By Seth Ellison

NKBA’s CEO, Bill Darcy, gave an optimistic State of the Association (SOA) address during his annual meeting reporting to the membership at KBIS 2023 in the Las Vegas Convention Center. SOA was immediately followed by Darcy’s annual State of the Industry address (SOI), where he was joined by Drew and Jonathan Scott of HGTV’s “Property Brothers: Forever Home” and ‘’Celebrity IOU.”

Darcy celebrated the success of KBIS 2023. “You know, there’s so much to celebrate at KBIS this year. We are celebrating 10 years of Design and Construction Week with our partner, the National Association of Home Builders,” he said, noting that three additional shows are also happening during DCW: the National Hardware Show, the International Surface Event, and the Las Vegas Winter Market. “You’re talking about five trade shows! Combined, the shows will host over 100,000 attendees visiting over 2.5 million square feet of space featuring 5,000-plus exhibiting brands,” he said.

Finally, before breaking into the numbers, Darcy set the tone of SOA by stating, “To look to the future, however, we have to look to the past. 2022 was quite the year for NKBA – and for the overall kitchen and bath industry, which seemed insulated from the post-pandemic woes hitting other industries. The second half of 2022, brought some challenges, like inflation and a series of rate hikes. Nevertheless, the kitchen and bath industry has endured and thrived, with spending reaching a record high of $189 billion, a 16 percent year-over-year increase.”

Key Takeaways from SOA 

  • Kitchen and bath spending reached a record high of $189 billion, a 16 percent year-over-year increase. 
  • NKBA’s 2023 Kitchen and Bath Market Outlook indicates that remodeling will likely carry the industry forward into 2024. 
  • NKBA’s revenue before investments has soared 74 percent in the last decade. Also, these areas of our association have grown: 
    • Membership dues revenue has increased 30 percent. 
    • Member retention was at an incredible 92 percent in 2022.
    • KBIS grew over 120 percent in revenue over the last ten years. 
  • Reserves have increased nearly 150 percent to nearly $30 million dollars in the last decade. This has enabled NKBA to invest in events, research, technology, learning, data, and more, all with the goal to increase member value and expand its community. 
  • The launch of the Women2Women mentorship program in Louisville was a resounding success! It focuses on the challenges and opportunities facing women in the K+B industry and includes an influential advisory board of women leaders in the industry.
  • NKBA added the Regional Chapter Tech and Design Conference in Dallas that co-located with CEDIA; a two-day Design Trends Summit that co-located with Design Chicago; the first-ever Futurist Summit focusing on the future of home ownership; and a Millennial Summit, on how the generation will impact the K&B industry.
  • To expand the Global Connect program, the NKBA German Haus Fair tour took 22 member designers to Germany for guided VIP showroom and factory tours. 
  • Global Connect continues to expand, adding more international manufacturers and distributors. In the last three years, it has grown from three subscribers to 63, with another 10 in the pipeline.  
  • The revamped Certification program features a new Learning Management System to easily access materials, and test and track progress online. Now certifications – as well as the growing badge program – are even more valuable in today’s market.
  • NKBA moved to Bethlehem, PA, after nearly 60 years of being headquartered in Hackettstown, NJ. The transfer was celebrated with a 45-mile bike ride to “carry the keys” from Hackettstown to Bethlehem, followed by a lunch and an evening party. 

What Lies Ahead for NKBA

  • The redesigned NKBA.org website went live, which included a fresh, new look and seamless navigation to find information. 
  • For 2023, NKBA is rolling out its new Business Webinar Series on topics like contracts, business plans, and insurance. 
  • NKBA is also adding 2 to 4 new badges, updating and expanding its knowledge base, introducing student webinars, and adding at least 2-3 new research studies.
  • Very special initiatives were added, such as a 60th Anniversary year-long program with features, giveaways, and events; a new Sustainability month in April that includes exclusive content, videos, and a Summit. 

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