Blog

Featured Design: Corvina Elme

July 2022

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.

Featured Design: Rococo Elme

May 2022

We’re excited to announce the launch of our new Carbrera Elme collection in partnership with Funder America. Cabrera is a new embossed texture that gives these designs a level of natural realism.

Rococo represents the first salvo of several new Cabrera Elme designs that we are adding to our matching TFL program with Funder.

Stop by and see it, feel it at booth C-1208 of the International Woodworking Fair this August in Atlanta.

Check out our matching TFL program.

Why PET Laminates Are the Greenest Choice

May 2022


While all of our decorative surfacing products meet environmental health and safety standards, our PET laminating films are the greenest of them all.

PET, short for polyethylene terephthalate (try saying that five times fast!), is made from 100% recyclable materials. Also known as polyester films, other environmental benefits of PET formulations include:

— No halogens;

— No plasticizers;

— No formaldehyde; and

— No heavy metals.

Oh, and our PET films not only look great, they are super durable and dimensionally stable. They can be profile wrapped or miter folded and are ideal for kitchen and bath cabinets, store fixtures and other applications.

They are available in matte or gloss finishes.

See all of our PET Laminates.

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.

We Have That Real Deal Feel for 3DL Textures

May 2022


Textured surfaces, that mimic domestic and exotics hardwoods, have driven the soaring popularity of 3D laminates and spared a lot of trees in the process.

Synergy Thermal Foils offers 14 types of exacting embossed textures including Sandblasted (shown), Crown Cut, Rift Cut, Matte, Gloss and Leather, not to mention Wenge, Walnut and Edgewood.

Our 3DLs are durable, water resistant and easy to clean. What’s more, many of our 3DLs match HPL and TFL designs produced by North America’s leading decorative surface manufacturers.

See all of our 3DL textures.

 

Featured Designs: Cocoa & Oatfield

May 2022

Get acquainted with Cocoa, top, and Oatfield, our two new 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.

Each of these embossed textured designs achieves an authentic wood look and feel.

Order samples.

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.