What is KMCA?

The Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association (KCMA) is an organization for kitchen, bath and other residential cabinet manufacturers. Founded in 1955, as a voluntary, non-profit trade association, KCMA was created to set the standard for cabinet manufacturers and their products.

KCMA (www.kcma.org) states this about their certification program. "The Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association Certification Program assures the specifier or user of kitchen cabinets and bath vanities that the cabinet bearing the blue and white seal complies with the rigorous standards set by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and sponsored by the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association (KCMA)."

Cabinets go through rigorous testing before meeting receiving the KCMA's certification. These are just some of their requirements.

• All floor cabinets must have a recessed toe space of at least two inches deep and three inches high.
• Face frames must provide rigid construction.
• All wood parts must have 10 percent or less moisture content at time of fabrication.
• All materials must be constructed of materials suitable for a kitchen and bathroom environment.

The KCMA also performs five structural tests to verify the cabinets structural integrity. The also test doors and drawers for functionality, as well as the finish durability. For peace of mind, when buying a cabinet you want to look for this seal:

The Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association created the Environmental Stewardship Program. Their site says this about the program: " In 2006, the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association (KCMA) created the Environmental Stewardship Program to help cabinet manufacturers demonstrate their commitment to environmental sustainability and help consumers easily identify environmentally-friendly products. After meeting certification requirements in areas of air quality, product and process resource management, environmental stewardship, and community relations, cabinet manufacturers can display the ESP seal on their products. The ESP seal helps you identify cabinets and cabinet manufacturers who are committed to protecting the environment." Bertch Cabinetry, offered by Home Equity Builders, is one of those manufacturers. To read more about Bertch and their commitment to the environment, click here.