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MBO from Mereway Group for easyquote

The management team of kitchen and bathroom software vendor easyquote has announced that it has completed a management-buy-out from the Mereway group of companies.

It has long been the view of the management team of easyquote that being a subsidiary of a kitchen and bathroom manufacturer (even one as highly regarded as Mereway) was inhibiting the degree of co-operation of competitive suppliers and distributors in the kitchen and bathroom markets and holding back the management team's plans to grow and develop the company.

With the support of certain financial institutions the management team has backed its commitment to the easyquote software with hard earned cash and it has acquired a majority shareholding in the company. The management team says that it will always be eternally grateful for the commitment and support that it has received from the Mereway group over the years and it will remain committed to ensuring that Mereway's retailers continue to receive first-class support and services.

The easyquote management team has aggressive growth plans for the company and over the coming weeks and months it plans an investment into new sales, support training and development staff, new offices, new equipment, more catalogues, new features and functions in the software and more marketing efforts.

As part of the buy-out process Leigh Martin has assumed the position of Managing Director, Andy Peters the position of Sales Director, Mark Mills the role of Operation Director, and the board has announced the appointment of new non-executive Chairman, Mr Paul Heaven. Paul has served in senior management roles in the IT software/services sector for more than 25 years and brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the easyquote management team.

Leigh stated, ‘We greatly enjoyed working within the Mereway management team and we learned a great deal about the needs and demands of our industry from that legacy, but we are tremendously excited about the future prospect of being out there on our own as the market leading and now a truly independent supplier of order, quotation and management software and data for the kitchen and bathroom markets. We have the management team and funding in place to support our ambitious growth plans and like a great many of our clients we are looking forward to the challenge of being an owner managed business’.

For additional information contact: Andy Peters on 0121 506 9378 or Leigh Martin on 0121 506 9377.

Drummonds' Chelsea Showroom Gets a Designer Refurbishment

Drummonds opened its newly refurbished Chelsea showroom on Tuesday 22nd November 2005. The premises, at 78 Royal Hospital Road, have been totally refitted to a design by Ivan Speight.

Henry Bickerton, manager of Drummonds Chelsea, says, ‘Ivan's design has enabled us to create five fully dressed bathroom sets in our basement which allows customers to see our collections as a suite rather than individual products. He has made the most of the available natural light and has combined wall colours and props to emphasise both the unity and the quality of the collections.’

The basement also houses an impressive selection of old wood and stone floors, which is another speciality of Drummonds. The welcoming ground floor features a prominent window display on a glass tableau, which allows light to flood into the basement. The ground floor also houses Drummonds' brassware collections along with ceramic and glass door knobs, all displayed in antique cabinets.

The showroom is open from 10:00am-6:00pm Monday to Friday, Saturday by appointment. For further information contact Drummonds on 020 7376 4499 or visit http://www.dad-arch.co.uk.

Simple and Free to Transfer your Part P Registration to ELECSA

With the Christmas festive season here, many electricians and tradesmen will be thinking of next year’s plans. Issues like renewing their registration for self certifying under Part P will be on the horizon.

Before you renew your registration with your current Part P scheme provider, you may wonder what it would be like to be registered with another scheme. Why not transfer over to ELECSA for free? Transferring to ELECSA is very simple - all you need to do is to:

• Fill in a simple application form
• Provide a copy of your public liability
• Provide a copy of your paperwork confirming that you have passed the assessment with your current scheme

Once you have transferred over to ELECSA, you will receive a unique login and password to your account. You then start notifying ELECSA of any electrical work that falls under the scope of Part P for the cost £1.50 + VAT by fax, email or over the internet. Your registration with ELECSA will last until the anniversary date of your assessment that you passed with your last scheme provider.

'So if you are not yet registered with ELECSA, why not consider transferring to ELECSA for free? You have nothing to lose and instead, registration with a user-friendly scheme provider to gain.'

For further information on the ELECSA scheme and information on Part P, go to http://www.elecsa.org.uk or contact the ELECSA Registration Team on 0870 749 0080.

John Burton Race Demonstrates to Fenwick Guests on his Favourite Range Cooker

Customers of Fenwick in Newcastle have been treated to a cooking demonstration from renowned chef John Burton Race.

John cooked a number of delicious dishes while further entertaining his audience with stories of his Channel 4 series, living in France and cooking for six kids!

John cooked a variety of dishes to demonstrate the functions of his favourite cooker - the Cannon Professional 1000 - which he uses in his own home.

This is the second time John has demonstrated at the store and he was delighted to be asked back, ‘I really enjoy coming up to Newcastle, the people are great. As cooking is my passion I love the opportunity to demonstrate to others - and live demos are definitely the most fun!’

In their second year of partnership, John Burton Race and Cannon believe in the same philosophy - to be a successful cook at home, you need a high quality, versatile cooker in the kitchen.

Since the beginning, Cannon has used its relationship with John to support its customers as much as possible.

Janine Rostron, Cannon Brand Manager comments, ‘The demonstration at Fenwick last year had an excellent response so we decided to do it again. It is great to have someone as fun and willing as John to help us support our customers.’

Tel: 08701 50 60 70
Web: http://www.cannoncooking.co.uk

Contract Glass, the Kitchen & Bathroom Glass Specialist

Best known for its work producing glass tops and splash backs for the kitchen and bathroom industries, Contract Glass's new waterjet machine allows virtually any finished shape to be cut to bespoke designs or mass manufacturing quickly and efficiently.

Working to maximum capacity, the machine can turn around well over a hundred intricate pieces a day, producing exceptional edge quality without inducing heat-affected zones of mechanical stresses - eliminating costly secondary finishing.

Since its establishment in 1990, Contract Glass has built up a reputation at the top of the glass processing market and has increased both productivity and profitability over the last year, with the introduction of the waterjet cutting machine to its already comprehensive range of specialised equipment.

Waterjet cutting technology is one of the fastest growing major tool processes in the world due to its versatility and ease of operation, and as a company that designs, creates and manufactures almost anything involving flat glass (specialising in intricate and complex processing), Contract Glass has the capability to move quickly from job to job.

Contract Glass's managing director Tony Towler comments: 'The installation of the waterjet cutting machine has saved us valuable time on the shop floor because the set-up and tooling is so simple. The beauty of the machine is that it can cut multiple parts in a single pass, and running multiple cutting heads simultaneously further increases productivity. Producing a wealth of products ranging from furniture to gaming machine fronts, this machine has revolutionised the way we work, helping us to increase our wide and varied workload ten fold. We are turning work around faster than ever.'

Tel : +44 (0)1603 763 076
Web: http://www.contractglass.co.uk

RAK Ceramics' Sales Force Grows as Company Expands

Ceramic tile and sanitaryware manufacturer, RAK Ceramics, has appointed two new key managers to work within its rapidly expanding UK sales and administration team. Dean Pamphilon and Kimberley van Eyssen have joined RAK Ceramics.

Dean Pamphilon's role as contracts sales manager will focus on driving forward the company's market share in both tiles and sanitaryware via key property developers and housebuilders. Dean is ideally suited to his new post, having previously worked as sales director at Sorrento Stone & Ceramics and also distribution sales manager for Olympus Tiles.

Dean Pamphilon (left) and Kimberley van Eyssen (right) - latest members of RAK Ceramics' expanding UK sales and administration team.

‘I want to help housebuilders generate that crucial 'wow' factor for their bathrooms while keeping a firm grasp on budget,’ said Dean. ‘Harnessing RAK Ceramics' premium products and unrivalled levels of service is a proven way of achieving this - in partnership all the way, RAK Ceramics add value and desirability to all sorts of projects, from residential new build to major civic amenities.’

Kimberley van Eyssen is RAK Ceramics' new general manager. Born in Surrey, Kimberley spent many years in South Africa before returning to the UK in 2003. She previously worked in management for Tesco and in South Africa her administration roles were varied and challenging.

‘Our two new personnel join RAK Ceramics at an exciting point in our expansion,’ said RAK Ceramics managing director Rob Jull. ‘We're currently launching a number of excellent new products, including Rondo designed by Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen.

‘We will have one of the largest stands at January's KBB incorporating Expotile 2006 which will not only serve to showcase RAK Ceramics' latest ranges but also reflect our ever-increasing status within the industry. For me our progress is all about providing improved product standards at affordable prices right across our marketplace.’

RAK Ceramics' KBB stand F89/F79 will be in Hall 19, incorporating a four metre high water feature finished in the company's latest range of wall tiles.

New Offices and Sales Manager for Microcad Software in UK

Microcad Software Ltd, the developer of autokitchen, the Kitchen Design Software powered by AutoCAD welcomes Richard McCarthy as a Sales Manager UK. Richard brings with him over 15 years experience in Kitchens design and sales. Richard who will be based at Scotsbridge House looks forward to meet with new and existing Microcad customers.

Richard at Scotsbridge House

Due to the continued expansion of the company, Microcad Software Ltd has relocated to:

Scotsbridge House
Scots Hill
Rickmansworth
Hertfordshire
WD3 3BB
Tel: 0845 6340168

The new facility offices offer new improved in-house training for new customer courses and individually designed courses tailor made for the customer’s own requirements.

Miele 'Takes Control' of the Ceramic Hobs Market with New Innovations for 2006

Following the successful launch of Miele's front control ceramic hobs in 2004, the brand is set to further boost its ceramic offering by introducing two new control types to provide greater differentiation between models, and by launching a completely new range of induction hobs.

New electronic Easy Controls will feature across a number of HiLight ceramic models. These controls are very easy to use and are centrally mounted on a touch control pad with simple +/- buttons and a digital power setting. Additional changes to the HiLight range include improved price points across the whole series.

Another new control, the Comfort Control Plus will feature on a number of high-end HiLight hobs. This electronic touch control features illuminated light rings and a user-friendly memory operation to simplify frequently used operations.

New Induction Range
Further developments within the ceramic offering include the doubling of the original KM400 induction range from three to six models, creating a completely new KM5000 series.

Every model in the new KM5000 series now has four booster zones, in addition to the popular Comfort Control electronic touch which features on existing models. They also offer a clearer and more elegant look, thanks to their new ring graphics.

Neil Pooley, Group Product Manager comments, ‘The launch of the new induction models provides enhanced choice, features and design, and further establishes Miele as the leading manufacturer of specialist cooking appliances.

‘Plus, the new competitive price points within the range also make Miele's ceramic hobs a more affordable purchase and means that retailers have an even stronger product offering and a breadth of variety to offer consumers.’

Furthermore, the new induction range has more choice in sizes. The smaller width models are available with the traditional thin steel frame or bevelled glass edge and the hobs with greater surface area now come with either traditional steel rim or as a flush mounted model. The largest capacity models retain the successful Panorama design, which is newly complemented by an additional steel rimmed model for standard installations.

Slim-line Integrated Extractors
In line with the extension to the induction range, Miele is also re-launching its series of slim-line integrated extractors, with a variety of improvements including electronic front controls, halogen lighting, dishwasher proof filters and a standard stainless steel lightshield, none of which have an impact on the current trade price.

Neil Pooley concludes ‘This is another example of Miele's ability to be at the cutting edge of modern technology and to meet consumers' needs.

‘All of these developments, plus a number of other exciting changes across the Miele built-in range, will be fully supported throughout 2006 with a comprehensive marketing programme which will include national advertising and PR.’

For stockist information call Miele on 01235 554455 or visit http://www.miele.co.uk.

Kitchen & Bathroom Designer Magazine joins Bathroom Academy Sponsors

The Kitchen & Bathroom Designer magazine has become the first Professional Magazine to sponsor the Bathroom Manufacturers Association's virtual bathroom academy. The Bathroom Manufacturers Association is committed to raising the standards of knowledge within the bathroom industry and to recognise the skills attained by all bathroom stakeholders, who are studying its Technical Guides.

Speaking for Designer magazine, publisher Kevin John says; ‘the training initiative from the bathroom manufacturers will give our industry an authoritative source for the basic background knowledge that we so desperately need. We have a great industry, with some fabulous people in it and Fifth Element Publications, which publishes the Designer magazine, is delighted to be able to support the members of the association in this important move.’

The BMA's newly appointed head of training and marketing, Richard Moss, told of the need for the industry to manage its own training needs; ‘support from pioneering industry stakeholders, such as the Designer magazine and the KBB2006 exhibition will be vital to ensure that the work of the bathroom academy continues to progress, so far all of the funding has come from the members of the BMA and that is likely to remain the case. The study elements that we put in place will benefit everyone and it is a great source of encouragement for the association's members when other industry stakeholders offer their support.’

The BMA is the trade association for bathroom manufacturers. Its authority is underlined by a membership that represents 87% of the mainstream bathroom business undertaken within the UK. In its role as the voice of the UK bathroom industry, the association has prepared a series of Generic Training Guides to help people gain a clearer understand of products such as shower controls, shower enclosure, shower trays, sanitaryware, brass fittings and baths.

For more information on the Generic Industry Guides visit: http://www.bathroom-association.org

To register to study and test yourself on the guides contact: phil.lumley@bathroom-association.org.uk

Lucky Couple Bathe Baby Like the Beckhams

Clearwater Collection celebrated the first baby born on the day one of its retailers opened a showroom, by organising one of its baby baths for the couple.

Clearwater Collection, the manufacturer of luxury handmade freestanding acrylic baths, manufacture the popular baby bath given to Ayshea and Iain Patrick to celebrate the opening of Killinghall Bathrooms in Harrogate.

The baby bath, worth £400, is a miniature version of one of Clearwater Collection's more traditional freestanding baths, and was also snapped up by the Beckhams for baby Brooklyn when he was born.

Clearwater Baby Bath being presented to the winners, Mr & Mrs Patrick, at Killinghall Bathrooms in Harrogate

This bath comes with its own cast aluminium feet and a hole can be drilled in the bottom for a standard plug for draining.

‘The Clearwater Collection baby bath is an excellent product as it is cute, unusual but also very useful’, commented Darren Allison, managing director of Clearwater Collection. ‘I hope the Patrick's will have many pleasant family bath-times.’

Clearwater Collection produces top quality, beautiful baths for all kinds of bathrooms. Both traditional and contemporary options mean almost any bathroom can benefit from a Clearwater bath.

Clearwater Collection Limited exports to 25 countries and numbers celebrities amongst its clients (including Paul McCartney, Victoria and David Beckham and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi).

All Clearwater products feature the distinctive Clearwater badge, which serves as a hallmark of excellence, and come with a lifetime guarantee.

We’d Rather Slave Over a Hot Sink than Buy a Dishwasher!

Recent research by Electrolux and Future Foundation Group confirms we’re nuts about doing the dishes! While the vast majority of Swiss, Germans, Swedes and Austrians prefer to employ the services of a dishwasher to wash up – nearly 7 out of 10 British households don the rubber gloves and wash up by hand.

The Electrolux and Future Foundation Group’s research into ownership of consumer durables highlights the very low ownership of dishwashers in the UK. While virtually all households have a colour TV, fridge freezer, washing machine and microwave oven – only 30% own a dishwasher.

This staggeringly low number contrasts starkly with other European countries like Austria (67.5%), Switzerland (64%) and Germany (58%) proving we are a nation of dishwashers! In fact the UK has the lowest dishwasher ownership of most of the Western European countries.

So the big question is why? Electrolux reckons it is because many of us Brits simply have the wrong perception about dishwashers – we think they are too expensive, they will cost a fortune to run (gobbling up water and energy), they take up too much space – and we just don’t see the benefits.

'It means we have a big task ahead to try and correct these misconceptions. Dishwashers are more affordable than ever, they use a fraction of the water and energy needed to wash the same load by hand– offer superior wash results and they save you time', comments Andy Mackay, Brand & Marketing Director for Electrolux Major Appliances.

Facts:
• Dishwashers are more affordable than ever – many starting at under £300. They are also available in a variety of sizes – compact, slimline or fullsize - so virtually all kitchen sizes should be able to accommodate one.

• Nearly a million Dishwashers are sold in the UK each Year (2004 GfK Audit 885,000) with the most rapid growth seen in sales of Built In models as part of a fitted kitchen.

• They are vastly more efficient than hand washing: You would need over 40 litres to wash a full load by hand, where as a dishwasher can use as little as 13 litres of water.

• You use around 2kWh to wash a full load by hand, where as a good dishwasher uses almost half that amount.

• A dishwasher will wash the dishes far cleaner compared with hand washing – thanks to higher temperatures, stronger detergents and sophisticated wash technology which uses sensors to monitor how dirty the dishes are. In a comparative study of machine and hand washing by the University of Louisville School of Medicine all machine washed dishes showed an average bacteria count of less than one per plate. The bacteria count on hand-washed dishes averaged 390 per plate and in some specific cases was as high as 16,000!

• Dishwashers also dry the dishes. This means they are far more hygienic (no grubby tea towels harbouring thousands of germs).

• Time Saving – think of all the other things you could be doing! A dishwasher can save you up to 300 hours a year.

Source: Electrolux /Future Foundation report October 2005
This report is based on findings from a programme of desk and original research conducted between April and June 2005. The key sources were:

• Future Foundation/nVision
• Electrolux - Automatic Cooking, Market Survey on Cooking Habits (2004)
• Electrolux – Cooking Trends, A White Paper (2005)
• Electrolux ePanel - Online survey of 225 UK adults aged 16+ (May & June 2005)

Easy Bosch Solutions to Those Boring Christmas Chores

Christmas should be all about friends, family and enjoying yourself, but all too often it can become a bit of a chore. Domestic tasks loom, leaving you little time for the things that really count. For this reason, Bosch domestic appliances says that it has come up with some great ideas to help ease the load over the festive season.

Ditch the Dishes
Give your rubber gloves a break this Christmas and get yourself a dishwasher, or add it to your Christmas gift ideas list. A Bosch dishwasher uses less energy and water than washing up by hand and saves you hours slaving over a hot sink every week. The Bosch Logixx SGS65L12 dishwasher is AAA rated, uses as little as 14 litres of water and the sensitive Aqua Vario feature means that even your best Christmas crockery can be put in the dishwasher. It looks good too, with controls concealed in the top of the door and is very quiet so you can hear yourself speak over the Christmas dinner.

Warm Drawers for the Cook who has Almost Everything
Bosch warming drawers give extra capacity for all those festive meals. As well as keeping food warm, they allow you to transfer food from the main oven, providing extra space when things are cooked. That all important timing is so much easier if you can keep carved meat warm while you enjoy your first course. You can also defrost delicate frozen food items – cranberries for example – along with meat and bread. At slightly higher temperatures, it will keep your plates warm pre-dinner as well as melt chocolate and dissolve gelatine – perfect for those party puddings. 'Available in brushed steel, the new Bosch warming drawers are a must-have for any serious cook.'

Dreaming of a White Christmas?
As thoughts drift to sleigh bells, softly falling snow, rosy cheeks and woolly scarves, wet washing is going to be the last thing you want to have to think about! If you have a new Bosch Logixx WTS86519 Condenser dryer you won’t need to spend any more time on it than loading your washing and pressing a button. The new drum system ensures gentle distribution of your laundry in a three dimensional movement, from side to side, back to front and around the drum. The end result is more even drying, reduced creasing and greater fabric care. The large round glass door makes loading and unloading easier and an internal light helps you see right to the back.

Unpredictable weather is ever-present if you live in the UK, so a Bosch dryer is not just for Christmas, it’s for life!

A Cold and Frosty Morning
Are you one of those people who stores all your extra Christmas food outside the back door and hopes that the local cat population won’t notice? Time to get a nice, roomy, tall fridge. The 185cm high Bosch Logixx KGU4125 frost free fridge has plenty of space for everything, including a deli drawer to keep pates and sliced meats safe. It also has a special ‘Chiller Zone’ which keeps meat, fish and ready meals fresh, flavoursome and nutritious for longer. The frost free system means you’ll never have to worry about defrosting again – a job you could particularly do without around Christmas. With electronic controls, wine rack and a visual and acoustic warning system to let you know if temperatures are not correct or if you’ve left the door open by mistake, it looks good too with the Bosch ‘high door’ design.

Bosch Brochure Line: 0870 727 0446
Web: http://www.boschappliances.co.uk