Consulting, Planning, Organization, and Rationalization for the International Wood and Furniture Industry. We are an independent engineering office working on industry-specific projects for the industry. ⭐⭐ Our focus is on our clients’ technical, organizational, and operational consulting. We transform and align business processes to create value for wood and panel processing companies. We work hands-on, from concept to project realization. ⬜ Our services include ⬜ Factory planning, Capacity planning, process planning and optimization, equipment layout planning, infrastructure planning (dust collector, compressed air, electrical, lighting, and waste disposal planning and specifications), material handling, and equipment requirements and specifications. This includes greenfield and reconfiguration of existing facilities. ️ ️ ️ Operational organization and re-engineering Manufacturing models, lead time and cycle time reduction (LEAN implementation), organizational integration of enterprise software systems. Advanced manufacturing and Industry 4.0 readiness assessment ️ ️ ️ Product development & product engineering Engineering for manufacturability, adjusting manufacturing processes for product requirements, value analysis, standardization of processes (hardware, raw material, design principles, design details, processes) ⚙️⚙️⚙️ Systems implementation Quality programs, Lean Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement Processes, Standard Operating procedures (SOP), Costing systems, Balanced Scorecards, Strategic Planning Growth planning, Feasibility Studies (domestic manufacturing vs. import, make vs. buy), re-shoring, preparation for the sale of companies, due diligence, and sounding board for executive management. Our team of innovators has extensive industry knowledge and experience required for successful project implementation. A typical profile of our consultants includes an apprenticeship in cabinetmaking, an engineering degree in wood and panel processing, a degree in business, and extensive work experience throughout all levels of an organization. Founded in 2003, today we employ a team of 29 in our offices in Kupferzell (Germany), Cary, NC (USA), and Sao Bento do Sul (Brazil).
KVAL Inc.
Kval Machinery (www.kvalinc.com) sets the standard for residential and commercial door equipment, specializing in high quality and innovative CNC machines for door manufacturers and distributors alike. Kval is family-owned and operated and has served the woodworking industry since 1947. The company was founded in 1947 by A.A Kvalheim, a Norwegian cabinet-making carpenter who utilized his skillset and ingenuity to design and build revolutionary machinery. Since inception in the mid 40’s, KVAL has focused its efforts on providing its customers with innovative equipment of the highest quality while instilling teamwork, honesty, and integrity throughout. KVAL maintains its high-quality product by controlling each step of the manufacturing process here in the United States. Within the KVAL facility, raw steel is received and finished machinery is shipped; we design, cut, machine, weld, paint, wire, and program each and every machine “in-house” with the best components and materials available. As KVAL has past our 75th year servicing the woodworking industry, the 3rd and 4th Generations continue to grow the KVAL legacy by leading the industry in CNC technology, state-of-the-art machine software, robust safety features and provides our customers with cutting edge support solutions.
ITE Partners
ITE Partners addresses challenges unique to the furniture and cabinet-making industry using our team’s unparalleled combination of long-standing industry experience, cross-functional expertise, and pioneering spirit. For 30+ years, ITE Partners founders and senior team members have been deeply involved in the advancement of the woodworking industry by applying manufacturing philosophies and concepts such as Toyota Production System, lean manufacturing, mass customization, and networked manufacturing. Using this as the basis for innovation within the industry, our team members have developed software and integrated the state-of-the-art technology of the time, from departmental software solutions like CAD, CAM, and MES to building networked enterprise manufacturing solutions for the kitchen cabinet, office furniture, and institutional casework industry. Now, our team, which is based in both Germany and the United States, has a common drive to help companies throughout the industry achieve the “Art of the Possible.” Operating in North America over the last five years, we have used our unique ability to provide both a big-picture view and the necessary on-the-ground experience to develop and refine a methodical approach to solve our clients’ broader problems, support their Business Transformation Initiatives, and help improve operational performance. Together with our clients, we move through a continuous cycle of transformation, optimization, and expansion. As the umbrella concept for how a business is run, business transformation introduces fundamental operational changes and therefore has a profound impact on personnel, processes, and technology. Regardless of the greater purpose of the business transformation, it often involves digital components that affect business capabilities and processes and, ultimately, organizational performance. Maintaining operations amidst the introduction and transition to new technologies requires enterprise architecture expertise and IT flexibility. As part of our DNA, we understand the requirements of the industry’s business processes and leverage that knowledge to work collaboratively with our client partners and industry partners. We utilize our internally developed Templated Tools and Methodologies to support digitalization along the entire value chain from order to cash. This process is led by a clear focus on business process and factory automation to achieve operational excellence, which is accomplished by iterating through several core phases to architect the best-fit solution that leverages and enriches existing systems and incorporates new technology. The collaborative nature of ITE Partners’ approach is best demonstrated in our Operational Excellence Laboratory in Cary, NC. In this interactive, dynamic setting, the power of partnership is evident through immediate visualization of the cause and effect of different decisions. The ITE Partners team members can easily work together across geographies to develop solutions. For our clients, we can set up multiple scenarios and use cases using our business partners’ software and capabilities to demonstrate the impact of different decisions across the business, all within a risk-free environment.
Hocker North America
Dust collection for woodworkers designed and built by woodworkers.
Foust Metal Works, Inc.
Foust Metal Works, Inc., has specialized in dust control systems for the woodworking industry since 1957. Over the years, we have installed hundreds of wood dust collection systems, filtration systems, and storage bins. Our designers use extensive experience and incorporate the latest technology into the engineering of a total system.
DuckWorks
We created DuckWorks because of our struggles working in the millwork industry, so we understand firsthand how drafting is the bottleneck of nearly every millwork company. When drafting cannot keep up with production, you can’t bid on new work, lose projects you should have won, stifle company growth, furlough and lay off good employees, and it is painful for everyone. | DuckWorks is a specialized millwork drafting and engineering partner serving millwork companies across the United States, Canada, the UK, Australia, and other English-speaking markets. We provide high-quality, build-ready shop drawings and technical documentation that help millwork shops increase capacity, reduce production bottlenecks, and meet demanding construction schedules without compromising accuracy. Our team is composed of trained engineers and drafting professionals with expertise in architectural millwork standards, including AWI guidelines and U.S. code requirements. We work across platforms such as AutoCAD, Microvellum, and Cabinet Vision, allowing us to integrate seamlessly into our clients’ existing workflows. Whether supporting project-based overflow work or functioning as a long-term remote drafting extension of an internal team, DuckWorks adapts to each client’s operational structure. What differentiates DuckWorks is not just drafting capacity, but reliability and communication. We understand that poor documentation leads to costly field errors, production delays, and strained client relationships. Our structured review processes, clear communication protocols, and quality control systems are designed to minimize risk and provide peace of mind. We prioritize clarity in drawings, responsiveness to revisions, and consistent turnaround times. DuckWorks supports a wide range of millwork projects, including commercial interiors, healthcare facilities, hospitality spaces, educational institutions, and luxury residential builds. By providing scalable drafting resources, we enable our clients to take on larger projects, maintain tight deadlines, and pursue new opportunities without being limited by internal staffing constraints. Our mission is to help millwork companies build more efficiently by eliminating drafting bottlenecks and reducing operational risk. We focus on long-term partnerships built on trust, accountability, and measurable results. Whether you need overflow support, dedicated full-time drafting capacity, or engineering-level coordination, DuckWorks is positioned to function as a dependable extension of your team. Visit us to learn how DuckWorks can help your shop scale with confidence and deliver projects accurately, on time, and with greater operational efficiency.
Dieffenbacher USA, Inc.
Dieffenbacher is a world-leading manufacturer of complete turnkey production lines for wood-based panels, including particleboard, MDF, OSB, LVL and wood fiber insulation boards. Companies around the world rely on Dieffenbacher to plan and equip their new manufacturing plants and to modernize their existing plants to improve efficiency. With its CPS+, Dieffenbacher has set the gold standard for efficient continuous press systems. More than 1,000 multi-opening and continuous press lines and systems have been installed worldwide. The independent family-owned company employs more than 1,700 associates and has 16 subsidiaries worldwide that operate production sites and sales and service offices. Dieffenbacher Customer Support LLC in Alpharetta, Georgia, USA and Dieffenbacher North America Inc. in Windsor, Ontario, Canada are a strong team of more than 80 members serving North American customers. Dieffenbacher North America (DNA) manufactures many parts used on Dieffenbacher continuous and multi-opening presses. This proximity to customers can reduce by weeks the time it takes to get a manufactured part delivered in North America and is especially important for Canadian customers because it also reduces the cost of importing and customs clearance. Dieffenbacher Customer Support (DCS) maintains a stock of over 100,000 spare parts ready for immediate delivery at any time. Since December 2017, 99% of all in-stock parts have been shipped in two days or less. Aside from spare parts, DCS supports North American customers with its Customer Support Specialists concept. The five Customer Support Specialists have the expertise that customers need and with their frequent on-site visits, ensure customers have in-person access to that expertise along with quick access to parts and services. For plant modernizations, the DCS Team , with the recent addition of two more Key Account Managers, now totaling five with a total combined industry experience of over 125 years, identifies improvement opportunities and provides clear ROI analyses. One such example is heating platens. DNA has state-of-the-art manufacturing and machining equipment specifically for heating platen work so that DCS can easily provide customers with new heating platens or refurbishments. The DCS team specialists are experienced in all parts of the composite panel manufacturing process from energy systems and dryers through board handling.. Also, there now is one Customer Support Specialist who is responsible for Dieffenbacher’s Mexican customers. With these measures, DCS and DNA are in a position to provide support to our customers in North and Central America. The teams of DCS and DNA are excited to meet their North American and international guests at booth 1500 in Hall C. Visit us to learn more about our holistic smart plant concept CEBRO and our smart digitalization platform EVORIS. The Dieffenbacher booth will also focus on complete panel plants and plant modernizations. Dieffenbacher will present simple and easy-to-realize but highly effective automation and digitalization solutions that help customers to reach the next level of plant efficiency. https://dieffenbacher.com/en/