WCMA Members: One Source for Your Component Needs
The WCMA makes it easy for component buyers to find WCMA members who can produce the specific wood component products they need. A component buyer does not need to look any further than the WCMA as the combined capabilities of all WCMA members can meet every wood component need. One call to the WCMA office or a visit to our Web site - www.woodcomponents.org - can connect you to a wide variety of component manufacturers who can service your needs. WCMA members recognize the key to their success is serving their customer's component needs better than anyone else. WCMA companies produce rough, semi and fully machined wood component products for the furniture, cabinet, building products, staircase, flooring, millwork, store fixture and related decorative wood product industries. Some of these components include S2S & S4S dimension blanks, flooring strips, moulding blanks, edge-glued panels, solid and laminated squares, dowels, mouldings, turnings, table and chair parts, cabinet doors and parts, frame stock, staircase parts, interior trim, millwork, engineered wood components, and many other specialty wood products. These components are made from a variety hardwoods, softwoods and engineered and composite wood materials. WCMA member companies are located throughout the United States and Canada near their timber supplies.Rising costs of doing business have caused finished wood product manufacturers to look for cost-effective component suppliers to improve their competitive position. Reliable, just-in-time delivery of components allows finished wood product manufacturers to lower their inventories and increase their turnover rates, resulting in higher margins. Purchasing components also helps furniture, cabinet and millwork manufacturers to respond quicker to changes in the marketplace for new products and designs. The buying public benefits by having more choices in their customized furniture, cabinets and related goods AND having them delivered more quickly. To meet this increased demand for just-in-time, outsourced components, WCMA members have expanded their capabilities and are able to provide a wide range of components for a variety of applications with shorter lead times. WCMA members have invested in new technology and equipment so they can meet the growing demand for precision components. This has greatly improved their productivity levels and made them more competitive with other suppliers.
WCMA Membership Directory & Source Guide Included in this Wood Components Buyer's Guide on pages 27 - 37 is a WCMA Membership Directory & Source Guide. This listing of WCMA member companies and their capabilities is a handy reference source for locating suppliers for dimension & component products. This section includes a listing of all WCMA member companies, a description of the products they produce, available species of wood and machining capabilities. This makes it easy for dimension & component buyers to identify those companies who produce the products they need and provides them with contact information. WCMA Member MatchTM Program The WCMA's Member MatchTM Program was created to "match" component buyers' needs with our members' production capabilities. It is a computerized membership database retrieval system that provides prospective buyers with a list of all WCMA members who can produce the specific component products they need. This computer-generated list is immediately faxed or e-mailed to component buyers so they can contact manufacturers with their exact specifications. This service is free of charge to dimension and component buyers and is available by contacting the WCMA office directly or visiting our Web site at www.woodcomponents.org. Trade Promotion WCMA advertisements are placed in the annual directory and buyer's guide issues of the major woodworking magazines. The WCMA exhibits at several woodworking trade shows held throughout the world. The WCMA displays the various products produced by its member companies and distributes free copies of the Wood Component Buyer's Guide to interested component buyers and users who visit the booth. A large number of sales leads are obtained at these trade shows and passed on to all WCMA members for follow-up. Component buyers are able to shop for all of their component needs in one stop by visiting the WCMA's booth at these trade shows. WCMA Rulebook The 2004 Rulebook contains a new section for a "Select Grade" of S4S red oak and poplar boards. This "Select Grade" was added in an attempt to bring standardization to the grade specifications for board programs. The pocket-sized Rulebook is available for $5.00 per copy (includes shipping & handling) by mailing your check to the WCMA office at 1000 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite A-130, Marietta, GA, 30068. WCMA Meetings and Seminars The WCMA will be participating in the 2006 Woodworking Industry Conference (WIC) to be held in Maui, Hawaii, on May 4 - 6. The WIC brings together members of the Association of Woodworking & Furnishings Suppliers (AWFS), Woodworking Machinery Industry Association (WMIA), Wood Machinery Manufacturers of America (WMMA) and the WCMA. This provides an excellent opportunity to network with other leading industry groups and share educational Industry Research and Market Studies The WCMA conducts a number of proprietary technical and market studies to help their members identify new markets and improve each company's competitive position. WCMA members rely on the annual WCMA Dimension & Component Market Study to keep them informed of current business conditions and industry trends. The Wage & Benefit and Cost-of-Doing-Business Surveys allow members to compare their costs of doing business and wage structures with other member companies. These studies help WCMA members identify and make necessary improvements in the financial, marketing and labor management areas. The various WCMA studies are also extremely helpful to WCMA members and provide assistance in the critical areas of product costing, technology adoption decisions, measuring yield improvement and implementing cost-reduction efforts. These valuable studies are the only ones conducted for the wood components industry and are available to all participating WCMA members. This gives WCMA members a distinct competitive advantage and the benefits are passed on to their customers through greater production and management efficiencies. Wood Technology Expo Every other year, the WCMA conducts a Wood Technology Expo. It was established as a way to encourage more interaction between woodworking machinery & equipment manufacturers and WCMA member companies. The next Wood Technology Expo will be held in conjunction with our 2007 Plant Tour Event.
Manufacturers of materials handling, gluing equipment, dust collection, fingerjointers, moulders, planers, cut-off & ripsaws, routers, tenoners, CNC machinery, dry kilns, optimizing equipment, finishing systems, yield improvement systems, software and business solutions are represented. Attendees have a one-on-one opportunity to discuss problems and solutions for their specific companies. Plant Tours Every fall, WCMA members tour the production facilities of several dimension, component and related woodworking companies. These plant tours provide WCMA members with a unique opportunity to observe other innovative woodworking manufacturing operations. The annual plant tours have become the WCMA's most popular event. The 2005 WCMA Plant Tour Event will be held on Oct. 2 - 4 in North Carolina and Virginia. WCMA members will tour the production facilities of several leading woodworking operations that produce components, furniture, cabinetry, lumber, mouldings and specialty wood products. These tours allow WCMA members to discover new manufacturing techniques, exchange ideas and learn about alternative manufacturing methods. This gives WCMA members a unique learning opportunity and helps them maximize their production effectiveness to the benefit of their customers. For further information about the WCMA's programs and activities, or if you wish to become a member of the association, please contact the WCMA office: Wood Component Manufacturers Association
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