Bring yourself and your employees to the 2010 Spring Professional Development Seminar and you will bring much much more back with you! In offering unique learning opportunities custom made for woodwork manufacturers, you will be certain to improve your skills, increase efficiency, refresh your mind and recharge your batteries.

Register for high impact learning. Registration includes all utilized materials, (including notebooks, CDs, and template files) continental breakfast, lunch, and evening reception. Seats are limited and will be assigned on a first come first serve basis. 

 

 

EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES

Getting Green: LEED For Woodworkers
This exciting and informative half-day program addresses the nuts and bolts of working on a LEED- specified project. Attendees will gain insight and a working knowledge of their firm’s potential role in providing material and data for compliance in the LEED Building Rating System. The woodwork manufacturer will then be able to look at his or her own company and assess whether the firm is ready to participate in a LEED project. Attendees will also be able to decide how their firms fit into, grow with and participate proactively and effectively in the world of green building. Listen closely and be prepared with pen and paper to take some important notes.

 

LEAN for Woodworkers
This two-day, interactive workshop has two objectives:
(1) - To help attendees decide if implementing LEAN principles is right for their custom woodworking operation.
(2) - To give those who decide to implement LEAN for Woodworkers a checklist of steps they can use the following Monday to begin the process.
Most of us have been to LEAN seminars. We come away understanding that we need to "drive out waste" in our operations, but the examples given at the seminar were often unrelated to the custom woodworking world. This workshop is designed by LEAN woodworkers and presented by active woodworking professionals currently implementing LEAN principles. The two days will have a laser-like focus on the steps a woodworking firm needs to take to get LEAN. This program is NOT an introduction to LEAN manufacturing. A pre-seminar reading list will be prepared for attendees who need a primer on LEAN. At the seminar we will dive in the deep end of the pool and start swimming for the Gold Medal in the first hour.

Faculty: Erik Fetzer, Fetzer Architectural Woodwork; John Wiley, Elipticon Wood Products; Casey Strong, Fondell Woodwork, Inc.; Greg Blomberg, GreaterValue Hardwood Consultants; Eric Peterson, New World Millworks Inc.

Contracts - The Profits are in the Details
Take home proven tips and techniques to get what you want while giving the General Contractors and Owners what they want. Find out how to get jobs, protect your investment, AND make profitable agreements. You will take home a Contract Addendum you can use the next day to negotiate for your rights on the next project.

Faculty: Randy Jensen, Leonard Peterson & Company;  Michael P. Davis, esq., Chamberlain, Hrdlicka, White, Williams & Martin

AutoCAD Millwork Drawing
Tune up your knowledge of the Autodesk program AutoCAD by learning about the available tools and techniques to assist you with fine woodwork detailing and engineering. Topics the course will cover include blocks & dynamic blocks, creating a template, X-refs, using styles: dimension & text, hatches and line types and much more! The program will also include demonstrations and hands-on practice with guidance to get students through the exercises. AWI volunteer instructors are real woodwork drafters, bringing real life situations and solutions to you.

Faculty: Tim Schramm, Hardline; Chris McVey, Resource Engineering

Fundamentals of Estimating
This Basic program is designed to help you calculate your “break even” and to introduce attendees to the AWI Cost Book. Do you know much it costs to put the key in the door and turn on the lights every day at your plant? Learn how to find out, AND how to put that fact to work for profitable jobs next week. After you get home from this program you will sleep better at night, knowing you can turn down unprofitable work and negotiate your margins with confidence.

Faculty: Tony Perno, Casework Technologies, Ltd.; Scott Nelson, Central Plains Millwork, Inc.


Fundamentals of Project Management
Basic one-day program designed for NEW project managers. Build a solid foundation for profitable projects. You will sharpen your basic management skills, learn what questions to ask, and take home powerful techniques. The informal format allows time for questions. Explore alternative solutions with your colleagues in the room. Hit the ground running as you take on your promotion to PM for your company.

Faculty: Rick Thaler, OGB Architectural Millwork;  Randy Lange, Lange Bros. Woodwork Co., Inc.

 
Advanced Project Management  (2 Days)
Effective, efficient, aggressive project management is vital to your company’s growth and health. Learn to “manage UP” to the General Contractors and Owners for whom you work. Take home tips and techniques to put your team in control of the project from the first day to job close out. Improve your Customer Management skills, allowing jobs to flow instead of bump along to completion. Get the tools to punch out of a job, once and for all, so life can go on. 

Prerequisite: Completion of the Fundamentals of Project Management course or 3 years experience as an active Project Manager.  It is not recommended to take Fundamentals and Advanced Project Management back to back.

Faculty: Matt Lundahl, Meyer and Lundahl; Jeff Stück, Stück Wood Works, Inc.; Greg Kasten, Mortensen Woodwork Inc.

Advanced Estimating  (2 Days)
Get the results you want from every project - profit and pleasure. Participants take away immediately useful tools - job costing, bid justification, tips for estimating complex projects. The faculty takes attendees through unique woodworking problems, and leads them to real-world solutions. 

Prerequisite: Completion of the Fundamentals of Estimating course or 3 years experience as an active Estimator.  It is not recommended to take Fundamentals and Advanced Estimating back to back. 

Faculty: Bruce Spitz, Classic Millwork & Products, Inc.; Mike Bell, Kentucky Millwork; John leininger, Leininger Cabinet & Woodworking, Inc.; Jim Broich, Architectural Arts; Josh Browning, Genbrook Millwork, Inc.

 

►AWI, AWMAC and WI Members - Click Here to Register

Non-members - Click Here to Register