Agenda

Tuesday, November 17

10:00 am EST/
9:00 am CST

Opening/Welcome

10:05 am EST/
9:05 am CST

Virtual Plant Tour - Unalam - Unadilla, NY

Join us as we learn about Unalam, an upstate NY glulam manufacturer that crafts high-tech wood solutions for today's building needs. Unalam's motto is "If it can be done wood, Unalam can do it". We will learn about Unalam's history, their manufacturing process, and view a sampling of special projects.

An interview will be conducted with Unalam president, Craig Van Cott, to hear about how business has evolved over the years, impacts of the pandemic on his business, and challenges and opportunities going forward.

Following the presentation, participants will have an opportunity to ask questions.

10:45 am EST/
9:45 am CST

Tech Partner Showcase/Solution Spotlight - C.S. Industries - Claus Staalner

10:50 am EST/
9:50 am CST

Break

11:00 am EST/
10:00 am CST

Virtual Plant Tour - Ballie Lumber - Smyrna, NY

Come along as we tour Baillie Lumber's Smyrna NY hardwood lumber sawmill and yard. The tour will give you insight into Baillie's process from receiving green lumber, inspecting, sawing, and drying. You will also learn about their attached ripping program which gives customers the full log to rip capability. The line is graded after ripping, and they also have custom grading available. 

An interview will be conducted with Tony Cimorelli, and the audience will have a chance to ask questions.

11:35 am EST/
10:35 am CST

Tech Partner Showcase/Solution Spotlight - SCM Group, Karl Frey

11:40 am EST/
10:40 am CST

Break

11:45 am EST/
10:45 am CST

Educational Session - Practical Lean
with Jeff Finney of Ultcab

This presentation will focus on lean production:

• Pillars of Lean
• How to get started
• How to keep it goin
• Intro to SOP's
• Examples of LEAN at work in my shop

Jeff Finney, founder of Ultimate Cabinet Components based in Collinsville, OK, has been an owner in the woodworking industry for the past 15 years. From his experiences in owning a company he has created a well followed blog, and a growing audience of The Push Thru podcast. Talking to anyone that will listen, Jeff enjoys learning about new and exciting developments within our industry. Ultimate Cabinet Components started practicing LEAN principles 3 years ago and continues to this day. "Lean is the perfect vision, it is the lighthouse in the distance that we can move toward but never truly reach. There is always room for more improvement!"  

12:45 pm EST/
11:45 am CST

Wrap up

Wednesday, November 18

10:00 am EST/
9:00 am CST

Virtual Plant Tour - Inova Bed - Altamont, NY

Inova is the world’s leading innovator and manufacturer of multi-functional, space-saving furniture for contract. Using innovative engineering, Inova revolutionized murphy beds into truly multi-functional and stylish pieces.

We will tour Inova's state-of-the-art facility to get a first hand look at their lean manufacturing process. Inova has invested in high tech equipment in an effort to supplement their employees, which ensures a good quality of life for employees, and a quality product for their customers. Attendees will also see first hand how Inova puts lean concepts into practice, including their kanban system, standard operating procedures, material handling, and software used to label each part in the plant.

10:40 am EST/
9:40 am CST

 Tech Partner Showcase/Solution Spotlight - Stiles Machinery, Chuck Carter & Christina Elsenbroek

10:45 am EST/
9:45 am CST

Break

11:00 am EST/
10:00 am CST

Real American Hardwood Promotion Coalition Update 
The U.S. hardwood industry is facing significant change driven by a variety of factors, including stiff competition from wood look-alike products, relentless misleading campaigns about the sustainability of wood products, a slowing world economy, and the ongoing U.S. trade war with China.

And while the industry has a powerful story to tell…the beauty and desirability of the products, the history of the industry, the small family business focus, the sustainability of our raw material, and the environmental and health benefits of using hardwood; it has not yet been successful in developing a coordinated and collaborative domestic initiative to effectively tell this story and communicate the science-based benefits of real American hardwood products.

Tune in to hear an update about the coalitions efforts to date.

Keynote Speaker - Economic Outlook
Taylor St.Germain of ITR Economics

Economic Update

• Review of short-term and long-term economic forecasts
• How the forecasts will directly impact attendees
• Identification of Business Cycle Phases, and what this means for WCMA members
• Leading economic indicators of utmost importance to watch
• Economic insight on inflation, interest rates, and taxes
• Time-sensitive current events of public concern and how to expect them to affect the audience’s businesses, as well as instructions for moving forward

Taylor St. Germain - As an economic analyst with ITR Economics, Taylor St. Germain provides consulting services for small businesses, trade associations, and Fortune 500 companies across a spectrum of industries. His dynamic personality and extensive knowledge of economic trends and their business relevance are highly valued by clients and colleagues alike.

Taylor is a member of ITR’s Dallas team and specializes in forecasting at both the market and company levels. With his depth of experience, Taylor is a key contributor to ITR Economics’ forecast accuracy rating of 94.7%.

Wrap up and Thank you!