NEWPORT NEWS, VA — Ferguson, LLC, the Newport News, VA-based distributor of plumbing supplies and related products, has partnered with a leading organization in an effort to “rebuild” the skilled trade pipeline, the company announced.

Ferguson and Explore The Trades, a nonprofit organization whose aim is to recruit individuals to the plumbing, heating, cooling and electrical trades, has unveiled a partnership to “introduce the skilled trades to a new generation,” Ferguson officials said.

“Our country urgently needs the next generation of plumbers and HVAC technicians to build and maintain our aging infrastructure,” corporate officials observed. “However, lack of investments in education, training and the skilled trades over the last 30 years created a labor shortage, driven by an exit of baby boomer retirees.

Ferguson and Explore the Trades have partnered to create “Explore The Trades Skills Lab Built by Ferguson” – a program that “will provide support to career and technical education high schools across the U.S., as they establish new plumbing and HVAC career pathways,” Ferguson said.

Ferguson committed $300,000 to the partnership and will assist primarily with products and tools for teaching and training, while Explore The Trades will tap into its network of contractors to serve as advisors for aspiring plumbers and HVAC technicians, program organizers said.

“Teaming up with Explore The Trades and its extensive network of experienced contractors is the success factor in this program,” said Melissa Hazelwood, Ferguson’s senior manager of sustainability. “We are excited about educating young people and encouraging them to embrace the artistry and ingenuity that comes from engaging their minds with their hands to build, craft and construct the future.”

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HACKETTSTOWN, NJ A revised set of health and safety protocols, including COVID-19 vaccination requirements and/or proof of a negative coronavirus test result, have been issued for the 2022 Design & Construction Week (DCW), the annual three-day event that encompasses the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS) and the International Builders’ Show (IBS).

The National Kitchen & Bath Association, which owns KBIS, and the National Association of Home Builders, owner of IBS, this week released the revised protocols for DCW, set for Feb. 8-10 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL. The guidelines, effective as of Oct. 11, apply to all attendee and exhibitor registrants for both KBIS and IBS, and are subject to revision, event sponsors noted.

“The safety and wellbeing of our attendees, partners, exhibitors, site workers and staff remains our top priority, said DCW organizers, adding that they are “working with our vendors, partners and the Orange County Convention Center to…deliver a safe and productive environment in which to conduct business.”

“As we get closer to returning to an in-person event, we continue to update our health and safety policies based upon current recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the state of Florida and local Orlando health authorities, event organizers added. “We will continue to monitor their recommendations and will update relevant information as needed.”

Among the following health and safety protocols to be adhered to are the following:

n All registered attendees and exhibitors will be required to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test result within five days of attending the show. Two types of negative tests are acceptable: polymerase chain reaction, referred to as “PCR” (also called diagnostic or molecular), or rapid antigen test (also referred to as a “rapid test”).

n Any one of the following will be accepted for entry (when accompanied by a valid government issued photo ID): electronic proof of a negative test result through a show-management approved app, or a printed or digital copy of negative COVID-19 test results, written in English, that indicates the type of test administered and includes the name of the person in question and the date the test was administered. Per CDC guidelines, negative COVID-19 test results are valid for five days, meaning that the negative test must have been completed no earlier than Sunday, Feb. 6, 2022, in order to be accepted for entry for all three show days. If an individual is unable or unwilling to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test result, proof of full COVID-19 vaccination prior to entry will suffice.

n Show attendees, exhibitors and others will be required to wear a face mask regardless of vaccination status when riding on an official show hotel shuttle and when indoors at the OCCC from move-in through move-out and at other show related venues.

n U.S. domestic residents will be considered fully vaccinated if they have completed two doses of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. International travelers who have completed full regimens of vaccines approved for emergency use by the World Health Organization (WHO) will be considered fully vaccinated.

Show management said it is “continuously monitoring guidance from the CDC and state/local health authorities” and reserves the right to adjust the shows’ health & safety protocols “as relevant recommendations and tradeshow industry standards evolve.”

“Guidance related to large gatherings relative to COVID-19 and associated variants continues to change,” DCW organizers said. “What will remain constant is the commitment of the NAHB International Builders’ Show (IBS) and NKBA’s Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS) and to the health and safety of attendees, exhibitors, partners and staff at our shows.”

Additional details regarding the health and safety Policies for Design and Construction Week can be found at: http://www.designandconstructionweek.com/healthsafety.html.

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HACKETTSTOWN, NJ — The National Kitchen & Bath Association has unveiled its Thirty Under 30 Class of 2022.

The program, currently in its tenth year, recognizes talented kitchen and bath professionals under the age of 30. Nominees were evaluated on their career or educational achievements, commitment to excellence in the kitchen and bath industry and leadership within their organizations, according to the NKBA.

The 2022 Class includes: Jessica Bolles, Oasis Showroom/APR Supply, York, PA;  Michael Boone, Green Forest Cabinetry, Chesapeake, VA; Andrew Converse, Moen, Cleveland, OH; Alex Dickson, PK Brand Management, Kelowna, BC, Canada; Darla Duncan, Prime Cabinetry, Kennesaw, GA; Hannah Guilford, Heart & Hammer Homes, Fryeburg, ME; Cara Hansen, Triple Dot Design Studio, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Jesse Jarrett, Jarrett Design LLC, Emmaus, PA; Becky Leu, Leu Interiors, Des Moines, IA; Andrea Liston-Jones, Liston Design Build, St. Charles, MO; James McDonald, McDonald Contracting, Arlington, MA; Madelaine Millholland, CASE Design/Remodeling, Bethesda, MD; Basia M’Pinda, Kohler/Williams & Associates, Winnipeg, MB, Canada; Antoinette Nunez, CKBD, F&J Builders, Wilmington, DE; Hannah Pregont, Superior Marketing, Brooklyn, NY; Megan Reed, AKBD, CLIPP, Beyond the Box Inc., Billings, MT. and Kelsey Richter, BDA & Associates, Fishers, IN.

Other Class of 2022 members include: Caitlin Ryan, Fisher & Paykel | DCS Experience Center, New York, NY; Grace Sheehan, CLIPP, Kitchen Doctors, Midlothian, VA; Justyna Skolasinski, AKBD, Crystal Lumber, Crystal Falls, MI.; Amanda Slattery, Artistic Cabinetry, Jackson Lake, NE; Benjamin Stoler, Delta Faucet Co., Indianapolis, IN; AJ Tentler, Delta Faucet Co., Indianapolis, IN; Summerlyn Travis, Strohmaier Construction, Spokane, WA; Hannah Triebel, Sunnyfields Cabinetry, Baltimore, MD; Austin Waldhauser, Kenwood Kitchens, Columbia, MD; Emily-Anne Walker, Ferguson Enterprises, Williamsburg, VA; Patience Whipple, Chariot Plumbing Supply Design, Sandy, UT; Pip Wu, D.I.D, Ferguson/Wolseley, Burnaby, BC, Canada and Shantelle Yablonski, Superior Cabinets, Saskatoon, SK, Canada.

The incoming class will be formally inducted during KBIS 2022 in Orlando, FL, according to the NKBA.

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As homeowners look to their baths as an escape from the hectic world, function and beauty take the lead in design. However, the urgent craving for wellness is also having an impact on the elements of the bath. What were once luxuries, such as towel warmers and statement-making accessories, are now an integral part of the overall aesthetic of peaceful pampering.

Here are some of the hottest trends in bath accessories right now.

Organization has taken a giant leap forward, with storage shelves and towel storage becoming key elements of the design.Finishes are still trending warm, with matte blacks and all shades of gold leading the charge.Safety and accessibility continue to be top of mind, and items such as grab bars and shelving provide their services in very stylish ways.Open storage is becoming much more popular, and shelving on walls and in vanities and showers is adding extra space for decorative and functional items.Decorative accessory finishes have moved beyond metals and now include powder-coated paints, as well as stone and wood for a touch of nature.Saving space and using every inch of the bath continues to be important, and those demands are being answered by smaller-sized accessories, individual towel warming rails and wall niches.

The post Beauty, Function & Wellness Blend in the Latest Bath Accessories appeared first on Kitchen & Bath Design News.

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WASHINGTON, DC — Reflecting continued gains in new construction and residential remodeling, domestic shipments of major home appliances continued their year-long upward climb through the third quarter of 2021, despite a modest July-through-September downturn, the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers reported.

According to the Washington, DC-based AHAM, a July-through-September decline of 2.4% compared the same quarter a year ago was not enough to thwart an overall year-to-date gain of 16.0% in major appliance shipments compared to the same nine-month period in 2019.

Year-to-date shipments through the third quarter of 2021 totaled 66.7 million units, compared to 57.5 million units shipped in the third quarter of 2020, AHAM reported.

Gains through the third quarter were posted in all key product categories, including food preservation (+17.8%), cooking (+12.6%), kitchen cleanup (+9.1%) and home laundry (+19.1%), the trade association said.

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