The International Woodworking Machinery & Furniture Supply Fair in Atlanta’s Georgia World Congress Center is one of the world’s largest trade shows for the furniture manufacturing, architectural woodwork, custom and general woodworking industries. For the past few shows, it’s also offered products and services that go beyond woodworking to include the engineered wood product, composite, wood substitute, display and store fixture, plastic fabricating, flooring, surfacing and laminating, and upholstery industries.

For 2008, IWF expects more than 1,300 exhibiting companies in over 800,000 square feet of exhibition space. IWF 2008 expects more than 43,000 attendees from companies of all sizes, who come from more than 80 countries to see the latest technology in machinery, supplies, and services available to the marketplace. The largest trade show of its kind in the western hemisphere, IWF also includes a new product showcase, a technical conference program, the Challengers Distinguished Achievement Awards®, and the Design Emphasis 2008 student furniture design awards.

For more information on exhibiting companies, floor plan, and to search for exhibitors by product and services categories, see IWF’s web site www.iwfatlanta.com.

IWF is owned and sponsored by American Home Furnishings Alliance (AHFA), Wood Machinery Manufacturers of America (WMMA), and Woodworking Machinery Industry Association (WMIA).

A.R.E. at IWF
Stop by and visit A.R.E. at our booth, A434, in Building A, near the Marietta Street entrance to the Georgia World Congress Center.

A.R.E. is holding a reception for members following the end of the first day of the show, Aug. 20, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in Room A403, not far from A.R.E.’s booth. For details or to R.S.V.P., contact Shawn Pariaug, 954-241-4827, or e–mail shawnpariaug@retailenvironments.org.

In addition, A.R.E. is sponsoring the session “Improving the Bottom Line,” with speaker John Mackay, president of Mackay Research Group and producer of A.R.E.’s annual Industry Financial Performance Report. Register to attend through IWF’s Web site. The session will take place on Thursday, Aug. 21, 3:30 to 5:00 p.m., and focus on financial performance in the woodworking industry. Mackay will place specific emphasis on becoming a highprofit– performing company and how to improve results.

A.R.E. has reserved a block of rooms at the Westin Peachtree Plaza hotel, which is within easy walking distance of IWF. For more information, see www.retailenvironments.org/iwf/.

Improving the Bottom Line A.R.E.–sponsored Session Ι Thursday, Aug. 21, 3:30 – 5:00 p.m.
	Speaker: John R. Mackay, president of the Mackay Research Group, a research and executive education firm headquartered in Lafayette, Colo., and producer of A.R.E.’s annual Industry Performance Report In this session, speaker John Mackay will review the results of financial performance in the woodworking industry in North America, with particular emphasis on separating highprofit– performing companies from typically performing companies. In many woodworking companies, top management has a clear understanding of how to improve results. Owners are focused on company performance–sales, gross margin, inventory turnover, and ultimately the bottom line. Employees, however, tend to focus on their own results– compensation, benefits, and job security. In order to get a total firm commitment to profit improvement, the essentials of profitability must be understood by owners, by managers, and by key operations employees. This session will provide an understanding of the key factors that influence profitability in our industry and reasons why the high–profit firms, and their employees, have become more successful. Register to attend this session through IWF. More information and links to registration pages are available through www.retailenvironments.org/iwf/.

IWF Preview
A.R.E. invited our associate members (and members with associate member upgrades) who are exhibiting at IWF to tell us about what they’ll be showing at their booths. Below are some of the highlights they provided. For a full list of A.R.E. members who are exhibiting, see page 30.

Delmac Machinery Group Inc.
Booths 8806, 8922
Delmac and IDM will display machinery with PUR hot melt system. PUR hot melt adhesives provide a bond between substrate and edgebanding. IDM has worked with Nordson to provide the Nordson MC4, a small Quick Melt pre–melter that is machine mounted and holds 4 kg of PUR hot melt in either 2 kg cartridges or granules. It can be used as the only glue system or paired with an EVA Quick Melt System to provide change–over from PUR to EVA and vice versa in less than 3 minutes.

Hâfele America Co.
Booths 2300, 2207
Hâfele now offers its Rafix panel connectors in seven colors—Wheat, Tan, Cinnamon, Brown, White, Beige, and black—to match popular panel finishes. A variety of connecting bolts, a flush connector, and cover cap allow for connecting various applications and flat–panel stacking.

Hera Lighting LP
Booth 2507
Hera Lighting will be showing quality lighting solutions for cabinets, furniture and displays.

IMA America Corp.
Booths 9326, 9430
IMA America and Schelling America will present their newest products at IWF for CNC–controlled panel sizing, edgebanding, and machining of panels.

Kenstan Lock Co.
Booth 2621
Kenstan will be demonstrating its Snap Bolt Drawer Lock controlled keyway. The product is also available in Keymatic, Medeco® ASSA®, ABLOY® and I.C. Core lines.

Lamin–Art Inc.
Booth 2526
Lamin–Art announces that its entire line of premium high–pressure decorative laminates have been GREENGUARD certified by the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute. The company will be showing its 10 newest Premium Wood Prints, featuring realistic interpretations of exotic and domestic wood species and ecoinspired originals.

Roseburg
Booth 2500
The company’s SkyBlend particleboard can now be specified as FSC Certified. SkyBlend is available in its raw form, as well as Duramine Melamine Panels and Roseburg Hardwood Panels.

The Sherwin–Williams Co.
Booth 3007
The company will be featuring its Sher–Wood® KEM Aqua® Plus coatings, a water–reducible, self–sealing, clear finish that offers durability and mar resistance. When combined with a UV absorber, the company says that Sher–Wood® KEM Aqua® Plus significantly reduces damage and discoloration caused by sunlight.

Stevens Industries
Booth 1931
The company will be showing its new StevensWood–GRN™ laminated panels and components. They panels combine the company’s “Real Wood Look and Feel” melamine finishes with NAF “Green” cores.

Stiles Machinery Inc.
Booths 9262, 9240, 9226
Stiles, a supplier of advanced CNC equipment for panel processing, solid wood, and related industries, will introduce the new Wemhôner Eagle membrane press, designed for a variety of 3D products using veneer and/or rigid thermo foil. Available with one or two trays, the Eagle will produce components from materials such as PVC, PET, Kydek, standard rigid thermoplastic foils, and veneer.

TIGER Drylac U.S.A. Inc. Powder Coatings
Booth 4967
In addition to its large array of colors and finishes for MDF products, the company will introduce new “Super Smooth” high–gloss surface MDF powder coatings, and Nano–technology–based “Abrasion Resistant” powder coatings for metal and MDF.

TradeSoft Inc.
Booth 4335
TradeSoft will show how its customizable estimating and job management software can help custom manufacturers improve contact management, estimating, quote generation, scheduling, job costing, purchasing, and inventory. Real–time shop–floor data collection completes the loop, tying front office and shop together.

Wind Mill Slatwall Products
Booth 1815
Wind Mill will be showing its custom slatwall, DASHwall™,PROFILEwall™, Cubewall, RTF painted panels, and custom slatwall component parts.