written by Rachel Fletcher
Associations; woodworkers, interior designers & seat weavers have them, so why don’t upholsterers have an association that advocates for them, too? Well, it does now! Ten upholsterers from across the country have taken the bull by the horns and created a grass-roots non-profit for the upholstery trade. The National Upholstery Association; built by upholsterers, for upholsterers & that includes you.
Within a month of opening membership, the NUA has over 90 members, including 6 industry partners, and counting! We are so excited Greenhouse Fabrics, one of the most well-known fabric companies among upholsterers believes in and has joined the NUA. Personally, Greenhouse was the first fabric line I offered to my clients and they continue to be my go-to. Sandy, is probably my favorite fabric rep. out of all the fabric lines and if she’s yours, you know it’s true when they say you can hear them smile!
Exciting Things in Store
The NUA has many exciting things in store, such as continuing education, business resources, events, networking, webinars with industry experts and more. One of our long term goals is educating the public. We want to promote re-upholstery as a viable resource and alternative to buying new. And just how many times have you heard someone say they didn’t know how to find an upholsterer? Well, we hope to bridge that gap by becoming a public resource for upholstery services, educators and more. This means exposure for our members, whether you have an online presence or not.
Networking Opportunities
The NUA believes networking, face to face, is important, so we are hosting an Upholstery Symposium the day before the Custom Workroom Conference on September 19, 2019 where upholsterers can meet one another and hear from a handful of trade leaders. The panelists who come from vastly different backgrounds ranging from formal and traditional training to none at all, will take questions from the crowd. They will discuss what and who inspires them, how they continue to improve on their skills, and what they view as quality upholstery. They will also be giving personal insight into the processes used in their workrooms and professional lives. Registration for the Upholstery Symposium and membership can be found at www.nationalupholsteryassociation.org.
How Do I Get Started?
Currently, the NUA is offering 5 membership levels: Professional, Student, Retiree, Educator & Industry Partner.
- The Professional level is for anyone who runs/owns/works in a shop or upholstery service.
- The Student level is for those individuals who are still learning and plan to pursue employment in the field.
- The Retiree level is for those who have been there and done that, and they still wish to support and participate in the trade through the sharing of their knowledge and/or anyway they wish.
- The Educator level is for anyone who teaches upholstery, such as schools and individual educators.
- The Industry Partner level is for entities such as Greenhouse Fabrics and those businesses that sell tools, frames, etc., as the sole or main part of their business.
There is so much more to come from this fledgling association. As the NUA grows and with the support of our members and industry partners our huge wishlist of benefits and goals will get checked off one by one, but we need you. The NUA is looking for forward thinkers and founding members who believe in the future of the upholstery trade, want to share in the excitement and help build it to suit your needs. Therefore, your 2020 membership (enrolling now) means you get the rest of 2019 for FREE. This is a thank you to those of you taking the leap of faith with us. You can find so much more information on the website: www.nationalupholsteryassociation.org and you can also find us on Facebook and Instagram @nationalupholsteryassociation where you can reach our very active Board members, directly.
The National Upholstery Association; Working together to support and advance the field of professional upholstery.
Subscribe to our blog for more inspiration.