INDUSTRY NEWS UPDATE


Check out what’s been happening in the cabinet industry the last few weeks from the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association:
Impact of Tax Reform

A few weeks ago the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance released a statement on the most significant benefits tax reform has produced in the last year. "Since tax reform was enacted, economic indicators around the country have shown that this legislation is a proven success. Tax reform has driven up consumer confidence, created hundreds of thousands of new jobs, aided in boosting the American economy, and encouraged small business and entrepreneurial growth.”

Click here to read more.


How the Skilled Labor Shortage Is Impacting Housing


While economic growth is always positive, the current unemployment rate (3.7%) risks being too low. Right now in the manufacturing and housing industries, there are more open, unfilled jobs than there are unemployed persons to fill them.

Higher costs in construction due to labor scarcity is one factor responsible for recent home price gains. These price increases, along with higher mortgage interest rates, have in turn reduced housing affordability. The future of homeownership depends on the cost of new housing, and improvements can only be made through industry-wide efforts to improve the labor outlook.

Click here to read more.

Using Technology to Measure Manufacturing Worker Fatigue

According to the National Safety Council, fatigue costs U.S. employers more than $130 billion a year because of health-related losses in productivity. On January 3, 2019 the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) released a report that demonstrated how to capture a worker's safety performance and translate that data into personal fatigue levels.

The study showed that meaningful safety data can be collected by an employer in a cost-effective manner without interfering with a worker’s daily routine through non-intrusive wrist, hip and ankle sensors.

Click here to read more.


2019 Houzz Kitchen Trends Study


Houzz just released its annual Kitchen Trends Study, which surveys thousands of homeowners about their recent or planned kitchen renovation projects. Highlights include:

  • Transitional is still the most popular style (21%) and Farmhouse (14%) has seen steady gains, now nearly tying with Contemporary (15%) for second place
  • Gray cabinets are gaining momentum (11%); but white continues to top the list of cabinet color trends
  • Most homeowners are mixing metal finishes in hardware and fixtures with matte nickel, oil-rubbed bronze and matte black finishes
  • 78% of respondents noted that cabinets were the most important feature to upgrade
  • Shaker is still by far the leading cabinet door style (57%)
Click here to read more.


KCMA members always get the latest updates from the cabinet industry.  To learn more about KCMA and becoming a member today, visit our website.

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