OLYMPIA COMPANY WINS IN COLUMBIA FOREST PRODUCTS’ PUREBOND® QUALITY AWARDS NATIONAL DESIGN COMPETITION
- October 14, 2020
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- by Columbia Forest Products
Beech Tree Woodworks, a regional cabinetmaker and a member of the PureBond Fabricator Network™, wins first prize in the “Residential Other” category.
Olympia, WA ̶ Columbia Forest Products, North America’s leading producer of hardwood plywood and veneer, has named the winners of its latest PureBond® Quality Awards (PQA) competition. Among the winners are seven fabricators located in five states: California, Florida, Michigan, North Carolina and Washington, including Beech Tree Woodworks, an Olympia woodworking shop and maker of custom cabinets, built-ins and fine furniture.
Selecting the winning entries in the PQA competition was based on a single fundamental factor: demonstrating the quality use of PureBond hardwood plywood in a design and fabrication project. The project submissions entered across all design categories were impressive. After carefully considering the entries, a panel of independent experts from the woodworking and design industries named Beech Tree as the first-prize winner in the Residential Other category.
The judges were impressed by Beech Tree’s full-scale remodeling project for an Olympia residential property that included fabricating custom cabinets, bathroom vanities, wall panels and soffits, plus a custom-designed dining table and exterior seating. The rich amber tones of the Maple vertical grain-veneered PureBond plywood used indoors were the perfect complement to the home’s natural setting.
For Beech Tree, the environmentally friendly attributes of the PureBond hardwood plywood panels are an important part of their appeal. Says owner Nic James, “We worked with the Artisan Group, a local architectural firm here in Olympia that we do a lot of work with, on the project. Our team met with the homeowner who was very interested in sustainability and green design. When I’m talking with our clients about the materials we use including sheet goods, I discuss green certifications, which tie into the benefits of the environmentally PureBond product. Once they hear about its inherent qualities, they’re sold on the product.
Beech Tree counts customers all throughout the Puget Sound area, but the company also does project work in Oregon, Idaho and Northern California. “We stand behind our work, and that in part has helped give us good customer reviews,” James reports.
To view examples of Beech Tree Woodworks’ cabinetry and other custom-built items, visit www.beechtreecustomcabinets.com.
“I credit our success to our employees. The old saying – hire good people, treat them well and get out of their way so they can do their work – is true. It’s taken some time and I’ve worked hard at it, but I now truly have a dream team,” says James.
Beech Tree relies on Edensaw Woods, a Port Townsend building supplier, for keeping a fresh supply of PureBond plywood at the ready. “They’re a wonderful company – and they won a statewide best business award a few years ago. The folks at Edensaw – our rep James Bohlen and the owner Jim ‘Kiwi’ Ferrin – take great care of us. As a company they’re very committed to forest sustainability and they’re a full solar business, too, something we will be doing Q1 of 2021” James notes.
About PureBond® Technology and the PQA Awards
Columbia Forest Product’s formaldehyde-free PureBond technology has made a major impact on the engineered wood panel market. Developed in conjunction with scientists at Oregon State University, the first PureBond hardwood plywood panels were produced in 2005. Since then, more than 100 million panels have been shipped. PureBond formaldehyde-free technology is a market differentiator for woodshops that cater to health-conscious and environmentally aware clients.
The PQA competition recognizes exceptional design and craftsmanship using PureBond® hardwood plywood materials to create interior spaces and furnishings that are visually and functionally distinctive. Contestants are members of the PureBond Fabricator Network™ and compete for prizes in three categories – Residential Kitchen, Residential Other, and Commercial.
Speaking about the participants in the competition, Todd Vogelsinger, Columbia Forest Products’ director of marketing states, “Through the PureBond Fabricator Network, we’ve forged strong partnerships with woodworking establishments across North America. These are the craftspeople who are building custom installations and furnishings for residential and commercial customers while using our PureBond® hardwood plywood. This is the eighth PQA competition we’ve held, and like the previous ones it’s proven to be a wonderful way to showcase the amazing work fabricators are doing with the versatile PureBond material.”
Founded in 1957, Columbia Forest Products is America’s largest manufacturer of decorative hardwood plywood and hardwood veneer. The company operates facilities throughout North America and is a leader in sustainable forestry, along with developing innovative and environmentally friendly technologies and products for healthy indoor living.
