Veneer, wood expert Lloyd A. Cramer dies at 83
Furniture Today Staff -- Furniture Today, March 4, 2011
GREENSBORO, N.C. — Lloyd Arthur Cramer, an expert in veneer and wood species who worked with numerous furniture manufacturers, had died after a lengthy battle with prostate cancer. He was 83.
Cramer served in the Army Special Services before graduating from North Carolina State University in 1950 and beginning work at Dean Veneer Co. He branched out on his own, founding Cramer Veneers in 1956 and later Cramer Wood Products.
Cramer traveled extensively to South America and Europe to find distinctive logs to be sliced into veneer back in the United States. In 1974, he developed a machine that took veneer and, using gas-fired drums and other equipment, created a substitute for worming chestnut veneer, which was in limited supply. He also created burl veneers, using cross sections of trees near the roots.
Cramer worked primarily with manufacturers in the Southeast, including Bassett, Stanley and Henredon. When manufacturing began to head to Asia, his company was one of the first U.S. veneer specialists to open an office in China.
Survivors include a daughter, a son, five grandchildren and a son-in-law. Memorial contributions may be made to the Cancer Society.
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Lloyd A. Cramer, Expert in Wood, Veneers
Mar 16, 2011
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