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Aqualux Counts Down to KBB 2006

Aqualux is launching what it believes is a UK first for the bathroom market at this year's KBB exhibition.

The new Walk-through is an enclosure which goes beyond the walk-in concept to allow complete freedom when showering. The Walk-through is suited to fit into a recess and has two ‘open-ends’ meaning the user can walk all the way through the enclosure.

'The Walk-through is the ultimate in contemporary design and offers a luxurious and spacious showering experience. The new Walk-through will be added to Aqualux’s exclusive premium Energy range and is set to make some serious waves at KBB!' says the company.

Aqualux's stand at KBB will be its biggest to date and will be packed with a range of stylish and contemporary new products to suit all budgets and bathroom sizes.

The shower surround and bath screen manufacturer is also updating its popular Elite range into two separate collections: Elite Modern and Elite Classic. Elite Modern is a new range of products being launched at KBB and offers contemporary design with smooth stylish curves. The new range will include the compact Walk-In, suitable for smaller ensuites, the augmented Quadrant, a solution for fitted bathrooms and an off-set Quadrant, a first for the Elite range.Elite Classic is the new name for the re-launched products in its existing Elite range. The collection has been transformed to give installers more choice of size, design and style options.

This revitalised range will see a new 800mm size option introduced to the Elite pivot, bi-fold and side panel enclosures, and a 1000mm and 1100mm slider will also be available as a larger option. Other improvements include an increase of glass thickness, a new glass pattern with frosted design and a new height of 1850mm for an improved look and better fit.

And, Aqualux isn't stopping there, not only is it launching a host of new products at KBB, but it is making them easier to clean with the launch of Showerblade. The Showerblade is an indispensable household product that cleans any glass surface without the need for a chemical cleaner and leaves it smear free. It has both a straight and curved edge so it is perfect for any style of shower enclosure or bath screen.

Bigger and better is Aqualux's motto for this year's KBB exhibition and the company is inviting everyone to a daily champagne reception at 4pm where there will also be a chance to win a daily prize. The company is also offering show-only incentives on new products.

Visit the Aqualux stand at KBB: Hall 19, Stand F99

Mayfair Brassware at KBB 2006

Not only did Mayfair Brassware celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2005, the company moved to a brand new 25,000 square foot warehouse in June to help manage its significant expansion during the year.

'Winning supply contracts with many new blue chip customers such as Homebase, MFI and Argos to name just a few meant we have had to expand quickly to cope with the growth we have experienced during 2005', stated Mike Campbell - Sales and Marketing Director, 'and our attendance at this prestigious show will provide us with the platform to launch our merchant and retail strategy for the years to come.

'We are using the show to launch our new 2006 price guide featuring over 300 different products, we will also launch our new shower range under the banner Aquiform Showers, and as goes without saying, we will be launching 10 totally new and innovative tap ranges.' continued Mike.

'Stand B79 is the place to visit this year, we hope to see you there.'

GE Appliances UK, the white goods manufacturer, says that it brings to KBB 2006 a host of new product and design innovations. ‘Manufacturing high quality American refrigeration products worldwide, the company’s knowledge and experience of this industry has made us experts in this rapidly expanding market.’

2006 is no exception, with GE showcasing several new refrigeration styles, as well as introducing a new range of de-humidifiers, air-conditioning and water treatment products. ‘Taking style, quality and performance to new heights, GE's new ranges are suitable for both contemporary and traditional settings and are sure to take the market by storm.’

Visit the GE team on Stand N109 to discover more or visit the new website http://www.geappliances.co.uk

DK Distribution at KBB 2006

Manufacturer and distributor DK Distribution, will exhibit at the KBB 2006 show with its biggest ever stand of 81 sq m.

The company plans to show 12 new kitchen designs along with its new bedroom doors that have been carefully researched and designed for the future trends of this market.

Also on display will be a selection from DK Distributions’ extensive high quality colour-co-ordinated carcase ranges.

DK Distribution provides a complete service that includes furniture hardware, handles, knobs, appliances, sinks, taps, worktops. Also, naturally, all the associated accessories to match all the doors in the various ranges.

The Manchester company has a large fleet of new trucks and delivery vehicles to serve a nationwide customer base with punctual and short lead time service.

Tel: 0161 230 0700

Aqata, the UK shower enclosure manufacturer, will be launching a new range of contemporary shower fittings and accessories at KBB2006, along with showcasing new additions to the Minimalist Collection of shower enclosures which are also suitable for wet room applications.

‘Aqata offers the ultimate in luxury bathroom products,’ says the company. ‘Renowned for quality, excellent design and innovative use of new technology, Aqata has been designing and manufacturing quality bathroom products for nearly two decades and customer satisfaction is our number one priority.

‘Visit our stand to discover the Aqata experience: Hall 9, Stand G79'

Precious Metal from Victoria & Albert®: New Specialist Brassware

Freestanding bath manufacturer Victoria & Albert® has totally revamped its brassware range for 2006. Twenty nine taps and fillers receive their world debut at KBB 2006, based around both contemporary and traditional design themes. These new models come in response to strong consumer demand for brassware to complement the successful Victoria & Albert® range of freestanding baths.

Contemporary minimalism is found in a variety of wall, deck and pillar mounted mixers that provide a huge choice of configurations with hand held shower options. In addition, the Victoria & Albert® T1 bath filler is joined by two new freestanding models, which at an impressive 108cm high from the floor make a dashing choice. For those seeking to recreate period splendour, Victorian and Edwardian styled individual bath and basin taps are available for the first time from V&A. Pillar mounted bath and shower mixers also come in traditional styling.

Of particular relevance to potential buyers of the Capri bath is the angular 'waterfall' range of bath and basin fillers. Based around a distinctive gull wing theme the minimalist chrome finished body of each filler is designed to be rim or deck mounted. They come with separate hot and cold valves that can be individually located to suit each application. When in operation a seamless ribbon of water extends across the full width of the filler from a hidden spout.

‘The Victoria & Albert® brand is all about style and quality, which are found in equal measure in our new taps and fillers,’ says Joe Matthews, Managing Director of Victoria & Albert® Baths.

‘The various technical and aesthetic considerations associated with freestanding baths means that brassware should be chosen with care. Our new comprehensive range is great news for the consumer as it makes it easy to achieve their dream bathroom. Now there's the perfect tap, filler and waste to go with every Victoria & Albert® bath - the complete bathing solution.’

The new pillar mounted T30 Bath/shower mixer with K6 standpipes, complement the Shropshire slipper bath.

RAK Ceramics' Virtual Reality Proves a Hit with Retailers

Tile and sanitaryware manufacturer, RAK Ceramics UK, has developed a comprehensive 'virtual interiors' package in conjunction with Easycadplus specifically to support the company's nationwide network of retailers.

The 'Kitchen Draw' computer design package incorporates the entire RAK Ceramics tile and sanitaryware portfolio from which RAK Ceramics dealers can create 3-D room settings when selling to customers.

‘Our dealers are now able to incorporate any RAK Ceramics product within their 3-D designs for bathrooms at the touch of a button so that customers can see exactly how these products will look in situ,’ says RAK Ceramics managing director Rob Jull.

‘And because RAK Ceramics supplies a wide range of stylish tiles in addition to sanitaryware our retailers can plan a complete bathroom using RAK Ceramics products only. This means the overall look has a design synergy - and makes the installation of a new bathroom so much easier because all the products are coming from one supplier.’

‘We're always looking at ways of supporting the marketing efforts of our stockists and this package is really proving an invaluable sales tool. A 'pay as you go' structure makes the system cost effective at only £2 per hour, it's easy to use and comes complete with a hands-on customer service package - advice and practical support are just a phone call away.’

RAK Ceramics' Gold Medal dealer Mick Spooner, showroom manager at Premier Heating Supplies in Chertsey, is happy to concur: ‘We have been using the RAK Ceramics Kitchen Draw package ever since it was first introduced several months back and we find it enormously useful. We really appreciate practical sales support of this nature - RAK Ceramics is the only manufacturer to offer this kind of comprehensive 3-D product catalogue.

‘We're currently using Kitchen Draw at least four hours a day and it is undoubtedly making a huge difference in terms of sales. Customers are tremendously impressed to be able to see a photorealistic image of how their bathroom will look and designs are completely personalised.

‘We are now getting people coming into the showroom asking for our 'bathroom design service', which is great for us - this is a tremendous way to market RAK Ceramics products.’

Kitchen Draw can also create 2-D floor plans, 2-D colour perspectives and lifelike 3-D photorealistic images that can be printed, emailed or exported as images. There is also a built-in 'walk-through' facility and users can create their own custom catalogues.

Detailed floor plans can be exported in DXF format for use in other programmes such as AutoCad and Archicad and plans can also be uploaded to a web site for remote viewing by customers - they can even be discussed online.

RAK Ceramics will be exhibiting at January's KBB incorporating Expotile 2006 at the NEC, on Stand F89/F79 in Hall 19.

Tretzo Pulls Out of KBB

Due to an urgent and demanding workload going through its factory in January & February, bathroom furniture manufacturer Tretzo will not be exhibiting at kbb this year as planned.

Managing director Geoff Clarke explains 'We deeply regret having to pull out of kbb, but the team is committed to fulfilling an existing programme of work and we cannot put this at risk. We have a reputation for putting customers first and this is the choice we have made. Our strong order-book shows that Tretzo keeps its promises.'

Tretzo is also part-way through implementing a major new IT programme and this too is creating time demands on management and staff.

Geoff adds, 'The company wishes the organisers and exhibitors every success with the show and we look forward to attending this year - but just as visitors.'

Tel: 028 3752 3735
Email: sales@tretzo.com
Web: http://www.tretzo.com

Masco Sells Two Subsidiaries

Masco Corporation announced on January 11th that it has completed the divestiture of two operating companies, with combined annual sales of approximately $200 million, which manufacture and distribute cabinets, bathroom vanities, medicine cabinets, shower rods and caddies, and other bath accessories.

'Masco is continuing our stated strategy of reviewing our business portfolio for potential consolidations or divestitures,' Masco Corporation Chairman and CEO Richard A. Manoogian commented. 'As a result of this process, it was determined that these two businesses were not core to our long-term cabinet platform strategy.'

Both transactions were closed in late 2005, with proceeds totalling approximately $200 million in cash. Under Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, the net gain on these transactions, along with 2005 full-year and prior period operating results of these companies, will be reflected in discontinued operations. The reduction in 2005 full-year operating earnings will be approximately $.04 per common share. This effectively reduces the Company's annual 2005 guidance for continuing operations to $2.16 to $2.20 per common share, from the previously communicated guidance of $2.20 to $2.24 per common share.

The Company, however, continues to believe that its fourth quarter 2005 earnings from continuing operations will be in the range of its previously communicated guidance of $.48 to $.52 per common share. The Company's guidance excludes any additional costs associated with its profit improvement programmes and any other items.

Web: http://www.masco.com

Government Delay over WEEE Implementation Results in Legal Action

The UK government will face legal action from Brussels over its failure to implement the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive.

In July 2005, the European Commission (EC) formally asked eight Member States – including the UK – to transpose into its national laws three EU directives, including the WEEE directive. This should have been done by 13 August 2004. However, just before Christmas the government announced a fourth delay to the UK’s implementation of WEEE.

'The UK cannot unilaterally decide to continue to postpone the transposition of the directive. That is clearly not acceptable. Therefore, in December, the Commission decided to take the UK to Court for non-communication of the national transposition measures.', the EC said.

In a DTI statement dated 14th December, the government 'accepts that deferral of WEEE implementations has implications for Local Authorities' and further stated that the DTI 'would meet Local Authority New Burdens costs in the light of [the deferral].'

It is now looking like early 2007 before the UK begins a collection scheme for WEEE.

New Luton Showroom Opens with Solid Commitment to Maia

Maia, the new composite worksurface by Orama, the independent manufacturer of worksurfaces and associated decorative products, has been exclusively selected by B and K Depot, the Luton-based kitchen and bathroom retailer, to be displayed in its recently opened showroom. Bathroom and Kitchen Depot Ltd (known as B and K Depot) opened its doors in summer 2005 following the success of its existing sister company, which focuses on installation.

The showroom, based in Hitchin Road Industrial Estate, Luton, is stocked solely with the Maia range across its fashionable kitchen displays, and the worksurface range is also held in stock to cater for customer orders.

B and K Depot caters for a wide range of consumer and trade customers across the Bedfordshire region. Peter Sorzano, founder of B and K Depot, selected the Maia range because, with 13 years in the industry, he believes that composite worksurfaces give the showroom a more desirable finish, the consumer an added value offering and the retailer a better margin. Iftab Khalid, Showroom Manager, confirms that the Maia range was selected because of its fashionable look, the appeal across customers (high value and entry level kitchens alike) and the competitive price points. As well as displaying Maia, the showroom also sells Orama's laminate range.

Maia is factory finished and does not require sanding after installation. The Maia colour palate includes the natural tones of Cappuccino, Cream, Vanilla and Corallo, which are complemented by the cooler, distinguished shades of Vulcano and Lava. The variety and mix of colours available provides an offering to match any kitchen design or style, for example the mid tonal colour Cappuccino works well with wood style kitchen doors. Lava with its small speckles of brown and black evokes the attributes of natural stone and Vulcano creates a dark richness of solid black with hints of yellow and red which works well alongside richer grains of wood such as walnut.

Peter Holt, Sales and Marketing Director of Orama, explains: ‘B and K Depot selected Maia having recognised the product's superior quality. Maia is one of the most technically proven solid surface ranges on the market, having undergone rigorous independent pre-production testing for chemical and stain resistance, notched impact and tensile strength, heat distortion, impact stress, abrasion, light fastness, fungal resistance, food safety and bacterial resistance. What's more, the Maia range provides consumers with the option of trading up from a laminate to a solid surface at a relatively low cost. As a consequence, retailers can up sell consumers to the next price bracket and achieve higher value sales.’

B and K Depot realised it can further benefit from the point-of-sale support materials offered by Orama, including a dedicated Maia display stand to showcase the range. The counter top unit includes removable A5 samples of all six colours. Moreover, the packaging for the range is fully branded and specified to the highest standards, including accessories. Installation is simple but Orama also offers a training academy for retailers requesting further guidance on fitting Maia worksurfaces.

Orama offers high quality durable decorative panels and worksurfaces. Established for many years, the Company holds ISO 9001 certification and the FIRA (Furniture Industry Research Association) Gold Award for product performance. Orama is 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

In-toto Designer Clare Scoops Second Industry Award

A young designer from In-toto Kitchens in Leamington Spa has won a major award for kitchen design in the National Home Improvements Council Awards 2005.

Clare West was presented with the 'Young Kitchen Designer Award', sponsored by the Kitchen Bathroom and Bedroom Specialists Association (KBSA) in November 2005. This was Clare's second award as last year she also won the New Kitchen Designer category in the annual Design Awards, run in association with the Kitchen & Bathroom Designer magazine.

Clare's brief for the NHIC Award was to design a kitchen featuring interesting shapes and features. ‘My clients didn't want a conventional, wall-to-wall cupboard style kitchen,’ said Clare. ‘They wanted flair and stimulating ideas for providing adequate storage.

‘A new extension on the property meant that the kitchen was also going to include a family room/dining room with a virtually seamless flow between the individual areas.’

Clare was presented with her award at the NHIC 2005 Awards presentation lunch, held at Gladstone Library, Whitehall Place, London. The judges comments on Clare's design were: 'This was a fine solution to a difficult-shaped area. It addresses all of the client's requirements and was on budget despite an upgrade to a granite work surface. It took advantage of the latest trends in appliances and featured special design details that went down well with the client.'

KBSA operations manager Lucinda Kenny said: ‘We were very pleased to be able to sponsor this award. The KBSA is always keen to encourage young talent within the interiors industry and we applaud the excellent efforts of the NHIC in offering this kind of practical encouragement for designers.’

The KBSA was founded 28 years ago, initially to promote excellence within the kitchen industry as the KSA. In 2002 the association changed its trading name to KBSA to reflect the growth in the bathroom, bedroom and home office markets for many of its members and it now works tirelessly across all four homes interest sectors to ensure quality of product, service and installation.

KBSA members are monitored regularly to make sure they continually meet the organisation's stringent criteria and each retailer member is thoroughly vetted prior to any membership application being accepted.

Jubilee Celebrations for Hettich

International furniture component manufacturer Hettich celebrated its 75th anniversary last month. Jubilee celebrations were held world-wide, across the company's 36 countries.

The Hettich group was founded in Herford, Germany in 1930 as an independent company. It has since grown to have an annual turnover of over £350 million and employ 4,800 people.

Chief Executive Anton Hettich joined the company in 1955 as an engineer and quickly progressed to head up the company for 30 years. For the past 15 years he has acted as a key advisory body on the company's board.

He said: ‘Unlike most people, companies gladly admit to being old! Paul Hettich GmbH was set up in 1930 and I am very proud to be celebrating its Jubilee. One very important component in our success has been the speed with which we adapt to the rapidly changing the marketplace.’

‘Over the years we have constantly expanded our product range to accommodate the increasingly important role of fittings in furniture market. By keeping pace and developing market-leading and innovative products Hettich sales have grown steadily.’

‘Growth would have been impossible without the support of our global customers and the dedication of our highly motivated employees. I hope they are all as proud as me to be part of this huge success story.’

Electrolux Sponsored Machine Intelligence Awards Reveals IFOMIND

The imminence of the robot age draws even closer as IFOMIND scoops 2005 prize for Progress towards Machine Intelligence, sponsored by Electrolux.

Will robots one day rule the world? For decades this notion has both fascinated and terrified humans, our hungry imagination fed by Hollywood blockbusters and intriguing sci-fi novels.

Now a new generation of robots promises an astonishing breakthrough in the world of Artificial Intelligence as they become capable of cognitive thought processes.

The 2005 Fourth British Computer Society’s Annual Prize for Progress towards Machine Intelligence sponsored by Electrolux has been won by IFOMIND, a mobile robot system that demonstrates intelligence as it meets a new object in its world. Based on Khepera™, a robot commercially available from K-Team, the machine intelligence system was designed and programmed by a team led by Professor David Bell from Queens University, Belfast. It beat stiff competition to win the award, such as AI guru, Rollo Carpenter and his witty conversational companion, George as well as an intelligent portal building system and a talented robot based on the popular game of Connect 4.

About IFOMIND
IFOMIND reacts initially in an 'instinctive' way to its first perception of an unknown object that it encounters; at first it is generally fearful. However, because the robot is equipped with a human-like capability of inquisitiveness, it realises that it can react in another way and does not have to be scared of something that may not be harmful to it. So, the robot observes the object from a distance and takes note of how it behaves and how it reacts to different approaches; the robot is then able to decide on the best approach– or whether to avoid it. This knowledge can then be retained by the robot as it carries on and meets many more objects. This is a remarkable leap forward in the domain of Machine Intelligence as IFOMIND is able to use logical thought processes in order to decide the best way to interact with the objects that it meets. The implications of this are huge, for example as David Bell from the IFOMIND team explains,

'A system that can observe events in an unknown scenario, learn and participate as a child would is a major challenge in AI. We have not achieved this, but we think we’ve made a small advance.'

IFOMIND in action
David likens the reaction of the robot to the reaction of the tiger in an ancient Chinese folk story from the Tang Dynasty. In the story, the tiger encounters an animal it has never seen before (in this case a donkey).

To start with the tiger is wary – even rather frightened - of this larger, noisy ‘object’. But its hunger and pride (equivalent to the robots pre-programmed instinct for curiosity) is even greater than the instinct to run away. So the tiger waits, watches and teases the donkey, and finally concludes it is no threat and attacks. In the robot’s case it waits and watches to see if can get some new information.

The other members of the QUB team were QingXiang Wu and Marcel Ono, and the work was partially funded by Invest Northern Ireland.

Whirlpool Corporation Named to Dow Jones Sustainability World Index

Whirlpool Corporation recently announced it has been named to the 2006 Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSI), an international stock portfolio that evaluates corporate performance using economic, environmental, and social criteria. Whirlpool led the durable household goods category of the DJSI. 

Only the top 10 percent of the 2,500 largest companies are selected as components of the DJSI World Index based on their sustainability performance. This year's DJSI includes more than 300 companies representing nearly 25 countries. Sixty-seven other U.S. corporations including Abbott Laboratories, McDonald’s and Whole Foods join Whirlpool on the list.

'We are proud to be recognised by one of the world's most comprehensive reviews of sustainable business practices,' said Jeff M. Fettig, Whirlpool’s chairman, president and CEO.  'As a company, we have a long-term commitment to social responsibility, but it’s really our people who make it a reality. Their actions personify Whirlpool’s values and have enabled us to make social responsibility a core part of our culture.'

Whirlpool received high marks in such categories as customer relationship management, risk and crisis management, brand management, codes of conduct, talent attraction and development, and corporate citizenship/philanthropy.

The DJSI provides asset managers with reliable and objective benchmarks to manage their sustainability-focused portfolios. Its results will influence the investment decisions of asset managers in 14 countries for a variety of sustainability-driven portfolios – including mutual funds, segregated accounts, structured products, as well as an exchange traded fund that is listed on Euronext.

Companies are selected for the DJSI based on a thorough assessment of general and industry-specific sustainability criteria including corporate governance, environmental performance, labor practices, and community development. The analyses are verified by an external auditor.

Further information on the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index can be found at http://www.sustainability-indexes.com.

GDS Restructures US Management Team as Global Operation Continues to Grow

Global Display Solutions Ltd. (GDS), specialist in the design and manufacture of industrial displays, has announced a new management structure at its US headquarters. Former Group CFO, Stefano Ignesti has relocated to the US, from GDS's Italian office, to take on the role of Executive Vice President. In his new position, Stefano is responsible for consolidating the US business and ensuring that GDS operates on a global scale, with each location employing the same strategies. GDS is a world-leading manufacturer of industrial display solutions for a number of industries worldwide including kiosks, retail, advertising, entertainment, banking, marine, process and transport.

Since his relocation, Stefano has established a highly-experienced US team, appointing a Business Development Manager, a Regional Account Manager and a new US-based CFO. Stefano brings with him a wealth of experience and has specific knowledge regarding how GDS's European operation has successfully developed over the past few years. A major aim of this restructure is to enable GDS's European and American offices to interact effectively, therefore enabling the US operation to take advantage of GDS's worldwide know-how.

Stefano will also be continuing with his role on GDS's Corporate Development Team (CDT). This global strategic team, made up of senior managers from within the company, is responsible for establishing objectives and targets, delivering growth strategies (organic and M&A), formulating R&D roadmaps and market development. Due to Stefano's involvement on this team he will be in a position to identify, at senior management level, the direction and market requirements for the US business.

Stefano's relocation has seen his previous role of Group CFO become occupied by Sarah Knight. Sarah previously held the post of CFO for GDS UK and has been with the company since 2001. In her new position Sarah will be responsible for financial reporting and budgeting, funding, financial controls and related statutory and any fiscal matters. Sarah has over 14 years' experience in the financial market, qualifying as a Chartered Accountant with Price Waterhouse in 1987.

Stefano comments on his new role: ‘My ultimate goal is to see GDS move towards becoming an organisation where all strategies are defined at board level and each local entity has a part in the decision making process as well as being charged with overseeing the implementation. GDS is a worldwide business and I believe that it is vital for the success of the Company that the European and US offices operate as one business.’

Tel: +44 (0) 1274 230150
Email: sales@gds.com
Web: http://www.gds.com