NEAWI Chapter News

The Evolution of Cabinetry, Door & Furniture Hardware

2012-01-14T23:15:00.003-05:00

Open to New England Chapter AWI Members & Guests

The Evolution of Cabinetry, Door
& Furniture Hardware

Raybern Company

24 Roland Street, Charlestown, MA 02129 — 617-666-3000

Tuesday, January 24^th, 2012

Sponsored by Hafele America & Raybern Company

Directions to Raybern's Showroom & Headquarters

Please join us on a Hardware journey. This presentation is designed to discuss the evolution of cabinetry and furniture hardware and door hardware — tilt and turn, sliding, multi-point, as well as the Europeanization of door hardware. Also, Paul Speight is discussing the history and use of multi-point hardware in today’s construction projects.

From the Raybern Company:

Kenneth Brueggemann, President of Raybern since its inception. Mr. Brueggemann has been in the hardware business for over 30 years. He started with commercial hardware handling section 8 & 10 products, transitioning to builders and woodworking products. However, his love for the decorative and European hardware has rounded out our offerings and product knowledge. “In March of 2011 Raybern moved to 24 Roland Street Charlestown, MA. The goal is to be THE DESTINATION for all your hardware needs.”

Paul Speight brings 15 years of custom door and window knowledge. He specializes in European tilt/turn windows, folding interior/exterior doors, lift slide doors, etc., with 5 years of residential hardware experience.

Agenda:

11:30 am — Networking Reception & Associate Displays
12:00 pm — Luncheon
12:30 pm — Table Top Exhibitors Presentation
1:00 pm — The Evolution of Cabinetry, Door & Furniture Hardware

NEAWI members: $35 in advance or $40 at the door
Non-NEAWI members: $90 ($50 credit towards 2012 NEAWI dues).

NEAWI is at your service

2012-01-05T00:40:00.000-05:00

New! NEAWI has a new membership brochure for 2012:

Download a full size (8 1/2" x 11") copy of the brochure, in PDF format here.

BuildBoston 2011

2011-11-05T13:38:00.005-04:00

This month, the Boston Society of Architects is presenting their 27^th annual Build Boston tradeshow and conference, at the Seaport World Trade Center, from November 16^th to 18^th. Build Boston is the largest regional conference in the country for members of the design and construction fields. As always, the Build Boston offers a wide variety of exhibitors and and conference sessions, giving many opportunities for both learning and networking.

Members of NEAWI are presenting a conference session, "Architectural woodwork elements: Desks and custom casework", on Friday, November 18th, from 8:30am to 10:00am. From the conference brochure, this session provides:

"An overview of the updated version of the Architectural Woodwork Standards (AWS), including the submittal process, wood and plastic laminate casework, custom fabricated desks and specialty casework. Consideration for material selection and coordination issues with solid surfaces, glass, metals, and specialty finishes will be discussed. Attendees will be able to tell the difference between custom and premium grade and how to incorporate the AWS in the design specification so that it guarantees verifiable compliance criteria for material, workmanship, finishing and installation. Attendees will receive a complimentary copy (CD) of the Architectural Woodwork Standards."

This session is being presented by NEAWI members:

Tony Aubin (Aubin Woodworking, Bow, NH),
Joe Galluzzo (The Anthony Galluzzo Corp., Londonderry, NH),
Scott Gordan (Windham Millwork, Inc., Windham, ME),
Mike Sarno (Mass Cabinets, Methuen, MA),
Mike Sinrich (Blum, Lowesville, MA), and
Norman "Woody" Vaughn (Vaughn Woodwork Consultants, North Attleboro, MA).

Download the conference brochure here.

Download the NEAWI presentation (PowerPoint, 21 Mb) here.

Fairfield County Millwork Plant Tour and LEED Seminar

2011-09-11T02:25:00.006-04:00

Open to New England Chapter AWI Members & Guests

Fairfield County Millwork Plant Tour & LEED Seminar

Wednesday, September 28^th, 2011

Table tops pesented by

South Shore Millwork

Stiles Machinery

Directions to Fairfield County Millwork

Fairfield County Millwork After the Storm

After months of rebuilding post the winter of 2010, Fairfield County Millwork is back in full swing. Please join the NEAWI Chapter in welcoming John Ianiri and Fairfield County Millwork staff back into their newly rebuilt shop.

Fairfield County Millwork Today

The "LEED with the Best" seminar will follow the Fairfield County Millwork PLANT Tour, which will be presented by Bruce Chapin of Atlantic Plywood, Briana Capra of the Rainforest Alliance, and Rob Ziegelmeier of National AWI.

LEED with the Best

The FSC segment of the program will address the importance of sustainable forestry, what is chain of custody, and why it is important.
The program will also answer questions regarding the steps needed for a shop to become Chain of Custody (CoC) certified.
The LEED program will focus on how to successfully comply with the LEED project requirements, what to look for when bidding a project, as well as how to successfully complete the submittal process.
We will also address possible changes to the LEED program that may effect the woodworking community.

	Mr. Bruce Chapin LEED AP BD&C Former president of the New England AWI LEED AP for Atlantic Plywood Bruce has provided assistance to hundreds of companies bidding and providing submittals for LEED projects, as well as in saving time and helping to reduce costs.
Ms. Briana Capra Chain of Custody Associate Rainforest Alliance, SmartWood Program, US Region Briana received ISO 9001:2008 certification in October 2010 and USGBC LEED Green Associate certification in March 2011. She currently works with the Chain of Custody Central Region as a CoC Associate from SmartWoods Minnesota office, helping her clients navigate through FSC certification. The FSC segment of the program will address, the importance of sustainable forestry, what is chain of custody and why its important.
Mr. Rob Ziegelmeier Chairperson of the AWI Sustainability Resources Committee, and serves on the AWI Education Committee. Rob is an AWI LEED Team Presenter, as well as a member of the AWI Speakers Bureau. In recent years, Rob has established Forest Stewardship Council Certification for two companies. He conducts numerous AIA-accredited presentations for Architectural and Design firms on the impact of LEED on the woodworking industry and is a consulting resource to AWI members about LEED projects.

NEAWI members: $35.
Non-NEAWI members: $90.
(Cost includes event fee and lunch.)

NEAWI Annual Fishing Outing

2011-07-29T22:39:00.003-04:00

Upcoming Outing Announcement

New England Chapter AWI Members & Guests

Annual Summer Fishing Outing 2011

Friday, August 12^th, 2011

Captain's Fishing Parties
10 82^nd Street, Plum Island, Newburyport, MA 01950
978-462-3141
Directions to Captain's Fishing Parties

You are invited to our Annual Fishing Outing to be held at Plum Island in Newburyport, Massachusetts, with Captain's Fishing Parties.

Greetings Mate!
It's that time of year again; you can taste the buttery baked or char grilled striped bass as it melts into your mouth, but what makes it so special is that it's your very own catch. Please join us for an action packed, fun filled fishing experience. Cash prizes are awarded for the 1st catch, the largest catch, as well as the lest desirable catch of the day!
Bring along a mate or two, and don't forget to bring the Ice Chest to take home your catch. Also, bring a hat, sunscreen, sunglasses, warm clothes since it tends to be 10-15 degrees cooler on the water.

Join us for a relaxing day in the sun with great company, good food, and exciting prizes.

CHEF BARLOW! — You can count on our very own Kevin Barlow to put out a marvelous display of fine BBQ throughout the day, so please come with a healthy appetite!

For further information or to RSVP please click the registration link below.

Fishing:
Be at Captain's Fishing Parties by 8:00 am
Event fee $65.00 — includes fishing and Chef Barlow's BBQ
You may invite up to a maximum of 10 guests at these same fees.

If you have any questions, please contact the Outing Committee via:
Tye Waller 617-858-1615

Save the Date!

NEAWI Fall Program — Fairfield County Millwork Plant Tour, and LEED Seminar with Bruce Chapin (Atlantic Plywood), Brianna Capra (Forest Stewardship Council), and Rob Ziegelmeier (AWI ). The NEAWI Fall Program will be on Wednesday, September 28^th, at Fairfield County Millwork, Bethany, CT.

More information coming here soon.

NEAWI 2011 Annual Golf Outing

2011-07-14T12:53:00.003-04:00

New England Chapter AWI Members & Guests

19^th Annual Summer Golf Outing 2011

Monday, July 25^th, 2011

Blackstone National Golf Club
227 Putnam Hill Road, Sutton, MA 01590
508-865-2111
Directions to Blackstone National Golf Club

You are invited to our Annual Golf Outing to be held at the Blackstone National Golf Club in Sutton, Massachusetts.

This beautiful, upscale eighteen hole course is centrally located between Boston, Providence, Hartford, and Worcester. The greens are large and have gradual slope. Sand bunkers are strategically located to the sides of the greens, allowing roll-up shots on all the holes. The fairways are lined with trees; however, they are spacious and forgiving. There are moderate elevation changes throughout the course.

Join us for a relaxing day in the sun with great company, good food, and exciting raffle prizes.

For further information or to RSVP please click the registration link below.

NEAWI ANNUAL SUMMER OUTING DONATIONS

In an effort to make prizes more rewarding we are requesting donations of the following GOLF items: Balls, Bags, Clubs, Umbrellas, Gift cards, Tees, and other items.

Please bring the items to the event or feel free to contact the Outing Committee in advance with your donation(s). An announcement of all donations will be made during the outing.

GOLF:
Continental Breakfast at 7:30am, Tee time is at 9:00am. Lunch is included
Event fee $125.00
Hole sponsor $50.00
Event fee & hole sponsor $175.00
You may invite up to a maximum of 10 guests at these same fees.

If you have any questions, please contact:

Bruce Chapin	508-380-2205	BChapin@AtlanticPlywood.com
Mike Sinrich	781-241-4410	mike.sinrich@blum.com
Mike Sarno	781-820-2968	msarno@masscabinetsinc.com
Tye Waller	617-858-1615	tye.waller@neawi.org

Save the Date!

The NEAWI Annual Fishing Outing will be on Friday, August 12^th at Captain's Fishing Parties, Plum Island, Newburyport, MA.

More information coming soon, or you may contact Kevin Barlow kevin@keiver-willard.com, or at 978-462-7193.

NEAWI Complimentary Seminar - Feeley & Driscoll present Strategies to Prosper in 2011

2011-04-26T17:54:00.003-04:00

This is a complimentary event for NEAWI members and guests:

Feeley & Driscoll, P.C. present "Strategies to Prosper in 2011"

May 19th, 2011, 3:00pm - 5:30pm

Feeley & Driscoll Conference Center

200 Portland Street, 2nd Floor

Boston, MA 02214

Directions

Please join us for cocktails after the program.

Porters Bar & Grill

173 Portland Street, Boston, MA

Please email your RSVP to NEAWI, including: your name, company, email, phone number and number of attendees. Thank you.

Download a full size PDF version of this flyer for printing here.

Workshops on Mass Customization for the Wood Products Industry

2011-04-25T15:07:00.002-04:00

Sustainable Forest Futures (SFF), a subsidiary of the Northern Forest Center, has announced a series of workshops in April and May on "Mass Customization for the Wood Products Industry".

"Mass customization" is the utilization of advances in manufacturing and information technologies to produce products that the customer perceives as customized to their particular needs, but that the manufacturer can produce with low cost and short lead times.

These workshops are geared to leaders of small- and medium-sized wood products companies.

Registration information for these upcoming workshops in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and New York, may be found here.

For further information or questions, contact Colin Miller at SFF via email or at 603-229-0679x10.

A full size printable PDF version of the below flyer may be downloaded from here.

NEAWI Survival Guide: Contracts And Liabilities, March 23rd

2011-03-05T22:42:00.006-05:00

Open to NEAWI Members and Guests.

The New England AWI Chapter's Planning Committee would like to begin our series of programs for 2011 with a focus on Business Strategy and Survival in a slow growth Economy. Most importantly, what are the KEY questions and who can we rely on to better answer them? (I.e., to survive should you do what we did before, are you looking in the right direction, "what do I do if"...)

Please join us and bring along a few of your own questions.

Sincerely, NEAWI Planning Committee:
Scott Gordan, Windham Woodworking, Inc.
Mike Sarno, Mass Cabinets, Inc.
Tye Waller, Exec. Director, NEAWI

NEAWI Survival Guide: Contracts and Liabilities,

with Drew Colby, Esq. & Kerri E. Burke

Wednesday, March 23rd, 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Focaccia Restaurant, 2 Lowell Street, Wilmington, MA

Directions

As the founding partner of Colby Law Office, P.C., Drew Colby has practiced construction law for over 20 years. Attorney Colby represents owners, design professionals, general contractors, subcontractors, and material suppliers on all construction related matters including payment issues, performance claims, and contract drafting and negotiating. Attorney Colby publishes a quarterly construction newsletter and has published numerous other articles in law journals and trade magazines. Additionally, he is a frequent lecturer on construction topics. Attorney Colby taught construction law at the Wentworth Institute of Technology in the Construction Management Program and presently serves on Wentworth's Industrial and Professional Advisory Committee.
Prior to joining Colby Law Office, P.C., Kerri E. Burke worked in the construction industry for 11 years. She has extensive experience drafting and negotiating construction contracts and overseeing construction projects. Kerri. E. Burke graduated from the prestigious Roger Williams University School of Law ranked number 5 in her class, and was awarded an Advanced Mediation Certification from Brown University. She also drafts articles for the construction newsletter, and lectures frequently on construction topics.

Presentation outline:

Cost-effective debt collection practices
How to keep your company out of trouble
Arbitration
Roundtable

Pre-registration for this event is required.
To RSVP and pay on-line, go to the NEAWI site at:
NEAWI Upcoming Events.

Reception: 4:00 pm
Dinner: 5:00 pm
Program: 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm

NEAWI Members
$50 in advance or $55 at the door
Non-Chapter Members
$90 ($50 credit towards 2011 membership)

A NEAWI Board of Directors Meeting will take place prior to this event.

AWI 2011 CODBS now available

2011-02-08T18:51:00.003-05:00

The AWI 2011 Cost of Doing Business Survey (CODBS) is now available for AWI national manufacturing members to fill out.

The survey closes on April 1st, 2011.

The Excel spreadsheet may be downloaded in either Windows or Macintosh versions here.

If you have any questions about it, you may contain Teresa McCain of the national AWI offices, at 571-323-3622.

In 2008, then-president of NEAWI John Ianiri wrote about the CODBS:

"My company has submitted the CODB for several years and I have found the survey to be one of the most important benefits AWI has to offer. The data obtained from the CODB is an excellent method of comparing your company's compensation costs, benefits programs, and profitability to that of your competitors. While the task of entering your company data may seem daunting, I can tell you it is not that difficult. The quality of our regional information is greatly affected by the number of surveys returned by our chapter. I urge all members to take advantage of this valuable resource."

From the AWI description of the year's survey:

CODBS is an annual financial and human capital benchmarking study on behalf of AWI.

What Do We Get? — 100 page book + e-tools customized with your data
Who Can Participate? — AWI's 1,000+ Manufacturing Members
Estimated Time To Complete? — 2 - 3 hours
What Data Will We Need? — Financials, employee roster, compensation, benefits
What Software Do We Need? — You must have Microsoft Excel to submit your data

Webinar - "Pay if Paid" Contract Language on March 16th

2011-02-08T14:17:00.006-05:00

Free Webinar for AWI members:

Contracts Webinar - "Pay if Paid" Contract Language

March 16th, 2pm Eastern Time.

The "Pay if Paid" webinar will help participants to understand the legal significance of contingent payment contract clauses. They will learn the difference between pay if paid versus pay when paid contract provisions. Finally, the program will explain the most practical ways to lessen or avoid the effects of contingent payment language.

Michael P. Davis, Attorney-at-Law Chamberlain, Hrdlicka, White, Williams & Martin

Michael P. Davis maintains a construction law practice and represents a wide variety of trade contractors, prime contractors, owners/ developers and design professionals. He has successfully represented a broad spectrum of specialty trade contractors and prime contractors in a variety of construction disputes involving construction defects, labor inefficiencies, UCC warranty issues, constructive accelerations, and increased scope of work. Mr. Davis has achieved settlements, judgments and awards that have ranged up to several million dollars.

There are only 45 seats available for this on-line seminar, so register now
here.

Webinar - Randy Jensen's Shop Talk on February 23rd

2011-02-08T14:17:00.003-05:00

Free Webinar for AWI members:

Randy Jensen's Shop Talk - Answering Your Questions on the Architectural Woodwork Standards.

February 23rd, 2pm Eastern Time.

For those members who don't know Randy he is a 30-year veteran of Leonard Peterson in Auburn, AL. He has served AWI in the following capacities: Quality Standards Board of Review, AWILL Executive Management Team and Press Division Bursar. He is currently Chair of the AWI Technical Committee and continues as an AWI Representative to the Joint Standards Committee, on which he works with AWI, the Architectural Woodwork Manufacturers Association of Canada (AWMAC) and the Woodwork Institute (WI), developers and publishers of the industry-wide Architectural Woodwork Standards released in August 2009.

There are only 45 seats available for this on-line seminar, so register now
here.

Plant Tours: Wright Architectural Millwork and Amherst Woodworking & Supply

2010-08-23T14:16:00.004-04:00

Open to New England Chapter AWI Members & Guests

Wednesday, September 15^th, 2010, 11:30 am

PLANT TOUR I:

Wright Architectural Millwork
115 Industrial Drive Northampton, MA 01060
Office# (413) 586-3528 www.wrightmw.com

Wright Architectural Millwork has been in business since 1974 and has been a member of AWI since 1981. We currently have 30 employees and occupy 37,000 sq ft of plant and office space. We manufacture and install architectural millwork for high end tenant fit-outs and institutional work throughout the Northeast. Some current and recently completed projects include: KPMG/Boston, EMD Serono/Billerica, National Grid/Waltham, Aetna Atrium/Hartford, Milton Academy, and offices for numerous law, venture capital, architectural, and brokerage firms.

Our reputation is based on an unwavering commitment to consistent high performance in terms of meeting schedule, producing the highest quality millwork available, and creating recognizable value in the eyes of customers, architects, and owners.

PLANT TOUR II:

Amherst Woodworking & Supply Co.
30 Industrial Drive Northampton, MA 01060
Office# (413) 582-1852 www.amherstwoodworking.com

Our commitment to resource conservation started in earnest with the move to our new plant in 1994. The 35,000 cubic foot per minute dust collection system is powered by a 75 hp reverse incline fan, an energy savings of 40% over the 125 hp requirements of a traditional system. Our wood waste; molder shavings, sawdust, ground scrap wood, and sander dust fill a 48' trailer every 1-2 weeks and are recycled.
We reconfigured the spray booth in our finishing room to reduce the required air volume, saving 42% on heat and electricity. With the installation of reflectors plus high output ballasts & bulbs we were able to cut by one half the number of fluorescent bulbs lighting the plant, saving 55% on electrical requirements. A power factor correction capacitor has improved our electrical power factor by 22%.

Directions to Wright Architectural Millwork & Amherst Woodworking & Supply,
in Northampton, MA.

Agenda:

11:30 am — 1:00 pm — Reception & Lunch (Wright Architectural Millwork)
1:15 pm — 2:15 pm — Plant Tour I — Wright Architectural Millwork
2:45 pm — 3:45 pm — Plant Tour II — Amherst Woodworking & Supply Co

Pre-registration for this program is required. Please fax or email registration form & mail in payment using this registration form.

NEAWI Mfg & Assoc. members: $25 (includes registration & lunch)
Non-N.E. Chapter members: $75 (includes registration & lunch).

2010-06-22T09:37:00.019-04:00

18th Annual Summer Golf & Fishing Outing

Monday, July 26^th, 2010

New England Chapter AWI Members & Guests

NEAWI GOLF TOURNAMENT

Golfers of all abilities can play. We encourage you to bring a guest to join in on the fun.
Driving range and putting green are available at 11 A.M. Lunch also available for $18.00 per person. Pre-registration required.

Shotgun starts at 1:30 P.M. The format is scramble -no handicaps are necessary.
Fee of $160.00 per player, includes greens fees, cart, reception and dinner.

Wentworth by the Sea Country Club

60 Wentworth Road Rye, New Hampshire, 03870

603.433.3050

Directions

FOR ADDITIONAL GOLF INFO CONTACT:
Bruce Chapin — 508.380.2205 — BChapin@AtlanticPlywood.com
Mike Sinrich — 781.599.3994 — mike.sinrich@blum.com

FLAT WATER FISHING Aboard the 78' "Captain's Lady"

The "Captain's Lady" will depart at 8:30 A.M. Sharp, and final dock by 4:00 P.M.

We will be fishing in the river's mouth for Stripe Bass, Pollock, Bluefish, and Mackerel.

Captain's Fishing Parties will provide all fishing gear and bait.

Lunch and soft drinks are provided by NEAWI, and a cash bar is available in the ship's galley.

Fee of $60.00 per person includes: fishing gear, bait, and lunch (add an add'l $35 for reception and dinner at Wentworth by the Sea Country Club). Seating is limited, so register ASAP.

(A few kayaks and a canoe will also be available for exploring on your own. If you have a canoe or kayak you are welcome to bring it along. Short tour of the Plum Island River and the Parker River Wildlife Refuge via small power boat may also be available).

Captain's Fishing Parties

10 82nd Street, Plum Island Point

Newburyport, Massachusetts, 01950

1.800.427.1333

Directions

FOR ADDITIONAL FISHING INFO CONTACT:
Kevin Barlow — 978.973.8055 — Kevin@Keiver-Willard.com

NEAWI Summer Reception & Dinner

After an enjoyable day of golfing and fishing, join NEAWI members and friends at the Wentworth by the Sea Country Club for appetizers, cash bar, and dinner, and the infamous NEAWI raffle.

The reception starts at 5:30 P.M.

Fee of $50.00 per person for Reception and Dinner only.

Some golf and fishing packages include reception and dinner costs.

Wentworth by the Sea Country Club

60 Wentworth Road

Rye, New Hampshire, 03870

603.433.3050

Directions

FOR ADDITIONAL INFO CONTACT:
Tye Waller — 617.444.87745 — tye.waller@neawi.org

NEAWI Woodworking Scholarship & Education Fund

In efforts to reach out to the larger woodworking community, the New England Chapter of AWI is accepting donations to support the work of the Outreach Committee and educational scholarship programs. NEAWI is committed to supporting programs such as Adopt-A-Shop, Partners in Progress, Woodlinks, the National AWI Educational Fund, and more. This is only possible through your continued support.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFO CONTACT:
Tye Waller — 617.444.87745 — tye.waller@neawi.org

SUMMER OUTING SPONSORSHIPS

There are several event sponsorship opportunities available for the 2010 NEAWI Summer Outing. Your generosity will help make this year's outing a great success.

Sponsorship opportunities include:

Hole and Beverage Cart Sponsorships
Fishing Trip Sponsorships
Prize Donations and Award Sponsorships

Please review the registration form for additional information about how you can become a 2010 NEAWI Summer Outing Sponsor.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFO CONTACT:
Kevin Barlow — 978.973.8055 Kevin@Keiver-Willard.com
Bruce Chapin — 508.380.2205 BChapin@AtlanticPlywood.com
Mike Sinrich — 781.599.3994 mike.sinrich@blum.com

Sign Up For The Outing and Sponsorships TODAY!
Download the registration form here, and mail it with your payment to the address on the form.

__________________________________________________________________

NEAWI Product Fair & Vendor Expo

2010-04-24T09:34:00.000-04:00

"On a Shoe String"

DATE: Thursday JUNE 24, 2010

TIME: 11:00am - 5:00pm

LOCATION: The Newburyport Elks #909 25 Low Street Newburyport, MA 01950

EMAIL: kevin@keiver-willard.com, tye.waller@neawi.org

PHONE#: 978-0465-9872

_________________________________________________________________________

Greetings NEAWI Chapter Members, Architects, Industry related Companies and Colleagues:

The New England Chapter of AWI is hosting a Product Fair & Vendor Expo. Exhibitors will consist of the chapter's supplier and manufacturing member's products and capabilities. Other exhibitors will include machinery and tooling suppliers, trade associations, service related suppliers as well as manufacture reps, schools, lumber, veneer and hardware suppliers.

Support the industry's vendors and exhibitors who support you by attending this event. Help spread the word and make this a memorable and rewarding event.

NEAWI is very aware of the tough financial and business times we are faced with, and because of these concerns, there is NO cost to attend this event.

Please stop by the Chapter's display to learn about the benefits of membership.

Sincerely,

Kevin Barlow & the Planning Committee

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

SPEAKERS AND PRESENTATIONS FOR EXPO & TRADE-SHOW THURSDAY JUNE 24, 2010
				CEU
TIME	TOPIC	PRESENTER	COMPANY	CREDITS

11-11:30AM	Wind Turbine	Greg Porfido	MARK RICHEY WOODWORKING

12-1:00 PM	Decorative Hardwood	Bruce Chapin	ATLANTIC PLYWOOD	YES
	Plywood & Interior
	Air Quality

1-2:00 PM	Woodworking Standards	Woody Vaughn	VAUGHN WOODWORK CONSULTANTS	YES
	& The Winning Team

2-3:00 PM	Sliding Door Hardward	Charles Spear	HAFELE AMERICA	YES

3-4:00 PM	Understanding LEEDS	Dan Martin	ANTHONY GALLUZZO CORP
		Bruce Chapin	ATLANTIC PLYWOOD

_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Exhibitor’s Fee & Information:

The cost for exhibitors will be $100 for members of NEAWI and $200 for non-members, which includes cost for a display table. Space will be reserved on a first come first served basis.
Set up time: 9am - 10:45am
Tear Down: 5pm - 6pm
Company: _____________________________________________________________
Contact Name: _________________________________________________________
Phone & Fax #: ________________________________________________________
Email: _______________________________________________________________

Do you require electricity? YES/NO
Will you have a door prize? ________________________________________
(If yes please indicate what your door prize will be)
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Sponsorships are available at very reasonable prices
The NE Chapter of the AWI is donating additional funds raised above the cost of the Trade Show to Outreach Committee programs. In an effort to reach out to the larger woodworking community, the NEAWI is committed to helping support programs such as Adopt-A-Shop, Partners in Progress, Woodlinks, and more.
Event Sponsors*
Gold $500
Silver $250
Bronze $150
Lunch $200
Please fill out this reservation and return with payment as soon as possible.

Company: _____________________________________________________________
Contact Name: _________________________________________________________

Emergency Phone #: (in case of last minute cancellation) ________________________
Please note Type/Level ________________________
______ Sponsorships @ $ XXX.00 = ________________________
______ Donation ($) =__________________________

______ Totals = ________________________
* Sponsorship (print name to be shown): __________________________________

Attendees: (free admission)
Name & email: _________________________
Name & email: _________________________
Name & email: _________________________
Name & email: _________________________
Name & email: _________________________

Please Contact Kevin Barlow at Keiver-Willard Lumber for further information
800-733-1999 ext 238 Fax 978-465-6631 Email: kevin@keiver-willard.com

SEND PAYMENT TO: NEAWI 245 First Street, Suite 1800 Cambridge, MA 02142
FAX / EMAIL FORM TO: 617-444-8405 / tye.waller@neawi.org
We thank you for your continued support.

NESAW Open House April 10th

2010-03-31T07:32:00.000-04:00

Open House Celebration

New England School of Architectural Woodworking

Saturday, April 10th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
One Cottage Street, Easthampton, MA

Directions to NESAW

Tour the shop, meet our cabinetmaking training students and see their projects, including two complete kitchens and a circulation desk for the new Westhampton Library.

You can also learn more about our night and weekend workshops for woodworkers of all skill levels.

For directions or more information, please visit our website at www.nesaw.com or call us at 413-527-6103.

Strategies to Endure and Prosper in 2010

2010-03-08T20:21:00.000-05:00

Wednesday, March 31^st, 2010, 12:00 pm

Presented by Edward J. Callahan of
Feeley & Driscoll, P.C.
200 Portland Street, Boston, MA 02114

Directions to Feeley & Driscoll, P.C.

The current state of the economy is overwhelming for any construction executive. Lending is at a standstill with few projects on the horizon and too many hungry bidders. The result of such an environment requires all businesses to reevaluate their current market focus, key people and operating and measurement processes to stay ahead of the competition. Come listen to Feeley & Driscoll as they review the current state of the economy, discussing historical trends and the economic forecast for 2010; key metrics that you and your organization should be focusing on from a customer, people and financial perspective; and strategies to survive and come out stronger as a result of this downturn.

Mr. Callahan has over 30 years in public accounting with extensive experience in accounting/tax and business planning issues as they apply to contractors and suppliers. He has authored and lectured on business succession and strategic planning issues and on corporate and real estate tax planning matters, including passive losses and alternative minimum tax issues. Mr. Callahan is Director of the Construction Services Group at Feeley & Driscoll, P.C.

Agenda:

12:00 pm — 12:30 pm — Luncheon
12:30 pm — 2:30 pm — Program and Q&A Session

Pre-registration for this program is required. Please complete the on-line registration on the NEAWI web site here, which will then take you to PayPal, already completed with the registration total cost. Alternatively, to download the registration form, and to fax/mail your registration and payment, go here.

NEAWI Mfg & Assoc. members: $20 in advance, $25 at the door
Non-N.E. Chapter members: $75 ($50 will be credited towards 2010 dues)

How to use the new AWS, & Keiver-Willard Plant Tour

2010-01-05T23:14:00.000-05:00

Open to New England Chapter AWI Members & Guests

How to Use the New Architectural Woodwork Standards
(AWS) for Woodworkers

& Keiver-Willard Plant Tour

Thursday, January 28th, 2010, 12:00 pm

The Newburyport Elks #909
25 Low Street, Newburyport, MA 01950
Directions to the Newburyport Elks

Keiver-Willard Lumber
11 Graf Road, Newburyport, MA 01950
(978) 462-7193
Directions to Keiver-Willard Lumber

The new Architectural Woodwork Standards (AWS) are different from the old 8th edition Quality Standards Illustrated (QSI), and as such there are a number of items that those who are familiar with the AWI QSI will need to watch for (For example; The AWS includes great detail regarding acceptable materials and processes. Therefore, there is no need to list those details, unless something additional is desired. This saves the specifier valuable time and gives the woodworker clear specs that are consistent with the new Architectural Woodwork Standards.)

Our goal at this session is to give you an overview of the new Architectural Woodwork Standards and just some of the items you will need to watch for that are different from the QSI. This will not be an exhaustive study, but should help you to become familiar with the types of things that may have changed. You will need to do your own comparatives on specific items that pertain to the project you are concerned with to avoid applying outdated information to current requirements.

This overview of the new AWS is being presented by Woody Vaughn of Vaughn Woodwork Consultants.

Download this Quick Guide Brochure about the AWS here.

Plant Tours provide a great opportunity to explore the manufacturing of products in our industry. This sharing of knowledge is vital to the well being and growth of our industry as well as industries in common. Please join us this winter to tour Keiver-Willard's facility. Their millwork operation produces more than 55,000 lineal feet of mouldings, and 35,000 board feet of ripped & planed lumber daily, with thousands of moulding profiles, as well as individually designed custom ground knives for specific requirements.

Agenda:

12:00 pm — Program & lunch (Newburyport Elks Lodge)
3:00 pm — Plant Tour Keiver-Willard Lumber, Newburyport

Pre-registration for this program is required. Please download the registration form (PDF format) here, and then fax or email it, and mail payment/confirmation to the address on form. You may also use credit card/PayPal on the NEAWI site here.

NEAWI Mfg & Assoc. members: $20 in advance, $25 at the door (includes lunch & AWS book)
Non-N.E. Chapter members: $75 ($50 will be credited towards 2010 dues, includes lunch & AWS book)

Registration form may be downloaded here in PDF or MS Word formats.

NJ Chapter AWI offers seminar on lean management

2009-11-20T11:41:00.000-05:00

The New Jersey Chapter of the AWI is hosting a seminar and dinner on the Principles of Lean Management on Thursday, December 3rd, 2009 at Rolf's Restaurant in Warren, New Jersey, from 2:30 pm until 8:00 pm. After the dinner, the chapter will hold their election of officers.

The speaker, Michael Rothmeier, founder of Simple Solutions Consulting, is presenting the seminar on this topic which he introduced at the AWI National Convention in Washington last month. These principles are increasingly important in these economic times; NEAWI itself hosted a seminar on this at the 2008 National AWI convention in Providence, RI.

When: December 3, 2009

Time: 2:30 – 6:00 PM Seminar, 6:00 PM Dinner

7:00 – 8:00 PM Election of Officers

Where: Rolf’s Restaurant

65 Stirling Rd.

Warren, NJ 07059

908-754-5500

Topic: Principals of Lean Management

Cost: $ 40. ($ 30 for Dinner only)

Speaker: Mr. Michael Rothmeier of Simple Solutions Consulting Co. will join us to introduce the principals of “Lean Management”. Michael introduced these techniques & the benefits of “Lean Management” at the 2009 AWI National convention last month. He has agreed to meet with our group, to discuss one of the hottest topics of the year.

INDICATORS THAT LEAN SYSTEMS MAY BE FOR YOU

Late bids/quotes
Mishandled complaints
Crowded offices
Lost files
Out-of-control office budgets
Missed sales calls
Lost equipment
Out-of-date procedures
Uncontrollable documents
Disorganized file systems
Misrouted service technicians
Forgotten customer changes
Rising computer system expenses

This is an excerpt from the Lead Management Workshop at the national convention:

This session will introduce the Lean techniques that have revolutionized industrial processes across the country. Participants will learn the principles of Lean and the primary tools used by skilled practitioners. This session will help participants to understand the role that each technique can play in streamlining operations and improving competitiveness.

This introductory session will discuss these important questions:

How much can be gained by Lean?

Why is Lean so popular?

Where are the opportunities for improvement?

What is the Lean Toolbox?

When should each tool be used?

Who needs to be involved in Lean?

Each of the primary Lean tools will be introduced and discussed in the context of benefits derived in a wide variety of industries. Applications for each tool will be discussed in terms that will give participants confidence in applying appropriate tools for the desired results which can include:

streamlining your processes and procedures
reducing waste in your operations
improving your profitability through productivity
sharpening your organization’s ability to compete
engaging employees through positive change

LEAN TOOLS COVERED

Flow & Layout Point of Use Storage
Batch Size Reduction Quick Changeover
Standardized Work Visual Organization
Measures & Metrics Teams & Teamwork
Single Piece Flow Quality at the Source
Equipment Effectiveness Mistake Proofing
Continuous Improvement Value Stream Mapping

Seminar OUTLINE

Welcome and Introductions
What is a Lean Enterprise and what is isn’t?
The Benefits - Tangible and Intangible
Processes & Process Waste
Evolution of a Lean Factory
implementation Approaches
Keys to Success
Summary & Wrap-up

If you are interested in attending this seminar, more information and a registration form may be found at the NJ AWI site.

NEAWI Members Presenting at BuildBoston 2009 in November

2009-09-05T12:17:00.000-04:00

BuildBoston is celebrating its 25th year with three days of keynote speakers, several all day symposia, 200 workshops, and over 250 exhibitors on the trade show floor, as well as other networking and tour events. Last year, there were over 10,000 attendees, from 43 states and 19 countries. This, the largest regional convention and trade show for the design and construction industry, is being held November 18th to 20th, at the Seaport World Trade Center, Boston, MA.

The New England Chapter of AWI is sponsoring one of the workshops again this year, presented by four NEAWI members. "Understanding and specifying wood veneers and factory finishing" is on Friday, November 20th, from 10:30 am until noon.

Greg Porfido (Mark Richey Woodworking & Design, Newburyport, MA, and NEAWI board member), Joe Galluzzo (The Anthony Galluzzo Corporation, Londonderry, NH, NEAWI 2nd vice president), Mike Sarno (Mass Cabinets, Methuen, MA, and NEAWI president), and Woody Vaughn (Vaughn Woodwork, North Attleboro, MA) are conducting this workshop, whose attendees will receive a complimentary copy of the NEW Architectural Woodwork Standards.

This workshop will help attendees learn how to correctly specify wood veneer and shop finishing for architectural woodwork. The veneer selection process and various lay-up options will be explained, and large format samples will show differences within and between panels.

An explanation of shop finishing of wood will show how choices in veneer lay-up and finish effect the final product. They will explain how fabrication of veneer paneling should be specified for performance, and how proper substrates, detailing of reveals, and installation methods will work together.

There are over 200 other workshops and professional development opportunitites, some of which will offer continuing education credits and AIA LUs. There are daily keynote speakers, seven all day symposia ranging across Women in Design, Building Codes, Sustainable Design, to Design Leadership and Excellence. Also, there will be a variety of receptions, building industry dinners, and other trade show events. The exhibit hall will have over 250 companies, in a multitude of categories. Admission to the exhibit hall is free if you register before October 23rd. Workshop enrollment is also discounted if made before that date. Credits towards workshop enrollment will be given for volunteering at the show. Full registration information is available here.

September Meeting - Sterling Surfaces Plant Tour

2009-08-31T18:34:00.000-04:00

Open to New England Chapter AWI Members & Guests

Sterling Surfaces Plant Tour

Wednesday, September 23^rd, 2009, 12:00 pm

Sterling Surfaces
76 Leominster Road, Sterling, MA 01564
(978) 422-3321

Directions to Sterling Surfaces
Please follow the parking instructions once you are on site.

Plant Tours provide a great opportunity to explore the manufacturing of products in our industry. This sharing of knowledge is vital to the well being and growth of our industry as well as industries in common.

Please join us this fall to tour Sterling Surfaces facility and participate in several demonstrations on the Thermoforming oven, 4 axis CNC, as well as Digital templating. Mr. Grant Garcia of Sterling Surfaces will present on the topic of "Cutting Edge Solid Surface Millwork; How Outsource Fabricators support the Architectural Millworker", followed by Atlantic Plywood's presentation on the "Benefits of LG Hi-Macs".

Agenda:

12:00 pm — 1:00 pm Luncheon
1:00 pm — 2:00 pm Shop Talk / Q&A
2:15 pm — 3:45 pm Shop Tour / Q&A

The AWI New England Chapter extends a complimentary invitation to attending woodworking students, design professionals, and architects.

Pre-registration for this program is required.
Please fax or email the below registration form, and mail payment/confirmation to address on form.

NEAWI Active & Associate Members:		$35 in advance, $40 at the door.
Non-N.E. Chapter Members:		$90 ($50 will be credited towards 2009 dues).

Download registration form here in PDF or MS Word formats.

NEAWI 17th Annual Summer Golfing/Fishing Outing and Reception

2009-06-29T11:25:00.001-04:00

Upcoming Outing Announcement

New England Chapter AWI Members & Guests

17^th Annual Summer Golfing/Fishing Outing

Monday, July 27^th, 2009

NEAWI GOLF TOURNAMENT

Golfers of all abilities can play. We encourage you to bring a guest to join in on the fun. Driving range and putting green are available at 11 A.M. Lunch also available for $18.00 per person.
Pre-registration required.
Shotgun starts at 1:30 P.M. The format is scramble. No handicaps are necessary.
Fee of $160.00 per player. Includes greens fees, cart, reception and dinner.

Wentworth by the Sea Country Club
60 Wentworth Road Rye, New Hampshire, 03870
603.433.3050
Directions

FOR ADDITIONAL GOLF INFO CONTACT:
Bruce Chapin — 508.380.2205 — BChapin@AtlanticPlywood.com
Mike Sinrich — 781.599.3994 — mike.sinrich@blum.com

FLAT WATER FISHING
Aboard the 78' "Captain's Lady"

We will be fishing in the river's mouth for Stripe Bass, Pollock, Bluefish, and Mackerel.
The "Captain's Lady" will depart at 8:30 A.M. Sharp, and final dock by 4:00 P.M.

Captain's Fishing Parties will provide all fishing gear and bait.
Lunch and soft drinks are provided by NEAWI, and a cash bar is available in the ship's galley.
Fee of $95.00 per person includes: fishing gear, bait, lunch, reception and dinner.
Seating is limited, so register ASAP.

Captain's Fishing Parties
10 82nd Street, Plum Island Point
Newburyport, Massachusetts, 01950
1.800.427.1333
Directions

A few kayaks and a canoe will also be available for exploring on your own. If you have a canoe or kayak you are welcome to bring it along. Short tour of the Plum Island River and the Parker River Wildlife Refuge via small power boat may also be available.

FOR ADDITIONAL FISHING INFO CONTACT:
Kevin Barlow — 978.973.8055 — Kevin@Keiver-Willard.com

NEAWI Summer Reception & Dinner
After an enjoyable day of golfing and fishing, join NEAWI members and friends at the Wentworth by the Sea Country Club for appetizers, cash bar, and dinner, and the infamous NEAWI raffle.
The reception starts at 5:30 P.M.
Fee of $50.00 per person for Reception and Dinner only.
Some golf and fishing packages include reception and dinner costs.

Wentworth by the Sea Country Club
60 Wentworth Road
Rye, New Hampshire, 03870
603.433.3050
Directions

FOR ADDITIONAL INFO CONTACT:
Tye Waller — 617.444.87745 — tye.waller@neawi.org

NEAWI WOODWORKING SCHOLARSHIP & EDUCATION FUND

FOR ADDITIONAL INFO CONTACT:
Tye Waller — 617.444.87745 — tye.waller@neawi.org

SUMMER OUTING SPONSORSHIPS

There are several event sponsorship opportunities available for the 2009 NEAWI Summer Outing. Your generosity will help make this year's outing a great success.
Sponsorship opportunities include:

Hole and Beverage Cart Sponsorships
Fishing Trip Sponsorships
Prize Donations and Award Sponsorships

Please review the registration form for additional information about how you can become a 2009 NEAWI Summer Outing Sponsor.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFO CONTACT:
Kevin Barlow — 978.973.8055 — Kevin@Keiver-Willard.com
Bruce Chapin — 508.380.2205 — BChapin@AtlanticPlywood.com
Mike Sinrich — 781.599.3994 — mike.sinrich@blum.com

Sign Up For The Outing and Sponsorships TODAY!
Download the registration form here, and mail it with your payment to the address on the form.

NEAWI Member's Bulletin Board Red Sox Ticket Contest

2009-05-26T19:14:00.000-04:00

Post something new to the NEAWI Member's Bulletin Board between now and June 15th, and you'll automatically be entered into a random drawing for a pair of RedSox tickets this season. Pretty good seats, too...

Let's see if we can generate a little content momentum in this blog. It's a unique opportunity for the New England AWI community to communicate with ourselves. Have any unique insights into the economy? Have too much work and need to find a member shop to sub to (congratulations would be in order)? Have some glowing reviews of May's Chapter meeting in Westborough?

Post away!

Dave Kenyon (via the NEAWI Webmaster, cross-posting from the Member's Bulletin Board)

Of course, you have to be signed up for the Member's Bulletin Board to post, or to read the posts - it's a NEAWI benefit for members only. If you haven't already signed up for the Bulletin Board, send an email to Dave or to the NEAWI Webmaster, and request an invitation to join.

Business Strategies in a Challenging Economic Environment

2009-05-05T12:34:00.000-04:00

Business Strategies in a Challenging Economic Environment

& Member Roundtable

Thursday, May 21^st, 2009, 11:30am

Doubletree Hotel Westborough
5400 Computer Drive, Westborough, MA 01581
(508) 366-5511

Directions to Doubletree Hotel

Shops across New England are grappling with financial woes not seen in decades. The shocking slowdown in our market has decimated workloads and sent a shudder throughout shops that were just recently humming along. Please join us for a mini-symposium on ideas/tips for coping in today's market; followed by member roundtable discussions where we will share ideas & practices that have worked for us, and hear from other members experiences. Don't forget to bring your crying towel.

Bottom-line Considerations
Presented by Edward Johnson, Feeley & Driscoll

Ed's career in public accounting in the construction gives him a solid understanding of woodwodrk manufacturing. Ed will address the challenges of Difficult Decisions and Cutting Costs in the context of super-competitive bidding, and Commitments to Marketing and Business Development.
State Programs to Help Ease the Pain
Presented by Ken Messina, Massachusetts DET

Ken will provide an overview of the State/Dislocated Worker program, including WorkShare, National Emergency Grants, Rapid Response, and other information related to the provision of services for companies and employees.
Legal Strategies in Lean Times
Presented by Drew Colby, Colby Law Office

Drew has practiced construction law for 20 years, and is well prepared to discuss Surviving Tough Economic Times by Preserving Capital. "Getting Paid" is especially challenging during today's financial times. Drew will address strategies to yield positive results.

Agenda:

11:30 am — Networking Reception & Associate Displays
12:00 pm — Luncheon
12:30 pm — Table Top Exhibitors presentation
1:00 pm — Business Strategies in a Challenging Economic Environment

Open to New England Chapter AWI Members & Guests

Pre-registration for this program is required. Please fax or email the below registration form, and mail payment/confirmation to address on form, or use credit card/PayPal on the NEAWI site.

NEAWI members: $35 in advance, $40 at the door.
Non-NEAWI members: $90 ($50 will be credited towards 2009 dues).

Registration form may be downloaded in PDF format here.

Construction Management Roundtable 2.04.09 Report

2009-03-10T14:58:00.000-04:00

(Photo: Members of Windsor Architectural Woodworking with Mike Sarno, president of Mass Cabinets and New England AWI)

The New England Chapter of AWI hosted another fantastic Construction Management roundtable program. On February 4th, approximately 40 NEAWI members along with 8 guests, representing 3 general contractors from the Boston area came together to share ideas, strategies and new technologies within the construction and building industry.

Our program sponsor, B.L. Makepeace, demonstrated a large format printer. Bill Maheris of Archer Corporation did an outstanding job as Master of Ceremonies. He kept the program on track and running smoothly. Greg Porfido, of Mark Richey Woodworking, did a great job recruiting two of the general contractors as well as organizing the afternoon program.

The day started with a buffet style luncheon served by Joe’s American Bar & Grill. The food was delicious! During lunch Christopher Garceau, of B.L. Makepeace, gave a presentation on the Canon large format printer, which they some how managed to haul onto site.

After lunch, the program started with Bill introducing the general contractors. We had Consigli Construction Company of Milford, MA was represented by Peter Capone (Director of Purchasing) and Gary Terrell (Estimator). William A. Berry & Son, Inc. of Danvers, MA, was represented by Steven Jaeger (Sr. Estimator), Steven Pieslak (Procurement Mgr.), Zach Bergeron (Project Estimator), and David A. Slomsky (VP of Pre-construction Services); Gilbane Building Company of Providence, RI, was represented by R. Titus Sitnik (VP District Chief Estimator) and Phillip K. Leffert (VP Chief Purchasing Agent).

Each general contractor engaged the audience with a brief power point presentation on their company’s profile as well as the history of their operation. What type of work they do, what market(s) they cover. They also shared recent and current construction projects.

After the presentations, we divided the participants into several small groups, giving each general contractor the opportunity for Q&A session in a round table format. The attendees poised questions pertaining to bidding protocol, bonding, installation (union and non-union), prequalification procedures, bid feed back, back charges, scope review, and many other types of questions. Each group met with each contractor for approximately 20 minutes.

The general contractors were very open and helpful with their responses. It was a great opportunity for NEAWI members to learn about how some larger construction firms in the Boston area run their operation.

Written by Tony Aubin of Aubin Woodworking, Inc.

If you are a member of NEAWI, you may add your comments to this event report on the Member's Bulletin Board. If you haven't already signed up for this Bulletin Board, email the NEAWI Webmaster (webmaster@neawi.org) in order to receive an invitation.

NEAWI Fun Leads To Funding article in AWI News Briefs

2009-02-28T05:37:00.000-05:00

The February, 2009 issue of "News Briefs", the print newsletter of the Architectural Woodwork Institute featured NEAWI in its Chapter News, page 7.

The story is about how our chapter's Annual Deep Sea Fishing and Golfing Outing has become both a networking event between the chapter members, and a way to invest in the woodworkers of tomorrow by raising money for woodworker education.

The NEAWI Scholarship and Education Fund as part of the 2008 Annual Outing, raised $4,500 through "sponsored items" at the outing, to be used for regional woodworking educational organizations and activites, as described in our fund announcement.

Since the start of this program in 2005, NEAWI has supported organizations such as WoodLINKS USA, the Woodworker Career Alliance, as well as local organizations such as the New England Student Woodworking Design Competition at the Forest and Wood Products Institute, part of Mount Wachusett Community College.

The AWI "News Briefs" article goes on to suggest that other AWI chapters use the NEAWI model to replicate this future-oriented activity.

Click here for a larger version of this article.

Mass Cabinets to be featured in Winter 2009 Issue of AWI Design Solutions Magazine

2009-02-26T07:38:00.000-05:00

NEAWI member Mass Cabinets, Inc. will be featured in the Winter, 2009 issue of the AWI Design Solutions magazine.

The article, "Creating A Lobby With A Personality", describes the renovation of the 2,870 square foot lobby of 1000 Washington Street, Boston, MA, as part of the transformation of the building from Class B to Class A office space.

When the Winter, 2009 issue of Design Solutions is available on-line, it may be found here.

Stiles Machinery / AWI Technology Tour, May 2009, Germany

2009-02-17T12:11:00.000-05:00

Stiles Machinery and AWI are partnering in a Technology Tour, May 15 - 24, 2009. Designed in partnership with AWI, this tour offers you the unique opportunity to participate in an international manufacturing tour in conjunction with Ligna, the world's largest woodworking trade show, held in Hanover, Germany.

From the Stiles Machinery announcement:

During this tour you will have the opportunity to discover manufacturing solutions that will give you a competitive advantage. Even one small innovation or change in your manufacturing process can far exceed the minimal tour expense. Many companies who have participated in these tours have realized the benefits.

The announcement also cites a trade magazine article on Coastal Millwork of Florida, who participated in the past; this article (PDF format) may be downloaded here.

For more information, see the event agenda and email registration form. Contact Lorraine Bush or Steve Waltman at 616.698.7500 if you have any further questions. Registration is limited to 30 people and will close March 5th, 2009.

Thanks to Dennis Roche of Stiles Shop Solutions in New England for bringing this to our attention.

Woodwork Careers Alliance Holds Skills Standards Summit

2009-02-17T10:45:00.000-05:00

In January, 2009, AWI, with the participation of some NEAWI members, collaborated with the Woodwork Career Alliance of North America in their planning summit to create a road map for their Skills Standards and Credentialing project. Here is a summary of the meeting and goals:

Enlarge this image.
Download a full-size printable copy of this release (PDF format).

More information may be found at their website www.woodworkcareer.org, and at the Skills Standards collaboration site, skillstandards.wikispaces.com.

Thanks to Joe Galluzzo of Anthony Galluzzo Corp. and Greg Larsen of the New England School of Architectural Woodworking (NESAW) for their participation in this summit.

Here are some pictures from the planning summit:

Construction Management Roundtable

2009-01-14T06:41:00.000-05:00

Upcoming Meeting Announcement

Open to New England Chapter AWI Members & Guests

Construction Management Roundtable

Wednesday, February 4^th, 2009

Sponsored by B.L. Makepeace Engineering Supplies & Graphics

Your complete source for Océ digital imaging systems, plotters and copiers, HP Inkjet plotters and supplies, facilities management, copiers and plotters on your site, reprographics/copy services, web based plan room and bid management solutions, color digital graphics, and survey products.

Joe's American Bar & Grill (on the waterfront)
100 Atlantic Avenue, Boston, MA 02110
(617) 367-8700

Directions to Joe's American Bar & Grill

Please join us for this Construction Management Program where the construction management firms will discuss estimating, purchasing, and procurement to operations and project delivery.

Participating Companies

Gilbane Building Company: Gilbane's core competency is in managing complex construction activities. We've been in business since 1873 and helped invent the construction management delivery process. Today, we are helping deliver facilities in a variety of ways that meet the needs of our clients. Those delivery methods include: Construction management, program management, design-build, and general contracting. http://www.gilbaneco.com

Consigli Construction Co., Inc: Consigli provides construction management, general contracting, design-build, and pre-construction planning services from its offices in Enfield, Connecticut, Portland, Maine and Milford, Mass. http://www.consigli.com

William A. Berry & Son, Inc: Berry & Son has a focus on the healthcare, educational and commercial markets. Berry's preconstruction and construction management services encompass everything from permitting, cost estimating and engineering to construction oversight, commissioning and project close out. http://www.berry.com

Columbia Construction Co.: Columbia Construction's diverse portfolio of projects span the academic, corporate, life sciences, healthcare, and hospitality sectors throughout the Northeast, and Washington, D.C. http://www.columbiacc.com

Agenda:

11:30 am — Networking Reception & Associate Displays
12:00 pm — Luncheon
12:30 pm — Table Top Exhibitors presentation
1:00 pm — Construction Management Program

Pre-registration for this program is required.

NEAWI Active & Associate Members: $50 in advance, $55 at the door.
Non-NEAWI chapter members: $90 ($50 will be credited towards 2009 dues).

RSVP Today!

Information/Registration forms, and credit card/PayPal information are here.

NEAWI Winter Ski Outing

2009-01-08T09:47:00.000-05:00

Postponed Due To Severe Winter Storm
Will Reschedule in February
Wednesday, January 28^th, 2009; all day

Mount Sunapee Resort
1398 Route 103, PO Box 2021, Newbury, NH 03255
(603) 763-3500

Directions to Mount Sunapee

NEAWI Winter Ski Outing

On Wednesday, January 28^th, 2009, join members and friends of NEAWI for a day of skiing at Mount Sunapee Ski Resort, Newbury, NH.

It's a 2 for 1 Ski Day (2 at the price of $62).

Click on the trail map to enlarge it.

If you are interested in a tailgate lunch please call or email Kevin Barlow in advance so he can plan ahead of time; his email is kevin@keiver-willard.com, his phone# is 800-733-1999 ext 238 or cell 978-973-8055.

A minimal fee of $10/person is requested for this slope side outdoor lunch. Remember to bring your own beverage of choice.

You can find us at the bottom of the North Peak Triple Chair Lift on the "beach". Lunch will be served at noon. This event is open to all, so please invite friends, family and AWI prospects.

Please spread the word.

Hope to ski you there!

PS: Snow Boarders also welcome!

NEAWI Hosts Lean Manufacturing Seminar At AWI 2008 Fall Convention

2008-09-11T18:03:00.000-04:00

October 1st, 8:00am-12:00pm AWI 2008 Fall Convention Westin Providence Providence, Rhode Island
Open to attendees of the AWI Convention

(See conference brochure download link below for full schedule, further information, and directions.)

The New England AWI Chapter is hosting a lean manufacturing seminar presented by Conn Step, a leader in the exiting new field of lean manufacturing. Conn Step will demonstrate the basic steps and tools used to begin a lean journey. There will be a "hands on" approach to understanding lean.

Lean Awareness Workshop with Factory Simulation

Lean establishes a systematic approach to eliminating wastes and creating flow throughout the whole company. It also helps you develop and implement a long-term plan to streamline your operations for success.

We will demonstrate the potential benefits of Lean Manufacturing on your plant floor at this interactive seminar. Learn the principles of Lean and apply them in a hands-on factory simulation. This workshop combines lecture and a hands-on factory simulation to explain the principles and tools of Lean Manufacturing.

Participants will be introduced to the concept of change as a positive force.

The simulation demonstrates and compares:

Traditional plant layout
Cellular plant layout
One piece flow with a pull system
Flexible workforce concepts

Topics covered include:

The principles of Lean Manufacturing
The eight wastes and Lean tools
The results of implementing Lean
How to develop a road map for implementation

The benefits of Lean Manufacturing:

Improvements in lead-time, delivery, quality, & cost metrics

Course Information:

Length of course: 4 hours
Audience: Equally accessible to senior management, office staff and the full labor force, the Lean Awareness Workshop provides everyone with a common understanding of how Lean principles can be used to dramatically improve manufacturing operations.

CONNSTEP is sponsored by the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development, 1090 Elm Street, Suite 202, Rocky Hill, CT. 06067 Phone: 800.266.6672, website: www.connstep.org.

This seminar is being presented as part of the National AWI 2008 Fall Convention.

The conference brochure may be downloaded here in PDF format.

If you're planning on attending and registering at the door, please send an email to Tye Waller and John Ianiri letting them know you'll be there.

2008-08-11T20:18:00.000-04:00

Thought it might be a good idea to set-up a blog for members attending IWF. Just leave your name and contact # and folks can connect w/ each other while in Atlanta. My cell # is 203-339-5555 Look forward to seeing you at IWF ! John Ianiri

Norman L. Vaughn, Sr., Past President of AWI and NEAWI, has died at 91

2008-08-01T06:57:00.000-04:00

Norman L. Vaughn, Sr., of Warwick, RI, has died at the age of 91. He was a charter and honorary member, and past president of the national Architectural Woodworking Institute, and he was also a past president of our own New England Chapter of AWI.

Mr. Vaughn was born in Providence, RI, and graduated from the University of Rhode Island in 1939 with a degree in chemical engineering, a field in which he was the co-holder of patents. He was also a co-author of the AWI Quality Woodwork Standards, and Fire Codes.

Our thoughts are with his family, and his son, Norman L. "Woody" Vaughn, Jr., of our chapter.

The complete obituary from the Providence Journal (7/29/08) may be found here, and a PDF of it is available here.

Posted by Webmaster on behalf of NEAWI

Sign up for the NEAWI Member's Bulletin Board

2008-07-21T12:42:00.000-04:00

The Member's Bulletin Board is a forum open only to NEAWI members, intended to include the following topics and more:

Company announcements
Classified ads (machine sales, etc.)
Trade Shows
Educational seminars
"How to" discussions, Etc.

Any NEAWI member may sign up; just send an email requesting an invitation to webmaster@neawi.org, who'll be happy to assist you.

Please note: You do not have to sign up for a GMail email account to sign up for the blog — you can use the email account to which the invitation is mailed.

We'd like to give member's an incentive to try it out and pay a visit, why not try today! Between now and July's NEAWI Annual Golf & Fishing Outing any member who posts on the Bulletin Board will automatically be entered into a drawing for a pair of weekend Red Sox tickets for later this season (winner's choice: vs. Oakland, August 2nd or 3rd, or vs. Chicago, August 30th or 31st.).

To participate in the drawing you need only:
1.) contact our webmaster (webmaster@neawi.org) to request an invitation to the Bulletin Board,
2.) log in
3.) post away

(Entries in the contest - posts to the MBB - must be submitted by Friday afternoon, July 25th. Drawing will be held at the Golf Outing dinner, though you need not be present to win.)

Posted by the NEAWI Webmaster on behalf of Dave Kenyon

NEAWI Member Wins National Award from SMA

2008-07-21T06:09:00.000-04:00

A member of NEAWI, Colonial Woodworking, Inc., recently received the Best Balustrade Award for their creation of a Maple and Glass Wave stair and rail combination at the Stair Manufacturers Association (SMA) 20th Anniversary Annual Meeting and Education Conference in Chicago, Ill. These National Awards were presented to the manufacturers and builders of products that best express the aesthetic value, concern for safety, quality of workmanship and technical challenges of the state of the craft.

Colonial Woodworking, Inc. - Master Stair Builders have been in business for over 33 years, and they are members of AWI, BAGBI, SMA, NAHB, and the WPMA. For more information, contact them via their NEAWI profile page.

Members of NEAWI who have signed up for the Member's Bulletin Board can see the full press release/photos on that bulletin board here. (If you're a member of NEAWI and have not yet signed up for the MBB, you can request an invitation to sign up by emailing the NEAWI webmaster.)

Posted by Webmaster for NEAWI

NEAWI Nominations and Elections for Board Of Directors

2008-07-15T11:03:00.000-04:00

To all Active Members of the New England Chapter of AWI:

Nominations for N.E. Chapter Board of Directors

Annual Meeting and Change of Officers to take place in September

The affairs of the New England Chapter, Architectural Woodwork Institute are administered by a Board of Directors. These members serve without compensation for a term of three years. It is their dedication which contributes to the success and prominence of the New England Chapter of The A.W.I.

As the first step of a 2 part process, please take a moment to nominate yourself or a fellow member from the attached list to serve on the New England Chapter Board of Directors. Each member will later be asked to vote for the directors from the slate of candidates having accepted their nomination.

In accordance with the by-laws, Article VI, Section 2, the nominating committee, “shall submit one (1) or more nominees for each directorship to the annual membership meeting” of the Board of Directors.

It is every member’s responsibility to participate in the nomination process as the established Board of Directors will serve all members.

Nominations will close on Thursday, July 24, 2008.

Nominees will be announced during dinner at our annual Golf/Fishing outing on Monday, July 28, 2008. Please complete and return the Nomination Form (via fax, to 617-444-8405) as soon as possible before that date.

The Nomination Form maybe be downloaded from here in Adobe PDF or Microsoft Word format. (You may also download a copy of the Nomination Letter from here in Adobe PDF or Microsoft Word format.)

The following Directors are currently serving and need not to be nominated:

Directors whose terms expire in 2008

Peter Kaufman - Kaufman Woodworking
John Lentine - Boyce Highlands, Inc.
Mark Bolton - Woodwrights, Inc.
Greg Porfido - Mark Richey Woodworking

Directors whose terms expire 2009

Kevin Barlow - Keiver-Willard Lumber
George Cass - Jack’s Custom Woodworking

Directors whose terms expire 2010

Scott Gordan - Windham Millwork, Inc.
Rebecca Janco - Chamberlain Co., Inc.
William Maheris - Archer Corporation
Tony Aubin - Aubin Woodworking
Cindi Maclachlan - Atlantic Plywood
Shawn Keller - C.W. Keller & Associates

Posted for Tye Waller, Executive Director of NEAWI, by Webmaster.

Win Red Sox Tickets While Exploring The New NEAWI Website!

2008-06-21T05:57:00.000-04:00

Among the features of the new NEAWI website is the Member's Bulletin Board, designed to provide a forum for chapter members to discuss all things NEAWI and AWI. It's an open forum intended to include company announcements, classified ads (machine sales, etc.), discussions of topics of interest to members, and whatever else we choose to make of it.

The Chapter News, which you're reading now, is a newsletter visible to all the general public, authored by the chapter. The Member's Bulletin Board is a member's only benefit, visible to and authored by only chapter members and invited guests.

We'd like to give members an incentive to pay a visit and try it out. So, between now and July's Golf and Fishing Outing, any member who posts on the Member's Bulletin Board will automatically be entered into a drawing for a pair of weekend Red Sox tickets later this season. (Winner's choice: Boston vs. Oakland, August 2nd or 3rd, or Boston vs. Chicago, August 30th or 31st.)

To qualify, you need only contact our webmaster to get an invitation to the Member's Bulletin Board (if you haven't already received and accepted that invitation), log in, and post away. The drawing will be held at the Golf and Fishing Outing dinner, although you need not be present to win. Entries in the drawing are limited to new posts on the Member's Bulletin Board, although comments to existing posts there and here on the Chapter News are always encouraged. The entries in the drawing will be closed at the end of the business day on Friday, July 25.

If you have can't login to the Member's Bulletin Board, you should request an invitation to join the Board by sending email to our webmaster, webmaster@neawi.org. He will have an invitation sent to you via email, and will be available to help you get set up to use the Board. (The email address you use will be the one authorized to view and post to the Board; you may use your individual email address, or you may use a general company email address, e.g., "Info@YourCompanyName.com", so that all your staff may view and post to this Board.)

Many thanks to Dave Kenyon, of Kenyon Woodworking and of the NEAWI membership committee, for donating these tickets.

(Posted for John Ianiri, NEAWI president, Dave Kenyon, head of NEAWI membership committee, and Tye Waller, NEAWI executive director by the NEAWI webmaster.)

Early New England Woodworking Exhibition in Deerfield, MA

2008-06-16T06:55:00.001-04:00

"Into the Woods: Crafting Early American Furniture", with a focus on the materials, tools, and methods of the craft, at the Flynt Center of Early American Life, Old Deerfield, MA, May, 2008 through 2013.

From the exhibition description:

Drawing on 60 examples of furniture from Historic Deerfield's permanent collection--including masterworks by Duncan Phyfe, Samuel McIntyre, and others -- this new exhibition offers an accesible and imaginative format for audiences to learn about the raw materials, tools, hand skills, designs and ornamental techniques that woodworkers used between 1675 and 1840. A wide array of furniture forms from tables and chairs to closk and looking glasses have been assembled by Curator of Furniture Joshua Lane using innovative "exploded view" display techniques and before and after views of conservation treatments.

For more information, see the museum website.

This exhibition was reviewed in the New York Times for June 13, 2008, here.

(Posted by NEAWI Webmaster)

NEAWI 16th Annual Summer Golf and Fishing Outing

2008-06-13T07:44:00.000-04:00

Open to all New England Chapter Members and Guests

MONDAY, JULY 28th, 2008

Golf Tournament at:
Wentworth by the Sea Country Club
60 Wentworth Rd
Rye, NH 03870
603-433-3050
www.wentworth.com
Directions

Fishing at:
Captain’s Fishing Parties
10 82nd Street, Plum Island Point
Newburyport, MA 01950
978-462-3141
www.captainsfishing.com
Directions

Choose your activity for the day,
And we will all meet later for dinner, at the Country Club

New: All Sponsorship $$$ support the NEAWI Scholarship Fund

This year, your NE Chapter of the AWI is so very proud to announce that it will commit all proceeds from sponsorship in Golf and Fishing events directly to the NEAWI Scholarship/Education Fund. You can read more about this very important project on NEAWI website, click on “Chapter News”, or go to the posting here. The positive response thus far has been overwhelming. We are so grateful to those of you who immediately reserved Sponsorship Signs and/or are planning to do so as soon as possible so we can get busy on our end. You are going to be part of something GREAT!

Silent Sponsorship Lottery for next event:

Companies receive 1-4 lottery tickets, based on sponsorship level. All lottery tickets go into the bowl. One Manufacturer and One Supplier will be picked at random. Next event, that company’s sponsorship amount is pre-paid by NEAWI with special privileges.

More Info on the Scholarship Fund and/or Silent Sponsorship Lottery:

Manufacturing Members: contact Shawn Keller at 603-382-4611 or SKeller@CWKeller.com
Associate Members/Suppliers: contact Andy Barra at 502-817-1606 or barra@flexwood.com

GOLF:
Shotgun start at 1:30
There is a driving range and putting green for early arrivals
The format will be SCRAMBLE. No handicaps are necessary.
Golfers of any ability can play, and have fun.
Fee of $ 175.00 per player includes:
Box lunch – green fees – cart- prizes – appetizers and dinner
We encourage you to bring guests.

FLAT WATER FISHING:

We are going to try and repeat last year’s event with Mother Nature’s cooperation.
FLAT Water fishing aboard the 78’ “Captains Lady”. We will be staying in the river’s mouth and will be fishing for Stripe Bass, Pollock, Bluefish, Mackerel and what ever else Neptune allows us to catch. Last year everyone caught fish, with few exceptions (no names, you know who you are). Many “keepers” were caught last year, as Tom Walker of Camger Coatings, won the prize for most and biggest fish taken aboard. We hope to have a smaller power boat available for short tours of the Plum Island River and the Parker River Wildlife Refuge. A couple of Kayaks and a Canoe will also be available for those wishing to explore on their own. If you have a canoe or kayak you are welcome to bring it along. We may even have the same sailboat available as we had last year, provided Lew has not sold it.

The “Captains Lady” will depart at 8:30am sharp and will be back on the dock by 4:00pm. NEAWI will provide all guests with lunch and soft drinks; beer is available from the ship’s galley. Captain’s Fishing Parties will provide all fishing gear and bait. All attending are then invited back to the Wentworth by the Sea by 5:30 PM for cocktails, appetizers and dinner.

The fee of $ 95.00 per person includes: Fishing Gear, Bait, Lunch, Prizes, appetizers and dinner. The boat filled up fast last year, so get your registration in ASAP. Any questions regarding fishing call Kevin Barlow’s cell at 978-973-8055. Staying in the river’s mouth should allow for Flat Water and prevent anyone from making their own “Chowdha”.

For more information contact the individuals below:

Golf: Bruce Chapin at 508-380-2205 or BChapin@AtlanticPlywood.com
Mike Sinrich at 781-248-4410 or mike.sinrich@blum.com

Fishing: Kevin Barlow at 978-973-8055 or kevin@keiver-willard.com

Download a printable registration form to fax to NEAWI:
Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format
Microsoft Word (DOC) format

NEAWI Scholarship and Education Fund 2008

2008-06-13T07:09:00.000-04:00

The 2008 NEAWI Annual Golf/Fishing Outing on July 28th promises to be an action-packed day of fun with friends old and new. We would like to use this year’s annual outing as a way to show our support and our continued commitment to woodworking students in their quest to enter the industry. Through the Woodworking Scholarship and Education Fund we will be able to assist in preparing students to make immediate contributions to the workplace. That being said, we want the students to know who you are, who the New England AWI Chapter is, and that we are committed to their success.

How can you help? Whether you make a general donation or sponsor one of Wentworth’s 18 pristine “Golf Holes” or a “Shipside-Certified Lucky Rod Holder”, ALL PROCEEDS will go straight to the Scholarship and Education Fund in YOUR COMPANY’S NAME.

Where does the money go? The NEAWI Woodworking Scholarship/Education Fund contributes to educational and scholarship activities in New England. It also supports the efforts of the national AWI.

As you may know, we have joined organizations such as Wood Products Manufacturers Association and WoodLINKS USA in supporting the New England Student Woodworking Design Competition. This annual event is hosted by the Forest & Wood Products Institute and held at Mount Wachusett Community College in Gardiner, MA.

The mission of this competition is to create an atmosphere of healthy competition among high school woodworking students in a vocational or academic school system in Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Rhode Island and Connecticut. It is also intended to involve the woodworking industry through sponsorship and judging of this competition and future employment consideration of these gifted woodworkers.

On occasion, we may participate with other entities in supporting activities at regional vocational secondary schools. For example, when Worcester Technical High School of Worcester, MA contacted our Chapter with a need for lumber for their students last year, we contributed $500 worth of pine lumber for their use. What we know is that more and more schools have been forced to cut their budgets, and unfortunately the woodworking programs are among the first to be cut. Without our help the students at the Worcester Technical High School may not have had materials to work with that year.

On a national level, we have supported AWI and the U.S. Forrest Service’s very important attempt to develop universal Woodworking Skills Standards. Once published, these comprehensive metrics will enable schools and hiring firms to quickly and accurately assess an individual’s core competencies in many facets of the woodworking industry. They will also serve as tools to measure employee progress in those areas of competency. The aforementioned are examples of some of the responsible avenues served by your gracious support of the NEAWI Woodworking Scholarship/Education Fund.

BE A SPONSOR: This year, your NE Chapter of the AWI is so very proud to announce that it will commit all proceeds from sponsorship in Golf and Fishing events directly to the NEAWI Scholarship/Education Fund.

Sponsorship levels

PLATINUM $100
GOLD $ 75
SILVER $ 50
BRONZE $ 25

We set the Platinum level at $100, but any amount you give will be deeply appreciated. Prior to the Outing, all sponsors will be recognized as supporting the NEAWI Woodworking Scholarship/Education Fund. During the events, group posters listing all sponsors will also be prominently displayed at both venues, and again at the dinner party. Sponsors will be also featured in all published follow-up materials.

For Platinum sponsors, we will also make up dedicated signs with your Name. During the events, your dedicated signs will be prominently displayed at one or more Golf Holes or Aboard-Ship as you prefer. At the conclusion of the Golf & Fishing venues, all signs will be collected and displayed at the Dinner Party. After the outing, all signs will be safely stored away.

Silent Sponsorship Lottery for next event:

All sponsors are automatically entered in our Appreciation Lottery. One Manufacturer and One Supplier will be picked at random. Next event, those companies’ sponsorship amount will be confidentially pre-paid by NEAWI with special privileges.

For more information or to sign up:
Manufacturing Members: contact Shawn Keller SKeller@CWKeller.com
Associate Members/Suppliers: contact Andy Barra barra@flexwood.com

To download a printable copy of the 2008 NEAWI Woodworking Scholarship and Education Fund:
Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format
Microsoft Word (DOC) format

Reference notes about above-mentioned competition and associations:

FIFTH ANNUAL NEW ENGLAND
STUDENT WOODWORKING DESIGN COMPETITION May 27-30, 2008

www.mwcc.edu/programs/FWP/STUWWDES.html

LOCATION: Wachusett Community College, Gardiner, MA.

General Rules: The New England Student Woodworking Design Competition is open to students enrolled in high school woodworking classes in a vocational or academic school system in Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Rhode Island and Connecticut.
The judges will evaluate each project based on the following criteria:

A design too large for a 30"x72" display table will be placed on the floor. These designs must occupy a footprint space of less than 26 square feet (e.g., a 48" round table has a footprint size of 16 square feet).
As we learned from other competitions, size is not a factor in the judging.
The design may incorporate any material, but must include at least 50% visible wood products materials.
The design shall be functional for use in home or business.
The design shall have attached sketches, drawings, and/or blueprints.
Woodworking skills: machining & sanding.
Quality of applied finish: stain, topcoat, etc.

JUDGING: Judging will be performed by an independent panel of three or more judges, experts in furniture & architectural design.

PRIZES: Cash awards, prizes & gift certificates will be provided to the winning students through the generosity of our sponsors. Instructors, parents, and students are urged to contact sponsors and ask for support. "The more we get, the more we give."

AWARDS NIGHT: The Awards Ceremony will be held on May 30, 2008 at 7pm in the MWCC Fine Arts Gallery. Entrants and their families, friends, teachers, and sponsors are all invited.

The Forrest & Wood Products Institute: Mission Statement
www.mwcc.edu/programs/FWP/default.html

To improve the utilization of the renewable forest resource of Massachusetts for enhanced productivity and quality of life for its citizenry by:

Promoting the effective stewardship of the public and private forests of the Commonwealth;
Assisting private enterprise in the creation, maintenance, expansion, and marketing of forest products, including underutilized materials;
Promoting and demonstrating the role of forest biomass as a sustainable renewable energy source addressing the concerns of air quality, greenhouse emissions, and forest management practices;
Providing education in the skills and technologies relevant to the creation, maintenance, and improvement of a forest products industry which is competitive in a global economy;
Providing educational opportunities and promoting public awareness that addresses the issue of the balance of forest management and utilization as a means of sustaining forest resources.

Wood Products Manufacturing Association: Mission Statement
www.wpma.org/

The Wood Products Manufacturers Association's mission is to provide our members with the tools to help their business succeed. We provide our members with the finest information resources and services available. We take a personal interest in your business and want to be an important part of your success story.

The Association acts as a clearing house for solving problems of mutual concern and assists members in controlling costs. We promote healthy, profitable business environments and educational opportunities that assist members in developing skills for more competitive business operations.

WoodLINKS USA: “Developing workers for the U.S Wood Industry”
www.woodlinks.com/USA/home.html

Develops curriculum guidelines for U.S Schools
Tailors programs to match local industry partners
Develops core competency on Intro level and Advanced Level for:
Fine Woodworking, Furniture, Cabinet & Millwork, Entrepreneurship,
Windows & Doors, Manufactured Housing, Remanufactured Wood Products,
and Panel Products.

For more information on or to sign up for the 2008 NEAWI Woodworking Scholarship and Education Fund:
Manufacturing Members: email Shawn Keller SKeller@CWKeller.com
Associate Members/Suppliers: contact Andy Barra barra@flexwood.com

To download a printable copy of the 2008 NEAWI Woodworking Scholarship and Education Fund:
Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format
Microsoft Word (DOC) format

New England School of Architectural Woodworking Faculty Search

2008-06-06T10:05:00.000-04:00

(Posted on behalf of Greg Larson of NESAW)

The New England School of Architectural Woodworking (NESAW), in Easthampton, MA is an established woodworking school, seeking an instructor for our 9 month Architectural Woodworking program. This is a full-time position for 37 weeks from September through May, with the option of teaching more classes during the summer months.

Prospective candidates must have 10+ years of experience in architectural millworking/cabinetmaking (preferably AWI compliant), with at least 5 years of employment as a cabinetmaker/woodworker in a cabinetmaking shop.

Prior teaching and management experience a plus, but not required.

The ideal candidate will have the following qualifications:

Extensive experience with architectural millwork projects, including customer relations, design, drawing, estimating, cut-lists, milling, assembly, finishing and installation.
Familiarity with a wide variety of millwork, including free standing and built-in cabinets/bookcases, fireplace surrounds/mantles, mouldings, doors and windows.
Thorough understanding of materials, including all commonly used sheet goods, solid wood and its properties, veneers and plastic laminates.
Strong project management, organizational and multi-tasking skills.
Demonstrated ability to mentor and train others in a shop environment.
Basic knowledge of finishing techniques, including HVLP spray finishing.
Good working knowledge of shop drawings, including reading and hand drawing; Computer Aided Drafting (CAD) experience (particularly AutoCAD) a plus.
Experience with veneering and curved work a plus.
CNC experience a plus.

If you are a dynamic and enthusiastic individual who wants to both guide students as they learn new skills and become a part of an exciting and growing institution, please contact us. Pay is negotiable based on experience.

For more information on the school, as well as directions, visit our website at www.nesaw.com.

If you are interested in this position, please email Greg Larson at greg@nesaw.com, or call him at the school at 413-527-6103.

(Posted by Webmaster-NEAWI)

New England School of Architectural Woodworking End-of-year Recap

2008-06-06T09:35:00.000-04:00

(Posted on behalf of Greg Larson of NESAW)

We just finished a great year here at the New England School of Architectural Woodworking (NESAW), in Easthampton, MA. We had a great group of students and produced some truly outstanding and creative projects this year. You could sense the excitement in the students and the pride they took in their work. As the deadline (i.e. graduation) approached, the students on the critical projects volunteered to come in early and on weekends in order to finish them. I was very proud of all of them. Since we do real projects for real customers, the students exhibit a definite sense of ownership of the projects and it shows in the results, as you can see in the accompanying pictures.

I'm very excited because this Friday is the day that I take over ownership of the school. I am looking forward to working even more closely with NEAWI in the coming year to make sure that our program is meeting the needs of industry and that our students have the skills needed to succeed in a changing industry. I encourage anyone who is interested to visit the school, see what we have to offer, and find out more about our students.

You can also get more information on the school, as well as directions, on our website at www.nesaw.com.

If you have any questions, or would just like to chat about the school, either email Greg Larson at greg@nesaw.com, or call him at the school at 413-527-6103.

Here are some examples of the work of our students over this past year:

This was our biggest project this year. It's 13' long and built into an alcove in the wall and sports birds-eye maple veneer doors. The two students did a beautiful job laying up the veneer and fitting the doors. Needless to say the client was ecstatic. The 2x materials that we charge is a really good deal on these bigger projects.

This is a brochure kiosk for the local arts council. They wanted it to reflect the old town hall building that they reside in. One of the students was into marquetry, so he did the logo on the roofline using marquetry (Silas Kopf is right across the street from us, so we got some tips from him). The other student is into bandsaw art and wanted to do the tower. There are sliding doors in the back that conceal storage. Again, the client was extremely happy with it.

A set of four display cases for the local art gallery with angled sides.

The above projects were all in my class. This next one was done by the morning class by 4 students. It's a circulation desk for a library at a local high school. Another client very happy with a large project...

A DVD/VHS rack for a local library. We do lots of projects for libraries...

(Posted by Webmaster-NEAWI)

NEAWI May Meeting Cancelled

2008-05-20T11:00:00.000-04:00

Please note that the May NEAWI meeting has been cancelled due to lack of registration.

NEAWI Upcoming Meeting Announcement

CONSTRUCTION & EMPLOYMENT LAW
CANCELLED!
Wednesday MAY 21st, 2008
Doubletree Hotel Westborough

The NEAWI web site home and events pages, as well as this Chapter News blog, will have information about future upcoming events - both program announcements and the upcoming 2008 Golf and Fishing Outing.

AWI 2008 Cost of Doing Business Survey

2008-05-02T11:12:00.000-04:00

Message from the chapter president:

CODB

I have been asked by AWI national to remind all NEAWI manufacturing members to participate in the annual Cost Of Doing Business Survey ( CODB ). My company has submitted the CODB for several years and I have found the survey to be one of the most important benefits AWI has to offer. The data obtained from the CODB is an excellent method of comparing your company's compensation costs, benefits programs, and profitability to that of your competitors. While the task of entering your company data may seem daunting, I can tell you it is not that difficult. The quality of our regional information is greatly affected by the number of surveys returned by our chapter. I urge all members to take advantage of this valuable resource. Feel free to contact me anytime w/ questions at john@fcmillwork.com.

Regards,

John Ianiri
President, NEAWI

PS: The Cost of Doing Business Survey opened April 1, 2008. Those chapters which have the highest manufacturing member participation will receive prizes.

More Info: About the survey, what you need to fill it out, deadlines, downloading it, and submitting it — may be found here.

From that page:

CODBS is an annual financial and human capital benchmarking study on behalf of AWI.

What Do We Get? — 100 page book + e-tools customized with your data
Who Can Participate? — AWI's 1,000+ Manufacturing Members
First Day To Submit Data? — 4/01/08
Last Day To Submit Data? — 6/01/08
Results Mailed To Members? — 8/1/08
Estimated Time To Complete? — 2 - 3 hours
What Data Will We Need? — Financials, employee roster, compensation, benefits
What Software Do We Need? — You must have Microsoft Excel to submit your data

Download the MSExcel spreadsheet of the "AWI 2008 Cost of Doing Business Survey" here, and email the completed form to the address given here.

Construction and Employment Law

2008-04-29T14:28:00.000-04:00

NEAWI Upcoming Meeting Announcement

CONSTRUCTION & EMPLOYMENT LAW
CANCELLED!
Wednesday MAY 21st, 2008
Doubletree Hotel Westborough
5400 Computer Drive Westborough, MA 01581 (508) 366-5511

Directions to Doubletree Hotel

Associate Member Display Table –take advantage of this opportunity. 2 Associate members are invited to display their products at this meeting. Each member will have 5 minutes to address the group. Please call today to reserve a table (617) 444-8774

DREW W. COLBY is the founding partner of Colby Law Office, P.C. and has practiced construction law for over 20 years (www.construction-lawyers.com). Attorney Colby represents owners, design professionals, general contractors, subcontractors, and material suppliers on all construction related matters including payment issues, performance claims, and contract drafting and negotiating. Attorney Colby publishes a quarterly construction newsletter and has published numerous other articles in law journals and trade magazines. Additionally, he is a frequent lecturer on construction topics. Attorney Colby taught construction law at the Wentworth Institute of Technology in the Construction Management Program and presently serves on Wentworth’s Industrial and Professional Advisory Committee.

KERRI E. CAMARA: Prior to joining Colby Law Office, P.C., Ms. Camara graduated from the prestigious Roger Williams University School of Law ranked Number 5 in her class. Her construction experience extends over 9 years, most recently as a Contract Administrator. Ms. Camara also earned an Advanced Mediation Certificate from Brown University.

MICHAEL A. ZEYTOONIAN is a partner at Hutchings, Barsamian, Mandelcorn & Zeytoonian, LLP in Wellesley Hills, MA, focusing on employment and business law, collaborative law and mediation. He previously served in the Office of the Attorney General of the State of New York as a deputy overseeing litigation in Westchester, Rockland and Putnam Counties. His undergraduate education was at Boston College and Iona College; his J. D. from Pace University School of Law. He is admitted to practice in the state and federal courts of Massachusetts and New York and the state courts of Connecticut. He is a member of the American, Massachusetts and Boston Bar Associations, employment and alternative dispute resolution sections/committees. He is a member and past President of the Board of Directors of the Massachusetts Collaborative Law Council, a member of the International Academy of Collaborative Professions Civil Practice Section, the New England Association for Conflict Resolution and the International Ombudsman Association. He has written and presented frequently on dispute resolution and civil Collaborative Law.

Please join us for this Construction & Employment Law Program where the construction & employment law firms will discuss the following:

Payment Issues and Key Contract Terms
Employment Issues Including Hiring, Supervising, Evaluating, and Terminating Employees
Residential Construction Issues
Open Forum - Attendees to Discuss Current Business Relationships

AGENDA:

11:45 am Networking Reception & Associate Displays
12:15 pm Luncheon
1:15 pm Table Top Exhibitors presentation
1:30 pm Construction & Employment Law

Pre-Registration for program is required; registrations forms at www.neawi.org/events.html.
Please fax or email registration form, and mail payment to address on form or
TO PAY ONLINE go to www.neawi.org/events.html

NEAWI Active & Associate Members: $35.00 In advance or $40.00 at the door
Non-N.E. Chapter Members: $90.00 ($50 will be credited towards ‘08 dues)

First Quarter 2008 NEAWI activities

2008-04-01T09:56:00.000-04:00

In the first quarter of 2008, NEAWI has had two programs, open to members and their guests:

Employment Practices Liability, January 23rd
Hardware + LEEDS = Sustainability Success, March 26th

We've also encouraged our members to look at some events and programs by related organizations; you can see these listed on our links page (here).

There are two new members of NEAWI this quarter, one active/manufacturer and one associate/supplier:

Millwork One, of Cranston, RI
Bellows Products LLC, of Narragansett, RI

A warm welcome to our new members, and we look forward to your participation!

In addition to our new members, 19 of our members have updated their member profile pages during the first three months of the year. The active/manufacturer members with updated profiles are:

C W Keller & Associates, of Plaistow, NH
Chamberlain Co., Salem, NH
Colonial Woodworking, of Bradford, NH
Fairfield County Millwork, of Bethany, CT
Herrick & White, Ltd., of Cumberland, RI
J H Klein Wassink, Concord, MA
Kaufman Woodworking, of Torrington, CT
Kenyon Woodworking, of Jamaica Plain (Boston), MA
Mark Richey Woodworking, of Newburyport, MA
Procraft Corporation, of New Boston, NH
Wright Architectural Millwork, of Northampton, MA

The associate/supplier members with updated profiles are:

Architectural Millwork Installers, of Holland, MA
Berkshire Veneer Co., of Great Barrington, MA
B H Davis, of Grosvenordale, CT
CCB Inc. Construction Services, of Westbrook, ME
Carman and Company, Burlington, MA
Delmac Machinery Group, Westford, MA
Jacks Custom Woodworking, of Woburn, MA
Keiver - Willard Lumber, Newburyport, MA

These updates are most welcome; compared to the 19 this quarter, there were 11 member profile updates in all of 2007.

One of the other features of the new NEAWI web site is the member gallery of the work of the active members, both on the member's own profile page, and as part of a site-wide gallery (and rotated through the home page of the site). So far, 12 members have contributed pictures to the galleries, and we hope to see many more (use the Update Profile link on your profile page, to see instructions on how to submit images for the gallery).

Another feature of the new web site is a "Member's Bulletin Board", a membership benefit where members can post their own comments, news, classified ads, etc., and read the posts of other members. To read or post to that bulletin board, you have to sign up by responding to an invitation email. (If you're a member of NEAWI, and wish to receive this invitation, please email the webmaster.) So far, there have been 13 posts (articles or comments) to this bulletin board - we need more people signed up and contributing to make this discussion area a success.

Our new web site went "live" in early January. This new design is due to Veronica Ward, of Powder Springs (Atlanta), GA, and was implemented by her and the NEAWI webmaster, Charles McElwain, of Somerville, MA. Peter Kaufman and Dave Kenyon (for the NEAWI web site committee and the membership committee, respectively) also contributed to this design.

Thanks to all who attended the NEAWI programs, and to all who have been contributing to the new web site.

Open House April 3rd at New England School of Architectural Woodworking, Easthampton, MA

2008-03-03T06:48:00.000-05:00

The New England School of Architectural Woodworking (NESAW), in Easthampton, MA, will be having an Open House on April 3rd, 2008 from 3:30pm to 6 pm.

This is a great opportunity for you to see their facility, talk with their students, view the architectural projects their current students have constructed, and discuss employment opportunities with the students since they will be graduating at the end of May. As this is near the end of the nine-month course, most of the projects will either be completed, or nearly so, giving you a good idea of the skill level and ability of the students. We have several very talented students this year who would make great new employees!

NESAW teaches a life time skill in a 37 week architectural woodworking career training program. Instruction is practical, hands-on and realistic. Students learn basic and advanced woodworking skills, print reading and basic shop drawing skills, machinery operation, wood technology, basic finishing, tool and machine maintenance, safety procedures and shop operation. Actual experience is gained by working on real-life architectural projects for paying customers; private individuals and community agencies. By the end of the nine months, students have both the confidence and competence to enter the woodworking industry as productive employees. We work with woodworking companies locally, and throughout the country, to find the right employment opportunity for each successfully graduating student.

You can also get more information on the school, as well as directions, on their website at www.nesaw.com.

If you have any questions, or would just like to chat about the school, either email Greg Larson at greg@nesaw.com, or call him at the school at 413-527-6103, or on his cell phone at 413-561-3284.

(Posted for Greg Larsen of NESAW by Webmaster-NEAWI)

HARDWOOD + LEED® = SUSTAINABILITY SUCCESS

2008-02-14T10:18:00.000-05:00

NEAWI Upcoming Meeting Announcement:

HARDWOOD + LEED® = SUSTAINABILITY SUCCESS
This is an Educational Program; Attendees Earn 1 CEU & 1 HSW Credit
Wednesday, March 26^th, 2008

Royal Sonesta Hotel Boston
40 Edwin H. Land Boulevard, Cambridge, MA 02142

About Margaret Fisher:

Margaret Fisher of Saunders Wood Specialties in Park Falls, Wisconsin — Active in AWI for 22 yrs, both at the National and Chapter levels. She is the recipient of AWI's prestigious Claude Twillenmeier Award and is recognized nationally as an industry leader. She has collaborated on AWI's Education Planning Committee and helped develop a new 12 part pod cast series on WOOD+LEED® (available at LEED-for-woodworkers). Margaret is a certified provider for continuing education in woodwork detailing and sustainability issues.

Her lecture series are attended by design professionals all over North America.

Topic: Combining LEED® with custom woodwork is the hardest way to create beautiful wood interiors. Margaret's 2 hour program is here to help you find your way! Attendees learn about how the hardwood industry responds to the current LEED® Building Rating System as written by USGBC.

Issues covered include:

Brief History of USGBC & LEED®
What "Green Design" is
What LEED® tries to achieve
LEED® versions Credits Overview & Comparisons
Credit Score sheet
Wood Materials and the LEED® Credits they earn
Documentation needed for Submittals
FSC's Role
Helping designers make good, proactive WOOD choices
What's ahead? Potential Changes for LEED®

For more information, and pre-registration forms, see the NEAWI events page.

Seats are limited, and this event is only open by pre-registration; tickets will not be available at the door! Reserve Now!

Tickets are $35, for NEAWI members and guests. All guests from our design and specification writing communities will receive a copy of AWI's 8^th Edition QSI — a gift from the New England Chapter.

(NEAWI events and programs are usually only listed on our events page; this is being cross-posted here because it is a training event also.)

Sanding Sense 2008 Workshop @ Mount Wachusett College

2008-02-07T09:05:00.000-05:00

NEAWI is one of the co-sponsors of the "Sanding Sense 2008" workshop, @ the Forest and Wood Products Institute, Mount Wachusett College, MA, on April 9th, all day. Tuition is $249 per person.

From the description:

WHAT IS "SANDING SENSE 2008"?
A one-day intensive widebelt sanding basics, set-up, problem identification and remediation workshop. "Sanding Sense" was developed by Howard Grivna, a technical expert in the field of widebelt sanders for 48 years. President of Sanding Systems Consulting, Inc., Mr. Grivna has combined his technical and common sense approach to the science of widebelt sanding into a riveting and information packed seminar designed to save you money and time while improving throughput and quality in your shop.

For more information and the registration brochure, see the event page here, or contact Ken Hanson of the Forest and Wood Products Institute at his email here, or his phone 978-630-9179.

Other upcoming programs of the Forest and Wood Products Institute include:

Game of Logging Level 1-4 with Bill Girard: April and May 2008. $175
2008 Spray Finishing Technology Workshops with Steve Stalker: March 18 - 20 and August 5 - 7, 2008. $575
2008 OSHA-Construction 10 - Hour classes: Feb. 25 & 27, April 22 & 23, June 16 & 18 LOWER PRICE $189
2008 OSHA-General Industry 10 - Hour classes: Jan. 29-30, March 25-26, May 13-14. LOWER PRICE $179
2008 New England Student Woodworking Design Competition: May 26 - May 30. Schools are registering now. Info on our website.
THREE CREDIT CLASSES: WPT 110 Wood Structure and Properties, WPT 122 Wood Machining Technology, MET105 Introduction to Blueprint Reading

Making the most of the new NEAWI website

2008-02-01T09:16:00.000-05:00

To all NEAWI Members:

With the rollout last month of the new NEAWI website, we are encouraging all members to update their profiles with more current information.

To do this, simply click on the "Update Profile" link on your profile page, and fill out the form then displayed. That will be sent to the Webmaster, who will then update your profile, and let you know when the updates are "live".

Also, Active members may submit photos for display on the gallery on their profile page, as well as on the full site gallery, with rotation through the site home page. To submit photos (jpeg format, please), send them to webmaster@neawi.org

More importantly, there are two new bulletin boards/blogs on the site, which some or all of you need to sign-up for:

The Chapter News blog link on the new site, for all public chapter news, for members and for the world at large. It is authored by the NEAWI President, officers and board of directors. They have received email invitations to sign up, to be authors of this blog. Please respond to the invitation, or, if you have not received it or have misplaced it, please send a request to the webmaster@neawi.org to reissue the invitation.

The Member's Bulletin Board button/link is a private bulletin board, restricted and only visible to NEAWI members. Any NEAWI member can post to or read this bulletin board, but you must accept the invitation to sign up to be an author of this bulletin board. All members with valid email addresses have received invitations to sign up; if you have not received it, or have misplaced it please send a request to the webmaster@neawi.org to reissue the invitation.

Please note that on both of these bulletin boards/blogs, you do not have to have a Google/Blogger account; you can use your personal or corporate email address (the address which received the invitation).

If you follow these steps, we can all help make the new NEAWI site a success, and a useful tool for both all members and the public at large.

Thank you,
Charles McElwain
webmaster@neawi.org

Upcoming PIE Events in February, March & April

2008-01-23T09:13:00.000-05:00

To all PIE (Partners In Excellence) partners,

As we enter the New Year please be reminding your students of the upcoming PIE events and opportunities for Spring 08.

Feb 7th Spring Open House, 2:30pm - 4:00pm

Open to all interested students, parents, teachers and administrators. This event is designed to give those interested a chance to visit an operating woodworking environment, to come and see what we do, ask questions of our employees and build interest for future events and a potential career in architectural woodworking.

Mar 13th & Apr 17th Job Shadow Experience, 7:30am – 2:30pm

Spend the day with TAGC. This is an excellent opportunity for students interested in pursing woodworking as a possible career path. This experience provides students greater exposure to the woodworking industry, specifically TAGC. Students get to see us at work in our daily routine spending a portion of the day in our production and engineering departments where they can observe and ask more specific questions of our employees.

This past fall we were in the middle of office renovations which have been completed. Currently we are implementing badly needed computer hardware and software changes and upgrades. These implementations have forced us to cancel postpone our planned Student Internship program for the spring of this year. To those students who were planning to participate this spring we want to apologize and hope that you will be able to apply again next year.

We look forward to seeing all at the upcoming Open House on Feb 7th and thank you for your continued support of this program. If you have any questions or if you need any further information please contact me by e-mail directly. Those who have students interested in participating in the Job Shadow experience should let me ASAP so that I can reserve your spot.

Rick Bower
Engineering
The Anthony Galluzzo Corporation
14 Liberty Drive
Londonderry, NH 03053
Phone: (603) 434-6140 (Ext. 21)
Fax: (603) 434-2585
rickb@anthonygalluzzocorp.com
www.anthonygalluzzocorp.com

(Posted by Webmaster for Rick Bower)

Call for Golf Outing Volunteers

2008-01-15T16:52:00.000-05:00

HELLO NEAWI MEMBERS,

WE'RE LOOKING FOR ENTHUSIASTS TO VOLUNTEER FOR OUR ANNUAL GOLF OUTING.

PLEASE SIGN-UP TODAY AND MAKE THIS YEAR'S GOLF OUTING THE BEST EVER.

TO SIGN-UP TODAY OR FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: BRUCE CHAPIN OR MIKE SINRICH

2007 NEAWI Golf Outing Committee

Michael Sinrich, Northeast Regional Sales Manager, Blum Inc.
Office: 781-599-3994 Fax: 781-599-4247 Cell: 781-248-4410
E-mail: mike.sinrich@blum.com

Bruce Chapin, Atlantic Plywood
508-380-2205
Email: BChapin@AtlanticPlywood.com

Board Meeting January 23rd

2008-01-15T16:34:00.000-05:00

The next NEAWI Board meeting is at 8:30am, Wednesday, January 23rd, in conjunction with the chapter meeting that day (see the events page on the site for info on the chapter meeting).

Further information on the Board meeting for Board members will be posted in the restricted area. If you're a Board member (including officers and past presidents), and have not yet received the login/password for the restricted area, please contact Tye Waller (Executive Director, tye.waller@neawi.org) or Charles McElwain (webmaster, webmaster@neawi.org) via email including your phone number.

Welcome to the new NEAWI Website

2008-01-14T15:22:00.000-05:00

To All New England AWI Chapter Members:

Our New NEAWI Chapter Website Is Open for Business!

Recent visitors to www.neawi.org will have noticed the site's new look and layout, intended to provide tangible benefits for Chapter members, and the public at large. Some of the goals of this site re-design were to increase the usefulness and timeliness of the site, for both members and the public at large, provide more opportunities for member participation in the chapter, and to show the industry the advantages of membership in NEAWI. This new site design is the work of our Website Committee head Peter Kaufman, our Membership Committee head Dave Kenyon, the web site designer, Veronica Ward, our webmaster, Charles McElwain, and comments by other NEAWI members.

When fully operational, the site will provide these essential functions:

Member Profiles: A place where chapter members can declare their commitment to quality work, and Design Professionals and other millwork consumers can find capable sources for Architectural Woodwork. Each Active member profile page contains a mini gallery, where six images of work can be displayed. The combined mini galleries will form the site's central photo gallery, of which select images will randomly rotate to the site's home page.

Chapter News and Event Postings: A central source for information about chapter & member events, and other news, both as event postings and as a newsletter "blog", viewable by both the chapter members and the public at large.

Member's Only Bulletin Board: An online forum for members to share information and dialogue concerning the chapter, the industry, and the world in general. (This bulletin board will also provide an area for classified ads of items of interest to chapter members.)

The site is a work in progress, and as yet some of its functions have not been fully activated. Each member will soon receive an e-mail invitation from the Member's Only Bulletin Board (via Google) to sign up for a password admitting them to the member's only section of the site. (Officers and board members will receive an additional and separate e-mail inviting them to sign up for a password allowing them to post items to the Chapter News "blog".). Please follow the instruction in the email to accept this invitation, so that you will be able to sign on to, read, and post to, this bulletin board.

Members, both active and associate, are encouraged to submit updates to their profile pages, and active members are encouraged to submit pictures for the site gallery. The member profile provides a link to "update your profile" with sections for both information updates and picture gallery submission. (Further details on the formats of the gallery picture submissions will be posted on the Chapter News "blog".)

Please take the time to explore the site, and take advantage of its possibilities. And by all means send in your feedback. We want and expect the site to evolve over time, and you can help us send it in useful directions.

Thank you,
John Ianiri, President
Peter Kaufman, Website Committee
Dave Kenyon, Membership Committee
Tye Waller, Executive Director
Charles McElwain, Webmaster

2007-12-10T08:13:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the new NEAWI website!

Watch this space for more information on how to use the features of the new website! This information will appear on or around December 10th.

Thank you, and enjoy!

Veronica Ward, Atlanta, GA, Web Site Designer
Charles McElwain, Boston, MA, NEAWI Webmaster

2007-10-12T11:08:00.000-04:00

Message from John Ianiri:

September 28, 2007

Dear BOD,

Our chapter has had numerous requests from architectural firms for in house training sessions for their staff. Some of these are the result of an ad campaign by AWI national, who then referred them to NEAWI, others simply sought out our chapter.

NEAWI outreach committee is committed to fulfilling these requests, as am I. With your help, we can reach out to the architectural community and help our industry improve. AWI 's focus has always been education and I think it is vital for our chapter to get involved. We owe it to ourselves and our industry to train the next generation.

AWI national has developed a program based on the QSI. Each section is broken down into modules, can be covered in a 45 min "lunch and learn" session and qualifies for 1 learning credit. These can be presented very easily and the design firm can request which section best fits their needs.

Following the board meeting on October 17th @ 11:00 am we will have a representative from AWI national on hand to "train the trainers". The location will be in our Cambridge office and should last approxmately 4 hours. Our goal is to have approximately 10-15 individuals trained to do "lunch and learns". This number will allow us to call on an individual only once or twice per year.

I hope to see every board member there and encourage you to bring someone from the general membership. Please rsvp to tye.waller@neawi.org.

Regards,

John Ianiri

Millwork Trends by Jeff Crissey

2007-10-09T23:45:00.000-04:00

Like many parts of the woodworking industry, the molding and millwork sector is faced with increasing competition from overseas markets that pay employees pennies on the dollar compared to U.S. woodworking employees.

Modern Woodworking spoke with Matt Allen, current president of the Wood Moulding and Millwork Producers Association and president of Mt. Taylor Millwork, Milan, N.M., to discuss some of the latest issues and trends in the molding and millwork industry.

MW: What is the single biggest issue facing the molding and millwork industry today?

Allen: I believe the biggest issue facing the molding and millwork industry in the United States is offshore competition. As long as we have foreign competition paying their employees so much less than we pay our employees, we will be faced with a challenge that may one day become insurmountable. Our government has allowed a huge trade deficit to accumulate and continues to do so. I visited with a representative of one of these foreign-owed firms. He informed me that, on average, his company pays their workers around $425.00 per month.

If you take the average number of hours in a working month (173), and divide that into the $425.00, it works out to a pay rate of $2.45 per hour. Of course, there are other expenses involved for these companies in maintaining their employees and the argument has been made that the disparity is not as large as we believe. However, if the disparity is minimal, how is it that these firms are able to afford to ship their products thousands of miles and yet still beat U.S. manufacturers’ prices?

MW: What countries are rapidly encroaching on U.S.-made millwork?

Allen: Chile and Brazil are coming on strong. Mexico seems to have fallen to the wayside but I think we will continue to see product coming from New Zealand, and soon from the former Soviet block countries. I also believe that China will become a major player.

MW: What can U.S. molding and millwork manufacturers do to compete with the import invasion?

Allen: Our philosophy to try and compete with the import invasion is to try and provide the best service possible, excellent quality and to provide services that could be termed “value-added.” Value-added products might include specialized packaging, finishes and other additional things not offered by the imports.

MW: What factors in the United States have affected the molding and millwork industry?

Allen: I think the molding and millwork industry in the United States has changed in the face of the U.S. environmental movement. I feel that the environmental movement created a vacuum in our industry. Environmentalists tied up timber sales in court, which resulted in logging companies and sawmills being unable to survive. Demand for wood products has continued and the resulting vacuum is being filled by offshore competition. The ridiculous part is that we must log our forests. The devastating forest fires occurring, especially in the Southwest, are the result of the vast amount of raw material and debris available to burn. Currently there is grant money available for businesses that want to remove underbrush and small diameter trees from the forests. This is, of course, logging. Rather than remove useful products from the forest, we will be removing products containing very little if any economic value.

MW: What do you see as some of the emerging trends in millwork material and design?

Allen: I think that we will see more and more companies leaning toward producing low-end millwork such as MDF moldings. MDF is a neat product if your customers are interested in paint-grade millwork. It comes in consistently long lengths, is relatively easy to machine and has resulting low waste factors. On the other hand, I also believe that there will always be a niche market for manufacturers that specialize in solid lineal moldings. I don’t foresee any huge changes in species, rather a shifting in the marketplace away from those species easily provided by the foreign marketplace.

MW: What is the WMMPA’s outlook of the U.S. molding and millwork industry for the remainder of 2003 and into 2004?

Allen: This is difficult to answer as many of our members are involved in different aspects of the industry. Some of our members are expanding into more and more of the MDF market. Others are moving into value-added products to help maintain their market share. The bottom line is that although the market is brisk, profit margins are low for most members. Assuming the stock market continues to recover, we believe the market will stay steady. However, until our government does something about our trade deficit and blocks some of the influx of cheap imported millwork products, any economic recovery will actually benefit foreign economies rather than our own.