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Event Highlights

Thermally Fused Laminate Explained: What’s New at IWF 2026, Ft. Arauco at IWF 2026 in Atlanta

September 29, 2026 Length: 12 min Watch on YouTube (opens in a new tab)

In this Event Highlights video, Stefanie Couch tours the Arauco booth at IWF 2026 in Atlanta with Russ Jordan and Cathy Hummer of Arauco North America and Jon Minnaert of Aetna Building Solutions. They cover TFL, the new Quietude collection, plywood options and Fibrex storage.

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About This Video.

Most people run a hand across this wood grain and don’t think twice.

But it isn’t wood. It’s paper.

I’m at the International Woodworking Fair in Atlanta at the Arauco booth, getting into the new Quietude collection, the Prism TFL line, and even finding the beaded plywood I used to sell at my dad’s lumberyard.

We hear from Russ Jordan, the President of Arauco North America; Cathy Hummer, Senior Manager of TFL Development & Design, who’s team designed their new collection; and Jon Minnaert, a distributor who has been buying from Arauco for decades.

What’s inside

  • What TFL actually is: decorative paper saturated with melamine resin, then thermally fused to particle board or MDF
  • The new Quietude collection by Arauco: seven designs that came out of a two-year review with customers
  • Why TFL trends are shifting toward a warmer palette, and what that means for cabinet and closet specs in 2026
  • How to match texture to design in TFL products
  • Cathy Hummer on why designers specify Prism TFL: durable, repeatable, consistent, and available across the country
  • Arauco’s plywood program, including 3/8 beaded ply, a deeper T1-11 style groove, primed, and sanded options
  • Fibrex pegboard, slot wall, and shelf configurations built into a gym and garden shed setup on the booth floor
  • Russ Jordan on moving Arauco past commodity panels through embossed textures, deep texture, and light manufacturing that pulls cost out of the customer’s supply chain
  • Jon Minnaert of Aetna Building Solutions on what makes a great supplier partner, and why multiple plants matter more than most buyers realize

Key Takeaways.

  • Thermally fused laminate is made from decorative paper saturated with melamine resin and thermally fused to particle board or MDF.
  • Cathy Hummer says designers specify Prism TFL because it is durable, repeatable, consistent and available across the country.
  • Arauco's new Quietude collection has seven designs from a two-year customer review, reflecting a shift toward a warmer TFL palette.
  • Russ Jordan is moving Arauco past commodity panels with embossed textures, deep texture and light manufacturing that pulls cost out of the customer's supply chain.
  • Jon Minnaert of Aetna Building Solutions explains why a supplier running multiple plants matters more than most buyers realize.

Questions and Answers.

What did Arauco show at IWF 2026?

Arauco showed its new Quietude collection, the Prism TFL line, the Tactile Collection in black, navy and blanco, plywood options including 3/8 beaded ply, and Fibrex pegboard and slot wall.

Who buys thermally fused laminate?

Buyers include cabinet, closet and countertop manufacturers. Jon Minnaert, President of Aetna Building Solutions, also explains what makes a great manufacturing partner.

How is Arauco North America adding value to its panels?

Russ Jordan, President of Arauco North America, describes moving past commodity panels through embossed textures, deep texture and light manufacturing that pulls cost out of the customer's supply chain.

Keep Watching.

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