ATLANTA -- At-the-doro registration for "Industrial Wood Finishing 2006: Making Water-Based & Other Compliant Finishes Work" will open at 7:00 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 22, the day of the event. This comprehensive one-day seminar will be held at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in downtown Atlanta.

LINCOLNSHIRE, IL -- Ten years ago, on Sept. 19, 1996 to be precise, Industrial Strength Woodworking - iswonline.com - was born. The digital offspring of Wood & Wood Products and Custom Woodworking Business magazines has undergone numerous changes over the course of its first decade - some cosmetic, some functional, but all geared toward making the site a better informational resource for professional woodworkers.

LINCOLNSHIRE, IL -- A wide variety of sponsorship opportunities is available for the seventh biennial Texas Woodworking Show & Cabinet Conference. The event is scheduled for March 7-9, 2007, at the Renaissance Hotel and Market Hall in Dallas, TX. Each of the sponsors will enjoy a blitz of print and electronic promotion before, during and after the show.

WASHINGTON -- U.S. imports of wood furniture for the first quarter of 2006 totaled nearly $4.373 billion, an increase of 7.8% over the first quarter of 2005. U.S. exports of wood furniture, meanwhile, increased by 13.7% to $358 million. Still, the U.S. wood and upholstered furniture and component trade deficit climbed to $4.015 billion, an increase of 7.4%. First quarter highlights included: * China posted a 21.1% gain and widened its lead as the largest source nation of U.S. wood furniture imports and accounted for 47.5% of the first-quarter total.

GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- According to the Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Assn., the U.S. Green Building Council has approved a third alternative in its LEED for Commercial Interiors EQ 4.5 low-emitting furniture credit.

WASHINGTON -- Concerns about interest rates and housing affordability caused builder confidence in the market for new single-family homes to slip three more notches to 39, according to the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) for July 2006.

HUNTERSVILLE, NC -- The winners of the annual SkillsUSA Championships in Carpentry were announced Friday evening, June 23, at the Awards Ceremony of SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference, held June 19-23 in Kansas City, MO. The contestants were asked to frame walls using wood and metal studs, cut and install common and hip rafters, and install drywall and baseboard mouldings and window trim.

MANHATTAN BEACH, CA -- Entries are being sought for the 21st annual Doug Mockett & Co. Design Competition. The contest is cosponsored by Wood & Wood Products. In a unique twist, the competition only awards first place winners. There is no set limit to the number of winning entries that may be recognized by the judges. Key product categories include hardware for home and office furniture, kitchen and bathroom cabinets, and closet and home organization.

NEW YORK, NY -- BDO Seidman released the results of its monthly survey of residential furniture manufacturers and distributors through April 2006. New orders fell 13% from April 2005 and were down 26% from March. Shipments fell 6% in April compared to April 2005. Backlogs fell to 6% from March of this year and were 3% lower than April 2005. Receivables only fell 1% from last April, and inventories were up 1% from March levels.

WASHINGTON -- The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) declined for an eighth consecutive month to a level of 30 in September, the lowest level the index has reached since February of 1991. The HMI fell in three out of four regions in September, with the largest decline being registered in the Northeast, where a six-point drop brought the HMI to 28. The HMI fell five points to 38 in the West and fell three points to 38 in the South. The HMI held steady at 16 in the Midwest.