NeoCon 09 Impressions

Overall, I think that NeoCon '09 was probably considered a success by most attendees. Almost everyone I spoke to said that of course attendance seemed to be way off but that was expected. What wasn't expected was that most of the vendor's seemed exceptionally pleased with the quality of the customers. Almost unanimously, vendors told me that the potential customers that went to the show were the decision makers. There were few students, and even fewer customers that came just "to kick the tires". From what I could discern, sales seemed to be on par with a normal, non-recession year. Of course this is a relief to those of us in capital equipment sales because the majority of these vendors are some of my most important customers.

The booths and showrooms were stunning as usual, even if they were a little less extravagant than years past.

Trends

Here are some of the trends in design that I noticed in most of the booths and showrooms.

Reconstituted Veneer (Recon) - Nearly all of the largest furniture manufacturers had at least 1 or more office unit, desk, or conference table done with recon. While recon is fairly common in some sectors of the woodworking industry, and even some sectors of the office furniture industry, this was the first time that I've seen this used so widely. I don't know if this is just a new design trend, or they are subliminally sending a message to the wood industry about prices, it looks like we will be seeing more recon for the near future. People like TreeFrog should be very happy with that. Sanding and finishing recon is unlike sanding some cherry veneer. It is quite hard actually, due to the amount of glue. The important thing to accomplish when sanding it is to ensure the veneer is flat. You will have to use a cross-belt (preferred) or a soft, large diameter rubber drum to get this done correctly. If not, it becomes extremely hard to sand the sealer coat evenly without burning through the high spots.

Bamboo - It seemed as if this was everywhere. This has been popular as flooring, of course, for years, but I saw it used as wall coverings, the decoration in pressed acrylic or resin walls, veneer for desks and conference tables, and even the chairs. This material is a very good choice for many applications due to its hardness and resistance to wear. When calibrating bamboo for thickness, I usually drop down a grit from where I would normally start my sequence because of this hardness. Although not as oily, the wood this grass is most like is teak.

High Gloss - Like bamboo, this application is always at the show, but usually you see it mainly on solid surface, stone, and painted wood (MDF) surfaces. This year most of the vendors had at least one collection done to a mirror finish. This is pretty standard fare in Europe, but it seems to be migrating west. All of the vendors had exceptional high gloss finishes, but I have to note that The Mayline Group had a collection, manufactured and imported from China, that was so perfect, it took them awhile to convince me it was really veneer and not laminate. The reflections on the surface of the desk were not the least bit distorted. When sanding high gloss, the best option, if available, are cross-belts. They are long which helps dispel heat, they always use a "chevron" or felt strip internal belt which again helps to dispel heat, while keeping the scratch very, very short. This hides most sanding belt defects, and prevents the snake lines that occur when using an normal wide belt pad head. They are also much less expensive that a wide belt of the same grit. Believe me, it is very easy to damage a 9 micron grit belt.

Lastly, I just wanted to say thank you to all who took the time to talk with me at the show. I know how important and valuable your time is. Of special note: Nucraft Furniture, OFS Brands, Haworth Inc., Hon, Gunlocke, Paoli, Steelcase, Herman Miller, Indiana Furniture, Leggett & Platt, Bernhardt, Kimball, The Mayline Group, Knoll, Armstrong, Green Choice Flooring, Legacy, Terrazzo & Marble Supply, 3 Form, Coaster Office, Real Wood Floors, Lumber Liquidators, Schneller, Gianni Inc., Kittinger, Capri Cork, and Avian. If I forgot anyone, sorry, I guess I owe you dinner, your choice of venue.

P.S. Please remember this is only a small humble view of an incredibly large show. Please feel free to correct anything I may have wrong. Also, my opinions, not my employers. Thanks.