INDUSTRY NEWS UPDATE

The Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association is committed to providing you with updated, relevant news in the industry. Check out what's been happening recently:

Cabinet Trends

According to HGTV, 2018 is seeing some big trends for kitchen cabinets. Gray is in as the base color of choice – although white will always be around, people are leaning more towards gray for the main color of their palette.

We are also seeing innovative new designs for cabinet functionality, including unique easy-open cabinets and multi-tiered drawers as manufacturers incorporate more options into their cabinet designs.

Automation and “Smart Kitchens” are gaining in popularity. Manufacturers are taking into consideration home automation systems like Alexa and Google Home as they continue to develop new products.

Read more about the latest kitchen cabinet design trends here.


White House Launches Workforce Strategy

Last month the National Association of Manufacturers met with President Trump as he signed an executive order to establish the expansion of workforce development opportunities a national priority. The administration is placing a focus on apprenticeships and training to prepare more workers for the technology-intensive jobs of the future.

The executive order establishes the National Council for the American Worker and creates an advisory board of public and private sector leaders to implement effective training programs. In conjunction with the executive order, the Department of Labor announced a new grant program to expand apprenticeships in key industry sectors.

Read more here.

2018 FDMC 40 Under 40
 

Congratulations to the 2018 Wood Industry 40 Under 40 Honorees! This is the third annual 40 Under 40 Award, which celebrates the next generation of industry professionals who are making an impact on wood products manufacturing in North America. The winners demonstrate excellence in the categories of: productivity, profitability, social good, ingenuity, peer inspiration, product development, organizational leadership or another facet of the wood industry.

KCMA is proud to see several of our members on the list of winners this year:  Jeremy Basler of American Woodmark, Trent Evans of Genesis Products, Nick Johnson of Bellmont Cabinet Co., Eric Schwarzkopf of Dura Supreme Cabinetry, and Kyle VanMeter and Chadd Wiggs of MasterBrand Cabinets Inc.

Check out the full list of winners here.



DC Circuit Court Upholds Boiler MACT Decision

In a victory for wood products manufacturers, the D.C. Circuit Court denied the Sierra Club's appeal of the start-up and shutdown provisions in the EPA's Boiler MACT rule, potentially ending the year-long litigation over the rule unless environmentalists ask for, and are granted, a Supreme Court appeal.

Environmental groups in the suit challenged as unlawful the EPA's use of a carbon monoxide (CO) threshold as a “surrogate” for specific limits on individual hazardous air pollutants (HAPs), and also the agency's “work practice standards” that apply instead of numeric emissions limits during periods of boiler startup and shutdown. The case was the latest in a long-running series of lawsuits filed by environmentalists and industry groups over the boiler maximum achievable control technology (MACT) rule, first issued by the Obama EPA in 2011.

Read more here.


Photo by: aiche.org

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KCMA is always on the lookout to bring you the latest news and advocate for you in the industry. If you would like to learn more about being a member of KCMA and obtaining access to exclusive member news, insights, research and webinars visit our website.

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