National Hardwood Magazine - July 2011

Component Trends
The Wood Component Manufacturers Association (WCMA) will
hold its 2011 Fall Conference & Plant Tour Event in the Louisville,
Ky., area on Oct. 2 - 4. This is a very popular event for WCMA
Members and Technology Partners.
This year’s Fall Conference will feature educational sessions
designed to help dimension and component manufacturers improve
their businesses. WCMA Members and Technology Partners will
participate in several educational sessions and roundtable discussions
planned for attendees to learn more about the proposed Hardwood
checkoff program and get an update on the WCMA’s product costing
project.
The WCMA’s Wood Technology Expo will be held in conjunction
with the Fall Conference and will connect WCMA Technology
Partners with WCMA Members. WCMA Technology Partners are
leading providers of woodworking machinery, equipment, supplies,
software, and business solutions. They help WCMA members adopt
new technologies, implement advanced wood processing methods,
and utilize improvements in tooling and equipment.
WCMA plant tours are designed to encourage an open exchange of
ideas regarding the latest woodworking production techniques.
Attendees are able to observe actual applications of new technology
and visualize how they might apply them in their own plants.
This year’s Plant Tour Event will feature tours of several innovative
woodworking operations located in the Louisville, Ky., area. Among
the Plant Tour host companies are:
Anderson Wood Products Company; Louisville, Ky. WCMA
Member Anderson Wood Products Company provides a full scope of
component products from dimension blanks to fully machined parts.
Using lumber from environmentally responsible sawmills, they specialize
in the manufacture of stair components including handrail and
bending rail as well as institutional furniture parts. Their moulding,
tenoning, profile sanding, and mortising capabilities allow them to
produce many other types of components.
Northland Corporation; LaGrange, Ky. WCMA Member
Northland Corporation is a full service concentration yard producing
a wide variety of species from White Ash to their own freshly
steamed Walnut. Northland has been in business for over 50 years
providing solutions to customers’ lumber needs. Their surfacing and
straight line ripping capabilities allow them to produce rough dimension.
Cox Interior, Inc.; Campbellsville, Ky. Cox Interior, Inc. is a manufacturer
of interior trim, custom interior and exterior doors, moulding
and millwork; stair parts and stair systems, crown columns, and
custom mantels. They provide high-quality products to their customers
through the implementation of high technology machinery
and the employee training needed to optimize this equipment. Their
newest equipment includes a stacker and grading system; automated
scanning rip saws and chopsaws, fingerjointers, and programmable
moulders. Their latest additions are programmable CNC machines
and a CNC bandsaw.
Independent Stave Company/Kentucky Cooperage; Lebanon,
Ky. Independent Stave Company is a family-owned, dynamic, global
company reaching customers in over 40 countries and cooperages
around the world. Kentucky Cooperage, a subsidiary of ISC, manufactures
barrels for spirits. They begin by selecting the highest quality
Oak with straight, very fine-grain. The Oak is then processed into
WCMA To Conduct Fall Conference & Plant
Tour Event In Kentucky
by STEVE LAWSER, CAE
Executive Director
Wood Component
Manufacturers Assoc.
Marietta, Ga.
staves and then into barrels.
Kitchen Kompact; Jeffersonville, Ind.
Kitchen Kompact is a nationwide manufacturer
of Oak and Maple cabinetry since 1937. Their
goal is to produce a quality product at a reasonable
price, and deliver these goods in the most
dependable lead times in the industry. They concentrate on efficiency
of production, labor, and financial stability. KK focuses their
resources on assembly and distribution of their kitchen cabinets.
Lebanon Oak Flooring Co.; Lebanon, Ky. Lebanon Oak
Flooring Co. is a long-time family business and is a manufacturer of
multiple wood products including Hardwood flooring, stair treads,
risers, handrails, mouldings, and edge glued panels. They use the
finest quality of Red and White Oak, Maple, Cherry, Hickory, Ash
and Walnut to produce their products.
VT Industries; New Albany, Ind. VT Industries was founded
more than 50 years ago and is an industry leader in the production of
architectural wood doors. They apply their company’s principles of
craftsmanship, attention to detail, and service to meet their customer’s
needs. They produce high quality and environmental friendly
solutions. VT Industries offers 5-ply wood veneer, high pressure
decorative laminate, stile & rail doors, and specialty doors. These
doors are available in a variety of wood species with standard or custom-matched
stains.
Maker’s Mark Distillery, Inc.; Loretto, Ky. Maker’s Mark is the
oldest operating distillery on its original site. From their antique
roller mill crushing the grain to the giant Cypress tubs full of sour
mash to the “white dog” (new whiskey) running through the “spirit
safe,” this is where you can see Maker’s Mark being made by hand
every step of the way. In the fermenting room, the sour mash ferments,
eventually becoming bourbon.
Collectively, these companies can produce a wide variety of wood
products from lumber and rough dimension and components to fully
finished cabinets, mouldings, millwork, flooring, and barrel staves.
In fine Kentucky tradition, we will also be touring Maker’s Mark
Distillery. The most valuable part of these tours is seeing different
methods of manufacturing and observing what other companies are
doing successfully.
The WCMA represents more than 115 manufacturers of dimension
and wood component products for the cabinet, furniture, moulding &
millwork, flooring, building products, and related decorative wood
products industries. Member companies are located throughout the
United States and Canada. The WCMA also has over 30 Technology
Partners who are leading suppliers of machinery, equipment, tooling,
supplies, software, and business solutions to the woodworking industry.
For more information, contact the WCMA office at Tel: (770) 565-
6660. Fax: 770-565-6663. Email: wcma@woodcomponents.org.
Or visit the WCMA’s website at www.woodcomponents.org.
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14 Hardwoods Have Versatility