As a leading name in global sourcing and manufacturing functional hardware, Comtrad Strategic Sourcing is proud to announce its participation in the 2025 NBMDA Annual Convention in Chicago – one of the most anticipated events for distributors, and suppliers in the wood working industry.
This event brings together top professionals and thought leaders from across North America to share knowledge, discover new technologies, and build stronger supply partnerships that shape the future of the industry. For Comtrad, attending NBMDA is more than just an appearance – it’s an opportunity to continue driving innovation, education, and collaboration across the hardware and materials sector.
Driving Innovation in Functional Hardware
Innovation has always been at the core of Comtrad’s mission. From advanced drawer slide systems and precision hinges to architectural hardware solutions, Comtrad’s CGS product line represents decades of engineering excellence and design advancement.
At NBMDA 2025, Comtrad’s focus is on connecting with partners who share this commitment to progress – exploring new ideas that enhance product functionality, streamline manufacturing, and improve end-user experience. By participating in NBMDA, Comtrad continues to help redefine how functional hardware supports modern cabinetry, furniture, and architectural applications.
Innovation in hardware isn’t just about the product – it’s about the entire process. Comtrad’s strategic sourcing model ensures that clients benefit from efficient production, ethical manufacturing, and global supply diversity.
Empowering Industry Education
As an Education Sponsor, Comtrad is proud to help fund the training resources that keep our channel sharp and future-ready. NBMDA’s Education Supporter Program provides the investment that powers modern, cost-effective learning for distributors and suppliers across the industry, ensuring education remains accessible and impactful.
At the NBMDA Annual Convention in Chicago, Comtrad’s sponsorship directly supports high-value programming such as UID In-A-Day – an intensive workshop held in conjunction with 2025 NAFCD + NBMDAconvention tThis one-day workshop is dedicated to providing tailored education to those in management positions within wholesale distribution firms as well as their partner suppliers. By backing these sessions, we help elevate capabilities in sales, operations, and leadership across wholesale distribution.
Our team will be engaging with distributors and specifiers on the topics shaping the wood working industry, including global sourcing best practices, sustainability and ethical manufacturing, product performance and quality assurance. By underwriting and participating in these learning forums, Comtrad helps develop the next generation of woodworking and distribution talent – accelerating skill-building, encouraging data-driven decision making, and fostering a stronger pipeline of educated professionals who are ready to innovate.
In short: our sponsorship strengthens today’s knowledge base and cultivates tomorrow’s leaders—so the wood working ecosystem can grow smarter, more sustainable, and more collaborative year after year.
Strengthening Partnerships and Collaboration
Comtrad’s success over the past 50 years has been built on one key principle: partnership. Events like NBMDA 2025 in Chicago provide the ideal environment to nurture long-term relationships with distributors, retailers, and manufacturers seeking reliable sourcing solutions.
Through meaningful connections, Comtrad helps partners expand product offerings, optimize cost structures, and improve supply chain efficiency – all while maintaining high standards for quality and compliance.
By engaging directly with other industry leaders at NBMDA, Comtrad reinforces its reputation as a trusted partner in the functional hardware and materials distribution network.
From Tariffs to Traceability: What’s Next?
Global sourcing has become a balancing act between cost, risk, and resilience. Ongoing trade frictions (tariffs and antidumping actions), periodic softwoodlumber disputes, and currency volatility continue to reshape landed costs for cabinets, panels, and hardware. Many North American importers are diversifying beyond any single country – adding Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and Mexico – to hedge against policy swings and logistics shocks. At the same time, new and evolving compliance regimes (e.g., Lacey Act, TSCA Title VI/CARB for formaldehyde emissions, FSC/PEFC certification, and the EU’s deforestation regulation) {Read more about these at the end of the blog} are raising the bar on documentation and traceability across complex supply chains. Add in shipping disruptions and tighter ESG expectations from large buyers, and the sector faces constant pressure to prove provenance, reduce risk, and keep inventory moving.
Within this environment, distributors sit at the nerve center of change. Housing cycles, consolidation among large buyers, and the rise of digital procurement are compressing margins and shortening planning horizons, while customers still expect just-in-time delivery, consistent quality, and sustainable options. This is where NBMDA’s ecosystem matters: its education, benchmarking, and networking help distributors and manufacturers translate geopolitics into practical actions – supplier diversification strategies, compliance playbooks, data-driven inventory planning, and private-label programs that meet new standards without sacrificing speed to market. In short, the market is volatile, but with the right partnerships and shared learning, the channel can stay resilient and keep innovation flowing from mill to marketplace.
Shaping the Future of the Hardware Industry
As the market continues to evolve, collaboration will remain the driving force behind growth and innovation. Comtrad’s participation in NBMDA 2025 highlights its ongoing role in helping businesses adapt to changing market dynamics, consumer expectations, and sustainability standards. Whether it’s through manufacturing the next generation of functional hardware, or supporting distributors with reliable global supply chains – Comtrad continues to help build the framework for success across North America’s hardware industry.
Join Us in Chicago
Comtrad invites all attendees of the 2025 NBMDA Annual Convention to connect with their team in Chicago. Meet the people behind the products, explore the future of functional hardware, and discover how Comtrad can help your business innovate and grow.
Lacey Act (U.S.)
A U.S. law that combats illegal logging and trade in plants/wood. Importers must file a declaration identifying the plant/wood species, value, quantity, and country of harvest for covered products; violations can bring civil/ criminal penalties (including for products made from illegally sourced wood). Declarations are collected by USDA APHIS.
Why you care: If you import cabinets, panels, veneers, or wood components, you need accurate species/origin paperwork and clean sourcing to avoid seizures and fines.
TSCA Title VI (EPA) & CARB ATCM (California)
Both set formaldehyde emission limits for composite wood products-specifically hardwood plywood (HWPW), particleboard (PB), and MDF – and for finished goods containing them. TSCA Title VI is the U.S. federal rule (40 CFR Part 770) covering emissions, testing, certification, labeling, records, and importer responsibilities; it aligns closely with CARB. CARB ATCM is California’s regulation that pioneered these limits; products sold or supplied in CA must meet the standards and be properly labeled.
California Air Resources Board
Why you care: If you make or import cabinets/furniture/fixtures, your panels and finished goods must be sourced from certified mills (via approved thirdparty certifiers), labeled correctly, and backed by records.
EPA
FSC & PEFC Certification (voluntary, global)
These are forest management and chain-of-custody certification systems that signal wood/fiber comes from responsibly managed forests. FSC (Forest Stewardship Council): International nonprofit; certification assures environmental, social, and economic stewardship; relies on FSC Principles & Criteria and chain-of-custody. PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification): An umbrella system that endorses national standards; widely used by smallholders; also includes chain-of-custody for traceability. Why you care: Many buyers (retailers, OEMs, governments) now specify FSC/ PEFC-certified content. Using certified inputs can help meet ESG goals and de-risk procurement.