For the ninth time, tell us your success story, please.

Of all the annual reports we do, the WOOD 100 is the most enthralling because there is an air of mystery about it.

Whereas we knew long before we started this month's Top 25 survey of the office furniture industry that Steelcase was number one, we haven't a clue who will hold the top spot when the Ninth Annual WOOD 100 is published this September. based on past years, though, we do know that it will be a dynamic wood products company, soaring on the wings of dramatic growth.

Case in point is last year's top-ranked company, Dimension Millworks Inc. of San Antonio, TX. The 18-year-old custom millwork company, which employs 50 workers, racked up a sales increase of 128 percent between 1995 and 1996 in nearing the $3 million mark.

In 1996, Bonito Mfg. of North Haven, CT, became the first company to repeat as the fastest-growing firm profiled in the WOOD 100. Last year the manufacturer of clocks, case goods, kitchen cabinets, refacing and millwork logged in at No. 14, having generated sales growth of a "mere" 53.7 percent from 1995 to 1996.

No attempt to highlight some of the interesting and successful companies discovered in the WOOD 100 would be complete without a mention of Craig Graybar Furniture Works of West Allis, WI. Graybar Furniture has the distinction of being the only company to be profiled in all eight WOOD 100s published to date, during which time sales increased more than 600 percent from $126,000 in 1988 to $905,000 in 1996.

Companies like Dimension Millworks, Bonito Mfg. and Graybar Furniture epitomize what the WOOD 100 is all about - reflected in the slogan, "Not the Biggest, the Best." This is not to suggest that we have not featured some big companies in the WOOD 100. Last year's class, for example, included Blackhawk Furniture, Eurodesign Cabinets, Oak Craft Inc. and Woodland Container, to name drop a few of the companies enjoying sales in excess of $10 million.

Get with the Program

In an effort to locate the 100 most deserving companies to be featured this September, the WOOD 100 qualification form appears on pages 99 and 100 (how appropriate) of this issue. Please accept this as your personal invitation to be considered for the Ninth Annual WOOD 100 report. If desired, a form can be mailed or faxed to you; it is also available on our Web site: iswonline.com.

As previously noted, the WOOD 100 does not discriminate against companies for being too small or too large. There are, however, four major criteria that must be met to qualify. They include:

1. Your company is primarily a North American-based, secondary manufacturer of solid wood or composite products including, but not limited to cabinets, furniture, millwork and wood components. (Past WOOD 100 firms have included manufacturers of billiard cues, pallets, wooden novelties, etc.)

2. Your company has generated annual sales of at least $100,000 since 1995.

3. Your company's sales were greater in 1997 than in 1996.

4. You completely fill out the form on pages 99 and 100 and grant Wood & Wood Products expressed permission to edit the information for publication.

Many a good company has been left out of the WOOD 100 for failing to give us the go ahead to publish its sales information. Hopefully that will not be the case with your company.

As always, W&WP reserves the exclusive right to accept or reject entries and to edit submissions for publication. All decisions are final.

If you have any questions, please give me a holler at [phone], ext. 652; fax [phone]; e-mail [e-mail].

See you in the WOOD 100.