Architectural Woodworkers Gather in Salt Lake City Sept.27-29, 2015

By Bill Esler

September 20, 2015 | 9:35 pm CDT

The Architectural Woodwork Institute's 63rd annual convention will include a visit to 3form, a Salt Lake City fabricator of architectural interiors.

SALT LAKE CITY - Two iconic architectural millwork firms - Fetzer Architectural Woodwork and 3form - will host plant tours during the Architectural Woodwork Institute's 63rd annual convention, opening Sunday, Sept. 27 in Salt Lake City. The gathering takes place amid a strong recovery for the association's manufacturing membership.

Indicative of the improvement: over the past month, six new firms have joined AWI - CraftPoint Concepts, Ephrata, PA, www.craftpointconcepts.com; Gilbert Displays Inc., Melville, NY, www.gilbertdisplays.com; JPK & Associates, Inc., Rosedale, MD, www.jpkassociates.net; MB Cabinetry, Andover, KS; and Sprovieri's Custom Counters, Addison, IL, www.sprovieris.com; and Architectural Joinery W.L.L, Doha, Quatar.

Erik Fetzer

AWI will tap its local members for a key part of the conference program - plant tours on Sept. 29, beginning with a lead in presentation by Erik Fetzer.

Fetzer, COO at Fetzer Architectural Woodwork in Salt Lake City, is an authority on integrating business and manufacturing operations. At previous AWI conventions, and at an AWFS Las Vegas workshop in July, Fetzer has described how Internet-based Cloud storage and collaboration tools are revolutionizing the way companies work together and manage their data, freeing up capital and office space, and allowing employees to be more productive. Using Cloud-based tools eliminates investment in servers, and the space and maintainance time required for them. Fetzer says such tools can extend past your company and allow you to be more effective in your communication with installers, vendors and customers.

ARCHITECURAL MILLWORK

Hollywood Woodwork Award

Among AWI awards for 2015 is the Brickell House project completed in January in Miami.

Following Fetzer's Sept. 29 morning presentation, AWI convention attendees will travel to see technology in action at Fetzer's plant. The company, celebrating its centennial, has grown to national prominence in architectural woodworking.

The tour moves on to 3Form, an architectural millwork firm that has developed important brands in surface materials. Also lcoated in Salt Lake, 3Form, which has operations in several cities, and also handles projects through two other subsidiaries - LightArt and Studio by 3Form.

PROJECT GALLERY

3Form Fabricates Resin for LightArt, Studio

Millwork firm 3Form has developed pre-fabricated surface and lighting materials for architects and designers.

The millwork firm has developed its own materials brands - including Ecoresin and Chroma, plastics that can be fabricated to incorporate LED lighting or light transmission - as well as the Ready to Go lines of materials.

Learn more about AWI's 63rd annual convention by dowloading the PDF.

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About the author

Bill wrote for WoodworkingNetwork.com, FDMC and Closets & Organized Storage magazines.

Bill's background includes more than 10 years in print manufacturing management, followed by more than 30 years in business reporting on industrial manufacturing in the forest products industries, including printing and packaging at American Printer (Features Editor) and Graphic Arts Monthly (Editor in Chief) magazines; and in secondary wood manufacturing for WoodworkingNetwork.com.

Bill was deeply involved with the launches of the Woodworking Network Leadership Forum, and the 40 Under 40 Awards programs. He currently reports on technology and business trends and develops conference programs.

In addition to his work as a journalist, Bill supports efforts to expand and improve educational opportunities in the manufacturing sectors, including 10 years on the Print & Graphics Scholarship Foundation; six years with the U.S. WoodLinks; and currently on the Woodwork Career Alliance Education Committee. He is also supports the Greater West Town Training Partnership Woodworking Program, which has trained more than 950 adults for industrial wood manufacturing careers.

Bill volunteers for Foinse Research Station, a biological field station staddling the border of Ireland and Northern Ireland, one of more than 200 members of the Organization of Biological Field Stations.