control box that makes him think, WOW. Especially when compared to older generations of the remote control. With RF, Infrared and low-voltage remote and control box interface options, the user can be out of the room and still make things happen. Many things.

The new system can accommodate up to seven remote control programs that include DVD, Play Station, TV cable services and more.

Diaz says the new system began to “take off” a little more than a year ago. He believes the A/V integration innovations will garner mass appeal, much in the way the early versions of the remote control eventually gained universal acceptance. “We were used to getting up and changing the channel. Now we do it by pushing a button. These days, the swivel feature attracts an automatic response. That leads to a discussion about all the other features.”

Those features and benefits include adjustable limit switches that permit a specified range of TV movement; gear guards that prevent wires from getting tangled in the lift mechanism; and an emergency manual override to be used in the event of a misplaced remote. In addition the MFC (multi functional control box) offers two pre-sets so the unit will swivel to its programmed preset all with a touch of a button.

The uses for the hi-tech motorized systems are limited only by the imagination, says Diaz. Although installation in presidential suite bathrooms hasn't happened yet, he won't be surprised when it does.

Wow. s&p surface&panel

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Funk y Family

Home

Heywood-Wakefield solid wood furniture captures Mid-Century style with antecedents in Moderne and Art Deco design. Although the roots of the aesthetic reach back to the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, the pieces themselves possess a decidedly contemporary look and feel. Heywood-Wakefield’s streamlined styles exhibit a strong retro look that works well with many design concepts, without looking dated or antique.

The following essay by Cary Reich describes how Heywood-Wakefield furnishings add overall continuity to her family’s home.

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M

y heart was pounding as I drove up the mile-long, tree-lined driveway, rounded the bend and saw the house for the first time. We knew nothing about mid-century modern architecture, but we did know that this unique house and its location were amazing and just what we wanted when my husband, Scott, and I were searching for our first home. Built on a hilltop just two miles north of Madison, Wisconsin, the house was surrounded by 38 acres and came with a view of the beautiful Wisconsin state capitol building and Lake Mendota. We bought the house in 1989 from the original owners and builders and, at closing they gave us the house plans.

We learned that our house was built from a plan published in Better Homes and Gardens magazine. I went to the public library and was excited to find our plan in the March 1958 issue. Better Homes and Gardens had a monthly feature called Five Star Homes that ran from at least the 1940s until the 1960s.

One house, in a range of styles designed by

America’s foremost architects, was featured each month in a three-page article. Interested readers could purchase house plans with detailed working drawings, material specifications and a cost-finding list of materials.

Our home, completed in 1960, was based on Better Homes’ Five Star Home #2803. The original home featured in the magazine was designed by Louis Huebner, A.I.A. of Evanston, Illinois, and built in Highland Park, less than ten miles from Huebner’s office (about 150 miles from Madison). Our home has slight changes from the Better Homes’ plans to take advantage of the site’s southern exposure and reduce costs.

The design is based on several elements of International Style architecture – the rectilinear, open floor plan and flat roof, and the floor-to-ceiling windows and doors are my favorite features. A screen porch, interesting (and hard to duplicate) rounded plaster wall corners and window edges, baseboard heat and sand-colored brick accent walls and fireplace are some of its other features.

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We’ve made some minor updates over the years. In the kitchen, we removed a broken in-counter mixer motor and replaced the worn yellow and green laminate countertop with Formica’s Boomerang pattern. The original built-in refrigerator (no freezer) finally failed with no hope for repair, and we replaced it along with the built-in stove and cook-top. We particularly like our spindle-legged kitchen cabinets, which are designed to accommodate floorboard heat registers. But they were difficult to work around when we replaced the brown linoleum on the kitchen floor with a commercial design vinyl.

When we removed the 1960 vintage wallto-wall carpeting in the living room, we found beautiful oak flooring underneath. We had the floors refinished and covered them with accent rugs. Once the floors were completed, I covered the wood paneled areas (including a well-defined “shadow” left by a starburst clock) with textured wallpaper to decrease the "woodiness” of the room.

We have added on to two areas of the house, taking care to maintain the look and feel of the original home design as much as possible. We added a dining room and entry area in 1994 and a master bedroom suite in 2006 to increase the ground-level square footage from 1,300 to 2,100. During the first addition, the original tar and pea-gravel roof was replaced with a membrane system, and we added a skylight to the newly internalized kitchen. During the second addition, all of the home’s 50-year-old, custom-designed picture windows were also replaced.

Everything about the house is custommade. No matter what we do, from repairing the smallest appliance to the largest remodel, the contractor always says, “I’ve never seen anything like this before!" And, of course, it always adds to the cost of the project. Finding nearly 8-foot-tall by 3-foot-wide doors that won’t warp in Wisconsin’s extreme temperatures has been very difficult.

Our first Heywood Wakefield furniture purchase was a dining room table and chairs we happened upon at a Milwaukee antique center in the early 1990s. Since learning about the design and functionality of the furniture, we’ve furnished the entire home with vintage pieces and a few new or custom-made pieces.

We like the clean lines and light appearance of the birch furniture, most of which is from Heywood Wakefield’s “Encore” line.

The last time the property was farmed was in 1958, just before the house was built, and since then, the land has grown into a jumble

of prairie plants, trees and non-native brush.

Ten years ago, when we needed to replace our septic system, we planted the installation area to tallgrass prairie. We are working hard to expand the prairie to 10-15 acres via a combination of controlled burning, physical clearing and seed dispersal.

The plants and flowers, birds, deer and other wildlife we see every day are special to us, and we look forward to many more years of country living in our Five Star Home, enjoying its wide landscape views and unique, midcentury design. s&p

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Sutton Lacewood and Stockholm Ash from Interprint-USA New décor designs advance image and print clarity when developed with InterprintUSA's new laser engraving technology: Sutton Lacewood for upscale furniture and Stockholm Ash for flooring

Flakeboard Introduces a High Performance Light MDF Panel Flakeboard is pleased to introduce eLite™ MDF, a new ultra light panel.

This elite product is uniquely manufactured using a patented system at Flakeboard’s Eugene, Oregon MDF plant. The high performing eLite is an exceptionally versatile product that yields freight and inventory savings, labor benefits and extended tool life.

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Technique & Technology Vast improvements in design, print, treating and overlay technology have given laminates unique new looks. Süddekor's power of new technology and unsurpassed design expertise furthers the development of laminates by creating exceptional designs that support treatments for high-gloss or registered embossed finishes, bevel edged planks and specialty printer borders.

Schattdecor’s Wichita Walnut

Trendy New Bamboo from Kustom Materials Laminators

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KML has added four new trendy Bamboo designs to its extensive collection of over 64 colors and patterns of thermo-fused melamine. Light Bamboo and Burnt Bamboo are KML exclusive designs with matching HPL and edge banding. KML also offers “green” options for particle board and medium density fiberboard substrates. circle #28 on reader service card

For 2009 there are several continuing trends that are maintaining popularity in industries ranging from healthcare and hospitality to retail and closets. And Schattdecor is continuing to develop new decors in colors that work well in all of these markets.

Natural woodgrains, complete with knots and sap lines, have been gaining widespread acceptance since Neocon and Wichita Walnut is a new décor that gives a fresh twist to a traditional favorite. circle #27 on reader service card

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Blum introduces AVENTOS HK-S

Biesse Artech Akron 800 Precision Edgebanding for Multiple Applications The Akron 800 single-sided edgebanding machine has an extremely wide range of applications. Pre-milling with auto-set, a quick-change dualrotation Tekno glue system with pre-copy, and four-position end trimmers with Flex program all to help to speed up changeovers and optimize production.

Blum introduces AVENTOS HK-S, the newest in the AVENTOS line of lift systems for kitchen cabinets. AVENTOS HK-S is a stay-lift system that is great for small cabinets like the ones above a large refrigerator.

Each unit can be fitted with automatic pneumatic or NC servo-powered devices. The central suction system is specially designed for each working unit, including the glue scraper and dynamic units such as edge trimming and rounding, delivering high levels of efficiency. The Akron 800 is also available in various lengths. A 10" touch screen or PC front end make programming fast and simple.

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Moisture-Resistant Boise Evergreen Boise Cascade employs industryleading resin technology and sets new standard for NAUF particleboard with moisture-resistant (MR) Boise Evergreen.

AVENTOS HK-S works with cabinet openings of 7-3/8" to 14-3/16" high and door weights of 4.6 lb to 11.2 lb.

Just like our other AVENTOS lift systems, AVENTOS HK-S will be available with either gray or silk white cover caps.

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READER SERVICE CARD The second generation of Boise Evergreen now features advanced moisture durability.

Boise Cascade employs the strictest of green practices in the manufacture of its Premium Sustainable Particleboard. Boise Evergreen champions the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) and embodies an Environmentally Preferable Product (EPP). Boise Evergreen provides commanding quality and physical properties, comprises 100% recycled or reclaimed fiber, and carries no added urea-formaldehyde. Boise Evergreen supports up to 5 LEED credits.

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Schattdecor’s Coimbra Ash For 2009 there are several continuing trends that are maintaining popularity in industries ranging from healthcare and hospitality to retail and closets. And Schattdecor is continuing to develop new decors in colors that work well in all of these markets.

Straight grained woods have become a staple in many a laminator’s line. Schattdecor’s Coimbra Ash is a subtle alternative to an oak or cherry.

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GUHDO PCD Tooling GUHDO/Preziss introduces a new development in PCD tooling…coated polycrystalline diamond (CPD). Developed by Element Six (DeBeers), who was the innovator of synthetic polycrystalline diamond, tools tipped with CPD have shown a tool life increase of up to 100% over standard polycrystalline tooling. CPD is considered to be the next step in the evolution of polycrystalline diamond. The uniqueness of CPD is that a special coating penetrates the entire diamond structure throughout the process of synthesis, not just on the surface. Priced a little higher than standard PCD, the difference quickly pays for itself in increased tool life and thus, reduced down time and sharpening cost.

Tools are sharpened in GUHDO’s Marietta, GA facility with a oneweek turnaround time. For more information, please contact GUHDO at 800-544-8436 or visit the website at www.guhdo.com CIRCLE #33 ON READER SERVICE CARD

UltraStock-Free: Beautiful MDF Results and Valuable Environmental Credits

School’s In at Uniboard Academy

Uniboard, a North American leader of manufactured engineered wood products, launched Uniboard Academy in June 2009, a training program for the company’s customers and distributors. The inaugural two-day session, held onsite at Uniboard’s Moncure, North Carolina facility, was designed to further educate customers on the company’s engineered wood products and manufacturing processes in a stimulating, hands-on environment.

Given the tremendous success of the Uniboard Academy program, the CIRCLE #35 ON READER SERVICE CARD company is moving forward with additional session dates, the A D V E R T I S E R I N D E X next of which will be held later in 25 . . . . . . . . Arclin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.arclin.com autumn of this year.

59 . . . . . . . . Blum. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.blum.com For more information, contact Lise Plante, Uniboard 31 . . . . . . . . Boise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.bc.com Product Manager, Marketing 7 . . . . . . . . . Chaffin & Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.chaffin-law.com 450 973-7270 5 . . . . . . . . . Clarion Industries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.clarionindustries.com

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19 . . . . . . . . . Collins Companies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.collinswood.com 11 . . . . . . . . . Composite Panel Association ITCC . . . . . . . . . .www.itcclab.org 2–3 . . . . . . . . Interprint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.interprint.com 17 . . . . . . . . . KML Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.kmlcorp.com

Temple-Inland has announced the introduction of UltraStock- Free Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF), a composite panel product with outstanding machining and finishing characteristics plus formaldehyde emission levels as low as nature herself. UltraStockFree is engineered to provide the long-run production efficiencies as well as the premium cutting and shaping performance of TempleInland’s traditional premium grade MDF panels. It produces very precise, consistent results when routed or contoured and can be finished successfully whether painted, laminated, or veneered.

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43 . . . . . . . . Kleiberit Adhesives USA, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . www.kleiberit.com 21 . . . . . . . . Lamitech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.lamitech.com.co 49 . . . . . . . . Multisource Laminates . . . . . . . www.multisourcelaminates.com 41. . . . . . . . . Olon Industries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.olon.com 8 . . . . . . . . . Omnova Solutions, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . www.omnova.com/laminates 7 . . . . . . . . . Professional Service Industries, Inc. . . . . . . . . www.psiusa.com 23/47 . . . . . . Roseburg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.roseburg.com 35 . . . . . . . . Sierra Pine Composite Solutions . . . . . . . . www.sierrapine.com 15. . . . . . . . . Smartech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.smartechonline.com 27/28/29 . . . . Stiles Machinery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.stilesmachinery.com 60 (BC) . . . . . Süddekor LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.suddekorllc.com 20 . . . . . . . . Surface Source International . . . . . . . www.ssinorthamerica.com 37 . . . . . . . . TCM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.tcm-americas.com 13. . . . . . . . . Therm O Web . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.thermoweb.com 39 . . . . . . . . Uniboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.uniboard.com 14. . . . . . . . . West Fraser MDF Sales and Marketing. . . . www.westfraser.com

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The Process Working on this issue of S&P made me keenly aware of the creative process and the different ways it functions within manufacturing. Clearly, there is no one right way to approach successful production.

There are three features in this issue that are in essence stories of different planning strategies. While end products are interesting, it takes the context of the process to fully appreciate them.

I have my own creative process. Although there is a huge amount of research that goes into any feature story, when I actually sit down to write, the first draft generally proceeds without much structure. Certainly there is some technique and basic organization of thoughts, but for the most part the

Material waste is costly and strategic mistakes even more so. Creativity and planning must go hand in hand.

process is just getting comfortable with the information and trying out possibilities. The beautiful thing about my creative process is the permission to make something that is absolute garbage. I can revise, or start over completely as many times as necessary to create a good editorial product. Of course my material costs are low (mostly consumable goods that are either crunchy or caffeinated, with the occasional sip of something stronger). There is no additional cost for me to produce more copy, and any waste from the editorial product disappears completely with the push of a button.

This is not always the case. In fact, when it comes to the production of material goods, as much revision as possible must be done in the planning stages. Material waste is costly and strategic mistakes even more so. Creativity and planning must go hand in hand.

For me the Robert Shaw Mfg. piece was fascinating to work on because of the team’s almost supernatural understanding of the creative process. From the ether of a designer’s vision, the company teases out all the tangible details of each unique job, as well as all the possible challenges, before the actual fabrication process even begins. No two jobs are the same, and each premium architectural woodwork project has a very precise objective. This operation is the epitome of careful planning.

Mossy Oak on the other hand, is an intriguing story because it sets the stage for the creative process. Kudos to the people who thought up this application of an already widely recognized and popular design. The adaptation of existing designs to decorative surfaces shows how careful planning can create a fertile environment for product development.

Innovation doesn’t always mean brand new. In fact, using existing resources in new ways is the height of creativity. I’m sure someone is going to read the story on composite five-piece doors and think, “Hey, we already use all of those things…” It could be the beginning of a whole new plan.

Aufderhaar and I have discussed this trend at great length. It is not an “if” or “when” or even “how” possibility. The homework is done, the only remaining question is “who?”

One of the best parts of this job is gaining insights into how different companies approach the creative process. In this marketplace of ideas it is always exciting to watch emerging concepts, and infinitely interesting to see how those ideas are brought into reality. There is no limit on innovation. Who knows what’s next? Maybe five-piece camouflage doors…?

Until next time,

Suzanne VanGilder • Editorial Director • suzannevangilder@sbcglobal.net

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