Victoria
& Albert to Treble Output
Specialist freestanding bath manufacturer Victoria & Albert has commenced a major investment programme that will increase the company’s production by +300% over the next two years. The announcement was made from Victoria & Albert's Group Head Office in the UK and coincides with a worldwide surge in demand for all models across both classic and contemporary ranges.
Four
new buildings are planned at Victoria & Albert's international manufacturing
plant in Worcester, South Africa, where a recruitment drive has already
started strengthening the team of 80 skilled employees. Taking the facility
to in excess of 7,500m2 overall, the new infrastructure will include extra
production areas and a dedicated logistics centre for containerisation
of baths to Europe, Australasia, North America and Canada.
Joe Matthews, Managing Director of Victoria & Albert Baths says, ‘Having
successfully negotiated the purchase of the freehold to our 12,000 m2
South African site we're now set to ramp up production. Lead times have
already begun to improve with the new staff and shift system increasing
output, and levels will be transformed by the end of the summer as the
major capital investment programme fully kicks in.’
He continues, ‘Victoria & Albert is committed to reinforcing
its position at the forefront of freestanding bath design and this investment
will enhance our ability roll out exciting new models.’
Scheduled for launch this September, the next one of which will be called
the Deauville. Designed to appeal to the consumer who likes to put their
own personal touch on a bathroom, The Deauville is a double ended contemporary
bath made from solid surface QUARRYCAST™ which includes distinctive
hard wood feet options in natural oak and mahogany that come ready for
a final waxing, stain or varnish to the homeowner's specification.
Caption: Victoria & Albert's international manufacturing plant in
South Africa will treble output.
Broughton
Crangrove Acquires Exclusive Distribution of Britannia Range Cookers
Broughton
Crangrove has announced exclusive distribution of Britannia's best selling
Deluxe or 'L' products, including built in and range cooking appliances.
Broughton Crangrove has secured the deal with Britannia Living Limited
and is the company's first chosen distributor. The range is to include
both built in and range cooking appliances and will start on 15th July
2004. Allan Nutter, Commercial Director, Broughton Crangrove remarks,
'This is a fantastic range of cooking appliances that has great credibility
with the retailers, and still has enormous potential. Our nationwide delivery
service, plus our large stock holding capability brings further benefits
to Britannia. We add value, delivering Britannia for the first time ever
as a next day delivery concept; normally a retailer would work on a 4-6
week lead time when buying direct from Britannia.'
The Britannia Deluxe range by Broughton Crangrove features the dual fuel
versions from 60cm up to 150cm, and the electric built in models in sizes
of 60cm and 100cm. The choice of dual fuel range cookers includes various
hotplate options including a 5kwh triple ring wok burner, fish burner
and chef top that may be customised with a ribbed or flat griddle. The
ranges that feature two ovens, unusually, both have full width grills.
The ovens are either multifunction with nine functions or fan only. A
feature of all Britannia's ovens is Quick Start. This is a fast and economical
preheating system ensuring the oven reaches its optimum temperature in
approximately half the time of most ovens. Both the freestanding range
cookers and the built in ovens are economical in operation, demonstrated
by their 'A' energy rating.
The contemporary design aesthetics of the range cookers may be complemented
with the addition of a splashback and chimney hood. Finished in stainless
steel, it is a popular choice for the discerning consumer.
Barbara Leech, Sales Director, Britannia Living Limited remarks, 'Britannia
Living is delighted to have appointed Broughton Crangrove as the company's
only national distributor. We believe Broughton Crangrove has the same
passion and hunger for success as Britannia.'
Tel: 0870 60 60 601
Minister
Gives Go-Ahead for Competent Persons Scheme ELECSA
On
29th June in the House of Commons, Phil Hope MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary
of State at the ODPM (and Minister responsible for Building Regulations)
announced the Govemment's latest Competent Persons Scheme. The Scheme
brings all domestic electrical installations under Building Regulations
control in England and Wales.
It was also announced that a new organisation, ELECSA, had been formed
incorporating FENSA - the body behind the most successful of the Competent
Persons Schemes authorised by the ODPM in 2002 and operating in the replacement
window and door sector - and the British Board of Agrement, whose approvals
for construction products and installers are recognised throughout the
UK construction industry.
ELECSA has been given ministerial approval to operate a Competent Persons
Scheme in the electrical sector and invites applications from companies
who wish to ensure they carry the Approved Document P Certificate that
will be vital to trading after 1st January 2005.
'We are delighted that ELECSA has been appointed to this task by the Minister'
says Chief Executive Graham Hinett. 'We have unique strengths, developed
for the FENSA scheme but equally appropriate for the electrical sector
and with the BBA providing inspection services - building on its experiences
in running installer schemes for nearly 40 years now, installers can have
total confidence in our ability to deliver. Our database currently handles
1.4 million installations a year, is thoroughly proven and our system
of notification to local authorities and householders is already established
and working very well.
'All this means that the costs of gaining an Approved Document P Certificate
via ELECSA will be extremely competitive - benefiting installers and their
clients alike.'
BBA Chief Executive Peter Hewlett also commented: 'We are delighted that
the ELECSA bid has been successful and we look forward to the new scheme
being as successful as FENSA has been in the window industry. The BBA's
expertise in approvals of products and installers developed over nearly
40 years will be brought to bear on this exciting new area and we are
confident that ELECSA will create a new quality benchmark for the electrical
industry'.
Contact: Frank Allain
Tel: 020 7864 9913
Email: mailto:elecsa@fensa.org.uk
Calling
all Franke Dealers! Check the Website.
Franke UK is encouraging all dealers registered on its website to keep
their company contact details up-to-date.
Throughout the past month, the sink manufacturer has received a record
number of hits to www.franke.co.uk and wants to ensure dealers are getting
maximum benefit from the site.
John Swain, product manager of Franke UK, commented: 'The amount of traffic
we are getting on the website is incredible. We recorded over 100,000
visitors in June, which is more than double the number on the same time
last year.
'If dealers can help us to keep their address and product display details
up to date, we can help direct possible customers to their retail outlets,
as well as keep them informed with any relevant news.'
To register or amend your details visit http://www.franke.co.uk
Brandt
Affordable Pyrolytic Oven Awarded Your Home 'Editor’s Choice'
The
Brandt FP225 oven has been awarded the Your Home editor's choice in its
July issue. This affordable oven from the mid priced brand has been chosen
for its 'A' energy rating and because it is pyrolytic.
Your Home says:
‘Best for cooks who never want to have to clean the oven again.
‘We love the energy efficient 'A' rating and the pyrolytic cleaning
function which leaves the oven looking good as new with absolutely no
effort on your part. Triple glazed, it features seven cooking functions
and an Eco option to reduce the level of energy used by 20%.’
The Brandt FP225 51-litre oven has seven cooking functions including fan,
ECO conventional, conventional, pulsed bottom element, pulsed grill, variable
grill and a warming oven. It has two pyrolytic modes, ECO and normal and
is available in black, stainless steel and pure white.
Brandt: 01256 308 000
Stockist and brochureline: 0870 240 8095
Web: http://www.brandtuk.com
New
Commercial Director for Fagor UK
Fagor
UK has appointed Steve Waddilove as Commercial Director for Freestanding
and Built-In Appliances, with immediate effect. Steve joins Fagor from
Merloni Domestic Appliances, where he has occupied a variety of key sales
and marketing roles for the past 13 years. He has extensive experience
of working closely with both independent and multiple retailers, and has
also worked on the Continent.
Steve comments: 'I'm extremely excited to be joining Fagor UK. We have
a fantastic range of products offering consumers exceptional value, and
I'm looking forward to further expanding Fagor's market presence in the
UK.'
To contact Fagor UK's sales office, call 0207 354 0044 or email sales@fagorappliances.co.uk.
Fagor UK is a subsidiary of Fagor Electrodomésticos, a division
of the Mondragón Corporación Cooperativa (MCC) headquartered
in the Basque Country in Spain. Founded in 1956, the Fagor Group manufactures
in three continents. It is the market leader for household appliances
in Spain, with a 21% share, and maintains subsidiaries across Western
and Eastern Europe. The company employs 6000 people.
Barwick
Announces Its Appointment as Distributor for Niagara
Niagara,
the mid market brand from Jacuzzi UK which is supplied through distributors,
adds extra breadth to the Barwick portfolio. Niagara provides a one-stop
bathroom solution through a comprehensive selection of bathroom suites,
baths, showers, shower enclosures, brassware, bathroom furniture and bathroom
accessories. The company says that attractive and practical designs that
offer value have made Niagara a popular choice amongst today’s consumers
of bathroom products.
Barwick says that it is known for providing a high quality service that
is committed to meeting the needs of retailers by supplying products with
an emphasis on design, quality and value. The new partnership with Niagara
should prove to be an asset to bathroom retailers, giving them further
choice through Barwick and furthermore enabling them to take advantage
of Barwick’s service when buying Niagara.
Martin Mongan, Sales Director of Jacuzzi UK stated ‘I am delighted
on behalf of Jacuzzi UK to welcome Barwick into the Niagara distribution
network. It is a company I have been fortunate enough to work with before
as a customer, and therefore appreciate first hand the value the company
can add to the Niagara brand. Jacuzzi UK looks forward to working very
closely with the Barwick team.’
The full Niagara product range is available from Barwick now.
Tel: 01274 687555
Email: mailto:info@barwick-bradford.co.uk
Web: http://www.barwick-bradford.co.uk
Niagara
Web: http://www.niagara-bathrooms.co.uk
Design
Remains the Name of the Game in Worksurfaces
New
research undertaken by Orama, the independent manufacturer of worksurfaces
and associated decorative products, confirms the unprecedented growth
and appeal of contemporary design. The Ardesco range, targeted at specialist
independent kitchen retailers, reflects emerging influences in UK kitchen
styles from continental Europe.
Orama’s
latest findings reveal the growing popularity of thicker worksurface depths
coupled with natural rich browns and creams and dark wood effects like
coffee, chocolate, wenge and zebrano. Thicker worksurfaces with plain
profiling are used to create a strong focal point in the room. Metal edging
takes advantage of the reflective effects kitchen designers are increasingly
displaying to brighten up a room and enhance the depth and beauty of warm
plain colours.
More designers are also combining a variety of colours to create contrasts
that further emphasise these bolder worksurfaces.
Many kitchen designers are now layering worksurfaces to break up the single
horizontal plain. A simple but effective idea, multi-layering introduces
an ‘architectural’ element of interior design to the kitchen
and these breaks avoid a very square, rigid and solid look. This allows
an element of distinction to prevail while very distinctive work areas
are formed adding even more depth, especially to a plain kitchen.
‘Although kitchen design in the British market has been lagging behind
Europe as a result of different living areas and lifestyles, the gap is
now closing with new ideas based on continental fashions becoming more
firmly established in the UK’, says Peter Holt, sales and marketing
director, Orama. ‘With Ardesco, we have anticipated these trends,
moods and tastes with a very select and distinctive offer. Since the worksurface
is no longer a commodity but is used to create layered, cubic, colour
and reflective effects to emphasise a kitchen, it now has a direct impact
on modern living. Our Ardesco range takes advantage of this shift to a
more exclusive, individual and stylish environment.’
Orama offers high quality durable decorative panels and worksurfaces.
Established for many years, Orama holds ISO 9001 certification and the
Furniture Industry Research Association Gold Award for product performance.
The company is also a corporate member of the KBSA (Kitchen Bathroom Bedroom
Specialist Association). All Orama’s chipboard and solid timber products
are sourced from 'responsibly managed forests.
Tel: 01773 520560
Web: http://www.orama.co.uk
Maytag
UK's New Price List Valid from July 1st
A
new price list encompassing Maytag appliances including refrigeration,
laundry and dishwashing is now available. Featuring Maytag, Admiral and
Euroline brands the price list supersedes all others and is valid from
the 1st July 2004.
The
new price list lncorporates all the products launched at the KBB 2004
exhibition in January. Heralding Maytag's new Handy Chiller on the front
cover makes it easy to distinguish. The Handy Chiller is Maytag's first
venture into small appliances and one offering a stylish way to chill
drinks without taking up valuable refrigerator space. The patented chilling
process is 40 times quicker than a freezer and takes just 3 1/2 minutes
to chill a bottle of wine for a trade price of £35.
Maytag's American refrigeration and laundry are highlighted first. For
those requiring Maytag's brand credentials of performance and dependability
but in a smaller package, the Euroline range of refrigeration, washing
machines matching tumble dryers and dishwashers come to the rescue. Offering
new models including top mount refrigeration, stackable laundry and a
new range of dishwashers, which may be purchased from as little as £255.
Maytag range cooking appliances are now presented in both stainless steel
and black, available with or without splashback and ventilation hood.
The Maytag range cooker makes for an attractive proposition for those
seeking to capture and invest in the booming cooking market, offering
a designed range that offers an American side by side fridge freezer to
match.
Finally, Admiral refrigeration and laundry continue to offer American
appliances at good prices. The Admiral 60AdiW/B can be had for £790,
and in stainless steel for £1,100.
Refrigeration and laundry accessories, warranty information and delivery
details are featured to ensure all the relevant information is at the
retailers finger tips at the point of sale.
For copies of the new Maytag appliance price list contact your Maytag
Area Sales Manager or call the hotline on 01737 231 000.
Ritec
Gives Go-Glass A Superior Finish
Ritec’s
Sandblast Glass Protect is ensuring an attractive, long-lasting finish
on sandblasted glass produced by Go-Glass in Cambridge. A supplier of
high quality glass and mirrors for the past 25 years, Go-Glass designs
and produces decorative glass for both the home and workplace, from door
panel and side lights, shower enclosures and kitchen splash backs to furniture
and shelving.
Go-Glass specialises in sandblasted glass, which can quickly lose its
pristine appearance when exposed to surface contamination such as finger
marks. Ritec Sandblast Glass Protect gives sandblasted glass an attractive
satin finish that resists staining. At Go-Glass, the company’s trained
technicians use manual spraying equipment to apply the coating (automation
options are also available).
Once this has dried, any residue is simply cleaned off, leaving the surface
protected and easier to clean without the need for harsh chemicals.
Commenting on Ritec’s award-winning glass protection technology,
Clive Sparkes, Design and Development Director at Go-Glass, says, ‘Ritec’s
ClearShield offers a uniform finish, longer life and simpler maintenance
programme than other protective coatings. We started using it because
so many architects specify it. Ritec’s service is also very reliable
and if we need advice, their staff are always helpful and knowledgeable.’
Launched last year, Sandblast Glass Protect is a specialist version of
Ritec’s ClearShield System, developed for protecting sandblasted
glass or glass with abrasively-etched decoration. It is based on the company’s
proven polymer technology enhanced with a new and more active catalyst
for even higher resistance to corrosion and staining.
With Sandblast Glass Protect, the surface is chemically non-reactive,
so dirt builds up more slowly and will not stick to it. This makes it
Low-M (Low Maintenance) Glass® – on average cutting cleaning
frequency by half – and it retains its visual appeal for much longer.
And when combined with Ritec’s recommended after-care programme,
Sandblast Glass Protect glass can look and perform like new for years
to come.
Tel: 020 8344 8210
Web: http://www.ritec.co.uk
The
Ultimate Flexibility in Kitchen Internal Organisation
The internal organisation of kitchen and other fitted furniture drawers
is fast becoming a major selling point for many manufacturers. With the
emphasis now firmly on optimising the use of cabinet storage space, cutlery
trays and dividers are becoming design items just as much as practical
systems.
G&G
Products of Manchester has established a design and manufacturing base
that the company says has closed in on 80% of this exclusive market. The
wooden trays are generally machined from laminated beech blocks –
although any hardwood can be specified.
G&G managing director Sam Grinshpan has established a design and production
facility with great flexibility – from the CAD and graphics to the
multi-head 5-axis routers and high-tech throughfeed finishing sanders.
So trays can be produced to size, with specific cut outs to suit individual
products and utensils or more general dividers that merely compartmentalise
the drawer interior.
G&G products not only have production facilities for wood but also
vacuum forming and injection moulding for a wide variety of plastic designs.
The result is that, through mixing and matching different products, a
limitless variety of design solutions can be arrived at.
In the showrooms at the G&G Products factory concepts are on display
– drop-down knife racks from underneath wall units, in-built scales
in the trays, mobile fitted island units that form an integral apart of
the worktop run but can be pulled out as required, and many more.
G&G
Products’ designs are included in the products of many leading kitchen
and bedroom brands as well as being used by major drawer system manufacturers
both across the UK and abroad. The company has interesting ideas for the
home office and commercial sector markets and will work on customised
solutions with individual customers. As Sam Grinshpan explains, 'the only
restriction on design possibilities is the imagination!'
Tel: 0161 723 1000
Email: mailto:mail@gandgproducts.co.uk
Maytag
and UAW Officials Reach Tentative Agreement on a New Labour Contract
Maytag
and United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of
America (UAW) Local 997 jointly announced that they have reached a tentative
agreement on a new four-year labour contract covering production and maintenance
employees at Maytag's manufacturing facilities in Newton, Iowa.
This new agreement is subject to a ratification vote by union membership,
which will be scheduled by UAW Local 997. No details of the tentative
agreement will be released at this time.
Whirlpool,
Ispat Inland Reach Agreement
Whirlpool
Corporation and Ispat Inland Inc. announced on June 17th that they have
reached a confidential agreement staying the litigation involving the
two companies for 45 days while securing Whirlpool’s steel supply
and allowing the temporary restraining order against Ispat to be dissolved.
Whirlpool Corporation is a world leading manufacturer and marketer of
major home appliances, with annual sales of over $12 billion, 68,000 employees,
and nearly 50 manufacturing and technology research centers around the
globe. The company markets Whirlpool, KitchenAid, Brastemp, Bauknecht,
Consul and other major brand names to consumers in more than 170 countries.