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THE K&BZINE ISSUE 64 27th August 2004
THIS WEEK'S NEWS
Aqualux
Completes Management Buy out
As
we announced in last week's K&BZine in our story about the collapse
of the BHD Group, Aqualux, the shower enclosure company, has announced
a management buyout of the company as it enters a new phase of development.
James Cadman, managing director, who led the buyout comments.
[More
on this Story]
Anson
Concise Appointed UK Distributor for Arca Cucine
Anson
Concise has been appointed sole distributor in the United Kingdom for
Arca Cucine’s range of stainless steel kitchens. Arca belongs to
Inox Pack which is a specialist Italian manufacturer of commercial kitchens
and shop equipment. The company is now extending its expertise to the
domestic kitchen market.
[More
on this Story]
Masco
Corporation Reports Record Second Quarter and Increases Earnings Guidance
for 2004
Masco
Corporation reported on August 3rd that net sales from continuing operations
for the second quarter ended June 30th, 2004 increased 16 percent to a
quarterly record $3.1 billion compared with $2.6 billion for the same
period in 2003.
[More
on this Story]
Lathams
Supplies Both Buildbase and Jacksons
Timber
and panels distributor, James Latham, has secured some lucrative deals
to supply both Buildbase and Jackson Building Centres with Bausen hardwood
flooring. In addition to this, the company is also supplying several branches
of Buildbase with a range of other hardwood and panel products, and is
an approved sheet material supplier for Jacksons in the East Midlands.
[More
on this Story]
Hopkinsons
Announce Exclusive Bathroom Promotion
UK distributor Hopkinsons Fourways has launched a quarterly ‘All
Bathroom’ promotion featuring some exclusive offers on a range of
leading brand bathroom collections..
[More
on this Story]
‘It
all Comes Back to Customer Service in the End’
'Triton
has a brand awareness amongst consumers of 62% (probably close to 100%
amongst the Trade and the industry in general). This is miles ahead of
the closest competitor whose brand awareness is 41%', says Lorna Fellows,
managing director of Triton Showers.
[More
on this Story]
Commercial
Interiors Market Makes a Swing Towards Curves
The
UK manufacturer of specialist MDF panels, London-based Neat Concepts,
says that it is finding itself at the cutting edge of the commercial interiors
market, due to a growing trend towards curves.
[More
on this Story]
Underwood
Open Weekend a Great Success
An
open weekend staged by bespoke kitchen manufacturer Underwood Kitchens
earlier this month proved a huge success, with prospective customers visiting
from far and wide.
[More
on this Story]
Adminex
Oasis Extends Satra Set for Contract Market
The
addition of urinals, wall mounted WC pans and half pedestals for washbasins
to the Adminex Oasis Satra suite means it is now a suitable offering for
merchants and showrooms supplying into the contract market.
[More
on this Story]
AEG
Helps Celebrate Grange Interiors 30th Anniversary
To
support the 30th anniversary of kitchen furniture manufacturer Grange
Interiors, a huge celebration was held at Matfen Hall, Newcastle, on the
21st of July for Grange Interiors customers and their partners.
[More
on this Story]
Surrey
New Home Development Specifies John Sydney
The
prestigious Brookwood new home development at Weybridge, Surrey has had
John Sydney bathroom fittings installed throughout the bathrooms in each
property. Brookwood Developments, the developer, is targeting the luxury,
top end of the new home market with these £650,000 five bedroom
homes.
[More
on this Story]
Bringing
the Kitchen Worksurface to Life – Orama Teams Up With J & J Ormerod
Orama,
the independent manufacturer of worksurfaces and associated decorative
products, has teamed up with J & J Ormerod Plc to unveil a new kitchen
concept embracing the most up-to-date contemporary European trends.
[More
on this Story]
Handy
Food Slicer Comes With a Built-in Cutting Board Made of DuPont™ Delrin®
Now
there's a faster, easier way to slice fruits, vegetables and more. The
new 'Clever Cleaver' kitchen cutter from Ronan Tools, Inc. integrates
a cutting board moulded from DuPont™ Delrin® acetal resin with
a stainless steel knife and soft-grip plastic handles.
[More
on this Story]
The
Only Way is Up for Halesowen Lift Firm
UK
service lift manufacturer and supplier – LA Husbands of Halesowen
- is under new corporate ownership and is re-launching its 40-year-old
brand.
[More
on this Story]
Whirlpool
USA Introduces Line of Water Products to Meet US Homeowners' Needs
Consumers
in the USA continue to thirst for great quality water, a need which Whirlpool
says will now be quenched thanks to the company's new lines of water softeners,
water filtration products and water coolers.
[More
on this Story]
Find
Out if it’s Time to Remodel your Kitchen - The NKBA Offers Advice
Most
homeowners think their kitchen is outdated from the looks of their weathered
cabinets, dated appliances and crackled countertop, but they don’t
realise that there are many other reasons a kitchen needs to be remodelled.
[More
on this Story]
THE K&BZINE ISSUE 63 20th August 2004
Merloni:
First Half Sales up 6.8%, profit before tax up 10%
Merloni Elettrodomestici continued to grow in the first half of 2004,
with sales up 6.8%, gross operating margin up 11.3% and profit before
tax up 10.1% on the 1st half of 2003. Having approved the results for
the 2nd quarter of 2004 and reviewed the provisional figures for the first
half, the Board of Directors made official the appointment of Marco Milani
as the Company's new CEO.
[More
on this Story]
Shower
Firm Saved as BHD Group Goes into Administration
West Midlands-based BHD Group - whose main brand is Portland Conservatories
- is in the hands of administrative receivers from accountancy firm KPMG,
along with its four subsidiaries. Another subsidiary, shower maker Aqualux,
was sold to a management buyout team, safeguarding 275 jobs at the Wednesbury-based
group.
[More
on this Story]
Glen
Dimplex Introduces 'Channel Approach' to National Sales Structure
Cooking appliance specialist, Glen Dimplex Cooking has announced a major
restructure of its national sales team for a more focused approach to
customer account and channel management.
[More
on this Story]
Blum
Attributes Increase Turnover to New Product Launches
The
Blum Group in Hoechst, Austria, reports that consolidated turnover for
2003/2004 attained worldwide amounted to 694.2 million euros (in comparison
to 590.7 million euros in the previous year). The company operates in
more than 80 countries, and international sales account for 96% of the
company’s turnover.
[More
on this Story]
Maytag
Competes for Attention at Olympics
Maytag is increasing its brand awareness through a strategic advertising
campaign at the Olympic games. 30-second advertisements of Maytag appliances
are appearing on fourteen screens at the Athens Syntagma Metro station
- frequented by everybody who enters and exits the games.
[More
on this Story]
PKL
Group Caters for Success at the Olympics
PKL
Group, a portable kitchen provider and catering equipment specialist,
has clinched the £5 million contract to build the athletes village
kitchen at the Athens 2004 Olympics with help from UK Trade & Investment,
the government organisation that provides support services for UK companies
trading overseas.
[More
on this Story]
ELECSA
to Exhibit at the ELEX Show
ELECSA, the company given government approval to operate a Competent Persons
Scheme under Approved Document P for electrical contractors would like
to invite anyone who undertakes electrical work in dwellings to meet the
team at the ELEX show at Donnington Park on 16-18th September 2004.
[More
on this Story]
KBSA
Calls for Volunteers to Deliver National Training Initiative
The
KBSA has called for volunteers to join the National Training Group (NTG)
board and the operations group that will deliver the industry’s first
coordinated training, education and qualification initiative.
[More
on this Story]
New
Ardesco Distributor Grows National Appeal of Orama’s Worksurfaces
Orama,
the independent manufacturer of worksurfaces and associated decorative
products, has consolidated the national reach of its Ardesco range of
kitchen worksurfaces by appointing Bristol-based Bristol Decorative Surfaces
Ltd (BDS) as its latest distributor.
[More
on this Story]
Adminex
Oasis Appoints Bristol Tile Co as Distributor for Midlands and West Country
Adminex
Oasis has appointed Bristol Tile Limited as distributor of its sanitary
ware and accessories for Cornwall and Devon, South Wales, Somerset, Dorset,
Gloucestershire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Oxfordshire and Wiltshire.
[More
on this Story]
In-Sink-Erator
Makes TV Debut
The
In-Sink-Erator food waste disposer made its TV debut on ITV1’s hit
DIY show, 60 Minute Makeover. The programme, which was aired on Thursday
12th August at 10.25am, challenges a team of designers to renovate a complete
house in 60 minutes.
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on this Story]
First
Anniversary as ATAG Importer
Premium
Appliance Brands Limited (PAB), the white goods marketing company created
by former Stoves Marketing Director, Guy Weaver, has celebrated its first
anniversary of being appointed the UK’s exclusive importer of ATAG
domestic appliances.
[More
on this Story]
AEG
Takes the Floor
A
specially designed display stand featuring a selection of the AEG ‘New
Vision’ range of products has taken centre floor in John Lewis’
flagship store in Oxford Street, London.
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on this Story]
Success
with Super-Blower means Relocation and Expansion for Indusvent
Industrial
ventilation engineers Indusvent Engineering (Northern) has moved to new
and expanded premises in Rochdale. The move was prompted by the significant
success that Indusvent is experiencing since the company introduced the
Super-Blower filter system to the UK about two years ago.
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on this Story]
ASFI
Reports Membership Surge at AGM
During
ASFI’s recent AGM it was reported that membership of the Association
continues to rise. New members include L &S srl, Doellken, PUR Mobelprofile,
European Decorative Products.
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on this Story]
Water
Softeners – Meeting A Growing Demand
Hard
water is a pain in the…well almost anywhere if you suffer from it,
but particularly in the heating systems, pipework and showerheads, as
well as the more obvious places like the kettle and your kitchen appliances,
all of which ‘fur up’ from the scale in the water flow and cause
grief throughout the home.
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on this Story]
Powered
Cool Boxes - Which? Report Examines the Choice
A
recent report from Which? measures how long Cool Boxes keep your food
below 5°C and 10°C on a hot summer's day - 5°C is fridge temperature,
and at 10°C germs multiply. 'You can power these cool boxes from your
car's cigarette lighter, but most are pretty useless - we can recommend
only one of the five models we tested.' says Which?
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on this Story]
Nolte
- The Popular Choice with many Developers
Leading
Nolte stockist, Designer Kitchens of Southport, has just supplied Lulworth
Developments with one of the latest Nolte ranges for a development of
flats in Southport. This represents just one of several developments in
Southport now using Nolte.
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on this Story]
Customers
Turn Tables on Shower Makers with One-Off Designs
'Householders,
bathroom designers and installers can now turn the tables on shower enclosure
makers by creating their own designs.' says Roman Ltd which the company
says has put its customers first, by extending its range of enclosures
and wetroom fittings.
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on this Story]