News

Most Manufacturers to Increase Inventories, NAM Survey Says

May 2022

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.

2022 Cabinet Sales Continue to Surge

May 2022

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.

Harvard: Home Remodeling Boom to Peak in 2022

March 2022
Harvard Home Remodeling Index
Spending for home improvements and repairs is expected to expand at a stronger pace in 2022, but signs point to some easing of growth by year end, according to the Leading Indicator of Remodeling Activity (LIRA) released by the Remodeling Futures Program at the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University.

The LIRA projects double-digit gains in annual homeowner renovation and maintenance expenditure will top out in the third quarter of 2022 before beginning a deceleration toward more sustainable rates of growth.

“Strong increases in home sales activity, household incomes, and home equity levels are supporting a faster expansion of the home remodeling market over the coming year,” says Carlos Martín, project director of the Remodeling Futures Program at the Center. “As owners continue to navigate the ups and downs of the pandemic’s trajectory, the focus on home improvements for changing wants and needs remains in sharp relief.”

“While annual owner improvement and repair spending could reach $430 billion by the second half of 2022, several headwinds may still temper growth expectations this year,” says Abbe Will, associate project director of the Remodeling Futures Program. “The rising costs of labor and construction materials, difficulty retaining contractors, and climbing interest rates could discourage owners from undertaking new or larger remodeling projects.”

Read more.

Why Our 1D Acrylics Are a Better Value Than Standard Laminates

March 2022
1D Acrylic Laminates from Synergy Thermal Foils
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.

Featured Designs: Antigua & Summer Breeze

March 2022

Our Antigua and Summer Breeze designs couldn’t be much different. Whereas Antigua is a mid-brown inspired by pearwood, Summer Breeze is a natural blonde that pays homage to ovangkol, a relative of bubinga and rosewood. Yet, we present them here side by side because both are among our most specified designs and both are matches for Tafisa’s Antigua and Summer Breeze TFL panels.

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 3DL versions are available in a wide range of textures.

Need Woodworkers? Study Finds You’re Not Alone

February 2022

Woodwork Career Alliance woodworking workforce studyA 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.
Read more about the study.

What Makes Synergy Thermal Foils Stand Out?

February 2022
From our headquarters in South Florida, we scour the globe to find the best decorative surface films at the best possible price. We are driven to offer our customers high-quality products that are not only durable but are also defect-free and fashionable.

Some of the noteworthy things that distinguish our products in the world of thermofoils include:
  • 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.

Featured Designs: Skye & Elmwood

February 2022

Skye

Two of our most popular designs – Skye and Elmwood – have been part of the Synergy Thermal Foils catalog for several years. Each of these luxuriously brushed elm decorative overlays spotlights the natural cathedrals and straight grains of the wood pattern. Our Skye matches Uniboard’s Skye TFL and our Elmwood matches Uniboard’s Driftwood TFL.

SYnergy Thermal Foils Elmwood

Elmwood

Skye and Elmwood can each be flat-laminated, post-formed, membrane-pressed, miter-folded, and profile wrapped for use in commercial and residential furniture, store fixtures, kitchen cabinets, closet systems, and much more.

Featured Design: Oatfield

January 2022
Our new Oatfield 3DL design is easy on the eye and evokes an airy calmness. Oatfield’s design versatility makes it well suited for country or urban environments.

Find a match with Kronospan K448 Oatfield TFL or Tafisa L546 Mojave TFL.

Our Oatfield product can be flat-laminated, post-formed, membrane-pressed, miter-folded and profile wrapped for use in commercial and residential furniture, store fixtures, kitchen cabinets, closet systems and much more.

Scam Alert: Beware of Fraudulent Invoices

January 2022

January 7, 2022

Dear Valued Customer,

We just received a report from one of our customers alerting us that they had received a fraudulent invoice bearing Synergy Thermal Foils’ name, address and logo.

While we have only received one such report, we want to make sure that you are aware of this situation. Please let us know immediately if you have received similar correspondence to the one shown below. We are working with various authorities to investigate this matter.

This is the email that our customer received. It included an invoice attachment. We have x’d out the customer’s information and highlighted some of the contact information to be aware of.

We are grateful that our customer brought this to our immediate attention and are hopeful that this fraud attempt is a one-off and not more widespread.

While we are in the process of determining if the data breach was on our end or our customer’s, we think it is important that we all take note that hacking happens.

In this case, while the cover letter is poorly worded and includes several grammatical errors, it shows the great extent hackers will go to pull off their scam. Here’s a few things we have learned so far.

1.     The perpetrators purchased the domain synergythermofoil.com and created an email almost identical to STF. Note that our web address and the email are synergythermofoils.com, plural.

2.     The email includes a phone number with a California area code. Everyone who does business with us knows that we are based in South Florida.

3.     The perpetrators set up an account with Chase Bank and instructed our customer to send payment there. We have not changed our bank account. We have the same banking information today as in 2010.

Thank you again for your business and trust. Please contact us directly if you suspect you have received a fraudulent STF invoice OR any request to change bank accounts for payments to us.

Please call us with any questions about payment status or to confirm any changes.

Synergy Thermal Foils

954-420-9553

Houzz Predicts Top Kitchen Design Trends for 2022

December 2021
Houzz.com recently released its 2022 forecast of top home design trends.
The trends of greatest interest to cabinet makers and kitchen remodelers include:
A casual collected look: While the 2021 U.S. Houzz Kitchen Trends Study confirmed that all-white kitchens remain dominant, layered looks are gaining in popularity. A more casual, less-polished approach with softer paint colors, raw wood tones, and a mix of cabinet fronts and styles is predicted to rise.
Long and linear backsplash tile: White subway tile is a classic look for a kitchen backsplash, but many homeowners are searching for a modern twist on the material. White ceramic 4-by-12-inch tile lends a timeless feel while its elongated form gives it a fresh, updated appearance.
Hardworking storage: While the general function of cabinetry hasn’t changed much over the years, the inside of cabinets has dramatically shifted. Pullouts bring pantry items from the back of cabinets to the front, special shelves lift heavy appliances from a lower cabinet to countertop height, and drawer dividers organize plates and bowls.
Multiple window banks: Thanks to the rise of hardworking pantry walls, storage-optimized island bases, and lower cabinets that allow homeowners to skip upper cabinets, Houzz pros anticipate homeowners to go with expansive runs of windows in 2022.
Read more.

The Oak Celebration Concludes with Charleston

December 2021
In each of the last three issues of On The Surface we have featured one of the designs in our new Oak collection. This month, we conclude our salute to the mighty oak, America’s national tree, with Charleston.
Just in case you missed them, our other new textured RTF oaks are WilliamsburgCarolina, and Highlands. Each of these new oak designs has a TFL match with Funder America.
All four of the new oak introductions can be flat-laminated, post-formed, membrane-pressed, miter-folded and profile wrapped for use in commercial and residential furniture, store fixtures, kitchen cabinets, closet systems and much more.