Celebrating 40 Years of Innovation: How Kerfkore’s Architectural Panels Are Revolutionizing Design
October 8, 20242024 marks a significant milestone for Kerfkore as we celebrate our 40th anniversary. Over the past four decades, Kerfkore has established itself as a leader in the architectural and design industry, pioneering lightweight and flexible panels that make the jobs of architects, fabricators, and designers much easier.
As we celebrate this milestone, we’re reflecting on the innovations that have shaped Kerfkore’s journey and looking ahead to the future.
40 Years of Innovation
Since our founding, Kerfkore has been driven by a commitment to innovation.
After 16 years of specializing in tambour panels, Kerfkore started out on a mission to make bendable wood even better. It needed to bend and flex, without compromising strength and durability. In 2000, that vision became a reality with the birth of the Kerfkore flexible panel, now known as Soflex. This original panel quickly became a game-changer in the industry.
Over the years, Kerfkore has expanded its product line to include a variety of flexible panels, each designed to meet the specific needs of modern architecture and design.
Kerfkore innovated even further in 2005 with the introduction of our lightweight Foamkore panels, making oversized, overweight, and overhead projects a breeze.
The Evolution of Kerfkore Products
As Kerfkore celebrates its 40th anniversary, it’s clear that the company’s success is rooted in its ability to evolve and adapt to the changing demands of the industry. Here’s a look at how some of Kerfkore’s key products have contributed to this legacy of innovation:
Original Tambour Panels
The product that started it all! In 1984, our founder, Ed Peede, started Kerfkore as Interior Products. Our proprietary line of tambour panels was called Visions and were used nationwide, and was popular among furniture manufacturers. By 1989, we quickly outgrew our building and moved into a 40,000 square foot facility. This expansion allowed us to offer custom component fabrication and break into new markets. We no longer sell our original panels, but they will always have a special place in our hearts.
Soflex Panels
Created 24 years ago in 2000, our Soflex panel is the first member in our line of flexible panels. Originally named the Kerfkore Panel, we updated the name this year to make it stand out from our brand name. These panels were introduced as double-sided panels that have since evolved into the single-sided Soflex you know today.
Created with our LTX black flexible backer, the Soflex panel is a highly flexible and stable base layer and can be decorated with high-pressure laminates, veneers, metals, and other semi-rigid materials. It can reach a maximum bending radius of 3.5”, laminated first, and can be spliced to reduce scraps in your project.
Flexboard Panels
After the success of the Soflex panel, we developed the Flexboard in 2001.
Flexboard can reach a maximum bending radius of 8”, and can be laminated while flat or curved, offering more options for the fabrication process. Or, you have the option of painting the panel instead of a decorative laminate.
Timberflex Panels
Next up: Timberflex Panels were introduced in 2002!
Timberflex bends to a maximum of 5”, helping fabricators achieve tighter curves. It’s made with 3-ply Italian poplar plywood and can be used with stain, paint, or laminate without any additional prep like sanding or patching.
Econokore Panels
Next up in our lineup is Econokore, launched in 2003. While it may be our lightest and thinnest board, it uses an HD fiberboard face, offering even more strength. It offers a maximum bending radius of 12”, and can be decorated after it has been formed into the desired curve.
Worklite Panels
We didn’t just stop with flexible panels. In 2005, we continued to innovate and helped fabricators lighten their projects with our lightweight Worklite products.
Our two lightweight panels, Worklite XPS Foamkore and Worklite EPS Foamkore can reduce material weight up to 80% (compared to conventional panels). This is achieved by a lightweight core sandwiched between two high-density faces, resulting in a strong panel with structural integrity. These panels can be covered in high-pressure laminates or other semi-rigid materials, as well as stained or painted.
The main difference between these lightweight panels is the lightweight core.
Worklite XPS Foamkore is made with extruded polystyrene, a durable foam plastic. It is dense, resistant to temperature changes, and creates a smooth, solid edge that can be painted.
On the other hand, Worklite EPS Foamkore is made of expanded polystyrene, a lightweight foam. It has low thermal conductivity, resistance to water penetration, and high compressive strength.
Custom Panels
Finally, we have our custom panels. If you have special requirements outside of our standard panels, we can help you with custom panels. We can help with:
- Specially-sized panels: We can create smaller or larger panels, ready to use.
- Decorative surfacing: Our team can press semi-rigid materials to make your project one step quicker!
- Groove patterns: We can create specialized panels that have custom grooves for decoration or custom bends
- Framing and Internal Banding: We can add these to our Worklite panels to provide areas to place mounting hardware for projects with larger and heavier attachments.
Kerfkore’s Impact on the Industry
Over the last 40 years, Kerfkore’s innovative panels have been used in countless projects, from luxury apartments to doctor’s offices to universities. Our panels enable architects, designers, and fabricators to achieve their designs with reliable quality panels that can save them time and money.
Celebrating the Past, Innovating for the Future
As we look to the future, Kerfkore’s products will continue to inspire and enable architects and designers to push the boundaries of what’s possible. The future of architectural design is rapidly evolving, and Kerfkore is always seeking ways to bring new and innovative products to the market. In the coming years, Kerfkore plans to introduce even more products that meet the growing demand for high-quality architectural panels. The broader future of design using architectural decorative panels is poised to embrace innovation and sustainability, reshaping interior and exterior aesthetics.
How do we see the future of the industry changing? The possibilities are endless.
As materials evolve, eco-friendly and recycled components will likely become central to align with global sustainability goals. We’ll likely see a shift to integrating technology, with smart surfaces and embedded lighting as just a few possibilities for dynamic, responsive designs. And we can’t forget about advanced manufacturing methods like 3D printing, which can unlock new patterns and textures to create unique, one-of-a-kind projects.
Customization will thrive, with advanced manufacturing methods like 3D printing enabling bespoke patterns and textures tailored to individual projects. Ultimately, the fusion of form, function, acoustic performance, and environmental responsibility will likely drive the next generation of architectural decorative panels, with Kerfkore at the forefront of this transformation.
Here’s to 40 years of Kerfkore – and many more years of groundbreaking design to come!