By Dianne M. Pogoda
Company News
BHS’ New EDC: BHS Home Appliances, a division of the Bosch Group and parent of Thermador, Bosch, and Gaggenau premium appliance brands, has opened an Experience and Design Center in Washington, DC. The 7,0000 square-foot space in the upscale CityCenterDC complex has a neoclassical ambience, reflecting the city’s architecture, and serves as an immersive showcase for its luxury appliances, offers cooking and training sessions, and design inspiration. This is the 10th BHS EDC in North America, including locations in Beverly Hills and Irvine, CA; Chicago; New York; Miami; Houston; Toronto; Vancouver, and Montreal. Learn more here.
Cyncly’s New Websites: Cyncly, a leading provider of design software solutions, has launched Cyncly Websites, a website platform that helps K&B designers, retailers, and remodelers enhance the shopping and design experience for their clients.The platform helps businesses grow by attracting more customers, improving and protecting online presence, and showcasing their expertise and product offering with features including an AI design tool, a project gallery, lead generation, a product catalog and more. Cyncly was formed in 2022 after Compusoft and 2020 merged in 2021. Discover more here.
Design Competition Open: The professional NKBA | KBIS 2026 Design Competition is accepting entries through July 25. More than $150,000 in cash prizes are up for grabs, including $25,000 each for Best Overall Kitchen and Best Overall Bath winners. New this year: Winners who are NKBA Certified Designers win a $25,000 bonus. For all details and an entry packet, click here.
Chapter Updates
Aloha in Las Vegas: Join the Southwest Desert Chapter at Inspired Closets, 6445 W Sunset Road in Las Vegas, for “Say Aloha to Summer.” Earn a CEU as you learn “How to Communicate Your Value With Branding,” presented by Home Designer Marketing. You’ll also test drive the newest AR technology in a live demo with Envision to see your client’s dream closet before it’s built. Enjoy Hawaiian sliders and summer cocktails at the event, sponsored by Hydro Shield, on May 28, 5 to 8 pm. It’s free for NKBA members, $15 for non-members. Details here.
Bean Bags on the Cape: For its June meeting and membership drive, the Northern New England Chapter is hosting a cornhole tournament on June 10 at Kam Appliances, 6 Aggregate Way in Hyannis, MA, on Cape Cod. The event is sponsored by JennAir and is free to attend. To participate in the tournament, teams of two may register for $25. Info here.
Industry News
New Silica Safety Guidance: The Natural Stone Institute and the International Surface Fabricators Association (ISFA) have released new medical surveillance guidance and announced expanded silica safety research efforts aimed at enhancing workplace safety. Guidance includes information on air respirator selection and use as well as studies evaluating the effectiveness of silica safety best practices through employee air sampling and medical surveillance data. This important update builds on ongoing efforts to improve health and safety practices industry-wide and provides actionable guidance for employers and fabricators. Learn more here.
Energy Star Program in Danger: The Trump Administration is preparing to eliminate two key divisions of the Environmental Protection Agency that are focused on climate change and energy efficiency. These include the Energy Star program, which certifies energy-efficient appliances and helps consumers find products and tax credits to reduce the cost of buying and using household appliances. Since Energy Star began under President George H.W. Bush in 1992, it has helped save consumers more than $500 billion in energy costs and 5 trillion kWh. The White House also proposed eliminating the EPA’s climate change division and climate protection partnership division, both of which sit within the agency’s office of air and radiation. These moves will impact several climate programs, including the greenhouse gas reporting program and EPA’s partnerships on methane emitted from burning fossil fuels. Read more here.
Prices Up, Sales Down for Existing Homes: Sales of existing homes fell 5.9 percent in March from February, and were off 2.4 percent from March 2024, according to the National Association of Realtors. Sales fell in all four major U.S. regions. At the same time, the median price for these homes rose 2.7 percent YOY to $403,700, an all-time high for the month of March and the 21st consecutive month of YOY price increases. NAR said elevated mortgage rates are contributing to the sluggish environment, and that housing inventory was up 8.1 percent from February and up almost 20 percent YOY. More details here.
Tariff Update: A lot of products, components, and raw materials used in the kitchen and bath industry are imported, especially from Canada, China, and Mexico, the three largest trading partners of the U.S. And the mercurial nature of tariff negotiations, along with other variables emanating from Washington, mean the situation is far from stable. Sunderesh S. Heragu, Regents Professor at Oklahoma State University, explores factors including increased costs, inflation, interest rates, and the labor shortage, in an in-depth article in KBB.
