​In step with the ongoing expansion of its customer-support capabilities, Cabinet Vision has hired new customer trainer and software integrator Kelly Andreasen.
 
“Customer success is our main goal, and having the right people in place helps us ensure that our customers continue to improve their businesses while utilizing our software products. Kelly was a Cabinet Vision customer and had been training independently for us,” said Jim Shaw, services and support manager for Cabinet Vision. “He is especially equipped to help our customers because he has been on both sides and knows what they are going through. He’s a great communicator, and a great teacher.”
 
In his new role, Andreasen will guide customers through the process of software and CNC machinery integration and conduct intensive, practical training.
 
Andreasen has had a passion for woodworking since high school, after which he held positions with various woodworking companies. He was first exposed to Vero Software products as a woodshop employee, and utilized Vero Software to run his own shop for several years.
 
Andreasen’s background in the woodworking industry, which includes experience as a shop owner and years of consulting hundreds of woodworking businesses as a software salesperson and trainer, gives him a unique ability to understand the best approach for Cabinet Vision customers to increase their production capabilities.
 
“I am passionate about the woodworking industry and helping people by sharing the knowledge I have acquired,” Andreasen said. “I look forward to this continuation of learning and growth as I work with the different professional individuals and teams within Vero. Likewise, I look forward to helping the customers I serve to become more efficient and profitable by using Vero Software products.”
 
 
About Cabinet Vision
Part of the Vero Software Group, Cabinet Vision is a unique solution for manufacturers in the woodworking industry. Its products help enable any furniture or cabinet manufacturer to fully automate and integrate its design through improved manufacturing processes and greater efficiency. In addition to producing significant time savings, Cabinet Vision eliminates costly mistakes and increases productivity.
 
About Vero Software
Headquartered in England, Vero Software designs, develops, and supplies CAD/CAM/CAE software radically enhancing the efficiency of design and manufacturing processes, providing its customers with exceptional value through high productivity gains and significantly reducing time to market.
 
The company’s world-renowned brands include Alphacam, Cabinet Vision, Edgecam, Machining STRATEGIST, PEPS, Radan, SMIRT, Surfcam, WorkNC and VISI, along with the production control MRP system Javelin. Despite the diversity of application, these solutions have one thing in common: they all address the rising challenges of achieving manufacturing efficiencies and bring huge value to the operations in which they are deployed.
 
Vero has direct offices in the UK, Germany, Italy, France, Japan, USA, Brazil, Netherlands, China, South Korea, Spain and India supplying products to more than 45 countries through its wholly owned subsidiaries and reseller network.
 
Vero is part of Hexagon (Nordic exchange: HEXA B), a leading global provider of information technologies that drive quality and productivity across geospatial and industrial enterprise applications.
 
For more information, please visit verosoftware.com.

The versatility and beauty of painted doors is still very popular with kitchen builders and designers. Not only can customize your doors to accommodate any style preference, your options and color pallet is virtually endless. With pros and cons in any product line or finishing option, we know that many industry professionals have preferences and we do our best to accommodate them. Until now we have offered painted Maple/MDF doors with our superior painted finish. We are excited to now offer a whole NEW line of painted, primed or raw HDF DOORS. High Density Fiberboard (HDF) is made from densely packed wood fibers that offers a smooth and uniform surface ideal for a painted finish. You now have the option of ordering a ONE OR FIVE piece construction HDF door.

Similar to RTF doors, the one piece HDF door offer a seamless finish with no joints. Available in numerous profiles and door styles, the one piece HDF doors is an excellent option for your painted doors. If you prefer true corners and five piece construction doors, then our HDF five piece doors offer an economical alternative with the added benefit of having the ability to stand up to changes in heat or humidity which helps to maintain the integrity of the finish. Our five piece HDF doors are available in several frame options with virtually all of our panel profile options. Both the one and five piece HDF doors can be ordered as Mullion frames offering additional options for your kitchen design. Below are a few examples of the HDF door styles available. Check out our Solid Color Collection and speak to your Customer Service Specialist to find out how you can get your painted doors the way YOU like them!

Elias Woodwork
Toll Free: 1-800-665-0623
Email: sales@eliaswoodwork.com
Web: www.eliaswoodwork.com

​Excellent for kitchens, baths, closets, entertainment centers and more. KCD Software’s One Button CNC Commander takes beautifully rendered custom designs and turns them into machine-ready code for your CNC equipment. The KCD v10 CNC Manager has an intuitive interface with more options to maximize a shop’s material yield. The more information you input the better the optimization of your nested parts. Run multiple jobs together, along with individual parts and replacement parts.  Control which pieces rotate and which ones do not. Select the quantity for each piece.  Combine jobs with KCD’s CNC Manager and create a more efficient nest.
 
Innovative Agile Shop™ technology is at the core of KCD’s design, price, construction detail, and CNC manufacturing software for custom cabinet and closet makers.  Also, enjoy free live technical support, with no annual maintenance fees.
 
KCDsoftware.com
508-760-1140

The Apex is a new addition to the Federal Brace Industrial Collection. A companion product to the Alpha Industrial Leg, the Apex is a lighter material making it easier to manage and create the table or desk of your dreams!

• Size: 5”x28”x24”
  
• Finish: Matte Clear Coat
• Material Thickness: 7 Gauge
  
• Carry Capacity: 500 Pounds Per Leg

Learn more

Festool USA and Festool Canada have just announced a new generation of Domino Connectors that will allow builders and end-users to create, build, set-up and knock-down large, custom constructed pieces using only a hex wrench.
 
The award-winning Domino and Domino XL have been revered for their strength and utility as joiners, providing precise placement of solid hardwood tenons used in wood construction where strong joinery is needed. Domino XL has been noted for the ease of use and superior end results when incorporating large slabs, or other heavy wood parts for doors, gates, tables and beds. Now, with Domino Connectors, builders can create, build, and finish full-sized constructed pieces, then quickly disassemble, move, and then reassemble with only a hex wrench. Domino Connectors work with the Domino XL (DF 700) Joiner to create flat or corner joints.
 
“Now builders and furniture makers can break through the limits of shop-built pieces and on-site construction with the use of knock-down hardware,” says Leo Zirkler, Vice President of Marketing at Festool. “The payoff for end users is also incredible, because now if they ever want to move that custom-made slab table or other heavy custom piece, they can do so quickly and easily.”
 
The new Festool Domino XL Connectors can create flat or corner joints providing simple and quick connections without the need for templates or complex measuring. Colored cover caps provide high-quality corner connection appearance. Available as a set or as individual components.
 
Festool Domino Connectors are:
 
Fast - Quick and simple machining processes with the Domino Joiner provide the basis for rapid assembly of flat and corner joints utilizing Domino fasteners for knock-down design. This allows rapid building, moving, and reassembling of large pieces.
 
Stable - Based on the Domino mortise-and-tenon principle, joints made with the Domino joiner benefit from the design of the oblong mortise and mating tenon and the knockdown metal fastener is robust with high connection strength.
 
Flexible - Connect frames, panels, tops, and other large joints and pieces and easily disconnect and reconstruct as needed. End users will also be able to move heavy furniture quickly and easily.
 
For more information, please go to Festool USA or Festool Canada.
 
About Festool
Founded in Germany in 1925, Festool is known for its innovative, precision-engineered power tool solutions.  Based in Lebanon, IN, Festool USA offers a comprehensive lineup of power tools and system accessories, designed to boost productivity through efficiency and high performance. For more information, visit www.festoolusa.com or www.festoolcanada.com.

​The WCA’s 10th anniversary plans include a big presence at the AWFS Fair in Las Vegas and the launch of a new sponsorship program to support the development and growth of a skilled woodworking workforce throughout North America.

The Woodwork Career Alliance of North America is celebrating its 10th anniversary as the industry champion of skill standards which open doors to rewarding careers in professional woodworking.

The WCA was established in 2007 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit charity to actively promote and develop a skilled woodworking workforce in the United States and Canada. Ten years later, the WCA has created skill standards for more than 240 woodworking machines and operations; issued more than 1,300 Passports and signed up more than 165 high school and postsecondary woodworking programs as EDUcation members.

As the latest sign of its growing influence and acceptance, four states – California, Michigan, North Carolina, and Wisconsin – now recognize the WCA’s Passport credential program for their respective state-sponsored woodworking programs. In addition, the Woodworking Machinery Industry Association recognized the WCA as its 2016 Educator of the Year.

Other recent WCA milestones include the release of the second edition of the WCA’s Woodworking Skill Standards and launch of Pathways, the alliance’s quarterly e-newsletter.

The WCA looks to build on its momentum. Plans include having a big presence at the AWFS Fair in Las Vegas this July including conducting multiple sessions of Accredited Skill Evaluator training and participating in the fair’s College of Woodworking Knowledge seminar program. The WCA also plans to provide training materials to make it easier for schools and businesses to implement the WCA’s Passport program.

In an effort to build a larger base of EDUcators, INDustry partners, Passport holders and Accredited Skill Evaluators, the WCA is rolling out its 10th Anniversary Sponsorship program. Sponsors will gain visibility for supporting the WCA and workforce development plus be able to use the WCA logo on their website and promotions to demonstrate their commitment to helping resolve one of the wood product industry’s most longstanding and vexing challenges: recruiting and retaining skilled employees.

“As the former owner of a custom woodworking business, I know firsthand the challenge of finding qualified workers,” said WCA President Scott Nelson. “We’ve created a sturdy foundation and made a significant amount of progress over the last 10 years. I look forward to engaging more educational institutions, businesses, and industry members moving forward. Only by working together can we promote the tremendous career opportunities that exist in today’s woodworking industry and close the skills gap that plagues our industry.”

To learn more about the WCA sponsorship program click here or contact Rich Christianson at richsonmediapro@gmail.com; phone 773-822-6750.


About the Woodwork Career Alliance
The Woodwork Career Alliance was founded in 2007 as a 501C(3) non-profit corporation and is governed by a volunteer board of directors. The WCA’s mission is to develop and administer a unified set of Skill Standards for the wood products industry. Since 2011, WCA has developed observable and measurable performance standards and assessments for more than 240 woodworking machine operations. In addition, WCA has issued over 1,300 Passports, a portable, personal permanent record documenting each holder’s record of achievements as a woodworking professional. More than 160 high schools and post-secondary schools throughout North America are WCA EDUcation® members. To learn more about the WCA and how to get involved with its programs, visit www.WoodworkCareer.org.

As the distribution and service partner for HOMAG in North America, Stiles is excited to share a new initiative just announced at the HOMAG Group. The new strategy is aimed at realigning customers, suppliers and business partners by uniting brands and strengthening “your solution”. 

ONE COMPANY — ONE BRAND
HOMAG: We are more than just the sum of the parts
Any company seeking success in today's economy must keep an eye on the market, listen to customers and be open to change. The HOMAG Group has taken this to heart and has realigned the company for its customers, suppliers and business partners. This emergence of the "new HOMAG Group" is signaled by a change in brand strategy, a new claim of "YOUR SOLUTION" and a new brand presence.

Change as an opportunity
Since the 1960s, the HOMAG Group has been driving the global wood processing industry forward with innovations and technology, while also shaping the market with help from its customers. Thanks to its clear strategy, the HOMAG Group has developed into a company that covers the entire process chain for the field of wood processing — with 6,000 employees who work hand-in-hand for customers all over the world.

Since 2014, Stiles Machinery has been a proud member of the HOMAG Group. With over 400 employees in North America, Stiles is the distribution and service partner of HOMAG for the United States and Mexico.

Today, the group is the industry leader in the world market. This was only made possible by the staff looking to the future, continuously developing new innovations and being receptive to change. In recent years, the world around us has been changing at an increasing pace. Globalization, individualization, networking and digitalization are just some of the keywords that illustrate this change.
​
One product brand: HOMAG
The HOMAG Group sees today's changes as an opportunity, and is now taking the next step: Merging its existing machinery brands into one brand. With the decision to focus on HOMAG as a single strong brand in the future, the company is placing even greater emphasis on the requirements of its customers, suppliers and business partners. This will result in greater clarity in communication and a simpler orientation of the company's product range, for example.
The Stiles Machinery brand and name will not be affected by this change and will remain as Stiles Machinery in all sales, service and education fields in North America.

A wealth of advantages for the customer
Moving forward, all equipment produced by the HOMAG Group will bear the HOMAG name and logo. Customers around the world can continue to rely on the standard of quality they are used to, even if their new HOLZMA beam saw, BRANDT edgebander, WEEKE CNC machine or BÜTFERING sander displays the HOMAG logo. Existing customers can rely on the same level of service and support from Stiles Machinery and the HOMAG Group.

One strong development team for innovation power. By combining development expertise and manufacturing strategies, new solutions will be introduced into the market even faster. The aim of these innovations is always to further the customers' businesses, prepare them for the future and optimize their processes.

Stiles Machinery is proud to support HOMAG as they unify their brands into one. As the industry leader, Stiles offers only the best machinery and technology, service, education, parts and tooling solutions. Stiles customers can expect to experience the newly branded HOMAG machinery across all product lines in the near future.

The new claim: "YOUR SOLUTION"
The term "claim" refers to the long-term and central promise that a particular brand signifies. By appearing as a single brand, the HOMAG Group is making a promise based on three core values that employees around the world can identify with:
- Cooperative
- Innovative
- Solution-oriented
These core values combine to make the new claim under which HOMAG will be presenting itself in the global market from now on: YOUR SOLUTION

"YOUR SOLUTION": The strategy for the future
For a long time now, the ideal solution for the customer has encompassed much more than selling a single machine, a piece of software, a service or securing customer satisfaction. Only those companies that understand the connections within its customers' business and can supply everything needed from a single source are capable of offering companies of all sizes expert advice and the appropriate innovations. This is exactly what makes HOMAG stand out from the crowd. The company develops individual, innovative solutions to help customers around the world drive their businesses forward.

The new motifs that HOMAG is incorporating into its market presence demonstrate that solutions from HOMAG contain more than first meets the eye. The moment when a unique HOMAG solution is born out of the customer's requirements and the services provided by HOMAG is something to behold, with machinery and technology appearing to blend effortlessly together with the utmost transparency and superior quality, down to the smallest detail.

The focus here is always on HOMAG's new central message: "YOUR SOLUTION".

Voices from the HOMAG world
​
"HOMAG has positioned itself as an innovative partner that thinks and deals in solutions. We are pursuing this path with great dedication."
Pekka Paasivaara, CEO at HOMAG Group AG

"It is the holistic approach that makes HOMAG stand out. The HOMAG approach encompasses everything from the consultation phase plus organizing production and networking, through to pinpointing a unique product portfolio — with the corresponding service included of course."
Achim Homeier, Director of Product Management, HOMAG

"Via our single brand, we can work in all business fields more effectively. It means that we can offer our customers best-in-class solutions across all disciplines."
Wolfgang Augsten, Executive Vice President of the Panel Dividing BU, HOMAG