National Insulation Contractors' Exchange

What National Insulation Contractors' Exchange does

The National Insulation Contractors' Exchange (NICE) is a membership-owned LLC founded in 1996 and headquartered in Fernandina Beach, Florida. It is a trade organization serving approximately 75 of what it describes as the best independent insulation contractors in the United States, operating 164 member locations and collectively employing over 3,500 people nationwide. NICE exists to help independent contractors remain independent in the face of industry consolidation by aggregating collective buying power with major insulation suppliers and providing shared professional services and peer knowledge. Its core offering is membership in the cooperative, which grants access to negotiated pricing, supplier rebate administration, financial benchmarking (conducted annually by Profit Soup), and a curated Resource Team of professional advisors covering HR, legal, safety, technology, marketing, credit/collections, and cybersecurity.

The organization's revenue is generated primarily through membership dues from its 75 member companies, supplemented by supplier partner program economics; exact pricing is not publicly disclosed. NICE complements its core membership with structured sub-programs including Training & Education curricula, the NICE Future Leaders (NFL) program for emerging owners, the Spray Foam Academy (delivered in conjunction with the Spray Polyurethane Foam Alliance), and the Technology Committee for evaluating new tools and innovations. Member engagement is anchored by two annual resort-based meetings and supported by monthly professional-advisor webinars. NICE Charities, a biannual gala, has raised over $1 million for community causes. The organization operates with a lean staff and no external investors; its management team is led by President and Executive Director Dennis M. Barrineau (appointed 2014, prior career at Owens Corning and U.S. GreenFiber), Finance Director Denise Miller, and Member Service Director Karen Jones.

Name

National Insulation Contractors' Exchange

Legal name

National Insulation Contractors' Exchange, LLC

Website

https://nicexchange.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

The National Insulation Contractors' Exchange (NICE) is a membership-owned trade organization, founded in 1996 and headquartered in Fernandina Beach, Florida, serving 75 independent insulation contractor members across 164 U.S. locations with collective buying power, benchmarking, advisory services, and training programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Construction Trade Association Services

NAICS

Drywall and Insulation Contractors (238310)

SIC

Services-Help Supply Services (7363)

akta.pro primary industry

Contractor Benefits & Perks Administration (BPACAGAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Incumbent Worker Training & Upskilling (EDAAAOAE)

Keywords

• Insulation contracting
• Trade association
• Contractor cooperative
• Group purchasing
• Industry networking

Headquarters

HQ city

Fernandina Beach

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: NICE generates revenue through membership fees from independent insulation contractors who join the cooperative. Members pay dues in exchange for access to buying power, benchmarking insights, best practice sharing, training, and supplier partner relationships.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

National Insulation Contractors' Exchange (NICE) is a membership-owned, non-profit trade association that supports independent insulation contractors through collective bargaining power, peer benchmarking, training and education programs, and industry networking. Founded in 1996, NICE represents 75 member companies operating 164 locations with more than 3,500 employees across the United States.

Product overview

NICE (National Insulation Contractors' Exchange) is a membership-owned trade organization for independent insulation contractors, established in 1996. Rather than a software product company, NICE provides a unified platform of member services including group purchasing power, professional advisor consultations, training programs (Training & Education, NICE Future Leaders, Spray Foam Academy, Technology Committee), networking events, and charitable initiatives. The core offering is membership in the organization itself, which provides 75 member contractors with access to collective buying power, benchmarking insights, and peer knowledge sharing to compete against larger consolidated competitors. Members contribute to and benefit from the Resource Team's advisory services in HR, legal, safety, technology, finance, and marketing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Technology Committee: A committee to identify, evaluate and recommend innovations and new technologies for NICE member businesses.
• Spray Foam Academy
• NICE Future Leaders (NFL)

Products and services

• NICE Membership Annual membership in the National Insulation Contractors' Exchange cooperative, granting insulation contractor companies access to peer benchmarking data, collective purchasing power, training resources, and networking opportunities.
• NICE Training & Education Programs Industry training and continuing education programs designed for insulation contractor member companies and their workforce, supporting skill development and operational best practices.
• NICE Future Leaders Leadership development program for emerging executives within member insulation contracting firms, providing mentorship and structured development opportunities.
• Spray Foam Academy Specialized training program focused on spray polyurethane foam insulation application techniques, safety, and best practices for member companies and their technicians.
• Resource Team Peer advisory initiative that connects member insulation contractors to share operational best practices, solve common business challenges, and benchmark performance.
• Technology Committee Member-led committee focused on evaluating and adopting technology tools relevant to insulation contractors across member companies.
• Annual Meetings & Industry Events Annual in-person conferences and meetings that bring together member companies and industry partners for networking, education, and strategic discussions.
• NICE Charities Gala Annual gala event supporting charitable causes associated with the NICE community and its members.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3,500+ employees supported through NICE member companies
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

23 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Owens CorningcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 1996Major insulation manufacturer and former employer of NICE President Dennis Barrineau. Owens Corning supplies insulation products to NICE members through the cooperative's collective buying power arrangement.
• Johns ManvillecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 1996Leading manufacturer of building products including insulation, serving NICE members through the supplier partnership program.
• Knauf InsulationcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 1996Global insulation manufacturer providing products to NICE members through the cooperative buying program.
• CertainTeedcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 1996Saint-Gobain subsidiary providing insulation and building materials to NICE members.
• ROCKWOOLcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 1996Stone wool insulation manufacturer partnering with NICE to supply members.
• Huntsman Building SolutionscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 1996Spray foam and building solutions provider serving NICE spray foam contractor members.
• Service PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 1996Distributor of insulation supplies serving NICE members through the distribution network.
• ADI (Architectural Dependencies Inc.)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 1996Insulation distribution partner listed among NICE supplier partners.
• SPFA (Spray Polyurethane Foam Alliance)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1996Industry association for spray foam that partners with NICE on the Spray Foam Academy program, providing training and best practices for spray foam insulation contractors.
• Seawright and AssociatescoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 1996HR consulting firm serving as part of NICE's Resource Team to provide human resources guidance to member contractors.
• Pocket ProtectorscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 1996Credit and collections consulting firm providing expertise to NICE members through the Resource Team.
• Orrick, Herrington & SutcliffecoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 1996Anti-trust attorney Craig Falls serves on NICE's Resource Team, providing legal guidance to member contractors.
• DZ & AssociatescoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 1996Marketing and brand strategy firm providing guidance to NICE members through the Resource Team.
• Profit SoupcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 1996Accounting firm led by Barbara Nuss CPA that conducts the Annual Benchmarking Study for NICE members.
• Safety Management Services CocoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 1996Risk safety services firm providing safety counsel to NICE members through the Resource Team, including consultants Chad Hoppenjan and TJ Greenwood.
• Archetype SC, Inc.coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 1996Cybersecurity firm providing technology security guidance to NICE members through the Resource Team.
• SWD UrethaneminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 1996Spray foam supplier partnering with NICE members.
• Fi-FoilminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 1996Reflective insulation products supplier for NICE members.
• GreenfiberminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 1996Cellulose insulation manufacturer supplying NICE members.
• Holcim (Enverge)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 1996Building materials manufacturer with Enverge products serving NICE members.
• Green Valley ProductsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 1996Building products supplier listed as NICE supplier partner.
• Your CrawlspaceminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 1996Crawlspace solutions provider partnering with NICE.
• UPC FoamminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 1996Spray foam products supplier for NICE members.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Independent Electrical Contractors (IEC): National trade association for independent electrical contractors; structurally analogous membership model (collective buying, training, peer networking) applied to the electrical trade — useful benchmark for NICE's operating model.
• National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA): National trade association for roofing contractors; another construction-trade membership organization with GPO, training, and certification offerings analogous to NICE's insulation contractor focus.
• Association of the Wall and Ceiling Industry (AWCI): Established trade association for wall and ceiling contractors — a closely adjacent construction trade that overlaps with insulation contractors on many commercial projects and competes for similar member value.
• Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC): Large national construction trade association representing merit-shop contractors across many trades; competes with NICE for member mindshare on training, advocacy, and group benefits at a broader scale.
• Mechanical Contractors Association of America (MCAA): National trade association for mechanical (HVAC/plumbing) contractors, offering similar GPO, education, and advocacy services; represents the same independent-contractor counter-consolidation thesis in an adjacent construction trade.
• American Subcontractors Association (ASA): Trade association for subcontractors across multiple construction trades, offering advocacy, education, and networking — provides a cross-trade benchmark for NICE's independent-contractor positioning.
• Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA): Trade association for HVAC contractors providing training, networking, and group benefits; overlaps with insulation contractors on HVAC-related energy efficiency work and follows a similar member-cooperative template.

Others

• National Association of Home Builders (NAHB): Large federation of home builders and remodelers; while broader than NICE, it serves as an upstream customer channel for residential insulation contractors and competes for trade association mindshare and event attendance.

Direct peers

• Spray Polyurethane Foam Alliance (SPFA): Industry association for the spray polyurethane foam sector; already a NICE partner on the Spray Foam Academy program and competes for the same spray foam contractor mindshare and training dollars.
• Insulation Contractors Association of America (ICAA): National trade association specifically for insulation contractors, directly mirroring NICE's mission of supporting the insulation contractor community through education, networking, and industry advocacy.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nicexchange

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about National Insulation Contractors' Exchange