WHITE CITY, OR -- Woodgrain Millwork Inc., an international millwork and moulding company, plans to close its White City, OR, plant on Sept. 7, and shift production to its Prineville, OR, operation, according to the Mail Tribune. The company blames the closure on declining housing starts, a shaky market and increasing global competition.

SOUTH WINDSOR, CT – Gerber Technology has appointed Hal Osthus to executive director of industrial markets and business development. In this role, Osthus will be responsible for leading Gerber’s industrial market segments, including transportation, interiors, composites, industrial fabrics and furniture.  

BEIJING, CHINA —Merbau trees, once common in countries from East Africa to Tahiti, face extinction, according to the environmental group, Greenpeace. The group reports that these trees, which now exist in large numbers on the island of New Guinea, are being felled illegally and smuggled into China. There, the trees are manufactured into hardwood flooring and furniture products for export to Europe, North America and Australia.

SUWANEE, GA – This year, WoodEye celebrates its 20th anniversary. The company says its success is partly due to the ease of use of its equipment. Additionally, the company said a new graphic user interface that was introduced in spring is more user-friendly than ever before.

RESTON, VA — The Hardwood Plywood & Veneer Assn. (HPVA)’s Fall Conference has been scheduled for September 9-11, 2007, at the Marriott Salt Lake City Downtown.

NAVI MUMBAI, INDIA –The Bharat Book Bureau has announced a new study that details demand for decorative laminates through 2011. According to the study, sales of decorative laminates in the U.S. will increase 3.8% per year to 16.6 billion square feet in 2001, valued at $8 billion. Reportedly, gains will be sparked by increased demand from the flooring industry. The market for laminate flooring is projected to advance 9.6% per year to 1.5 billion square feet through 2011.

STANLEY, NC – Norm Abram, host of “The New Yankee Workshop”, visited kitchen hardware manufacturer Blum Inc. to film a segment for his show, which appears on PBS. Abram toured the facility and looked at a variety of hardware for a series of shows that will focus on building custom cabinetry elements in the workshop.

CHARLOTTE, NC – Biesse America recently acquired approximately 14 acres of land adjacent to its existing Charlotte, NC, headquarters to accommodate the company’s expansion. The new building is expected to become the North American Headquarters and will house additional offices, parts and service areas, as well as an expanded showroom.

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – The organizers of The Office Exhibition, dmg world media, announced the 2008 show will take place February 4-6 at the Dubai International Exhibition Centre, according to AME Info. Normally, the show is held in the early part of June.

LANCASTER, PA — Armstrong Holdings Inc. announced its cabinets were ranked highest overall among cabinet manufacturers in J.D. Power and Associates’ first Cabinet Satisfaction Study. The study was based on five factors: operational performance; ordering and delivering; design features; price competitiveness; and warranty.