Who stands out as having made an indelible mark on the K&B industry? Nominations are being accepted for the K&B Hall of Fame through Sept. 30.
By Dianne M. Pogoda
Whether a business leader, entrepreneur, designer, educator, volunteer, manufacturer, sales pro or inventor, the most notable figures in the modern history of the industry are celebrated in the Kitchen & Bath Hall of Fame at NKBA headquarters in Hackettstown, N.J., and online.
Nominations for the Class of 2022 are being accepted through Sept. 30, to recognize those remarkable individuals whose unique contributions stand out. Inductees will be honored at KBIS in Orlando on Feb. 7 at The Kitchen & Bath Design + Industry Awards, the evening before the expo opens. Registration for the show, which will be held live Feb. 8-10 at the Orange County Convention Center, opens Sept. 1. NKBA members enjoy free registration for the month of September, and non-members may take advantage of discounted rates.
The NKBA created the Hall of Fame in 1989. It now includes more than 90 individuals. Some of the HoF members are known for their inventions or for the companies they founded. Many others were honored for their service to NKBA, or for educating legions of aspiring professionals via formal school curricula, through webinar and seminar presentations or by writing the textbooks and guidelines used throughout the industry. Many are honored for their contributions to specific categories, and still others are in the Hall of Fame because their contributions cross several categories. Today’s celebrants are from the world of cabinetry. Among them are:
- Lothar C. Birkenfeld was a fixture in “luxury kitchen furniture,” as cabinetry is called in Europe, who combined his extensive knowledge in engineering and design in his role as president of Poggenpohl U.S. One of the first to bring European manufactured kitchens to North America, Lothar expanded the brand in the U.S. by opening signature company-owned retail studios, flagships and independently owned dealer studios, and consequently improved the company’s sales more than 10-fold. Through his influence, “European cabinetry” became a coined phrase and industry standard in American kitchen design. Inducted in 2007.
- John Achey founded Plain N’ Fancy Kitchens in his Schaefferstown, Pa., garage in 1968, and developed finely crafted cabinets with innovative features from storage options to interior fittings while experimenting with new materials and finishes. He was one of the first manufacturers to develop custom kitchen cabinets affordable to nearly all homeowners. Inducted in 2003.
- Norman Hahn founded Conestoga Wood Specialties Corp. in 1964. The concept of outsourcing the most complex component of a cabinet — the doors and drawer fronts — to maximize a cabinet manufacturer’s efficiency was new and innovative. This enabled Conestoga to grow its business significantly and made it a model to emulate throughout the industry. Inducted in 2000.
- Louis Lestorti Sr. was a pioneer in the areas of cabinet design and production and began Les-Care Kitchens in 1945. Throughout his career, he implemented several ideas that became industry standards, including the introduction of high-pressure laminate into kitchen cabinetry, and he developed frameless construction techniques for domestic cabinetry. Inducted in 1995.
- Arthur Wenger founded Quaker Maid in 1950 and remained its president until 1970. Wenger was committed to innovative style, construction and manufacturing techniques and often led the industry in establishing new trends, including patented spin-it cabinets and over-the-toilet bath hutches, that ultimately became industry standards. Inducted in 1994.
- W. Dwight Gahm founded Kitchen Kompact Inc., one of the fastest-growing and most successful companies in the industry. Under his leadership, Kitchen Kompact grew from a local cabinet shop into a modern 600,000 square foot manufacturing facility. Gahm accomplished this by using assembly line techniques, strict quality standards and incentive and profit sharing programs. Inducted in 1993.
- Orville and Ruth Merillat started Merillat Woodworking Co. in 1946 in a 2,400 square foot building next to their Adrian, Mich. home. The company became Merillat Industries in 1971, and by the early Seventies had expanded to become one of the largest firms in the kitchen cabinet industry. Inducted in 1990.
All members of the Kitchen & Bath Hall of Fame are featured in a special gallery online as well as at NKBA’s New Jersey headquarters. Look for more featured Hall of Famers throughout the month, visit the Hall online, and nominate an outstanding individual for this honor by Sept. 30. For guidelines, click here.
