Dey Woodworking's shop air tank exploded while an outside worker was doing maintenance, injuring two and drawing the attention of OSHA. And a fire forced a Texas custom cabinet shop to move production to its other location. 
Office furniture giant Herman Miller announced it would curtail its employee pension plan, in a cost cutting move. And a Canadian firm will open a Vermont flooring plant - with $1.2 million in state aid.
These topped wood industry news this week, but the Final Four and March Madness brings Connor Sports Flooring and the Menominee Tribal Industries sawmill into the spotlight, as CBS airs "Court of Champions Delivered by UPS Sunday, April 1 at 9:00 p.m. ET. (Teaser video below.)
The court is designed in Indianapolis, constructed at Connor Flooring in Amasa, Michigan, assembled and painted in Ohio, then trucked to its final destination at the Superdome in New Orleans. See the video below.
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Cabinet Shop Air Tank Explosion Draws OSHA
By Bill Esler | Updated: 03/21/2012 5:43:00 PM
OSHA will inspect a March 17 air compressor tank explosion at Dey Woodworking, Clifton, NJ. The force blew out windows and injured at least two, one seriously. Read more
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Fire Destroys Custom Cabinet Shop
By Karen Koenig | Updated: 03/26/2012 11:41:00 AM
Fire destroyed a small cabinet shop in central Texas on March 22, temporarily displacing 12 workers employed at Norman Woodworks’ facility in Killeen. Read more
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Prison Wood Products Limits Seen in Senate Bill
By Bill Esler | Updated: 03/24/2012 12:23:00 PM
U.S. prison factories, which sell office furniture and other goods to federal agencies, could face added restrictions under new legislation by Sen. Mitch McConnell and co-sponsored by Sen. Rand Paul. Read more
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Crawford Furniture Calls It Quits
By Bill Esler | Updated: 03/21/2012 2:43:00 PM
Crawford Furniture Manufacturing has received court approval to liquidate, and will auction its manufacturing equipment April 24.
Read more
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Canadian Flooring Firm Gets $1.2M To Open Vermont Plant
By Rich Christianson | Updated: 03/28/2012 1:36:00 PM
Appalachian Flooring Inc. of Cowansville, QC, will receive $1.2 million in financial aid to create a new 26,000-square-foot production facility in North Troy. Read more
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Herman Miller to End Pension Plan
By Rich Christianson | Updated: 03/27/2012 8:16:00 AM
Herman Miller Inc., a manufacturer of office and contract furniture, said it plans to phase out its employee pension program, a cost-saving move that is expected to take up to two years to complete. Read more
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Vanity Countertop Hiring 10 As Sales Grow
By Bill Esler | Updated: 03/20/2012 1:44:00 PM
Solid Surface Craftsman, Inc. says will hire 10 employees by the end of April, to fulfill $1 million in new contracts for delivering custom vanity countertops. The company has exclusive contracts with Lowe's and Home Depot. Read more
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Builder Subcontractor Probe Widens; Pulte Fights Subpoena
By Bill Esler | Updated: 03/23/2012 7:39:00 AM
A probe heats up into whether home builders improperly classify workers as subcontractors to avoid hiring construction carpenters and interior build-out workers. Pulte battles a subpoena in Michigan court. Read more
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Andersen Window Workers Get $656K in Grant Aid
By Rich Christianson | Updated: 03/21/2012 1:27:00 PM
Approximately 150 workers laid off late last year by Andersen Windows & Doors are covered in a $656,098 grant from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to provide employment-related assistance. Read more
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Custom Woodshop Starts With 1,800 Knives
By Bill Esler | Updated: 03/22/2012 4:43:00 PM
Start-up venture Grand Woodworking in Naples, FL, pairs up an Internet entrepreneur with a veteran custom millwork craftsman.
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