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2017 FEI Group National Conference Boasts Record-Breaking Attendance

November 2, 2017

FEI Group, parent company of KBx and K&B Alliance, recently hosted their 19th Annual Conference at the JW Marriott San Antonio Resort & Spa on the outskirts of the magnificent Texas Hill Country.

Supply partners such as MasterBrand, Whirlpool, Richelieu, Cosentino and Houzz attended the three-day event, where attendance was record-breaking and the agenda jam-packed. Industry speakers Sandra Luttchens-Van Allen, Corporate Trainer, MasterBrand Cabinets, David Lupberger, Owner, Remodel Force, and Jeff Lukes, Director of Sales, Tru-Wood Cabinet Company, were just a few of the highlights. Arguably the most important aspect of the conference was the roundtable discussions, where members shared business successes and opportunities with fellow members.

Brian Penabad, vice president of kitchen and bath for FEI Group, says, “I’ve been in the industry a long time, but this is my first National Conference as an FEI Group team member. This event is far and away the best I’ve attended. The guest list is nothing but the biggest names in the industry – on both the member and supply sides.”

FEI Group’s kitchen and bath divisions welcomed 16 new supply partners and nine new members since the start of 2017 and recognized two members for their commitment to and support of the group: Chuck and Jeanette Rathburn, Active Plumbing Supply, received the K&B Alliance Member of the Year Award, and Jeff Cox, Parr Lumber, was given the KBx Member of the Year Award.

Says Mike Stevens, co-owner of The Kitchen and Bath Showroom in Houston, TX, “FEI Group hit it out of the park! As a new member, I didn’t know what to expect when I joined K&B Alliance. Meeting the different vendors available to us was incredible. Speaking to peers with such openness about business and learning from them was so enlightening. I look forward to growing our business and enjoying a successful future as a result of our membership.”

The group hosted an enormous party at the beautiful and rustic Knibbe Ranch, a working cattle ranch and one of the few remaining Century Heritage Ranches in the state of Texas, then closed the event with several activities, including golf and skeet shooting.

The 20th FEI Group National Conference will be held October 3-5, 2018, at The Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego.