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THE K&BZINE ISSUE 79 17th December 2004
Kitchen
Clients Supported by KBSA Members
Kitchen
customers disadvantaged by the closure of retailer Pennybee of Wimbledon
Ltd are being helped by members of the Kitchen Bathroom Bedroom Specialists
Association who have stepped in to honour the contracts. Anglia Interiors
of Huntingdon, Underwood Kitchens of St Albans and Nicholas Anthony’s
London showroom are just three of the KBSA retailer members who took over
kitchen contracts for the customers.
[More
on this Story]
Christmas
Gloom Lifted for Courts Customers as Stores Resume Trading
Furniture
stores owned by collapsed retailer Courts reopened yesterday under their
new management. Retail turnaround specialist SB Capital was set to begin
trading at the group's 88 outlets, 14 of which it has bought from administrators
KPMG Corporate Recovery. When the insolvent retailer shut its doors last
month, there were angry scenes: a security guard was thrown through a
window in Milton Keynes; in Port Talbot, customers threatened shop staff.
[More
on this Story]
Kitchen
Showcase Postponed to 2006
Masterclass
Events Ltd, organiser of Kitchen Showcase has announced that the scheduled
2005 event will not be taking place. Managing Director Russell Morrow
announced on December 13th ‘We have taken the decision to postpone
Kitchen Showcase 2005 as there appears to be some confusion in the industry
with the number of events that are taking place next year.
[More
on this Story]
Bath
Sale @ Ideal Standard Gives Retailers Great Start for New Year
To kick-start the New Year's business for its bathroom dealers, Ideal-Standard
has launched a massive bathroom promotion in one of the key bathroom buying
periods. The promotion - named bathsale@ - runs through January and February
and encompasses ranges from three brands, Ideal-Standard, Armitage Shanks
and Trevi.
[More
on this Story]
Four
Seasons Seeks Serious Kitchen Retailers
Four
Seasons has launched its drive to develop closer relationships with serious
kitchen retailers with the introduction of four new fascias, new cabinetry,
accessories and a full marketing support package for 2005.
[More
on this Story]
Jacuzzi
Brands Announces Fourth Quarter and Full Year Financial Results
Jacuzzi Brands, Inc. has announced earnings for the fourth quarter ended
October 2nd, 2004. Net sales for the quarter increased 5.0% to $343.7m
compared with net sales of $327.4m for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2003.
Operating income for the quarter increased 78.7% to $22.7m compared with
operating income of $12.7m for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2003.
[More
on this Story]
Glen
Dimplex Group Acquires Halstead Boilers in UK and sets up a Joint Venture
in Japan
Glen
Dimplex Group has acquired Halstead Boilers Limited, a UK based manufacturer
of Gas Domestic Central Heating Boilers. Founded in 1990, Halstead has
a turnover of €30 million, 120 employees and is located at Halstead
in Essex.
Brian Day and Andrew Marshall the founding Shareholders will continue
in their current roles as Joint Managing Directors.
[More
on this Story]
Boost
for Shower Sales with Ideal-Standard Promotion
Bathroom
manufacturer Ideal-Standard is holding a consumer promotion from December
1st 2004 to 31st March 2005 in order to drive more customers into retailers'
showrooms and to highlight its latest showering products.
[More
on this Story]
John
Burton Race Brings in the Crowds at the BBC Good Food Show
Celebrity
chef John Burton Race demonstrated the benefits of the Professional 1000
range cooker on Cannon's stand at this year's BBC Good Food Show.
[More
on this Story]
Joint
Project Launched by E15, Dornbracht and Alape
In
the New Places joint project, e15, Dornbracht and Alape have dissolved
old boundaries and brought the bathroom and living area together. The
co-operation was presented for the first time at the Designers’ Saturday
in Langenthal, Switzerland on 6th and 7th November 2004 at the premises
of Glas Trösch AG in Bützberg.
[More
on this Story]
Myson
TRV Tops Independent Product Poll for Accessible Design
Myson Heating Controls‚ TRV2Way is the most popular choice of thermostatic
radiator valve (TRV) according to the Ricability charity, for helping
older and disabled people to live more independently.
[More
on this Story]
Laufen
Opens in Prague
The
sanitaryware and bathroom furniture manufacturer Laufen recently opened
a new showroom in Prague. Designed by engineer Michal Jank and located
in one of the main streets of the Czech capital, the new 600 sq.m structure
hosts both the classic Laufen series and the latest collections: Bagno
Alessi, Mylife, Living, Laufen Pro, Vienna and Gallery.
[More
on this Story]
American
Standard Announces 13 Finalists in Sexiest Plumber Contest
The
vote for President might be over, but the vote for America's Sexiest Plumber
has just begun! American Standard, creator of America's Sexiest Plumber
Contest, announced on 2nd December 13 contest finalists and invites everyone
to vote online for the plumber they think is the sexiest in the land.
[More
on this Story]
High-spec
Brandt Continues Homag Tradition at Sunlight
Six years ago David Topliss set up Sunlight Interiors in Grays, Essex
with his sons Brian and Robert who, between them, had 20 years of experience
in cabinet furniture production. Sunlight Interiors was set up on a 3,000ft2
site to produce high quality, bespoke cabinet furniture for the kitchen
and other markets.
[More
on this Story]
Hoffmann
Frames the Face of Chalon
'Quintessential
Handmade English Country Furniture’. So reads the gilt lettering
that adorns the black cover of the Chalon brochure. For quintessential
read literally says the company. ‘Paging through the 53-page colour
publication of the Somerset furniture manufacturer, one is aware of viewing
something distinctive and aspirational.’
[More
on this Story]
Holzma
Ensures Quality and Capacity at Crosby
Two
high capacity Holzma HPL11 beam saws are operating alongside each other
via a joint central lift feed at Crosby Kitchens’ Sheffield factory.
The saws, supplied and installed by Homag U.K., are state-of-the-art machines
manufactured by the world’s largest beam saw technology suppliers.
[More
on this Story]
KBSA
Urges Retailers to Take on Board Assessment for Part P
The
KBSA has announced an association with FFINTO, the KBB National Training
Group and the National Association of Professional Inspectors and Testers
(NAPIT) to offer a pre-training competence assessment programme.
[More
on this Story]
Four leading manufacturers of electrical and electronic appliances, Braun, Electrolux, HP and Sony have recently set up the first ever pan-European take back and compliance scheme for waste from electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). To administer the pan-European scheme, the companies have established the limited company ERP SAS
THE K&BZINE ISSUE 78 10th December 2004
Qualceram
Shires Remains Bouyant Despite Adverse Pressures
Qualceram Shires plc, manufacturer and distributor of a wide range of
bathroom suites, has issued a trading update for financial year ending
31 December, 2004. Performance has been satisfactory despite the adverse
pressure of rising raw material costs and cheap imports from the Far East.
[More
on this Story]
Festive
Offer for Curva Cookers
Leading cooker manufacturer, Lofra, has launched a festive promotion for
retailers on its exclusive Curva range cookers. The Curva Display Deal
promotion runs until the 31 December 2004 and offers incentives on the
60, 70 and 90cm single cavity ovens as well as the new double oven Curva.
[More
on this Story]
Glen
Dimplex Cooking Announces New Name for New Year
Glen Dimplex Cooking has announced it is to change its name in the New
Year. From the 1st January 2005, it will become Glen Dimplex Home Appliances.
The name change forms part of a wider strategy to align the cooking appliance
business with the new-look corporate identity of its lrish parent company,
Glen Dimplex.
[More
on this Story]
Vaillant
Group Continues on Profitable Growth Track
The
Vaillant Group has continued on its profitable growth track in 2004 for
the fourth year in succession. The increases it achieved in the first
nine months of the year (based on ongoing operations) were 6 per cent
in sales and 23 percent in the operating result. The group continues to
evolve, with the acquisition of a 33% stake in Hermann and ongoing talks
concerning the sale of Hepworth.
[More
on this Story]
New
Price List for Amana Refrigerators
Preceding
the launch of its new range of Amana refrigerators, Maytag UK has introduced
a full colour, six page, Transition Price List, containing new model numbers,
features and benefits for each model in the range.
[More
on this Story]
Victoria
& Albert Designs for the Future
Kevin
Quigley of Quigley Design has been appointed by Victoria & Albert
Baths, the manufacturer of contemporary and classic freestanding baths,
as the chief consultant to its design team. The role is a key part of
the company's continuing commitment to push the boundaries of bath design.
[More
on this Story]
Maytag
UK’s Successful ‘Coming To America’ Promotion
Maytag
UK has just completed another ‘Coming to America’ promotion,
flying a successful group of retailers to the cities of North America
for five days in October. Over 100 retailers took part in the promotion
to win a coveted place on the trip.
[More
on this Story]
Kitchen
Buyers Insist on Blumotion
In
the growing market for kitchen buyers looking for bespoke designs, Update
Interiors in Suffolk says that it exemplifies this new breed of high quality
kitchen and bedroom manufacturers producing furniture for individual customers.
[More
on this Story]
James
Latham Teams Up with Port of Tilbury
Timber
and panel distributor James Latham has joined forces with the Port of
Tilbury and now has a consolidated storage facility to bring improved
service to both its depots and customers. Depots can be supplied on a
daily basis, which will ensure that they always have adequate stocks to
meet customer demands.
[More
on this Story]
Swish
Specifies Ardesco from Orama
An
established Lancashire kitchen retailer has chosen the Ardesco range from
Orama, a manufacturer of worksurfaces and associated decorative products,
to feature in its recently opened new showroom. Burnley-based Swish specified
Ardesco for its spacious new showroom when it relocated to larger premises.
[More
on this Story]
Lathams
Adds Egger Weyroc to Flooring Portfolio
James
Latham has added Egger's Weyroc flooring grade chipboard to its product
range, which is now available from all of its UK depots.
[More
on this Story]
Fraikin
Wins Contract with Formica
Formica
Ltd's Dundee operation, which serves the whole of Scotland, has completed
its fleet renewal process with the delivery of two new Eurocargos, supplied
on a comprehensive five-year contract hire agreement by Fraikin.
[More
on this Story]
Another
Round of Golfs for Homeform Group
High
driver appeal and low whole-life costs: just two of the reasons why MKD’s
kitchen surveyors have swapped their Ford Fiestas for new Volkswagen Golfs.
[More
on this Story]
KBSA
Regional Meetings Attract 'Excellent' Response
The
Kitchen Bathroom Bedroom Specialists Association held four regional meetings
recently, all of which attracted an 'excellent turnout' from members.
[More
on this Story]
BSH
Refrigeration Technology Marches Onwards
Recently,
Brazil's first CFC- and HFC-free refrigerator rolled off the production
line at the Hortolandia factory, part of the manufacturing network of
BSH. What has long been a reality in Europe and China is now also making
its debut in South America, namely the production of environmentally friendly
refrigeration appliances using hydrocarbons.
[More
on this Story]
Courts
Stores Remain Closed
Courts
PLC's 88 UK stores are to remain closed until further notice, said administrator
KPMG, blaming 'disturbances and aggressive incidents' involving the furniture
retailer's customers.
[More
on this Story]
Missel
Designs Trend-Setting Concepts for the Toilet Sector
'We are all familiar with the situation.' says Missel. 'A meal in a restaurant:
Excellent cuisine, pleasant surroundings, friendly service. Everyone is
feeling happy. At some point during the meal a person leaves the table
to look for the door with the toilet symbol. The door opens and: disillusionment.
[More
on this Story]
NKBA
Announces 2005 Executive Committee
The
National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) recently announced the
election of its 2005 Executive Committee as follows:
[More
on this Story]
Boere
- Calderbrook Association to Service over 600 Installations
Following
the new association between Dutch widebelt sanding specialists, Boere,
and Calderbrook Woodworking Machinery, more than 600 Boere customers around
the UK are receiving additional service benefits.
[More
on this Story]
Weeke
Provides Unique Solution at LEP
Leisure
Engineering Projects Ltd. (LEP) is a manufacturer of quality washroom
equipment and other furniture for leisure centres, schools, businesses
and secure institutions.
[More
on this Story]
THE K&BZINE ISSUE 77 3rd December 2004
Topps
Tiles Reports nearly 80% Increase in Profits as Tile Market Takes off
in UK
Topps
Tiles Plc , the UK’s largest tile and wood flooring specialist with
220 stores, has announced preliminary results for the 53 weeks ended 2nd
October 2004. reporting an overall increase in profit before tax of 78.9%
to £33.8m compared to a profit before tax of £18.9m last year.
Turnover was only up 32.5%.
[More
on this Story]
Glen
Dimplex Home Appliances Announces Number One Position
Just
18 months since its formation in April 2003, Glen Dimplex Cooking has
announced its newly confirmed position as the largest supplier of cooking
appliances in the UK. According to Gfk's latest figures, the company now
occupies the number one position within the UK market, having increased
its volume share to 24% from 20% and its value share of the market to
24.4% from 21.8%.
[More
on this Story]
BMA
Conference 2004 - Tomorrow and Beyond
Members
of the Bathroom Manufacturers Association recently held their 4th Annual
Conference at Hellidon Lakes Hotel and Country Club, Nr Daventry, Northampton,
with the theme ‘Tomorrow and Beyond’. 10 speakers explored how
the bathroom Industry is progressing in terms of growth, design and innovation
[More
on this Story]
American
Standard Withdraws from KBSA
The
UK's largest bathroom manufacturer American Standard, which trades under
the brand names Armitage Shanks, Ideal-Standard and Trevi Showers in the
UK, has not renewed it's membership in the Kitchen & Bathroom Specialist
Association.
[More
on this Story]
PWS’
Design Centre Opens for Inspiration
PWS
has recently opened the doors to its extended Design Centre. Increased
by 25% to 700sq metres of floorspace, it now has a completely fresh look
and feel to the interior. Encompassing 42 kitchen displays, the new layout
with its spacious walkways and light and airy atmosphere
[More
on this Story]
Sanitec
Interim Financial Report January - September 2004
Sanitec's
year to date net sales were EUR 692.7m, 2.2% above the first nine months
of 2003. Operating profit for the first nine months of the year increased
to EUR 46.7m or 6.7% of net sales compared to EUR 40.9m or 5.7% in the
prior year.
[More
on this Story]
American
Standard Confirms European Commission Investigation
American
Standard Companies Inc. confirmed on November 11th that the company has
been contacted by the European Commission as part of an industry-wide
investigation into alleged infringement of EU competition regulations
relating to bath and kitchen fixtures and fittings in certain European
countries. The company is cooperating fully with the investigation.
[More
on this Story]
In-toto
Kitchens Opens in Harrogate
In-toto,
the UK kitchen specialist, has opened its flagship new showroom in Harrogate's
Montpellier Quarter, an area that is recognised as a part of the town
specialising in quality home interiors. Located at 27 Montpellier Parade,
the showroom features the latest rigid-built German kitchens
[More
on this Story]
De
Dietrich and Raff UK add some Steel Appeal to the BBC Good Food Show
A
wealth of De Dietrich products were featured on the Raff UK stand at the
BBC Good Food Show at the NEC, Birmingham. Specifically featuring stainless
steel as the theme, the stand included the DOD348, the double pyrolytic
double oven, the DME399 combination microwave, the DOP390 intelligent
ICS single oven and the latest addition to the range, the DED400 built-in
coffee maker.
[More
on this Story]
CNC
Components - Putting a Gloss on Things with NEY
CNC
Components in Ulster, manufacturer of membrane pressed cabinet fascias
and big users of Bonlex vinyl foils from NEY, is reporting 'huge growth'
in the demand for high gloss finishes. Sales Director Warnock Watson says:
'growth has gone from 1 to 2% of total sales a year or two ago to 8 -
10% today - and it's still growing fast.'
[More
on this Story]
Dolphin
Bathrooms Advert - Complaint to ASA Not Upheld
A
complaint objecting to a national press advertisement for bathroom suites
issued by Dolphin Bathrooms of Worcester was not upheld in either of the
two objections according to published details from the Advertising Standards
Authority.
[More
on this Story]
Showerlux
Proves Monster Hit with Scottish Property Developer
A
stunning new development of upmarket holiday lodges situated on the edge
of Loch Ness now offers the ultimate in luxury bathing, thanks to the
specification of deluxe hydrotherapy baths from Showerlux's Hydrozone
collection.
[More
on this Story]
Moores
Commissions BRE Social Housing Kitchen Furniture 'Whole Life Cost' Report
Moores
Furniture Group commissioned BRE (formerly Building Research Establishment)
to carry out a Whole Life Cost analysis on Moores kitchen products in
the Social Housing environment.
[More
on this Story]
Payload
Wins the Day for Roundel's Canter
The
high payload and driver acceptability of its first 7.5-tonne Mitsubishi
Canter has so impressed Roundel Kitchens & Bedrooms that the South
Shields company is already contemplating another three units.
[More
on this Story]
KBSA
Urges Retailers to Take on Board Assessment for Part P
The
KBSA has announced an association with FFINTO, the KBB National Training
Group and the National Association of Professional Inspectors and Testers
(NAPIT) to offer a pre-training competence assessment programme.
[More
on this Story]
Wigan
Reflections Showroom Celebrates First Anniversary
The
Wigan branch of Reflections, the Plumbase bathroom showroom, celebrated
its first anniversary with music from Wish FM, valuable prize giveaways,
and bucks fizz for its customers old and new.
[More
on this Story]
Aired
and Gently Cushioned: Miele's New Honeycomb Drum
The
patented honeycomb drum on the Miele tumble dryer offers the double benefits
of cushioning laundry as it tumbles and improving the exposure of laundry
to airflow.
[More
on this Story]
Maytag
Highlights Growth Strategies at Analysts' Conference
On
19th November Maytag Corporation presented its strategies for improved
performance during a conference with financial analysts in New York City,
saying that Maytag is a much different company than it was just a year
ago.
[More
on this Story]
Update
Saves Time and Ups Quality with Hoffmann
Based
near Woodbridge in Suffolk, Update Interiors says that it exemplifies
the growing trend for using high quality cabinet makers to create bespoke
designs for individual customers.
[More
on this Story]
Masterclass
Conference A Huge Success
For
its first year, NKBA members attended the Masterclass Conference: Perspectives
on Design, an international-themed education conference at Le Parker Meridien
Hotel in New York City.
[More
on this Story]
Four leading manufacturers of electrical and electronic appliances, Braun, Electrolux, HP and Sony have recently set up the first ever pan-European take back and compliance scheme for waste from electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). To administer the pan-European scheme, the companies have established the limited company ERP SAS