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THE K&BZINE ISSUE 170 24th November 2006
Vitra
Presents Hot News at Cool Venue
At its annual briefing for trade media, international bathroom
brand, VitrA told journalists assembled at the Absolut Ice Bar
of its plans to become a top three brand in the UK. The company
has - under the 14 year leadership of outgoing Managing Director
Levent Giray - risen to a top five player in the UK.
[More
on this Story]
Aqualux
is the Best of the Best
Aqualux has proved only the best will do as the company celebrates
scooping 'Business of the Year' at the prestigious 'Best of the
Black Country Awards'. The UK manufacturer of shower surrounds
and bath screens was named as the winner of the highly respected
award at the black tie ceremony hosted by the UK's biggest regional
newspaper, the Express and Star.
[More
on this Story]
Stoves
Ovens and Hobs on Set for the New UKTV Food Series
Four
Stoves built-in electric ovens and built-in gas hobs have been
placed on set for the new series of UKTV Food's Local Food Heroes
2006, which began on Monday 20th November 2006.
[More
on this Story]
What
a Waste of Water, says BMA
The
60 million people in the UK use a staggering nine thousand six
hundred million litres of drinking water each day for domestic
use. As the climate changes and we enjoy drier winters and hotter
summers, supplies will become scarcer and there simply won’t
be enough water.
[More
on this Story]
Indesit
Q3 Includes 'Excellent Performance' from UK
The
board of directors of Indesit Company, chaired by Vittorio Merloni,
met on 26th October to approve the consolidated figures for the
3rd quarter, which closed with sales of €871m, up 5%.
[More
on this Story]
In-toto
Announces Best Sales Figures to Date
Independent
fitted kitchen retailer, In-toto Kitchens, has reported a bumper
year to date for retail sales, despite industry fears of a downturn.
[More
on this Story]
Stellar
Performances from New Acquisitions
The
latest stars in Aga's blue skies are Stellar, with its boilerless
steamers, and Eloma, with its combi-ovens, both of whom have begun
to earn significant new sales volumes in several North American
markets.
[More
on this Story]
Glen
Dimplex Acquires Metal Fab Industries
The
Glen Dimplex Group has acquired a 65% shareholding in Metalfab
from its founding shareholders, Colin Mitten and Brendon Massey.
Metalfab is based in Auckland, New Zealand and has an Australian
subsidiary Metal Fab Pty Limited based in Melbourne.
[More
on this Story]
Top
Level Talks between Ideal Bathrooms and Ideal Standard
Newly
appointed Ideal Standard European President - John Rietveldt -
visited the UK recently to take an in-depth look at the UK market
and product trends.
[More
on this Story]
Electrical
Inspection and Testing, Part P of the Building Regulations
The
Faraday Centre is a specialist high and low voltage electrical
safety training provider and will be conducting an evening seminar
(Free of charge) covering the requirements for inspection and
testing of domestic and commercial equipment and installations.
[More
on this Story]
KBSA
Corporate Forum Embraces Change
The
Kitchen Bathroom Bedroom Specialists Association corporate forum
was well attended by more than 60 corporate members, publishers
and journalists who participated in a lively debate about the
future.
[More
on this Story]
Bristan
Expands Successful Online Shower Training Academy
Following
the successful launch of the Online Shower Training Academy last year,
Bristan is already expanding the reach of its training. A new module,
Ceiling Fed Showers, is the latest addition to the academy which is designed
to help installers become familiar with the principles of specifying showers.
[More
on this Story]
Dynamic
Growth at AFG, although Miele Slow
AFG Arbonia-Forster-Holding AG, a leading European supplier
to the construction industry, recorded net revenues of CHF 553.6 million
or a 9.7% increase in the first six months of 2006.
[More
on this Story]
Küchen
Holding GmbH Acquires Shares of ALNO AG
On
17th October the board of ALNO AG, Pfullendorf, was informed by GermanCapital
GmbH, Munich, as representative of the main shareholders in Küchen
Holding GmbH, Munich, that Küchen Holding GmbH had acquired 20.6%
of the shares in ALNO AG.
[More
on this Story]
Blum
- Innovative Products Produce Further Growth
Thanks
to product innovations and consistent commitment to international markets,
Julius Blum GmbH has again accomplished a successful operating result
for the 2005/2006 business year ending June 30th.
[More
on this Story]
Emerson
Sales Top $20 Billion in 2006
Emerson (parent company of InSinkErator) announced on November 7th record
net sales for fiscal 2006 of $20.1 billion, an increase of 16 percent
from the prior year. Sales for the fourth quarter ended September 30th,
2006 were $5.5 billion, an increase of 19 percent
[More
on this Story]
HOMAG
Group AG on Course for Further Growth
The
successful performance of the HOMAG Group in 2006 has continued into the
third quarter of the year, with the order intake expanding by 26% to EUR
499 million between January and September.
[More
on this Story]
Whirlpool
Extends Sponsorship of Sony Ericsson WTA Tour
Whirlpool
Europe and the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour announced recently the extension
of their sponsorship agreement for an additional three years, through
2009.
[More
on this Story]
THE K&BZINE ISSUE 169 17th November 2006
Copycats
Cause Chaos, says BMA
We
can trace counterfeiting back in history as far as 3,000 years
ago when ancient civilisations copied coins. Today the problem
of counterfeit goods of all descriptions is unprecedented and
continues to grow, despite being illegal.
[More
on this Story]
Pitacs
Counterclaims Against Tudol in Radiator Design Case
Further
to the announcement of proceedings brought against Pitacs Ltd
(supplier of the Aeon range of stainless steel radiators) by Tudol
International (supplier of Accuro-Korle branded radiators, we
report that Pitacs is defending the claims.
[More
on this Story]
American
Standard Q3 Sales up 13%, but Takes a $25m Hit in Restructuring
Bath and Kitchen Segment
American Standard Companies Inc has announced that third-quarter
sales were a record $2.965bn, up 13% from the prior year. Bath
And Kitchen sales were $620.2m, up 5.1% from the prior year. Segment
income, which included operational consolidation expenses of $25.4m,
represented a loss of $18.9m.
[More
on this Story]
AGA
Makes Merger Approach to Enodis
Aga Foodservice Group plc has made approaches to Enodis plc advocating
a combination of the two businesses on a merger basis. Whilst
Enodis rejected these approaches, the Board of Aga considers that
a combination would have substantial commercial and financial
merit for shareholders in both companies.
[More
on this Story]
Symphony
Enters Sanitaryware Category with Venetian
Furniture
expert Symphony will embark on a new product category this month
with the launch of a collection of Italian sanitaryware and taps
to accompany its fast-developing Venetian bathroom furniture collection.
[More
on this Story]
ATAG
Appoints Business Development Director for the UK
Holland's
leading appliance company, ATAG, has announced the appointed of
Ellis Bardsley to Business Development Director for the UK.
[More
on this Story]
New
Appointments at Fisher & Paykel
Following the acquisition of Elba SPA in Italy, Fisher & Paykel
has announced the following appointments:
* Stuart Broadhurst to the role of Chief Operating Officer Europe
* Mark Celik-Alvis to the role of General Manager Marketing UK,
Ireland and Europe
* Richard Bowe to the role of General Manager UK
[More
on this Story]
JJO
Appoints National Sales Manager
J&J Ormerod, kitchen and bedroom manufacturer, has appointed
John Pollitt as national sales manager.
John joined JJO in October 2006, after 21 years with the PJH Group.
[More
on this Story]
Travis
Perkins Awards Bristan Top Accolade
Builder's
merchant Travis Perkins has announced Bristan as its Supplier
of the Year for New Product and Range Innovation at its biennial
Supplier Conference recently.
[More
on this Story]
Cesana
on Display at Building Centre
Italian
shower manufacturer Cesana and the UK's largest bathroom, kitchen
and appliance distributor, PJH Group have taken space at the Building
Centre in London to exhibit the range of stylish, contemporary
Cesana showers.
[More
on this Story]
Clearwater
is Top Choice for The Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain Hotel & Spa
Freestanding
bath manufacturer Clearwater Collection has been chosen to supply one
hundred freestanding baths to the The Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain Hotel and
Spa for a recent renovation programme.
[More
on this Story]
Co
Tops Extends
Co
Tops’ new extension is now complete. The extension to Co Tops’
existing production unit provides a clean, dry and heated storage facility
for 8500 worktop blanks in dedicated narrow aisle racking going to over
9 metres in height.
[More
on this Story]
Planit
Reinforces Support for Merchants and Manufacturers
Planit
International – the UK developer of advanced design and visualisation
software for the kitchen, bedroom, bathroom and home improvement markets
– has demonstrated its ongoing support for the industry by participating
in events organised by two trade associations.
[More
on this Story]
Roman
Joins Harrods’ Empire
Roman,
the UK shower manufacture, has designed a luxury range of shower enclosures
for Ella Jade’s new Bath Shop within Harrods.
[More
on this Story]
Designs
For All Occasions at the Glass Pavilion
Design
company, Designs For All Occasions Ltd, (D.F.A.O.) has provided the interior
design for Brighton's prestigious new Glass Pavilion, a Natta Country
Homes development.
[More
on this Story]
FGI
Announces a Revolution in Glass
Float
Glass Industries (FGI) has been appointed as the main UK and Ireland distributor
and fabricator for Decoran and Structuran, new 100% recycled decorative
glasses.
[More
on this Story]
Kitemark®
Still Going Strong
New
research into consumer Kitemark recognition reveals that the Kitemark
symbol is as strong and relevant in today's world as it was when it was
introduced in 1903 and is still the most widely recognised quality mark
in the UK.
[More
on this Story]
THE K&BZINE ISSUE 168 10th November 2006
Imperial
Bathrooms Announces New Board Appointments
British
bathroom manufacturer, Imperial Bathrooms, has further strengthened
its management team following the internal appointment of three
Board Directors - Robin Wright, James Stevenson and David Leary.
[More
on this Story]
Dunkerley
Secures Supply Chain Success at New Bristan Group HQ
The
recent appointment of Guy Dunkerley as the new Bristan Group Supply
Chain Director has done much to aid the smooth move to the Group's
new, purpose-built site in Birch Coppice, Tamworth.
[More
on this Story]
BMA
Welcomes new Marketing Manager
This
month sees the arrival of Karen Myles as the new Marketing Manager
at the Bathroom Manufacturers Association (BMA). The appointment
will greatly enhance the work of the Secretariat team, providing
an added boost to ongoing initiatives and facilitating the implementation
of the BMA's future marketing strategy.
[More
on this Story]
Mark
Wilkinson takes PR Function In-House
Based
in Wiltshire and with showrooms throughout the country and abroad,
Mark Wilkinson, the originator of the English Style of fitted
kitchen furniture, has engaged Richard Moss to work with its PR
and marketing team to ensure that the company's communications
are fully integrated, worldwide.
[More
on this Story]
Are
UK Companies Sourcing Furniture Overseas Aware of their Responsibilities?
The
enormous increase in imported furniture coming onto the UK market
either directly sourced by retailers or through importer/wholesalers
has brought with it a whole new challenge for the market. Awareness
of quality and product safety issues is essential if companies
sourcing furniture overseas for supply in the UK are not to contravene
consumer legislation.
[More
on this Story]
Size
Matters. The Smaller The Better
Nano
technology is no longer for Tomorrow’s World- it is now revolutionising
the Kitchen and Bathroom industry, says Neil McClelland, Project
manager of Nanopool GmbH. For many years the talk about nano technology
has been a highly esoteric, theoretical debate. However, this
has all changed as we can now purchase off- the shelf nano products;
which do exactly what they say on the tin.
[More
on this Story]
Rangemaster
Magic Provides Warm Bonus for Heating Engineers
According to Calor, heating engineers working in non-mains gas
areas can give their profits a healthy boost by cross-selling
the wide range of gas cookers and fires that are available to
LPG customers.
[More
on this Story]
Kitchen
Fitters Segmented for Definite Leads
Kitchen Fitters can now define their marketing through the newly
launched lead generator, Quotatis. This pay-as-you-go system with
no contract or join up fee has segmented its kitchen fitting category
to create more targeted qualified leads for each service of this
trade.
[More
on this Story]
Mercedes
Vans Join Roman Empire
Roman,
the UK shower manufacturer, has enlisted three new recruits to
its fleet of vehicles. The County Durham-based firm runs a fleet
of 41 vehicles, with 38 of them being Mercedes Sprinter vans.
Most recently added to Roman’s line-up was Mercedes’
first examples of the company's latest model- the new generation
Sprinters.
[More
on this Story]
'Mates
rates' Cost First-Time Buyers Dear - TrustMark Survey
A
generation of first-time buyers is in danger of risking quality
and safety by cutting corners when it comes to home improvement.
Research published on 26th October shows 218,000 (58%) of new
UK homeowners admit to calling in friends and family to do work
such as electrical, roofing or plumbing jobs.
[More
on this Story]
Cyklop
Helps Formica Develop a more Efficient Pallet Strapping Solution
As
packaging becomes an increasingly important component in the production
process, more and more companies are seeking to update their methods and
machinery in a bid to improve productivity and implement more cost effective
ways of working.
[More
on this Story]
FFC
order Homag Edgebander at W6
Office
furniture manufacturer FFC ordered a new Homag KAL310 high performance
edgebander at the recent W6 exhibition to increase capacity at the company’s
factory at Keighley, West Yorkshire.
[More
on this Story]
Hoffmann
Makes the Mitres at Re-Nu
In
1986 Re-Nu pioneered the idea of renovating kitchens by making
and fitting completely new doors, drawer fronts and worktops. The company
says that it is the most experienced company in this method in the industry
[More
on this Story]
And Finally...
Electrolux
Ads Attract Complaint from Dyson
A
complaint from Dyson objecting to a press ad, a magazine ad and a TV ad
for Electrolux plc, Luton, Bedordshire which stated: ‘Forget about
the bag. Forget about cleaning filters’ was upheld in two of the
three objections according to information published by the Advertising
Standards Authority (ASA).
[More
on this Story]
THE K&BZINE ISSUE 167 3rd November 2006
Masco
Corporation Reports Q3 Results and a Reduction in Anticipated
Earnings for 2006
Masco
Corporation reported on 31st October net sales from continuing
operations for the quarter ended September 30th, 2006
increased one percent to $3.3 billion.
[More
on this Story]
Spanish
Kitchen Brand Seeks UK Retailers
CRS Agencies Ltd is well underway with its plans for developing
the Spanish brand of Santos in the UK marketplace. A number
of retail outlets have already been secured for the product
including a very influential London retailer which wiil
undoubtedly be the flagship studio for Santos.
[More
on this Story]
Clean
up for Free with Siemens Wet Appliances
Kitchen
appliance manufacturer Siemens is offering customers a
free 28-day trial period on selected freestanding washing
machines and dishwashers bought from a participating Siemens
dealer between November 1st 2006 and January 31st 2007.
[More
on this Story]
Nobia:
Continued Favourable Growth Rate
During
the third quarter, kitchen company Nobia increased its
net sales by 24 per cent to SEK 3,631 million (2,930).
Organic growth amounted to 11 per cent. Profit after tax
increased by 35 per cent and earnings per share amounted
to SEK 3.22 (2.39).
[More
on this Story]
Aqualux
Blog makes Living History
Wednesbury-based
Aqualux is backing the History Matters campaign, with
an eco-friendly entry by its marketing manager in the
biggest blog in history.
[More
on this Story]
Britannia
Appoints Marketing Director
Range
cooker specialist Britannia Living has appointed Henneke
Duistermaat as Director of Marketing from 1st November
2006.
[More
on this Story]
CP
Group Named 'Best of British' at ELLE Decoration Design
Awards
Yorkshire tile manufacturer, the CP Group, has clinched
a national design award for its new Unity range. Demonstrating
the progression and potential of tile design, 'Unity'
was named 'Best in Wallcoverings' at the prestigious ELLE
Decoration Design Awards in London.
[More
on this Story]
Dutch
Design meets Dutch Design - For New Kitchen Collections
Two of the leading players in the kitchen market in the
Netherlands - Keller and ATAG - have joined forces to
bring Dutch technology and innovation to the UK retail
and consumer market.
[More
on this Story]
'Seeing
is Believing'
The Bristan Group's new fully functional interactive showroom
is a sales tool that will help customer's get to grips
with all its latest products.
[More
on this Story]
Victoria
& Albert Baths get the French Connection
International
freestanding bath manufacturer Victoria & Albert continues
to forge ahead with impressive European sales growth following
the announcement of two new agents for the brand in France.
[More
on this Story]
Clean
Finish for RH Morton at Lanark Visitor Centre Cafe
RH
Morton, bespoke kitchen and catering equipment supplier, has completed
the final touches to the New Lanark Visitor Centre front of house
kitchen.
[More
on this Story]
Sanitec
Invests Bathroom Ceramics Factory in the Ukraine
On
26th October 2006, after a ceremony attended by the Presidents
of Finland and the Ukraine, the Finnish Sanitec Group and the
Ukrainian Ukrbudmaterialy Group signed an agreement to establish
a joint company.
[More
on this Story]
Plumbing
Specialist Reveals Identity
Plumbing
equipment specialist Altecnic has revealed its new corporate identity
this week.
[More
on this Story]
Social
housing Refurbishment Drive gets Multi-billion Pound Boost
On Thursday, October 19 thirty eight councils in England were
given the go-ahead for their plans to transfer more than 94,000
homes during the next two years, as part of the Government's social
housing refurbishment drive.
[More
on this Story]
Eco-friendly
Kitchens from Nicholas Anthony
The
world of kitchens is becoming increasingly eco-friendly, says
kitchen designer Nicholas Anthony. Manufacturers have taken huge
steps in adopting environmental policies to ensure that their
processes have a minimum effect on the environment.
[More
on this Story]
KBSA
Retailers Offer Comprehensive Consumer Protection
The
Kitchen Bathroom Bedroom Specialists Association has launched
a new enhanced deposit protection scheme which protects consumers
from payment of the deposit to completion of the contract and
includes an insurance backed warranty.
[More
on this Story]
Chubb
Fire Addresses Commercial Kitchen Fire Risks
Against
a background of increasing risks to fire safety in the commercial
kitchen environment, Chubb Fire has developed a range of products
to meet the growing needs of restaurants, hotels and pubs
in dealing with the danger and complying with the new Fire
Safety Order.
[More
on this Story]
HIPPOBAGS™
Replace Skips for Dolphin & Sharps Home Installations
The
waste industry’s alternative to the traditional skip,
the HIPPOBAG™, is now the exclusive national waste disposal
solution used by two of the UK’s leading home improvement
brands.
[More
on this Story]
Final
Assisted Areas Map Published - And Good News for Areas Left
Out
The Government recently published its map of Assisted Areas
showing the zones where businesses can apply for regional
aid for the next seven years.
[More
on this Story]