MEDIA RELEASE

At Upper Canada, we strive to deliver what our customers are asking for, and we push to be innovative and industry leading. This has lead us to expand and enhance our website, and we are proud to announce that we have made some exciting upgrades to answer the demands of our team and customers.

The NEW Browse By Swatch feature is an easy-to-use tool of our stocked colour collections in TFL and Solid Surface. With over 391 designs to choose from, our customers are now able to compare colours, see full sheet images and search for the exact colour they want, all in one place.

We are always looking to Deliver the Difference and improve the customer experience. Our aim with this new feature is to enhance our online experience by making it as easy as possible for customers to access our collections, download images for their projects and have all the information available at their fingertips.

Explore the NEW tool and find exactly what you need here: www.ucfp.com Search by colour, search by texture, search by collection – search your way!

 

Upper Canada is a proud sponsor of the CKCA.

 

 

PlanIt Canada outlines the advances in technology that will provide you with laser-sharp accuracy!

Read the full article here

 

 

CNC Automation is proud to announce our alignment with a New World Class Supplier – VOLPATO Edge Finishing

Wood edge finishing is a complex operation that goes through several phases. This process can be complimentary to other processes such as milling, intended both as shaping of the profile and as rounding of the corners, sanding with an abrasive belt, brushing with abrasive wheels or brushes and, lastly, any polishing. Each of the phases that make up this process requires a particular tool, which is mounted on a special line machine, built according to the customer’s needs. VOLPATO now offers the production of custom built machines for edge finishing, which are made to customer guidelines and can guarantee their ability to obtain a high quality finished product.

 

Media Release

Tranquil Dawn has been unveiled as AkzoNobel’s Color of the Year for 2020. The culmination of extensive trend research by experts around the world, it’s designed to capture the essence of what makes us human, as the dawn of a new decade arrives.

A delicate, fluid shade somewhere between green, blue and grey, Tranquil Dawn features in all four of the accompanying color palettes. They are used throughout the company’s paints and coatings businesses to inspire customers and make the task of choosing color easier.

Color experts from the company’s Wood Coatings business were heavily involved and worked closely with AkzoNobel’s global color and design team in order to develop on-trend selections for customers in various paints and coatings markets. One of the main areas of focus was translating the four related color palettes for wood customers to use with specific products. The four Wood Coatings palettes are called Upcycle, Hybrid, Classical and Evolve.

 

Photo courtesy: AkzoNobel

 

“A unified color and trend development process across AkzoNobel definitely helps us to successfully launch and leverage our own stories of trending color in the markets we serve,” explains Rob Haley, Color Trends Manager for the company’s Wood Coatings business. “We are able to use the Color of the Year and the accompanying palettes across all the wood segments of furniture, flooring, cabinetry and building products.”

Adds Heleen van Gent, Head of AkzoNobel’s Global Aesthetic Center – which leads the annual trend research: “Tranquil Dawn perfectly captures the 2020 mood of what makes us human. It’s reminiscent of the colors of the morning sky and encapsulates our desire to treasure our most human qualities, which we’ll need in the new decade we are entering. It’s an exciting and inspiring way for us to share our passion for paint with the world.”

Working with colors for wooden furniture, cabinets and flooring is an art which requires careful attention. Because unlike a wall paint – which usually involves applying color to a white surface to get a 100% match – a wood coating can also be applied to play and blend with its substrate. So the Wood Coatings business took the Color of the Year and its four accompanying palettes and carefully crafted different finishes for different products.

“Getting our customers excited about color and the latest trends is all part of what we do as a company that loves color, based on centuries of experience and expertise,” continues Haley. “The latest generation of new homeowners and designers are looking for dynamic new trends, such as mixing old objects with non-traditional colors, or mixing different styles. We want to empower them to express their personality and help transform their living spaces and working environments.”

For more information about the 2020 Color of the Year, visit the ColourFutures web page or follow #CF20 on social media.

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About AkzoNobel

AkzoNobel has a passion for paint. We’re experts in the proud craft of making paints and coatings, setting the standard in color and protection since 1792. Our world class portfolio of brands – including Dulux, International, Sikkens and Interpon – is trusted by customers around the globe. Headquartered in the Netherlands, we are active in over 150 countries and employ around 34,500 talented people who are passionate about delivering the high-performance products and services our customers expect. For more information please visit www.akzonobel.com.

RICHELIEU PRESENTS THE QANTO ELECTRIC LIFT-UP SYSTEM FOR ERGONOMIC CABINET STORAGE

 

Montreal— The QANTO Electric Lift-Up System is the ultimate cabinet storage solution that maximizes space and accessibility. This

innovative system adds functionality and style to usually difficult-to-access areas such as base corner cabinets in L-shaped and U-shaped kitchens and end cabinets of kitchen islands.

Ergonomic, QANTO is composed of two trays that rise from inside the cabinet at the push of a button, displaying their contents in full view and making everything easy to reach. Push the same button to make them descend back inside the cabinet. The trays are designed with an elegant crystal-glass effect rim that outlines the QANTO on the countertop.

See the link on our website: https://www.richelieu.com/QR/C/1209506

 

ADD LIGHTING TO ANY MIRROR WITH RICHELIEU’S LOOP AND PULSE

 

Montreal – Richelieu presents two new stylish luminaires easily added to any mirror for extra brightness. LOOP and PULSE are 12V LED lights designed to hook onto the edge of a 6 mm thick mirror and can be positioned wherever needed providing a bright, uniform light. Ideal for bathroom vanity mirrors, they come in natural white and warm white color temperature with a chrome finish base plate.

See full press release here.

See the links on our website:

Pulse:  https://www.richelieu.com/QR/C/1207752

Loop:  https://www.richelieu.com/QR/C/1207751

 

 

 

London, ON – 12 June 2019 – On June 10^th at the CKCA Regional event in London, ON, Planit Canada Inc. and WEB-CAB announced their partnership and the availability of Production Assistant and Planning Assistant by WEB-CAB throughout Canada.

“For us, this alliance with WEB-CAB and the addition of the Production Assistant is a natural extension of our current product line.  The Manufacturing Execution System {MES} addresses many of the manufacturing challenges we’ve seen our clients struggle with over the years – from managing production and shipping, all the way to training staff,” said Peter Mate, President at Planit Canada Inc.  “And the quick, 5-day implementation is the cherry on top that we can’t stop smiling about.”

 

Production Assistant Already a Success in Quebec and Ontario, Expanding Presence in Canada

The cabinet manufacturers benefitting from WEB-CAB solutions in Quebec and Ontario already number in the hundreds.  Woody’s Premium Cabinetry, a manufacturer in London, ON specializing in custom cabinets, closets and vanities have been using Production Assistant by WEB-CAB for a year. “Our days of turning down jobs because our production can’t handle them are over.  By cutting down on lost time in assembly, sorting, searching for damaged parts, and by avoiding shipping errors, we saw a return on our investment within just a few months.” Explained Dan Fentie, owner at Woody’s Premium Cabinetry. “It’s also helped us enormously with training new staff, because we can include instructions that guide them through processes directly in their stations.”

“WEB-CAB is expanding and significantly increasing its presence in Canada. We wanted to partner with a strong and recognized distribution network in the Canadian market, and Planit Canada proved to be the right player, with its extensive woodworking expertise and team of established professionals across the country.” Says Jonathan Saucier, Product Specialist at WEB-CAB.

 

WEB-CAB Solutions Fill the Gap Between Cabinet Vision and ERP

Forming the middle part of a pyramid that has CAD/CAM software at the base and ERP at the top, Production Assistant and Planning Assistant are modules developed to optimize the management of cabinet manufacturing facilities; without necessitating a large time-investment for implementation nor a massive shift in methodology.

For more information, contact info@planitcanada.ca or visit planitcanada.ca.

 

By donating laptops to Kids Code Jeunesse, Planit Canada helps to inspire the future coders and creative thinkers of our digital world.

Planit Canada announces a new charitable partnership, intended to inspire children to learn coding and creative thinking by providing laptops for the not for profit organization Kids Code Jeunesse.

“This cause is personal for us.  Kids Code hits all the right marks; empowering kids to learn to code, providing a free activity for local families, and building a future workforce of creative digital thinkers.  We’re very excited to be a part of it.” – Peter Mate, President, Planit Canada

Offering 8-week coding courses, called Code Club, for children aged 8 – 12 years old, and run entirely by volunteers, Kids Code Jeunesse is a Canada-wide community that seeks to build digital skills for children, teachers and parents who want to learn to code.  Anyone can start a Code Club at their local school, library, or community centre.

“Running a code club and seeing the light bulbs come on as children have fun coding is a really rewarding activity – it’ll make you remember why you love coding yourself!” – Volunteer from Alberta

Code Club projects are easy to follow step-by-step guides, which help children learn Scratch, HTML & CSS and Python by making games, animations, and websites. The projects gradually introduce coding concepts to allow young people to build their knowledge incrementally, which also means there’s no need for the adult running the session to be a computing expert.

 

Empowering kids to use technology to make our world a better place

Coding is one of the most valuable and powerful skills a child can have in the 21st century, but developing a child’s technological ability, confidence, and creativity in the long-term takes a village. Kids Code programs provide coding education to kids and the people who play a crucial role in their development: their parents, teachers, and community leaders.

Research shows that teaching kids digital skills at a young age reduces the traditional barriers in STEM fields. Kids Code Jeunesse makes sure Canadian kids, with a particular focus on girls and children from disadvantaged groups, have the tools they need to be active participants in their digital futures.  By providing free laptops for the program, Planit Canada hopes to give more children opportunities to understand the complex technologies that are increasingly part their everyday lives.

Planit Canada is a leading distributor of software products servicing the Canadian woodworking industry. Their solutions help companies who design and manufacture casegoods and countertops for homes, offices, schools and hospitals.

Kids Code Jeunesse is a Canadian not for profit organization dedicated to empowering children and educators, with a particular focus on girls and children from disadvantaged groups, with the skills needed to thrive in a technology driven society. By bringing digital learning experiences into the classroom and in communities, Kids Code Jeunesse teaches Canadians how to be better thinkers and better creators in a digital world.

 

For more information on Kids Code Jeunesse:

www.kidscodejeunesse.org

AkzoNobel’s on-trend finishes to debut at High Point Spring Market

April 2019

HIGH POINT, North Carolina – Spring is prominently on display at the April 2019 High Point Market in High Point, North Carolina – thanks to AkzoNobel, a global leader in paints and coatings. The company has put its deep color expertise for wood coatings to work, to help AkzoNobel’s customers design showrooms highlighting fresh new looks that draw in Market attendees. “We are proud to see our industry-leading insights for design and color trends for the major wood markets on display at our customers’ Spring Market showrooms,” says Bob Averett, Global Color Design Manager at AkzoNobel. “This spring, we see an emergence of traditional designs with a modern glamorous twist, a reinvention of white and beige colors, and an increase in wood tone colorations,” adds Rob Haley, Color Trends Manager at AkzoNobel. The spring colors add a seasonal touch that takes this year’s color and design trends for the major wood markets to the next level. The four color trends that inspired the 2019 spring look – Dichotomy, Authentic, Luminous and Retro-Classic (listed below with images) – still reflect what is happening in architectural color, soft-furnishings and fashion. But it is the integration of additional insights and interpretation that enables Averett and Haley to guarantee that AkzoNobel’s customers are at the leading edge of finish development. To develop the spring-specific displays, AkzoNobel’s Global Design and Color Studio team partnered with furniture designers from hundreds of customers around the world. Color designers utilized AkzoNobel’s Global Design and Color Studio, which helps manufacturers bring a concept to life in three steps: the initial product design, the creation of a finish to match the design, and the follow-through into production. The result is the creation of more than 1,000 unique finishes that will now be on display at the Spring Market. “Our customers know that coupled with our highly-trained technical service team, we ensure all finishes are robust and can be industrialized around the world,” explains Averett. “For the Spring Market, we focused on sharing new ideas with our customers for state-of-the-art finishes for their updated showrooms.” In addition to the Spring Market, AkzoNobel will be sharing the updated spring wood finishes trends during customized presentations and individual consultations with customers this week. And while all eyes are on the Spring Market right now, AkzoNobel is also looking ahead at exciting enhancements to its wood coatings operations this year. A significant expansion of the Design and Color teams within Vietnam will enable AkzoNobel to better serve customers both in the United States and South Asia. Furthermore, AkzoNobel is making industry-defining improvements to the Global Design and Color Studio in High Point to facilitate world-leading solutions for all customers and ensure a smooth collaboration between the Global Design and Color Studio teams and South Asian furniture manufacturers. “We are excited to be making these investments both in High Point and South Asia,” says Anthony Woods, Global Marketing Director for Wood Coatings at AkzoNobel. “Our updated showroom will be the perfect place to reveal upcoming color and design trends, and our expanded teams will ensure we continue to deliver industry-leading design solutions that can be industrialized around the world. This is an exciting time for our customers and builds on AkzoNobel’s global expertise.” The updates are scheduled for later this year. For more information, visit AkzoNobel’s website regularly at www.akzonobel.com. The four 2019 wood coatings color trends are:
1. Dichotomy – the importance of two-tones, multiple layers and contrasting styles in a space.
2. Authentic – organic forms that include weathered, wire-brushed finishes where imperfection is admired.
3. Luminous – pearlescent and metallic for a luxurious appearance.
4. Retro-Classic – modern influences with a traditional soul

 

With the release of Cabinet Maker by Cabinet Vision, Planit Canada hopes to help smaller shops by providing an affordable design and manufacturing software to complement their CNC machines.

Read all about it here!

Stan and Connie Pauls have purchased the company after having been involved with it for over two decades. Stan Pauls has assumed the role of CEO as of February 8. We wish them all the best!

Read the full story here.