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Newsletter
December 2008 |
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Announcements Earn CEUs by Writing for Profiles and NKBA.org But did you know that you can also earn CEUs by writing articles for Profiles Magazine and NKBA.org? Not only will you receive consumer recognition with an article on the consumer section of the NKBA's website at NKBA.org/Tips or industry recognition by being published in Profiles or at NKBA.org/Articles, but you can also receive .1 CEU credits for every article you write. Writing for Profiles and NKBA.org is also a great way to earn CEUs from home on a schedule that works best for you. To earn CEUs, simply write a 600-word or longer article in the .DOC or .RTF file format on a topic based on any current NKBA published text, including NKBA Kitchen & Bathroom Planning Guidelines with Access Standards or any of the nine volumes in the NKBA Professional Resource Library. For specific guidelines, refer to the Correspondence Credit section of the CEU Handbook. Be sure to clearly refer to the NKBA text in the article and include the standard CEU credit reporting form with your submission, which should be sent to tsmith@nkba.org. Also include a 35- to 50-word bio about yourself, as well as a high-resolution headshot, both of which will be published at the end of your article. By Timothy Captain, Editor-in-Chief, Profiles Magazine News Association News
Industry News
News
AKBD Testing: March 14-28 Congratulations to... And to... Douglas Padla, the president and owner of Booth Movers, LTD. was awarded by the New Jersey Warehousemen & Movers Association (NJW&MA) the Bruce Cooper Lifetime Achievement Award For Outstanding Service and Dedication to the Moving and Storage Industry; Doug served on the board of the NJW&MA for over 20 years, most notably as president. Kudos to... Alison Griffin, of Jaeger Lumber Her Kitchen graces the front cover of Diamond Cabinets' Catalog as well as an interior page View photos of this inspiring kitchen under Awards Executive Board Members for 2009 VP MEMBERSHIP Donna Rana Dolan-Traynor 18 Rea Avenue Ext Phone: (973) 997-1498 Hawthorne, NJ 07506 E-mail: Membership@NKBANNJ.org VP PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Mediatrix Santos, CKD EXPO Design Center (Paramus) 577 Winters Avenue Phone: (201) 225-5212 Paramus, NJ 07652 Fax: (201) 225-5294 E-mail: ProDevelopment@NKBANNJ.org VP COMMUNICATIONS/TECHNOLOGY Barbara Tizio Details and Design 180 Sarah Wells Trail Phone: (845) 325-3717 Campbell Hall, NY 10916 E-mail: Technology@NKBANNJ.org VP VP ACADEMIC RELATIONS Peter Albanese, CKD CBD Creative Kitchen and Bath 921 Hamburg Tpke. Phone: (973) 696-1930 Wayne, NJ 07470 E-mail: Endorsed Programs@NKBANNJ.org TREASURER Debbie Kerr, AKBD Jaeger Lumber 1238 Valley Road Phone: (908) 626-1047 Stirling, NJ 07980 Fax: (908) 647-7655 E-mail: Treasurer@NKBANNJ.org SECRETARY Jamie Brooks Blackstone Kitchen and Bath Studio 136 Rt. 10 West Phone: (973) 386-0031 Ext. East Hanover, NJ 07936 Fax: (973) 386-5950 E-mail: Secretary@NKBANNJ.org CHAPTER REPRESENTATIVE Maria Stapperfenne, CKD, CBD Tewksbury Kitchens & Baths 3 Felmley Road Phone: (908) 439-9377 Whitehouse Station, NJ 08889 Fax: (908) 439-2082 E-mail: ChapterRep@NKBANNJ.org STRATEGIC PLANNING CHAIRPERSON Ricki Makowitz Ricki M Designs 51 Pond View Circle Phone: (609) 607-1976 Barnegat, NJ Fax: (609) 607-1976 E-mail: StrategicPlan@NKBANNJ.org Association News NKBA Continues to Bring You Convenience Learning! First Quarter 2009 — Convenience Learning Webinars-One Hour Webinars are one-hour sessions led by experienced instructors and industry leaders that cover a wide variety of subjects. The one-hour webinar is a convenient and quick way to address current information and bring topical education to our members and allied students. Meets at a scheduled time: 2:00 P.M. to 3:00 P.M. (Eastern Standard Time)
Web-Based Series Web-based series can be 60, 75, or 90 minutes per session and these sessions meet about two times per week. Some web series are completed in one week, some in four weeks, and other web-based series take more weeks to complete. Meets at a scheduled time: 3:00 P.M. to 4:30 P.M. (Eastern Standard Time)
E-Learning E-learning works best at conveying knowledge while making the understanding of the content easier because the program is developed to meet many methods of learning: audio, visual, demonstrations, repetition, follow-up, quizzes, and more. From the time of registration, you have 90 days to complete these programs, also Academic success is based on a score of 85% out of 100%. Learn at your own pace.
For more information and convenience learning options visit www.nkba.org/education or call 1-800-THE-NKBA (843-6522) web link | return to headlines You can now register online for K/BIS 2009, which will be held from April 30 to May 3 in Atlanta. Come to the Georgia World Congress Center for the biggest weekend of events in the kitchen and bath industry. See the newest products, network with potential business partners, and learn the latest business and design trends—all of which will help to strengthen your business. Take inspiration from Paul DiMeo, Extreme Makeover Home Edition's favorite carpenter, and Steve Ford, son of former President Gerald Ford, on maintaining your character in business. Receive practical tactics from the vast experiences of Terry Savage, one of the country's top economists, while This Old House's Richard Trethewey and Carol Freehauf present the latest kitchen and bath consumer trends, HGTV's John Gidding discusses design and inspiration, and Food Network's Aida Mollenkamp offers food preparation tips, equipment, and tools advice for a top-functioning kitchen. Learn not only survival, but business success, regardless of which segment of the kitchen and bath industry you're in. Take this opportunity to network and benefit from the insight and hard-won knowledge of some of the country's most gifted speakers and industry leaders. To register for K/BIS, visit weblink below today. web link | return to headlines
Have you called NKBA Customer Service at any time during 2008? If so, we want to hear from you. Let us know how we're doing by answering our quick 4-question survey at [Rate Service.] Your feedback will help make the NKBA even more responsive to your needs. As always, if you have any questions please don't hesitate to call NKBA Customer Service at 800-THE-NKBA (843-6522) or e-mail us at feedback@nkba.org. By Diane Laulette, NKBA Customer Service Manager NKBA 2009 Chapter Election Results For the first time ever, National in conjunction with local NKBA Chapters performed 2009 elections electronically during October 2008. All members were notified during September that self-nomination forms were available online and encouraged to volunteer as an officer on a local level. In October, voting members were notified that official ballots were posted online and asked to participate in the online election process. Not sure if you are eligible to vote? Call (800) THE-NKBA, Monday-Friday, 9 am-5 pm EST and speak to an NKBA customer service representative. web link | return to headlines Industry News October Housing Affordability Surges to Highest Level Since 2002 The country's housing affordability index (HAI), as measured by the National Association of Realtors, rose in October to a level not seen in six years. The reading of 141.8, denoting that a family earning the median household income had 141.8 percent of the income needed to qualify for conventional fixed-rate financing with a 20-percent down payment, is up from HAI of 119.3 percent in June. The improvement of 22.5 points over a four-month period makes now the best buyers' market for residential property since 2002 and should facilitate the sector's recovery from a down cycle. Home Appliances to Soothe Aches of Aging Boomers Appliance makers are revamping their offerings for aging baby boomers, in an effort to counter slumping sales. The products are mostly directed toward the 76 million baby boomers who account for the largest share of buying power for the approximately $25 billion American appliance market. General Electric Co. is devising ovens with simpler-to-open doors and automatic shut-off burners. Meanwhile, Siemens AG has launched a glass cook top for its Thermador brand created to prevent boil-overs. Moen is promoting new grab bars for bathrooms that can support a 350-pound individual, and Kohler is offering easier-to-handle faucet levers. Appliance makers hope that these design alterations will increase revenue. Over the long haul, however, the appliance sector expects large returns due to baby boomers and hopes of a housing recovery. Freedonia Group Inc. predicts that major-appliance unit sales in this country will expand to 77.2 million in 2016, compared to 63.4 million in 2006.
Bright colors are being used more often in the bathroom, proving an alternative to traditional beiges. The best way to add color to a bathroom is by incorporating it in one or two areas. For example, some homeowners are using bright orange as an accent to counter neutral white, tan, or cream-colored floor tiles. The color palette then can be complemented with paint, wallpaper, and accessories. When adding color, homeowners should consider all of the horizontal and vertical surfaces in the room. The color can begin with a floor pattern and go up the wall, on the side of a bathtub, or into the shower stall. Bathroom fixtures are being updated as well to provide a softer look. Instead of brass, homeowners are now using warm gray or brown finishes, like polished nickel and brushed bronze. Warmer finishes offer a sophisticated appearance to a bathroom and allow for nearly any design plan. A satin nickel faucet and tub filler combination can work well with a modern black-and-white theme and traditional bathroom design that has Tuscan colors and elaborate ornamentation. Floor-to-Ceiling Cabinets Can Run Into Obstacles Although floor-to-ceiling cabinets are a popular design request for kitchens, they can create challenges. The cabinets vie for space and necessitate the removal of bulkheads, the horizontal shafts that sometimes stretch beneath ceilings in a kitchen. Since the bulkheads often have pipes, wiring, or ductwork, working with them can be a significant consideration when deciding on a cabinet overhaul. Liz Krohe, a designer from Pine, Pa.'s CopperLeaf Kitchen & Bath Design, and Rich Erenrich from Carnegie, Pa.'s Pateete Kitchen and Bath Design Center, note that most kitchen-cabinet clients are interested in the taller units, which are aesthetically appealing and offer extra storage room. Trying to reach the top of the cabinets, however, can be hard, which is why Jeannette, Pa.-based Manor House Kitchen and Barth president Jeffrey Backus sells a "toe-kick" step that is outfitted at the bottom of cabinets and offers a small lift to the top. Taller cabinets are costly; Erenrich claims they can add between $1,000 and $1,500 to a redecorating project, and the bulkhead work is separate. If bulkheads are not holding anything important, they sometimes can be used as a design element. Erenrich notes how a bulkhead was once utilized to lower the ceiling to permit a typical 36-inch cabinet to be implemented under a 96-inch, or eight-foot-high, ceiling. Kitchen Design That Evokes and Invites Movement British kitchen designer Johnny Grey has a reputation for creating unusually, aesthetically-pleasing kitchen spaces. While not well known in the United States, Grey's designs have influenced kitchens in this nation for over two decades. During the mid-1980s, Grey launched the "unfitted" kitchen, which had a variety of unusually shaped, non-matching, specially-built cabinets. Emphasizing what he refers to as "soft geometry," Grey's pieces are frequently round--particularly in a circular-food preparation island or a floor-to-ceiling cylinder for housing large pots and pans--or curved, as in a whole entire circular kitchen. Grey claims the atypical shapes improve the homeowners' satisfaction with the kitchen and enable them to be more relaxed. His kitchens often have bright colors and his material selections are unusual. Besides black-walnut, he uses burled aspen for his cabinets, dark black bog oak to hold the cherry refrigerator/freezer case, and zebra maple with jagged gray striping for the floors. For the majority of his projects, Grey works with artists and artisans, as their abilities can yield the cabinetry shapes he desires. He is also focused on the functional mandates of a kitchen and a chef's need to have every item within close reach. When Renovating Kitchen, Be Sure to Find Perfect Fit The best way to do a kitchen renovation is for homeowners to be aware of their house's style and the decor of the rooms next to the kitchen. A house constructed during the 1970s with a kitchen that is open to the family room, for instance, can be updated with cabinets that have plain doors and drawer fronts and natural stone counters that reflect the colors of the family room's stone fireplace. Meanwhile, a 1920s-era Arts and Crafts bungalow house would look good with wood cabinets that have a painted finish and vintage-style hardware. A farm sink would also be appropriate, as would a soapstone counter. Meanwhile, a 1950s split-level ranch, which has a streamlined appearance, would benefit from basic flat door and drawer fronts, which help recreate the period the kitchen was built. In addition, a cooktop range and wall oven would fit in well, and both have the newest conveniences, such as solid state controls and instant-on features. Although granite countertops are very popular in homes, laminates are a good option, as they are available in numerous colors, patterns, and textures. Kitchen Designs Fuse Function and Technology Italian architect and designer Antonio Cittero, owner of the kitchen-furnishing company Arclinea, launched a showroom in Coral Gables, Fla., in 2004, which is operated by Nicaraguan economist Gustavo Arcia. ''Citterio has introduced three phases of design," explains Arcia. "One has to do with the conviviality of space, where you combine cooking and sharing and family rituals. Next came the professional kitchen, using professional elements, such as ample work surfaces and plenty of storage space, plus accessibility to tools and equipment.'' The newest stage is the metamorphic kitchen, which can change itself into something else. For instance, Arcia says, a table the company offers can be used for cooking when it is raised but can be employed as a dining table when lowered. He adds that everything in Arclinea kitchen is accessible, and the concept is to establish closeness between the cook and family or guests, who can sit at a big wooden table incorporated into the island where the cooking occurs. Arcia states that another attractive element of Arclinea is its superior standards and environmental awareness. The firm utilizes recyclable materials such as aluminum, stainless steel, glass, and strives for less wood consumption. Arclinea kitchens range between $15,000 and $100,000.
Small businesses are often lax about their collections processes for fear of losing clients. However, during times of economic turmoil, it is important that businesses enact strategies to assure timely customer payment. Collections consultant Len Sklar explains that the most effective collections strategies are preventative in nature. Businesses should have formal written procedures governing payment and collections so that customers understand the repercussions of not paying. A written policy addressing such procedures should include a notice requiring clients to pay, ideally, within 30 days of providing the goods or service. Furthermore, businesses that work with clients who generate large bills should consider charging down payments or even performing credit checks to assess clients' ability to pay. Financing and payment options, along with payment incentives, should also be considered by businesses dealing in larger transactions to help make it easier for clients to pay. Most importantly, businesses should look to contact non-paying clients as early as possible, but should arrange with collection agencies to collect on the outstanding bills only after several phone calls and/or client office visits warning them. |
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