AWFS has published two posters in the “Meet the New Face of Manufacturing” campaign, a marketing effort intended to acquaint and interest young people in careers in wood products manufacturing. The posters aim to portray 21rst century manufacturing as modern, high-tech and with a variety of challenging careers. While aimed at schools to reach students, teachers and career counselors, companies have also expressed interest in the posters, hanging them in their HR departments or shops and some companies have been taking them to their local schools. 

​For FREE copies of the “New Faces” posters, send a note to: nancy@awfs.org. Include your name, mailing address and the number of posters you would like.  

On May 1st, Festool USA introduced an ultra-portable, compact dust extractor, the CT SYS, a full unit HEPA certified, feature-rich solution for the jobsite. The CT SYS has tool-triggered operation, high performance suction, self-contained hose and cord storage and is designed to be carried via an integrated handle, or worn over the shoulder using an included shoulder strap. The new CT SYS’ design and performance capabilities make it the most highly portable and completely functional professional dust extractor on the market.  
 
“The CT SYS takes all of the performance of our larger CT dust extractors, and packs it into our Systainer 2, making it the perfect solution for professionals who need an ultra-portable vacuum,” states Steve Rangoussis, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, Festool USA. “Because it’s a full unit HEPA certified dust extractor, the CT SYS is the perfect choice for remodelers, painters and others needing full functionality in a seriously compact design.”
 
The CT SYS features on-board hose and cord storage, tools, manual and automatic function, anti-static design, system integration, and low sound (67 dBA). The CT SYS is well-equipped and built for professional use:
 
Mobility and portability - Integrated to stack and pack with Festool Systainers, the CT SYS can be easily carried by the handle or by the provided configurable shoulder strap.
Assurance - Full Unit HEPA Certification, full-sized performance, compact and
lightweight size, and system integration, all backed by Festool’s exclusive Service All-Inclusive that includes a 3-year warranty.
Versatile - The CT SYS is ideal for tackling smaller, “punch-list” tasks, providing tool-triggered activation for use with power tools and yet fully equipped for clean-up tasks with the included nozzles.
 
Partial Specifications are as follows. (For complete specifications, go to: www.festoolusa.com or www.festoolcanada.com)
 
Depth x Width x Height:      15-9/16” x 11-5/8” x 10-5/8” (396 x 296 x 270 mm)
Weight:                                 15.2 lbs (6.9 kg)
Noise (Sound Level):           67 dBA
Max. Suction Capacity:       106 CFM (3,000 l/min)
Maximum Vacuum:             80” static water lift (20,000 Pa)
 
About Festool USA
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.

Bedford Falls Communications is headed for Texas for the 2016 Surface & Panel Symposium.

The second annual symposium will be Nov. 6, 7 and 8 at the JW Marriott in Austin, Texas.

Austin loves to celebrate and bills itself as “the live music capital of world.” With 300 days of sunshine, unbeatable urban parks and legendary Texas pride, it’s the perfect place to throw a party. The JW Marriott Austin is the leader among luxury hotels in the city, with 1,012 carefully crafted guest rooms and suites. The hotel is located in the heart of downtown, just a 15-minute drive from Austin International Airport and within walking distance of enticing restaurants and bars, the state Capitol and other exciting attractions.

The symposium is a can't-miss event focused on innovation in materials, technology and design in the decorative surface and composite panel industries. It will connect architects, interior designers, fabricators and other design specialists with material specifiers and producers for a better understanding of the industry and the innovative technologies driving it. The event will feature vendors displaying their materials, along with presenters from the industry covering kitchen and bath, home storage, store fixtures, residential and office furniture, health care, hospitality and education environments.
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Save the dates, and watch sandpsymposium.com as registration opens soon.

Stiles Machinery, Inc. recently partnered with RT Machine Company located in Pennsylvania, further supporting the wood-processing market. The collaboration with Stiles Machinery gives RT Machine Company access to the industry’s largest portfolio of products as well as the largest team of factory-certified field service technicians, a 24-hour spare parts department and the nationally-accredited Stiles Education.

“We were looking for a company that would offer everything,” explains Ron Boose, president of RT Machine Company. “With Stiles we get a complete line of machinery, support and service. It gives us the opportunity to provide whatever the customer needs- to be a complete full service dealer”.

Founded in 1999, RT Machine Company is headquartered in Hughesville, PA. As one of the largest industrial woodworking machinery dealers in North America, it is manned by more than 100 years of combined experience in the woodworking machinery business. Now, with the additional resources of Stiles’ products, services and industry events, RT Machine Company can provide solid wood manufacturers unparalleled value.

RT Machine Company primarily serves the North East region for Stiles Machinery and frequently hosts machine demonstrations or seminars at their facility.

“Having a fully functional showroom will allow us the ability to demo a full line of HOMAG, ALTENDORF, IRONWOOD and KENTWOOD products,” explains John Mauro, North East Regional Sales Manager at Stiles. “We feel the partnership will bring our North East customers closer to the Stiles experience.

For additional information, please contact Stephan W. Waltman, Vice President, Stiles Machinery, at 616.698.7500 or swaltman@stilesmachinery.com.

About Stiles Machinery Inc.
For more than 50 years, Stiles has been helping manufacturers succeed. As the largest supplier of quality machinery, Stiles provides a Total Production Solutions approach by also offering equipment integration, financial services, education, service and parts. By having a wealth of solutions whether defined as people, products or services, Stiles merges the best thinking and the best ideas into a solution that works best for their customers. Headquartered in Grand Rapids, Mich., Stiles has regional offices in High Point, North Carolina; Toms River, New Jersey; Coppell, Texas; and Rancho Cucamonga, California. Stiles is a proud member of the HOMAG Group, a global leader in the production of industrial machines for the manufacturing. Visit Stiles at www.stilesmachinery.com.

A gala evening was held on 16 April at Pesaro at the premises of the Biesse Group, a leading manufacturer of machinery for the processing of wood, glass, stone and plastic. The guests included Minister for Constitutional Reforms and Relations with Parliament Maria Elena Boschi. Raphael Gualazzi and the group "Neri per Caso" provided the music.

The Biesse Group has now been in existence for nearly half a century: years marked by tenacity, passion and foresight, resulting in the success of a company that employs around 3,200 people worldwide, with revenues at 31/12/2015 of around EUR 520 million. On 16 April the Pesaro based Group celebrates this important landmark and its founder, Giancarlo Selci, who turned 80 a few months ago.

"Una vita in movimento" was the theme of the gala dinner, which was attended by about 300 guests. In addition to the Authorities, including Minister Maria Elena Boschi and Mayor of Pesaro Matteo Ricci, there were business people, politicians, customers, suppliers, and the Group's domestic and international retailers. The evening was a story of the past, present and future of the company, highlighting technological innovation and human capital, the pillars on which the group has built its worldwide success.

The hashtag #80G was used to communicate the event on social networks.

BIESSE S.p.A. - Biesse Group is a global leader in technology for processing wood, glass, stone, plastic and metal. It designs, manufactures and distributes machines, integrated systems and software for manufacturers of furniture, door/window frames and components for the construction, shipbuilding and aerospace industries. It invests on average 14 million Euro per year in R&D, boasting over 200 registered patents. It operates through 8 industrial sites, 34 branches and 300 agents and selected dealers, exporting 90% of its production. Its customers include some of the most prestigious names in Italian and international design. Founded in Pesaro in 1969, by Giancarlo Selci, the company has been listed on the Stock Exchange (STAR segment) since June 2001. It now counts 3200 employees throughout the world.

Question: An employee was written up for calling out sick but the employee had a doctor's note excusing them from work. What is the legal way to withdraw a write-up from an employee's file?
 
Response: Absent an employment contract, including a collective bargaining agreement, that addresses this issue, there is no federal or state law that governs here. If the employer has determined that it issued a disciplinary action in error, it has discretion to determine whether/how to handle such situation and should adhere to its policy and past practice in this situation. If this is the first situation of its kind, the employer can determine how to approach the issue but should be cognizant of the precedent being set so that it follows suit in any subsequent similar scenarios.
 
If the employer seeks to expunge the disciplinary action so that there is no record of it, such that the employee's file appears as though it was never issued, we are not aware of any reason why the employer cannot simply remove it from the file and dispose of it. If the employer wants to maintain a record of the write-up but does not want it to have any impact on the employee or the employment relationship, it can leave the write-up in the employee's personnel file and attach a note to it explaining that it has been effectively (though perhaps not physically) removed. The latter approach may be desirable if, for example, the employee did not provide proper notice in advance of the absence when he or she should have done so.  In this situation, while the disciplinary action remains on file as evidence that the employee failed to adhere to company policy by providing proper notification of an excused absence, once he or she did so the employer can note that the write-up was effectively "removed" even though it physically remains in the file (again with an attached document to indicate the "withdrawal").
 
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The Cabinet Makers Association (CMA) is excited to announce that their next regional event will be held June 15-16, 2016 in the Boston area.

Hosted by Colonial Saw, this two-day educational event will feature plant tours of local woodworking shops as well as seminars from industry experts. The CMA offers this event to members for a bargain price of $50, non-members are $75 per person, and students/instructors are $25.

The CMA has been hosting high-value events such as this since 1998 as a means of connecting similar-sized shops around North America with the purpose of sharing best practices and business acumen, while learning how other businesses do what they do. The regional events typically involve plant tours, educational seminars, networking, and simply a chance to talk shop and share issues, solutions and even projects.  Although they are dubbed “regional”, these events typically draw attendees from across the country as well as Canada.

For out-of-town guests considering attending the event, Colonial Saw has secured a block of rooms at the John Carver Inn. The deadline to secure a hotel room at the discounted rate of $108/night is May 16, 2016. If visitors are interested in extending your trip through the weekend, sightseeing excursions are also a possibility.

For more information and to register, visit www.cabinetmakers.org/events.html
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Sponsorship opportunities are available to help offset expenses and keep future events affordable. Contact Amanda Conger, Executive Director, at (616) 930-4610 or director@cabinetmakers.org if you are interested in more information.