STANLEY, NC – Norm Abram, host of “The New Yankee Workshop”, visited kitchen hardware manufacturer Blum Inc. to film a segment for his show, which appears on PBS. Abram toured the facility and looked at a variety of hardware for a series of shows that will focus on building custom cabinetry elements in the workshop.

CHARLOTTE, NC – Biesse America recently acquired approximately 14 acres of land adjacent to its existing Charlotte, NC, headquarters to accommodate the company’s expansion. The new building is expected to become the North American Headquarters and will house additional offices, parts and service areas, as well as an expanded showroom.

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – The organizers of The Office Exhibition, dmg world media, announced the 2008 show will take place February 4-6 at the Dubai International Exhibition Centre, according to AME Info. Normally, the show is held in the early part of June.

LANCASTER, PA — Armstrong Holdings Inc. announced its cabinets were ranked highest overall among cabinet manufacturers in J.D. Power and Associates’ first Cabinet Satisfaction Study. The study was based on five factors: operational performance; ordering and delivering; design features; price competitiveness; and warranty.

TORONTO, ON — Richelieu Hardware reported a slightly better second-quarter profit on Monday that missed estimates, but was boosted by growing sales in the United States and acquisitions on both sides of the border, according to Reuters. The Montreal, ON-based company said sales increased 13.4 % to $101.14 million, boosted by a near-doubling of sales to the United States to $21.12 million in the quarter.

TUCKER, GA – Panel Systems Unlimited has named Medium Blue Search Engine Marketing, an Atlanta-based search engine optimization company, “National Vendor of the Year†for 2007, according to eMediaWire. This is the first such award that Panel Systems has issued. The company introduced the award to honor its most valuable and proactive long-term partner.

MONTREAL – Biesse Canada announced the appointment of Stephen Richardson as a product area manager for its wood, and stone and glass divisions. In his role, Richardson will be responsible for sales and support in a territory that covers British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Richwood Industries Inc. announced that PolyBak, its flexible, balancing backer, has received GREENGUARD Certification through the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute, a third-party testing program for low-emitting products and materials. Polybak contains no added formaldehyde and can be used as a backer with high-pressure laminates, veneers and other overlays.

LOS ANGELES â?? CTD Machines Inc., a manufacturer of cut-off saws, announced the formation of a new management team headed by Kiwon Ban. Ban, who holds an MBA degree, brings more than 20 years of management experience in the service, manufacturing and construction industries.  

TORONTO – Office furniture manufacturer Teknion Corp. announced the results for its second quarter 2007, which ended May 31. Sales for the quarter increased by 1% to $165.7 million, compared to $164.4 million for the same quarter last year. Net earnings for the quarter, however, were $150,000, compared to $5.8 million in the same period last year.