They say that the eye is the mirror of the soul. Perhaps this is why Progress Plast - the rapidly-growing leading company in the technical profile sector now known as Progress Profiles - chose an eye as its new company logo: both the perfect graphic synthesis and a modern mirror of a company that looks to the future with farsightedness while scanning the market for signs of innovation and aiming straight ahead to its objective.
With this modern styling of an ancient symbol, the new logo - destined to distinguish the Casella D’Asolo (TV) company’s new communication campaign - is reinterpreting its institutional colors and symbols in order to creatively and efficiently transmit all the strengths of entrepreneurial approach with a lively vocation for change.
This transparent eye reflects thought, values, and strong convictions, and has nothing to hide and on the contrary has only everything to show. The eye suggests the gaze of a company that is going to go far because it proposes avant-garde ideas and brilliant hunches from a team of professionals that always comes up with the right solution for each and every request in advance of every new trend that appears in the market.
Once again, the eye symbolizes the attention that Progress always gives to every single client, to the most significant innovation in the field, and to the details that make its production unique and incomparable. And those are the details that have regularly hit the bull’s-eye over the years, success after success, as the company with the greatest “visibility” in the sector.

This international seminar held from November 10-11, 2011, in Rotterdam, Holland, featured the active participation of trade associations, labor unions, government agencies and institutes specialized in professional training operating at both national and European level from 12 European Union member nations.
Organized by the European EFBWW labor union and European trade associations, the seminar’s moderator was Rodrigo Rodriguez, President of the Social Affairs Commission of the European Furniture Producers Union, while speakers included Italy’s Domenico Adelizzi, a wood and furniture expert and longtime contributor to Professional Parquet.
The 12 speakers illustrated the systems of professional training and instruction in their respective nations and the most significant differences between them.
The seminar’s principal objective was the definition of a common European project that would guarantee improvement in professional training and facilitate the standardization of learning while also promoting the mobility of young Europeans who wish to work in every area of the wood/furniture/ interior decor sector. Another important topic addressed was the analysis of the new skills and knowledge that aspiring European students must possess in order to continue guaranteeing European world leadership in the sector currently under fire from emerging nations like China, India, and Brazil.
The seminar raised many questions for further discussion and interest.

Mapei Group has completed its purchase of Henkel activities regarding adhesives and chemical products for the building industry in South Korea that also included the Ceresit and Thomsit brands. The purchase was organized with a new company, Mapei Korea, with headquarters in Seoul and a productive unit in Chungcheongbuk-do, around 100 km from Seoul, the 58th Mapei Group productive unit, to be precise.
Mapei Korea will continue production with the Ceresit and Thomsit brands for a maximum period of 3 years. These brands will be immediately flanked by the entire range of Mapei products.
With this purchase, Mapei intends to both significantly expand its presence in South Korea, one of the most technologically advanced nations on the global panorama, and to create a productive foothold on the North Pacific Rim. This expansion is part of a more than 200 million Euro investment program in the Asian-Pacific region (which also includes Oceania) that Mapei has recently approved under the management of its Singapore regional Headquarters and the guidance of Area Director, Marcel Smit.
This is how Mapei intends to continue its positive growth trend, which has never faltered even in recent years of economic crisis, therefore confirming the validity of its choice of specialization, internationalization, and commitment to research & development with the objective of world leadership, a goal that in some sectors has already been reached.

The European Federation of Parquet Importers (EFPI), the association of leading European importers of engineered and solid wood floorings, held on 8 November its General Assembly in its offices in Brussels and re-elected at unanimity its Board of Directors.
EFPI’s President, Jürgen Früchtenicht (Amorim/Portugal) was re-elected as President for the next Board mandate. Bjarne Pedersen (Timberman/Denmark), member of the Global Flooring Alliance, was re-elected as EFPI’s Vice-President and Ton Wieringa (Fetim/ Holland) will keep his position of Treasurer. The Board’s mandate will last until 8 November 2011.
At the end of the General Assembly, Mr Früchtenicht commented: “I am delighted to continue to lead, along with the Vice-President, the Treasurer and the Secretary General, the activities of our federation. 2010 has been a very challenging year for our industry and we are happy to see that EFPI members have decided to continue to work together and to be active at EU level. The recent adoption of the European regulation on illegal logging shows again the importance for the importers to participate in the European decision-making process and to actively contribute to the development of policies and standards which are vital for the wood flooring industry.”
EFPI is also compiling and will publish at the beginning of March its annual statistics on imports in Europe of solid and engineered timber flooring for 2010. The European Federation of Parquet Importers (EFPI) is a Brussels-based association of leading European importers of engineered and solid wood floorings. EFPI was founded in June 2005 and aims to facilitate the discussion of ideas among importers about the promotion of wood flooring in Europe, to share information about EU legislation, standardisation and issues concerning international trade for the parquet industry.