Introduction:
The National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) is the premiere association for kitchen and bath professionals. Nearly 50 years after its inception, the Association now has a membership of over 40,000 members. NARI is the proud owner of the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS), the world’s largest trade show dedicated to the kitchen and bath industry. NKBA Education is provided across North America. More than 200 professional development courses are held annually. The NKBA offers a free Kitchen and Bath Consumer Workbook to help educate clients on remodels they are planning to undertake. The Association serves as a content advisor and information source for magazines, newspapers, radio shows and television programs.
The demand to create ecologically responsible and healthy kitchens and baths that don’t sacrifice style or comfort has reached the mainstream and is spreading to all segments of the industry. The NKBA is committed to helping fellow kitchen and bath professionals understand their options for creating more energy-efficient living spaces. As industry professionals, our responsibility is to use products that are environmentally responsible and share with our customers the importance of sustainability in their kitchen and bath projects.
Standards of Conduct have been adopted to promote and maintain the highest standards of business conduct and professional service among the members of the National Kitchen & Bath Association.
Adherence to these Standards of Conduct is required for membership in the association and serves to assure public confidence in the integrity and service of members of the NKBA:
- Conduct all work and business affairs with fairness to all concerned, fidelity to clients and suppliers, and devotion to high ideals of personal honor
- Accept compensation for a particular service or in particular business dealings from one source only, except with the full knowledge and consent of all interested persons
- Make no false or misleading statements to the public, to employers, to employees, or to those with whom we maintain business relationships
- Disclose all interest charges, carrying charges, and fees, and to uphold all laws and regulations pertaining to the business and professional activity
- Assist the client in understanding and obtaining the full measure of the services and rights expressed or implied in contracts, agreements, or warranties
- Conduct all business activity without prejudice as to age, race, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, marital status, handicap, or veteran status;
- Refrain from using unfair means to win professional advancement by disseminating any malicious information concerning any person or firm, or using improper or questionable methods of soliciting professional work or sales
- Cooperate in advancing the kitchen and bath industry by voluntarily exchanging information and experience with fellow members and by contributing to the work of educational groups, schools, and public and trade press, without disclosing confidential matters.
The Past:
The Association began in 1963 as the American Institute of Kitchen Dealers (AIKD). The initial treasury balance of $463 was contributed by 14 individuals one night in April of that year. This initial funding amount has led to an association that has become the kitchen and bath industry knowledge resource for both professionals and consumers. To further serve the industry, concentration was expanded from kitchen dealers to today’s total of 11 industry segments. Along with that expansion, some other significant changes have taken place.
One year following the creation of the AIKD, the AIKD Kitchen Show was held in Philadelphia and the first AIKD design contest was also introduced.
The AIKD not only represented kitchen dealers, but it also represented some of the industry segments that are still very much a part of today’s NKBA, such as wholesale distributors and designers. For those pursuing design, the first Certified Kitchen Designer (Robert Weiland) received his certification in 1968. Education was further expanded and as well as interests, with many members also dealing in bathroom design.
In 1981, the AIKD Kitchen Show changed its name to the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS). The show, initially a very small gathering, had since grown to the largest professional kitchen and bath industry show in the world. From its beginnings in small convention centers, only a select few venues in the United States can house the show due to its impressive size.
In 1983, the Association changed its name from AIKD to the NKBA to address the interests of the growing bathroom industry.
Proud owner of the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS), the world’s largest trade show dedicated to the kitchen and bath industry. NKBA members receive discounted registration and exhibit floor fees.
Thinking About the Future:
The National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) is the largest association exclusively dedicated to the kitchen and bath industry. With eleven various industry segments, the NKBA’s greatest strength is the diversity of its members. The National Kitchen & Bath Association is thoroughly committed to sustainability and our responsibility to the global environment, and we actively encourage our members to contribute to the integration of green practices in the kitchen, bath and related industries.
The kitchen and bath are two rooms that consume much of the energy and water used in the home. The NKBA is committed to helping its members understand and learn the environmental impact that the creation and use of these rooms can have on energy, water, air quality, health, safety and welfare in the home and the environment.
In addition, to realize a return on investment for practicing sustainability, the NKBA urges its members to look for shared values between business and environmental initiatives.
Understanding of Terms: Green is to be earth friendly. Sustainability, in the context of the environment, is to make use of processes and materials that can be maintained, reused, or recycled for an indefinite period in order to reduce and eliminate toxins while minimizing the negative impact on the environment.
The National Kitchen & Bath Association promotes sustainability on a number of fronts:
- Mission of the Board: To educate our members to be better stewards of the environment for today and for future generations.
- National Headquarters:
- Adopted practices, policies, and training for employees to “live and work” in a sustainable organization
- Working towards greening its major conferences, such as K/BIS, by recycling and exploring methods to conserve water and energy use
- Encourages members to make every attempt to teleconference, carpool, and use e-mail notices in lieu of paper mailings
- Education and Networking: To provide current educational programs on sustainability. The NKBA provides networking opportunities to share best practices through chapter programs and meetings. For current educational courses and chapter meetings Members’ Responsibility: To educate clients on sustainable practices in the selection and specification of materials for every product within their homes.
- Partnering: To create alliances with like associations in order to provide resources and opportunities that help to educate our members.
