The Woodwork Institute, a California nonprofit corporation, was established in 1951 by a progressive group of forward-thinking firms, to promote the greater use of Architectural Millwork products throughout California. In the Institute's early research, it was determined that the primary reason for wood products losing out in the marketplace was the lack of industry standards and quality control.

The Institute published its first Manual of Millwork (MM) in 1953, distributing it to the architectural, design, and specification writing communities, free of charge. The Woodwork Institute's Manual of Millwork, established the industry standards for the materials, construction and fabrication techniques, installation, and finishing of architectural millwork. Throughout the years, the Institute has refined and upgraded the Manual of Millwork, throughout its 56 years and eleven editions.

Shortly after the first Manual of Millwork was published, the Institute addressed the area of quality control by establishing the Certified Compliance Program (CCP), to work in conjunction with the MM, which has grown in acceptance and utilized to the point of requiring five, full-time "Directors of Architectural Services" (inspectors).

Approximately 80% of all commercial and institutional construction projects in California require compliance to the Manual of Millwork within their standards; of those, approximately 50% require Certified Compliance.

In 2001, WI introduced the next logical step; it's Monitored Compliance Program (MCP), which also works in conjunction with the MM; however, the MCP goes a step further than our CCP, and monitors a project's progress from start to certification at completion.

In 2007, the Institute joined with the Architectural Woodwork Institute (AWI), and Architectural Woodwork Manufacturers of Canada (AWMAC), to create a Joint Standards Committee (JSC), tasked with creating a single, joint architectural woodwork standard. Based on the Institute's 12th Edition Manual of Millwork that was already under development, the new joint Architectural Woodwork Standards (AWS), was completed in mid-2009 for an October 1, 2009 adoption date.

The Institute currently has Active Members (individuals and/or firms primarily engaged in the fabrication, distribution, brokering, and/or installation of millwork products), Associate Members (non-active members, companies, and/or associations, primarily engaged in the supplying of goods and services to Active Members), and M3 Members ("Master of Millwork Management"- individuals who have demonstrated mastery of the AWS, as well as their trade).

Above left: 1st Anniversary Meeting in 1952. Right: Board Meeting in 1956 at the Hotel Californian in Fresno, Ca. Standing: Bernard B. Barber, Jr. and Perry Acuff; seated, left to right: Tom Work, C.E. Morrison, Rex Sporleader, Phil McCoy, Harry Libby, Roy Young, Ernie Atkinson, Byron Taylor, Leonard Tivol, Sherry Karns, Elmer Vivian, Stan Gustafson, Jack Little, Les Harter, and Adolph Warvarovsky.