National Upholstery Association

Since 2019, the National Upholstery Association (NUA) has been dedicated to increasing the health of the upholstery trade. We have membership levels for students, professionals, educators, and industry partners from across North America.

The NUA provides information to the public on professional upholstery and our members.
Our website provides a search engine for the public to find a professional upholsterer in their area.
Our Instagram account which has over 3600 followers and posts multiple times a week. Our Facebook account has over 1900 followers.
Our blog posts provide interesting stories about our membership and highlights our industry.
The NUA logo shows the public that members are part of an association that believes in high standards of technique and customer service.

We provide our members with on-line learning and networking opportunities such as:

Monthly virtual education webinars
Quarterly virtual community meetings
Professional Upholstery promotion video, free for use by our members
Exclusive offers and discounts from a variety of industry partners

The NUA looks forward to keeping up with our easy to access on-line materials, as well as bringing more in person opportunities in the future.

The Mission of the National Upholstery Association is to work together with the greater upholstery community to support and advance the field of professional upholstery. The Vision of the National Upholstery Association is to inspire a rebirth of the upholstery profession as a collaborative community of artists, entrepreneurs, historians, and champions for sustainability.

We believe that skilled upholstery has a continued relevance in the U.S. and Canada. We see upholsterers as a diverse community of smart, determined people who are excited to work together to accomplish great things in the field of upholstery

Our guiding principles are Knowledge & Learning, Diversity, Accessibility & Openness, Community, Outreach & Partnership, Creativity & Innovation.

STRATEGIC PLAN (PDF)

STRATEGIC PLAN (YouTube)(

Goals

Establish a Foundation - Association Management
Develop a Framework for Growth of Skills Training Opportunities within the Industry
Establish a Flexible Framework of Business Resources
Support Networking Events & Opportunities for Members
Build a Resource Library of Industry Standards
Establish & Implement a Public Outreach Policy to Build Awareness of the Trade and Those Who Work In it
Evaluate Potential Role for the Industry in Sustainability Initiatives and Identify Ways the NUA Can Participate in Building Awareness and Initiating Change

The NUA owes much of its leadership, support, and confidence to its Board. Encompassing the mission and vision of the NUA, our Board is a diverse group of professionals that are committed to advancing our work, maximizing our impact, and incorporating many points of view.

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The National Upholstery Association was created by the upholstery community itself. A handful of community members took the initiative, rolled up their sleeves, and got to work to create an organization.

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The Board of Directors formed several committees to address the ongoing needs of the organization & membership. Each committee is led by a chair and composed of one or more volunteers. Each committee meets virtually once a month to coordinate their responsibilities

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The Board of Directors consists of four executive officers, plus up to seven Directors at Large, and serves as the governing body of the NUA. Individuals who sit on the board oversee the NUA’s activities and meet periodically to discuss and vote on the affairs of the organization.

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History
It began as an exploration into upholstery education by a diverse group of upholstery professionals, students, and educators. The mission: establish a viable education model that would revitalize the future of upholstery. The National Upholstery Association has grown out of the upholstery community itself. A handful of community members took the initiative, rolled up their sleeves, and got to work. Welcome to the movement. Let’s grow together!
Summer 2018
The motivation for change arose from a decline in upholstery education. Trade schools in the U.S. were closing their doors, and apprenticeships were gradually giving way to the gig economy. Up-and-coming upholstery talent found themselves with limited resources to learn the skills they needed to enter the profession. To many, the community had lost a cohesive identity.
Let’s Get Social
The desire to learn the craft, however, was as strong as ever. Pockets of online educational content were drawing enthusiastic participants. Social media outlets were giving experienced tradespeople and rising stars a place to share their questions and knowledge. In this new mode of communication, a sense of connection and excitement was growing.
Collaborating for the Future
In the summer of 2018, an educator in Minneapolis put out an invitation to participate in a one-year collaborative effort. The goal? To study the changed landscape of professional upholstery and design better training models for today’s promising students. Ten upholsterers from across the country joined efforts to discuss what might be possible.
An Idea Whose Time Has Come
The group soon recognized the dire need for a uniting force. They laid the groundwork to form a national association and began recruiting more upholstery professionals and sponsors to join in their vision. On March 20, 2019 the National Upholstery Association was born.
The Next Stage
In summer 2019, the freshly minted association started accepting members. Upholsterers across the industry banded together in an official community defined by a common purpose: growing and perpetuating the upholstery trade.