www.ISFAnow.orgVOLUME 4 •

ISSUE 3 • 2011 •

COUNTERTOPS & ARCHITECTURAL SURFACES

Innovation in Design Contest Winners AnnouncedCREA Diffusion Takes Top Prize Page 26

Top Solid Surface Trends Page 18

JCW Profile: 40 Years and Still Making Dust Page 22

Sales: Get Better or Go Broke Page 32

Drop Prices At Your Own Risk Page 34

Brooklyn Museum Gets Solid Surface Art Page 36

INTERN AT ION AL SURFACE FABR IC AT ORS ASSOC IAT ION

VOLUME 4 • ISSUE 3 • 2011 • SINGLE ISSUE $14.95

INTERNATIONAL SURFACE FABRICATORS ASSOCIATION

Letters To The Editor Countertops & Architectural Surfaces welcomes Letters to the Editor. If you have questions about the magazine, or would like to make a comment, or voice an opinion about the magazine, ISFA, or the industry in general, please feel free to write to us.

Please send letters to editor@isfanow.org or to Letters, ISFA, 165 N 1330 W Unit A3, Orem, UT 84057 or fax to (801) 341-7361 attention: Editor. Include a telephone number and address (preferable email address). Letters may be edited for clarity or space. Because of the high volume of mail we receive, we cannot respond to all letters. Send queries about Countertops & Architectural Surfaces to editor@isfanow.org or mail to ISFA, 165 N 1330 W Unit A3, Orem, UT 84057 or fax to (801) 341-7361 attention: Editor.

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About This Magazine Countertops & Architectural Surfaces is published quarterly by the International Surface Fabricators Association (ISFA), with a fifth “Buyers Guide” issue publishing in August. Individual copies of Countertops & Architectural Surfaces are available at the non-member “newstand” price of $14.95. Countertops & Architectural Surfaces is also available by individual subscription at the following rates: ISFA non-members, one year (five issues) $30.00; ISFA members, one year free with every membership renewal.

Special rates and charges apply for orders outside of the United States. Call for details. To subscribe, call (877) 464-7732. Printed in the United States of America. Copyright © International Surface Fabricators Association 2011. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reprinted or otherwise reproduced without publisher’s written permission. Countertops & Architectural Surfaces and The International Surface Fabricators Association assumes no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts or photographs.

Materials will be returned only if accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. For change of address, please include old label with new information, including both old and new zip codes. Allow 3-6 weeks for address change to take effect. Periodicals postage rate is paid at the Lehi, Utah, post office as well as others. Opinions expressed by writers in this magazine are not necessarily the opinions of Countertops & Architectural Surfaces or the International Surface Fabricators Association, but rather those of the individual writers.

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Photography: Photos in this publication may not depict proper safety procedures for creative purposes. ISFA and Countertops & Architectural Surfaces support the use of proper safety procedures in all cases and urge readers to take steps to institute such procedures. Photography Provided By: Jon Olson, Sterling Surfaces, Hans Stålhandske, James Thompson, LG Hausys, Keith Sirchio, Situ Studio, Rosskopf & Partner, CREA Diffusion, Gene McDonald, Refresh Interiors, PlayGo, JCW, Quality Residential Construction, Tuan Nguyen, American Radon Solutions Inc., Interfab Ltd. and Interline Creative Group.

Magazine Credits Publisher & Editor Kevin ColeCreative Director Jeff PeaseContributing Editor Russ Lee

ISFA Officers Of The BoardRuss Berry, PresidentMike Langenderfer, Vice PresidentJoe Hoffman, SecretaryDave Paxton, TreasurerHunter Adams, Immediate Past PresidentRuss Lee, Executive Director

ISFA DirectorsMike Nolan, DirectorMartin Funck, Director Jon Blasius, DirectorChristina Humiston, Director Michael Bustin, Director Mark Anderson, Associate Member Rep. Michael Astill, Associate Member Rep.

ISFA StaffRuss Lee, Executive DirectorKevin Cole, Communications Director Jeff Pease, Creative DirectorSandy Milroy, Membership & Event Director Andrew Bowman, Development DirectorMeg Pettingill, Administrative Assistant

Cover Photo: The winners of the Innovations in Design Competition were announced, and this Art Gallery project fabricated CREA Diffusion, in France, took the top prize. Read the full story on Page 26.

Magazine Credits

International Surface Fabricators Association • Vol. 4, Issue 3, 2011 • 3

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These really are exciting times to be working in the solid surface industry. Interest is increasing in exploring the full design capabilities of solid surface.

While the recent addition of many new colors has made kitchen countertops more popular with homeowners again, we are seeing so much more going on with the material. From musical instru-ments to trash cans, from lampshades to creative inlays, solid surface can do it all. So let’s dig right in and see what’s trending for 2011-2012.

3-D ThermoformingThermoforming, which is the heating and shaping of solid surface to take on multiple dimensions, has been around for many years. However, it recently has seen a surge of interest from all as-pects of the design world. Designers have found solid surface is more than just a flat countertop surface. Many of the trends we are seeing use some form of thermoforming (see Figure 1). Go to any solid surface sheet manufacturer’s web-site and you’ll see outstanding examples of 3-D thermoforming. By adding more dimensions to the product, more applications become possible. And those fabricators that take advantage of this ability can get additional business that they may

have previously seen go elsewhere. Likewise, they may also be able to suggest additional fea-tures (with additional revenues) in projects that are already coming through the door.

Green Surfaces“Green” is everywhere. We see it in the news, on the television and at just about every retail outlet there is. It doesn’t really matter if you believe all of the hype surrounding it or not. More eco-friendly products are being specified and purchased every year. According to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), in 2009 the market for green building was $7.4 billion. In 2010 that number grew to $38 billion, and continues to grow. What other area is growing at 500 percent per year? You should make sure you are in the position to take advantage of it.

All the major sheet manufacturers have respond-ed to the green movement, including Avonite, Corian, Formica, LG Hausys and Wilsonart, just to name a few. Most of their green surfaces rely heavily on pre-consumer recycled acrylic content, with the amount of recycled material ranging from 5 to 91 percent. Also, many of these surfaces have met the Greenguard Indoor Air

Quality Certification Program for low-emitting products, making them a perfect choice when thinking about clean air and safe environments.

Using green surfaces has been very important for many years when it comes to commercial projects. Now, with the huge upsurge of this trend in the residential market, being informed about these surfaces is more important than ever.

Custom SinksThis year we have seen an increased interest in custom solid surface sinks. From my experience, there are several reasons for this:

• Designers are beginning to see how ther-moforming can be incorporated into their designs. Free flowing slopes add another design option not always available with sink manufacturers (see Figure 2).

• Hospitals use solid surface quite frequently because it offers outstanding infection control. They also want solid surface sinks. Research has shown that if the drain is offset from the faucet, less bacteria grows. Currently, most solid surface sinks only come with a center drain, so to accom-modate the demand fabricators are making their own sinks with the drain offset.

• Solid Surface manufacturers generally only make solid color bowls. Consumers and designers want sinks that match the color of their countertop whether it’s a lavatory or kitchen bowl.

OEMAs an OEM product, we’ve seen solid surface used in the marine, aircraft, RV, ambulance and

By Jon OlsonShop Management Matters

Top Solid Surface Trends for 2011 and Beyond

18 • Vol. 4, Issue 3, 2011 • International Surface Fabricators Association

Figure 2 – Free flowing slopes and unique shapes in custom sinks add another design option not always available with large sink manufacturers.

Figure 1 – Many of the trends we are seeing use some form of thermoforming, such as this tabletop (and the apple sitting on it).

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other industries. As the world begins to see the possibilities with solid surface, other OEM lines are beginning to be developed. Many of these are being driven from the industrial designers of the world. The idea is to make something that was once unsightly more appealing.There are numerous examples. One designer created a product with a solid surface shell called the playGo (www.playgo.us), which is a small box that contains USB ports to connect audio equipment (see Figure 3). The company touts its use of solid surface saying it “allows us to create a unique industrial design that can’t be duplicated with cheap plastic.”Also, it has begun to be used in the jewelry industry. Designers such as the folks from Black Badger (www.blackbadger.se) and JenMDESIGN

(www.jennifermerchantdesign.com) can’t resist working with solid surface to make all types of jewelry and taking advantage of the working characteristics of this versatile material (see Fig-ure 4). Other designers are using solid surface in ways you might not think of. To get an idea of how industrial designers think and what products they’re producing you can visit a website at www.core77.com that highlights design ideas.

FurnitureAnother area of growing interest for solid surface is furniture. There are a few reasons why, I be-lieve, we are seeing an increase there:

• Unique colors, such as bright oranges and light greens, make for eye catching pieces of furniture (see Figure 5). The color palette for solid surface is amazing, and several manufacturers offer custom color matching capabilities, further broadening the pos-sibilities.

• Translucent qualities of several lines of solid surface are also making a mark. The new lines of translucent colors can be used for dramatic effects when back lit. One stunning application of this is the use of lampshades. I’ve also seen dining tables fabricated using translucent colors made to be highlighted from above.

• The outstanding qualities of solid surface are appealing to furniture designers as well. The nonporous surface makes it easy to maintain and doesn’t promote the growth of germs. Also, the ability to be repaired more easily than wood furniture (without

even being able to tell a repair was made) is something very interesting to those who want to supply well built furniture with low maintenance. Because of these qualities schools, hospitals, food service companies and a variety of other corporations are look-ing for ways to use solid surface furniture.

These are just a few of today’s trends. As you can see the possibilities are limited only by one’s imagination. What will we see in the near future? Maybe we will see more solid surface used as the outside cladding of buildings (check out last year’s Q2 issue of this magazine to see an amazing exterior cladding project done by CREA Diffusion). How about kitchen countertops com-plete with LED message boards inserted inside and routed fixtures that let you dock your Ipod? Or maybe tops with recycling bins fitted seam-lessly into the surface. Solid surface is about the only material that lets you do these things in a cost-effective way.

One thing is certain as we move forward: Solid surface’s outstanding design capabilities will continue to provide inspiration for designers and architects for a very long time to come. If you can leverage these possibilities, or find new ones, you are on the right track for more business to come your way. INTERN AT ION AL SURFACE FABR IC AT ORS ASSOC IAT ION

About the Author:Jon Olson is production and operations manager for Sterling Surfaces in Sterling, Mass. A solid surface fabricator since 1982, he has gained experience in all phases of fabrication while helping Sterling to grow from 10 to 50 employees and become one of the world lead-ers in the industry. He can be reached at jon@sterlingsurfaces.com.

International Surface Fabricators Association • Vol. 4, Issue 3, 2011 • 19

Figure 3 – OEM applications are growing with solid surface, such as this playGo USB hub for audio connections.

Figure 4 – Jewelry, such as these rings produced by Black Badger, an industrial design company in Sweden, are utiliz-ing the versatile properties of solid surface.

Figure 5 – Bright colors, along with durability and easy reparability, make solid surface a great option for furniture.

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