Message from AWFS President, Philip Martin

  • admin
  • December 19th, 2018
  • No Comments

Message from AWFS President, Philip Martin

As another year begins, I’m excited by the opportunities of what this year will offer to our membership.  AWFS®, a member based organization is fortunate to have dedicated industry  board members who give their time to provide effective programs and services that benefit member companies.

Those who took the time to attend the annual membership meeting in November, were updated with the activities from our Education, Public Policy, and Member Services committees as well as  AWFS®Fair, and The Society of Wood Manufacturing (SWM).   One topic that we are all faced with is bringing awareness to the opportunities in woodworking and acquiring qualified and interested people for the many job openings in our industry.  AWFS has always taken the lead in education and workforce development and is proud to further this awareness with partnerships in the Wood Industry Resource Collaborative (WIRC), which promotes industry and workforce development.  Awareness of the many job opportunities will be a topic in 2019, so keep an eye on further information that will be forthcoming.

Not only does technology support process and efficiency in the plants, it also helps to aid in communication platforms with webinars which AWFS offers.  Recently, discussions and updates were presented on Industry 4.0 and digital transformation, MFG Day and public policy. Webinars are an outstanding vehicle for staying informed of trends and legislative actions which have direct effects on our businesses.  They are recorded and can be accessed on the AWFS website, www.awfs.org/education in case you missed them.

If you have not signed up for floor space at the upcoming AWFS®Fair July 17-20, 2019, you may contact Amy Bartz, Sales Director (Email: awfssales@awfs.org *Phone: 323-215-0302 or 800-946-2937) and sign up today.  There is a lot of growing excitement in the show which is expected to be sold out!  Your customers (old and new) look forward to face to face discussions in order to learn about new products or services that can help them grow their business.  Not only can attendees experience and see the latest products and technology but the ever popular College of WoodworkingKnowledge® (CWWK®) will continue to offer a variety of seminars on the latest trends and topics. There is something for everyone from thesehighly attended seminars.

In closing, my request to each of you is to engage in this Association, and get involved.  See how you can contribute to better our industry.  From the board and AWFS Staff, we wish all of you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Association of Woodworking & Furnishing Suppliers