February 2, 2024

The Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association (KCMA) has doubled its efforts to remind architects and designers about the importance of certification in cabinetry through its ANSI/KCMA A161.1 Quality Certification Seal program. The KCMA is the leading certification program in the cabinet industry and recognized as the foremost quality standard for cabinetry.

“KCMA wrote ANSI 161.1 decades ago, and became the standard for all cabinet manufacturers,” says CEO Betsy Natz. “Our members and customers have been enjoying quality for 60 years, as we’ve tested hundreds of thousands of cabinets for our hundreds of members and non-members alike over those years. While other testing organizations may claim to be a “well-established conformity assessment leader in the industry,” that honor goes to KCMA alone in cabinets. No organization has more experience, and that’s why architects and designers look to us for guidance in their specifications to avoid confusion in the marketplace.”

Natz points out that organizations who sell the ANSI standard often run the KCMA logo along with ANSI A161.1. “This is not just an honor, but an indication that when the testing is done to ANSI A161.1, it’s the KCMA that takes the lead as the authority in testing,” she adds.

“Some testing organizations just get into the business to create a new revenue stream,” Natz explains. “Others have expertise in other markets and want to expand into a new market. And while there’s nothing wrong with that, the bottom line for architects and designers is why take the risk when KCMA created the standard in the first place? Unless it’s tested by KCMA, the KCMA brand cannot be used on the cabinetry. That mark becomes the specifier’s assurance, period.”

Manufacturers seeking KCMA certification go through a myriad of tests that simulate a cabinet’s typical lifetime of use. The test methods are detailed in KCMA’s ANSI A161.1 standard, which is “unique in that it is the only performance standard for kitchen and bath cabinets,” according to Chuck Arnold, Vice President Standards & Certification at KCMA. “This assures the value chain participants that specific standards have been met, giving the consumer confidence in what’s installed in their kitchens.”

KCMA is an ANSI accredited standards writing organization; the KCMA A161.1 was developed and has been revised according to ANSI procedures providing for a fair and unbiased standard.
“These cabinets are put through rigorous procedures,” Natz added, “and that’s why it’s so important for specifiers to put KCMA in their specifications. Everyone says they have quality, but someone has to verify what quality means. Our members submit their products to the quality test, and the KCMA seal is that assurance.”

“When consumers see the KCMA seal, it gives them more comfort and assurance in their purchase,” Natz concludes. “They can utilize and install cabinets with confidence and pride. It’s a win-win.”

Photo credit: KCMA