Entries are being accepted through May 31 for the 13th Annual Veneer Tech Craftsman’s Challenge, with a cash prize award of $3,000 given to the woodworker with the grand prize winning project.

Entry forms for the competition, which recognizes excellence in veneer woodworking, are available online at VeneerTech.com. There is no entry fee and material does not need to have been sourced through Veneer Tech to be eligible. Competition categories include: Architectural Woodworking, Cabinetry, Furniture, Marquetry, Specialty Products and Student Design.

Category winning entries receive $1,000 each. The distributor of the veneer for the grand prize winning entry will receive $2,000, and the corresponding distributor salesperson will receive $1,000. The awards will be announced at the 2017 AWFS woodworking fair. The show takes place July 19-22 in Las Vegas.

“Our competition is unique in that we recognize the entire supply chain, from the material source to the distributor to the designer/craftsperson, ” said Veneer Tech’s Alan Hubbard, face veneer sales manager. “Our judge panel also reflects a cross section of industry experts, drawn from educators, hands-on woodworkers, trade media, and manufacturers.”

The judges for the 2017 event are: Karen Koenig, editor of Woodworking Network’s special publications and projects; Stephen Latta, professor in the Cabinetmaking and Wood Technology program, Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology, Lancaster, PA, and contributing editor for Fine Woodworking magazine; and Mike Taylor is president and CEO of States Industries, Eugene, OR, a manufacturer of ApplePly and other hardwood plywood veneer panels.

The competition is sponsored by Veneer Technologies, which is located in Newport, North Carolina, and specializes in natural face veneer, sheet veneer and edgebanding. Since its start in 2005, the competition has been rewarding designers, craftspeople, students, distributors and sales representatives for excellence in woodworking that features natural veneer and wood applications. Winning entries from past years can be viewed at VeneerTech.com.

For more information or to enter, visit VeneerTech.com. The Veneer Tech Craftsman’s Challenge is co-sponsored by FDMC, a Woodworking Network publication.