USA – Würth Baer Supply Company announced the acquisition of Russell Plywood, based in Reading, Pennsylvania, with an additional site in Wilmington, Delaware.

GERMANY – Koelnmesse is organizing this year’s interzum, to be held from 4 to 7 May 2021, as a purely digital event.

CHINA – On January 31^st Koelnmesse had announced it was postponing CIFM/interzum guangzhou 2020, which was originally scheduled to be held at the China Import and Export Fair Complex (Pazhou Complex) from March 28-31. The measure was taken then due to the on-going novel coronavirus pandemic.

COLOMBIA – Madecentro, Colombia’s leading retail chain specializing in supplies for carpentry and the wood processing industry, reaches 150 stores in the country.

U.S. – Ikea Retail U.S. will temporarily close all 50 store locations across the U.S. and the Ikea Planning Studio in Manhattan. This decision was taken by Ikea leadership as a pre-cautionary measure due to the rapidly evolving novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).

ARGENTINA – Egger, manufacturer of a wide range of wood-based products for the furniture industry, interior design, construction and flooring, opened in March two new Egger Haus stores in Argentina.

CHILE – Falabella, Ripley and Paris also close.

NETHERLANDS/CHINA – On March 10 Inter IKEA Systems B.V. (owner of the IKEA concept and global franchisor), IKEA Retail China and Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. launch the first virtual IKEA store during a digital signing ceremony via Taobao Live Streaming from IKEA Shanghai Baoshan and Hangzhou Ali Park.

USA – Atlantic Plywood, a wholly owned subsidiary of Parksite, is expanding their business into the Southeast and will be the exclusive Formica distributor in these markets effective April 6th.

PERU – In January 2020, Peruvian imports of particleboard / MDP (PB / MDP) amounted to USD 9.07 million, which represented a strong increase of 40.4 percent compared to the same month of 2019 (USD 6.46 million).

COLOMBIA – In 2019, Colombian particleboard (PB) / MDP imports reached USD 101.26 million. Exceeding USD 100 million for the second year.

USA – Less than two weeks from a February 20th U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) final hearing, The American Coalition of Cabinet Distributors (ACCD) remains confident that the ITC will find that imports of Ready-to Assemble (RTA) cabinets have not injured the petitioners in the Wooden Cabinets and Vanities from China trade case.