John Aufderhaar and I sit across from each other. On the table between us sit my hastily scribbled notes. I will read over them later but I am probably the only one who can decipher my handwriting. Aufderhaar has always been very patient with me when it comes to explaining industry technology and context, which is good because I ask a lot of questions. I started my work with him in 2006, doing projects for individual clients and filling in when he needed extra editorial copy. With each assignment I received a crash course in relevant materials, a few promising leads, a nice meal and a hearty “good luck.”

As members of the media we enjoy a broad perspective of the industry we serve, and the world of composite panels and decorative surfaces is vast. Each story is a research project that not only explores the featured subject, but how it relates to every other area of the trade. By the time the final draft of a piece is edited and the high resolution images are sent to layout I feel like I have achieved a certain level of expertise on that little sliver of the industry. That is not to say I have it all figured out, but rather that over time the pieces have started to come together. It is something like impressionist art; all those little dots combine to make a complete picture.

In general Aufderhaar and I get along pretty well. We enjoy talking science (did you know John is a trained bacteriologist?) philosophy and business. Occasionally we even discuss politics. Eventually though, our conversations always come back to composite panels and decorative surfaces. Where do they come from? How are they made? Who makes them? Who uses them? How do they get them? Why? There really is no one answer to any of the above questions. They are more like invitations to learn about the state of the industry, how it got to be the way it is and where it is headed from here. As we zoom in and investigate the origins (and evolutions) of supplies and materials and then zoom out to see how products are made and brought to market one thing is clear, each segment of the trade is integrally related to the others.

Frankly, we live in a place and time where as consumers we have more goods available to us then ever in history. Paradoxically, we as a people are further removed from the production of the majority of these goods than ever before. Which is not a bad thing. In fact, specialization has brought a wider variety of higher-quality goods to the marketplace at lower cost. It has allowed time for art and stewardship, even within industry. But specialization also makes individual operations dependent on one another to meet their supplementary needs. That is why professional associations, such as the Composite Panel Association, are so valuable to business.

It is a means of pooling resources to address the issues that concern all the facets of the industry. Every one of us who depends on composite panels and decorative surfaces for a living (if you know what MDF, CNC, NAUF, CARB and TFM mean without looking them up, that includes you) has a vested interest in the overall health of the market and perception of the products.

As someone who is relatively new to the industry, composite panels and decorative surfaces are a wonderland of amazing materials and applications. I can’t understand why anyone would use any other materials. I believe that the goods and services offered by CPA member companies are not just more ways of making the same products, but better ways of making better products. I also believe that as the economy turns around and people begin to carefully, conscientiously spend money there will be more demand for composite panels and decorative surfaces. Consumers will be looking for practical, sustainable, inventive solutions. We need to make sure they know how to find them.

Shortly before I committed to Surface and Panel Aufderhaar asked me, “So, what do you think of the industry? Do you like it?” I thought it over. “Its got it all,” I replied, “innovation, technology, art, design, business, huge companies, mom-and pop shops, politics, community, environmental stewardship, big fancy manufacturing lines, intrigue.” Aufderhaar was quiet for a moment, almost reverent. Then he looked me in the eye and said, “It’s the best business in the world.”

He could be right on that one; his observations are usually pretty spot on. As for me, I look forward to the ongoing in-depth research that accompanies every project that comes my way. I would also like to offer a sincere “thank you” to all the people who have shared their expertise and helped me to track down information. And to those people I haven’t met yet, I invite you to come over and say hello the next time our paths cross. I have a few questions I’d like to ask you.

Suzanne VanGilder • Editorial Director • suzannevangilder@sbcglobal.net