Ground breaking: plans for expansion and continued growth--particularly in the cabinet sector--give hope to North America's woodworking industries.Amidst the downright down·right adj. 1. Thoroughgoing; unequivocal: a downright lie. 2. Forthright; candid. adv. Thoroughly; absolutely. depressing news of Lost jobs and plants closing to move overseas, Wood & Wood Products has found plenty of reasons to be hopeful for the woodworking industry's future in North America North America, third largest continent (1990 est. pop. 365,000,000), c.9,400,000 sq mi (24,346,000 sq km), the northern of the two continents of the Western Hemisphere. . To a Large degree, this hope comes in the form of new plant openings, expansions and renovations that look to create thousands of jobs. And while these expansions are occurring in all different segments of the industry, it should come as no surprise that the cabinet industry--continuing its unprecedented growth--is leading the way. Some of the biggest names in cabinets foresee growth numbers that beg for new plants and more employees in the future. Aside from the cabinet industry, companies specializing in veneers, seating, laminating lam·i·nate v. lam·i·nat·ed, lam·i·nat·ing, lam·i·nates v.tr. 1. To beat or compress into a thin plate or sheet. 2. To divide into thin layers. 3. , flooring, doors and others bring their own expansion projects to the table. Some projects are bigger than others, but all show a strong commitment to keeping the woodworking industry firmly rooted in North America. Cabinetry cab·i·net·ry n. Cabinetwork: finely detailed cabinetry. Noun 1. cabinetry - the craft of making furniture (especially furniture of high quality) cabinetwork Still Leading the Way Companies do not simply break ground on a new $106 million plant, as KraftMaid Cabinetry did last October, without knowing that growth and profits will be a certainty in the future. KraftMaid's plans for a 840,000-square-foot plant in West Jordan West Jordan A city of northern Utah, a suburb of Salt Lake City. Population: 73,300. , UT, speak volumes for the way the cabinet industry has truly been the shining star of the North American North American named after North America. North American blastomycosis see North American blastomycosis. North American cattle tick see boophilusannulatus. woodworking world. After KraftMaid recently invested $25 million in renovations to three of its Ohio-based plants, the company was ready to expand elsewhere. So, with the eastern United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. well-represented, KraftMaid decided to stake its claim on the ever-lucrative western U.S. cabinet markets. "Our new western facility will help to support the continuation of our dynamic growth throughout the country, and will provide better service for our customers in the western and central states," says KraftMaid President Tom Chieffe. The West Jordan facility, scheduled to begin production in early 2007, will be KraftMaid's first plant located west of the Mississippi River Mississippi River River, central U.S. It rises at Lake Itasca in Minnesota and flows south, meeting its major tributaries, the Missouri and the Ohio rivers, about halfway along its journey to the Gulf of Mexico. , high-lighting the importance the company has placed on reaching other markets. At full capacity, the new plant will employ 1,300 workers and have the ability to produce all of KraftMaid's product lines, says Kim Craig Kimberly Diane "Kim" Craig is a fictional character in the Australian sitcom Kath & Kim, portrayed by Gina Riley. Kimberly (referred to as Kim) is a community phone center operator who, despite her "people skills", would rather complain and harass her mother, even after moving back , the company's marketing manager. The West Jordan facility essentially will be combining all three of KraftMaid's Ohio plants, but under one roof to help in reducing Lead times to customers on the West Coast. "We continue to forecast that we will need to increase our capacity, and the West Jordan facility is intended to do that," Craig says. "The western United States Noun 1. western United States - the region of the United States lying to the west of the Mississippi River West Santa Fe Trail - a trail that extends from Missouri to New Mexico; an important route for settlers moving west in the 19th century is a high-demand area, and we need to establish a physical presence out there in order to better service our customers in that region. Having a physical presence there, I think, will be a great advantage." Cabinet giant Elkay Group--parent company of MasterCraft Cabinets Inc., Medallion Cabinetry and Yorktowne Cabinetry--has a number of expansion projects planned, underway or recently completed. "Business is good. That's the short of it," says Tom Cook, president of the Elkay Cabinet Group. "There is strong demand in the business, and we need these facilities to meet the demand of our customers. I think we all know that the new home building business has been very good the Last few years, along with the remodeling remodeling /re·mod·el·ing/ (re-mod´el-ing) reorganization or renovation of an old structure. bone remodeling business. That is driving the demand." Consumer focus on entertaining and kitchen upgrades are other factors driving the cabinet industry. Cook adds that continuing trends, including the "house-as-a-palace" mentality, continue to bolster his company's growth. Yorktowne will open its new Cane Creek manufacturing facility near Danville, VA, by the end of this month. The $19 million, 255,000-square-foot plant is located on 54 acres of land, and according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. Yorktowne, will be capable of producing 1,600 cabinets a day once the facility is at full capacity. Plans call for the hiring of 325 employees during the first year of operation. The Cane Creek plant will produce components and house fabrication fabrication (fab´rikā´sh  n),n the construction or making of a restoration. , finishing and assembly operations. Dennis Scully, executive vice president and general manager for Yorktowne, says that several factors led to the building of the new facility. like others in the industry, Yorktowne's forecasts for continued growth in the remodeling and new home sectors--particularly in the southeastern United States--look promising. Scully also says that the construction of the new facility was a result of his company being responsive to customer needs in "an ever-changing market environment." These factors, along with Yorktowne's growth in the semi-custom cabinet market, have all led to the company's new digs in Danville. Meanwhile, another Elkay company, Medallion, recently did some ribbon cutting of its own; Medallion's new plant in New Ulm New Ulm (ŭlm), city (1990 pop. 13,132), seat of Brown co., S Minn., at the confluence of the Minnesota and Cottonwood rivers; inc. as a city 1876. , MN, was christened this past October. The 60,000-square-foot facility is dedicated to manufacturing cabinet doors, drawer fronts, face-frame components and linear moldings to be supplied to Medallion's production facility in Waconia, MN. "The extensive planning and technology to bring this plant to operation is reflective of the disciplined growth that we've championed at Medallion for the last ten years," says Cook. "This plant [New Ulm], like our existing facilities, is built on the principles of lean manufacturing Lean manufacturing is the production of goods using less of everything compared to mass production: less human effort, less manufacturing space, less investment in tools, and less engineering time to develop a new product. . That one-door-at-a-time commitment has helped fuel Medallion's growth by allowing us to custom-build each individual cabinet order, while maintaining our lead times at a very steady and competitive four weeks." In addition to Medallion's 1,000-plus employees, the New Ulm facility is expected to employ 45 people during its first year, the company says. Medallion has also purchased a building in Lanark, IL, that in May, will manufacture its new line of inset door cabinetry. Just recently, Medallion began production in a new facility in Culver cul·ver n. A dove or pigeon. [Middle English, from Old English culufre, from Vulgar Latin *columbra, from Latin columbula, diminutive of columba, dove.] , IN. The company purchased the building in Culver last spring and has since refurbished it into a cabinet manufacturing facility. Rounding out Elkay's trio, MasterCraft has recently announced plans to consolidate its two Denver-based plants into a single, new building located in a 182-acre industrial park in Aurora Aurora, cities, United States Aurora (ərôr`ə, ô–). 1 City (1990 pop. 222,103), Adams and Arapahoe counties, N central Colo., a growing suburb on the east side of Denver; inc. 1903. , CO. The company says the new facility will serve as both a light manufacturing facility, and as a regional distribution center. "MasterCraft is committed to continuing our long-standing relationship with the community of Aurora," Cook says. "We look forward to building our business with the increased efficiency and enhanced service Enhanced service is service offered over commercial carrier transmission facilities used in interstate communications, that employs computer processing applications that act on the format, content, code, protocol, or similar aspects of the subscriber's transmitted information; that we'll reap by consolidating our Aurora operations." The plant relocation RELOCATION, Scotch law, contracts. To let again to renew a lease, is called a relocation. 2. When a tenant holds over after the expiration of his lease, with the consent of his landlord, this will amount to a relocation. is expected to take place by the end of this May. Another top cabinet manufacturer also is growing its business, from eight plants to nine. On Aug. 10 of last year, Merillat Industries Merillat Industries was founded in Adrian, Michigan as an American manufacturer of kitchen cabinets in 1946 by Orville D. Merillat. Now retired, Richard Merillat, took over from his father as CEO and President. LLC (Logical Link Control) See "LANs" under data link protocol. LLC - Logical Link Control , a Masco Company, began construction of a new, 350,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Los Lunas, NM. The decision to build in New Mexico New Mexico, state in the SW United States. At its northwestern corner are the so-called Four Corners, where Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah meet at right angles; New Mexico is also bordered by Oklahoma (NE), Texas (E, S), and Mexico (S). was based on the quality of available workforce, economic development incentives and logistics compatibility in relation to production distribution, according to the company. Merillat expects to have the new plant operational by the end of the year. In the March 2005 issue, W&WP introduced American Woodmark American Woodmark is a fully integrated, stock and semi-custom, just-in-time cabinet manufacturer, headquartered in Winchester, Virginia. The company operates 15 manufacturing facilities, in Arizona, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Virginia, Corp.'s new facility in Allegany County Allegany County is the name of two counties in the United States of America:
"The Allegany County plant was built with growth in mind, and contains the capacity required to ramp up Ramp Up To increase a company's operations in anticipation of increased demand. Notes: A company might 'ramp up' operations if they just signed a contract creating substantially more demand for their product. See also: Demand, Economies of Scale as business conditions call for the company to produce more cabinetry," says Bryan Earl, American Woodmark's vice president of marketing communications Marketing communications (or marcom) are messages and related media used to communicate with a market. Those who practice advertising, branding, direct marketing, graphic design, marketing, packaging, promotion, publicity, sponsorship, public relations, sales, sales . The plant began operation with 88 new employees, but that number has since grown to more than 225 people, and is expected to increase to 500 as American Woodmark continues to grow, Earl says. "The addition and continued growth of American Woodmark's Allegany County plant has allowed the company to more efficiently supply cabinetry to its customers located in the Northeast and Midwest regions of the United States," Earl says. American Woodmark's growth has Led to its acquisition of another site in Garrett County, MD. Earl says that once market and business conditions require the company to add additional capacity, the new site will house American Woodmark's 16th manufacturing facility. Expansions Abound Growth and good business certainly have not been Limited to the cabinet industry. Companies from all sectors of woodworking are expanding their businesses. Some, like 3B Inc., have even brought overseas business to the United States. W&WP compiled a List of exciting new expansion plans from companies around the industry. * 3B INC. Products: Thermofoil-coated cabinet doors New: 150,000-square-foot plant Where: Danville, KY Investment: About $30 million Added Employees: 20, to grow to 100 by mid-2007 New Equipment: Various manufacturers Online: March 2006 Web Site: www:3busa.com With the new plant delivering thermofoil-coated cabinet doors on a just-in-time basis, 3B Inc., an offshoot of 3B Italy, "can participate as a major player in the North American market," says its general manager, Erik Verhoeff. Italy's 3B S.p.A. established 3B Inc., its first North American venture, to eliminate the longer delivery times that its North American customers were experiencing in importing. 3B sells contemporary, European-style doors to major players in the cabinet industry and also to smaller cabinetmakers through distributors and dealers. The plant, in a renovated storage facility, wilt manufacture doors on a very short turnaround time (1) In batch processing, the time it takes to receive finished reports after submission of documents or files for processing. In an online environment, turnaround time is the same as response time. for its customers, Verhoeff says. The doors will be built one kitchen at a time, in a departure from the mass production used in Europe. "You can order a kitchen door and we will build that particular door," he says. Capacity is between 8,000 and 10,000 doors daily. * TAFISA CANADA Products: Particleboard par·ti·cle·board or particle board n. A structural material made of wood fragments, such as chips or shavings, that are mechanically pressed into sheet form and bonded together with resin. and melamine melamine (mĕl`əmēn'), common name for 2,4,6-triamino-1,3,5-triazine. Melamine is a trimer (see polymer) of cyanamide, H2NC≡N, and is synthesized from calcium carbide. surface panels New Plans: Fourth melamine Line, 50,000 square feet Where: LacMegantic, Quebec Investment: $10+ million (U.S.) Added Employees: None New Equipment: Wemhoner press Online: July 2006 Web Site: www.tafisa.ca The addition of a fourth melamine line, built around a new Wemhoner press, underscores Tafisa Canada's commitment to its value-added melamine business. With the $10 million-plus investment, the particleboard and melamine-panel manufacturer is responding to market demand, says Eric Dedekam, vice president of sales and marketing. The company has long been a leader in the development of colors not of the white race; - commonly meaning, esp. in the United States, of negro blood, pure or mixed. See also: Color for melamine, he says, and "we felt there was a true opportunity for Tafisa to expand in this value-added area." In doing so, he says, Tafisa will help its customers achieve differentiation for their products and lessen less·en v. less·ened, less·en·ing, less·ens v.tr. 1. To make less; reduce. 2. Archaic To make little of; belittle. v.intr. To become less; decrease. their dependence on commodity-type products. The expansion also includes modifications to material handling equipment and expansion of the impregnated im·preg·nate tr.v. im·preg·nat·ed, im·preg·nat·ing, im·preg·nates 1. To make pregnant; inseminate. 2. To fertilize (an ovum, for example). 3. paper storage and finished surface goods areas. * DECOLAM INC. Products: Foils, vinyls, low- and high-pressure Laminates and thermofused melamine New Plans: High-speed thermofused melamine Line, plus an addition of 20,000 square feet Where: Orangeburg, SC Investment: $1.5 million Added Employees: 20 to 30 New Equipment: Siemptekamp fast-cycle, thermofused melamine press Online: June 2006 Web Site: www.decotaminc.com Prompted by the growth of the market for thermofused melamine and demand for its products, Decolam Inc. is adding a second thermofused melamine press and 20,000 square feet of manufacturing space to its plant. The privately held Orangeburg, SC, company is a custom laminator, selling to the kitchen cabinet, office furniture and display markets. President Ozzie Fogle says the company provides "the full range of products, including foils, high-pressure laminates, vinyls, vinyls with coatings and thermofused melamine. And, we have full capabilities for fabrication." The fast-cycle Siempetkamp press will provide manufacturing flexibility, and, says Fogle, "it wilt add significantly to our capacity in our thermofused metamines." * ALABAMA INTER-FOREST CORP. Products: Components for furniture, cabinets and store fixtures New Plans: 43,000 square feet to its finishing area Where: Eufaula, AL Investment: $2.2 million Added Employees: 20 to 25 (12 to 18 months) New Equipment: Coating, drying equipment Online: June-July, 2006 Web Site: www.alabamainterforest.com With sales growth pushing Alabama Inter-Forest Corp. toward multiple shifts, the company is adding 43,000 square feet to its finishing operation. That will bring the finishing operation to 100,000 square feet and the entire Eufaula, Al finishing and fabricating operation to 250,000 square feet. A supplier of components to the furniture, cabinet and store fixtures industries, the company will be able to process more material after the expansion, says President Doug Winklelblack. "We want to go to multi-shift operations, and that will require more room for raw material, finished goods, work in process and additional employees." he says. The company is now running one full shift and a partial second shift. Winkleblack hopes to add a second shift and then a third over the next five years. * CRAFTMASTER MANUFACTURING Products: Molded doors and wood doors. New Plans: 224,000-square-foot plant Where: Ozark, AL Investment: $10 million Added Employees: 100+ Online: Fall 2005 Web Site: www.cmicompany.com Proximity to the southeast market for interior doors was a driving factor behind the opening of CMI's new door plant in Ozark, AL. In July 2005, CMI (Computer-Managed Instruction) Using computers to organize and manage an instructional program for students. It helps create test materials, tracks the results and monitors student progress. acquired the assets of C&S Door Corp., including an existing manufacturing facility in Christiansburg, VA. Last fall, CMI opened its newest door manufacturing plant in Ozark. At both the new 224,000-square-foot facility, as well as the existing plant, CMI makes finished interior doors and wood doors. The company also operates a molded door facing production plant in Towanda, PA, which also manufactures CMI's MiraTEC Trim and Extira Panels. "Combined with our plant in Virginia, this new site allows us to distribute our products throughout the entire Southeast, which is important to the Long-term growth of our interior door business," says Bob Merrill Bob (Robert) Merrill (born Henry Levan May 17 1921 - February 17 1998) was an American composer and lyricist. According to the IMDb Merrill was born in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Other sources claim he was born and raised in Philadelphia in 1923. , CMI president and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. . * MGM MGM in full Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc. U.S. corporation and film studio. It was formed when the film distributor Marcus Loew, who bought Metro Pictures in 1920, merged it with the Goldwyn production company in 1924 and with Louis B. Mayer Pictures in 1925. TRANSPORT CO. Services: Transportation, logistics, warehouse and in-home delivery New Plans: 500,000-square-foot facility, 15 percent for chair assembly Where: Eden, NC Investment: N/A Added Employees: 6 to 10 New Equipment: N/A Online: January 2005 Web Site: www.mgmtransport.com MGM Transport Corp., as part of its services to case goods case goods pl.n. 1. a. Pieces of furniture, such as bookcases or chests of drawers, that provide interior storage space. b. Pieces of dining or bedroom furniture sold as sets. 2. importer AAmerica, is doing light assembly of imported kitchen and dining room chairs in a new warehouse facility in Eden, NC. Some 10 to 15 percent of the 500,000 square feet in the converted textile mill is given over to assembly, says Michael Caldiero, vice president of sales and marketing. MGM employees were sent to AAmerica's headquarters in Tukwila, WA, for training. The facility replaces a Greensboro, NC, facility. "We outgrew out·grew v. Past tense of outgrow. it, and needed expansion opportunities for continued growth," says Caldiero. Shipping the products as components, rather than assembled chairs, saves space in containers, he says. Instead of fitting 200 assembled chairs in a container, "You can fit 750 chairs in a container in component format and then take advantage of the logistical lo·gis·tic also lo·gis·ti·cal adj. 1. Of or relating to symbolic logic. 2. Of or relating to logistics. [Medieval Latin logisticus, of calculation economies." MGM serves the home furnishings furnishings the extra type or quantity of hair on the head, tail, ears or legs, specified for a particular breed. For example, the feathers in setters, the beard in Bearded collies, the eyebrows in Schnauzers. industry on the East Coast, providing transportation, logistics, warehouse and in-home delivery services. * DIXIE SEATING CO. Products: Solid wood seating New Plans: 55,000-square-foot plant Location: Statesville, NC Investment: $1+ million Added Employees: None New Equipment: None Online: January, 2005 Web Site: www.dixieseating.com Statesville, NC-based Dixie Seating Co., a manufacturer of solid wood seating, including porch rockers and ladderback chairs, gained space and manufacturing flexibility when it moved into a 55,000-square-foot facility last year. "It gave us some additional flexibility to add new products and new finishes," says President Dirk Baker. Part of those finishes are applied on a contract basis to wood products, both furniture and accessories, of other manufacturers. Dixie Seating specializes in glueless assembly, depending on precise machining and the wood's natural expansion characteristics to fill the joints. After the expansion, used equipment was acquired from a company that had been doing similar work, and other equipment was designed in-house. HEITINK'S ECO-EXPANSION New for 2006, Heitink Plywood plywood, manufactured board composed of an odd number of thin sheets of wood glued together under pressure with grains of the successive layers at right angles. Laminated wood differs from plywood in that the grains of its sheets are parallel. Technologies Inc., a sister company of Heitink Veneers Inc., has moved into a newly constructed, 85,000-square-foot home in Bloomington, IN. Even more exciting than the company's growth is the new facility's committment to creating panels with formaldehyde-free glue, says Vice President Jan Heitink. The primary function of the new plant, Heitink says, is to produce two- and three-ply veneered door skins for the thin plywood market. However, the Bloomington facility also will focus on producing a warp-resistant, two-ply veneer veneer (vənēr`), thin leaf of wood applied with glue to a panel or frame of solid wood. The art of veneer developed with early civilization. door skin which the company says is very environmentally friendly Environmentally friendly, also referred to as nature friendly, is a term used to refer to goods and services considered to inflict minimal harm on the environment.[1] . Heitink says that all of the glue resin used in the company's panel production is urea formaldehyde-free. "I guess we are very green-oriented. We had a lot of research go into the glue development, because the resin has the largest concentration of urea in plywood," Heitink says. "So, in order for us to introduce this product into the market, we really stressed the no-added formaldehyde formaldehyde (fôrmăl`dəhīd'), HCHO, the simplest aldehyde. It melts at −92°C;, boils at −21°C;, and is soluble in water, alcohol, and ether; at STP, it is a flammable, poisonous, colorless gas with a suffocating , along with the performance of our panels." The new structure, sitting next door to an existing Heitink Veneer production facility, has added 12 employees to the company's workforce in the past two months. "Our background has been in the actual slicing of veneers," Heitink says. "Then we value-added and began splicing splicing /splic·ing/ (spli´sing) 1. the attachment of individual DNA molecules to each other, as in the production of chimeric genes. 2. RNA s. , and we grew the company from just a few people, to now over 70 employees. We then value-added to our spliced faces and now are making a plywood product out of it." Despite the 1,400 panels the facility is producing every day, Heitink says the Bloomington plant is still largely in a start-up phase. He estimates that production is at 45 percent currently, but plans call for the addition of another 12 employees and a second shift by this summer. BLUM'S EXPANSION SHOWS COMMITMENT TO U.S. MARKET Blum Inc.'s recent expansion of its U.S. operations really should not come as a surprise. The functional hardware manufacturer and subsidiary of Julius Blum GmbH opened its first U.S. office in Hickory Hickory, city, United States Hickory, city (1990 pop. 28,301), Burke and Catawba counties, W N.C., at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mts.; inc. 1870. It is a processing and trade center for an abundant agricultural region (grain, soybeans, poultry, hogs, , NC in 1977. By 1979, the company had expanded, moving to a 75-acre site in Lowesville, NC, north of Charlotte. Dennis Poteat, a member of Blum's marketing services, says the company has expanded its U.S. operations nine times over the years, most recently in December 2005, with the addition of 50,000 square feet to the Lowesville plant, for a total of 450,000 square feet of manufacturing space. "We increased our automated warehouse capacity by 50 percent, added a larger logistics area, and made room for Tandem plus Blumotion assembly. Moving the Tandem assembly to the United States was a huge step for us. The demand for Tandem has been very high. Logistically, it is better for us to make it here. We can also better control capacities and fluctuations in demand," says Poteat. Blum's production equipment includes injection moulding, metal stamping, powder coating Powder coating is a type of dry coating, which is applied as a free-flowing, dry powder. The main difference between a conventional liquid paint and a powder coating is that the powder coating does not require a solvent to keep the binder and filler parts in a liquid suspension and robotics robotics, science and technology of general purpose, programmable machine systems. Contrary to the popular fiction image of robots as ambulatory machines of human appearance capable of performing almost any task, most robotic systems are anchored to fixed positions assembly technology. "Blum, Inc. is committed to manufacturing in the United States to stay close to our customers, to be able to adapt to market needs quickly, and to assist our customers in just-in-time inventory," says Karl Ruedisser, Blum general manager/CEO. Blum's presence in the United States translates to more jobs as well. The company employs 410 over three shifts and has an apprenticeship apprenticeship, system of learning a craft or trade from one who is engaged in it and of paying for the instruction by a given number of years of work. The practice was known in ancient Babylon, Egypt, Greece, and Rome, as well as in modern Europe and to some extent program. "We founded our European-style apprenticeship program in 1995," says Poteat. High school seniors participate in a work/study program where they spend half a day at school and half a day working. Participants commit to a four-year program and earn an associate's degree as·so·ci·ate's degree n. An academic degree conferred by a two-year college after the prescribed course of study has been successfully completed. at the end of that time. "We pay the students a salary, plus the cost of their college, and when they are done we hire them at a guaranteed salary," Poteat says. Students are trained in tool and die making, quality control and machine work at Blum's facility and at the local community college. Forty-six students are now involved in the program. Poteat says Blum has been happy with its southern location. "We picked a spot close to Charlotte for proximity to an airport and also a port." Parent company, Julius Blum GmbH employs approximately 4,300 people worldwide, with five manufacturing plants in Austria and one in Brazil. UNILIN'S U.S. PRODUCTION Wood & Wood Products covered Unilin Flooring's move to a U.S. facility in the March 2005 issue (bottom photo). Since then, Unilin's Quick-Step plant in Thomasville, NC has expanded to 600,000 square feet (right photo), with plans expected to bring the facility to 1.1 million square feet by 2008. The plans represent a bold statement about the Belgium-based Unilin's commitment to the U.S. market. "It shows people we mean business," says Piet Huyghe, Unilin's co-president. For more information on Unilin, read the cover story in February 2006 W&WP. Photos Courtesy of Unilin |
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