Drive sales and business awareness with WalzCraft’s New Customizable Marketing Cards. Our Customizable Marketing Cards offer an easy way to get your company’s information directly into the hands of your customers. Available in two design options that both display your company’s logo and contact information, as well as your choice of 16 of our Signature Series Door Designs, or 8 Door Designs and our Cabinet Refacing images.

These 11” x 8 1/2” Marketing Cards are printed on high quality 14pt paper, with a full color, glossy finish on both the front and back sides. To request more information, please contact our Customer Support Team at CustomerSupport@WalzCraft.com or call 1-800-237-1326.
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WalzCraft manufactures custom cabinet doors, drawer fronts, dovetail drawer boxes, cabinet components and millwork for custom cabinetmakers and cabinet refacers throughout the United States and Canada. Founded in 1982, WalzCraft has built a reputation for producing a High-quality product, at a competitive price, with a short delivery cycle, while offering a vast array of options from its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility located at 2600 Hemstock Street in La Crosse, WI.  http://walzcraft.com

The North American Building Material Distribution Association (NBMDA) is pleased to announce the organization’s Board of Directors for 2017. The NBMDA Board is comprised of industry executives from both distributor and manufacturer member firms within the specialty building material, kitchen & bath and woodworking industries.

“It is my pleasure to announce this year’s NBMDA Board of Directors. We are thrilled to have such a strong leadership base to guide the organization leading into 2017,” said NBMDA Executive Vice President Kevin Gammonley. “I am confident that this year’s Board of Directors have the insight and experience to help NBMDA achieve its goals and thrive in 2017.”

The 2017 NBMDA Board of Directors includes:

Officers:
2017 NBMDA President:
Ray Prozzillo
A&M Supply
Pinellas Park, Florida

President-Elect:
Michael Donnelly
Metro Hardwoods
Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Vice President:
Missy O’Daniel
Web-Don, Inc.
Charlotte, North Carolina

Treasurer:
Wayne Moriarty
Atlantic Plywood
Woburn, Massachusetts

Immediate Past President:
Bill Sauter
OHARCO
Omaha, Nebraska

Distributor Directors:
Jamie Barnes
McKillican International
Edmonton, Alberta

Don Lorey
E.B. Bradley
Los Angeles

Jon Minnaert
Aetna Plywood
Rockford, Illinois

Steve Petersen
Lumbermens, Inc.
Grand Rapids, Michigan

Bill Stokke
Holdahl Co.
Plymouth, Minnesota

Manufacturer/Service Provider Directors:

Tim Atkinson
Wilsonart LLC
Temple, Texas

Matthias Bulla
Grass America
Kernersville, North Carolina

Jim Houser
Majure Data
Milton, Georgia

Kevin Shotbolt
Arauco North America
Markham, Ontario

Mike Purtell
M.L. Campbell
The Woodlands, Texas

David Noe
Rev-A-Shelf
Jeffersontown, Kentucky

For more information about NBMDA, visit www.nbmda.org or contact NBMDA Headquarters at 888.747.7862.

About NBMDA
NBMDA is a trade association representing the leading wholesale distributors of wood panels, surfacing materials, cabinet hardware, finishes and related products. Membership is comprised of distributors and manufacturers that serve the independent building material, and kitchen and bath dealer as well as those that serve production companies involved in cabinetry, architectural woodwork, stock woodwork, store fixtures, solid surface fabricating, plastics fabricating, general and specialty woodworking industries. For more information, visit www.nbmda.org.

Stiles Machinery, Inc is celebrating a successful series of educational events held by a variety of technical experts across the country aimed at educating woodworking manufacturers on techniques and principles for improving quality and efficiency in solid wood and furniture manufacturing.

Dozens of manufacturers learned the keys to successful nested base manufacturing through a work cell workshop held at Trickett Woodworks in Auburn, New Hampshire on December 8th. Partnering with Alliance Machinery, experts from Stiles hosted demonstrations on a fully-operational work cell including the WEEKE Vantech 510 CNC router with automatic off-loading, the WEEKE ABD 050 CNC for drill and dowel insertion and the BRANDT Ambition 1230FC Edgebander with pre-milling and corner rounding for furniture manufacturing.

Across the country on the same day, cabinet manufactures in California learned valuable techniques on how to be more efficient and productive at a Stiles Lunch and Learn event held in the company’s showroom in Rancho Cucamonga, CA. Experts discussed and demonstrated assembly methods, material selection, machining processes and door and frame component processing construction methods for face frame cabinetry.

Solid wood manufacturers in the Northeast also enjoyed a Stiles’ Lunch and Learn event held at RT Machine Company in Hughesville, Pennsylvania last month focused on moulders, profile grinders and wide belt sanders. Partnering with RT Machinery, technology experts from Stiles discussed principles and techniques in sanding and moulding solid wood materials with demonstrations on the KENTWOOD M609S moulder and the BUTFERING 325 RC, creating large base moulding and sanding door frames. A variety of other solid wood solutions for planning, sanding, grinding and cutting material were showcased in RT Machinery’s 5,000 square foot showroom.

Stiles Machinery hosts educational events for manufacturers throughout the year covering a wide variety of topics discussing and demonstrating woodworking techniques, applications and processes aimed at helping manufacturers improve their quality, operate more efficiently and grow their business. For a list of events head to www.stilesmachinery.com/events. Stiles Machinery also offers a variety education and training through Stiles University. For a list of credited courses go to https://www.stilesmachinery.com/SU.

About Stiles Machinery Inc.
For 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. 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.

As we round the corner to 2017, a group of manufacturers on the Stiles European Benchmarking Tour are factoring in their experience abroad to shape their future strategies and growth plans. The annual technology tour through Austria, Switzerland and Germany in September immersed attendees in batch-size-one production, intelligent storage and retrieval systems, robotics, and materials flow offering a personalized preview into trends that are beginning to influence the North American furniture market.

The 2016 tour brought together a wide-ranging group of about 30 North American manufacturing executives of store fixtures, cabinets, closets, lockers, and other furniture to explore the unique processes, strategies, and business plans of five of the most innovative, efficient, and productive manufacturing facilities in Europe. Over the course of a week, participants explored not only technology, but also how these companies overcame challenges, bottlenecks, and cultural changes, and discovered new ways to think about their own business operations.

Plant tours ran the gamut from top producers of kitchen cabinets, medical, commercial, and institutional furniture to store fixtures, including:
• Hali Betriebs GmbH, in Eferding, Austria, is one of the largest office furniture manufacturers in Austria, manufacturing in a 250,000-square-foot facility. The company uses batch size one processes to produce office furniture in more than 48 million possible variations in just 15 days from order to delivery.
• Loosli Küchen AG, in Wyssachen, Switzerland, produces kitchen and bathroom cabinetry using a wide variety of materials, finishes, and thicknesses, with only 7 percent waste. Located in a small, 10,000-square-foot facility, the focus is on creative use of space, including a fully automated 32-level storage and retrieval system to hold finished jobs until shipping.
• Alpnach Küchen AG, in Strengelbach, Switzerland, produces 1,200 different styles of kitchen cabinets in its 6,000-square-foot plant. To produce about 2,000 kitchens per year, the company essentially eliminated the need for material storage by focusing its manufacturing on the cabinet doors and bringing in pre-cut carcasses for edgebanding, drilling, and assembly.
• Kettnaker GmbH & Co. KG, in Dürmentingen, Germany, designs and manufactures high-end modular furniture systems for living rooms and bedrooms using batch size one processes. The plant is notable for using no melamine in its cabinets and applying lacquer and veneer finishes in house.
• Ziefle Koch GmbH, in Waldachtal, Germany, produces furniture for instructional and educational facilities, clinics, medical centers, and restaurants, working in a wide range of unusual materials.

Because European manufacturing technologies and strategies tend to lead those of North American manufacturing practices by five to eight years, the annual technology tour allows North American manufacturers to benchmark themselves against companies in similar business situations and with similar limitations, including limited manufacturing space, density in local markets, and labor challenges. Trends toward efficiency, optimization and automation gave the group great insight to the future of their manufacturing.

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. 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.

REHAU announces the expansion of its RAUVISIO crystal™ polymer back-painted glass surface collection, now in eight versatile colors in both high-gloss and frosted matte fronts, and available as fully fabricated custom cabinet doors or individual matching components.

RAUVISIO crystal surfaces provide the elegance of real glass in a durable polymer that is scratch- and impact-resistant, enhancing convenience for the manufacturer, installer and consumer.  Fabricated with REHAU LaserEdge Visions™ Duo-design edgeband and featuring a lighter weight that does not require an aluminum frame, RAUVISIO crystal achieves convincing glass-top looks suitable for a variety of spaces including residential and commercial kitchens and baths as well as hospitality and office interiors.

“While the elegant appeal of glass surfaces is highly desirable, real glass is often not practical for a family kitchen or any environment where breaks can pose a risk,” said Jesse Collins, senior marketing specialist for REHAU’s furniture solutions division. “RAUVISIO crystal is a flexible glass laminate designed for everyday life. It is not only scratch-resistant, it is also 10 times more break-resistant,” she said. “You can even write a shopping or to-do list on this surface using a non-permanent marker and it will erase cleanly without any ‘ghosting’ effect.”

To create the new color collection, REHAU teamed up with designer, artist and renowned color expert Professor Axel Venn. Working from Berlin, Venn used a process that involved mixing 700 pigments by hand and surveying the preferences of 2,400 participants worldwide before finalizing the selection. The new palette captures hues with timeless qualities that can be used for expansive surfaces and in combination with other tones, patterns and mixed materials such as wood, stone and metal.

RAUVISIO crystal is offered as finished slab-front doors or pressed boards with matching REHAU LaserEdgeTM adhesive-free edgeband, making this durable glass surface available to any woodworking shop. Custom doors can be ordered online and are ready to ship in just seven days (in popular colors). Pressed boards and edgeband are available through the REHAU Express Collection stock program.

To learn more about RAUVISIO crystal and to obtain samples, visit http://na.rehau.com/cabinetdoors. For more information, contact: REHAU, 1501 Edwards Ferry Rd., N.E., Leesburg, Va., 20176. Phone: 1.800.247.9445. Fax: 1.800.627.3428. E-mail: rehau.mailbox@rehau.com. North American Web site: www.na.rehau.com.
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REHAU delivers “Unlimited Polymer Solutions,” and is the premium worldwide brand for polymer-based innovations and systems in construction, automotive and industry. The company generates continuous growth through its expertise and innovative capabilities in materials development, systems design and surface technology. Approximately 20,000 employees at more than 170 locations around the world ensure success of the independent, privately held company.

​Question: When and how can suspensions can be used?   What, if any, ramifications come with them?
 
Response: There is no federal or state law in the state where the company operates that prohibits employers from suspending employees as a disciplinary action or while an investigation takes place, as may occur if the employer reasonably determines that it can more fully and fairly investigate a situation in the employee's absence or where the alleged misconduct is so severe that it would warrant immediate suspension or discharge if the allegations are substantiated. That said and as discussed below, in some cases an UNPAID suspension as to an exempt employee can jeopardize the salary basis that is otherwise required to maintain the exemption status, but even in this scenario an unpaid suspension does not expressly violate the law. Non-exempt employees, including any as may be subject to a tip credit, can be subject to unpaid suspensions absent a contract that precludes them.
 
As a general rule relative to disciplinary policies, employers have discretion to establish such policies as they see fit if no employment contract otherwise governs the issue. Disciplinary suspensions, and suspensions pending investigation, are within an employer's right to issue if company policy supports these courses of action based on the facts and where the approach is consistent with how the employer has responded to prior similar scenarios. If an employee is non-exempt, he or she need not be paid for a disciplinary or investigative suspension unless company policy, practice or a contract entitle the employee otherwise. As to suspensions pending investigation, employer policies should support issuance of back pay if the employer's investigation reveals no wrongdoing (or perhaps did not reveal any action on the part of the suspected employee that warranted discharge or an unpaid disciplinary suspension). In this way a suspended employee is made whole for the time lost, and does not suffer what effectively is an unpaid disciplinary suspension, if one is determined not to have been warranted in the first place.
 
If an employee is exempt, however, then note that an employer generally cannot withhold wages or salary for any exempt employee if he or she performs any work in a workweek. That said, there are some exceptions. The federal Fair Labor Standards Act does permit suspension-related deductions from the salary of such employees when such a penalty is imposed in good faith for infractions of safety rules of major significance, OR for unpaid disciplinary suspensions of one or more FULL days, which also must be imposed in good faith for workplace conduct rule infractions (see https://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/overtime/modelPolicy_PF.htm). This provision refers to

The holidays are a time of reflection for most people, looking back on the past year and also looking forward to what’s ahead in the New Year.
 
One of the things that you may have reflected on is your CMA membership, such as what value are getting from your membership or how you can get more involved in 2017? I highly recommend setting a New Year’s Resolution to jump start your CMA membership so you get the most value from it. Additionally, I have some great and easy tips to make sure 2017 is your most productive year yet with CMA.  
 
Tips for CMA Success
 
Okay, I paid my dues—now what?
The value of your CMA membership is truly in your hands. As I’ve said before, you get out of it what you put into it. Admittedly, that may not be the most helpful statement if you don’t know everything the CMA offers and how you can participate. Refer to your membership packet and feel free to reach out to me personally if anything appeals to you.
 
Ask Questions
The best piece of advice I can give is this: Ask questions. Ask more questions. Repeat.
 
Our discussion forums are a central hub of information and opportunities to connect and learn from other members. I encourage members to check the discussion forums every day. Many users check it daily or throughout the day like an email account. Plus, we archive our forums so you can go back and explore what others have previously done.
 
The small investment of time you put into this communication channel will quickly pay off. 
 
We’re All Friends Here
Don’t be shy, I know that’s easier said than done at times, but we all started somewhere and learn new things in our industry. It’s how we grow so if you come across something you’re not familiar with, just ask more about it. Learning is how we grow professionally and personally. You’d be surprised on how often simple questions on easier subjects can lead to profound changes in companies, along with some large gains in profit.
 
At many CMA companies, if they encounter a question and don’t know the answer, they’ll post on the forum or ask the CMA directly for answers and feedback. 
 
Start Engaging
Conversation and feedback from other shop owners opens doors and helps other members advance. Here’s some quick conversation points to engage directly with members:

• Too busy or too slow - Say something. It’s not uncommon for members to work with each other to share large projects or help each other out when it makes sense.
• Random opportunities - CMA members are often selling equipment to one another and helping each other find the hard to find. Go ahead and share that oddball piece of laminate or unused hardware. You might just be pleasantly surprised with the results.
• Help when you need it most - Over the years, members have suffered fires, floods, earthquakes and roof collapses. When your back is against the wall, you'll have people who've been there. They can guide you through it and in some cases even help out.
• Support in numbers - There are discounts available from some of our Associate members. There is also a high level of respect and accountability for each of our members. They know we all talk freely about our experiences and understand the value of hard lessons learned.
• Outside opinions - You will find everything you need here relating to business—insurance, CNC, real estate, buying or selling a company, dealing with employees, customer service and more. You’re always welcome to ask questions, get answers, hear about firsthand experiences and more with our members.

 
The Bottom Line
CMA members love to offer advice, but you need to ask. The answers you'll get may not always be exactly what you’d expect or hoped for (and often they can lead to some rabbit trails), but I can assure you it's the best way to gain thousands of years of collective insights of woodworkers all over North America.
 
And knowledge is power.
 
The CMA has a ton of resources to make your business more professional and profitable, but it all has to start with YOU. Other CMA members agree that only a few minutes a day will more than pay for your membership.
 
If you haven’t logged in for a while and can’t remember your password, let me know and I can reset it so you can get started today. We can’t wait to see more of you!