Synergy Thermal Foils

The International Woodworking Fair is just around the corner. We’ll be there displaying all of our new and traditionally popular designs.

In addition to the Cabrera Elme designs featured in this newsletter, we will showcase two new walnuts and four new oaks..

Oatfield

Cocoa and Oatfield are two new wonderful walnut woodgrains that match designs by the same names of TFL panels offered by Kronospan. Cocoa is a rich, dark chocolate walnut, while Oatfield is a lighter color with a strong grain character.

Highlands Oak

Our four new instant-classic oaks include Highlands, Williamsburg, Carolina and Charleston. Each matches textured TFL panels offered by Funder America.

Stop by and see and feell these and other great designs at IWF booth C-1208.

Construction input prices rose 2.3% in May compared to the previous month, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Producer Price Index data. Nonresidential construction input prices also increased 2.3% for the month.

Construction input prices are up 21.4% from a year ago, while nonresidential construction input prices are 21.9% higher. Input prices rose in 10 of 11 subcategories in May. The largest price increases were in natural gas (+39.7%) and unprocessed energy materials (+16.3%).

“Inflationary pressures show no signs of abating,” said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu. “For months, economists and others have been expecting inflation to peak and then subside. Instead, the Russia-Ukraine war has disturbed markets, driving energy prices higher. Those elevated energy prices are now circulating across the economy, affecting manufacturing and distribution, and there is little prospect for inflation to meaningfully subside during the weeks ahead.

“Federal Reserve policymakers will continue to aggressively combat inflationary pressures,” said Basu. “But what the Federal Reserve most directly affects is demand for goods and services, not supply. By tightening monetary policy and raising interest rates, the Federal Reserve will suppress demand over the rest of the year. Eventually, suppliers will respond to diminished demand. This dynamic will quite likely drive the economy into recession either later this year or at some point in 2023.

“Based on the historical lag between the performance of the economy and nonresidential construction spending, more difficult times could be ahead for contractors in 2024 or 2025,” said Basu. “Looking at the most recent reading of ABC’s Construction Confidence Index, contractors are already seeing momentum slow. The likely exception is public contractors, who will continue to benefit from stepped-up infrastructure spending.”

Read more.

While our claim to fame is offering sensational textured three-dimensional laminates (3DL) that closely mimic the look and feel of solid wood, we also offer more than a dozen 2DL designs. These products, available by special order, dovetail with our matching TFL/HPL program.

2DLs are PVC films primarily used in flat lamination and profile wrapping of trim and mouldings. In some cases, they are vacuum formed around contour components to provide a seamless design.

Check out our 2DL designs.

In the salty wilds of the Pacific Ocean, corvina fish roam. Corvinas have a silvery, blue-grey on their dorsum. They are a white firm fish akin to sea bass.

Funder America has aptly borrowed the Corvina name for one of its new Cabrera Elme Collection of TFLs. That same silvery grey look is now perfectly matched by Synergy Thermal Foils’ Corvina Elme 3DL. Corvina is one of several new Cabrera Elme design matches offered by Funder and Synergy.

Stop by and see it, feel it at Synergy Thermal Foil’s booth C-1208 of the International Woodworking Fair, August 23-26 in Atlanta.

Request info.

Nearly 89 percent of respondents in the Manufacturers’ Outlook Survey for the first quarter of 2022 felt either somewhat or very positive about their company outlook, up from 86.8% in the fourth quarter.

The quarterly survey conducted by the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) noted that the challenge for manufacturing firms has been in meeting heightened demand, with sizable hurdles from supply chain disruptions, workforce shortages, soaring costs and COVID-19.

To counteract supply chain disruptions more than half of the respondents said they plan to increase inventories:

15.90% — increase by more than 10 percent

18.02% — increase 5 to 10 percent

17.31% – increase up to 5%

31.10% — stay the same

8.83% — decrease up to 5 percent

4.59% — decrease 5 to 10 percent

4.24% — decrease more than 10 percent.

Read NAM’s first quarter survey.

Cabinet manufacturers participating in the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association’s (KCMA) latest monthly Trend of Business Survey reported overall cabinet sales increased 13.5% for February 2022 compared to Febraury 2021.

February 2022 cabinet sales over February 2021:

Overall sales up 13.5%
Custom sales up 19.4%
Semi-custom up 5.4%
Stock sales up by 18.1%

In addition, February 2022 showed big sales gains over January 2022:

Overall sales up 7.4%
Custom sales up 10.5%
Semi-custom up 11.0%
Stock sales up 4.6%
Estimated cabinet quantity increased 3.3%

Survey participants include stock, semi-custom and custom companies whose combined sales represent approximately 75% of the U.S. kitchen cabinet and bath vanity market. KCMA is the major trade association for kitchen cabinet and bath vanity manufacturers and key suppliers of goods and services to the industry. KCMA has been compiling and reporting industry sales data for more than 40 years.

The North American woodworking industry knows Synergy Thermal Foils best for our incomparable 3D laminates available in more than a dozen textures.While flying under the radar, our 1D acrylic laminates have made a lot of fans among companies who want to offer something beyond standard cabinet-grade laminates.Sure, our 1D acrylic-finished product is a bit pricier than conventional laminate, but it offers so much more.

Consider these factors:

• Our non-toxic acrylic finishes, with their glossy sheen, are more aesthetically pleasing to the eye. They are a better choice for higher-end kitchens, especially upper cabinets.
• Our acrylic laminates age better. They retain their color and brightness longer than standard laminates.
• Our acrylic laminates are durable and easier to clean and maintain. They will not delaminate.

View our 1D Acrylic Laminate collection.

A new study of the U.S. and Canadian woodworking industry conducted by Woodworking Network and the Woodwork Career Alliance of North America reveals that the production worker shortage continues to increase at an alarming rate with no clear end in sight.

Among the study’s highlights:

• 73.8% of the woodworking representatives participating in the survey indicated it is “very challenging” to hire qualified workers for their manufacturing operations. In addition, 57.9% said it has been “much more challenging” to hire now than three years ago.
• 39.3% of the respondents said their operations lost at least one-quarter of their production workforce during 2020, including 4.7% who experienced a turnover rate of more than 75%.
• 35.6% of the respondents said that their company’s failure to achieve full, stable employment has had a huge impact on their ability to increase revenues. An additional 38.4% indicated that staffing issues have curtailed their revenue potential.

• Our PVC is made by one of the world’s largest producers.
• No plasticizer content is used in our films.
• A protective UV-cured topcoat enhances the decorative design.
• UV stabilizers extend the life of our base films.
• Our products offer high mar and scratch resistance.
• We offer 1DL, 2DL, 3DL and PET options. Our 3DL collection provides matches of designs created by leading producers of TFL and HPL and are available in a wide range of textures.
• Our thermofoils can be flat-laminated, post-formed, membrane-pressed, miter-folded and profile-wrapped for residential and commercial cabinets, furniture, store fixtures and much more.

The more than 135 designs featured on our website is only a small fraction of the thousands of choices we offer globally. Contact us if you don’t see what you are looking for. We can custom create new designs or color matching designs in various material thicknesses, textures, and coating options for OEM customers.

Contact us to find the right decorative surface for your products or projects.