Accuride International and the
Belt Sander Racing Assn. announced the kickoff of the 2011
BSRA Racing Circuit, in which
top racers from events around
the country will compete in the
National Championships during
AWFS Fair on July 21 in Las Vegas.
Racers will compete for awards on
a 75-foot wooden track with Christmas tree starting signals. The races
are open to all attendees.
BRSA to hold belt
sander championships
& Under” seminar, focusing on topics
like automation, management and sales
techniques. The Special Machinery
and Relevant Technology (SMART)
program will be held on the exhibit floor
before the show, combining lecture and
visual demonstrations. SMART sessions
range from nested base, fixturing and
dowelling, to configuring work cells and
optimizing solid wood set up.
Classes begin on July 19, the pre-show
day, and continue throughout the four
days of the show. All seminars are priced
individually. Topics in the small shop track
range from sales and management, to
automation and software. “Implementing
Successful Sales Systems” will address
the challenge small business owners face
when running the front and back end of a
company. “Think Like an Entrpreneur!” is
another seminar that will be offered, based
on the book, E-myths, by Michael Gerber.
A panel on “Automating the Small Shop”
will offer a view into automation conversion. Author Tim Killen will offer a two-hour
“Google Sketch Up for Woodworkers”
session.
The cabinet and millwork track offers
a course on “Aging in Place with Universal Designed Cabinetry.” The session,
presented by designer, Carol Lamkins,
will cover options for homeowners who
want to remain in their homes as they
age. In a panel entitled “How to Work
with Architects & Designers,” a designer,
The Occupational Safety & Health
Administration and the Small Busi-
ness Administration will exhibit at
AWFS Fair. Each day of the show, Art
Sipple and Don Evans, both from
the state of Nevada OSHA Safety
Consultation and Training Section,
will discuss common citations for the
woodworking industry and how to
avoid them. Sessions will begin at 3
p.m., covering the topics of: general
regulations (Wednesday); woodwork-
ing machinery (Thursday); hazard
communication (Friday); and lock-
out/tagout (Saturday). The Small
Business Administration, along with
the Service Corps of Retired Execu-
tives, will give daily presentations at
11 a.m. on “What SBA and SCORE
Can do for You!”
Small Business Administration, OSHA to exhibit
architect and project manager for a cabinet company will share their perspectives and goals for working together.
Companies looking to gain additional
market share will also find two seminars
in the educational program to be helpful.
The first, “Transitioning from Residential
to Commercial Work,” will cover the pros
and cons of this transition.
“Diversify! How to Capitalize on
Market Opportunities” is a panel that
will cover opportunities in healthcare
furnishings, closets, historic government
jobs and adding a millwork packages to
a cabinet line.
Other topics include “The Art of Bid-
ding” and a “Hands-On Lean Manufac-
turing Simulation” workshop, as well as
“Social Media Bootcamp for Woodwork-
ers,” “Strengthening your Workforce
from Within,” “Listening to your Cus-
tomer” and “Think Creatively! Business
Strategies for an Evolving Market.”
The move back
Several major machinery manufacturers that did not exhibit in 2009 will
return to the Las Vegas exhibition in
2011, including Stiles Machinery, Biesse
America, C.R. Onsrud and Weinig.
AWFS’s Angelo Gangone sees more
evidence that shops are getting busier
and the woodworking industry is coming
out of the recession. “We’re heading in
the right direction,” he told CabinetMakerFDM.
Gangone pointed out that the educational program for this year’s show will
be the strongest ever, and AWFS always
tries to bring something new to each
show. “People are more excited about
shows,” he observed. ❮
