CHARLOTTE, NC – Biesse America announced a pair of appointments. Dan Rackoff was promoted to edgebander product area manager. He will be responsible for sales and support in a territory that covers New York, New Jersey, Missouri, Kansas, Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Arkansas and Mississippi.

ST. PAUL, MN — 3M recently announced it has acquired Diamond Productions Inc., a manufacturer of super abrasive diamond and CBN (cubic boron nitride) wheels and tools for dimensioning and finishing hard-to-grind materials in metalworking, woodworking and stone fabrication markets.

RALEIGH, NC – Kevin Singleton has been hired as a regional sales manager for Schelling America Inc. and IMA America Corp., which recently announced a new American alliance partnership. Singleton has 16 years of experience in the woodworking industry.

CHARLOTTE, NC— Biesse America has announced it is extending its hours of live technical phone support to 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (EST), effective Aug. 1. Direct access to live technicians has been increased to 12 hours per day, especially benefiting those customers on the West Coast of the United States..    

DEERFIELD, IL – Mark Thompons, a member of Friedman Corp.’s leadership team since 1995, has been promoted to president from vice president of operations. He will take on the additional responsibilities for helping to lead the management and strategic director of the firm.

MONTEREY PARK CA – Eurosoft Ltd. of Cary, NC, and TRAKware Systems of Edmonton, AB, announced that they have successfully integrated Trakware and ARDIS software at Architectural Woodworking Co. The integration allows data sharing between TRAKware estimating, scheduling and production software and ARDIS optimization software.

ST. LOUIS – Furniture Brands Int’l. changed its previous prediction of a 15% sales loss for the second quarter of 2007.

ST. LOUIS – The Furniture Brands Int’l. Board of Directors announced the appointment of Ralph Scozzafava to the Board of Directors as vice chairman and Chief Executive Officer Designate. The board also announced the plans of Chairman and CEO W.G. (Mickey) Holliman to retire as CEO on January 1, 2008. Holliman will remain chairman until May 1, 2008, and John T. Foy will continue to serve as president and COO. Mr.

CHARLOTTE, NC – Zach Snider of Charlottesville, VA, won the Irwin Ultimate Tradesman Challenge Eastern Regional Championship at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. A licensed contractor with Alloy Architecture & Construction, Snider measured, marked and drilled a piece of lumber in 20.67 seconds to best nine competitors and win the regional. He was awarded $10,000 and will advance to the national championship on Nov. 11 in Phoenix, AZ.

New York City — The Wall Street Journal reports that some homebuilders are offering luxury homebuyers creative design incentives, such as less-conventional floor plans and more specialty rooms, to appeal to prospective customers.