WMIA Announces 1998 Innovator, Educator And Exporter Of The Year Winners

Furniture World Magazine

The historic and elegant former residence of Pierre S. duPont III, Brantwyn, was the site for the 1 1th annual WMIA Innovator, Educator and Exporter of the Year Awards Presentation. In addressing the audience of more than 60 representatives of the woodworking machinery industry and media, WMIA President, Riccardo Azzoni, declared that the 1998 winners clearly demonstrate the foresight, ingenuity and creativity needed to succeed. The 1998 winners are: INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR, d-SCAN, Inc., a South Boston, Virginia-based manufacturer of ready-to-assemble home office furniture; EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR, the Furniture Manufacturing Technology Program of the Kent Career/Technical Center of Grand Rapids Michigan, and EXPORTER OF THE YEAR, Bush Industries, a leading manufacturer of readyto-assemble home and office furniture, based in Jamestown, New York. The fact that two of the winners, d-SCAN, Inc. and Bush Industries are top competitors in the hot RTA market is no surprise to any of us, Azzoni told the audience. "The RTA segment of the wood products industry has always taken the lead in adopting the latest manufacturing technology which in turn has led to greater productivity, manufacturing flexibility and the competitive edge it takes to win in the global market," stated Azzoni. "Yet all three of our winners share a common trait. Each is heavily involved in a focused industry/academic partnership designed to address the acute need for a knowledgeable, educated workforce." Azzoni went on to stress WMIA commitment to education. Citing the WMIA Educational Foundation, the association's leadership in sponsoring the Woodworking Industry Educational Forum and the WoodLINKS "Careers In Wood" CD-ROM high school recruitment program, Azzoni stressed the importance of increasing industry involvement in supporting all programs designed to attract the best and brightest to the wood products industry. EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR The Furniture Manufacturing Technology Program at Kent Career/Technical Center is one part of a large vocational training school overseen by Kent Intermediate School District. This unique facility draws its 2,400 students from more than 40 public and private high schools in the area. Students attend "half time" and can select from more than 25 different career options. This plan enables students to stay connected to their "home schools" where they continue their general academic work. This centralized approach to vocational training has reaped benefits for the 25-year-old Furniture Manufacturing Technology Program according to Martin Kroepsch and Ken Homrich, instructors of the program. "Centralization makes it possible to maximize community resources and our links to the business community," stated Kroepsch. "This system enables us to afford the latest machinery and technology so that the youngsters who graduate from our two year program bring good skills to their future employers." In addition to using the latest technology, the program also has on-going access to the knowledge and guidance of the business community. The Furniture Manufacturing Technology Program has a 12-person advisory board that helps develop, then continually revises and monitors the curriculum. "The involvement of the wood products manufacturers has been invaluable and integral to our ability to meet the needs of both students and industry," states Kroepsch. "Our students work on machines used in industry today. The skills and techniques they learn are in demand, now." This business/academic partnership extends beyond the classroom to student visits to various manufacturing facilities and individual student evaluations by members of the advisory board. The Kent Career/Technical Center puts high priority on after graduation placement. In 1997-98 there were 25 job referrals to the Furniture Manufacturing Technology Program for 11 graduates. Currently, the program has more than 40 full-time students and 27 students who rotate through the program as part of their general manufacturing focus. Recently, the Kent Career/Technical Center Furniture Manufacturing and Technology Program was selected as a pilot site for the WoodLINKS, USA cooperative education program. "This is a tremendous opportunity for us to expand our enrollment and do an even better job of training a future work force for the wood products industry," declared Kroepsch. EXPORTER OF THE YEAR The 1998 WMIA Exporter of the Year, Bush Industries, is a pioneer in the RTA industry and an industry leader both domestically and overseas. The company was founded in 1959 by Paul Bush, CEO, Chairman and the mastermind that took a small manufacturer of chrome-plated and plastic bathroom accessories and turned it into the 1 1th largest furniture manufacturer in the United States, today. From the successful introduction of the first pedestal IV stand in the early'70s, the company product lines of ready-to-assemble furniture for the office and home are now category leaders worldwide. Bush Industries currently employs 3,200 people in nine different locations in the US, Mexico and Germany. The company's total sales in 1997 were $325 million, with export sales averaging 6% of total sales, up from 3% in 1995. Having entered the global marketplace in 1991, Bush lines are currently marketed in 50 countries in Western and Eastern Europe, Canada, the Middle East, and Latin America, with Russia becoming a strong emerging market. Export sales have increased an average of 31 % each year since 1994. By participating in international trade shows and focusing on constantly expanding and improving its international sales force, Bush is strengthening its position in Eastern Europe and penetrating the heart of the European RTA market. The company cites product quality as the major factor behind its exporting success. Bush engineering and design standards are superior to not only domestic competition, but also exceed our global competition, according to Paul S. Bush president, CEO and Chairman of Bush Industries. "We are constantly adjusting our product, packaging and marketing programs to meet the needs of the individual market." states Bush. "For instance we recently created a Russian language catalogue and designed specific products to meet market demand such as wardrobes for the Middle East and smaller home entertainment centers for the U.K." "Providing our products to customers worldwide is an important venture for Bush and one that requires teamwork, from marketing to finance, to sales and manufacturing." In 1997, Bush was awarded the President's "E" award for Excellence in Exporting, by the Secretary of Commerce on behalf of the President of the United States. Bush Industries is the only furniture manufacturer in the last 10 years to receive this prestigious award. INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR 1998 Innovator of the Year, d-SCAN, Inc. is part of the d-SCAN group founded in 1968 in Ghana, West Africa, by Norwegian businessman, Paul Wallevik and the Diethelm Company of Zurich, Switzerland, a 150-year-old conglomerate. Originally, the company manufactured high quality teak furniture sold through Scandinavian furniture retailers. The company's South Boston, Virginia plant was built in 1988 and produced teak bookcases. The emerging home office trend provided the company with the opportunity it needed to expand. With the introduction of its first line of home office products, a ready to assemble desk in 1991, the company took off and never looked back. Today with annual sales of $15 million and 185 employees, d-SCAN manufactures and markets a full line of read y-to-assem b le home office furniture, library wall units and bookcases, multi-purpose carts and contemporary and teen bedroom furniture under the Danwood Collection brand. The company is known for its high quality veneers in teak, oak, maple or cherry. Customers also have an option of a white melamine finish. d-SCAN also offers a variety of accessories within its standard line. Raised panels, glass doors, decorative moldings and light and ladder kits enable personalization of the basic office units. The ability to customize, yet remain focused on the basics is part of the key to d-SCAN's success according to company president, David Nelson. " We customize our products to fit our customers' lifestyles, he states. "While the basics are still our most popular, many people want bells and whistles these days." To Nelson, the basics are their veneered flat-line products. The recently expanded 200,000 square foot production facility is a unique combination of highly automated technology of the flat-line production process and European hands-on craftsmanship of the veneering department. Getting the maximum yield from high quality, scarce hardwoods is a primary goal at d-SCAN which prides itself on achieving thicknesses of .5mm to .55mm as opposed to the norm in the US of 1/8". This attention to environmental and conservation concerns is also seen in the finishing operations. After much testing and experimenting with machinery and formulas, d-SCAN now uses high-solid finishes and water-based stains which reduced VOC emissions to near zero. Recognizing that new technologies require an educated work force, dSCAN has invested heavily in training its employees. The company has developed a partnership with the Southside Virginia Community College in Farmville, Virginia. The collaboration resulted in a customized training program which provided employees with 75 hours of training. The curriculum includes production control systems, statistic process control, OSHA regulations and team training. The program won the 1996 Rufus W. Beamer Excellence Award for Vocation a I-Tech n ical Education in Virginia. Nelson's goal is to make d-SCAN more competitive in the global marketplace by reducing the number of hands-on operations necessary to manufacture a high quality product. The company is currently involved in a $5 million capital investment program to help that goal become a reality. The WMIA Awards program is designed to recognize those woodworking companies and institutions that demonstrate leadership and innovation in their fields and use the best technology, equipment and systems available in pursuit of their goals. WMIA is a Baltimore, Maryland-based association comprised of companies, partnerships and individuals whose primary business is providing the North American market with the latest woodworking technology, equipment, machinery, computer software and distribution service channels available globally. The association maintains a home page on the worldwide web at hftp://www.wmia.org/wood/. For more information call (410) 931-8100. WMIA also may be reached by fax at (410) 931-8111, E-Mail at wmiahq@aol.com or by writing to WMIA, 5024-R, Campbell Blvd., Baltimore, Maryland 21236.