Jenkins International Woodworking Fair Recap
2014 IWF Recap
September 1 2014
Jenkins Systems & Service LLC returned as an exhibitor to the International Woodworking Fair held at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, GA, from Aug. 20-23rd. It marked the first time Jenkins has attended IWF as a division of Alaark Tooling & Automation Inc. since being acquired in 2008. The show provided the opportunity for representatives of Jenkins to meet face to face with many customers, as well as suppliers and business partners.
Thoughts from the Show
The atmosphere of the show was energized and Jenkins representatives fielded many inquiries for new machinery, retrofits, parts and service for existing machinery.
Jenkins Sales Engineer David Collins stated:
“The show was a great way to connect with new customers, but maybe more importantly, reconnect with our past customers, especially those that have lost touch with the company and our capabilities, despite owning Jenkins machines that are still performing very well.” He continued, “The IWF show was an excellent opportunity to let people know that we are still here and still building great equipment.”
A common sentiment shared by visitors to the booth were remarks about how well built and durable Jenkins machines are including numerous anecdotes of Jenkins machines that have been in service for many decades. Jenkins is proud of the reputation it has established for building a high quality product that will stand up to both the test of time and the demands of production. Hearing customer praise at the show was very satisfying, as well as motivating, as Jenkins strives to meet and exceed customers’ expectations going forward.
Industry Confidence
IWF is the largest showcase for machinery, materials, supplies, and services for woodworking and related industries in the western hemisphere. Over the course of four days, attendance was estimated at 20,000, representing an approximant increase of 10% over the 2012 show. These figures provide another indicator of the industry’s recovery and illustrate increased confidence as businesses seek to increase production to meet pent-up demand. Evidence of this was reflected in show chairman Rick Hannigan’s summary of the event which reported 50% of those in attendance anticipate making a significant purchase in the next 6-12 months. Link - Chairman Rick Hannigan's Summary of IWF 2014
Jenkins would like to thank all of those who visited our booth during the show. We look forward to returning to Atlanta in 2016 when Jenkins will be celebrating its 100th year in existence.
