NKBA: What Is It and What Does It Do?
Details about the active professional association devoted to obtaining and sharing knowledge and resources.
There’s an acronym in the home design industry called NKBA. What does that stand for? It’s the National Kitchen & Bath Association.
With 280-plus members statewide and more than 60,000 members nationally, it’s an active professional association devoted to obtaining and sharing knowledge and resources surrounding the kitchen and bath design industry. Through ongoing offerings of meetings, conventions, and technical classifications, the NKBA keeps tabs on the ever-growing and changing field.
Sarah Nielsen, state president, is a designer at Showplace Cabinetry Design Center in Urbandale. She says the national trade group was established in 1963 to create a network of kitchen dealers and has grown into a broad association of distributors, retailers, remodelers, home builders, fabricators, installers, designers, and other professionals.
There are three membership designations: individual, business, and student classifications. Members’ annual dues are determined by the yearly revenue of their companies’ work. There are currently 71 chapters in the U.S. and Canada. The highest concentration of members in Iowa is in the Des Moines and Quad Cities areas.
STUDENT CHAPTERS
Nielsen says that Iowa has NKBA-affiliated student chapters at the University of Northern Iowa at Cedar Falls and at Iowa State University in Ames. There are also individual student members at Des Moines Area Community College in Ankeny, at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, and at various others around the state. Students pay no dues, and the professional members welcome them at all chapter events. Earlier this year, the organization sponsored a student event in Ames with a panel discussion of 2024 industry news.
Nielsen says, “This is a very broad network of those interested in the industry.” With that in mind, the organization launched its first kitchen and bath show in 1964. In 1981 the name was changed to the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS). Since 2014 the show has been paired with the International Builders’ Show, sponsored by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) in Las Vegas.
As president, Nielsen has focused the Iowa chapter on staying organized. “We, like many other groups, took a hit during the COVID pandemic,” she admits. The group sponsors a number of continuing education classes. Nielsen, for example, carries the initials CKBD behind her name: Certified Kitchen and Bath Designer. To earn this certification, one must complete a series of course work and pass testing that includes multiple choice exams and construction drawing submissions of her work, which are judged according to the NKBA standard guidelines.
SPECIALIST DESIGNATIONS
There are also eight Badges that designers can complete for “specialist” designations, covering such topics such as remodeling, lighting, cabinetry, color, and universal design.
There are national involvements as well, where Iowa members can travel to Design Chicago to visit the Merchandise Mart or to Las Vegas for the national KBIS show. “We also host an annual vendor fair each year to showcase local and national vendors for those who aren’t able to travel to KBIS,” Nielsen says.
In addition, she says, “We host socials at Gilroy’s in West Des Moines, a trivia night at The Hall in West Des Moines, a holiday party, and other events throughout the year for networking.” She also has developed member packets with magnet calendars and contact information of local board members.
“My goal as president has been to standardize our events and reach out to more possible members. I would love to see our Iowa membership grow to 300 or 350 members before my term is done.”
There are so many ways to grow, she points out.
Learn More
Sarah Nielsen | State President
515-251-4800 | Sarah.Nielsen@showplacecabinetry.com
General chapter: nkbaiowa@gmail.com
Facebook: NKBA Iowa Chapter
Instagram: NKBAIowa