WWP February 2012

Although it is not the largest market segment for wood turnings and parts, furniture components remains a steady source of business for North American component manufacturers.

At Ligna last year, Dascanova introduced a new panel technology used to manufacture fiberboard or particleboard products with a wave-like structure.

Still beloved for furniture and cabinets, American black walnut has become a beleaguered species. Sponsored by Northwest Hardwoods.

The latest ruling by the World Trade Organization appeals panel against China for deliberately limiting its exports of raw materials for the steel and chemicals industries could have a far reaching impact on the rest of our nation’s imports, particularly for those in the woodworking industry.

In his State of the Union address, not only did Obama say that manufacturing matters, he said revitalizing America’s ability to make things is a cornerstone of his plans for the nation’s economic recovery, jobs creation and future prosperity.

Representatives from the cabinet, residential furniture, office furniture, architectural woodworking, store fixture, components, panel and equipment industries share their projections.

Websites and phone numbers for advertisers in the February issue of Wood & Wood Products.

Cabinet sales for 2012 look to be flat, with projections holding at $7 billion, the same as 2011, said Dick Titus, executive vice president of the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Assn.

Research by the Association for Retail Environments (A.R.E.) has business continuing to show improvement for the third straight year. Following an estimated 10 percent growth in 2011, projections call for an additional 10 percent growth in 2012, although not all industry segments will achieve that same level, said Klein Merriman, executive director.

Overall, sales expectations for the architectural woodworking industry look to “mimic” 2011, with some sectors performing better than others, according to the Architectural Woodwork Institute.

Building on the modest growth seen in 2011, analysts are predicting 3.5 percent growth for residential furnishings for 2012, said Andy Counts, CEO of the American Home Furnishings Alliance.

2012 shipments from U.S. based manufacturers are projected to reach $9.3 billion to $9.5 billion, down slightly from anticipated 2011 figures of $9.5 billion in sales, according to the Business & Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Assn.

Following a “rollercoaster” 2011, the components industry is forecasting moderate to good sales growth for 2012, from 3 to 10 percent or more, according to member surveys by the Wood Component Manufacturers Assn. (WCMA) and the Wood Products Manufacturers Assn. (WPMA).

There has been a slight business improvement over the last few months or so, both in terms of inquiries about new machinery, as well as actual orders, according to Riccardo Azzoni, WMIA executive vice president.

Featured in the digital edition of Wood & Wood Products' February issue are articles on the 2012 State of the Industry, healthcare furniture trends and a roundup of furniture components.