Safety in the Workplace

Written by: Michael Blakley - Marketing Director

One of the benefits of working for an industrial manufacturing firm is you are exposed to a more disciplined approach to workplace safety then you might be in other kinds of businesses.  (Although all work places today need to focus on some level of safety, depending on the nature of their business or service).

What I have learned here at States Industries, in completing my first year as Marketing Director, is how focused our company is on the issue of work place safety and in promoting a healthy work environment.  Our focus is most apparent because our HR and Safety Management team have consistent work-safe programs in place and are constantly initiating new ones as they become aware of better practices, better techniques and new ideas. Their goal, day in and day out, is to make every employee hyper-conscious of working smart, lowering the negative impact of certain physical aspects of the job and being able to spot potential unsafe working conditions and help take the proper corrective actions.

Recently, our company embraced a versatile new safety program, proven to reduce injuries, called “Safety in Motion®/SIM4®, provided by the SAIF Corporation of Oregon.  The techniques used in this program are expressly designed to reduce the occurrence of muscle and spinal injuries.  All the techniques teach employees to think about the way they perform basic job functions and to make simple changes in the way they reach, lift, carry, push or pull.

Here are the fundamentals of the program summarized best:
• Positioning elbows closer for better leverage, eliminating the impact of a long, awkward reach.
• Using mid-range wrist motions, aligning our wrists to protect them and our forearms.
• Moving closer to work; avoiding stooping over or reaching unnecessarily.
• Using good posture and proximity to avoid stretching and reaching in an awkward form.
• Focus on foot position to align our bodies for best balance and maximum strength.  This helps protect knees, spine and shoulders.
• Properly storing tools and materials for better access:  heavy items stored, chest high, lighter items stored on lower shelves where the lifting strain is minimized.

And the beauty of this uncomplicated and straight-forward approach is it can be used in every part of your daily life; lifting groceries, using a step stool to shorten your reach, yard work or projects that require lifting and moving objects, even putting on your seatbelt… the Safety in Motion techniques are all designed to reduce your risk of strain and pain.

And while companies and organizations all have a variety of histories, origins and company cultures, one thing should be parallel across all businesses and that is to develop a safety culture.  For many years, we all heard United Airlines use the expression, “safety is our first priority,” and over the years, our hardwood plywood plant here in Western Oregon has embraced that very same philosophy.

We hope by sharing these techniques, from our own safety culture, that you might find them valuable and useful.

Have a great, safe summer everyone and thank you for being loyal followers.

Still Another Inconvenient Truth

Written by: Randy Weersing - Randy Weersing Furniture Designs

OK, you've heard it before - How virtuous it is to buy local, custom designed, hand crafted, free-range, planet-friendly, gluten-free, gender neutral, politically correct products. Add adjectives at will, available space limits me to a few. I believe it, but I won't go on about it, you're either on board or not. I would like to tell you however, what it is about this work that keeps me energized and engaged.

Having a piece custom designed and built is a valuable opportunity to make a statement: a statement of what you think is important and worthwhile, an affirmation of values by a person who appreciates the dedication and respects the sacrifices of those who create it.

Custom builders of art furniture are not doing this to gain fame and fortune, for few ever achieve this. We design and build to create beauty in form and function, to enrich the lives of the people for whom we create by providing objects for the individual, not for the masses. If we are doing it right it will be a personalized perfect fit, not for everyone, but for you.

I've been designing and building for some 35 years and I never tire of it. Each new project is like setting off on a voyage with that same thrill of anticipation. You have a notion of where you will end up, but what routes will you take, who will you meet and what will you learn along the way?

Inspiration springs from many sources; forms and color in nature, conceptual themes in science and philosophy, maybe a dream....always from the people I design and build for...and materials, WONDERFUL materials.

Without the materials, we'd be literally empty-handed. This may seem an odd venue for an essay extolling the virtues of custom designed, commissioned furniture art. After all, aren't manufactured goods what we rail against? Well, not exactly. Manufactured MATERIALS can be a wonderful resource for we independent designer/builder artsy types.

Of course, the tried-and-true standard is wood, but I'm in awe of the ever increasing array of interesting materials made possible by advancing technologies, and I spend a good deal of time trying to utilize such advancements.

Look at a couple examples of what I'm talking about and I'll shut-up:

I was commissioned to create and award honoring many years of service from a wood products executive. The result is a sculpture depicting a stylized representation of two of his life's passions: his sailboat carved from a material he helped develop.

http://www.behance.net/gallery/Thistle-sailboat-award/8049505

One of my specialties is personalized cremation urns for boat lovers. This urn was created for a man who had built boats for his sons, with laser engraved graphics to memorialize the first of these boats. It is hand carved from solid Mahogany. 

http://www.inspiredcremationurns.com

What are your thoughts on custom wood pieces? Share with us below.

For more information on Randy Weersing's designs, visit his website at:

www.weersingfurniturestudio.com

Closet and Cabinet Expo Review

Written by: Michael Blakley - Marketing Director

If you have recently shopped any home improvement center or retailer who offers home storage and organizer systems, you are probably amazed at the huge selection of products, options and solutions that are available today.

Well, needless to say, the closet/storage system business has seen incredible growth over the past decade and it’s an industry that is simply not slowing down. 

This was especially apparent to me last week when our company, States Industries and our newly acquired division, Drawer Box Specialties, attended the Closet and Cabinet expo held in Edison, New Jersey.  This was billed as a kind of “total storage solutions event,” and was co-sponsored by the Cabinet Makers Association and Custom Woodworking Business, a Vance Corporation publication.

What was so impressive about this regional and well-organized show was the attendance and energy that surrounded the exhibitors and conference participants.  This event draws custom cabinet, woodworking and closet building professionals, as well as wood industry manufacturers and a wide variety of other kinds of suppliers.

The exhibitor displays featured producers of drawer and cabinet hardware, hook valets, shelf and drawer insert dividers, edge banding, veneers, slat wall systems, cedar closet liners, wall beds, laminate panels and hardwood plywood and specialty components and drawer sides and boxes.

The Drawer Box Specialties team set up a great display featuring most of their product line within 3 substantial cabinet systems, capped off with a dramatic, well-lit back drop of drawer and specialty box images.  One of the original specialty drawer outsource providers, DBS manufactures custom drawer boxes and storage systems in a wide variety of substrates from melamine to exotic hardwoods with corner constructions comprising French dovetails, and doweled and nailed boxes.

All the participants make up part of the dynamic cabinet, crafts and design industry, companies that produce all the great ideas for storage solutions. 

So, if organized living is a priority for you this year, whether it’s kitchen, closet, laundry room or garage, there are incredible products and materials to help you accomplish your goals.  And don’t forget to consult a professional designer if you really have an ambitious, complex project.  Here is a reliable place to start:

http://www.houzz.com/professionals/closets-and-organization

Thanks for reading and good luck with all your woodworking projects!

Wood on Walls - Design Trends for Today's Home

Written by: Michael Richardson - Marketing

When we feel it's time for an update in our homes we often think of installing new carpet, buying new furniture, putting up a fresh coat of paint, etc... But what if you really want to change the look and feel of your home beyond a splash of color on the walls? 

Let's be honest, sometimes a full-scale remodel doesn't fit the financial or time constraints for most of us. If we are looking for something beyond the quick aesthetic change, what are some options?

There are hundreds of websites, magazines, and TV shows that discuss design styles and trends for your home makeover. Sometime's it's hard to focus on one project or choose the perfect material for your room's face-lift. But no matter what room you want to work on or what project you have planned there always seems to be a use for natural wood. 

Wood has been a staple of the American home for generations. The use of wood in interior design has created some of the most time-lasting styles and trends we see today. Although there have been changes in its applications over the years, one of the trends that has stood the test of time is wood on walls.

I talked to some interior design professionals over the last couple weeks to get a feel for how wood is utilized for modern wall applications. They mentioned a variety of uses that are part of their design-work, but each of them emphasized one in particular: Wainscoting.

In its simplest form, wainscoting refers to material that covers the lower portion of a wall, leaving an exposed wall above.

Classic wainscoting with a narrow bead pattern 

For years, wainscoting has been popular in high-traffic areas such as hallways and entryways. Today, trends are showing additional areas for wainscoting such as bedrooms, bathrooms, and even as accents to kitchen islands and breakfast bars.

Beaded wainscoting adds a classic look to this kitchen/dining area

Most of the designers I talked to were quick to point out that most wainscoting jobs may look expensive and time consuming, yet they are actually quite inexpensive compared to most interior projects and are easy to conceptualize and complete. 

The use of wood on walls isn't restricted to wainscoting. A couple of the designers mentioned kitchens as a perfect place to add wood. They suggest installing a wood backsplash or wood accent to a kitchen wall as a unique way to reinvigorate an area of a home often thought to use only wood in the cabinetry. 

The designers are also using more wood on the walls of bathrooms to add more color, brightness and style to a room that's often overlooked beyond new tile and fixtures. 

We can all agree there are countless options for refreshing the look and feel of your home. But before you pick up that paint can, take a look at some of the unique designs that are out there today and remember, nothing provides that timeless beauty and warmth to your home quite like natural wood.

What are some design trends you are seeing with wood on walls? Share your thoughts and comments with us!