The National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA), a non-profit trade association for the $189 billion kitchen and bath industry and owners of the largest North American Kitchen and Bath trade show, KBIS, recently announced the relocation of its corporate headquarters from Hackettstown, New Jersey to 1 West Broad Street, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
“Why Bethlehem? It’s an emerging “creative class” city with a rich history, world-class colleges, and universities, a diverse population, the amazing Hotel Bethlehem to house out-of-town guests, and access to major transportation hubs,” says Bill Darcy, NKBA CEO and Moravian University alum.
“We look forward to joining and contributing to the dynamic Bethlehem community while providing an exceptional work environment for our employees. Our global reach connects some of the largest kitchen and bath manufacturers, retailers and design professionals around the world and we are anxious to introduce them to the beauty and unique culture embedded in the Lehigh Valley.”
The move was inspired by a need to find a location that would support a new philosophy of what the ideal “work environment” comprises. The adoption of hybrid workplace policies, the need for flexibility, and for technical acuity coupled with a desire to connect with makers, artists, technologists, and other creative class contributors in a small urban location made Bethlehem a logical candidate.
“We needed to change how and where we operate to fit the work and technology paradigm,” comments Darcy.
“The new, dynamic space will do just that. 1 W. Broad Street was chosen after an extensive search. Multiple locations of varying sizes and types were considered in various locations across the Lehigh Valley. “
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