NKBA CEO Bill Darcy delivered a message of positivity, despite the challenges faced in the past year, as he recapped NKBA’s accomplishments and looked to the future in his annual State of the Association address at KBIS Virtual.
Darcy discussed the health and continuing strength of the association, membership and Chapter activities. He highlighted the initiatives launched in 2020, including some that came about as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, such as the “Brave New Business” web forums as part of NKBA Live programming; the “Certification Reimagined” strategy to update NKBA’s certification program, and the pivot in the NextUp programming that builds awareness among students in career pathways in K&B Related fields. Additionally, he detailed some of the association’s plans for the year ahead, including research, member benefits and more.
He then welcomed one of the industry’s key thought leaders, David Kohler, president and CEO of Kohler Co., for his take on current business conditions in the State of the Industry address. While acknowledging the challenges of the past year, Kohler discussed some positives that emerged from the pandemic, including the spike in the housing market, reinvigorated interest in remodeling to accommodate homeowners’ needs to multitask in their homes, the increased focus on cleanliness and hygiene in response to the pandemic, and also presented consumer insights impacting the marketplace, upbeat projections for the year ahead, environmental concerns and more.
Click below to view the State of the Association and State of the Industry presentations, which were sponsored by Signature Kitchen Suite.
