Retail Observer

RETAILOBSERVER.COM SEPTEMBER 2018 60 I t's safe to say that business is booming. So, too, is FEI Group membership. Having added a dozen members in six months, FEI is poised to have another record year. While this type of growth is not unprecedented in the group's history, it is a sign of how popular membership in a national organization has become for locally and regionally-based businesses. FEI welcomed recognizable industry names like Guy's Floor Service, Denver, CO; Carpet Solutions, Knoxville, TN; Starlite Kitchens & Baths, Byron Center, MI; The Kitchen Showcase, Centennial, CO; Builders Choice, Houston, TX; Greencraft, Phoenix, AZ; and a half dozen more across the country. KBx and K&B Alliance, the FEI Group divisions focused on cabinets, countertops, decorative plumbing, and hardware, have seen the greatest surge. The KBx membership is 30 members strong with over 100 showrooms; K&B Alliance, now just three years old, is now counting over 40 members who collectively represent 150 showrooms nationwide and one international member. When asked about the success of the group, Brian Penabad, FEI Group vice president of kitchen and bath said, "What sets us apart from other membership organizations is the culture of positivity and forward momentum we've established. We drive tremendous member interaction, particularly through our ultra-popular field trips. Folks are attracted to what we're doing and how we're doing it." The group's kitchen and bath supply side has also grown significantly, no doubt another factor in the increased membership. To date, the roster of supply partners is more than 50 deep and covers 17 categories. Exclusive partnerships with companies like Masterbrand, The Stock Market, Richelieu, Top Knobs, Houzz, and Whirlpool offer members a competitive advantage unavailable to anyone else in their markets. This year marks FEI Group's 20th year in business, a milestone the company will celebrate in San Diego in October, where they are expecting over 600 attendees. The speaker lineup is a roster of the industry's biggest names who will cover topics ranging from space planning and color trends to compelling compensation programs and successfully resolving problem jobs, all of which are applicable to showroom owners, sales managers, and designers. FEI Group, parent company to Home Solutions by FloorExpo, MultiFamily Solutions by FloorExpo, KBx and K&B Alliance, supports cabinet, countertop, DPH, and flooring business owners by offering opportunities, supplier buying programs and rebates, brand marketing, best practices, business insurance, national business programs, and benchmarking. FEI Group is a division of CCA Global Partners, one of the nation's largest cooperative management companies with more than 3,500 showrooms nationwide. Visit www. feigroup.net. B U Y I N G G R O U P N E W S FEI GROUP MEMBERSHIP SOARS IN 2018 A recent FEI Group member field trip to Primera in Phoenix, AZ RO

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