By Dianne M. Pogoda
COMPANY NEWS
WHIRLPOOL BUYING INSINKERATOR: Whirlpool Corp. has agreed to buy Emerson Electric’s InSinkErator business for $3 billion. InSinkErator is best known for its food waste disposers — it holds a 70 percent share of that industry — and instant hot water dispensers for residential and commercial use. The deal is expected to close in the 4th quarter.
THOMPSON REBRANDS: As part of its 20th anniversary celebration, Thompson Traders has rebranded and is now Thompson. The maker of luxury sinks hand-hammered in Mexico has expanded its portfolio of kitchen and bath products beyond copper, as well as introduced a new logo and brand standard. KBB has more.
KOHLER FORGES TOWARD 2035: Kohler Co. has released its 2021 Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) report, detailing goals and progress made last year toward sustainability, diversity, equity and more. Among other achievements in its global operational goal to be Net Zero emissions by 2035, the company registered a 54 percent reduction in net greenhouse gas emissions intensity since 2008 (10 percent down from 2020), and a 52 percent reduction in water intake intensity since 2008 (7 percent down from 2020). The late Herb Kohler, Jr., who passed away on Sept. 3 at 83, helped drive the company’s environmental stewardship.(Read his obituary here.) To read more about Kohler’s recent ESG initiatives, go to KBB.
WILSONART SHARES ESG UPDATE: Engineered surfaces giant Wilsonart has published its second Environmental, Social and Governance Report(ESG), available on the company’s website. Highlights include using an average of 23 percent post-consumer recycled content in its laminate products; saving the equivalent of 555,000 trees annually from 2018 to 2021 by using recycled paper/wood content, and 15 Wilsonart high-pressure laminate and compact laminate products earned the first Declare label designations in the laminate industry. Additionally, 43 percent of Wilsonart’s top 100 leaders in North America are women and/or an underrepresented ethnicity/race, up from 39 percent in 2020.
INDUSTRY NEWS
THE 5 P’S OF POST-PANDEMIC DESIGN: COVID-19 overwhelmingly influenced our lifestyles and how we use our homes. Design Firm Mary Cook Associates detailed the impact of the “5 P’s” on home design: Packages (accommodating all those Amazon deliveries); Pets (adoption is at an all-time high); Plug-ins (the work-from-home phenomenon); Play (adding recreational space at home), and Personal/Private space (another by-product of WFH). Utopia has more.
PEOPLE NEWS
ASID’S WHEELER RETIRING: Gary Wheeler, FASIE, FIIDA, will retire as CEO of the American Society of Interior designers at the end of this month. He’ll remain in an advisory capacity through 2022, helping transition the incoming CEO. Wheeler, who joined ASID as a student more than 30 years ago, took on CEO responsibilities in 2020. His accomplishments will be recognized at ASID’s GATHER 2022 Conference in Miami, Sept. 21-24. Read more here.
CARR’S SUSTAINABLE JOURNEY: Laurence Carr, founder and CEO of her namesake design firm, has joined the Maison&Objet Ambassador program as sustainability ambassador. Carr, recognized as an expert in sustainability and the circular economy, will attend the Maison&Objet trade show and Paris Design Week, Sept. 8-17, focusing on furnishings brands, galleries, maisons and craftsmanship that meet these criteria. She is also a judge on Maison&Objet’s sustainable panel, to select more than 200 sustainable brands exhibiting at the fair.
ROBERTSON FEATURED IN KITCHEN ISSUE: Sarah Robertson, AKBD, founder of Studio Dearborn, is featured in House Beautiful’s Kitchen Issue, on newsstands and online now. In “The Family Circus,” Robertson’s design for a Nashville family with two dogs and three cats is loaded with custom storage solutions like a knife-block drawer over a pullout with cutting boards, a deep prep sink to keep counters clutter-free, and of course a pet station.
CHAPTER NEWS
WELLNESS IN THE MIDWEST: The Chicago Mid West Chapter welcomes author Jamie Gold, CKD, CAPS, to discuss “Wellness in Design — How to Achieve a Living Space that Promotes True Wellness,” Sept. 13, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., at the Grove Redfield Estate, 1421 Milwaukee Avenue, Glenview, Ill. The event is sponsored by. Liebherr Appliances; NKBA Members are $15, non-members are $25; register here.
VENDOR DAY IN YORK, PA: The Susquehanna Valley Chapter is hosting a mini trade show at York Wallcoverings, 750 Linden Avenue in York, Pa., on Sept. 16 between 11 a..m and 2 p.m. Reps from brands including Cambria, ADU, Blum, Häfele, Grothouse, Bassett McNab, Marcus William, Stout Textiles, Lighting Geeks, L&S Lighting Intelligence, Element Designs, Garden State Tile and York will present their newest products. A catered lunch is included with admission; $25 for NKBA members, $35 for non-members. More here.
