← Back to 60th Page

The NKBA past president shares his favorite NKBA memory, how he has seen the association grow, career advice and more.

By Elisa Fernández-Arias

John K. Morgan, CEO of Indigo Strategic Holdings and former NKBA National President, has spent a career in the kitchen and bath industry propelling professionals to evolve themselves and their businesses through future forward practices. An industry influencer and recognized change advocate, Morgan has a long history of giving back to the kitchen and bath community, including being a featured speaker at over 100 events, authoring featured columns in KBB & KBDN, and serving on many boards including Virginia Tech’s Residential Environments Design and NKBA’s National Board of Directors.

NKBA recently spoke with Morgan about his experience as NKBA President, how he has seen the association evolve over the years and what he sees in the future for the K&B industry.

Favorite NKBA Memory

Morgan considers himself fortunate because his most memorable NKBA moments are “truly countless, filled with so many extraordinary people, places and events.” But of all of them, one favorite NKBA memory comes to the forefront: when he was at KBIS 2014, stuck in traffic down the street from the convention center.

“The streets were clogged, the sidewalks were full of people, and my driver was quite frustrated with the wait. But it was great,” he said. “Because everyone at NKBA had fought so hard for so many years to revive, rebuild and transform KBIS as the most consequential event in the design/construction industry. And there I was, sitting inconvenienced; and delayed…by the crowds of people attending! It was too glorious a moment not to appreciate. I was determined to sit there as long as possible and soak in every millisecond.”

Changes in the Association

In the years since he served as NKBA president, Morgan has seen NKBA transform from an industry-recognized and educational networking group to an “internationally-recognized association that is the go-to source for expertise in design and construction.” 

“This is exceptionally important to me, my businesses and everyone who works with me,” he said. “The fact that our clients can turn on CNBC, Fox Business, HGTV, Discovery, or read the most relevant websites or scroll through social media and see NKBA members like my people and my brands as the undeniable experts in improving their homes and realizing what clients envision for their homes…that’s phenomenal!”

A Career and a Life Post-Presidency

Morgan, who says he’s “not good at relaxing”,  went on to build new businesses immediately after serving as NKBA President.  “The very year that I left the NKBA leadership team,” he said, “I ended up partnering to create a brand-new business, Green Forest Cabinetry, with a super dynamic team that has now been a KBIS exhibitor for nine years.”

The growth of Green Forest resulted in other opportunities that would lead to Morgan becoming partner and CEO of Indigo Strategic Holdings that includes four companies related to the design & construction world: Green Forest Cabinetry, Indigo Kitchen & Bath, Crazy Good Cabinets & Ardé Storage Solutions. These businesses now span over 250,000 square feet of manufacturing facilities with nearly 150 employees, including eight past NKBA Thirty Under 30s.

The Future of K&B

When asked about where the K&B industry is going, Morgan exclaimed, “Wow, the future is bright!” He said materials, assemblies, products, specing/designing, purchasing, logistics systems and installations will evolve and improve at a very fast pace. Morgan also noted that he believes fast changes in AI and other technologies will create higher quality, more affordable and better living spaces for us and our clients. “Those who embrace change and aggressively leverage technologies to make their work easier, faster and more accurate will thrive like never before,” he said.

Career Advice

The one thing that has defined Morgan’s career is that he surrounds himself with great people — so that is his advice to those in the K&B industry. “Early in life I got lucky and fell into places where I was surrounded by people that were smart, dedicated and supportive,” said Morgan. “Today, I too am surrounded by incredibly talented, brilliant and driven team members. The difference is that this time…it was by my design.”