Industry Articles

September 7, 2010—A.R.E. member Bernhard Woodwork Ltd., based in Northbrook, Ill., was the top honoree for "Best Safety Achievement" in the large business category, says the Architectural Woodwork Institute (AWI) and its insurance safety partner, CNA.
    Each of the four honorees achieved the lowest incident rates of reportable injuries with the highest number of work hours for the previous year in their business size category. The AWI Manufacturing Members are being honored for their commitment to a safe working environment in the 2010 AWI/CNA Safety Awards Program. Other honorees include: Commercial Millworks, Inc., Orlando, Fla.; Jensen's Architectural Woodwork, Inc., Murray, Utah; and RCS Millwork, L.C., Ankeny, Iowa.
    A total of 77 Safety Awards were awarded to AWI Manufacturing Members in the three awards categories in the annual program.  All award winners will be recognized during the AWI/CNA Safety Awards Lunch on October 28, 2010, during AWI’s Annual Convention, October 27-29, in Denver, Colo.

August 17, 2010—Global architectural design firm HOK has launched a new business: HOK Product Design, LLC. Through this venture, HOK designers from across the firm will design products for use in and around the firm's core business of architecture and interior design. HOK Product Design will license its designs to manufacturers for fabrication and sale.
        "HOK has a history of harnessing our entrepreneurial culture as a way to advance our practice and profession. This is especially relevant in difficult economic times such as these," says Riccardo Mascia, AIA, a member of HOK’s Executive Committee and head of HOK's Idea Board. The Idea Board is a group of firm leaders and external business advisers charged with collecting, vetting, and funding proposals for new business pursuits from HOK's people.
        "Product design is a new outlet for our unique brand of design thinking that aims at creating value for HOK by creatively responding to the needs of a new range of customers, in addition to those of our current clients," explains Mascia. "We also want to offer our people new opportunities for creative expression and professional development."
        HOK Product Design, LLC, which is structured as a standalone business within HOK, is led by Susan Grossinger, former director of interiors for HOK Los Angeles. The business will support the development of products ranging from architectural and interior design to consumer, healthcare, and sustainable offerings. "Product design is a natural extension of what we already do in terms of developing innovative solutions to our clients' challenges. Our goal is to start from square one in terms of creating new concepts, as opposed to simply modifying existing products that are already on the market,” says Grossinger. “We also operate as an extension of HOK’s long-term leadership in sustainability, and are committed to having all our products enhance environmental quality.”
        The new company already has secured business arrangements with manufacturing partners for 12 products designed by HOK people.
        "HOK's global experience in strategic planning, workplace, healthcare, science and technology, and other specialties gives our designers the creative vision required to identify gaps between what's available in the market and products that can provide value to our clients while improving the experience, health and productivity of end users," says Grossinger. "We want to fill these gaps with our innovative product ideas."

NSF International certifies that TRIAD can manufacture equipment custom built in compliance with NSF/ANSI Standard 2 - Food Equipment in the company's St. Louis manufacturing facility. As an NSF Listed Company, TRIAD is responsible for compliance with all NSF requirements for Certification services. The company says that this is a major stride in providing equipment and fixtures for TRIAD's restaurant industry customers and future customers.

About NSF International
NSF International, an independent, not-for-profit organization, certifies products and writes standards for food, water and consumer goods to minimize adverse health effects and protect the environment (www.nsf.org). Founded in 1944, NSF is committed to protecting human health and safety worldwide and operates in more than 120 countries. NSF is a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Food and Water Safety and Indoor Environment. Services include education and training, safety audits for the food and water industries, dietary and nutritional supplement certification, management systems registrations (e.g. ISO 14001) delivered through NSF International Strategic Registrations and organic certification provided by QAI (Quality Assurance International).

About TRIAD
TRIAD Manufacturing Inc. was founded in 1991 to provide solutions to retail fixturing and store environments. TRIAD currently serves the industry in providing custom fixtures and fixture packages accompanied by customer service, project management, design services, prototyping, logistics and planning, site surveys, installation, and inventory management.

ACS Retail, a manufacturer of casework based in Marion, Ind., has expanded its facility. The addition of 2,500 square feet increased the size of the facility to 66,000 square feet, including 2,000 square feet of office space for the sales team, estimators, and designers. The company
credits the expansion to increased sales volume and a renewed effort to create a throughput process for materials and products. The company provides custom casework to retailers, medical centers, educational institutions, offices, and other customers. ACS plans to add a sales team to continue to grow the company, according to Phil Bowers, vice president of business development.

June 9, 2010—Charles J. Corsentino, chairman, president & CEO of Moss Inc. announced that the company has acquired the inventory and trade name “Pink Inc.”

The Pink brand name will continue under a new identity, “Pink Powered by Moss.” The addition of the Pink product line builds on the many synergies to be realized by the combination of the two national event and rental organizations. Moss currently services clients nationwide with locations in Chicago, Illinois, Salt Lake City, Utah, Belfast, Maine, and Las Vegas, Nev. This new venture will allow Moss to have a major presence in New York City, which has been a long-desired strategy for Moss.

Debra Roth, the former owner of Pink Inc., has been named director of design and creative Events for the new organization. Roth brings more than 20 years of design and creative experience to the new venture. Corsentino said, “The combination of Moss and Pink will offer a wide breadth of new products and services to the market place. The regionalization of our event and rental products will permit Moss to service clients nationally on a more competitive and efficient basis.”

Pink Powered by Moss will operate out of a new New York City location and will service clients on a regional and national basis. Corsentino said, “With the quick turnaround expectations from customers nationwide to deliver fabric structures, print and display hardware products, and event decor that is top quality, Moss will have a stronger national presence and will add more value to its offerings.” Roth echoed that sentiment, saying, “The combination of these two product lines puts together the very best of both companies and will give the market the most comprehensive event product line in the market.”

June 4, 2010—Architectural Systems Inc. (ASI) received an Award of Excellence at the 14th annual IIDA/HD Award of Excellence in the Specialties category for Embossed Wood for its Geometrix™ Collection at the Hospitality Design Exposition & Conference 2010 in Las Vegas. The award is based on, but not limited to, innovation, technical advancements, environmental responsibility, and aesthetics. The industry-leading panel of judges who visited the tradeshow booth was especially impressed by the adaptability and creative ways in which Geometrix™ Collection was applied in the areas that conveyed where guests can work, rest, and play.

Architectural Systems has exhibited at HD Expo for the past seven years and this is the fourth IIDA/HD Product Design Award for ASI materials. When planning the exhibition space this year, Architectural Systems decided to depart from the traditional tradeshow booth concept to best showcase how ASI materials heighten the guest experience. To achieve this, the company collaborated with designer David Ashen of dash design, and global resource Fleetwood. 

The booth was transformed to evoke the various zones of a hospitality project - the public spaces (common areas, restaurants and bars) and the private sanctuaries (guestrooms, spas, and other quiet areas). Crafted from contrasting and textured interior finishes, these applications demonstrated how materials influence the mood throughout hospitality environments.

Combining avant-garde designs and state of the art technology, the sustainable Embossed Wood – Geometrix™ Collection has also earned the Green Initiative Award from Multi-Housing News and is an Interior Design Best of Year Merit Winner.

idX Corporation has opened a new office in California to better serve its clients in the region and to enhance its construction management capabilities nationally.

The new office and management team will build upon idX's established Integrated Strategic Services (is2), which supports all aspects of retail roll-outs, from contracting and site surveys to architectural work and installation.

Heading up the new office is Gene Wilson, who comes to idX from Palladeo, where he was vice president of construct, Palladeo's retail construction management and general construction division. Wilson has more than 25 years of experience in construction, project management, land development, and architecture.

Leading project management operations in the Southern California office is Mark Adelman, who was a project manager at Palladeo. Prior to Palladeo, he was branch manager with W.W. Grainger.

Commenting on the expansion, Wilson said: "The skill set of our team, combined with idX's extensive manufacturing capabilities and financial stability, will allow us to better serve the needs of the active West Coast retail market."

"Our project management operation will support idX's client base in this region, delivering high-quality, fast-track results," Adelman said.

The California team also broadens idX's design-build capabilities. "The idX team has gained tremendous expertise with the addition of Gene and Mark," said idX CEO Terry Schultz. "Their background enhances our construction management capabilities, in addition to areas such as design services, soft remodels and general contracting."

The new office is located at 14248 Albers Way, Chino, CA 91710. Phone: 951-712-5491.

About idX
idX Corporation, based in St. Louis, manufactures consumer environments, and offers comprehensive technical capabilities,project management, and turn-key retail services for the retail, hospitality, financial, and point-of-purchase markets. To meet the needs of global customers, idX has eight facilities and offices worldwide housing more than 1,700,000 square feet of manufacturing and warehousing space, and 700 employees. idX's clients have included Clearwire, Guess?, Levi's, Ralph Lauren, Microsoft, Marriott Corp., Tommy Hilfiger, Express, Starbucks, CitiGroup, Calvin Klein, Charles Schwab, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Old Navy, JCPenney, TJX, Hanes Brands, T-Mobile, Kroger, Chico's, and Michael Kors.

March 31, 2010 — Timber Products Company, a manufacturer of hardwood plywood, has been approved by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) as an ultra low-emitting formaldehyde resin manufacturer of wood products. The designation means the company is exempt from third-party certification requirements under the CARB regulations for its veneer core hardwood plywood made at its Medford, Ore., facility.
 
"As one of the earliest CARB-certified manufacturers, this exemption means our customers can be assured that every veneer core panel we produce will meet California's Phase 2 formaldehyde regulations," said Timber Products Vice President Roger Rutan. "Also, this certification allows us to reduce the amount of testing, lowering our overall costs. Keeping our panels cost-competitive is critical to our customers."
 
CARB Phase 2 requirements for veneer core hardwood plywood went into effect Jan. 1, 2010, with lower formaldehyde emission levels than in Phase 1 of the program. Raw particleboard and MDF have an additional year, until Jan. 1, 2011, to comply with Phase 2 emission levels. Hardwood plywood with a composite core has a deadline of July 1, 2012.
 
Timber Products' mills in Medford, Ore., Grants Pass, Ore., and Corinth, Miss., have all earned Phase 2 certifications to produce CARB-compliant hardwood plywood.
 
About Timber Products
Founded in 1918 and based in Springfield, Ore., Timber Products Co. offers a wide range of diversified wood products and specializes in hardwood plywood. Timber Products owns nine manufacturing facilities across the United States, an international division, and 118,000 acres of forestland in Northern California managed under the strict standards of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI®) program. Timber Products is authorized to carry the SFI label and began offering products certified by the Forest Stewardship Council in 2007. The company also operates TP Trucking, a nationwide transportation division.