IWF donates to the MiLL

The International Woodworking Fair is contributing $12,500 in unrestricted funds to the Manufacturing Industry Learning Lab (MiLL), a training center for the wood industry, in Colorado Springs, Colo.

“For more than a half century, the International Woodworking Fair has served the ever-expanding needs of wood industry equipment and technology manufacturers and service providers and the tens of thousands of buyers attending its bi-annual trade show and conference produced every other August in Atlanta at the Georgia World Congress Center,” the IWF said in a statement.

“The IWF contribution extends its long-standing commitment to industry advancement, innovation and education as evidenced in the IWF Education Conference, the IWF Challengers Distinguished Achievement Award and the IWF Design Emphasis Student Furniture Design competition.”

Lonnie Bird, a furniture maker, teacher, tool designer and published author, died on Nov. 25, 2022. He was 63.

Bird was the head of the Fine Woodworking Program at the University of Rio Grande (Ohio) for 13 years and operated Lonnie Bird’s School of Fine Woodworking in Dandridge, Tenn., for an additional 20 years.

“In both settings, he was well-able to duplicate his woodworking skills in others and was widely acclaimed as an excellent teacher. Impressively, Lonnie developed all the furniture designs and projects he taught. Lonnie was extremely talented; yet very willing to share his knowledge with others,” according to his obituary.

“Lonnie not only designed beautiful furniture with classic proportions and stunning beauty, but developed and patented commercial tooling and safety devices for CMT, Amana, and Bench Dog companies. He also published six woodworking books through The Taunton Press, was contributing editor for Fine Woodworking Magazine, and wrote many articles for various other woodworking publications, including Woodshop News.”

Uneeda, a manufacturer of abrasive products for the woodworking industry, has expanded its headquarters in Spring Valley, N.Y., adding 18,000-sq.-ft. of additional manufacturing space and 25,000-sq.-ft. of high ceiling warehouse space.

“Since 1967, Uneeda has been supplying the highest quality coated abrasive products to a wide range of industrial end users and distributors. Throughout our 55-year history, we have been fortunate to experience significant growth while surmounting many economic difficulties along the way,” the company said in a statement.

“A few years ago, we found ourselves running out of warehouse and manufacturing space to accommodate our continued growth. We were at a crossroads to decide what the best option could be to expand and support the business. We decided to make an investment in our local community and remain in Spring Valley, New York where we had our roots, both as a business and a family.

“We are excited about what the future may bring and look forward to many more years of sharing our success with our dedicated staff and loyal customers. 

This article was originally published in the March 2023 issue.