This financial contribution will help WoodLINKS® USA provide assistance to our 65 high school and post-secondary sites located in 14 states. Many of our graduates go on to pursue careers in the Wood Industry. We are grateful for IWF’s continued support. For more information on the IWF, please visit them at www.iwfatlanta.com

WoodLINKS® USA is an incorporated 501 © (3) not-for-profit organization established by forward thinking industry and education representatives. The main office for WoodLINKS® USA is located in Tuscola, IL. For more information on WoodLINKS® USA, contact Mark Smith at woodlinksusa@mediacombb.net or 217-621-4628.

Reports of the shift come from all over: Mountain Home, Idaho’s school district is auctioning its former carpentry/woodworking program after closing the program down. Area residents fear the assets will be sold for a pittance. Should the school want to restore the program later, it will face another budget hurdle.

In Newmarket, New Hampshire, the junior/senior high school will see the wood shop closed, eliminating student access not just to tools, but even to computers with woodworking design and cutting applications. The teacher whose program is being displaced is looking for ways to have students still work with wood (balsa wood crafting, etc.) without machinery.

What response should the woodworking industry make? Take a look at what cabinet maker Jim McGrew is doing. As Richland Northeast High School in Columbia, North Carolina prepared to phase out its woodshop, McGrew is rousing the area woodworkers, enlisting the aid of the local Architectural Woodwork Institute chapter to fight back.

Currently 68 students are enrolled in Cabinet Making 1 at Richland Northeast, which has an estimated $100,000 worth of equipment.

But it’s not equipment they need. It’s interest. Few students move through all four years of the program.

Here woodworking firms have a responsibility: market the cabinet, millwork and wood crafting industries as a career path to students in your area. Visit schools on career day. Hold open houses. Support school fundraising efforts.

And get your existing school program involved with WoodLINKS USA. This education advocacy group for our industry offers a turn-key curriculum, networking, and material support for schools that are members.

We think this is so important that we have dedicated a section of WoodworkingNetwork to WoodLINKS, covering each of the 60+ schools involved one by one.

As seen on www.woodworkingnetwork.com

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

The United States may be on the verge of bringing back manufacturing jobs from China.

Harold Sirkin, along with Michael Zinser and Douglas Hohner (all experts from the Boston Consulting Group – a leading management consulting firm), says that outsourcing manufacturing to China is not as cheap as it used to be and that the United States is poised to bring back jobs from China. The three consultants first reached this conclusion in a recently published study titled “Made in America, Again: Why Manufacturing Will Return to the U.S.”

Many companies, especially in the auto and furniture industries, moved plants overseas once China opened its doors to free trade and foreign investment in the last few decades. Labor was cheaper for American companies – less than $1 per hour according to the BCG report. Today, labor costs in China have risen dramatically, and shipping and fuel costs have skyrocketed. As China’s economy has expanded, and China has built new factories all across the country, the demand for workers has risen. As a result, wages are up as new companies compete to hire the best workers.

“The tilt is now getting lower,” Sirkin says. “We think somewhere around 2015 it’ll look flat and may start to tilt in the U.S. favor at that point in time.”

By 2015, it will only be about 10 percent cheaper to manufacture in China.

“We have to recognize one thing,” Sirkin told NBC’s Harry Smith in an interview to air on Rock Center with Brian Williams. “The average Chinese worker is about a quarter as productive as the average U.S. worker.”

“It’ll be a major impact. Our projections are, when you take the manufacturing jobs and then the service jobs that get created alongside those, that we will add two to three million jobs to the U.S. workforce.”

The U.S. is already seeing examples of this – starting in Lincolnton, North Carolina.

Rock Center has been following Bruce Cochrane of Lincolnton Furniture as he brings his family business back to the U.S. and re-opens the family furniture plant. Cochrane was invited to the White House last week for a forum on job creation with President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden.

“Now, you don’t have be a big manufacturer to insource jobs,” Obama said. “Bruce Cochrane’s family had manufactured furniture in North Carolina for five generations. But in 1996, as jobs began shifting to Asia, the family sold their business, and Bruce spent time in China and Vietnam as a consultant for American furniture makers. But while he was there, he noticed something he didn’t expect: their consumers actually wanted to buy things made in America. So he came home and started a new company, Lincolnton Furniture, which operates out of the old family factories. He’s even re-hired many of the former workers from his family business. “

According to BCG, another manufacturer, Sleek Audio, moved production of its headphones from Chinese suppliers to a plant in Florida. Ford Motor Company is bringing back 2,000 jobs from China after striking an agreement with the United Auto Workers. Sirkin says it’s good news for the economy even though wages will be lower in those jobs than they were previously.

Sirkin believes fears that United States manufacturing is in decline are overstated and notes that the U.S. is still a manufacturing giant. In 2010, China provided 19.8 percent of global manufacturing value added. The U.S. accounted for a marginally less 19.4 percent, which, according to Boston Consulting, was “a share that has declined only slightly over the past three decades.”

Urban Tree to Bicycle from Spots Unknown on Vimeo.

In a world where every consumer is out to find the cheapest product on the market and is unwilling to shell out a few extra dollars to buy a higher quality product, custom-made goods are sure to become a lost art.
However, two men who work at a wood shop called Masterworks in San Jose have experienced the hardships of a troubled economy and have turned it into a chance to realize their own passions.

William Holloway, proprietor of Masterworks, and master woodworker Mauro Hernandez have turned their talents with wood and attention during a time without work toward building “art in motion” by creating functional bicycles mainly out of wood.

Holloway said the idea for creating wooden bikes came from a friend in times of slow income as a result of a lack of people needing custom-made wooden items.

“We got pretty excited from the idea of making something that sparked such passion,” he said. “We got working right away on a prototype and it seemed to work well, so we started to make them with fancier style. The basic model we make takes about 85 hours to complete, whereas others can take up to 150 hours.”
The first prototype took Holloway and Hernandez about three weeks to make, something they said was not at all easy to do.

“It is a lot more difficult than it looks,” Holloway said. “Making the first prototype was the most difficult part in our entire experience building these wooden bikes.”
Nearly every major piece of the bike is made out of wood — the frame, forks, handlebars and seat are all made completely out of solid lumber.

“When you begin to build a wooden bike, you have to start with some sort of design,” Hernandez said. “I like to draw my designs by hand. Most people like to use a computer for the design process. I think it’s a pain. I’d rather take a blank canvas and start drawing.”

The first concept for a wooden bike took about a month to create, Hernandez said. Now it takes the duo about a day to come up with an idea they wish to pursue and build, mainly because the design for the wooden frame they use never changes.

“This really saves a lot of time,” Holloway said. “If we had to build a new frame every time we wanted to build a bike it would take forever. It’s not so time consuming anymore.”

Hernandez said much more than looks are taken into consideration when designing.

“You have to look into the geometry of the bike, the functionality, how it’s going to sit on the ground,” he said.
What separates their bikes from others is how much they are connected to the natural world, more so than from what they are made of.

The wood used for these bikes are taken from what Holloway called “urban recovery wood” — lumber found from fallen trees or what any arbor around San Jose would throw away.

It is then collected and milled until usable. Along with the eco-friendly source, the bike uses the flex from the wood as a substitute for rubber and metal shocks, which are currently included on most bikes.

“The bikes ride like a Cadillac,” Hernandez said. “There are no shocks on the bike. Just the natural flex from the wood and the large tires we use create a comfortable and smooth ride.”

Hernandez said the process has simplified itself with experience, but there are aspects they still have trouble with.

“The process is a little easier now than when we started,” he said. “It is still difficult figuring out the mechanics — how it will ride, how it will react to weather and how it can handle a 40-mile bike ride.”
Despite the lack of comfort, Hernandez said riding on a wooden seat is not much different from a cushioned rubber seat.

“Taking it on a 40-mile ride does make you a little sore,” he said. “But to me, I don’t get much sorer than if I was riding any regular bike.”

Hernandez said his main role in the process is the designing of the bicycle. Holloway is more skilled with making the proportions look the best, working with the geometry and doing whatever is needed to create the first bike.

Both Holloway and Hernandez have their own themed bikes they are currently working on and aspiring to finish soon. Holloway is currently in the process of creating a patriotic-themed bike, which he plans will feature red, white and blue paint, as well as styled wood that resembles the American flag.
Holloway said that although making these bikes is an enjoyment, they do not make any money off them.
“We are not getting paid to make them,” he said. “We are just trying to get somewhere one day with them because so many people like them.”

Hernandez currently has designs for a bike themed after the San Jose Sharks.

“I don’t want any money from it,” he said. “I would love to build just to have their permission to use their logo on the bike. It’s something for us to give back to San Jose. We are huge Sharks fans and we think it would be awesome to ride it in the Stanley Cup parade — when there is one.”

Hernandez said the level of pride they take with their normal woodworking jobs and the bikes is the same, although the bikes showcase more of their craftsmanship.

“The wooden items we make in our shop can only be appreciated by those who put it in their homes, and maybe by their family and friends, whereas a bike is everywhere,” he said. “Many different people can have the opportunity to enjoy it.”

Holloway said the wooden bikes have turned him and Hernandez into somewhat local celebrities.
“Everywhere we go people want to take pictures with our bikes,” he said. “We went to a bike show in Las Vegas and we were the hit of the strip for a couple days.”

Hernandez said he was even pulled over by a San Jose police officer one day, just so the officer could take a closer look at his mobile work of art.

Although Hernandez said he takes the same pride in all his work, he admitted the bikes are a nice boost of self-worth.

“The bikes tend to give you a little more of a puffed up chest because no else out there is doing it,” he said.

ISM says manufacturing gained ground overall in November, as the economy proceeds through a gradual recovery. Based on surveys of purchasing managers and other sources, it marks the 28th consecutive month manufacturing has grown; and the 30th consecutive month the nation’s supply executives reported overall economic growth

Of the 18 manufacturing industries, eight reported growth in November in the following order, says PMI:

Wood manufacturing, such as production shown here at Glacial Wood Products,was the fastest growing segment of the ISM supply managers index in November.

“The Purchasing Managers Index registered 52.7 percent, an increase of 1.9 percentage points from October’s reading of 50.8 percent, indicating expansion in the manufacturing sector,” said Bradley J. Holcomb, chair of the Institute for Supply Management Manufacturing Business Survey Committee.

The news follows a bevy of positive reports on declining unemployment, improving consumer confidence, and rising retail and automobile sales. Workers are feeling more secure in their jobs – a sentiment likely to encourage consumer spending. A November study by employment services firm Ranstand found 71 percent believe they are unlikely to lose their job – up from 68 percent in October.

While housing is still lagging as speculators and buyers digest millions of foreclosures, a study finding housing affordability is near its highest level in more than 20 years suggests the market will ultimately work its way out.

Among purchasing managers, trepidation continues over the economy, but it is diminishing. Purchasing managers, while uneasy about the global economy, are trending toward an upbeat outlook.

“Respondents cite continuing concerns about the general economic environment, government regulations and European financial conditions, but are cautiously more optimistic about the next few months based on lower raw materials pricing and favorable levels of new orders,” says ISM’s Holcomb.

Become a WoodLINKS USA Financial Partner

Investing in the Future of our Industry

The Problem
Students are not being exposed to the wood industry as a career, they are not receiving certifiable training for entry level skills, and students are not encouraged to pursue post-secondary training with the wood industry in mind in our current education system. Ask yourself one question, did your high school counselor ever say to you, have you considered the wood industry as a career?

The Solution
WoodLINKS USA (WL USA) is the most complete educational support organization for the wood industry in the United States. Currently in use by over 90 school systems, WL USA program helps over 10,000 students a year come to understand the personally and financially rewarding careers available to them in the wood industry. WL USA and its group of volunteers, teachers, and students are re-igniting a passion for woodworking careers, all across the country. With your help, we will be able to further our efforts and reach even more students eager to learn about our industry.

How do I help?
You can help by becoming a financial partner. Your financial support will help insure that the wood industry has an advocate in our education system. Please make your check payable to WoodLINKS USA and send to WoodLINKS USA PO Box 445 Tuscola, IL 61953.

Great Lake is a manufacturer of quality wood and laminated mouldings. We have the expertise and facilities to produce moulding, wrapped profiles and custom wood parts in large quantities while maintaining the highest quality standards.

We have gained a reputation for manufacturing excellence and on-time delivery within the Architectural, Furniture, Kitchen and Bath, OEM, Picture Frame and Residential markets, as well as many others.

Using a well developed supplier base, we have access to both domestic and foreign sources of hardwood lumber, MDF, veneer, paper, vinyl and other substrates as requested.

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AWFS® is the largest national trade association in the U.S. representing the interests of the broad array of companies that supply the home and commercial furnishings industry.

Primary Goals
Strengthening the value of the AWFS®Fair for both exhibitors and attendees
Strengthening and developing industry education
Building a cohesive, industry-wide coalition to create an effective voice on Public Policy issues affecting the industry

The Association of Woodworking & Furnishings Suppliers®
AWFS® is a trade association with an international, corporate membership that includes manufacturers and distributors of machinery, hardware, lumber, upholstery materials, bedding components, wood products and other supplies to furnishings and wood products manufacturers. From its headquarters in Southern California, AWFS® works closely with other industry associations on issues of mutual concern.

AWFS is the owner and direct producer of the biennial AWFS®Fair, the largest industry show in the United States held in July of in odd-numbered years since 1967 and which celebrated its inaugural Las Vegas show in 2005.

AWFS began in 1911 as the Suppliers Chapter of the California Furniture Manufacturers Association; incorporating as a separate organization in 1979 to fulfill a major need to represent the interests of companies and individuals who supply the home and institutional furnishings manufacturing industries.

Since its inception, AWFS has donated millions of dollars toward educational programs and scholarships to the next generation of industry leaders. AWFS is also a major supporter of WoodLINKS USA, a program specifically created to revive and update vocational woodworking school programs throughout the nation and to promote the woodworking industry to a truly viable career choice for America’s youth.

In addition to its education initiatives, AWFS also actively challenges legislation that is unfair to American manufacturers to be more competitive in the ever changing global marketplace. Since AWFS reinvests the proceedings from the biennial show back into the woodworking industry, Fair supporters and participants are helping to strengthen the industry’s future.

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Brown Wood, Inc. is an industry leading strategic partner to manufacturers, retailers, distributors, engineers and architects seeking cost-effective, high quality wood parts, components and assemblies for a wide range of industries. Founded in 1927 and FSC certified since 2001, Brown Wood offers cutting edge capabilities, a consultative approach and a vast array of products to help each customer realize its vision, seamlessly.

Under the Brown Wood name, the firm provides front-to-back custom wood product solutions for markets including furniture, store fixture and display, hardware, toy and game, sporting goods, educational, professional and industrial.
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Our purpose is to enhance the value and natural beauty of quality curved windows with beautiful curved casings and extension jambs that match the wood species and profile of each home. We believe this quality conscious approach is the way to assist our window and door customers build repeat business with each of their contractors.
Elipticon achieves high customer satisfaction by working closely with select companies in trying to meet all of their changing needs on their schedule and at their convenience, at competitive prices. We do so in a way that will help promote their growth and reputation as well as our own. We recently invested considerable effort and capital upgrading our website and developing a knife profile search because it will help our customers when communicating with their own customers and closing sales.

Our commitment to excellence is also noticeable in our core values and with every member of the Elipticon team. With Elipticon, the idea of a team isn’t just rhetoric, but obvious. We are extremely committed to offering a great workplace and benefits to our employees. We focus a lot of specific attention to employee studies and methods of communication, and are very selective with every hire to ensure a healthy and productive working environment for all.

The core values outlined by employees are: Flow to customer and co-worker needs with a positive and versatile attitude. To progess as a Company and on a personal level while meeting the changing needs of our customers. Our way of life is living through work and not living to work. Finally, to achieve customer satisfaction and personal goals through teamwork (striving to win together).

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Great Lake Custom Tool Mfg., Inc. (GLCT) is a recognized manufacturer of the highest-quality custom cutting tools produced for the world’s woodworking industry since 1979 and the metalworking industry since 2004.

In addition to manufacturing custom tools we distribute a full range of superior quality production run tooling and machine accessories. You can also count on GLCT for custom reworking of tools to handle your most challenging jobs. We also service what we sell, as well as sharpening and retipping tooling you may have purchased elsewhere!

Our winning team has a reputation in the industry for being a “get-it-done-and-then-some” organization. Quality is the driving force at GLCT. Quality is never negotiated or compromised. Every employee shares in this objective and vision. As we state in our brochures, “Precision is the backbone of quality.” Quality is the backbone of GLCT.
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As we enter our 26th year, we are extremely proud to offer serious professionals and dedicated hobbyists alike our most extensive line of woodworking products ever, including a completely new 5’, 5 Function Combination Machine that packs serious performance in a compact and versatile package.

At Laguna we have always been driven by the desire to offer woodworkers the best products available, and our commitment to never compromise in quality or performance reflects in the loyalty and appreciation we are fortunate to receive from woodworkers around the world.

This year, savvy woodworkers will appreciate the fact that we have not only broadened our line, we have also added choices when it comes to price. Due to changes in the world of international finance, a weaker dollar unfortunately has meant that some of our European-made machines may have become cost-prohibitive for woodworkers just starting up, or for small shops on a tight budget. So we decided to find a solution.

Culminating a process that began over two years ago, we are now offering several machines that are manufactured in Asia. Made by highly reputable manufacturers, these companies were carefully screened and required to meet and agree to a stringent set of design and manufacturing criteria before we engaged in business with them. Offering a comparable level of quality and performance that is found in our European machines, our new line of Asian-made equipment is an accessible option that will deliver the level of precision and results that have defined Laguna Tools since we first opened our doors.

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Leonard Lumber Company is a wholesale distributor of quality hardwoods, pines and mouldings. The company maintains a full inventory of kiln-dried, domestic and imported hardwoods along with Eastern, Sugar, Ponderosa and Southern Yellow Pines. Our custom mill allows us to surface two sides (S2S), three sides (S2S/RIE) and four sides (S4S) and our moulder gives us the ability to run stock or custom mouldings. Shipping is done on company trucks from our Durham, Connecticut warehouse.

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Good tools are the starting point for successfully transforming ideas into reality. True in the past, true today and will be even more so in the future. We all recall how proud we were when we held our first pocket knife in our hands; in cutting that first piece of wood we were sure that with our new skill our new tool and vision we could conquer the world.

Our products are an essential component in developing the versatile and fascinating renewable material whose natural qualities are yet to be fully utilized . . . wood.

Wood is the basic ingredient for the new composites that will open more new areas of application.

And we take much pleasure in knowing our tooling developments are the stimulation for both technical and economical successful processing methods.

Visit Leitz Tooling Systems

Pollmeier is a family-owned business that was founded in 1987 as a factory for producing edge-glued panels for the furniture industry.

Today, the company has the three largest hardwood sawmills in Europe – equipped with the most modern equipment in the world. As an internationally recognized producer of quality lumber products, Pollmeier delivers panels to the European furniture industry, flooring to Europe and North America, and has worldwide markets for our lumber. Pollmeier is an engine of innovation, we even have our own company that develops and sells new types of machinery for the sawmill business. Altogether, the Pollmeier companies produce raw lumber, furniture panels, and flooring.

Quality is our credo from start to finish. As a supplier to the furniture industry, which is very demanding, we know what is important – and we apply these standards to our flooring too. A major advantage is that our flooring and panel factories are vertically integrated with our lumber sawmills. This guarantees that Pollmeier maintains 100% control over our supply of raw lumber, which allows us to maintain consistency in quality at all times. Our quality control throughout the entire process ensures that Pollmeier will always be able to offer some of the best milled, most consistent products to our customers.
We look forward to continuing to offer some of the best flooring in the industry, and welcome you to the Pollmeier family of products.

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In 1954 my father, Nordy Rockler, started a mail order woodworking supply company in Minneapolis. It was then known as Minnesota Woodworkers Supply Company, and among the products featured in the first catalog were specialty wood veneers and hardware items such as knobs, pulls and table slides. Woodworkers responded positively to having a place where they could always get what they needed.

When I joined the company in 1969, our business was still a small one. We opened our first retail store in Minneapolis in 1978, which was then known as “The Woodworker’s Store.”

Today, our retail chain stretches across the United States and includes over 30 Rockler stores and over 60 partner store locations. See our map to find the location nearest you. Our catalog has also grown immensely, and is now mailed to millions of woodworkers worldwide. Our magazine, Woodworker’s Journal, is a leading publication dedicated to offering plans, techniques, product reviews and tips to woodworkers.

Our steady growth –– including going from 15 employees in 1969 to over 500 today; the introduction of a number of “exclusive” products; and our dedication to reaching out to both long–time woodworkers and those new to the craft, including women –– was a personal goal for me and among the proudest accomplishments of the company as a whole.

In 1998, we decided to reflect our commitment to offering hard–to–find hardware (in addition to kits, tools, lumber and our exclusive shop table line) by changing the name of both our retail and catalog operations to Rockler Woodworking and Hardware. Customers are constantly telling us how happy they are that they know they’ll be able to get the full–extension slides, restoration knobs, elbow catch or other specialized hardware they need to complete their project.

We have been on the web since 1996, and are reaching more woodworkers than ever before! Whether you’re a seasoned pro, a home–improvement enthusiast or a craftsperson, we believe you will enjoy browsing our online catalog, getting interesting tips through our email newsletter, and being the first to find out about some exciting new products! We are constantly on the lookout for new ways to make all your projects as fulfilling as they can be.

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RUCA (USA) CORPORATION wholesales the SILENCE hinges, drawer slides and glides, hinges and other furniture hardware for homes, shops and business needs.

Ruca Chien, Founder and President of Ruca Corporation, has been in the furniture hardware business since 1973 in Taiwan, R.O.C. He successfully opened a branch in the United States at Ontario, California in the early 1990′s. Ruca USA Corporation, has been a part of the furniture and wood working industry in the United States; a supplier of drawer slides, hinges, and other furniture hardware, and has introduced the latest innovation in hardware: the SILENCE HINGE which was launched in 2004, and won the AWFS Sequoia award in 2005.

Since 1973, Ruca Group has been growing and prospering by leaps and bounds. Thanks to the valuable efforts & support of our great teams, customers, friends and stock holders. We have successfully developed the diverse industries which including notably professional hardware, knock-down furniture. Via the major operating centers and near hundred of sales agent, RUCA products are marketing all over the world.

In the face of the rapid transformation in the future and the needs of internationalization, we will thoroughly enforce ISO 9002 quality system to carry out the internationalization strategies to meet the greater challenges with firm determination.

Continuous support, advice and comments are indispensable, cordially invited and shall be very much appreciated by all of RUCA members.

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Ron Fiala, the owner of Systems 32, is a graduate of the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-ARC). He combines a strong design background with years of hands on experience building custom cabinets and furniture.

Systems 32 Interiors, Inc. manufactures custom cabinetry, furniture and millwork for the high-end residential market. We have served the greater Los Angeles area, Malibu and The South Bay since 1986 and have been at our current location in Inglewood since 1996. Our main customers are Architects, General Contractors and Interior Designers. Our capabilities as craftsmen and our desire to produce the highest quality product that the budget allows have earned us many repeat customers.

Our craftsmen have a combined total of over 60 years of cabinetmaking and furniture making experience.

Systems 32 works in combination with other craftsmen including custom metal workers and custom finishers to satisfy the requirements of virtually any cabinet or furniture design project.

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TigerStop® LLC, is the global leader in stop/gauge and pushers systems. Founded in 1994, we have deep roots in manufacturing industries and work closely with furniture, cabinet, electronics, plastics, and metalworking customers around the globe. Our customers have installed over 20,000 TigerStops in a wide variety of factory automation applications.

TigerStop is located in Vancouver, Washington where we manufacture all of our products. We have an additional manufacturing and distribution facility in Wierden, Netherlands. In addition, the TigerStop distribution network spans six continents and our products are supported in five languages.

TigerStop maintains an aggressive research and development program with over 100 patents awarded or pending.
TigerStop’s products lead in both technology and application for today’s manufacturing environments. The products can easily integrate with most machinery used in the woodworking, metal, fenestration and plastics industries.

World-class TigerStop products come with world-class TigerStop support. Experienced service technicians, on-going dealer training, and online technical resources ensure customers will be well supported. TigerStop first built a better way to measure than the tape measure and we continue to lead the market in affordable automation solutions.

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Zelazoski Wood Products began as Thomas Zelazoski Manufacturing Company in 1924 in a vacant blacksmith shop in Antigo, Wisconsin. With four employees, the company manufactured mostly farm related items.

In 1928 it began producing blocks for the brush and broom industry. Growth was slow but steady and the company moved to a larger facility in 1940. Although brush and broom blocks were the main products of the company, farm related items, crutches, cutlery racks, furniture parts and other special wooden products filled in the production schedule.

The company was incorporated by Tom and his two sons, Clarence and Bernard, in 1958 under the
name of Zelazoski Wood Products, Inc. and continued its slow, steady growth. By the early 1990s, it became
impractical to put any more additions on the old facility. A new structure was built and opened in the spring of 1997. This allowed all production to come together under one roof as well as expand warehousing and customer services.

The company today is owned by five of Tom’s grandsons who are active in the business. Brush and broom blocks continue to be the main products and we continue to manufacture cutlery racks, furniture parts and special wooden parts, as well as baseball bats, game calls, fishing lure bodies and the occasional farm related item. Northern hardwoods are the main raw material used but softwoods and exotic woods can also be utilized to manufacture parts according to the customer’s specifications.

We look forward to your inquiries. Send us a drawing or sample. We will be happy to provide a quote.

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We are the leading manufacturer and distributor of low-cost, high quality wood working supplies. To assure high standards, every shipment is inspected by our staff prior to leaving the warehouse. We keep in stock millions of wood products, ready for immediate shipment.
It is our goal to offer prompt, helpful, and unmatched customer service to all of our clients. Please feel free to call our customer service department for any questions or inquiries.

Enriquez Materials and Quilting continually seeks the most effective ways to provide value for our customers throughout the United States, Mexico and Central America.

We have learned firsthand every phase of the mattress manufacturing process and we use that knowledge to benefit each manufacturer who selects us as their trusted supplier.

Products form the foundation that we use to build our reputation and your success.

We were the first supplier to maintain a warehouse that is stocked with every component you need. The products we select are highly regarded within the industry for durability and safety.

Service is based on your need for the convenience of turning to one supplier who will handle your needs professionally. We were the first supplier to offer custom quilted fabric.

Value is the result of consistently delivering on our promise to help you succeed through quality products and customer service offered at competitive prices.

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FXI is a leading producer of foam innovation for the Home, Healthcare, Electronics, Industrial, Personal Care and Transportation Markets. Our products include finished goods, sub-assemblies, services and raw materials for OEMs, fabricators and retailers. You will find FXI’s foam innovations inside, around and under yourself in countless applications. We protect automobile passengers on the highway and fragile electronic components in shipment. We help consumers sleep sounder and furniture manufacturers create comfort. We provide for sharper images in digital printers and copiers and help consumers keep their homes clean. We provide critical components for filters, dispensers, gaskets and seals in everything from blood oxygenators to computer disk drives. To discover where FXI really shines, bring your wish list to our design and technical teams and imagine the possibilities in foam innovation.

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American Packaging and Supply, Inc. is a privately-owned company specializing in wholesale packaging, moving, storing, shipping and wrapping supplies, based in El Paso, Texas. American Packaging USA is a small company that has proven to be a force to be reckoned with.

2005 Regional Minority Supplier/Distributor of the Year

American Packaging USA is proud to be recognized by the US Department of Commerce and the Minority Business Development Agency as the Minority Supplier/Distributor of the year in the region and was recently featured in The Journal as well. This is a testament to our proud tradition of offering only the best packing and wrapping supplies to our clients, while at the same time providing great customer service.

2005 Regional Minority Supplier/Distributor of the Year

American Packaging USA is ready to take your orders and answer your inquiries regarding packaging and wrapping supplies, barriers, labels, boxes, and all our other products. You may also reach us through our contact page or by calling us at (915) 771-8052.

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Young Furniture Associates (YFA) is the local (Southern California) chapter of AWFS (Association of Woodworking & Furnishings Suppliers). YFA targets individuals new to the industry, promotes industry wide networking, leadership development and expands the individual’s exposure to the woodworking, upholstery and bedding industries.

Our Mission is to:

1. Assist and encourage members to achieve a better understanding of the home furnishings industry through education.
2. Raise awareness and funds for the City of Hope, primarily through our annual main event fundraiser.
3. Afford members the opportunity to develop personal relationships with others in the industry and to encourage involvement with the whole society.

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International Woodworking Fair 2012 is the tradeshow where furniture manufacturing, cabinetry, architectural woodworking, material processing and related industry professionals from all over the globe will come to find the products they didn’t know existed, but that will help their company succeed. IWF is innovation, education, solutions, networking and opportunity for business success.

Management, production, operations, design – from the small shop to the large plant – industry buyers know IWF is the best place to source products, discover new ideas, network with their peers and learn from those who have already troubleshot the solutions.

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Hafele designs and markets furniture, architectural, cabinet, closet and sliding door hardware, kitchen, bath and washroom accessories, woodworking screws, connectors and other supplies. Hafele also provides Dialock radio frequency (RFID) systems for automated identification, access control and asset management.

Häfele America Co. serves the US market as a distribution organization and maintains its Corporate Office and primary Distribution Center in Archdale, North Carolina. We provide products and services to the Furniture, Cabinet, Architectural/Builders and Access Control industries.

Sales and Marketing activities focus on the needs of customers including Architects/Specifiers, Manufacturers and Retailers. A Hafele Showroom network is established in major cities in the US, including New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles . Our second Distribution center is located in Los Angeles.
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IWF

International Woodworking Fair 2012 is the tradeshow where furniture manufacturing, cabinetry, architectural woodworking, material processing and related industry professionals from all over the globe will come to find the products they didn’t know existed, but that will help their company succeed. IWF is innovation, education, solutions, networking and opportunity for business success.

Management, production, operations, design – from the small shop to the large plant – industry buyers know IWF is the best place to source products, discover new ideas, network with their peers and learn from those who have already troubleshot the solutions.

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Hafele designs and markets furniture, architectural, cabinet, closet and sliding door hardware, kitchen, bath and washroom accessories, woodworking screws, connectors and other supplies. Hafele also provides Dialock radio frequency (RFID) systems for automated identification, access control and asset management.

Häfele America Co. serves the US market as a distribution organization and maintains its Corporate Office and primary Distribution Center in Archdale, North Carolina. We provide products and services to the Furniture, Cabinet, Architectural/Builders and Access Control industries.

Sales and Marketing activities focus on the needs of customers including Architects/Specifiers, Manufacturers and Retailers. A Hafele Showroom network is established in major cities in the US, including New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles . Our second Distribution center is located in Los Angeles.
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The Wood Component Manufacturers Association (WCMA) was initially organized in 1929 as the Hardwood Dimension Manufacturers Association (HDMA). The basic goals of the association were to establish and maintain specifications and commercial standards for the hardwood dimension manufacturing industry, and to aid in the development of the industry. The WCMA still maintains the “Rules & Specifications For Dimension & Woodwork.”

In 1985, the association changed its name to the National Dimension Manufacturers Association (NDMA) to reflect its growing membership base and commitment to becoming a progressive, nationally-recognized association for the entire dimension manufacturing industry. In 1996, the name was changed to Wood Component Manufacturers Association to reflect the broader range of wood component products being produced by its member companies.

Objectives of the WCMA:
Promote a friendly exchange of ideas among those engaged in the dimension & component manufacturing business.

Develop and promote a general demand for the industry’s products and services.

Collect and distribute useful economic and technical information concerning industry trends and developments.

Serve as a business referral clearinghouse by responding to inquiries from dimension & component buyers and passing this information on to its members.

Conduct seminars and meetings that will satisfy the educational needs of our members.

Establish and maintain standard rules and specifications for the dimension & components industry.

Cooperate with other wood product trade associations and appropriate government agencies to promote and protect the interests of the industry.

ShopBot founder Ted Hall created the company to make the power and precision of CNC technology affordable by individual ‘makers’ and small to midsize manufacturers. Rather than having to invest $100K or more to use CNC technology, ShopBot Tools enables the use of digital fabrication with an investment of as little as $5000.
ShopBot is the innovator in affordable digital fabrication. Here are some of our key accomplishments in this arena:

At ShopBot, we want to help ensure the future of American innovation. Recent years have found ShopBot Tools increasingly used in lean manufacturing processes, in community-based hackerspaces and TechShop workshops, and in educational institutions eager to provide students with the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) skills that are marketable and needed in today’s work world.
ShopBot Tools began in the workshop/barn of Ted Hall more than 15 years ago. A professor of neuroscience at Duke University, Ted’s hobby was building plywood boats, and he was becoming frustrated by the amount of time it was taking to cut the panels for curved hulls with hand power tools. He thought a computerized cutting tool called a CNC router would be helpful, but didn’t have the $40,000 that even a used, entry-level machine would cost. So he started thinking about a practical way to make one of the tools less expensively – after all, they seemed to be just large plotters that moved a cutter instead of a pen.

Ted’s first model worked surprisingly well … and working out the details of the tool while growing excited over the possibilities of affordable CNC led him to begin spending more time designing tools than building boats.

Ted continues to lead the company from its headquarters in Durham, North Carolina, spearheading ShopBot’s ongoing innovation in software and hardware design

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Tailoring Woodworking Solutions with Exceptional Service

SCM Group North America, located in Duluth, GA coordinates the distribution and support of the SCM product line to woodworking companies of all sizes in the US. As a “full solution house,” SCM Group USA’s goal is to provide customers with a superior return on their investment. Woodworking solutions are tailored to meet each customer’s requirements for capacity and durability, with certified quality standards and the latest advances in woodworking technology.

In addition to distributing the most innovative woodworking machines, we provide exceptional before and after-sales support including training, parts availability and technical service. Our onsite showroom offers hands-on machine demonstrations.

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We are a company that operates in the capital good sector focusing on manufacturing technology. We develop, manufacture and distribute technology based products and software for manufacturing as well as provide formal technology training. Thermwood is an international company that markets its products and services through offices in 11 countries.

In the technology and capital goods area, we are the oldest manufacturer of highly flexible, high-speed machining centers known as CNC routers. We primarily market to the woodworking, aerospace, plastics and composites industries but have found applications in almost every major industry from medical to entertainment.

We are the clear technical leader in our target markets. For example, we have been granted more US patents on CNC router technology than all other CNC router manufacturers in the world, combined. Most technology found in modern CNC routers originated at Thermwood.

A primary reason for our success is a strong proprietary technical component in the products we develop and manufacture. For example, we are the only major CNC router manufacturer that designs and builds its own high-end CNC control. Our control is highly regarded and used by major aerospace, automotive, government and defense contractors for some of their most demanding applications. The main advantage of this approach is we can better integrate the control and machine and tailor the combination for our specific customers, making it simple for them to understand and easier for them to use.

Thermwood’s CNC routers are generally sold as systems, which include advanced software, the machine, machine options, tooling, formal training and ongoing support, all integrated and engineered into a complete package that is both effective and easy to use. We operate a well equipped and staffed demonstration and education facility where we demonstrate the specific system we recommend to each customer, actually producing our customers’ parts while they watch. This increases confidence and eliminates technical risk
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WalzCraft, a Midwest supplier to the North American Custom Cabinet Industry based in La Crosse, WI., manufactures custom cabinet doors, drawer boxes, moldings and many other varieties of cabinet components and accessories (all products are available unfinished or prefinished).
Family owned with over 300 dedicated employees, WalzCraft’s roots run deep in the Midwest culture and work ethic. Each day, small-to-medium size cabinet, closet and refacing companies from across the country rely on WalzCraft to produce exact size (+/- 1mm) components for many types of installation requirements.
Orders for a single door or 1,000 doors are configured-to-order and personally coordinated by WalzCraft owners, management, designers and production teams, from birth in the rough mill to final inspection of the finished product. This is the WalzCraft hands-on commitment to every one of our customers to ensure total product quality and your customers satisfaction .
As a leader in both product and production innovation, we continue to expand our product line to meet emerging customer needs. Our broad range of capabilities extends beyond the industry standard to include options for cabinet components and accessory products such as range hoods and face frames.

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Enriquez Materials and Quilting continually seeks the most effective ways to provide value for our customers throughout the United States, Mexico and Central America.

We have learned firsthand every phase of the mattress manufacturing process and we use that knowledge to benefit each manufacturer who selects us as their trusted supplier.

Products form the foundation that we use to build our reputation and your success.

We were the first supplier to maintain a warehouse that is stocked with every component you need. The products we select are highly regarded within the industry for durability and safety.

Service is based on your need for the convenience of turning to one supplier who will handle your needs professionally. We were the first supplier to offer custom quilted fabric.

Value is the result of consistently delivering on our promise to help you succeed through quality products and customer service offered at competitive prices.

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IWF

International Woodworking Fair 2012 is the tradeshow where furniture manufacturing, cabinetry, architectural woodworking, material processing and related industry professionals from all over the globe will come to find the products they didn’t know existed, but that will help their company succeed. IWF is innovation, education, solutions, networking and opportunity for business success.

Management, production, operations, design – from the small shop to the large plant – industry buyers know IWF is the best place to source products, discover new ideas, network with their peers and learn from those who have already troubleshot the solutions.

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AWFS® is the largest national trade association in the U.S. representing the interests of the broad array of companies that supply the home and commercial furnishings industry.

Primary Goals
Strengthening the value of the AWFS®Fair for both exhibitors and attendees
Strengthening and developing industry education
Building a cohesive, industry-wide coalition to create an effective voice on Public Policy issues affecting the industry

The Association of Woodworking & Furnishings Suppliers®
AWFS® is a trade association with an international, corporate membership that includes manufacturers and distributors of machinery, hardware, lumber, upholstery materials, bedding components, wood products and other supplies to furnishings and wood products manufacturers. From its headquarters in Southern California, AWFS® works closely with other industry associations on issues of mutual concern.

AWFS is the owner and direct producer of the biennial AWFS®Fair, the largest industry show in the United States held in July of in odd-numbered years since 1967 and which celebrated its inaugural Las Vegas show in 2005.

AWFS began in 1911 as the Suppliers Chapter of the California Furniture Manufacturers Association; incorporating as a separate organization in 1979 to fulfill a major need to represent the interests of companies and individuals who supply the home and institutional furnishings manufacturing industries.

Since its inception, AWFS has donated millions of dollars toward educational programs and scholarships to the next generation of industry leaders. AWFS is also a major supporter of WoodLINKS USA, a program specifically created to revive and update vocational woodworking school programs throughout the nation and to promote the woodworking industry to a truly viable career choice for America’s youth.

In addition to its education initiatives, AWFS also actively challenges legislation that is unfair to American manufacturers to be more competitive in the ever changing global marketplace. Since AWFS reinvests the proceedings from the biennial show back into the woodworking industry, Fair supporters and participants are helping to strengthen the industry’s future.

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IWF

International Woodworking Fair 2012 is the tradeshow where furniture manufacturing, cabinetry, architectural woodworking, material processing and related industry professionals from all over the globe will come to find the products they didn’t know existed, but that will help their company succeed. IWF is innovation, education, solutions, networking and opportunity for business success.

Management, production, operations, design – from the small shop to the large plant – industry buyers know IWF is the best place to source products, discover new ideas, network with their peers and learn from those who have already troubleshot the solutions.

Visit IWF

The Woodworking Machinery Industry Association is a trade association representing importers and distributors of woodworking machinery and ancillary equipment in North America. Founded in 1977, WMIA is the recognized voice of importers and distributors and a vital communications link between suppliers and the many manufacturers of wood products in North America.
Members include firms that import and distribute industrial woodworking machinery. Members offer equipment, technologies and services that enable North American companies to compete profitably. WMIA also helps link equipment manufacturers with reliable U.S. importers and distributors.
Our Mission
The mission of the Woodworking Machinery Industry Association is to provide the North American woodworking industry with the technology, services and information resources that enable it to compete successfully in the global marketplace while furthering partnership and cooperation amongst members in all areas of business.

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The Architectural Woodwork Institute (AWI) is a nonprofit trade association founded in 1953. Today, AWI represents nearly 4000 members consisting of architectural woodworkers, suppliers, design professionals and students from around the world.

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The American Home Furnishings Alliance is the world’s largest and most influential trade organization serving the home furnishings industry. AHFA is dedicated to fostering the growth and global well being of its member companies.

Since 1905, AHFA and its predecessor organizations have disseminated the most up-to-date management, manufacturing and technical information to member companies and acted as a watchdog against burdensome regulatory requirements and government intervention.

Recently, member companies approved new initiatives intended to broaden the scope of the organization. The name was changed to the American Home Furnishings Alliance (from the American Furniture Manufacturers Association) and membership was opened to a broader cross-section of the industry. Alliances are based on common interests, and our member companies share a profound interest in:

Our purpose is to deliver targeted programs and services addressing these three broad common interests shared by all member companies.

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WoodLINKS USA enthusiastically announces the availability of the WoodLINKS USA Exceptional Student Scholarship for students actively pursuing a post-secondary woodworking technology area of study. This one-year $500 tuition scholarship is available to high school seniors planning to attend an accredited technical school, college or university in the United States and whose high school industrial technology program is currently an active WoodLINKS USA site. Applicants must be accepted as a non-probationary student at the accredited institution to which the scholarship is to be applied.

See application tab for scholarship qualifications and application requirements. Materials submitted will be evaluated based on the combination of the applicant’s academic standing, letters of recommendation, and essay submission. The deadline for the receipt of application materials is April 20, 2012.

Howard S. Twichell founded the Howard S. Twichell Company in 1966 after working as Sales Manager of Tri-State Machinery Co. He ran the company until 1991 when he retired. He was a co-founder of the United Woodworking Machinery Exchange and served as President for a while. He was admired by his customers for quick solutions, integrity and follow through. He loved to bird hunt, fish and just be outdoors. He passed away February 2008 at age 88.

Larry Hilchie spent three decades in sales management for Grecon and Michael Weinig. Hilchie was a strong contributor to the efforts to link industry and education. He served on the AWFS education committee and was best known as a supporter of technical education. Hilchie was instrumental in starting the WoodLINKS programs in Canada and the United States. He was the first WoodLINKS USA Board President. Larry passed away June 2008.

Shannon Yow made it her mission to help students attend various machine shows in North Carolina, Georgia and California. Shannon financially assisted students with travel and often served as chaperon for the students from Cedar Ridge High School, where her husband Keith, is a WoodLINKS USA teacher. Prior to her passing in 2005, Shannon worked for Burlington Industries as a Director of Design.

QUALIFICATIONS

1. Be a high school senior at an active WLUSA site in good standing.
2. Plan to attend an accredited technical school, college or university in the United States pursuing wood related field 0f study.
3. Be accepted as a non-probationary student at the accredited institution to which the scholarship is to be applied.

NECESSARY DOCUMENTS

1. Scholarship Application Form
2. An official transcript received in a sealed envelope and sent directly by the high school at which the student is currently enrolled.
3. Two letters of recommendation, addressed to WLUSA Scholarship Committee. It is preferred that both letters of recommendation come from either a teacher or employment/internship supervisor.
4. An essay answering the questions: What exposure(s) to the wood industry have you experienced and what do you think are the most important issues the wood industry is facing in today’s market? In your essay please give specific examples to clarify your ideas. The essay must be typed and should not exceed 1000 words.

DEADLINE AND SUBMISSION

All required documents including official transcripts and letters of recommendation must be received by the
Committee listed below no later than April 20, 2012. Recipients will be notified by May 15, 2012. If you have any more questions, please e-mail us at woodlinksusaadmin@mediacombb.net

WoodLINKS USA Scholarship Committee
P.O. Box 445
Tuscola, IL 61953

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