National Hardwood Magazine - July 2012

Component Trends WCMA

Component Trends WCMA Will Tour Plants In Minneapolis This Year The Wood Component Manufacturers Association (WCMA) will hold its 2012 Fall Conference & Plant Tour Event in the Minneapolis, Minnesota area on September 30 - October 2. This is a very popular event for WCMA Members and Technology Partners. 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, equipment, and software. 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 Minneapolis area. Among the Plant Tour host companies: Northland Forest Products; Shakopee, Minn. Northland Forest Products was founded in 1979, is a manufacturer and wholesale distributor of premium quality S4S Hardwoods, mouldings, and performance pines. Located in the Upper Midwest, their corporate campus sits on seventeen acres in Shakopee, Minn. Northland also operates two lumber reload centers in the Twin Cities metropolitan area and an additional plant in Belmond, Iowa. They have long been a leader in the adoption of new technology and their President, Dick Pyle, recently received the WMIA’s Wooden Globe award for Commitment to Excellence through Technology for the computer integration of Northland’s highly automated lumber and moulding operation. Andersen Corporation; Bayport, Minn. Andersen is the largest window and door manufacturer in North America and the Andersen brand is widely recognized and used among builders and remodelers in the window and patio door industry. The privately owned company was founded in 1903 and has a strong history of commitment to its business partners, employees, com- by STEVE LAWSER, CAE Executive Director Wood Component Manufacturers Assoc. Marietta, Ga. 770-565-6660 www.woodcomponents.org munity and environmental stewardship. Andersen holds FSC chain-of-custody certification from the Forest Stewardship Council and was awarded the 2011 ENER- GY STAR® Partner of the Year award for the Product Manufacturer—Windows category for its family of brands. The company employs over 10,000 people and markets products throughout North America and in South America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Dura Supreme; Howard Lake, Minn. Dura Supreme was founded in Minnesota by Donald Stotts in the 1950s with a vision of delivering outstanding value along with outstanding design choices in hand-crafted cabinetry. Dura Supreme now employs over 550 people at their 220,000-square-foot manufacturing facility located west of Minneapolis. They are heavily invested in state-of-the-art, computerized equipment, machinery and finishing systems to provide the perfect balance of precision, quality and value. And yet the true cabinetmaker’s craft has a home here as well – dovetail joinery, hand-turned posts, hand-applied finishes and unique, one-of-a-kind furniture pieces crafted by hand. Plato Woodwork; Plato, Minn. Plato Woodwork is a fifth-generation company that provides framed, custom wood cabinetry that preserves handcrafted quality. They build Plato Personalized Custom cabinets in the true art of custom cabinetry where every cabinet is made to order, one-of-a-kind originals. Plato means having cabinetry in any style, any color, any finish, any wood, any size, anywhere - whether it's for a kitchen, bathroom, home office, library, family studio, or an entertainment room. Plato Cabinetry is built to consistently high standards in a state-of-the-art manufacturing plant by dedicated craftsmen, using the finest materials, and finished under envi- Please turn to page 40 16 Hardwoods...A Renewable Resource

HARDWOOD FEDERATION What Does It Take To Achieve Policy Victory? You. Achieving policy success in Washington is a complicated undertaking. It takes a lot of hard work, countless hours, solid information, a good reputation, a committed base, firm allies, open-minded policymakers, and to be perfectly honest, a little luck sometimes. The Hardwood community has achieved many notable successes here in Washington over the last several years, and everything listed above went into those wins. But it’s worth pointing out that the support and resources we derive from the Hardwood Federation Political Action Committee is also a key ingredient. Like all Political Action Committees, the HFPAC serves three important purposes. First, by its very existence it lets lawmakers know that our industry is engaged, paying attention, united on issues, and is made up of companies willing to put the industry as a whole ahead of their own individual interests. Second, the HFPAC serves as a conduit for important information about our industry to reach vital lawmakers. This is the central purpose of the HFPAC – to educate Members of Congress and federal candidates about how the decisions they will make in Washington will impact our industry. And finally, the HFPAC exists to help direct much needed financial resources to candidates for office who understand, appreciate, and will fight for our industry. And there’s no shame in that. The truth is, elections cost money – for ads, for brochures, flyers, travel, and workers. It’s in our best interest to ensure the men and women elected to Congress know who we are, what we do for the economy and the environment, and where we stand on the issues, which is why the HFPAC stands ready to offer financial support to the candidates who “get us.” So with the HFPAC as such a vital tool for us, it’s heartening to look at how vibrant the HFPAC is and how much it has grown in just the past few years. We’ve set aggressive fundraising goals for the HFPAC, and although we’re yet to hit any of those goals, we have grown each year – both in money raised and in the number of Hardwood industry participants. And those are both important and exciting achievements. In 2008, HFPAC raised almost 2,000 from 82 participants. This was well short of our 0,000 goal, but with a struggling economy, we knew it would be a stretch goal. We distributed more than 1,000 to 69 candidates for the House of Representatives and 18 by DEB HAWKINSON Executive Director Hardwood Federation Washington, D.C. 202-463-2705 www.hardwoodfederation.net for the Senate – a wide reach. The next year, the number of participants rose to 99, and by 2010 we had 163 participants. Over those two years, HFPAC collected more than 5,000 and distributed 8,000 to 80 House and 15 Senate candidates. Again, short of our actual fundraising stretch goals, but moving in the right direction. For 2011, with the economy and industry still suffering, the HFPAC Board reduced our fundraising goal to 0,000. And the now 171 participants brought us as close as we’ve ever been. We fell just ,000 short of that mark, collected 4,000! And to date in 2012 we’ve collected ,000 – on pace to meet our 2012 goal, and even make up for the small shortfall we had in 2011. During this election cycle so far we have distributed 5,000 to 55 House candidates and six Senate candidates, but we expect these numbers to rise as the elections draw nearer. I’m proud of the excellent growth HFPAC has seen over the years, and you should be too. I’m equally proud that as HFPAC grows, so too does our excellent reputation on Capitol Hill. And as our reputation and stature grow, so too do our policy victories. I don’t know where the HFPAC will be four years from now, but I know we’re moving in the right direction, both in terms of active participants, money raised, and candidates supported. This is a testament to the dedicated men and women on the HFPAC Board and to the selfless participants in HFPAC, who come from all corners of the industry and our country. I want to personally thank all the supporters of the HFPAC for their selflessness and their vision; every time we notch a policy victory for the industry, you are to thank in no small part. And for those sitting on the sidelines wondering if or how they can get involved and help their industry and themselves, I say, this is the way. We need you to join HFPAC today to secure yourself a better tomorrow. JULY/2012 17