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Tommy Tomkins is New Chairman of IWF

Charles R. (Tommy) Tomkins, President of Cresent Fine
Furniture Company, based in Gallatin, Tennessee, was named Chairman of IWF 2008 at the IWF Board of Directors meeting held in Atlanta, Georgia in early December 2006. The meeting included a strategic planning session focusing on long-range planning for IWF.

“The planning session let us focus on how we can continue to make IWF the predominant show now and in the future for the industry”, commented Tomkins.

Tomkins noted that the industry has undergone many changes since IWF’s early beginnings in 1970 as a woodworking fair in Louisville, and the pace of change continues to be rapid. “IWF is meeting those changes and the challenges they bring head on, addressing the critical issues facing the industry, including off-shoring, global competition, environmental concerns, outsourcing, new revenue streams and delivering high quality price competitive products to their customers,” he said.

“In keeping with the changing industry, IWF is continuing to expand its reach into more than woodworking segments to include windows/doors, surfaces and fabrication, flooring, plastics, architectural woodworking, raw materials, engineered wood products, composites, machine tooling, material handling, forest products and store fixtures,” he said. “As the industry continues to change, our exhibitors and buyers have changed their business models offering a wider array of products and services to meet their customer’s needs as they move to becoming a total business solution for their customer base.”

As IWF chairman, Tomkins noted: “Our plans for the 2008 Fair focus on the twin goals of continuing to build the size and breadth of the exhibitor base and to attract qualified buyers from diverse audiences worldwide by demonstrating that IWF is the one international event where exhibitors and buyers come together to make great things happen for the industry.”

As part of this focus, IWF will continue to explore partnerships with industry groups, trade publications, and manufacturers of machinery, supplies across the expanding marketplace to ensure IWF is meeting the needs of our exhibitor and buyer customer base.
 

About IWF- International Woodworking Machinery & Furniture Supply Fair-U.S.A. ®

The largest woodworking technology trade show in the Western hemisphere is held every other year at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, GA, and is ranked among the largest trade shows in the world. Recognized around the world as the preeminent event for introducing and selling manufacturing equipment, supplies and innovative new technology, IWF attracts over 43,000 visitors from every level of the industry and over 80 countries.

IWF 2008 will take place Wednesday – Saturday, August 20-23, 2008 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia, and is owned and sponsored by American Home Furnishings Alliance (AHFA), Wood Machinery Manufacturers of America (WMMA),

Woodworking Machinery Industry Association (WMIA).
For more information about the International Woodworking Machinery and Furniture Supply Fair-USA®, go online to www.iwfatlanta.com, or call 404-693-8333.