LANCASTER, Pa. – Wood Pro Expo, the northeast’s regional woodworkng marketplace, is primed for action with an exhibit floor 20 percent bigger than last year's show.

The two-day show, featuring a still-growing exhibitor list of more than 80 manufacturers and distributors of woodworking machinery and supplies, takes place Oct. 17-18 at Spooky Nook Sports Complex.  

In addition to the exhibits, Wood Pro Expo has a strong educational component, including free opening keynote presentations by FDMC Editor Will Sampson on Thursday, Oct. 17 and Dr. Eugene Wengert, aka the Wood Doctor, on Friday, Oct. 18. The 2019 WPE education program also includes four seminar presentations and the Running Machine Program that brings learning opportunities to the show floor.

“I have always been a firm believer that trade shows must have both a solid exhibitor base and a strong educational component to be successful,” said Tim Fixmer, president and CEO of Woodworking Network, partner of the event. “We developed Wood Pro Expo to provide real education and training value for the attendees. We’re providing both hands-on how-to and an opportunity to explore new possibilities. We want woodworkers who come to the show to leave thinking, ‘I didn’t know things could be done this way.’”

“We know from our attendee surveys that Wood Pro Expo is filling a void,” said Lewis Goldman, managing partner of the show. “Eighty-four percent of last year’s attendees said they would attend the show again in the future, The Thursday and Friday format or our regional event allows woodworkers to schedule minimal time out of their shops to find the latest technologies and learn about the newest trends in wood products manufacturing.”

Event Highlights
Wood Pro Expo:  The exhibits hall will be open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 17 and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, Oct. 18. More than 80 exhibitors will display and demonstrate the full gamut of woodworking technology and supplies including everything from cabinet hardware, decorative surface materials and components through CAD/CAM software, table saws and CNC machines. View current exhibitor list and floor plan. 

Running Machine Program: Four machinery exhibitors will participate in the RMP including Felder Group, INMES/framingsupplies.com, New CNC and RT Machine Company. Show goers are invited to attend any or all of these interactive educational sessions for free. Learn more and view the RMP demonstration schedule.

Shop Tours: The Cabinet Makers Association (CMA) has organized an all-day bus tour of three Lancaster, Pa., area plants, on Wednesday, Oct. 16. The tour will include visits to School Specialty, Meridian Products and Seven Trees Woodworking. Learn more and register.

WPE Educational Program: Education sessions will be anchored by free keynote presentations scheduled before the show opens each day. All of the presentations will focus on the needs of custom woodworkers to improve their business efficiencies and bottom lines. The CMA a partner of the conference.

Here's a quick summary of each day's presentations.

Thursday, Oct. 17
8 a.m. Will Sampson, FDMC editor, will deliver his keynote presentation, “Path to professionalism.” Sampson’s presentation will discuss best business practices, efficient production, effective marketing and more.

10 a.m. Ken Kumph, owner of Premier Builders of Georgetown, Mass., will present “A systematic approach to comparing estimated to actual costs.” Kumph will share his job costing strategies to assess profitability and aid in decision-making for pricing and managing future projects.

11 a.m. James Fox, owner of Fox Woodworking of Phoenixville, Pa., will present “Running a one- or two-man shop: How to make it all work.” Fox will share tips and tricks from his own experience running a one-man (and sometimes a two-man) shop.

Friday, Oct. 18
8 a.m. Dr. Eugene Wengert, FDMC columnist, aka the Wood Doctor, will deliver the free morning keynote speech. Wengert will present the business impacts of many of the topics he covers in his practical and popular FDMC advice column, including wood economic conditions and employee issues. He also plans to reserve time to field questions from the audience on technical challenges they encounter with their lumber and panel resources. Learn more.

10 a.m. Leslie Smith, market development manager of Sherwin Williams, will present, “Keeping up with trends from bellbottoms to blockbuster.” Smith will discuss how to identify and capitalize on emerging design and color trends. Learn more.

11 a.m. Dr. Eugene Wengert will present “The correct moisture content for kiln dried lumber: Establishing reasonable MC targets and measuring MC.” Wengert will tackle some of the galling, costly and yet largely preventable issues related to moisture content issues. Learn more.

View full schedule of the WPE education program.

Learn more about Wood Pro Expo Lancaster and register.

About Wood Pro Expo
Wood Pro Expo is a regional event for woodworking businesses that brings together suppliers and experts for a localized presentation of equipment and supply solutions. WPE includes a strong educational program on best practices for shop production - including CNC basics, employee recruitment, finishing, lean manufacturing, business management, software, and shop safety - and an expo floor with equipment and supplies geared to small and medium-size shops.

The Fall 2019 Wood Pro Expo takes place Oct. 17-18 at the Spooky Nook Sports Center in Manheim, Pa., near Lancaster. For information visit woodproexpolancaster.com. 

For exhibitor information contact Lewis Goldman at [email protected] or phone 800-969-2212.