Wood Industry 40 Under 40 winners named for Class of 2017
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Nick Schiffer of NS Builders, Boston, Mass., shown installing a cabinet, is among the Class of 2017 Wood Industry 40 Under 40 winners. Sponsored by Stiles, the awards will be presented July 18 at the Leadership Reception in the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Winners of the 2017 Wood Industry 40 Under 40 Award were announced by Woodworking Network in the second annual listing of rising talent in the wood manufacturing industries.
 
The program honors individuals in the next generation of leaders who are making an impact on wood products manufacturing in North America. Winners will receive their awards at the Leadership Reception on July 18, the evening before the AWFS Fair.
 
BUY LEADERSHIP RECEPTION TICKETS AT AWFSFAIR.org
"Clearly the industry has adopted 40 Under 40 as its own," says Tim Fixmer, CEO of CCI Media, the parent of Woodworking Network. "Many of these individuals are already having a profound impact on the wood manufacturing business. They are showing the way." 
 
The exciting awards event is open to all; individual tickets are $45 at the AWFS Fair registration site. The 40 Under 40 Class of 2016 has been invited to stage a reunion at the venue as well. 
 
Nearly 100 individual names were submitted during the nomination period, open to the industry at large from February 15 to May 15, 2017. Here are the 2017 winners:
 
Nominee Last Name Place of Work Location   Website
Jonathan Adams INNERGY Punta Gorda FL www.innergy.com
Kurt Ainsworth Marucci Sports Baton Rouge LA www.maruccisports.com
Reid Anderson Anderson Studio Seattle WA www.reidanderson.com
Chad Barker Barker Cabinets Tualatin OR www.barkercabinets.com/
Tyler Bell Bellmont Cabinet Company Sumner WA https://bellmontcabinets.com/
Marty Berman Amber Millwork Ltd Kelowna BC www.ambermillwork.com
Brad Bolte Vonmod Denver CO www.vonmod.com
Carly Boudreau Coriander Designs Woodinville WA www.corianderdesigns.com
David Clark Kartwheel Austin TX http://www.kartwheel.co
Elias Cortez Golden Casework Dolton CA www.goldencaseworkcorp.com
Chris Dolbow Stiles Machinery Grand Rapids MI www.stilesmachinery.com
Amanda Gearey Thomas Riley Artisans' Guild Naples  FL https://thomasriley.net/
Dustin Giffin Giffin Interior & Fixture, Inc. Oakdale PA www.giffininterior.com/
Amanda Groebner TimeWorn Wood Atwater MN http://mntimeworn.com/
James Hamilton Stumpy Nubs  Detroit MI www.stumpynubs.com
Andrew Hibbs Wood Inc/Kitch Components Inc Edmonton AB www.woodinc.ca/
Sara Johnson Stevens Industries Teutopolis IL www.stevensind.com
Bryan Koelling Lockdowel Fremont CA http://lockdowel.com/
Brandon Koetter North Tech Machine, LLC Borden IN www.northtechmachine.com
David Kremer Kremer Design Lakewood CO www.david-kremer.com
Bobby  Lewis Perspective Approach Ogden UT www.perspectiveapproach.com
Paul Losavio Cabinet Vision Tuscaloosa AL www.cabinetvision.com
Jeff Onsrud CR Onsrud Inc Troutman NC www.cronsrud.com/
Joe Patrovich ModWorxx New York NY www.modworxx.com
Greg Pilotti Greg Pilotti Furniture Makers Parkesburg PA www.gpfurnituremakers.com/
Mike Prom Autodesk  Mill Valley CA www.autodesk-inventor.com
Chad Pulkkinen Windham Millwork, Inc Windham ME www.windhammillwork.com
Whitney Bowers Pyle Advanced Cabinet Systems Marion IN www.advancedcabinetsystems.com
Dan Sanderson Catalyst Consulting Grimes IA Catalyst Consulting
Nick Schiffer NS Builders Boston MA www.designbuildrepeat.com
Adam Schneider ConceptWorks Elkhart Lake WI www.conceptworks.biz
Jens Schulz Leuco Tool Corporation Villa Rica GA www.leucotool.com
Thomas Tuck C.R. Onsrud Troutman NC www.cronsrud.com/
Andy Turner Weinig USA Mooresville NC www.weinigusa.com
Emily Vella Atlantic Plywood Woburn MA www.atlanticplywood.com
Chip Wade Wade Works Creative Atlanta GA www.wadeworkscreative.com
Marcus Waterworth Waterworths Woodshop Viking MN www.waterworthswoodshop.com
Jessica Webber Webber Coleman Woodworks Watkinsville GA www.webbercolemanwoodworks.com
Jon Wenger Genesis Products Inc. Elkhart IN www.genesisproductsinc.com
Taylor Young Kebony US St. Clair MI http://kebony.com/us/
Laura Zahn Allied Woodshop Los Angeles CA https://alliedwoodshop.com
"The 40 Under 40 program is really designed to encourage disrupters," says Carroll Henning, Director of Marketing at Woodworking Network," even those who have broken the rules and especially people who work out of the box."
 
Winners the from last year's 40 Under 40 Awards event, held last August at the IWF show in Atlanta, have continued to network. Many of them nominated colleagues in this year's program. 
 
Woodworking Network and Stiles Machinery, sponsor of the 40 Under 40 Class of 2017, will honor next generation of industry leaders at the awards event that is staged during the Leadership Reception, 5:30 p.m. on July 18 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, the evening before the AWFS Fair woodworking show opens.
 
Winners receive free tickets to the Wood Industry Leadership Forum (which also give them admission to sessions in the Closets or Finishing Symposia taking place July 18), as well as courtesy admission to the reception for themselves and their guest.

Wood Industry 40 Under 40 Winners Selection

Entries were solicited at WoodworkingNetwork.com, and through Twitter and Facebook. The candidates were judged by the team of six Woodworking Network editors, who balloted for nominees on a scale of one to 10. The votes were tallied to establish the ranking, and the top 40 candidates who met the criteria - that they be under 40 in 2017 and working in wood manufacturing and allied industries - were selected as winners. 
 
The Wood Industry winners will be featured in the AWFS Show Daily newspaper and in the October 2017 FMC Leadership Issue, and at WoodworkingNetwork.com and its Facebook site. 40 Under 40 Winners will also be invited to key networking events such as the Executive Briefing Conference, Wood Pro Expo, and other industry conferences.
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About the author
Bill Esler | ConfSenior Editor

Bill wrote for WoodworkingNetwork.com, FDMC and Closets & Organized Storage magazines. 

Bill's background includes more than 10 years in print manufacturing management, followed by more than 30 years in business reporting on industrial manufacturing in the forest products industries, including printing and packaging at American Printer (Features Editor) and Graphic Arts Monthly (Editor in Chief) magazines; and in secondary wood manufacturing for WoodworkingNetwork.com.

Bill was deeply involved with the launches of the Woodworking Network Leadership Forum, and the 40 Under 40 Awards programs. He currently reports on technology and business trends and develops conference programs.

In addition to his work as a journalist, Bill supports efforts to expand and improve educational opportunities in the manufacturing sectors, including 10 years on the Print & Graphics Scholarship Foundation; six years with the U.S. WoodLinks; and currently on the Woodwork Career Alliance Education Committee. He is also supports the Greater West Town Training Partnership Woodworking Program, which has trained more than 950 adults for industrial wood manufacturing careers. 

Bill volunteers for Foinse Research Station, a biological field station staddling the border of Ireland and Northern Ireland, one of more than 200 members of the Organization of Biological Field Stations.