Mark Bernhard must have sawdust in his blood. His father, Pius Bernhard, founded Bernhard Woodwork, and although Mark spent a couple of years outside the industry after college, he came back to woodworking in 1991 and has been at it full-time since. Bernhard says the wood products industry is “a business unlike so many others. You actually create something, as opposed to just pushing paper around. This is what makes it so rewarding.”

Andy Wilzoch may have left school early, but that has not stopped him from growing his company to be a leader in the store fixture industry. From Premier EuroCase’s beginning as a 1,000-square-foot shop with a Powermatic 66, a drill press and hand tools in 1987, to the 200,000-square-foot shop with “more equipment than you should be allowed to have” that it is today, Wilzoch has been at the helm to lead the company to new heights of success.

A look at Mark Richey’s personal pursuits provides valuable insight into his business attitude. “As an avid mountain climber and explorer, I have traveled a lot, seen many cultures and had many intense experiences,” says Richey, the president of Mark Richey Woodworking & Design. “That’s given me a lot of confidence and a unique perspective that has been invaluable.”

Experience, determination and an unending supply of patience have provided Kevin Sauder with the flexibility and know-how to lead RTA furniture giant Sauder Woodworking through these tough economic times. “I am better able to keep the current economic situation in perspective since I lived through the crazy RTA boom years in the late 1980s and the retrenching years since 2001. Also, raising two teenagers, including one with autism, has taught me patience and humility,” said  the president & CEO, Sauder Woodworking.

12/26/08

Keith Malmstadt’s dedication to education, both at his company and throughout the woodworking industry have earned him the 2008 Jerry Metz Achievement Award.

Learn the tradition behind the annual Jerry Metz Achievement Award.

IKEA manufacturing subsidiary Swedwood opens the doors to its 930,000-square-foot facility in Danville, VA, part of a four-phase, $281 million plan.

Grandview Products’ growth is Zetmeir’s personal commitment.

Hall-Erickson has been selected by Vance Publishing to manage two leading woodworking events. Both events were recently purchased by Vance from Reed Exhibitions Canada. The Woodworking Machinery & Supply Expo (WMS), held in Toronto in odd years, was ranked #12 in the Canadian Top 50 in 2005.