Industry News

This is a great volunteer opportunity for plumbers to help rebuild the Bowling Green community after the devastating tornadoes of December 2021.

Habitat for Humanity-Bowling Green, will be building 15 new homes in Bowling Green and Dawson Springs, KY and are requesting 4 to 6 volunteer plumbers, starting July 31,  Plumbers will be working under the direct supervision of the local Master plumber familiar with the local codes. Plumbers experienced with PEX and PVC piping will be asked to submit a copy of their license /certification to Habitat for Humanity-Bowling Green. Lodging is available at Western Kentucky University until Aug 18^th.  Food and transportation costs are not included.

​Interested volunteers, please contact:

Macie at Habitat for Humanity-Bowling Green, KY
macie@habitatbg.org
(270)-843-6027

You may also contact dom@plumberswithoutborders.org

​The REHAU Group will sell its business in Russia to the local management and will withdraw completely from the country. A corresponding preliminary agreement has now been signed by both parties.

REHAU had already announced on March 4, 2022, to ramp down its business in Russia in a controlled manner. The development of the past weeks has made further decisions unavoidable.

The REHAU Group has been active in Russia for around 30 years and has served the market there primarily with polymer-based solutions for the window, construction and furniture sectors.

Growth bolstered by an increase in price points despite material shortages and higher labor costs

The National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) – the world’s leading non-profit trade association for the kitchen and bath industry providing tools, research, certification, and events to thousands of professionals – has released its Kitchen & Bath Market Index (KBMI) for Q1 of 2022. The quarterly report, which is aimed at measuring the health of the kitchen and bath industry, found that the industry enjoyed a successful opening quarter of the year, growing 12.6% in Q1, with industry professionals expecting further growth as the year continues.

“Despite a number of ongoing economic hardships, from material shortages to higher labor costs, we’re excited to see our industry continue to grow and be optimistic about the future,” said Bill Darcy, Chief Executive Officer, NKBA. “As the world shifts toward a new normal, we’ve seen the kitchen and bath industry continue to adapt to the times by evolving e-commerce practices, stocking up on available products, and turning toward historically underutilized brands to fulfill customer needs.”

While price points have continued to rise, demand for remodeling projects has stayed strong, enabling the industry to continue to grow in the new year. In the KBMI Q1 report, all kitchen and bath industry segments reported high single-digit sales growth year-over-year (YOY) except for manufacturers, who reported double-digit sales growth of 10.3%. Not only were sales numbers up compared to 2021, but quarter-over-quarter (QOQ) sales accelerated for all segments of the industry.  

2022 full-year sales growth expectations have also increased after a successful first quarter, with professionals anticipating +15.1% growth for the year, up from the 9.4% reported just three months ago. In the latest KBMI report, the kitchen and bath industry rated future business conditions a 78.6 on a 100-point scale, displaying cautious optimism about the future of the industry. Rising interest rates and low resale inventory have been tailwinds for big remodeling projects as consumers leverage home equity and other discretionary income to ‘trade up in place.’ Despite additional inflationary pressures potentially pricing out some homeowners, the industry reported a healthy number of backlogged projects, allowing the sector to feel confident about the road ahead.

“From manufacturers and designers to contractors and retailers, the entire kitchen and bath industry has had to adjust to the ever-evolving times that we live in. Despite the ongoing headwinds and potential unknown challenges ahead, all signs currently suggest that 2022 will be another strong year for the industry,” continued Darcy.

Among the report’s key findings were:

• Material Shortages Cause Delays and Cancellations: As the ongoing worldwide material shortage continues, kitchen and bath industry professionals have reported serious delays to their projects. Forty-three percent (43%) of building and construction firms report most of their projects were behind schedule in Q1 2022. Firms have tried to get out ahead of projects by pre-ordering as often as they can, however, industry-wide backorders and shipping delays prevent them from maintaining timelines. A further consequence of these material delays has been client cancellations due to long timelines, as 46% of building and construction firms had clients cancel and/or postpone projects in Q1. While this is a slight improvement from Q4 2021’s 50% cancellation/postponement rate, the trend continues to be a concern for the industry moving forward.
• Luxury Products In Demand, Come With Longest Lead Times: The KBMI for Q1 2022 found that luxury products once again are the most popular category for consumers. However, these products also come with the longest wait times. An increasing number of industry professionals (55%) report differing lead times across luxury, mass market, and entry-level products/materials. Seventy-nine percent (79%) of those indicating a difference say lead times for luxury products/materials are the longest. Consumers choosing to move forward with big project remodels are often opting for high-end products, associating quality and durability with the higher price tag.
• Labor Remains Elusive and Expensive: Industry professionals reported labor availability as having a significant impact on their businesses and their ability to keep up with demand, rating the overall impact a 6.7 on a 10-point scale. Industry professionals continue struggling to find qualified labor, raising rates by 18% on average to retain and/or attract talent. Seventy-six percent (76%) of designers are increasing labor rates 21% on average to retain existing employees, saying competition for qualified labor is fierce.

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Grenada, Miss. — Milwaukee Tool is excited to announce construction on their newest facility in Mississippi. Located in Grenada County, Mississippi, Milwaukee’s latest expansion will accommodate the company’s growing power tool accessories and power tool business, and will also serve as a centralized repair facility. The new location will create more than 800 new jobs, and is planned to open in mid-2023.

“We’re thrilled to, once again, expand our footprint in the state of Mississippi, where we’ve been able to recruit some of the best talent in the country,” said Steve Richman, Milwaukee Tool Group President. “Our success is the result of our talented people and the culture we’ve created; it is unparalleled in the industry. We are committed to investing in new talent, and the right opportunities to continue meeting the needs of our distributor and user partners with the speed and agility that defines who we are as a company.”

Milwaukee® is investing more than $60 million into advanced technology and manufacturing equipment at their new 563,000-square-foot Grenada location. The facility will house critical accessory manufacturing capabilities, and will join the company’s other service hub in Greenwood, IN, as one of Milwaukee Tool’s main axis points for service operations.

Milwaukee Tool, which employs more than 10,000 people in the U.S., has continually expanded their footprint domestically and globally as their company experiences incredible double-digit growth. In Mississippi, the company has invested more than $209 million in domestic expansion projects over the last 5 years and employs 4,400 people.

More About Milwaukee’s Growth & U.S. Investments

Milwaukee Tool is a global company with manufacturing, distribution, and operations presences across North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. The company has designed, engineered, and manufactured products in the United States for nearly 100 years.

In the last year, Milwaukee® has invested $216 million in domestic expansion projects. In addition to this new Grenada location, the company’s other domestic presences include Greenwood, Olive Branch, Clinton, and Jackson, MS, as well as in Brookfield, Menomonee Falls, Milwaukee, West Bend, Mukwonago, and Sun Prairie, Wis., Cookeville, Tenn., Chicago, Ill., and Greenwood, Ind.