Woodworking Industry News

Pan-Oston to Expand, Add 200 Jobs

BOWLING GREEN, KY -- Bowling Green-based Pan-Oston, a manufacturer of store fixtures and checkout counters for retailers, will expand its corporate office and manufacturing operations building from 180,000 square feet to nearly 300,000 square feet, and plans to add 200 jobs within the next two years, according to the Lexington Herald-Leader. Read more.

Woodworking Industry News

Stiles Sets Course for New Solid Wood Division

ATLANTA -- Stiles Machinery Inc. of Grand Rapids, MI, formally unveiled its new Solid Wood Technologies line at the 2006 International Woodworking Fair. The debut lineup includes three models of Kentwood moulders imported from Taiwan and Wadkin Visage profile grinders. In addition, Stiles has partnered with System TM of Denmark to distribute automated rough mill, optimizing and material handling equipment.

Woodworking Industry News

Cefla Introduces CAFE Educational Program

HIGH POINT, NC -- Cefla Finishing America, in partnership with Stiles Machinery, introduces CAFE, a new program providing formal, accredited courses to the industrial wood finishing sector. Courses offered include Production Finishing of Wood Products, Maximizing Performance of Automatic Spraying Lines, Roll Coating Basics and Operation, Automating the Finishing Room, Compliance Coatings – Dealing with VOC, and Operation and PM of Your Finishing Line.

Woodworking Industry News

Furniture Designer Stumpf Dies

ZEELAND, MI – Bill Stumpf, an industrial designer and a pioneer in ergonomic seating, died Wednesday August 30, at the age of 70. Stumpf worked with Don Chadwick to create the Aeron office chair for Herman Miller Inc. Stumpf died of complications stemming from abdominal surgery. Stumpf is survived by his wife, two children and five grandchildren. Read more.

Woodworking Industry News

Broyhill Sells Particleboard Mill

LENOIR, NC -- Broyhill Furniture Industries Inc. sold its 193,000-square-foot particleboard plant to North State Property Holdings LLC. According to the Charlotte Observer, Broyhill opted to sell the plant because most of its furniture is being manufactured offshore. The new owner plans to seek an expanded customer base for the plant. Read more.

Woodworking Industry News

EPA Fines Ashland Chemical $80,000

WASHINGTON -- Ashland Chemical Co. agreed to pay an $80,000 penalty to settle air quality violations brought by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for its resin plant in Calumet City, IL. The company also agreed to invest $154,000 in environmental equipment at its plant which makes amino and phenolic resins used in the production of particleboard, plywood and plastic parts.

Woodworking Industry News

La-Z-Boy Merges Two Divisions

MONROE, MI -- La-Z-Boy, which recently sold off American of Martinsville, continued its transformation with the recent merger of its Pennsylvania House and Clayton Marcus divisions. Both product lines will be overseen by Mae McCall, president of Clayton Marcus, but will maintain separate marketing and sales teams. Kurt Darrow, president and CEO of La-Z-Boy, said, “Operating in the higher end of the market, the two companies have a similar product line focus and customer base.

Woodworking Industry News

Furniture Brands Int"l. to Present at 2006 Morgan Keegan Equity Conference

ST. LOUIS, MO – Furniture Brands Int’l. will present at the 2006 Morgan Keegan Equity Conference in Memphis, TN, on September 7. W.G. Holliman, chairman of the board and CEO, will give a presentation on the company’s strategy and discuss existing business conditions. The presentation will be Web cast on the company’s Web site as well as at www.wsw.com/webcast/mk13/fbn.

Woodworking Industry News

Potlatch Reports Q2 Earnings of $8 Million

SPOKANE, WA -- Potlatch Corp. reported net earnings of $8.0 million for the second quarter of 2006, compared to net earnings of $8.2 million for the second quarter of 2005. The slight decrease in earnings was due to lower results for the Wood Products and Resource programs, which were nearly offset by better results for the Consumer Products and Pulp and Paperboard segments.