As the wood manufacturing industries see an influx of new workers (including me), we've got to get trained. Let me tell you about one of my first steps in that process.

HOLLAND, MI -- Herman Miller plans to invest $11 million to construct a new health care furniture factory and a new design center.

Stories suggesting a renaissance among wood manufacturing businesses have been reaching editors Karen Koenig, Rich Christianson and Michaelle Bradford over the past months. Some come from woodworking firms, others are passed along by suppliers who seem in awe of what their determined-to-succeed customers are doing.

More than lip-service: Many firms say they emphasize customer service, but structuring it into the culture of an organization is easier said than done. In smaller organizations it can mean that everyone on the team accepts personal responsibility for customer satisfaction – following through to make sure clients get the service, support and answers. Larger organizations must structure it into the mechanics of operation.

Measure twice, cut once: Quality control is critical to mass production as well as custom applications. Woodworking firms must meet specs for demanding clients — and always get it right.

Karl Frey, Routech product manager for SCM Group North America based in Duluth, GA, leads a short demonstration of five-axis routing, 24-position tool changing and more.

In recent years, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) has become a source of global environmental concern, as a growing body of scientific evidence points to the potential long-term human and environmental health dangers. This hampers recycling and creates challenges in reducing environmental impact over the office system life-cycle.

WALKING THE WALK ON GREEN: As adoption of sustainable operations become pervasive, a parallel move is afoot among woodworking firms to adopt corporate social responsibility. This steps beyond concerns about wood sourcing, VOC emissions or industrial pollution, to embrace longer-term impact of manufacturing on workers and communities.

Written comments will be submitted this week by the Inter-Industry Wood Dust Coordinating Committee in response to the proposed lowering of the Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) for wood dust in California. Cal/OSHA has proposed lowering the state’s wood dust permissible exposure limits from 5 mg/m3 total dust to a PEL of 1 mg/m3 inhalable dust.

Thinking outside the box: Developing products that tap changing lifestyle trends, or with an altogether new value proposition for commercial applications, opens opportunities.