Subject matter experts provide strategic guidance to NBKA Global Connect members about achieving success in the North American market.
By Dianne M. Pogoda
The NKBA has welcomed four industry experts to join its team of Global Connect Advisors: Cheryl Clendenon, Andrew Savant, Craig Webb and Michael Wright, CKBD. Access to these Advisors, as well as 12 other subject matter experts, is a key benefit to members of the NKBA Global Connect international business development program. Advisors are available for consultation on topics including go-to-market strategies, customer service needs, marketing and brand development, market segmentation, product design and pricing strategies, regulations and compliance, and inventory management to assist members in reducing their market expansion risk.
NKBA Global Connect Advisors are key to NKBA Global Connect member preparation for market expansion into the North American market. Their connections, knowledge and experience will help brands to minimize risk and costly mistakes when entering the complex North American kitchen and bath sector.
Meet the Advisors
- Cheryl Clendenon, an award-winning interior designer and business coach, owns a thriving design and retail firm on Florida’s Gulf Coast. She also offers business coaching and marketing strategy services to creative entrepreneurs. Through her company, In Detail Design Collective, she shares her expertise in design, strategy, salesforce development, branding, and marketing, honed over two decades in the sector, to help elevate the business side of the interior design industry. She writes a monthly column for a leading design publication and contributes to other industry outlets on a regular basis. In addition, Clendenon, who runs her own retail showroom, has first-hand knowledge of what manufacturers need to know in order to service showrooms as well as design professionals and consumers.
- Andrew Savant, president of Pinnacle Sales Group, a premium kitchen, outdoor, and plumbing distributor, has an extensive background in finance, developing strong partnerships, and has been an integral part of bringing European luxury brands to the North American market. His expertise spans business management, design trends, product design and licensing, salesforce development, distribution marketing, branding, and market research. For over 45 years, Pinnacle Sales Group has been a leading supplier of luxury appliances, decorative plumbing and outdoor products to dealers, builders, and specifiers in the kitchen and bath industry. Today, Pinnacle provides sales, marketing and distribution support for over 30 states in the USA and Caribbean. Under Savant’s leadership, Pinnacle has grown into a full-service distribution partner, helping brands establish a solid footprint by offering professional sales, service, training, display and merchandising support to their customers on behalf of their product partners.
- Craig Webb, an award-winning journalist, is founder and president of Webb Analytics, a Washington, DC-based consulting firm offering insights and strategies for the construction supply industry. Webb formed his company after spending a dozen years as editor-in-chief of ProSales, where he won numerous national writing and editing awards, and presented speeches and webinars across the U.S., Japan, and Canada. For five of those years, Webb also led Remodeling, a publication for professional remodelers across the U.S. known for its “Cost vs. Value” report. Prior to joining ProSales, Webb worked as an editor and reporter at The Wall Street Journal in Brussels and New York, was chief economics reporter for United Press International, covered Congress and the White House for McGraw-Hill, and was international trade editor at the Journal of Commerce, among other posts. Webb annually publishes a data-rich guide to America’s key lumber and building material (LBM) dealers, home centers and hardware chains, making him an insightful thought leader on all aspects of the LBM, construction and remodeling sectors.
- Michael Wright, CKBD, a cabinetry expert and principal designer of Cleveland Tile and Cabinet, has logged more than 25 years as a designer specializing in kitchens and baths. He is currently principal designer at Cleveland Tile and Cabinet, based in Rocky River, Ohio. Cleveland Tile and Cabinet has been serving the region with luxury design and remodeling for more than 90 years. Wright will share his expertise in design trends, product design and licensing, market research, marketing, and branding with Global Connect members as they explore entry and expansion into the North American market.
“These outstanding additions to our Global Connect Advisor team bring a broad range of expertise to the program,” said Geraldine Morrison, Chief Partnerships Officer, Domestic & Global Brands, for NKBA. “We are fortunate to have them share their insights with our members, which is such an important benefit for brands that want to grow in North America. We’re encouraged that the Global Connect program continues to grow in size, scope, and influence in the international K&B community.”
Other important benefits of the Global Connect program include access to NKBA’s exclusive research detailing design directions, market economics, category and lifestyle trends; opportunities to attend or exhibit at KBIS; the Business Development Kickstarter, an annual risk-management plan that includes a business goals assessment, a roadmap and annual business development review, and other optional packages to reach the NKBA member community.
