INDUSTRY NEWS l MEMBER NEWS l FROM THE PRESS l WMIA WEB SITE

Florida Awaits! WIC 2007 Just Around the Corner

The Renaissance Vinoy Resort & Golf Club in St. Petersburg, Fla. will host the 2007 Woodworking Industry Conference April 25-28. Registration for next week's event is high, reflecting the quality of the business and networking opportunities.

"Our members are looking forward to WIC, especially the contact table sessions which they feel are so valuable," says WMIA Executive Vice President Bill Miller. "This year's WIC promises to be second to none."

Complete WIC 2007 details are available on WMIA's web site.

One More Chance for Award Nominations

The deadline for mailing your nominations for WMIA's 2007 Innovator of the Year, Educator of the Year and Commitment to Excellence Awards has passed, but you can still have a chance at winning an HP 2225 NR laptop PC by bringing your nominations to WIC next week.

Nominees are eligible if they have not previously won an award. You must submit two names to be eligible for the laptop drawing which will be held April 24. Click here to download a nomination form.

Free Webinar: Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) - Maximizing the Productivity of Your Equipment

WMIA's next free webinar will be held May 22 at 2 p.m. E.S.T. It will address Total Productive Maintenance by answering these questions:

• How does equipment maintenance relate to your manufacturing capacity?

• How do you establish a maintenance schedule and what factors should be considered?

• What are the most common mistakes made by manufacturers related to equipment maintenance – and how do you avoid them?

• Why should a manufacturer establish a TPM Program?

• How has/or will a TPM program been beneficial for the company?

• What's the process you go through to maintain the program?

• Advice on Best Practices to be successful with a TPM program?

• What are the steps you go through in the TPM process?

Speakers

Bill Pyle of The Service Group, an independent machinery maintenance specialist.

Scott Denzin - Burrows Manufacturing, a Texas-based cabinet manufacturer who is currently implementing a TPM program. Scott is well-versed in TPM as he implemented a similar program at a supplier for the automotive industry.

Improving Margin with Product Mix: Mission Impossible

Most WMIA members are acutely aware of the need for improved gross margin performance. The challenge is how to produce higher margins in a highly price competitive-world. Very high on almost everybody’s list is to change the sales mix to sell more of the high-margin items. This would seem to have the potential to increase margins without any reduction in price competitiveness. DETAILS

Directory Coming in May

WMIA will complete its 2007 membership directory following the election of officers and directors at WIC next week. Look for your copy to arrive in May.

Erich Riebling Passes Away

Erich Riebling, President of Eric Riebling Co., Inc. died on Saturday, February 17, 2007. He was a longtime member of WMIA and a fixture in the woodworking industry for more than 40 years. DETAILS

WMIA Member News

Click here to read the latest from WMIA members. DETAILS

INDUSTRY NEWS

AWFS^® Fair Education Graduates to New Level

When the AWFS®Vegas trade show kicks off in July, the College of Woodworking Knowledge® (CWWKTM) will roll out a roster of 52 programs with a wide selection of topics and seminar lengths, providing attendees with numerous options for on-site education. DETAILS

All-New Wholesale Distribution Industry Trends Report Released

The NAW Institute for Distribution Excellence and Pembroke Consulting has released their flagship industry report titled Facing the Forces of Change®: Lead the Way in the Supply Chain. The report draws upon a broad set of data, including in-depth interviews with senior distribution executives, manufacturers, customers, analysts, professors, and association executives. It also includes survey data on nearly 1,300 wholesale distribution and manufacturing companies. DETAILS