The National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA), representing more than 55,000 North American kitchen and bath industry professionals and the owners of the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS), proudly welcomes ABIMÓVEL, Brazil’s major furniture industry association, as an NKBA Global Connect Strategic Alliance Partner.
Above: Left to right – Brian Pagel, Executive Vice President Business Development, Emerald Expositions; Kerrie Kelly, NKBA Board of Directors Chair; Bill Darcy, Global President and CEO, NKBA | KBIS; Cândida Cervieri, Executive Director, ABIMÓVEL; Geraldine Morrison, Chief Partnerships Officer, Domestic & Global Brands, NKBA; Indira Ribeiro Franca, Vice President International Business Development, Emerald Expositions; and Paulo Roberto da Silva, Coordinator of Industry and Services, APEX Photo: NKBA
This exclusive NKBA international business development initiative is designed to bring the global kitchen and bath community together by exchanging market insights, information, and product development ideas. Through a network of expert advisors, exclusive research and content, the program shares go-to-market strategies to help international companies explore business opportunities in North America. NKBA Global Connect Strategic Alliance Partners agree to collaborate and cooperate on mutually beneficial programs, sharing business and market insights for the benefit of the global kitchen and bath industry. Demonstrating this collaboration and cooperation, NKBA recently visited the Brazil Pavilion at Salone del Mobile.Milano to witness the craftmanship, innovation and ambition on display and held productive discussions on how to bring this excitement to KBIS 2027.
“We are delighted to team with ABIMÓVEL, one of the Brazilian furniture sector’s most influential and prominent trade associations, and to welcome them as an NKBA Global Connect Strategic Alliance Partner,” said Geraldine Morrison, Chief Partnerships Officer, Domestic & Global Brands, for NKBA. “We believe that working with this outstanding organization will facilitate a meaningful dialogue among business entities in both our markets as highlighted by our recent conversation with ABIMÓVEL at Salone. NKBA Global Connect helps to foster a greater understanding of the nuances of conducting business internationally, particularly for global companies that wish to explore entry into the North American market. We are committed to increasing opportunities for our members to connect with international firms, and to providing the tools for companies around the world to do business here.”
ABIMÓVEL has represented Brazil’s furniture industry for nearly five decades, working to support, develop and strengthen the sector both nationally and internationally. Today, Brazil is the largest furniture producer in Latin America and the seventh largest in the world, a position that reflects the strategic relevance of a diverse, far-reaching production chain closely aligned with the transformations shaping today’s market. Throughout its history, the association has led an agenda focused on business development, competitiveness, design, sustainability, technical standardization, innovation and internationalization, supporting companies of all sizes, segments and regions across the country.
The Brazilian Furniture Project is the platform through which ABIMÓVEL, in partnership with ApexBrasil – the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency – structures the international presence of Brazil’s furniture industry. Bringing together companies, designers, suppliers and buyers from key global markets, the initiative combines trade promotion, networking and strategic brand positioning, thereby generating business opportunities while projecting the country’s image across the sector’s leading hubs and events.
“We are proud to join NKBA in exploring and expanding opportunities for our members in the North American kitchen and bath market,” said Cândida Cervieri, Executive Director of ABIMÓVEL. “Our primary mission is to strengthen the competitiveness of our companies and advance the internationalization of Brazil’s wood and furniture production chain in a strategic and assertive way. Supporting this sector, which plays a fundamental role in our country’s economy, will always remain our main priority. We look forward to working with NKBA toward these goals in a way that benefits both industries and nations.”
