KITCHEN & BATH DESIGN NEWS - WHO IS KCMA?

Check out our recent editorial piece in the March issue of Kitchen & Bath Design News:

The Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association (KCMA) doesn’t manufacture cabinets, but we do administer programs that test and validate the quality and safety of cabinets. We provide a community where cabinet manufacturers can join together to network, share best practices, learn from each other and work together to protect and grow the cabinet manufacturing industry.

Founded in 1955, KCMA is the largest non-profit trade association for kitchen and bath cabinet manufacturers in the U.S. Our membership is more than 300 strong throughout North America and represents 80% of the cabinet manufacturing industry (by volume).  KCMA was founded to represent companies who manufacture kitchen cabinets, bath cabinets or other residential cabinets and key kitchen and bath industry suppliers.

The Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association works to advance the cabinet industry through advocacy, setting cabinet quality standards, sponsoring kitchen and bath cabinet-related research, and providing the cabinet industry with management tools and educational programs.

Who We Are

KCMA establishes and promotes standards for the kitchen cabinet industry; defends and advocates in support of the industry; and arms our members with valuable tools necessary to promote and grow their businesses. We work to advance the kitchen cabinet manufacturing industry in many different areas including helping with strategic planning, advocating on Capitol Hill, providing up to date research and information and so much more:

• Advocacy – KCMA is on the front lines, representing the cabinet manufacturing industry on Capitol Hill and with Federal agencies.  KCMA strives to influence regulatory and legislative issues that could have far reaching impact on our members and the industry as a whole. KCMA regularly works on issues including but not limited to: formaldehyde, foreign competition, worker safety, accurate product labeling, wood dust limits, labor shortage and many more.  We also work with other associations and public interest groups to advance the concerns of the cabinet manufacturing industry including: National Kitchen & Bath Association, American Institute of Architects, National Association of Home Builders, Safe & Sound Campaign, American Forest and Paper Association, American Chemistry Council, and more.
• Business Tools – KCMA provides our members with access to surveys, research, and informational courses regarding cabinet industry trends and best practices to help them stay on the cutting-edge of the industry and ensure their businesses continue to grow. Nowhere else in the industry can you find access to the benchmarking data that KCMA collects and analyzes on behalf of our members. We provide monthly Trend of Business reports measuring cabinet sales and showing each participant where they stand against their competition. Other reports include: annual wage & labor statistics related to pay, benefits and wage increases; an annual safety survey that provides up-to-date statistics on safety practices in the industry; and an annual income and expense survey that helps members identify improvement opportunities in their business and easily identify gaps.
• Educational Programs – KCMA hosts yearly events and plant tours, where our members can learn and network with others in the kitchen cabinet industry about best practices and how to keep their companies growing and succeeding. KCMA also offers a complimentary certification course for designers and architects that is recognized by both AIA and NKBA for Continuing Education Credits. This course helps designers and architects gain an understanding of KCMA’s programs so they can back up and differentiate their professional recommendations with information about KCMA certified cabinets.
• Certifications – KCMA provides access to certification programs designed to help distinguish cabinet manufacturers in today’s competitive marketplace, including our ANSI A161.1 Quality Certification Program and our Environmental Stewardship Program. Recent research by Hanley-Wood shows that certifications performed by third party testers are among the top reasons consumers choose cabinets, and This Old House recommends that homeowners only purchase cabinets that have the KCMA Certification Seals.

1. KCMA ANSI A161.1 Quality Certification Program – Cabinets displaying this seal are put through a rigorous   battery of tests giving consumers an assurance of quality manufacturing that will survive everyday life in a   kitchen. The seal makes it easy for designers, builders, architects and other specifiers to know right off the bat   the cabinets meet performance and durability requirements – requirements that consumers care about, but   don’t know how to ask about.

2. KCMA Environmental Stewardship Program – Consumers want a safe home for their families and products that protect the environment. This program ensures that cabinet companies are doing their part to help the planet (companies participating in the ESP recycled more than 16.4 million pounds of paper and cardboard in 2017) and is a tangible way to show customers that the cabinets they are about to purchase were produced in an environmentally sound manner, by an company that cares about the environment as much as they do.

KCMA understands that the kitchen is the heart of the home.  The programs and certifications that we administer help advance the industry while keeping that important fact in mind.  While our members are busy running their businesses, we are busy protecting them.