Three new-to-the-market, European brands exhibited in the NKBA Global Connect Pavilion at KBIS 2023, introducing their products and services to the North American kitchen and bath sector.
By Seth Ellison
The NKBA Global Connect program has been key to connecting international manufacturers, not currently doing business in North America, to the domestic kitchen and bath market. This business development program is designed to assist international brands better understand what it takes to be successful in this part of the world. A component of the program includes planning, support and promotion of Global Connect members who exhibit at KBIS – whether in the NKBA Global Connect Pavilion, in a country pavilion or on their own.
During KBIS 2023, seven international brands participated in the Global Spotlight Series, hosted at the Global Connect Pavilion. This Series introduced KBIS attendees looking for new lines to products not previously previewed or seen in North America. Here is an overview of three participating brands.
BALTECO: The Art of the Spa
Established in 1990, Balteco has become one of the leading manufacturers of luxury fittings, fixtures and other bath products, which are handcrafted in Estonia and custom-made to client specifications. The brand’s designs are inspired by the surrounding Nordic landscape and the spa rituals that are central to daily life in Estonia.
Alina Misakian, CEO and partner of BALTECO USA, presented at the event and gave a heartfelt account of her connection to the company:
“BALTECO was founded by a group of friends and engineers in the pursuit of honoring and celebrating the simple luxury of design and handcrafted products. Thirty-three years ago they met my father at an expo in Germany, and since then, my family has been integral to the nationwide distribution chain in Ukraine. Everything that I do for BALTECO truly comes from my heart.”
Misakian went on to introduce BALTECO’s Xonyx™ solid surface stone bathtubs. Engineers worked for over a decade to produce the Xonyx material through a now-trademarked formula that blends natural minerals with refined acrylic compounds to bring out the best performance characteristics of the material. The result is a structurally-durable, monolithic stone that is heat- and scratch-resistant with a semi-gloss finish that is silky smooth to the touch.
Misakian said that BALTECO USA would be launching in Spring 2023 and available to the U.S. market in April. The company would begin on the East Coast, specifically Florida, for the first year and then expand out nationally.
KALE: All About the Materials
Turkey is known as the “land of ceramics,” and KALE has been part of that tradition for more than 65 years. The first ceramic and slab porcelain tile producer in Turkey, KALE has grown into one of the country’s largest suppliers of building materials, with more than 18 ceramic tile facilities and four sanitaryware facilities. KALE ranks 6th in Europe and 17th in the world for ceramic tile production and exports to more than 100 companies globally.
KALE’s regional manager, Melike Arslan, spoke about how the company’s geography has played an important role in its growth because of the high abundance of natural resources in Turkey. She discussed the inherent qualities of KALE porcelain products, pointing out the material inherently has low water absorption properties, is temperature and abrasion resistant and is eco-friendly.
Arslan spoke at length about KALE product Kalesinterflex, the world’s thinnest, lightest and most durable porcelain tile, which the company touts as a major technological breakthrough in ceramics. Thin, durable and easy to cut and customize, Kalesinterflex tiles can be used in many different ways and areas of the home, such as kitchen countertops and bathrooms, as well as in furniture.
Dekker: Go Green or Go Home
Based in Zevenhuizen, the Netherlands, family-owned Dekker is the largest fabricator of customized countertops in Europe.
The CEO of Dekker, Leo van der Velde, discussed the brand’s commitment to developing and investing in sustainable solutions. He explained that, because Europe is on a deadline to become a completely carbon-neutral continent, brands are rushing to make their manufacturing process sustainable, and new accountability measures are being put into place by the government to ensure large companies aren’t greenwashing their products.
“To even acquire a building permit in the Netherlands,” he said, “you have to prove that you’re contributing to the circular economy — meaning that you are reducing material, providing products and services that are less resource-intensive and ensuring that your manufacturing facilities are recapturing waste.”
Velde also pointed out several of Dekker’s innovative materials, like Greengridz®. Commonly used for kitchen countertops, this material is more affordable, water-resistant and durable than plywood, and it also reduces ecological impact.
Velde also introduced Systoneable, an engineered stone made out of a mix of recycled PET plastic, glass, minerals and other materials. “We mix it and it looks just like real stone,” Velde said, “and you can have any design you like, such as Carrara marble, wood or whatever. You can regrind it every 10 or 20 years and reuse it again and again for at least 20 cycles — the definition of circularity.”