New Bylaws Approved by NKBA
Directors
Hackettstown, NJ The National Kitchen & Bath Association has
approved a new set of bylaws that modifies the governance of the
NKBA and is aimed at expanding the scope of the Hackettstown,
NJ-based trade association.
Approval of the new bylaws by the NKBA’s Board of Directors came
late last year, along with a completely revised set of policies and
procedures that implement the new structure created by the bylaw
revisions, according to the NKBA. Among the changes is a
reconfiguration of the board of directors, aimed at providing “more
effective and equitable representation both geographically and by
industry business segments,” NKBA leaders added.
The most significant change, however, is a restructuring of the
association’s membership categories to reflect “the broadened scope
of the NKBA and its position as an ‘industry’ association, rather
than a segmented one,” the NKBA said.
Founded in 1963 as the American Institute of Kitchen Dealers
(AIKD), the NKBA in recent years has increasingly broadened both
its approach and its appeal, in an effort to grow membership beyond
the ranks of dealers.
The new Industry membership categories, which enable previously
excluded companies and individuals from joining the NKBA,
include:
- Company Membership. This enables any business or person
actively and directly involved in providing kitchen and/or bathroom
products and/or services to be eligible for Industry membership.
Dues for these firms will be based on gross revenue from kitchen
and/or bath sales according to a revised dues schedule, the NKBA
said (see 2002 Dues Schedule, above). If the company owns branches,
each branch must pay dues in order for its employees to receive
member benefits, and for the branch to be able to display the NKBA
logo, NKBA added.
- Self-Employed Membership. Self-employed persons who derive
their primary source of income from sales and/or service to the
kitchen and/or bath industry are eligible to be Industry members.
Their dues, similar to those of company members, are based on their
gross revenue from kitchen and/or bath sales or service.
- Individual Membership. This membership category creates the
opportunity for employees of both member and non-member companies
to apply for their own individual voting membership, and to receive
NKBA membership benefits otherwise unavailable to them, according
to the NKBA. Individual members will pay a $100 annual fee if their
company is not an NKBA member, and $50 if their company is a
member, the association noted. Under the Individual membership
umbrella, the company these people work for may not be promoted as
an NKBA member, only the individual, the NKBA pointed out.
- Associate Membership. Under this category of membership, any
individual, firm or entity which provides auxiliary products or
services to the kitchen and bath industry would qualify for NKBA
membership, without voting rights. This category would include
businesses such as financial institutions, trade and consumer
publications, insurance companies, students, etc.
- Honorary Membership. This newly added membership category
recognizes outstanding and long-term service to the kitchen and
bath industry, or to the NKBA. Nominees for this category who are
exempt from paying dues and have no voting rights must be approved
by a two-thirds vote of the NKBA’s Board of Directors, NKBA
said.