By Dianne M. Pogoda
Company News
SKS in Aspen: Luxury appliance brand SKS served as the official appliance sponsor at the 2025 Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, CO, in June. This was the brand’s first appearance at the annual festival. Attendees saw live demos, product showcases, and conversations with culinary personalities including Stephanie Izard and Mark Bittman, who hosts the SKS “True to Food” film series. Bittman and SKS Executive Chef Nick Ritchie hosted a demonstration of sous vide cooking on the brand’s 48-inch dual-fuel pro range, which includes a built-in sous vide, gas, and induction on a single cooktop. More detail here.
Cyncly Taps Harper: Jon Harper has been named SVP of Professional Services for Cyncly, a leading global provider of design software and solutions. Harper has more than two decades of experience in SaaS (Software as a Service) businesses including leadership roles at Protiviti, Johnson & Johnson, and Smartsheet. In his new role, he will drive adoption and deployment of Cyncly’s software to help designers, retailers, and manufacturers grow their businesses. Learn more here.
California Faucets Promotes Gripp: Veteran financial executive Rich Gripp has been promoted to Vice President of Accounting and Finance at California Faucets, Huntington Beach, CA. He joined the company in 2023 as Director of Finance. Most recently, he held that title at Newlight Technologies, and previously served in the same role at American Woodmark/RSI Corp. Learn more about California Faucets here.
Chapter Updates
Hoedown in the Rockies: The Rocky Mountain Chapter will host its Summer Hoedown at the Ferguson Showroom, 1880 W Oxford Avenue in Sheridan, CO, on July 17, 5:30 to 7:30 pm. Enjoy country music, great food, camaraderie and “boot-scootin’” as the NKBA community kicks back to celebrate summer. The event is sponsored by Samsung and Ferguson. NKBA members are $25, non-members are $35. More info here.
Sail Away with Minnesota State: The Minnesota State Chapter is hosting a MemberSHIP event, “A Toast on the Coast,” on July 23 at the Port of Wayzata, 402 Lake St E, Wayzata, MN. Mix, mingle, and cruise Lake Minnetonka while enjoying light bites, drinks and great company. The event is $35 and runs from 4 to 7 pm. Register here.
Industry News
Housing Sentiment Rises: Fannie Mae’s most recent National Housing Survey® shows that consumers displayed a more favorable view of buying a house in May. The Home Purchase Sentiment Index (HSPI) was up 4.3 points to 73.5 over April, and up 4.1 points year over year from May 2024. HSPI is a composite index that includes buying and selling conditions, mortgage rate outlook, home price outlook, concerns about job loss and changes in household income. Overall, 26 percent of consumers said it was a good time to buy, up 7 points from April, and 61 percent said it was a good time to sell, up 6 points. A strong real estate market is one indicator of a robust remodeling market. See the survey here for more detail.
Housing Starts Fall Nearly 10 Percent: Construction starts on private housing fell 9.8 percent in May from April, and were down 4.6 percent from May 2024, according to the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The number of starts fell to 1.26 million from 1.39 million, the lowest level since May 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Single-family starts edged up 0.4 percent in May from April. The agencies said building permits for private residential construction fell 2 percent compared to April, and dipped 1 percent compared to May 2024. More detail here.
