By Dianne M. Pogoda

Company News

BHS Taps Clarkson: Darcy Clarkson has been named CEO of North America for BHS Home Appliances Corp., parent of Gaggenau, Thermador and Bosch premium kitchen appliances. Clarkson was most recently Chief Commercial Officer at technology and IoT company Nanoleaf, and previously held senior leadership roles at Keurig Dr. Pepper, Poly, Jabra Corp. Seagate Technology and Lexmark International. BSH Home Appliances is a wholly owned subsidiary of Germany-based BHS. The North American subsidiary has manufacturing, technology and development facilities in North Carolina and Tennessee. Learn more here.

Jackson Named CEO at Cabinetworks: Jeff Jackson has been named CEO of Cabinetworks group, the largest privately held cabinet manufacturer in the U.S. He was most recently president and CEO of PGT Innovations, a leading maker of windows and doors, where he helped lead the company’s IPO. Jackson, a Certified Public Accountant, previously served at The Hershey Co., Schwan’s Bakery and Mrs. Smith’s Bakeries. Jackson succeeds John Barkhouse, who transitioned to an advisory role. More details here.

nobilia Appoints Dixon: nobilia North America has named Cheryl Fenelle Dixon Senior Vice President of Marketing & Communications, a new role. She oversees North American strategic direction and all marketing, brand and communications initiatives, reporting to Mikael Åkerberg, Chairman and CEO of nobilia North America. Dixon has spent more than three decades in brand marketing for such global companies as Coty, Grohe NA, Chanel, Pepsi and Ernst & Young. She is also an adjunct professor at Columbia University. Learn more about nobilia here.

Vadara Launches Winter Collection: Leading quartz supplier Vadara has introduced its winter 2024 collection with seven new colors and patterns. All are inspired by dramatic natural formations, like the geology and color of Scandinavian fjords, serene desert sands or warm tones washing the red rocks of the Mojave. Veining ranges from tan, rust and maroon to gray, green and blue, and all designs are offered in 2cm and 3cm thicknesses. Learn more about the collections here.

Chapter Events

Wine and Stone in Central Florida: What do wine and stone have in common? Learn about the same type of environments that produce specific stones and grapes for wine at a CEU event with the Central Florida Chapter on June 20 at UMI Stone, 7153 S. John Young Parkway in Orlando. Enjoy food and drinks with speaker Jeannette Santos, who will provide an entertaining discourse on the subject. NKBA members and students are free, non-members are $25. Learn more here.

Closet Design in West Michigan: Join Denise Butchko, Certified Master Closet Designer, for a master class on designing dream closets and dressing rooms with the West Michigan Chapter on June 20. Earn 0.1 CEU and enjoy catered food and drinks, courtesy of Richelieu and Dickies BBQ, at the Business Center of the Women’s Resource Center, 816 Madison Avenue SE in Grand Rapids. Registration is $25. Go here for more.

Industry News 

New NBC Index Measures Home-Buying Market: NBC News has launched a Home Buyer Index measuring the difficulty in buying a home across the U.S. The index accounts for home prices, mortgage interest rates, inventory, buyer competition and more, to show how market challenges and other economic conditions affect prospective home purchases. Developed with real estate, banking and economics experts, the index rates the difficulty in buying a home on a scale of 0 to 100, with a higher index value equating to greater difficulty. April’s national index (the most recent released) was 82.4. The index is new, but the data reverts to 2012. The lowest value in the last 12 years was 27.3 in January 2013, while the index peaked at 89.7 in October 2022. Learn more at the NBC Home Buyer Index.

Pending Home Sales Drop: The National Association of Realtors said its Pending Home Sales Index, an indicator of home sales based on contract signings, fell 7.7 percent in April from March, and 7.4 percent from April 2023. NAR said all regions showed decreases in month-over-month and YOY ratings. The association attributed the declines to high mortgage interest rates coupled with record home prices. BuilderOnline has more.

The appliance brand held an event to celebrate decades of its designs.

Frigidaire last week hosted NKBA | KBIS Carolinas Chapter members at its headquarters in Charlotte, NC, to celebrate its decades of innovative design. The “Eras Designer Tour” event showcased Frigidaire designs from 1910 to present day, giving attendees a glimpse into the brand’s legendary past. 

The event also included an interactive panel about sustainability featuring Susan Easley, Brand Communications & Consumer Insights at Electrolux; Anna Stowe, Owner of Great Design 4 U; and Julie Peach, Owner and lead designer of J.Peach Interiors. Moderated by NKBA | KBIS National Business Development Manager Stacey Piano, the panel was followed by hands-on cooking classes and product education with Chef Adam, cocktails and  giveaways for all attendees.

See the photos below for fun insights into the event. 

All photos courtesy of Frank Zayas Photography.