The NKBA Kitchen & Bath Hall of Fame award honors individuals who have contributed to the growth and professionalism of the association and the kitchen and bath industry. At KBIS 2025 in Las Vegas during the Design Competition & Industry Awards, the association honored two individuals with induction to the Kitchen & Bath Hall of Fame: Paolo Bertazzoni, CEO of Italian appliance giant Bertazzoni, and the late Manuel D. Gutiérrez, an industry economist, Kohler market researcher and longtime NKBA contributor.
Individuals selected to the NKBA Hall of Fame are truly game changers in the kitchen and bath universe. Their contributions have helped shape the industry and touched the lives of millions of consumers and homeowners in their daily lives. Whether recognized for their service to the industry; inventing a new product, manufacturing process or marketing technique; developing a groundbreaking technology; or otherwise affecting some aspect of the business, this prestigious award acknowledges their profound influence and is a testament to their long-lasting impact on the industry.
Paolo Bertazzoni
Paolo Bertazzoni, CEO of his family-owned company, is recognized for being a mentor for the next generation and his commitment to ethical and social responsibility. Photo: PWP Studio
Love that bright red range that looks like a Ferrari parked in your kitchen? You can thank Paolo Bertazzoni, CEO of his family-owned company. Recognized as an inspirational leader for blending heritage with innovation and a mentor for the next generation, Bertazzoni transformed the look of the high-end appliance market. He brought sleek Italian style, coupled with precision engineering and cutting-edge technology, to the North American market and the world.
Kelly praised Bertazzoni for “seamlessly merging tradition with innovation, turning his family’s brand into a global powerhouse while staying true to its Italian roots.” In accepting the award, Bertazzoni thanked NKBA and his team and credited his company for its three core values: family, engineering and a deep passion for food.
Through Bertazzoni’s partnerships, he said, “We fulfill our company’s core purpose, that is, to bring joy to the people and families when living in their kitchen space, be that through beautiful design, happiness-inducing cooking experience or the pleasure of sharing food with family and friends. Everything can be traced to our brand promise: to cook beautifully.”
The Bertazzoni company was founded in 1882 in Guastalla, Italy, a manufacturing hub that would also become home to the Italian automotive industry. It is the oldest family-owned appliance company in the world, and Paolo Bertazzoni represents the fifth generation to lead the company, joining management in 1978 and serving as CEO since 1999. In the early 2000s, inspired by his speedy neighbors in the Emilia-Romagna region, he conducted an extensive analysis of the American market and launched a series of ranges that introduced the high-gloss red, orange and yellow colors more often seen on Formula 1 racetracks than in kitchens. It was one of many “firsts” to reshape the appliance industry.
In 2022, Bertazzoni introduced the Carbonio finish, a matte graphite similarly inspired by the automotive industry. He also was an early advocate of induction cooking and has led a decade-long push for this technology in the U.S. Bertazzoni has been a member of NKBA since the company launched in the U.S. in 2018. Paolo has served on numerous industry boards and is a current member of the Council for Italy-U.S. Relations. He has been a leading advocate for NKBA’s Global Connect program, serving as the first Italian host at EuroCucina and an ambassador between NKBA and other Italian K&B companies.
Throughout his career, Bertazzoni has been honored with numerous business, national, civic and philanthropic awards. In May 2024, the president of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella, presented him the prestigious knighthood title of “Cavaliere del Lavoro” (Knight of Business & Manufacturing). It is equivalent to the Presidential Medal of Freedom in the U.S. and for more than 120 years has recognized entrepreneurs who have “significantly contributed with their business activities to the promotion of the national economy and, with a high level of commitment to ethical and social responsibility, to the improvement of the living and working conditions in the country.”
Manuel D. Gutiérrez
Manuel Gutierrez was an industry economist, Kohler market researcher and longtime NKBA contributor. NKBA Board Vice Chair Kerrie Kelly presented his award posthumously to Gutiérrez’s daughters, Andrea and Maya. Photo: PWP Studio
It’s one thing to understand the complex macro- and microeconomics that impact the overall state of the nation, the world and the kitchen, bath and construction industry. It’s quite another to make it understandable to others. Manuel D. Gutiérrez devoted the better part of his career to helping K&B industry professionals grasp the big picture and the nuances of national and global economies, what made them relevant to the specific industry and how they could affect businesses large and small.
An astute observer of the kitchen and bath industry as well as the overall economy, Gutiérrez spent more than 25 years at Kohler Co. in market research and wrote the Economic Indicators column for NKBA’s newsfeed for more than a decade. He died in September 2024 at the age of 79 following a battle with cancer but was remembered for his keen insights on economic matters impacting the industry as well as his charm, wit and perpetual smile.
NKBA Board Vice Chair Kerrie Kelly, creative director of Kerry Kelly Design Studio, presented the award posthumously to Gutiérrez’s daughters, Andrea and Maya, calling him “a scholar, a visionary and a tireless advocate for the power of research.”
As NKBA’s Consulting Economist, Gutiérrez helped map the association’s research strategy, including the highly regarded annual Kitchen & Bath Market Outlook and the quarterly NKBA/John Burns Kitchen & Bath Market Index. He made crucial economic data relevant to the industry and educated NKBA members. While at Kohler, Gutiérrez was integral to large global change in the business. He created and actively wrote for a newsletter his department prepared for Kohler Co. worldwide on kitchen and bath trends and housing starts. He was always busy making predictions and preparing graphs of data for better visualization and understanding.
Gutiérrez was very active with the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies, a research center dedicated to advance policy and practice concerning housing, from which he was awarded a special recognition of achievement upon his retirement. He was an active leading member of The Economic Club of Sheboygan (Wisconsin), where he was given an emeritus award. He also had a stint in local politics, serving as village elder in the Village of Kohler for several years.
NKBA Hall of Fame nominations will open in the fall. If you know an outstanding industry professional who has made a significant and enduring contribution to the industry and wish to nominate for HoF consideration, click here.
