Arborite, a Montreal-based manufacturer of high pressure laminate, has announced an agreement to acquire Lamin-Art, Inc., a major brand of decorative surfaces in North America.

According to Kip Tindell, CEO of The Container Store, its custom closet line TCS was a key driver in sales performance for the company in the fourth quarter. However the company announced several new cost-cutting measures including a wage freeze and a reduction in payroll.

Tens of thousands of U.S. businesses - including wood manufacturers and their suppliers - will be affected when new changes to the wage and hour rules take effect December 1. Millions of salaried individuals will now qualify for overtime pay.

The U.S. dealer of Italy's Snaidero R. SpA will be the kitchen and bath cabinetry provider for Chicago's highly anticipated Vista Project residential high-rise, to be its third tallest building in Chicago. Designed by Studio Gang it is funded by China;s Wanda Group.

ProSource Wholesale, a wholesale home improvement franchise that sells to and through professional remodelers and installers, says it completed development agreement to open a new ProSource showroom in Fort Lauderdale Florida.

Wood is currently trending in retail, with stores vying to showcase the latest and greatest in fixtures. Timber Products has several partnerships with retailers, such as Leggett & Platt and West Coast Fixtures, and supplies them with wood products that they use to make unique and eye-catching retail fixtures.

Hardwood sawmill Linden Lumber announced its closing its hardwood flooring division immediately, reducing personnel by 37 employees.

ICFF organizers say a record number of attendees visited the Jacob K. Javits Center, May 14-17 for the furniture show’s 2016 edition. The show also had 130 new exhibitors and 587 returning brands and pavilions, for a 30 percent larger footprint.

Wilsonart, a manufacturer of decorative engineered surfaces, has chosen Stephen Marchio of the College for Creative Studies as the winner of its Student Chair Design Competition.

Tightening the joint with new types of fasteners is on the radar for wood manufacturers. The new breed of hardware requiring unique machining of panel and solid wood is shaping up to be a top joinery story for IWF 2016 in August.