WalzCraft owner, Richard Walz, dies

WalzCraft, a manufacturer of wood components and accessories in La Crosse, Wis., announces the passing of owner Richard (Dick) Walz, 68, on Nov. 6.

“Dick fought a long and courageous battle with Alzheimer’s disease and passed away peacefully at his Onalaska, Wis. home, surrounded by his loved ones, the company said in a statement.

“Always in tune with the industry, Dick often told the staff at WalzCraft, ‘If we listen to our customers, they will take us where we need to go’. He embraced that concept, repeated it often to his Team Members, and with that shared vision worked shoulder to shoulder with them to build WalzCraft into the business it is today.

“Dick was born on October 4, 1954, and was raised on a family farm in Glen Haven, Wis. There, he developed a strong work ethic, learned the value of hard work, and began a lifelong passion for woodworking. Dick graduated from Western Technical College (1973) and started his own construction company. In 1982 he started his manufacturing journey at Cabinet Factory Inc. (which was later renamed WalzCraft) and became the majority owner in 1987. Dick had a passion for providing customers with high-quality products, and a variety of choices. He loved improving a process to give guaranteed results and talking at length with Team Members to make these improvements. Those close to Dick would describe him as an incredible man and a visionary leader who was dedicated to his family and his work at WalzCraft.”

Pillar Machine, a manufacturer of CNC woodworking machines in Salt Lake City, Utah, announces the acquisition of Larick Machinery, a manufacturer of sanding machines in Fort Collins, Colo.

“For more than three decades, Larick has manufactured high-quality machinery including profile sanding, shape and sand, wire brush sanders, and more. We couldn’t be more excited to incorporate this new lineup into our offerings,” the company said in a statement.

“We anticipate a transition period moving the operations from Colorado to Utah over the next year, but in the interim we will be offering these high-quality machines to our current and future customers. We’ve also enlisted Larry Schwartz (previous owner of Larick) to help guide the transition and act as a resource for product knowledge and sales support.”

REHAU has announced plans to build a new facility for edge band production in North America at its Celaya production hub in central Mexico.

“The decision to relocate REHAU’s edgeband production from our plant in Baie d’Urfé, Montreal was a very difficult one, but market conditions have forced us to act since we must be a trusted partner that reliably delivers product to our customers,” Thomas Troeger, CEO of REHAU Americas, said in a statement.

“The ongoing labor shortages in Montreal are impacting our ability to meet customer expectations, a situation that is expected to continue. Despite our teams working expanded hours, we are simply not able to meet current demand, nor can we help customers grow their business. This is a customer-driven decision; REHAU is committed to providing the same high-quality product, but in a much improved proactive and timely manner.”

This article was originally published in the January 2023 issue.