| Cabinets & Countertops |
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Excerpt: “Uncertainty in the housing market continues to stifle spending on homeowner improvements,” says Nicolas P. Retsinas, Director of the Joint Center for Housing Studies. According to the report, Americans are expected to spend $109.6 billion on home improvements in the third quarter of 2009, down from $113.2 billion in the second quarter of 2009. In fact, home remodeling spending has seen steady declines since the middle of 2007, according to the report. “While we may be nearing the bottom of the remodeling cycle, there is little to push spending back into a growth phase until the economy recovers,” explains Kermit Baker, Director of the Remodeling Future Program of the Joint Center. “When people are questioning the value of their home … and the status of their investments are in decline, they’re a lot more cautious,” Harris says. Harris says remodeling hasn’t stopped, but it’s become more scaled down. “Our members are saying, ‘We’re not doing the $1 million makeovers,” she says. As the existing housing stock continues to age, however, Harris says many homeowners will be forced to make repairs, and that can be good for remodelers. http://www.residentiallighting.com/OnlineExtras/LetsGetTechnical/tabid/91/Default.aspx?tid=2&cid=237949 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- With consumer interest in environmentally sustainable and eco-friendly products growing in recent years, permeating all sectors of the building industry, members of the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association (KCMA) have been helping to bring environmental considerations to the industry forefront with its Environmental Stewardship Program (ESP), which recognizes cabinet manufacturers who are environmentally responsible and produce products able to meet stiff environmental requirements. KCMA developed ESP in 2006, and since then, more than 140 cabinet manufacturers and brands have been able to earn the necessary points in five key areas to be certified. As a result, the availability of credibly certified, environmentally responsible cabinetry has grown rapidly. There now is a wide variety of cabinet brands, styles and price points certified by ESP that are qualified to display the ESP seal. With the early adopters of the program reaching one year of ESP certification, they must once again undergo a rigorous certification review process in order to continue to display the ESP seal. Manufacturers that are recertifying must comply with changes to the program that have taken effect over the past year. For instance, cabinet manufacturers currently undergoing recertification (or becoming certified for the first time) will now have to submit a mandatory written statement of environmental commitment with their application. By specifying that ESP certification only lasts one year, KCMA ensures manufacturers will continue to substantiate their commitment to the environment by meeting current ESP standards. The process also contributes to corporate awareness of opportunities for continuous environmental improvement. HOLISTIC EVALUATION Presently, manufacturers must comply with requirements in all five of the ESP categories: air quality, product resource management, process resource management, environmental stewardship and community relations. The reason for these requirements is to emphasize that, in order to claim environmental responsibility, manufacturers must evaluate their business' impact on the environment holistically and ensure they are not excelling in just one or two categories, while completely disregarding others. This helps make the process behind the product, in addition to the product itself, environmentally sound. http://www.kbbonline.com/kbb/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003935810 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As the home continues to be an emotional center, the kitchen is the sweet spot of everyday life. And even in uncertain economic times, homeowners are upgrading cabinetry, hardware and countertops. "The market is definitely moving away from low-end cabinetry," says Granger Davis, sales representative, International Kitchen Supply. "As home magazines and Home and Garden TV up the kitchen design ante, consumers are willing to spend more to get what they want." http://www.cabinetmakeronline.com/ViewArticle.aspx?id=28166 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pricing Survey Results |
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