ORLEANS, Vt. – Workers were sent home from an Ethan Allen furniture plant in Orleans, Vt.,  on Monday, July 11, because of a fire that was sparked by a malfunctioning boiler.  According to news station WCAX, embers from a chip silo started other small fires. All of the fires were extinguished and no workers were injured. 

BRISTOL, Ind. -- Wood products and components manufacturer MJB Wood Group has opened its flagship facility in Bristol, Ind. The 500,000-square-foot facility features a railway spur, allowing for indoor unloading and increased shipment capacity, semi-bays, and a 100,000-square-foot fabrication area. The facility's features are anticipated to more than double its capacity for outbound goods. The elements allow increased efficiency for MJB by combining manufacturing and distribution under one roof. 

Survey of more than 700 Builders indicates optimism amid setback on construction materials, labor shortages and pandemic implications.

Construction started July 11 on a $110 million lumber production facility that will support the creation of nearly 500 new jobs in northwest Louisiana.

Exposure to wood dust has been associated with health issues due to the natural chemicals in the wood, or substances in the wood such as bacteria, molds, or fungi, according to the Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety. Wood dust is considered carcinogenic to humans according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). IARC states that wood dust causes cancer of the nasal cavity (nose area) and paranasal sinuses (spaces in and around the nasal cavity) and the nasopharynx (upper part of the throat, behind the nose).

Woodworking Network will present a webinar that outlines the results of a recent survey detailing the wood industry's struggles with supply chain disruptions. The webinar is scheduled for Thursday, July 14, at 2 p.m. Eastern.

LANCASTER, Pa. -- Armstrong Flooring Inc., a leader in the design and manufacture of innovative flooring solutions, has entered into a binding Asset Purchase Agreement with a consortium of buyers consisting of AHF, LLC and Gordon Brothers. The acquisition will include substantially all Armstrong Flooring Inc.’s North American assets for $107 million in cash and an assumption of specified assumed liabilities. The binding agreement was the culmination of the Company’s Chapter 11 auction process for its North American assets.

GOSHEN, Ind. - Viewrail, makers of stairs and railings, has agreed to acquire Simmons Stairways Inc. in California. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Simmons Stairways, which has been in business for more than 30 years, specializes in custom curved hardwood stairs and handrails.

WASHINGTON -- The U. S. Court of International Trade denied a bid by the Coalition of American Millwork Producers (CAMP) to issue anti-dumping duties on wood mouldings and millwork products from Brazil. The ruling affirmed the U. S. Department of Commerce's decision to reject levies on the goods. 

MANHEIM, Pa. – Osborne Wood Products, a manufacturer of components for cabinets, furniture, and other secondary wood products, will display a trio of new products at Wood Pro Expo Lancaster.