Slowdown, Yes, Recession, No.Most of the cabinetmakers surveyed by Wood & Wood Products see a soft landing for the economy.MANY OF THE CABINETMAKERS participating in Wood & Wood Products 2001 survey of the cabinet industry acknowledged some softening softening /sof·ten·ing/ (sof´en-ing) malacia. softening a change of consistency, with loss of firmness or hardness. in their market. But almost all said that talk of an impending im·pend intr.v. im·pend·ed, im·pend·ing, im·pends 1. To be about to occur: Her retirement is impending. 2. recession currently in vogue Vogue leading fashion magazine in France and America. [Fr. and Amer. Culture: Misc.] See : Fashion in the media is more hype hype 1 Slang n. 1. Excessive publicity and the ensuing commotion: the hype surrounding the murder trial. 2. than reality. Only 18 percent agreed that the cabinet industry is headed into a recession. The most common argument given against a recession is the Federal Reserve Bank's recent interest rate cuts. The market was softer than expected in early fall as most Walsh of Princeton, MN-based Crystal Cabinet Works. The demand should stabilize stabilize See peg. with the current lower interest rates affecting consumers confidence. The strength of the remodeling remodeling /re·mod·el·ing/ (re-mod´el-ing) reorganization or renovation of an old structure. bone remodeling market was the second commonly listed saving grace for the industry. "If new construction is going to be down, there still us remodeling, observes Vince Hodshire president of Holiday Kitchens of Rice Lake, WI. Most people who remodel re·mod·el tr.v. re·mod·eled also re·mod·elled, re·mod·el·ing also re·mod·el·ling, re·mod·els also re·mod·els To make over in structure or style; reconstruct. seem to have the money, versus going out to get the money. Remodeling's share of the market among W&WP's Top 25 cabinetmakers grew slightly from 56 percent in 1999 to 57.2 percent in 2000. KCMA KCMA Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association estimates that remodeling is an even bigger part of the industy as a whole -- 75% of all cabinets -- and there is no sign that remodeling's share will decrease anytime soon. One interesting phenomenon is that the largest companies (those with more than 100 employees) were more likely to view interest rate cuts as a factor preserving the economy's health, while smaller companies (with 50 to 99 employees) cited the remodeling market more frequently as a reason for hope. Still a Strong Base Several of the cabinetmakers surveyed expressed a high level of faith in the basic strength of the U.S. economy seeing enough positives to prevent any catastrophic downturn Downturn The transition point between a rising, expanding economy to a falling, contracting one. downturn A decline in security prices or economic activity following a period of rising or stable prices or activity. . "The base economy remains very strong," says Rodney Suggs, president of Legacy Cabinets LLC (Logical Link Control) See "LANs" under data link protocol. LLC - Logical Link Control of Eastaboga, AL. Suggs says that his company experienced a sales slowdown For articles with similar titles, see Slow Down (disambiguation). A slowdown is an industrial action in which employees perform their duties but seek to reduce productivity or efficiency in their performance of these duties. late last year that is typical of the season and that sales have as usual come back up again. As of yet were going in a regular cycle, he says. Pent-up demand in the housing market for example was frequently cited as a buffer against recession. There is still a backlog Backlog The total value of sales orders waiting to be fulfilled. Notes: This figure is used mainly in the manufacturing industry. Increases or decreases in a company's backlog indicate the future direction of sales and earnings. of new homes, and with interest rates down existing home sales Existing Home Sales An economic indicator of both the number and prices of existing single family houses, condos and co-op sales over a one-month period. Released monthly by the U.S. should remain strong, says Neil Lynch senior vicepresident of marketing for MasterBrand Cabinets Inc. of Jasper, IN. Another respondent In Equity practice, the party who answers a bill or other proceeding in equity. The party against whom an appeal or motion, an application for a court order, is instituted and who is required to answer in order to protect his or her interests. acknowledged the nation's economic policies and control as "heading off recession when it threatens. And strong base demographics The attributes of people in a particular geographic area. Used for marketing purposes, population, ethnic origins, religion, spoken language, income and age range are examples of demographic data. , such as low unemployment and a growing population, were cited by several respondents In the context of marketing research, a representative sample drawn from a larger population of people from whom information is collected and used to develop or confirm marketing strategy. ." Outlook Mixed While most of those surveyed did not want to use the term "recession," raw optimism for the year ahead has dropped from previous surveys. More than 72 percent of respondents rated their company's business in 2000 as good or excellent, but just under two thirds put their expectations for 2001 in those categories. Twenty-three of 73 respondents put next year's expectation in a lower category than this year's -- reporting "very good" business this year but anticipating "OK" sales next year for example. Only 13 report expectations in a higher category. On the up side, most of those who did anticipate a lower category still project OK or good sales an indication of steady times, if not the euphoria An interpreted programming language developed in 1993 by Robert Craig at Rapid Deployment Software that is noted for its execution speed, flexibility and simplicity. It can simulate any programming method including object-oriented constructs. of recent years. More quantitative economic news has been mixed as well. In December, KCMA's monthly Trend of Business Survey reported its first drop in cabinet sales in nearly five years. But housing starts that months improved by 0.3 percent. The U.S. index of leading economic indicators index of leading economic indicators An index that is compiled by the Conference Board, a private-sector consulting firm. The index is designed to indicate the future direction of economic activity. rose by 0.8 percent in January, but the stock market remains unstable unstable, adj 1. not firm or fixed in one place; likely to move. 2. capable of undergoing spontaneous change. A nuclide in an unstable state is called radioactive. An atom in an unstable state is called excited. as companies continue to warn of declining profits. The negative growth recorded by KCMA member companies last December is part of a general economic slowdown that began to manifest manifest 1) adj., adv. completely obvious or evident. 2) n. a written list of goods in a shipment. MANIFEST, com. law. A written instrument containing a true account of the cargo of a ship or commercial vessel. 2. itself last fail," said Dick Titus Titus, Roman emperor Titus (Titus Flavius Sabinus Vespasianus) (tī`təs), A.D. 39–A.D. 81, Roman emperor (A.D. 79–A.D. 81). , executive vice president of the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Assn., in a recent interview with W&WP. "The cabinet market is somewhat resilient See resiliency. in that it serves both new housing and remodeling... Our outlook is for things to pick up in the spring provided more serious structural economic problems do not appear." (See the full text of the interview on page 49) Legislative Wish List Tax cuts were listed most frequently by respondents as legislation that would help their companies. But tax cuts made the wish list of smaller companies far more frequently than larger ones. Nine of the eleven responses listing tax cuts came from companies with 50 to 99 employees. Among larger companies, easing of environmental regulations was the most commonly requested policy change. The EPA EPA eicosapentaenoic acid. EPA abbr. eicosapentaenoic acid EPA, n.pr See acid, eicosapentaenoic. EPA, n. , one respondent suggested, is too fixated fix·ate v. fix·at·ed, fix·at·ing, fix·ates v.tr. 1. To make fixed, stable, or stationary. 2. To focus one's eyes or attention on: fixate a faint object. on the politics of air pollution, which prevents it from fighting the major causes. Several of the over-100-employee companies also said that the Fed should continue to reduce interest rates. The one request common among companies of all sizes was a general reduction of federal regulations and the paperwork associated with them. "I spend more time making sure everything is compliant than I do running my business," says Robert Nichols Robert Nichols may refer to:
"Leave 60% of corporate America alone!" says Gene Ponder of Marshall, TX-based Republic Industries. "Go after the bad companies and recognize the good companies without taking the stance that they all only care about money." Because the survey asked an open-ended question A closed-ended question is a form of question, which normally can be answered with a simple "yes/no" dichotomous question, a specific simple piece of information, or a selection from multiple choices (multiple-choice question), if one excludes such non-answer responses as dodging a about legislation, we received a wide variety of responses. Ergonomics ergonomics, the engineering science concerned with the physical and psychological relationship between machines and the people who use them. The ergonomicist takes an empirical approach to the study of human-machine interactions. (see sidebar (1) A Windows Vista desktop panel that holds mini applications (gadgets) such as a calendar, calculator, stock ticker and Vonage phone dialer. It is the Windows counterpart to the Dashboard in the Mac. See Windows Vista and gadget. , page 42), minimum wage freeze Noun 1. wage freeze - a freeze of wages at a given level freeze - fixing (of prices or wages etc) at a particular level; "a freeze on hiring" wage freeze n → congelación f de salarios , higher import taxes, improving education, fighting Family and Medical Leave Act abuse, sunset laws sunset laws, statutes that deal with the tendency of government agencies and programs to be self-perpetuating by providing for their periodic review. , repeal The Annulment or abrogation of a previously existing statute by the enactment of a later law that revokes the former law. The revocation of the law can either be done through an express repeal of President Clinton's logging bans, health care reform and fighting California's energy crisis were all listed as priorities by respondents. Other Survey Highlights The merger mania Mania ancient Roman goddess of the dead. [Rom. Myth.: Zimmerman, 159] See : Death that has marked the cabinet industry for the past few years seems to have abated Abated, an ancient technical term applied in masonry and metal work to those portions which are sunk beneath the surface, as in inscriptions where the ground is sunk round the letters so as to leave the letters or ornament in relief. From 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica . None of last years Top 25 cabinetmakers were bought and only a few purchased companies. Frameless cabinetry cab·i·net·ry n. Cabinetwork: finely detailed cabinetry. Noun 1. cabinetry - the craft of making furniture (especially furniture of high quality) cabinetwork lost ground this year among the largest manufacturers. Framed cabinetry continued to dominate sales, making up 82 percent of the Top 25's output. While one company, Norcraft Cos of Eagan, MN, entered the frameless cabinetry arena with its purchase NC's Ultracraft, four companies sealed back production of European-style cabinetry. Marsh Furniture Co. of High Point NC, reported cutting construction of frameless cabinetry from 20 to 10 percent; and three other companies also ratio of frameless to framed cabinetry.
Cabinetmakers Report Outlook for 2001
2000
Excellent 31.5%
Poor 6.9%
OK 20.5%
Very Good 41.1%
Notes: Table made from pie chart
2001
Excellent 17.8%
Poor 2.7%
OK 31.5%
Very Good 48%
Notes: Table made from pie chart
2001 compared to 2000
Up 1 Category 17.8%
Down 2 Categories 2.7%
Down 1 Category 28.8%
Same Category 50.7%
Notes: Table made from pie chart
ALMOST THREE-FOUTHS of cabinet manufacturers surveyed said that 2000 was a very good year -- or better -- 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. Wood & Wood Products' 14th Annual Survey of the Cabinet Industry. Those figures, while strong, are a step down from 1998 and 1999. In both years, about 90 percent of respondents said the year had been very good or their best year ever. While cabinetmakers said next year looks good, optimism is far less feverish feverish /fe·ver·ish/ (fe´ver-ish) febrile. fe·ver·ish adj. 1. Having a fever. 2. Relating to or resembling a fever. 3. Causing or tending to cause a fever. than it has been in recent years. The percentage of companies predicting at least very good sales for next year (65.8%) is the lowest that figure has been since the survey started asking the question in 1995. And more than 30 percent rated their expectations for 2001 in a lower category than 2000. (for example, predicting "OK" sales in 2001 after "Very Good" sales in 2000.) The positive: very few cabinet manufacturers described 2000 as a "poor" year, and even fewer are predicting poor sales in 2001.
W&WP's Top 25 Cabinetmakers
2000
Sales in No. of
Company millions emps.
1 Masco Corp. $2,551 6,000+ [*]
Taylor, MI
2 MasterBrand Cabinets Inc. $800+ 5,000+
Jasper, IN
3 American Woodmark Corp. $387 3,432
Winchester, VA
4 Omega Cabinets Ltd. $278 [*] 3,000 [*]
Waterloo, IA
5 RSI Home Products $250 1,800
Anaheim, CA
6 Triangle Pacific $218 N/A
Dallas, TX
7 Elkay Cabinet Group $210 1,875
Red Lion, PA
8 Wood-Mode Inc. $165 1,800
Kreamer, PA
9 Cardell Kitchen & Bath Cabinetry $164 1,750
San Antonio, TX
10 Republic Industries Inc. $155 1,000
Marshall, TX
11 Norcraft Cos. LLC $118 1,200
Eagan, MN
12 Bertch Cabinet Mfg. Inc. $110 [*] 1,250 [*]
Waterloo, IA
13 Les Care Kitchens Inc. $87.9 300
Waterbury, CT
14 Wellborn Cabinet Inc. $85 1,150
Ashland, AL
15 Kitchen Kompact Inc. $80 300
Jeffersonville, IN
16 Marsh Furniture Co. $61.5 612
High Point, NC
17 Crystal Cabinet Works Inc. $58 680
Princeton, MN
18 Canyon Creek Cabinet Co. $48 450
Monroe, WA
18 McConnell Cabinets Inc. $48 375
El Monte, CA
20 Eurodesign Cabinets $42 400
Chino, CA
21 Dura Supreme Inc. $38.7 397
Howard Lake, MN
22 Continental Cabinets Inc. $38+ 400+
Dallas, TX
23 Grandview Products Co. Inc. $30.5 360
Parsons, KS
24 Haas Cabinet Co. Inc. $28 200
Sellersburg, IN
24 Barbosa Cabinets Inc. $28 325
Tracy, CA
Type of work:
Company New Remodeling
1 Masco Corp. 35% [*] 65% [*]
Taylor, MI
2 MasterBrand Cabinets Inc. 40% 60%
Jasper, IN
3 American Woodmark Corp. N/A N/A
Winchester, VA
4 Omega Cabinets Ltd. 35% [*] 65% [*]
Waterloo, IA
5 RSI Home Products N/A N/A
Anaheim, CA
6 Triangle Pacific 65% 35%
Dallas, TX
7 Elkay Cabinet Group 25% 75%
Red Lion, PA
8 Wood-Mode Inc. 40% 60%
Kreamer, PA
9 Cardell Kitchen & Bath Cabinetry 75% 25%
San Antonio, TX
10 Republic Industries Inc. 60% 40%
Marshall, TX
11 Norcraft Cos. LLC 70% 30%
Eagan, MN
12 Bertch Cabinet Mfg. Inc. 25% [*] 75% [*]
Waterloo, IA
13 Les Care Kitchens Inc. 60% 40%
Waterbury, CT
14 Wellborn Cabinet Inc. 50% 50%
Ashland, AL
15 Kitchen Kompact Inc. 50% 50%
Jeffersonville, IN
16 Marsh Furniture Co. 85% 15%
High Point, NC
17 Crystal Cabinet Works Inc. 55% 45%
Princeton, MN
18 Canyon Creek Cabinet Co. 50% 50%
Monroe, WA
18 McConnell Cabinets Inc. 95% 5%
El Monte, CA
20 Eurodesign Cabinets 100% 0%
Chino, CA
21 Dura Supreme Inc. 47% 53%
Howard Lake, MN
22 Continental Cabinets Inc. N/A N/A
Dallas, TX
23 Grandview Products Co. Inc. 90% 10%
Parsons, KS
24 Haas Cabinet Co. Inc. 45% 55%
Sellersburg, IN
24 Barbosa Cabinets Inc. 95% 5%
Tracy, CA
% of % of cabinets for:
Company frameless Kitchen
1 Masco Corp. 10% [*] 84% [*]
Taylor, MI
2 MasterBrand Cabinets Inc. 10% 85%
Jasper, IN
3 American Woodmark Corp. 0% N/A
Winchester, VA
4 Omega Cabinets Ltd. 30% [*] 80% [*]
Waterloo, IA
5 RSI Home Products N/A N/A
Anaheim, CA
6 Triangle Pacific 0% 85%
Dallas, TX
7 Elkay Cabinet Group 0% 80%
Red Lion, PA
8 Wood-Mode Inc. 60% 95%
Kreamer, PA
9 Cardell Kitchen & Bath Cabinetry 0% 79%
San Antonio, TX
10 Republic Industries Inc. 18% 75%
Marshall, TX
11 Norcraft Cos. LLC 12% 85%
Eagan, MN
12 Bertch Cabinet Mfg. Inc. 80% [*] N/A
Waterloo, IA
13 Les Care Kitchens Inc. 100% 80%
Waterbury, CT
14 Wellborn Cabinet Inc. 1% 90%
Ashland, AL
15 Kitchen Kompact Inc. 0% 90%
Jeffersonville, IN
16 Marsh Furniture Co. 10% 85%
High Point, NC
17 Crystal Cabinet Works Inc. 35% 85%
Princeton, MN
18 Canyon Creek Cabinet Co. 15% 85%
Monroe, WA
18 McConnell Cabinets Inc. 5% 90%
El Monte, CA
20 Eurodesign Cabinets 100% 65%
Chino, CA
21 Dura Supreme Inc. 19% 68%
Howard Lake, MN
22 Continental Cabinets Inc. 0% 85%
Dallas, TX
23 Grandview Products Co. Inc. 0% 70%
Parsons, KS
24 Haas Cabinet Co. Inc. 0% 90%
Sellersburg, IN
24 Barbosa Cabinets Inc. 10% 75%
Tracy, CA
Company Bath Other
1 Masco Corp. 15% [*] 1% [*]
Taylor, MI
2 MasterBrand Cabinets Inc. 15% 0%
Jasper, IN
3 American Woodmark Corp. N/A N/A
Winchester, VA
4 Omega Cabinets Ltd. 15% [*] 5% [*]
Waterloo, IA
5 RSI Home Products N/A N/A
Anaheim, CA
6 Triangle Pacific 15% 0%
Dallas, TX
7 Elkay Cabinet Group 10% 10%
Red Lion, PA
8 Wood-Mode Inc. 5% 0%
Kreamer, PA
9 Cardell Kitchen & Bath Cabinetry 21% 0%
San Antonio, TX
10 Republic Industries Inc. 12% 13%
Marshall, TX
11 Norcraft Cos. LLC 15% 0%
Eagan, MN
12 Bertch Cabinet Mfg. Inc. N/A N/A
Waterloo, IA
13 Les Care Kitchens Inc. 10% 10%
Waterbury, CT
14 Wellborn Cabinet Inc. 8% 2%
Ashland, AL
15 Kitchen Kompact Inc. 10% 0%
Jeffersonville, IN
16 Marsh Furniture Co. 15% 0%
High Point, NC
17 Crystal Cabinet Works Inc. 11% 4%
Princeton, MN
18 Canyon Creek Cabinet Co. 10% 5%
Monroe, WA
18 McConnell Cabinets Inc. 5% 5%
El Monte, CA
20 Eurodesign Cabinets 30% 5%
Chino, CA
21 Dura Supreme Inc. 14% 18%
Howard Lake, MN
22 Continental Cabinets Inc. 15% 0%
Dallas, TX
23 Grandview Products Co. Inc. 25% 5%
Parsons, KS
24 Haas Cabinet Co. Inc. 9% 1%
Sellersburg, IN
24 Barbosa Cabinets Inc. 15% 10%
Tracy, CA
Method of distribution:
Contractors/
Company home builders
1 Masco Corp. 11% [*]
Taylor, MI
2 MasterBrand Cabinets Inc. N/A
Jasper, IN
3 American Woodmark Corp. N/A
Winchester, VA
4 Omega Cabinets Ltd. 5% [*]
Waterloo, IA
5 RSI Home Products N/A
Anaheim, CA
6 Triangle Pacific N/A
Dallas, TX
7 Elkay Cabinet Group 25%
Red Lion, PA
8 Wood-Mode Inc. 10%
Kreamer, PA
9 Cardell Kitchen & Bath Cabinetry 0%
San Antonio, TX
10 Republic Industries Inc. 50%
Marshall, TX
11 Norcraft Cos. LLC 15%
Eagan, MN
12 Bertch Cabinet Mfg. Inc. 0% [*]
Waterloo, IA
13 Les Care Kitchens Inc. 0%
Waterbury, CT
14 Wellborn Cabinet Inc. 10%
Ashland, AL
15 Kitchen Kompact Inc. 0%
Jeffersonville, IN
16 Marsh Furniture Co. 15%
High Point, NC
17 Crystal Cabinet Works Inc. 0%
Princeton, MN
18 Canyon Creek Cabinet Co. 40%
Monroe, WA
18 McConnell Cabinets Inc. 95%
El Monte, CA
20 Eurodesign Cabinets 100%
Chino, CA
21 Dura Supreme Inc. 1.5%
Howard Lake, MN
22 Continental Cabinets Inc. 5%
Dallas, TX
23 Grandview Products Co. Inc. 70%
Parsons, KS
24 Haas Cabinet Co. Inc. 10%
Sellersburg, IN
24 Barbosa Cabinets Inc. 100%
Tracy, CA
Kitchen & Home
Company bath stores centers
1 Masco Corp. 10% [*] 30% [*]
Taylor, MI
2 MasterBrand Cabinets Inc. N/A N/A
Jasper, IN
3 American Woodmark Corp. N/A N/A
Winchester, VA
4 Omega Cabinets Ltd. 74% [*] 8% [*]
Waterloo, IA
5 RSI Home Products N/A N/A
Anaheim, CA
6 Triangle Pacific N/A N/A
Dallas, TX
7 Elkay Cabinet Group 25% 30%
Red Lion, PA
8 Wood-Mode Inc. 90% 0%
Kreamer, PA
9 Cardell Kitchen & Bath Cabinetry 0% 0%
San Antonio, TX
10 Republic Industries Inc. 10% 10%
Marshall, TX
11 Norcraft Cos. LLC 25% 10%
Eagan, MN
12 Bertch Cabinet Mfg. Inc. 65% [*] 30% [*]
Waterloo, IA
13 Les Care Kitchens Inc. 80% 0%
Waterbury, CT
14 Wellborn Cabinet Inc. 65% 10%
Ashland, AL
15 Kitchen Kompact Inc. 0% 0%
Jeffersonville, IN
16 Marsh Furniture Co. 45% 5%
High Point, NC
17 Crystal Cabinet Works Inc. 100% 0%
Princeton, MN
18 Canyon Creek Cabinet Co. 40% 20%
Monroe, WA
18 McConnell Cabinets Inc. 0% 5%
El Monte, CA
20 Eurodesign Cabinets 0% 0%
Chino, CA
21 Dura Supreme Inc. 90.5% 5.3%
Howard Lake, MN
22 Continental Cabinets Inc. 0% 95%
Dallas, TX
23 Grandview Products Co. Inc. 20% 0%
Parsons, KS
24 Haas Cabinet Co. Inc. 60% 20%
Sellersburg, IN
24 Barbosa Cabinets Inc. 0% 0%
Tracy, CA
Wholesale/ Other
Company Stocking
1 Masco Corp. 49% [*] 0% [*]
Taylor, MI
2 MasterBrand Cabinets Inc. N/A N/A
Jasper, IN
3 American Woodmark Corp. N/A N/A
Winchester, VA
4 Omega Cabinets Ltd. 6% [*] 7% [*]
Waterloo, IA
5 RSI Home Products N/A N/A
Anaheim, CA
6 Triangle Pacific N/A N/A
Dallas, TX
7 Elkay Cabinet Group 20% 0%
Red Lion, PA
8 Wood-Mode Inc. 0% 0%
Kreamer, PA
9 Cardell Kitchen & Bath Cabinetry 100% 0%
San Antonio, TX
10 Republic Industries Inc. 30% 0%
Marshall, TX
11 Norcraft Cos. LLC 50% 0%
Eagan, MN
12 Bertch Cabinet Mfg. Inc. 5% [*] 0% [*]
Waterloo, IA
13 Les Care Kitchens Inc. 20% 0%
Waterbury, CT
14 Wellborn Cabinet Inc. 15% 0%
Ashland, AL
15 Kitchen Kompact Inc. 100% 0%
Jeffersonville, IN
16 Marsh Furniture Co. 35% 0%
High Point, NC
17 Crystal Cabinet Works Inc. 0% 0%
Princeton, MN
18 Canyon Creek Cabinet Co. 0% 0%
Monroe, WA
18 McConnell Cabinets Inc. 0% 0%
El Monte, CA
20 Eurodesign Cabinets 0% 0%
Chino, CA
21 Dura Supreme Inc. 2.7% 0%
Howard Lake, MN
22 Continental Cabinets Inc. 0% 0%
Dallas, TX
23 Grandview Products Co. Inc. 10% 0%
Parsons, KS
24 Haas Cabinet Co. Inc. 10% 0%
Sellersburg, IN
24 Barbosa Cabinets Inc. 0% 0%
Tracy, CA
(*.)1999 Figures
Ergonomics' Cost Concerns Cabinetmakers OSHA'S ERGONOMICS RULE, finalized See finalization. late last year as one of the final actions of the Clinton administration Noun 1. Clinton administration - the executive under President Clinton executive - persons who administer the law , has galvanized gal·va·nize tr.v. gal·va·nized, gal·va·niz·ing, gal·va·niz·es 1. To stimulate or shock with an electric current. 2. manufacturers of all kinds in opposition. W&WP's survey of the cabinet industry indicates a strong concern among cabinetmakers for the cost of complying with the regulations. Twenty-three respondents felt the regulations would have some negative impact on their business, while 17 were unsure. Eighteen respondents said they felt the new regulations would have little effect on their business. Several of those 18 explained that their companies already had ergonomics programs in place that they felt would satisfy the regulations. Most of the responses focused on the cost of implementation. While a few survey participants did agree with OSHA's view that the benefits to ergonomics implementation would outweigh out·weigh tr.v. out·weighed, out·weigh·ing, out·weighs 1. To weigh more than. 2. To be more significant than; exceed in value or importance: The benefits outweigh the risks. the costs, most said the price would be serious. "At minimum, it will cost the addition of one full-time person to manage compliance with the new regulations," says James Christensen, president of Ward's Cabinetry Inc. of Thorsby, AL. "There will be unknown costs to implement confusing con·fuse v. con·fused, con·fus·ing, con·fus·es v.tr. 1. a. To cause to be unable to think with clarity or act with intelligence or understanding; throw off. b. and unclear regulations," says Clay Smith Clay Smith can refer to:
A frivolous suit is one without any legal merit. In some cases, such an action might be brought in bad faith for the purpose of harrassing the defendant. lawsuits." Several responses lamented la·ment·ed adj. Mourned for: our late lamented president. la·ment  ed·ly adv. the adversarial ad·ver·sar·i·al adj. Relating to or characteristic of an adversary; involving antagonistic elements: "the chasm between management and labor in this country, an often needlessly adversarial . . . nature between OSHA OSHA n. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, a branch of the US Department of Labor responsible for establishing and enforcing safety and health standards in the workplace. and the industry. "Our common ground with OSHA is that neither of us wants people hurt," says Sonny son·ny n. pl. son·nies Used as a familiar form of address for a boy or young man. [Diminutive of son. Zetmeir, president of Grandview Products Co. Inc. of Parsons Parsons, city (1990 pop. 11,924), Labette co., SE Kans.; inc. 1871. It is a shipping point for dairy products, grain, and livestock. Manufactures include ammunition, wire and paper products, plastics, and appliances. , KS. "It is truly unfortunate that the enforcement side is vicious and heavy-handed instead of cooperative and advisory. I respond much better to an iron fist iron fist n. Rigorous or despotic control: ruled the nation with an iron fist. i in a velvet glove The Velvet Glove was a semi-active radar homing air-to-air missile designed by CARDE (today DRDC Valcartier) and produced by Canadair starting in 1953. 131 Velvet Gloves had been completed when the program was terminated in 1956, officially because of concerns about its ability to than I do to being horse whipped." Not a Done Deal While OSHA issued its "final" ergonomics rule last year, the regulations have plenty of barriers before they become policy. The National Association of Manufacturers, which represents manufacturers across all industries (KCMA, for example, is a member) is leading the fight to nullify nul·li·fy tr.v. nul·li·fied, nul·li·fy·ing, nul·li·fies 1. To make null; invalidate. 2. To counteract the force or effectiveness of. OSHA's regulations, saying that employers already have safety and health programs in place and that the one-incident trigger is too low. In addition to lawsuits that have been filed, Congress has the power under the Congressional Review Act to overturn the regulations. Under the CRA See Community Reinvestment Act. , a "resolution of disapproval" that is introduced within the first 60 days of the session cannot be filibustered, so the Senate needs only a simple majority rather than a two-thirds majority to invalidate in·val·i·date tr.v. in·val·i·dat·ed, in·val·i·dat·ing, in·val·i·dates To make invalid; nullify. in·val the regulations. If passed by both houses and signed by President Bush, the resolution will overturn OSHA's rule. The Senate introduced a resolution to overturn the regulation in early march, with a vote in that house expected shortly after this issue went to press. For updated information, visit our Web site, www.iswonline.com. Key points of the ergonomics regulations: * Triggered by a single musculoskeletal disorder musculoskeletal disorder Occupational medicine Job-related injuries and disorders of the muscles, nerves, tendons, ligaments, joints, cartilage, spinal disks Examples Carpal tunnel, rotator cuff, De Quervain's disease, trigger finger, tarsal tunnel, sciatica, incident * Requires employers to take measures to make preparations; to provide means. See also: measure to reduce all MSD's after a single complaint is registered in their facility. * Covers MSD's "aggravated ag·gra·vate tr.v. ag·gra·vat·ed, ag·gra·vat·ing, ag·gra·vates 1. To make worse or more troublesome. 2. To rouse to exasperation or anger; provoke. See Synonyms at annoy. " by work, even if caused off the job * Requires continuation of wages at 90% of earnings and full benefits to employees who are removed from work
FRAME VS. FRAMLESS
(Based on $5.83 billion in sales)
Frame 85.9%
Frameless 14.1%
NOTE: Table made from Pie Chart
CABINET INSTALLATION
(Based on $5.33 billion in sales)
Kitchen 83.6%
Bath 14.3%
Other 2.1%
NOTE: Table made from pie chart
NEW CONSTRUCTION VS. REMODELING
(Based on $5.40 billion in sales)
New Construction 42.8%
Remodeling 57.2%
Note: Table Made from pie chart
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