"News from the Horizon"
Summer 2010 - Vol 2, Issue 3
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IWF - Atlanta
.....Visit HORIZON's Booth!
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Woodworking Fair
-----2010-----
"Bringing it all Together"
August 25-28, 2010
Atlanta, Georgia
The time is getting closer. At HORIZON we have polished up our display and are organizing the final details for our booth at the popular IWF trade show. We are excited about what we have created to show off our stuff. Schedule now to attend a 'technical session'. Learn from your peers or industry experts. Plot your route and explore the exhibit halls to see the latest and greatest products in the industry, but most importantly - Come on over an give us a visit. We will be waiting to show you our stuff!
BOOTH NUMBER 1469
IWF - Atlanta
The Connecting Point
for the Industry
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Item of the Month ------
August 2010 - rare Grey Elm
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You may have already seen this, but here it is again....The Grey Elm species meet its sad demise back in the 60's. Our selection here represents one of the rare survivors of the blight that annihilated its brothers in the forest. Recently this tree finally succumbed to other forces of nature and had to be harvested. Grey Elm wood will soon be impossible to find. We are presenting here a unique and special opportunity!
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Comments on the Industry....
contemplations on the dollar, the euro and more......
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I guess we should take for granted that just about the time
you think you have it all figured out something enters the picture and changes
everything. This is when being flexible
and adaptive pays off, but only if you recognize the situation as it is
occurring. Lots of this stuff seems to
be based on luck or magic and slips by sort of secretly. It is only after the fact that you sometimes say,
"bummer... that hurt!" Occasionally you wonder
what you could have done to influence the situation, or if you are just a pawn
in a larger scheme of players.
My point of all this is that we in the hardwood
business can say things have been looking up somewhat. Maybe not for everyone, but generally
speaking there have been improvements. In the past 5 years or so we have
experienced; fashions changing away from American species, movement towards
cheaper and more available off-shore woods, a trend towards minimalist or throw
away mentality, and even a global
recession. In response to these
pressures I think it fair to say American Hardwoods really have made inroads back as the
supplier of choice, particularly in Europe.
Once we were finally able to reduce our timber stumpages and log costs
during the past few years, we all tightened our grading rules, relaxed some of
our sales pressures, and offered better pricing and terms. We
basically became better partners who were a little more in line with the alternative
offerings from elsewhere.
Unfortunately, the past months have seen
unprecedented declines in the value of the Euro and the climbing of the
strength of the US dollar. Where some
people would find this to their advantage, maybe a tourist, I think those of us
depending particularly on European demand see this as a grey cloud looming.....
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Customer Highlights .....
.....John Walkowiak - master of hand tool skills
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 John Walkowiak practices his skills in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Having a long standing fascination and respect for the traditional hand tools used by craftsmen from days gone by, John gets a huge sense of satisfaction in putting those same tools to use for his present day creations. John has discovered HORIZON as a great source of material to put his talents work.This image shows the corner of his beautiful revolving bookcase which incorporates both walnut and cherry from HORIZON.
In discussing his dealings with the company, John says, "The folks at  HORIZON are just the best to work with, and
their wood selection is second to none. However, if you drive to pick up your lumber, be sure and check your fender flares for ventilation before leaving!".
The super cherry shown here has great width and consistency of color and became the focal point of a shaker table, another of John's creations .....with a good waste not - want not attitude, he used the remaining lumber to create the inset panels of his bookcase.
After careful planing and joining, the HORIZON cherry boards are assembled to become the table's top. Patience in the final sanding and a meticulous application of his shellac finish created spectacular results .
We invite you to take a closer look at the the effort that goes into of a Walkowiak project. Follow the link to get a first hand view of the completed shaker table and the intricacies of building the revolving bookcase. In John's work the blend of high quality HORZON wood and the use of time-tested hand tools results in masterpieces to be treasured for generations.
(continue................................)
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and on a more personal note........
meet HOMER, one of the colorful characters on our HORIZON
|  Childhood buddies...creators of neighborhood mischief ...campers in backyard woods that have long since morphed into a network of streets and homes. The history between George Terbovich and HORIZION's long-term employee Homer White spans some five decades. During those long ago carefree childhood days, Homer was always the guy ready with a "fix-it" plan. It was usually creative, making the most of string, bubble gum and scraps of wire. It sometimes worked, and sometimes didn't. Regardless, he always had a plan! Homer still maintains a way of reducing an issue to his simplest form of logic which, at times, is pretty tough to argue with.
Back in the mid-70's when what was to become Horizon Wood Products was just the hint of a dream, George and Homer were working together in the woods, cutting and skidding. Two guys, a pickup, a bag of donuts and a couple of dogs. These were the days when coming home tired and dirty was a sign of a job well done. Days were a little simpler then, but the work was still a challenge. And the rest.....as they say.....is history.
After many years of working in the woods independently as a tree feller, Homer came and joined the ranks at Horizon. He has seen the company grow and change since 1993 when he became part of the team. As a guy who sticks firmly behind his convictions and is comfortable with routine, Homer has done a very worthy job as one of HORIZON's graders. He is consistent and predictable and his grading is too...just as it should be. We would like to give a nod and a tip of the hat to Homer. He is still the only guy who can skip a stone the entire width of the HORIZON pond, and he proves it every year at our annual summer picnic! |
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SPECIAL OFFER -
| COME meet us at the FAIR!! For the first 3 customers who come and shake our hands at the IWF in Atlanta Aug. 25 thru 28 - we are offering a 10% discount on your next order of up to 1,000 bf. This does NOT apply to shipping expense! We'll be waiting for you at Booth 1496. See ya there!
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