From speaker presentations that ranged from national economists to Super Bowl winning players, and resort amenities that included a private ocean beach to outdoor activities, the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association 67th Annual Spring Leadership Conference was the "best ever" said several people who attended the three-day event.

The event was held April 25 through April 28 at the Henderson Beach Resort in Destin, Florida. With attendance topping 150 cabinet makers, associate members, spouses and guests, the conference was one of the largest attended KCMA events, said Betsy Natz, CEO of the KCMA. 

Unlike the association's fall meeting last fall in Sioux Falls, S.D., in which three of its largest members resigned from the association as a result of the dispute over trade issues, this event was highlighted not by disruption but by a concerted effort to show solidarity. 

The Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association is standing firm on its antidumping and countervailing fight with the board literally standing shoulder to shoulder on a dais at the group’s annual spring meeting in support of these efforts.

“We're going to continue to fight for our fair-trade agenda,” said Jeff Gulledge, president of Montgomery, Alabama-based Bishop Cabinets and the incoming chairman of the association board. “We've seen the real dollars, $4.9 billion, by seeing this enforced properly. And we're going to continue to stay the course.”

Speakers

The keynote address on Wednesday, April 26, was titled "Lessons Learned: 20 years of Bedroom Furniture Anti-Dumping Cases," presented by Wyatt Bassett. 

The presentation by the CEO of Vaughan-Bassett Furniture Company and son of John D. Bassett III focused on the residential furniture industry's fight against Chinese dumping of furniture into the U.S. Bassett said the company had to choose between closing his factories and moving them overseas or keep them alive by suing Chinese firms for dumping goods. In 2004, a coalition of residential furniture manufacturers won the case, and the U.S. assessed tariffs on most Chinese importers. He said that many of the challenges that that industry faced at that time mirror those currently being discussed. 

"Having an association working together in this fight would have been critical for our fight," Bassett told Woodworking Network.  

Audience members also heard about kitchen cabinet business trends from Jim Nowakowski, president of Interline Creative Group, and about current trends in the housing market from Danushka Nanayakkara-Skillington, assistant vice president for Forecasting at the National Association of Home Builders.

Building a unified business culture was a theme of the address by Super Bowl champion Ben Utecht. He talked about what he calls the four "Ls" of business: Listening, Learning, Language, and Love."

"These are critical lessons in both life and in business." said that starting tight end for the 2007 Indianapolis Colts. "Creating a culture helps your company achieve its highest goals."

EDITOR'S NOTE: Stay tuned for more coverage of the 67th KCMA Annual Spring Leadership Conference.