The 2026 IWF Atlanta, one of the important meeting points of the woodworking machinery sector, witnessed strong participation from the Turkish machinery sector as well. While AIMSAD undertook the promotion of the sector with the stand it opened at the fair, member companies brought their products, technologies and solutions together with international visitors.

Participating in the IWF Atlanta Fair held at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, USA, from August 25–28, 2026, AIMSAD contributed to the international promotion of the Turkish woodworking machinery sector with the stand it opened. During the fair, visitors and sector professionals were informed about the sector’s production strength, technological competence and export potential.

Organized biennially and being one of the important meeting points of the woodworking industry in North America, IWF Atlanta brought together machinery manufacturers, technology providers, distributors and sector professionals from different countries around the world. At the 2026 organization, AIMSAD members Bala, Dynawrap (Katay), Edda, Hasmak, İnegol Form, Kama, Nesto, Schnitzer, Ünalsan, Unimak and Vermak also took part in the fair, bringing their products and solutions together with international visitors. MAIB also took part in the fair under the Turkish Machinery brand, while evaluations from participants regarding the fair were obtained through company visits and meetings, and views were exchanged on the development of the sector in foreign markets.

Turkish machinery met with sector professionals at IWF Atlanta

Throughout the four-day IWF Atlanta 2026, AIMSAD member companies had the opportunity to bring the machinery, technologies and solutions they developed together with sector professionals, while strengthening existing business connections in the US and North American markets, establishing new distributor and dealer networks, and making direct contact with potential customers. Closely following the current structure of the market and expectations for the upcoming period at the fair, AIMSAD members evaluated how the organization went for their companies, the meetings they held, and the potential reflections of these contacts on their work in the upcoming period.

“We explained our sector’s export potential and solutions”

AIMSAD Board Member and Secretary General Arif Onur Kaçak made the following statements regarding the fair; “IWF Atlanta was an important organization for our sector both in terms of strengthening existing relations and establishing new business connections. Throughout the fair, we observed that interest in the US and North American markets in particular continued. It was also valuable for the machinery and technologies developed by our member companies to meet sector professionals directly here, in terms of demonstrating the production strength of the Turkish woodworking machinery sector and the point it has reached. As AIMSAD, we also had the opportunity to convey the capabilities of our sector, its export potential and the solutions offered by our companies in the meetings we held. We believe that such international organizations will contribute to new business partnerships and strengthening our sector’s position in the US market in the upcoming period.”

  • Turkish Machinery – Fatih Kar

IWF Atlanta was an important fair for us, particularly in terms of closely observing the US market and following the contacts established by our companies. As MAIB, we took part in the fair with our Turkish Machinery stand, while also visiting our participating companies to hear their evaluations of the fair and observe market developments firsthand. The US is an important market for the Turkish machinery sector and one that requires particular attention. Establishing a lasting presence in this market requires more than simply participating in fairs; it is necessary to follow the market regularly, work with the right business partners and ensure the continued visibility of our companies. I believe that the contacts made at IWF Atlanta will also contribute to our sector in this respect.

  • Bala – Ahmet Tuğrul Varışlısoy

We are participating in the fair for the second time. During our first participation, we had set ourselves some goals; we wanted to acquire a local dealer and a general distributor here. We continued our efforts during the two-year period following the first fair and established our dealer. In our second participation, we are moving forward together with our American distributor and its sub-dealers. Therefore, the fair is productive for us. In general, it is not a very busy fair, but we were already expecting this under the current circumstances. More important for us than the fair is having a dealer established here that will operate 365 days a year. In the coming period, we plan to increase the number of our dealers and sub-dealers. In the American market, we see that people care more about the quality of the product and the organization behind it than the origin of the product. Having a local organization here and being able to provide service and after-sales support is very important. Needs can also vary according to states and regions. Our products have been sold in the American market for approximately 15 years. We now want to bring this process into a more organized structure and move forward with a general distributor and a stronger dealer organization. Our participation in the fair also started in line with this goal, and so far it is progressing in accordance with our target.

  • Edda – Yavuz Bayram

This year, the number of visitors coming from Canada is quite good and is increasing regularly every day. We see significant activity not only in America specifically but across the Americas in general. We receive positive reactions when they learn that we are a Turkish company. They state that they have worked with Turkish companies before, that they use machines from Turkish companies in their factories, especially in the CNC field, and that they are satisfied with these machines. We see that Turkish machinery companies are quite well known here. Since we are geographically in a distant market, after-sales services are also of great importance. We have a dealer in America and it is actively operating. This structure provides an important advantage for our activities in the market.

  • Hasmak – Agah Haskök

Previously, we participated in the fair together with AES. This year, however, we took part with our own stand for the first time. Our primary aim is to promote our company and establish our own profile in the market. Of course, it is not possible to achieve major successes from the first year, but we see that our recognition is gradually increasing. We met again here with companies we had previously met at the LIGNA Fair, and it was important for us to see that they remembered us. In general, we can say that there is an interest in Turkish companies. We held good meetings throughout the fair. In the coming period, we aim to participate more in such fairs and reach wider audiences in promoting our company.

  • İnegöl Form – Savaş Cihan

Compared to 2024, we see a significant decrease in the number of visitors. According to our estimated calculation, there was a decrease of around 50, and it did not look as crowded as in previous years. Despite this, we had meetings that we had conducted previously, and our existing customers are also here. Since we have a location and warehouse in America, we bring our machines from here and carry out the processes here. The machines we exhibited at the fair were also sold. At the next stage, we are considering continuing by bringing machines from Türkiye again. We particularly operate in the field of heavy woodworking machines, pallet machines, reel lines and complete line solutions. There are not many companies here in this field as a Turkish company. There is interest in our solutions, but after-sales service is one of the most important issues with such complicated machines. Service, spare parts and maintenance support need to be available here. It is not possible to carry out these services remotely from Türkiye. Therefore, it is necessary to establish a structure based in America. This has a cost in terms of finances as well as time and personnel. We train the people here; they come to us, and we provide their training. Therefore, this market requires long-term efforts for us.

  • Kama – Yunus Emre Deringöz

The first day of the fair went well above our expectations. We were particularly satisfied in terms of the crowds and the number of visitors. The company we work with here is also one of the largest and global companies in America; it also has its own customer base. Our operations in America have been continuing since 2018, and we have around 20-25 customers here. We changed dealers one year ago and continue our activities in the market together with our current dealer. We particularly produce paint and sanding machines called finishing, as well as drying kilns and tunnels. Our American market is also expanding day by day. There are people who are surprised when they learn that we are a Turkish company, but they are familiar with our machines. Almost all of our customers are satisfied with our machines and therefore give us referrals. We also direct visitors to our customer located in an area close to the fair; they have almost all of our machines. Therefore, the fair is going positively for us.

  • Katay – Orhan Demirtaş

It is a good thing that we came, and it is a good thing that we are here. It is truly a very strong fair. As of the first day, participation was quite high, as we expected. We sold our machines and are satisfied with the results. We have visitors from Canada; our Canadian dealer is also bringing customers. Visitors are also coming from nearby geographies such as Chile and Mexico. I think the interest in Turkish machinery is positive. However, I believe that Türkiye’s machinery manufacturing power needs to be promoted more abroad. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism promotes Türkiye from a tourism and cultural perspective; similarly, the Ministry of Industry and Technology should carry out more efforts to promote Türkiye’s machinery manufacturing power abroad. As part of our organization in the United States, we have an office in Atlanta. Our dealer has a warehouse, and we also have a technician in Florida. We provide our technical support through this structure.

  • Nesto – Burak Akıskalı

We are aware of the importance of the fair and we held various meetings. We had customers from South America; we also met with our existing customers with whom we currently work. So far, we are quite satisfied with the fair and think that it has been productive. We met people from different geographies; visitors are came from the east, west, north and south of America. The fact that there is a neutral approach toward Turkish machines is actually positive for us. Since we know our own quality, when people see our machine, they evaluate it based on the quality of the product. When they learn that it is a Turkish machine, an approach close to the perception of a European machine develops. We are satisfied with this. It was important for us to come here. We had a fair where we could both showcase ourselves and see the return on this.

  • Schinitzer – Umut İnce

This is the second time we are participating in the fair. We came here with the aim of finding new dealers, and we held various meetings within this scope. The fair went positively for us. At the fair we participated in the previous year, we also acquired a significant number of customers and sold machines to end users. This year, we focused particularly on developing our sales network through dealers at the fair. We have a dealer in Canada, and we are also trying to increase the number of our dealers in the United States. We have been providing technical service and spare parts services here for three years. We have technical service personnel and spare parts stocks; we also provide installation and technical service directly from here. The issues that American customers attach the most importance to are a local warehouse, technical service, spare parts support, and being able to intervene within 24 hours when necessary. These are of great importance for the American market. In my opinion, America is a very important market for the Turkish machinery sector. When we put the Middle East and European markets on one side of the scale, the American market weighs more heavily, and we need to explore this market further.

  • Unimak – Salih Boğaçhan Taşçı

The fair went a little better than we expected this year. Due to the economic situation in the world and the tariffs imposed by America, we expected a slower fair. There were visitors from Canada and South America as well as America. We have a dealership system in America, while in Canada we have our own showroom and our own location. In terms of after-sales services, the dealership system is very important here. Since America is a very large market, there need to be dealers and warehouses at different points in order to cover different regions, be close to customers, and provide service and spare parts services. I think the perception of Turkish companies is also gradually becoming better. There is not yet an established perception of Turkish machinery in America as much as there is in Europe or Africa, but the process is gradually improving. We are establishing important references with large companies, and these references make our work easier. We know that growth here will take time; we have taken the first steps and are continuing our efforts.

  • Ünalsan – Aybüke Sezgin

The fair was quite lively this year. Compared to last year’s Las Vegas fair, we saw that participation was higher. Customers are interested and curious; they are showing great interest in our machines. At the same time, they also state that they like our products and find them different. Therefore, the fair was enjoyable, pleasant and productive for us. When they learn that we are a Turkish company, there are customers who think we are Norwegian or German, especially because of our name. When we tell them that we come from Türkiye, we receive positive reactions. We have not encountered any negative approach. People are quite moderate and positive in their approach. In general, we had a successful and pleasant fair that was above our expectations

  • Vermak– Hasan İnan

This fair is one of the target fairs that we have been participating in since 2016 and that we attach great importance to together with LIGNA. Since we have been operating in the American market since 2000, we attach particular importance to this organization. We had the opportunity to introduce our new machines to our customers and visitors. We also expanded our stand area this year and are satisfied with the performance. The American market is one of the most difficult markets, and patience is required here. It is not easy to achieve the desired result in a short time. When we first entered this market in 2000 with the window sector, we experienced significant difficulties; at that time, we did not have a dealer. Later, we established our dealer structure and reached a certain point with the support of our dealer. The wood sector is not an easy sector and does not have the same dynamics as the European market. Therefore, serious effort is required in the market. Despite this, America is an important market with a future. Due to the crises experienced in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, rising costs and the impact of the Chinese market, activities targeting these regions are becoming increasingly difficult. For this reason, we are taking steps to turn our direction more toward the American market, and we aim to move forward more strongly here in the coming period.