Machine Usage in Manufacturing Value-Added Wood Products

A study of equipment usage in the Louisiana secondary wood products industry was conducted in 1994. The objectives of this study were to determine types of machines used by the value-added industry sector and to identify commonalties of types of machines used between industry segments. For the purpose of this analysis, if a product was produced by more than 10 companies, it was considered a separate valueadded wood industry. Five separate value-added industries were identified using this scheme: kitchen cabinets, millwork, household furniture, bathroom cabinets, and pallets. Differences between types of equipment used in companies of different sizes and between industry sectors were statistically analyzed. There are two main implications from identifying the most frequently used types of machines in and between industry segments. The first is in the area of developing secondary industry training and development programs. Specific machine center training can be aligned to targeted markets and products. Second, companies considering horizontal diversification can determine the degree of machine center commonality between industry and product segments.