Freud/Woodcraft contest winners travel to manufacturing Plant & Tour Venice
PARKERSBURG, W. VA. – Mike and Teresa Scanlan watched Freud tools being manufactured and visited centuries old landmarks in Venice during a trip to Italy they won in the Freud/Woodcraft “Creative Glass Panel” competition.

At Udine, the Park City, Utah, couple visited the Freud plant, which they found interesting, especially Mike, since his undergraduate degree is in industrial engineering. “We watched the manufacturing of saw blades from sheet steel to packaging. The quality control is state of the art,” the Scanlans said. “CEO Russell Kohl gave us a complete tour.”

In addition to the July trip, the Scanlans also won $1,000 in Freud products, including a 3 1/4 HP router, saw blades and an assortment of router bits.

After the plant tour, the Scanlans traveled to Venice, accompanied by Russell Kohl, president and CEO of Freud. “Venice is such a unique place, It's hard to even describe. You feel as if you are living 50 years ago because there are no cars, just classic looking boats. But then imagine looking at buildings and art, some dated BC,” the couple observed. “We went on a boat tour of the Grand Canal with a wonderful tour guide and then, with our guide, we continued on foot, touring St. Mark’s Cathedral, the Piazza San Marco, and many of the streets of Venice.”

Food was another pleasant part of the Scanlans’ trip. “We felt like rock stars, letting Mr. Kohl take care of the ordering. He would speak to the chef or owner in Italian and then the food would just start showing up. Mostly house specialties and Venetian cuisine. The food was absolutely amazing.”

“This trip surely was the trip of a lifetime for us,” the Scanlans said. “Mike can't wait to start another project with his new tools.” Meanwhile, the couple’s 13” x 18” award-winning stained glass panel (“Greene and Greene Meets Scanlan and Scanlan”) now rests in their kitchen window —a daily reminder of their Italian adventure.

An industry leader for more than 50 years, Freud America, Inc., is a manufacturer and marketer of superior carbide cutting tools for the woodworking industry. To learn more about Freud, visit freudtools.com.

Woodcraft Supply, LLC, is the industry leader in providing a wide variety of top quality products, educational opportunities and one-on-one guidance to woodworkers of all skill levels. For more information about Woodcraft, please contact the store nearest you, visit www.woodcraft.com or call (800) 535-4482.

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