For more than 40 years, Cresswood Shredding Machinery has been one of the longest-serving exhibitors at the International Woodworking Fair (IWF). IWF Atlanta 2026 was no different. From August 25–28 at the Georgia World Congress Center, our team connected with dealers, customers, and manufacturers who are rethinking how they handle wood waste, reduce costs, and run leaner operations.
This year, President Ryan Butzman, Sales leader Max Fadin, and engineering team leaders Steve S. and Jack represented Cresswood on the show floor. With leadership from both sales and engineering, the team delivered conversations that went beyond spec sheets and into the real-world challenges facing today’s woodworking manufacturers.
A Show Built for Relationships and Real Solutions
With over 1,000 exhibitors and tens of thousands of attendees from across North America, IWF is where the woodworking business does business. For Cresswood, the value has always been about face-to-face time with the people who operate wood recycling shredders, manage scrap handling systems, and make capital equipment decisions.
Trade shows are a direct reflection of economic realities, and 2026 has been no exception. Rising costs for materials, borrowing, labor, and health care have created a challenging environment for manufacturers. Despite those headwinds, IWF 2026 was a solid show. Businesses still need to improve efficiencies, and capital purchases for equipment like wood waste recycling shredders cannot be pushed down the road forever.
“People there definitely came with specific purpose and intention,” said Cresswood President Ryan Butzman. “Not too many were just walking the aisles to kick tires. We didn’t get the quantity of leads compared to past shows, but the ones we did get were pretty solid quality. These people had already done their homework. They knew what they wanted and how it would help their bottom line.”
That intentionality showed in how companies approached the booth. Many of Cresswood’s existing customers arrived with their full decision-making teams, a sign of how cautiously companies are approaching new investments in American-made industrial shredders and other capital equipment. For Cresswood, that dynamic plays to a core strength: the trust earned through years of keeping promises and delivering results.
Key Themes: Efficiency, Uptime, and Doing More With Less
Whether it was cabinet shops exploring smarter scrap handling solutions, pallet manufacturers evaluating pallet recycling shredders, or large-scale wood processors weighing their next investment in world-class industrial grinders, the conversations at IWF 2026 kept circling back to the same themes: efficiency, uptime, and doing more with less.
Across the show floor, vendors and customers alike told the same story: delayed projects, healthy quoting volume, but difficulty getting commitment on orders. Butzman noted that this pattern actually reinforces the importance of investing in existing customer relationships.
“With existing customers, you already have the trust that only comes from years of serving them,” Butzman said. “As a salesperson, you’re typically only dealing with one member of the team. Shows like IWF are invaluable because you can talk with all the decision makers and answer questions from each of their perspectives.”
Reconnecting With Partners Who Trust Cresswood’s World-Class Industrial Grinders
One of the standout traditions at IWF is the Cresswood team’s reunion with the project engineers from UFP. Over years of successful installations of wood waste recycling shredders across their manufacturing network, these meetings feel less like business and more like catching up with old friends.
“These guys cover vast regions of manufacturing plants, and they trust that we will advise on the best solutions,” Butzman said. “This makes them look good and lets them focus on other things than worrying about grinders.”
It was a UFP engineer at the 2024 show who inspired one of this year’s most talked-about booth surprises. After joking that Cresswood makes great grinders and great coffee and should build a coffee grinder, Jack took the idea and ran with it. The team debuted a 3-D printed replica of the XR600, complete with an internal burr grinder. The UFP team went absolutely bananas when they saw it, a moment that captured the spirit of what makes IWF special for Cresswood.
Presenting Total Wood Waste Recycling Solutions, Not Just Selling Grinders
This year, Cresswood introduced a new booth strategy by featuring a hammermill and sound enclosure alongside its wood recycling shredders. For manufacturers who need to produce a very fine and uniform end product to sell their wood scrap, the hammermill demonstrated a complete two-stage size reduction process, the kind of total solution that sets Cresswood apart from competitors who only sell standalone machines.
“Having the hammermill there allowed visitors to visualize the full solution,” Butzman explained. “A rep from CSE Bliss, who has become a great partner for us in quoting these two-stage systems, spent a day in our booth and met with a half dozen people who were very interested. It reflects our commitment to presenting total solutions, not just selling grinders.”
This approach mirrors how Cresswood has helped customers like Reardon Pallet transform wood waste from a cost center into a profit driver, and how turn-key pallet recycling installations are changing the economics of wood waste for manufacturers nationwide.
How Engineering Expertise Builds Credibility for American-Made Industrial Shredders
Bringing engineering leaders to a trade show closes the gap between the people who design the machines and the people who run them. At IWF 2026, Steve and Jack heard directly from operators about what is working, what could be improved, and what challenges are on the horizon for wood recycling shredders and pallet recycling shredders in demanding production environments.
“Max and I have a great relationship and trust each other completely. We leverage each other’s knowledge and share ideas on how to best quote a project,” Butzman said. “Steve was a great addition. Having an engineer there gives you instant credibility. Some people relate best to an engineer’s perspective, and Steve did an amazing job educating people about how the equipment is designed and manufactured, and how much innovation has improved our machines over the past 30 years.”
That commitment to continuous improvement is core to how Cresswood designs every machine, from the compact XR500 to the high-volume XR700 and the newest EXR-2000 Destroyer horizontal grinder.
Strengthening Dealer and Distribution Partnerships Across the Country
IWF is where Cresswood strengthens relationships with the dealers and distribution partners who represent our world-class industrial grinders in regional markets. These partnerships ensure customers have local support and expertise for their wood waste recycling shredders when they need it most.
This year, the team reconnected with salespeople from Hermance and WMS, two of Cresswood’s most important dealers in the Midwest. Butzman also met with a salesman from J&G Machinery, who covers the Southeast and referred a client from Virginia in need of a grinder. That prospect stopped by the booth for a productive conversation, and J&G is already meeting with him to discuss next steps.
Partnerships like these, along with trusted dealers like Boulware Equipment, are what turn a four-day trade show into months of meaningful follow-up and real results for manufacturers.
What’s Next: Turning IWF Leads Into Long-Term Customer Partnerships
The Cresswood team came away from IWF Atlanta 2026 with roughly 80 new leads, most representing new customers exploring American-made industrial shredders for the first time. Max and Ryan have already sent personalized follow-up emails to every lead, addressing the specific equipment needs and questions discussed at the booth.
As manufacturers across the woodworking sector face rising material costs, labor challenges, and pressure to run leaner, Cresswood is energized to bring what the team learned in Atlanta back to the shop floor in Cortland, Illinois. Whether a customer needs a standalone pallet recycling shredder, a zone-grinding solution for wood waste recycling, or a complete two-stage system, Cresswood is ready to engineer the right solution.
Carrying Forward Four Decades of Trust at IWF
“It is an exhausting show with months of preparation, but also very rewarding,” Butzman reflected. “I’ve come to a point where I see as many familiar faces as new ones, and I really cherish the relationships I’ve developed with people at the show over the years. I think this would make Jack proud, because more than anything else he valued relationships and trust over everything else. When you get that right, the sales take care of themselves.”
That philosophy, relationships first, has defined Cresswood’s approach to manufacturing wood recycling shredders and world-class industrial grinders for over 60 years. It is the reason manufacturers across the country trust Cresswood with their most critical wood waste challenges.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cresswood at IWF 2026
What products did Cresswood showcase at IWF Atlanta 2026?
Cresswood showcased its full line of American-made industrial shredders along with a new two-stage size reduction demonstration featuring a hammermill and sound enclosure from CSE Bliss. The booth highlighted total wood waste recycling solutions for manufacturers, not just standalone machines.
What industries does Cresswood serve with its wood recycling shredders?
Cresswood serves cabinet shops, furniture manufacturers, flooring companies, pallet manufacturers, and large-scale wood processors across the United States and Canada. The company’s wood recycling shredders and pallet recycling shredders are designed for demanding production environments where uptime and consistent output are critical.
Where is Cresswood Shredding Machinery located?
Cresswood is a family-owned manufacturer based in Cortland, Illinois, with in-house engineering, design, and manufacturing. Every machine is built in the USA. Learn more on the Cresswood About page.
How can I contact Cresswood after IWF 2026?
If your team was at IWF and you have questions about wood recycling shredders, pallet recycling shredders, or how to reduce wood waste costs in your operation, reach out to start a conversation. Cresswood’s team is always ready to talk.
Meet Cresswood at IWF West in August 2027
The conversations continue in San Antonio, Texas, where Cresswood will be exhibiting at IWF West, August 25–27, 2027. We look forward to connecting with manufacturers and dealers, discussing your wood waste challenges, and exploring solutions that help your operation run more efficiently. Make plans to join us!
Continue the Conversation With Cresswood Now!
Have a wood waste challenge or a question about shredding? Fill out the form below to connect with Cresswood’s team and explore solutions for your operation.
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