The Cabinet Makers Association is accepting entries for its 2013 CMA Wood Diamond Awards Program. Open to all current members of the CMA, regardless of shop size, the program offers participating companies the chance for a credential that can boost their local reputation.

Now in its fourth year, CMA president Tracy Yarborough says the number of entrants has increased every year with more than 50 entrants anticipated this year. He says the contest was initially started to allow members to show off their work and also use the awards as a marketing tool for their companies.

“What the participating shops are getting out of it, of course, is the ability to market their shops to their customers and say they are award-winning companies with award-winning projects. Each one that has won already has continued to enter each year because they say that it does help in their marketing campaigns for their businesses,” says Yarborough.

“Winning a Wood Diamond is one way to set yourself apart from your competition. Having a panel of your professional peers proclaim you to have the ‘best of’ in any category will only help you gain favoritism with your customers.”

The program will be accepting entries until May 31 and the winners will be announced in July at the AWFS fair in Las Vegas. All first-place place winners will get a solid cherry plaque declaring their excellence in their respective category, while other entries will receive a certificate of achievement.

“We see everything, believe it or not,” adds Yarborough. “We thought that when we first opened it up that all we would see would be the typical kitchen and baths, but we found that these guys are not just woodworkers, they’re craftsmen that love what they do. They’ve done everything from libraries to wine cellars to entertainment room surrounds and huge theater rooms. Some of the commercial projects they get into sometimes deal with modern architecture and it just blows my mind how they build these things.”

Contact: Cabinet Makers Association, P.O. Box 14276, Milwaukee, WI 53214. Tel: 414-377-1340. www.cabinetmakers.org

This article originally appeared in the May 2013 issue.