Species Highlight: Maple

When it comes to deciding on what wood to use throughout a home, maple has always been an American favorite. Why is this? The wood is hard and heavy with good strength properties, in particular it has a high resistance to abrasion and wear along with good steam-bending properties. These qualities are perfect when it comes to the wear and tear wood can take over the years in homes.

Grown in the Eastern United States, primarily in the Mid-Atlantic and Lake states, maple is a cold weather tree favoring a more northerly climate. There are two types of maples: soft maple and hard maple. Ferche believes the best option for a home will be hard maple. Hard maple is dense, strong and dent resistant with good length and width structure. The hard maple used by Ferche has a very consistent white/cream color. When using maple mouldings with maple doors, generally the match between the two is better with hard maple as well. No matter the maple, both hard and soft require the use of a conditioner prior to staining to minimize the "blotchy" effect that can occur with maple.

When it comes to working with maple, whether it is woodworking or DIY home projects, there are some things to keep in mind. Hard maple dries slowly with high shrinkage, so it can be susceptible to movement in performance. Also, pre-boring is recommended when nailing and screwing. With care it machines well, turns well, glues satisfactorily, and can be stained to an outstanding finish. Maple also polishes well and is suitable for enamel finishes and brown tones.

With all of this in mind, should you consider using the maple species in your home? We definitely recommend it! There are many uses for maple when it comes to incorporating the species in homes including: flooring, furniture, paneling, kitchen cabinets, worktops, tabletops, butchers blocks, kitchenware, and millwork (stairs, handrails, mouldings, and doors). If you have any questions regarding this particular specie of wood or others species for your home, do not hesitate to contact us: http://www.ferche.com/contact/.

Ferche Millwork – Your “Green” Manufacturer

Environmentalism isn’t new; it’s been around for hundreds of years. Recently, however, going “green” has become more important than ever. Ferche Millwork knows this, and can proudly say that it has a history of implementing “green” processes that greatly reduce waste and sustain valuable natural resources.

Ferche Millwork has always been an environmentally conscious company. The company’s proactive approach to recycling wood byproducts for fueling boilers to heat kilns and buildings was recognized in 1985 when Ferche Millwork received a National Award for Energy Innovation. The process that Ferche was awarded for included using sawdust and shavings from Ferche's manufacturing facilities and burning them to produce steam to power the Minnesota kilns and heat the buildings. Excess residues were sold into agricultural and fuel markets resulting in no waste. This was one of the first times Ferche was recognized for its green approach, and the company continues this process today.

Another milestone for Ferche came in 2003 when the company officially adopted another environmentally friendly process when it implemented the “lean” approach to manufacturing. The idea behind this manufacturing philosophy is to supply goods and services with minimal waste, where wastes in production are reduced through continuous improvements of the production processes. Using lean manufacturing is a way to consistently implement processes that benefit the environment, and a way to always try to improve current work methods.

With many environmentally conscious methods in place, Ferche Millwork truly cares about the green movement. In 2009, the company was awarded Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Chain of Custody Certification by Scientific Certification Systems (SCS). This is a great accomplishment for the company because while many certification systems guarantee resources are responsibly managed, FSC is the only system currently accepted under the United States Green Building Council’s LEED program.

Ferche Millwork is proud to say that it is a company that works to consistently satisfy all customers through custom capabilities, rapid turnaround and on-time delivery, and an exceptional overall value while also using processes that don’t harm the environment. Going “green” may be of new importance today, but Ferche Millwork has always been ahead of the game.

Now Hiring: Architectural Representative

Ferche Millwork is currently hiring for an Architectural Representative position. This individual will be working within the Sales Department in Rice, Minnesota. The candidate that fills this position will be responsible for all sales activities from developing training programs through supplying projects with Ferche Materials. They will also be responsible for tracking & coordinating with Sales Representatives. They will implement agreed upon Marketing Plans which will meet business goals of expanding the customer base in the US & Canada territories.

The Architectural Sales Rep will work closely with the Architectural community, and train them on Ferche manufactured products for the purpose of obtaining master specifications with major Arch firms. Each training needs to be documented for AIA & Ferche, and then followed with repeat visits. The sales goal objective is to place Ferche on all applicable project specification then track the project to the General Contractor & Sub Contractor (installer). After the General Contractor is selected, they will carefully pull materials through specific Ferche distributor or customer (work with Ferche Territory Representative).

Current representatives in similar positions, Mark K. and Jeff C., have said that an important skill to be successful as an Architectural Representative is having the ability to network with this group of professionals. Good communication skills and personal skills are a must. Besides these personal traits, Ferche provides their sales reps with all the necessary tools and training to be successful. Ferche does an outstanding job of preparing their new hires with the training and information they need to be comfortable and confident in their new role. Training doesn't stop during your first couple months, Ferche is known for being a step above the rest when it comes to informing their sales reps with all the latest and greatest information. Mark K. describes Ferche as, "[They] set the industry standard in quality products, on time delivery, customer support and sales tools, and state of the art "new product development."

The support team the Architectural Representative will receive is a great attribute of the position. Based on personal experience, Mark K. says "the architectural rep can rely on an inside sales and support staff that is knowledgeable, experienced, and professional." This support staff will be able to help the Architectural Representative find a product or solution that solves any problem the customers may have.  The Architectural Rep should, however, not rely on this team for everything. Mark K. states that "the Architectural Rep that Ferche hires will have all of their ground work done and in place. They should be able to pursue Architectural Firms with two different presentations that will have interest to all levels of designers." To apply, click here. For a more detailed look at all the responsibilities and specifications required, please see below.

Responsibilities:

• Responsible for identifying top 10 Architects in major US markets such as Minneapolis, Chicago, Philadelphia, New York, Kansas City, Omaha, Des Moines, Boston, Milwaukee, and other major cities in Ferche trade zones. Set appointments for Lunch & Learns focusing on FFRF & Millwork.
• Demonstrates technical selling / training skills and product knowledge in all areas listed above that allow effective presentation of Ferche Millwork.
• Develops annual business plan in conjunction with VP of Sales, which details activities to follow during the fiscal year, which will focus on meeting or exceeding goals and sales generated through tracking systems. 
• Complete understanding of technical specifications, codes, testing and AWI specifications.
• Demonstrates the ability to carry on a business conversation with Architects, Designers, Contractors, Distributors & Installers.
• Maximizes all opportunities in the process of educating, resulting in gaining commercial & residential projects. The process starts with Architects & Designers ending with the installer.
• Sells consultatively and makes recommendations to prospects and clients of the various solutions the company offers to their business issues. 
• Develops a database of qualified leads through referrals, internet & face to face cold calling on Architects, Designers, Distributors & Contractors with direct mail, and networking. 
• Assists in the implementation of company marketing plans as needed. 
• Creates and conducts effective proposal presentations and RFP responses that identify prospects in commercial and residential building industry.. 
• Responsible for sourcing and developing Architectural & Designer relationships and referrals. 
• Responsible for presenting and building effective Webinars for distant learning sessions Ferche AIA CEU.
• Responsible for developing Ferche University training program focused on Distributors, Lumber Yards, Contractors, Architects & Designers.
• Maintains accurate records of all sales and prospecting activities including sales calls, presentations, closed sales, and follow-up activities within your assigned territory, including the use of Microsoft Outlook & CRM to maintain accurate records to maximize territory potential. 
• Adheres to all company policies, procedures and business ethics codes and ensures that they are communicated and implemented within the team. 
• Develop a data base of all Colleges & Universities within the US market that consistently renovate and plan upcoming additions.
• Register Ferche with all Major US Colleges & Universities purchasing departments, tract all open RFQ on a weekly basis. (internet)

Relationships and Roles:

• Internal / External Cooperation
• Maintain contact with all clients in the market area to ensure high levels of Client Satisfaction.
• Demonstrate ability to interact and cooperate with all company employees. 
• Build trust, value others, communicate effectively, drive execution, foster innovation, focus on the customer, collaborate with others, solve problems creatively and demonstrate high integrity while hitting all deadlines.
• Maintain professional internal and external relationships that meet company core values.
• Proactively establish and maintain effective working team relationships with all support departments. 

Job Specifications:

• Experience with Microsoft office. 
• Understanding all aspects of Supplier Relationship Management. 
• Understanding of customer and market dynamics / requirements. 
• Willingness to travel 50% of the time and work in team of professionals. 
• Ability to achieve sales goals (TBD)

To apply for this position, or to learn more about Ferche Millwork, click here.

Proudly Old-Fashioned

As a true entrepreneur, Bob Ferche started Ferche Millwork in 1958 with a simple business model and two helpful brothers. Centrally located in Rice, Minnesota, the company began as a local supplier of boards, simple mouldings, and door jambs. From the start, Bob believed in creating high-quality, dependable products for his customers.

Furthermore, going above and beyond millwork industry requirements has become second nature to Ferche Millwork. By promising the highest quality hardwood mouldings in the industry and a highly sustainable product, Ferche defects out imperfections in multiple stages of the manufacturing process resulting in 100% useable product. Additionally, Ferche strives to create little or no unnecessary waste  from their business practices. For this energy efficiency practice, the Secretary of Energy recognized Ferche by awarding them the “Award for Energy Innovation”.

Regardless of growth and demand, Ferche’s old-fashioned way of doing business has remained the same. Their belief in taking more time and effort than their competitors to create a high-quality, dependable product has and will continue to be their vehicle for success.

Take a look at Ferche’s accomplishments over the years:

1958: Company Founded 

1978: Ferche switches from direct sales to 2-step distribution 

1980: Veneered products added to the solid moulding line 

1983: Ferche purchases first high speed Weinig moulder designed to run hardwoods 

1985: Distribution goes national 

1988: RAF Industries (Philadelphia investment group) purchases Ferche 

1993: Ferche opens air-drying yard in Tennessee 

1998: Ferche initiates an aggressive capital improvement plan to increase capacity and reduce lead times 

2000: Distribution facility expansion completed 

2002: Ferche automates moulder blank production by adding computer driven rough mill 

2003: Company adopts Lean Manufacturing philosophy 

2004: Lead times are reduced to two weeks 

2007: Ferche’s Book of Mouldings concept introduced where profiles are matched in architectural families 

2008: Company celebrates 50 years of business, selling value-laden moulding products across the U.S. and Canada 

2009: Door components category grows substantially as custom manufacturing capabilities increase 

2010: 45-60-90 minute wood FireRated door jambs and frames introduced to commercial market. TN kiln drying capacity increased by 50% 

2012: Innovative ProFile pricing tool introduced. Over 13,000 items produced in over 30 wood species

2013: TN kiln drying capacity increased by 40%