The Boston regional event was held June 15-16, 2016. We were right around our limit of 30 attendees, and the group was a good mix of veteran members, soon-to-be members, and a handful of associate members.  The hotel was an historic inn in Plymouth, Massachusetts, within walking distance of the Plymouth Rock and the Mayflower II.

We began early on Wednesday morning, since we had four shops to visit that day. The first stop was Mystic Millwork, which is a full-service fabrication company. Their specialty is creating sets and backdrops for TV shows as well as opera stages and the like. Their employees are truly talented, real artists. Also the scale of some of their projects was incredible.

We then split into two groups for the next two visits: Case by Case Cabinets and Kochman, Reidt & Haigh (KRH). Case by Case is a one man shop, which felt more like home for many attendees. We had a lot of discussion about marketing and CNC software with the owner, Erik Bittner, who is an active CMA member. KRH produces high-end residential cabinetry, and they do so with a clever use of their manufacturing space.

Our final stop of the day was Metropolitan Cabinets, where we first enjoyed a much-needed lunch break then toured the facility. Stuart Elfland, the owner, encouraged the group that they can learn things from seeing other operations, and invited them to borrow any idea and make it their own.  In addition to residential cabinets, they also do the countertops too.

The day concluded with a group dinner back at the hotel. We had a traditional Thanksgiving menu, since we were in Plymouth, after all.  After the meal, conversations continued late into the evening.
On Thursday, we met at Colonial Saw in Kingston, Massachusetts, for a full day of educational seminars and demonstrations.

The day began with “What to look for in a saw and tool sharpening service”, which was presented by Doug Pelligrini (Needham Saw & Tool Service) and Dave Rakauskas (Colonial Saw). Attendees learned what happens to blades when the saw guy takes them out the back door.  Discussion points included what questions to ask, how to know if they are doing a good job, what is fair market pricing, and how many sharpenings to get. Finally, they sharpened a blade live so attendees could see a CNC carbide saw grinder in action.

Next Greg Larson, the director of the New England School of Architectural Woodworking (www.nesaw.com) in western Massachusetts, showed the group a SketchUp based parametric design software. As part of their curriculum, students build high-end custom kitchens for people in the local community.  The students cut list, build, spray finish, and install the kitchens based on plans. Like most small shops, Greg was looking for a software solution to design cabinets faster and more efficiently, that wouldn’t break the bank. 

Greg met Joe Zeh, who started teaching SketchUp classes at the school. He had also written a number of plugins for SketchUp, including one called Cutlist Bridge that allows users to export a cut list from any Sketchup model to either Excel or a program called Cutlist Plus fx (www.cutlistplus.com), which allows users to do advanced cutlist/estimating operations plus optimize plywood cut diagrams.  Over time, Greg and Joe started to think about another plugin that would make it easier to draw cabinets in a parametric fashion, which would work in conjunction with Cutlist Bridge. 

The new program is called CabWriter, which they’ve been working on now for about three years.  It’s currently in the beta testing stage with a number of small to medium shops across the world helping to test it.  The program is fully integrated with SketchUp and can not only can cabinets parametrically, but with SketchUp Pro, you can generate professional shop drawings, with full sections and quickly export a cutlist using Cutlist Bridge which is included with CabWriter. 

Dave Bull (Colonial Saw) then talked with the group about the advantages of cutting on a vertical panel saw, and also performed a demonstration on the machine.

After lunch, Norman Fink talked to the group about the value proposition of implementing a Project Management Software solution for project based custom woodwork manufacturing.  Norm is President and founder of NPF Consultants, a software sales & consulting firm that specializes in custom woodwork manufacturing solutions. Norm has been intimately involved in custom woodwork project based manufacturing his entire life, going back to the years spent in his family’s business, representing its third generation. In 1980, Norm and his brother left the family business as they founded Keytrix Systems, and introduced the industry’s first software solution specifically developed to accommodate complex project based estimating, material and labor forecasting, cut listing, optimized material yielding analysis and shop drawing submittal assistance. Today, NPF Consultants exclusively represents Crows Nest software, which empowers companies to manage and monitor projects by deploying critical project management and ERP functionality such as: project scheduling, task management, job costing, labor tracking, work order management, and much more.

“Alternative joinery methods with mechanical connectors” was then presented by Chris Hofmann (Colonial Saw).  Chris talked about innovative new mechanical connector options available to woodworkers, store fixture manufacturers, exhibit builders, and more.  The woodworking supply industry has lately been seeing an influx of a variety of solutions in the marketplace, which may confuse some customers.  He took the attendees through an easy-to-understand tutorial on the latest line of new connectors from Lamello.  Finally, there was a hands-on opportunity for the guests. 

The day progressed with a few more software presentations from Paul Corey (Cabinet Vision) and Ken Frye (KCD Software). Finally, Tony Asprinio (Cabinotch) informed the group about a solution for the ebb and flow of production schedules: outsourcing boxes. We all recognize the finding good help is next to impossible, so instead you can have Cabinotch make your boxes when your workload demands.
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It was a long day, and a lot of material was covered, but attendees seemed to enjoy learning and stayed after the presentations concluded for one-on-one discussions with the presenters.

The Cabinet Makers Association (CMA) is pleased to announce the results of their annual election for the organization’s Board of Directors.

Matt Krig of Northland Woodworks (Blaine, MN) was re-elected as President for the 2016-17 year. This will be his third term as President. Leland Thomasset of Taghkanic Woodworking (Pawling, NY) was elected to serve as Vice President. Scott Comstock of Woodperfect Custom Cabinetry (Forney, TX) was elected to serve another term as the Treasurer. The newly-elected James Fox of Fox Woodworking (Kimberton, PA) will serve as the Secretary.

The CMA also welcomes newly-elected Chris Dehmer of Dark Horse Woodworks (Atlanta, GA), who will join Mike Mitchell of Burger Boat (Manitowoc, WI) and Keith Smith of Keith Smith Custom Builders (Greer, SC) as members-at-large on the Board of Directors.

Completing their terms and exiting the Board are Keith Kreppein of Olde Saratoga Millwork (South Glen Falls, NY), who served as Vice President, and David Buchsbaum of Atlanta Closet & Storage Solutions (Atlanta, GA), who served as Secretary. The CMA expresses gratitude to Keith and David for their contributions for the betterment of the association.
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Please join us in congratulating the CMA’s 2016-17 board of directors.

​Colonial Saw, Inc., the North American leader of cutting tool grinding equipment, will display the UT.MA P20 CNC, the world’s first CNC profile grinder, at the International Woodworking Fair (IWF), Aug. 24-27, 2016 in Atlanta. Colonial Saw will offer continuous moulder and insert knife making demonstrations at booth #6529.
 
The versatile UT.MA P20 CNC Profile Grinder can be used for manufacturing or regrinding profile tools. It is also a great complementary finishing machine for those who rough grind with a waterjet. Moulding and millwork companies use the P20 CNC to grind custom knives in the original heads (including Powerlock® heads) while toolmakers use it for mass production of HSS moulder knives, carbide inserts, brazed cutterheads and router bits.
 
The UT.MA P20 CNC’s 12-HP grinding motor with variable speed control is five times more powerful than standard manual profile grinders. The machine accurately rough grinds from blank knife to finished profile directly from DXF or HPGL CAD drawings. No templates are needed. The machine also comes standard with a PXCAD, a 2D drawing that allows the user to create a CAD drawing of a tool profile or to finish drawing from an electronic scan of a wood sample or a non-dimensioned line drawing.
 
With four CNC digital servo motor controlled axes, the UT.MA P20 CNC automatically compensates for compound side and back clearance angles. The full cabin enclosure is significantly safer than manual knife grinders. The quick-change grinding wheel grinds against the cutting edge, limiting any burning to the bottom of the grind.
 
For more information, including a demonstration video of the P20 CNC Profile Grinder and its features, visit www.csaw.com or phone 781-434-4364.

Elias Woodwork is excited to announce yet another expansion to our manufacturing facilities. In our ongoing efforts to meet customer demand and keep up with industry trends, we felt that additional space dedicated to our Rigid Thermofoil, Laminate and Acrylic products was needed. Operations Manager Ralph Fehr says; "In our ongoing search to help the independent Cabinet Makers of North America be the industry leaders in design, function, and ultimately profitability, it became apparent that with the advent of a myriad of new technically and texturally advanced Rigid Thermofoils (RTF), High Pressure Laminates, Decorative Laminate Veneers (DLV), and High Gloss Acrylics, the cabinet door that used to be relegated to the low value cabinet reno and construction segment now has the potential to become a real upscale design leader. For this reason, we felt it was imperative that we invest in improved technology, space, and expertise and reinforce our position in this arena. A “Smart Pod” press with automated unloading, 5 CNC routers, Laser edge banding equipment, and various ancillary equipment has now been added, along with another 30,000 square feet and about 20 employees, to enhance these product offerings. Knowing that many of these doors styles, colors, and coatings are going into new upscale homes, attention to detail and quality not normally associated with RTF, DLV, and flat edge banded doors will now be ’standard equipment’… a given, if you will. People will be very happy with our catalog of products in this field.”

Since our beginnings in 1983, Elias Woodwork has taken advantage of being located in the geographical center of North America, shipping product from one end to the other for customers from a wide range of industries. Utilizing lean manufacturing has allowed Elias Woodwork to continue to grow and remain competitive for our customers while providing quality custom products. Since 2011, we have more than doubled our production facilities to total over 285,000 square feet including approximately 23,000 square feet dedicated to  wood finishing using state of the art equipment and high quality finishing materials. The new space added for our other material products will provide us with the ability to further meet the needs of our customers.

As with our wood finishing, we are dedicated to providing quality thermofoil, laminate and acrylic products as well. With thermofoil doors, we ensure optimal adhesion by spraying the glue on the MDF door with extra attention going to the coverage on the edges. This method creates a strong bond between the thermofoil and MDF that will resist peeling. Other manufacturers prefer to use glue-backed vinyl that is heat activated which does not provide the same level of adhesion. DLV products have just started to grow in popularity. One thing that makes them unique as a wood alternate is the 5 piece construction that is often seen on wood doors. The color options are fewer simply because there is much more materials needing to be stocked, however the look and feel of these doors are so close the real thing, they can present an excellent option for some kitchen projects. The biggest "tell" can be in the joint construction. We ensure that our DLV doors have smooth, flush joints which can be difficult to achieve. Lastly, our Acrylic high gloss doors are hot air edge banded for seamless edges and quality appearance. These doors are still popular and can offer a truly unique style when matched with texture and pattern or just on their own.

​From the sales team… “We are so excited to have our newly expanded RTF, DLV, Acrylic High Gloss, and Pressed Veneer department. From ultra-modern to more traditional low maintenance designs and colors, we are very confident we have capacity to produce something for every taste at the very TOP of the quality and delivery scales.” Keep an eye out for new colors we will be introducing soon. Speak to a customer service specialist for more information and quoting.

The Seven Minute Safety Trainer powered by BLR® allows user friendly access to more than 350 safety meeting topics anytime and anywhere as an easy to use mobile application. Federated Insurance is excited to announce this complimentary new service that will provide our clients with effective and efficient employee safety training resources.

Whether using a desktop or a mobile device, controlling your company’s risk management culture is made easier by design to give you more convenience when holding your safety training meetings at the business or paper-free right at a remote location. The Seven Minute Safety Trainer also allows you the flexibility to manage the training topics while recording the meeting topics and attendees. Besides helping saving you time and money, it can also assist you to meet OSHA’s requirements.

Injuries hurt your business, your employees, and their families. Federated clients interested in providing industry-leading safety training can access the Seven Minute Safety Trainer administration site by logging in to Federated’s Shield Network®. Or, they may call our Risk Management Resource Center for assistance at (800)333-4949.
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For more information, contact your local Federated Insurance representative, or visit www.federatedinsurance.com. 

Today, service is a decisive success factor for companies of all sizes. Everyone is talking about it, including at XYLEXPO. The HOMAG Group has adopted rapid and efficient service as a key issue worldwide. In addition to the latest machines and system technology, this grabbed the interest of visitors in Milan more than ever, with 14 orders placed for ServiceBoard alone at the trade fair.
 
In May, the eyes of the world were on Italy. The XYLEXPO trade fair welcomed more than 17,000 visitors from around the world — 14.2% more than last year. For the HOMAG Group, XYLEXPO is one of the most important trade fairs in the industry worldwide. This was confirmed not only by the increasing visitor numbers but also by the results of the trade fair. The HOMAG Group was very satisfied with both the level of incoming orders and the number of qualified trade fair contacts.
 
The number of Italian visitors to the HOMAG Group stand also increased in comparison with 2014 – which is having a positive effect on business for the HOMAG Italia sales company and for the pleasing, continued development of the Italian market. International visitors from 40 countries were present, including those from Romania, Portugal, France, Argentina, Brazil, USA, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Russia and China.
HOMAG Italia Managing Director Walter Crescenzi was also very upbeat:
"Once again, we were represented at XYLEXPO with a very innovative stand. With the latest machine technology and innovations, we were able to offer interesting solutions along the entire process chain here in Italy. The videos and simulations provided by the HOMAG Systems experts were also very helpful, allowing us to show everything that plant technology can offer. In Milan, we presented solutions for all requirements: for the industry, as well as for medium-sized and small businesses. This gave us the opportunity to impress customers from around the world with detailed demonstrations of our skills and new features – an opportunity we took full advantage of."
 
High-tech solutions presented in a simple way
At XYLEXPO, the HOMAG Group demonstrated individual solutions for companies of all sizes — from small to large. It showcased innovative individual machines and the design of networked systems, and took a look into the future at a completely digitized world of wood processing. Technically impressive individual machines from the saw-storage combination, edge processing, horizontal and vertical CNC technology, and even packaging in batch size 1 were all demonstrated live.

​New: The woodFlex cell control system
Visitors enjoyed multimedia presentations of interlinked systems and skills in the networking of machines. The main focus was the new video about the Battistella Company in Pieve di Soligo, Treviso. Starting immediately, Battistella is using the latest four-sided formatting and edge banding machine in Italy.

The plant is also the first in Italy with the new woodFlex cell control system. woodFlex controls and visualizes flexible production cells and their parts flow. Users who invest in woodFlex in the future will have numerous advantages:
 

• Absolute transparency in the entire system, in all cells and sections, such as the transport unit, the edge cell, etc.
• Simple analysis and optimization of the production sequence
• A significant increase in productivity thanks to optimal calculation of the minimum parts distance or faster elimination of malfunctions
• Constant backup of the system status — allowing much faster troubleshooting (e.g. in the event of a power failure)
• A real-time visualization of the parts flow for absolute transparency (allowing malfunctions to be eliminated much more quickly and easily)
• Continuous feedback of workpiece production — enabling immediate recognition of how far orders have been processed and whether further workpieces need to be completed

 
woodFlex has a modular design and is standardized for all HOMAG Group systems. This means that it is open for future requirements, changes or extensions, in particular with regard to production with complex and completely networked systems. woodFlex gives the user security, creates transparency in the sequences and reduces the error quota. This control system is not planning software; instead, it optimizes sequences, ensures a certain standard is maintained (even when different cells are used), and significantly increases efficiency. With woodFlex, users are taking another step towards the future with "Industry 4.0".

​Service: Support for networked systems
The experts in service and software were in great demand. The HOMAG Group ServiceBoard enjoyed a great deal of attention; 14 orders were placed for this item alone at the trade fair and it is already being used by many customers around the world.
The benefit of ServiceBoard is that users can transmit their current service incident to the HOMAG Group Service Center live via video diagnostics from an iPad. This allows the Service employee to provide information immediately via a mobile device — such as instructions, videos, images or drawings, and the user can often use this information to resolve the error immediately. The ServiceBoard also allows direct access to the eParts replacement parts shop as well as allowing customers to create an online service request that they can track.
Furniture manufacturers with networked and interlinked systems were particularly interested in the new "Service Monitoring" function. This provides the customer with overviews of the productivity of their machine and shows any pending maintenance for the entire machine pool — including the documentation.

In the wake of the outstanding results announced last March at the close of the 2015 financial year, Biesse has provided further confirmation of its astounding growth, registering a new record for 2016 at Xylexpo, the biennial trade fair dedicated to technologies for processing wood and components for the furniture industry.

Indeed, the orders received by the group have grown by 103% since the 2014 edition of the same event - a statistic that is even more impressive when translated into sales, equating to 20.6 million euros. And these solid, precise numbers only refer to orders finalised at the Biesse stand at the event, and not to those generally received by the company during the week of the trade fair.

This latest development serves to further reiterate the Group's established success across the Italian territory, and primarily among Italian customers, bearing testimony to the fact that investment in human capital, innovation and technology can have an overwhelmingly positive impact even in regions and markets that are far from straightforward. And indeed, Biesse has received a number of major accolades in recognition of the innovative nature of its technologies, the most recent of which were presented at the XIA - Xylexpo Innovation Awards, which bestows a series of prestigious prizes on the most advanced solutions presented at the fair.

"It is with enormous pride that we announce our record order intake, and we welcome this confirmation of the widespread recognition of Biesse as a symbol of excellence in the domestic market as well as abroad. Furthermore, this achievement serves to demonstrate the desire of our customers, both big and small, to push forward towards a more advanced and efficient industrial era, with Biesse at their sides as a key partner for success", states Federico Broccoli, Biesse Wood Division Director/Sales - Subsidiaries Division Director.

The data collected by Biesse at the fair reveals a number of extremely positive signs, not only Group but for the entire reference sector: 40% of the orders received by Biesse actually come from Italian companies, whereas the remainder come from Europe (especially France) and Asia; in addition, 30% of the Biesse technologies purchased at the fair belong to the so-called Industry 4.0, or in other words, advanced machines, systems and software, with a focus on high levels of automation and inter-connectivity. As such, Xylexpo this year has served as proof that the domestic and European market is in recovery, and that the concept of "Smart Factories", which are within the reach of everyone, is really gaining ground, with small and medium-sized businesses expressing their enthusiasm for the 4th Industrial Revolution, thanks to Biesse's ability to offer intuitive "4.0-ready" solutions that can be tailored to the size and requirements of each and every one of our customers.
 
"The parallel event, Inside Biesse Systems, which is held at the company's Pesaro showroom for the entire duration of the fair, has enjoyed similar success, attracting more than 160 companies from around the world with an interest in experiencing the industry-leading technology Biesse offers, as well as learning about the benefits of a fully-integrated line - indeed, a model of such a line was constructed especially for the occasion at our headquarters, recreating a smart factory based on the most advanced automation on the market, coordinated by native Biesse software. In light of the high levels of interest show, it will now be possible to pay the Pesaro line a visit online until June 11" confirms Raphael Prati, Director of Marketing and Communications for Biesse Group.

The relatively modest turnout of key customer groups, such as those from the US or Oceania serves to further emphasise the importance of cultivating the orders received from Italy, Europe and Asia, as well as bringing to mind two important upcoming trade fairs in which Biesse will most certainly play a leading role: AWISA, from 6 to 9 July in Melbourne and IWF, from 24 to 27 August in Atlanta.

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, ship-building 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 3300 employees throughout the world.