RESTON, VA. — As the 60th anniversary of the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association’s ANSI/KCMA A161.1 Quality Certification Seal program nears, the association has doubled its efforts to inform architects and designers about the importance of certification in cabinetry.

“KCMA wrote ANSI 161.1 decades ago, and became the standard for all cabinet manufacturers,” said KCMA 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.” Natz said that the standard is a well-established conformity assessment leader in the industry. “No organization,” she said, “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 said that organizations that 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 said. 

Manufacturers seeking KCMA certification go through a myriad of tests, which were reported on in the January 2023 edition of FDMC, 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,” said 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,” said Natz. “They can utilize and install cabinets with confidence and pride. It’s a win-win.”

For more information on the KCMA A161.1 procedures, contact Chuck Arnold, Vice President, Standards & Certification, phone 703-264-1690 or e-mail [email protected].