Four new industry experts added to proven Global Connect Advisor group.
By Dianne M. Pogoda
The NKBA has tapped four new industry experts to be part of its Global Connect Advisor team: Kate Bailey, Bruce Case, Evan Cohen, and Eric Marshall. These well-respected industry professionals represent areas of expertise that respond to the evolving North American kitchen and bath segment. Specifically these Advisors offer category management insights, storage and related components for closet systems, design/build business needs, stone and surface imports and inventory/distribution. Access to NKBA Global Connect Advisors is a key benefit to NKBA Global Connect members expanding into North America. The full roster of Advisors consult on a range of topics, from better understanding go-to-market sales and distribution practices, to pricing and product portfolio strategies, and brand and marketing management considerations, all with the goal of reducing risk or fine-tuning market strategies for success.
NKBA Global Connect Advisors are available to Global Connect members for initial consultations and are often willing to enter into longer term engagements as desired. More information on all Advisor areas of expertise and their consulting rates may be found on the Global Connect Advisor page at NKBA.org.
Meet the Advisors
• Kate Bailey is Vice President of Category Management, Residential, at Ferguson. She is a thought leader with a wide range of experience including showroom, merchandising, category, and product management; sales, distribution, and negotiations, is responsible for vendor contracts and intentional product strategy at Ferguson. Her teams manage vendor relationships in HVAC, water heaters, rough and finished plumbing, appliances, lighting, and hardware categories. Prior to her current focus, she spent 15 years as part of the Ferguson showroom channel, in roles from sales to senior management.
• Bruce Case is president and CEO of Case Architects and Remodelers, one of the country’s leading full-service design build remodeling firms, operating with six locations in three states and two distinct brands. Bruce Case, who holds an MBA, and a BA in Economics and Psychology, and is a Certified Lead Carpenter, is committed to creating the best possible workplace environment and experience for his team members as well as for clients. He oversees a team of 170 who perform more than 800 renovations a year. Under his leadership, sales have more than doubled, EBITDA has increased sevenfold, and Case has earned numerous Top Workplaces designations.
• Evan Cohen is president and owner of Quality Marble & Granite in Ontario, CA, a major importer and distributor of natural stone and engineered surface solutions. He has more than two decades of experience in the production, import, and distribution of natural stone and engineered surfaces. His company operates in Southern California and Arizona, and sources directly from quarries and manufacturers from around the world with an emphasis on sustainable and environmentally sound production practices. He currently serves as president of the Natural Stone Institute Board of Directors. Imported quartz and natural stone surfaces represent a significant opportunity for expansion in North America.
• Eric Marshall, principal of the Closet Training Institute and renowned closet and storage industry entrepreneur, is an effervescent speaker and trainer, was the first employee of California Closets founder Neil Balter, a pioneer in the storage and organization industry. For the past 20 years, he has run his own custom cabinet and closet business in Scottsdale, AZ. He is a co-founder of The Closet Training Institute and is the immediate past president of the Association of Closet and Storage Professionals (ACSP). He shares his expertise in woodworking, storage and closet organization in seminars and at trade events around the world. The closet and storage segments are an important growth segment for the NKBA as European Furniture Systems continue to penetrate the North American market.
“We are incredibly fortunate to have these astute industry experts join our Global Connect Advisor team,” said Geraldine Morrison, Chief Partnerships Officer, Domestic & Global Brands, for NKBA. “Individually, they share valuable insights on their unique specialty areas, and together, they form a powerful team that is a huge benefit to our members seeking entry into the North American market. It’s gratifying to see the growth and influence of our Global Connect program in building and strengthening the kitchen and bath industry around the world.”
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.
