Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association

What Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association does

BHMA (Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association) is a private nonprofit trade association founded in 1925 and headquartered in New York City, with a secondary contact office in Washington, DC. It is the sole organization accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) to develop and maintain performance standards for builders hardware, and more than 80% of US builders hardware manufacturers are members. Its core offerings consist of the ANSI/BHMA A156 Standards Series (over 40 commercial and residential standards covering locks, closers, exit devices, door controls, thresholds, cabinet hardware, and electrified hardware), the third-party BHMA Certification Program administered through accredited testing laboratories (Intertek, UL), and the public-facing BHMA Certified Products Directory (CPD) containing over 13,000 certified product listings.

The organization monetizes through a portfolio of recurring and transactional streams: annual membership dues from manufacturers and suppliers in the US, Canada, and Mexico; annual certification listing fees tiered by membership status ($1,500 full member, $3,000 associate, $4,500 non-member); sale of ANSI/BHMA standards publications (with 50% member discounts); and registration fees for the Fall Meeting, Spring Technical Committee Week, and other industry events. Supporting products include the BHMA SecureHome Label (residential segment, launched 2016), Hardware Highlights (single-page standard summaries), and Codes in Context reports for building-code officials.

BHMA serves four primary stakeholder groups: member manufacturers (standards development participation and certification cost savings), architects and specifiers (certified product sourcing), code officials and inspectors (compliance verification tools), and residential contractors/homeowners (via SecureHome). The association is managed by professional staff under an Executive Director (Thayer Long) via Kellen's industrial/manufacturing practice and is governed by a member-elected Board of Directors. It celebrated its centennial in 2025 and continues to issue new standards (most recently A156.45 for hardware energy consumption in March 2026).

Name

Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association

Legal name

Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association

Website

https://buildershardware.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1925

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

BHMA is a 100-year-old nonprofit trade association and the sole ANSI-accredited developer of performance standards for builders hardware, serving North American manufacturers through standards development, third-party certification, and industry advocacy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industry Standards & Certification Services

akta.pro primary industry

Engineering & Technical Standards (Civil, Mechanical, Electrical; Codes & Standards) (EDAGAGAC)

Keywords

• Hardware performance standards
• Product certification services
• Builders hardware testing
• ANSI standards development
• Trade association services

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees for manufacturers and suppliers of builders hardware products in the USA, Canada, or Mexico. Membership provides access to standards development participation, certification discounts, and industry resources.
2. Product Certification Fees: Certification listing fees for products tested and certified to ANSI/BHMA standards. Fees vary by membership status: Full BHMA members $1,500, Associate members $3,000, Non-members $4,500. Annual certification listing fees are required to maintain certification.
3. Standards Publications: Sale of ANSI/BHMA standards documents. Members receive 50% discount off BHMA standards and other materials. Originally standards were offered at $1.00 each.
4. Meeting and Event Registrations: Revenue from BHMA meetings, technical committee weeks, and annual meetings including the Fall Meeting and Spring Technical Committee Week.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

BHMA develops and maintains over 40 ANSI-accredited performance standards covering locks, closers, exit devices, door controls, and other builders hardware, and runs a third-party certification program that lists certified products in an online directory. The organization also publishes supporting resources such as standards summaries, code-cycle reports, and certification operational documentation, all targeted at North American hardware manufacturers, specifiers, and code officials.

Product overview

BHMA is a trade association offering a portfolio of standards development and certification services for builders hardware manufacturers. The core offerings consist of ANSI/BHMA Standards (A156 series covering over 40 commercial and residential hardware categories), the BHMA Certification Program with third-party laboratory testing, and the BHMA Certified Products Directory (CPD) as the public-facing searchable listing of certified products. Supporting products include the BHMA SecureHome Label for residential hardware, Hardware Highlights for standards summaries, Codes in Context Reports for code cycle updates, and the Operational Manual for certification procedures. The organization is the only ANSI-accredited entity developing builders hardware performance standards for locks, closers, exit devices, door controls, and related hardware.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ANSI/BHMA Standards (A156 Series)
• BHMA Certified Products Directory (CPD)
• BHMA Certification Program
• BHMA SecureHome Label
• Product Category Rules (PCR) for builders hardware

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NASFM (National Association of State Fire Marshals)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Established Priority One: Keeping Students Safe partnership with NASFM in 2019, focused on school security initiatives through appropriate door hardware standards and practices.
• IntertekcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAccredited third-party testing laboratory conducting product testing for BHMA certification. Contact: Mark Harrison. Intertek performs cycle, operational, strength, security, and finish testing for ANSI/BHMA standards.
• UL (Underwriters Laboratories)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAccredited third-party testing laboratory conducting product testing for BHMA certification. Contact: Matt Schumann. UL performs testing for ANSI/BHMA product standards.
• Door and Hardware InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBHMA began joint meetings with the Door and Hardware Institute in 1985 and became a participating association in sponsoring Hardware Industry Week and the National Hardware Show.
• ANSI (American National Standards Institute)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBHMA is the only organization accredited by ANSI to develop and maintain builders hardware performance standards. BHMA became an ANSI accredited Standards Developer Organization in 1983.
• UL EnvironmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn 2014, BHMA collaborated with UL Environment to establish the first Product Category Rule (PCR) for builders' hardware, supporting sustainability reporting and environmental performance declarations.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Underwriters Laboratories (UL): UL is a global third-party testing and certification body that also partners with BHMA to test certified products. Both operate product certification programs used by manufacturers to demonstrate compliance with safety and performance standards.
• ASTM International: ASTM is an ANSI-accredited standards development organization producing technical standards across industries. Like BHMA, ASTM develops consensus-based performance standards referenced in building codes and procurement specifications.
• National Fire Protection Association (NFPA): NFPA develops codes and standards (e.g., NFPA 80, NFPA 101) that frequently reference builders hardware and door hardware standards. Both organizations influence building safety through consensus standards incorporated into model codes.
• International Code Council (ICC): ICC develops the International Building Code, which references BHMA standards for door hardware requirements. Both organizations shape building safety regulation through codes that architects, code officials, and manufacturers must follow.
• Intertek: Intertek is a global testing and certification laboratory that performs independent product testing for BHMA certification. Both organizations provide third-party verification of product compliance with industry standards.
• Door and Hardware Institute (DHI): DHI is a trade association for door and hardware professionals, including distributors and architectural consultants. BHMA and DHI have co-sponsored events (Hardware Industry Week, National Hardware Show) since 1985 and share overlapping constituencies.
• Steel Door Institute: Steel Door Institute is a trade association that develops standards for steel doors and frames, complementing BHMA's standards for door hardware. Both organizations serve the commercial openings industry and overlap in standards development scope.
• Window and Door Manufacturers Association (WDMA): WDMA is a trade association that develops performance standards for windows and doors. Like BHMA, it operates ANSI-accredited standards and certification programs covering the broader commercial openings industry with shared architect and code official audiences.

Broad incumbents

• National Association of Home Builders (NAHB): NAHB is a much larger trade association representing the broader residential construction industry. BHMA's Executive Director previously served at NAHB; the two organizations share overlapping membership and influence residential building standards.

Emerging players

• ASIS International: ASIS International is a professional association for security management professionals. Its overlap with BHMA is partial and growing, particularly around standards for secure door hardware, electronic access control, and school security initiatives.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association