A Few Minutes With...
A Few Minutes With… Jeff Meyer, President
Baillie Lumber Company, Hamburg, NY
Differentiation is the challenge.

Custom Shop
Principle Fixture & Millwork, custom architectural woodwork and store fixture manufacturer based in Osceola, Wis., has adopted a forward-thinking business approach, which has kept the business thriving during its 18 years of operation. Its latest modernization target — its veneer operation – resulted in increased quality and doubled production.

Finish Line
What are finishing system manufacturers doing to address the demands of a changing marketplace? Modern Woodworking interviews Adam Verse, president of Giardina Finishing, to gain his insight into issues surrounding today’s finishing systems.

Hot Gear
Get descriptions and request information about products from our participating companies.

Drying and Roughmill
Some comments on hand-held moisture
meters in hardwood lumber drying. Dr. Fred Lamb examines the different types of moisture meters and their role in hardwood drying.

Material Issues
Hard maple and soft maple ride the wave of white wood popularity.

Production Line
After completing a recent 10,000-sq.-ft. plant expansion, Sahara Cabinets, Ft. Myers, Fla., used its additional floor space to invest heavily in new woodworking machinery. The increased production capacity allowed the frameless cabinet manufacturer to eliminate a second production shift.

Process of the Month
For Ernst Cabinet Works in Hamburg, Pa., the implementation of an advanced software program has simplified the complicated designs associated with high-end custom kitchen cabinetry, along with streamlining its production process. Meanwhile, Top Drawer Component in Apache Junction, AZ, has improved its margins with new optimization software.

Sanding Sense
Polishing platens impart a polishing type finish that refines the scratch pattern or grit marks introduced by previous sanding heads. Sanding expert Howard Grivna shows examples of platen construction variations to achieve different results.

Supply Side
Despite a past tendency to think of functional hardware as not a particularly glamorous product, today’s consumers are looking for its high-end features to add aesthetics and ease of use to their storage solutions. Meanwhile, functional hardware design is going softer.

Think Lean
Kanbans are generally the choice of practitioners when creating pull systems. It is important to select the appropriate Kanban system for your situation. Last month, lean manufacturing expert Ken Rolfes outlined Card/Container Systems, the Accumulation System and the Variable Quantity (Fixed Frequency) System. Part II continues.

Trends
Henry Juszkiewicz, CEO of Gibson Guitar, believes “doing the right thing” actually has a positive impact on profitability. Read about the world-renowned guitar manufacturer’s commitment to use environmentally responsible wood.

Trends Extra
Wood products manufacturers responded to an upswing in the economy in 2004 with an increase in investment in major woodworking equipment and machinery. Machining centers lead the way with the biggest increase.

Words of Wisdom
It's the WOW factor.