Forest Products Utilization and Marketing

Millwork, Cabinet, and Furniture

Wisconsin’s secondary wood using industry listing [exit DNR] includes firms that manufacture dimensional and reconstituted wood products into value added wood products. Specific examples include furniture and cabinet manufacturers. Currrent county business pattern data directories developed by the Wisconsin Economic Development Institute shows that there are 944 secondary forest product businesses in Wisconsin.

Assembly chamber photo.
Carley, Wood Associates, based in Madison, was involved with the Wisconsin State Capitol Restoration project. The Assembly Chamber involved restoring the front podium, paneling, and gold leaf accents. Quarter-sawn white oak materials were used.
Photo by Carley, Wood Associates, Inc.

Arcways staircase.
Arcways, based in Neenah, is a manufacturer of staircases that are in demand around the world.
Photo by Arcways.

All forest product sectors in Wisconsin are feeling the pressure of global competition. The furniture industry has been significantly impacted with the closing of all the juvenile furniture plants in Wisconsin. At one time, Wisconsin manufacturers produced 10% of all juvenile furniture in the US. While some plants like Richardson Furniture and Schweiger have closed, other forest products companies have changed their markets and aggressively developed new markets and are growing because of those changes.

Wisconsin window companies continue to thrive due to the quality of their products and aggressive marketing. Hurd and Weathershield are selling Wisconsin-made windows in China. Innovative companies that thrive in high-end markets are leading the way. For example, Archway, a Neenah-based spiral staircase manufacturer and premier architectural wood firm, were experiencing backlogs in 2006. Aecer Floors have some of their products going into the arenas for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China.

Last Revised: Tuesday July 15 2008