BMA
Reports Successful Annual General Meeting
The
Bathroom Manufacturers Association's (BMA) Annual General Meeting (AGM)
took place on Thursday 21st June 2007 at Crewe Hall in Cheshire.
The
AGM was very well attended with more than 40 representatives from BMA
member companies, corporate sponsors of the Bathroom Academy, representatives
from potential new member companies and editors from some of the Industry's
trade publications.
This year saw BMA President Ted Goold of Masco step down after more than
two years at the helm. Speaking about his time as BMA President, Mr Goold
says: ‘I am very proud of what the BMA has achieved during the past
few years, as indeed are all BMA members. There is so much going on, we
have a clear strategy and are proud to be regarded as the authoritative
Voice of the Industry.’
To
succeed Goold members elected Alan Brown of Twyford Bathrooms, who now
begins his two-year presidency. Mr Brown, a very active member of the
BMA says: ‘I am very excited about the BMA. We have plans to drive
through new initiatives and we can expect a very busy, stimulating time.’
Also elected were First Vice President Roger Wilson of Kholer Mira and
Second Vice President David Osborne of Roman Showers, who is also the
Chairman of the BMA's Centre of Excellence, which oversees all BMA marketing
and training initiatives.
In addition, members agreed to changes to the BMA Constitution, bringing
it up to date and ensuring it meets anti-competitive legislation, and
an increase in membership fees, acknowledging that in order for the BMA
to successfully execute its initiatives, some additional support is required.
Attendees also heard from Matthew Farrow, Head of Environmental Affairs
for the CBI, who delivered a very informative presentation about the impact
that present and future environmental policy is having and will have on
all companies and particularly how the subject of water efficiency will
affect everyone.
Other presentations included an update on the BMA Water Efficient Product
Labelling Scheme delivered by BMA Chief Executive Yvonne Orgill, an update
on BMA marketing and training initiatives by David Osborne and an overview
of the bathroom market by John Hardy of Ideal Standard.
‘The BMA Secretariat would like to thank all those who attended.
We hope you had as much fun as we did!’
Web: http://www.bathroom-association.org
KBSA
Launches Accessible Website and Announces New Corporate Vice Chair
Barbara
Leech, corporate chair of the KBSA launched a new accessible kitchens
area of the KBSA website and announced that Bruce Thomas of Wentworth
Kitchens is to become corporate vice chair at the AGM held on 21st June.
‘Accessibility and inclusive design are very important issues for
our industry as 10% of today's population has varying degrees of disability
and by 2020 half the adult population will be aged over 50,’ says
Barbara.
‘The KBSA has addressed these issues and has begun by looking at
its own website, which will soon be conditional compliant with the WCAG
2.0 L2 Website Accessibility Standard. This means that visually impaired
users will be able to more easily access the information contained within
the site by following a few simple steps.
‘In addition, a new area of the website has been launched today that
will offer advice and guidance to consumers looking to design an accessible
kitchen. This area has been developed in association with KBSA member
Design Matters and contains advice on furniture, fittings and appliances
as well as practical tips.
‘We are also delighted that we have secured the services of Bruce
Thomas,’ adds Barbara. ‘He is a highly experienced and well
respected professional who will bring many benefits to the KBSA and our
corporate members.’
Training
Gives Perfect View of Sight Impairment
To
furnish architects and specifiers with the benefits of colour contrast
in door furniture, and the equipment available for the disabled in bathrooms
and the like, turnquest UK has opened a new training centre.
Kitted out with 'state of the art' audio visual equipment, the centre
can entertain about a dozen architects at a time, to bring them up to
date with the latest developments in the HEWI range of door furniture,
grab rails, and sanitary ancillaries.
Those making the visit are invited to try on special spectacles which
give a true representation of what is seen by somebody with severe visual
impairment.
By wearing these spectacles, they are then able to see (or perhaps not)
door handles of various colours, against a variety of different coloured
backgrounds. From this, they can identify which colours work against others
- giving the visually impaired a greater chance of 'picking out' the handle
from the background.
Specially weighted 'boiler' suits are also available. By wearing these,
visitors get a true representation of what if feels like to be movement
impaired, and how grab rails and the like can ease their movement and
give them greater stability.
Commenting on the opening of the centre, sales director Mike Thew states:
‘We felt it important to go beyond giving our visitors sales information
and theory. By giving them the opportunity to take a 'hands on' approach
to testing our product range, we feel that architects and specifiers will
learn a great deal about colour contrast and equipment for the physically
disabled.’
This training centre further enhances turnquest's commitment to bringing
'barrierfree' design to the marketplace, and shows the wide range of design
options available to architects involved in any work where catering for
the disabled is absolutely essential.
Tel: 01634 377688
Email: info@turnquest.co.uk
Web: http://www.hewi.com
Poggenpohl
Launches +SERVICE in Pursuit of the 'Perfect Kitchen'
German
kitchen manufacturer Poggenpohl says that it has always been known for
its high standards of quality, exclusivity and innovative thinking - and
now there is +SERVICE from Poggenpohl.
‘Our goal is to improve the kitchen,’ Friedemir Poggenpohl (1892)
+SERVICE is the company's pursuit of the perfect kitchen - in every sense.
The Poggenpohl philosophy is that a kitchen is only perfect when it can
do justice to all the functional, emotional and aesthetic requirements
of its user. To this end, every step of the kitchen buying process, from
the showrooms and design, through to the manufacture, delivery, fitting
and after sales, has been scrutinised to offer Poggenpohl customers the
best possible experience: +SERVICE.
Reliable deliveries, innovative service provisions, continuity and quality
in communication, creative planning, and an overall cohesiveness in all
working practices are hallmarks of +SERVICE, a reflection of the unmistakeable
brand that is Poggenpohl. Indeed, a consistently high level of service
and the continued ability to keep abreast of industry changes earned Poggenpohl
the accolade of being first furniture manufacturer in Germany to receive
the DIN ISO 9001 quality standard certification.
Like no-one else before him, Poggenpohl founder Friedemir Poggenpohl ensured
that his every working practice was governed by the maxim of permanent
improvement. Still at the vanguard of innovation, Poggenpohl is not content
simply to produce cutting-edge design of premium quality; it continues
to strive for excellence in everything. Poggenpohl staff in the UK undertake
a constant programme of training in Germany, attending courses in design,
luxury selling, installation and communication. This continued, close
examination of the stages before, during and after kitchen purchase means
Poggenpohl has a full understanding of the requirements and demands of
its customers, offering them complete satisfaction.
Martin Gill, MD of Poggenpohl UK, comments: ‘Poggenpohl enjoys a
unique position in the kitchen industry based on reliability and quality
as well as design, but underpinning consistently has been expert service.
+SERVICE is an extension of the superior level of customer care that Poggenpohl
has always offered. It is a major factor in differentiating Poggenpohl
from other brands and has been embraced at every level of the company
from designers to delivery drivers and fitters to factory workers. In
this way, each member of staff becomes responsible for a part of the overall
success of Poggenpohl; something we can all take great pride from.’
Web: http://www.poggenpohl.de
The
traditional St James collection of bathroom brassware from established
tap and shower manufacturer Marflow Engineering is proving to be a success
all over the world.
The classic styling of the St James collection has been selected as the
product of choice by many international hotels, most recently the Windsor
Hotel in Philadelphia, USA and The Grand Hotel Europe in St Petersburg,
Russia, part of the Orient Express Group of Hotels.
In addition the St James collection has taken a starring role in an International
award-winning film, the Dutch World War Two blockbuster 'Zwartboek' ('Black
Book') by Paul Verhoeven, maker of 'Basic Instinct' and 'Robocop'.
The St James collection is Marflow's most popular export range and is
currently exported to homes and hotels in over a dozen countries.
David Stone, Joint Managing Director at Marflow Engineering explains:
‘Many of the world's finest hotels offer the luxury and opulence
of a by-gone era and the St James collection provides an essential element
of the beautiful classically styled bathrooms that are required.’
Inspired by the very best in classic Victorian design, the collection
includes a wide range of authentically styled showerheads and valves,
taps, mixers and bathroom accessories. Crafted from hand-polished brass
and finished in chrome, antique gold or bright nickel, the collection
uses the finest English porcelain to help create a stunning overall look.
Web: http://www.marflow.co.uk
Crack
Sales Force to Boost Revenue for Kitchenaid Premium Built-In Category
Steve
Corby, National Sales Manager for Maytag UK, is to head up a crack sales
force to drive penetration of the new KitchenAid range of premium built-in
major domestic appliances.
Armed in the UK with an experienced team, quality sales materials including
sales presenters and high quality brochures, the effort is supported by
targeted trade and consumer advertising and an intensive media relations
campaign. Meanwhile Italy, the source of the KitchenAid built-in range
design, provides in-depth training into use, performance and functionality.
Steve joined Maytag UK in 2005 bringing with him a wealth of knowledge
that has seen him perform beyond target year on year. He comments: ‘KitchenAid
has already established a loyal customer base through small electrical
appliances. We intend to leverage this success to spread the quality messages
of the built-in portfolio. Customer service remains a priority and it's
a major focus throughout the sales process. We're making a considerable
investment to support in the brand and I'm confident that we're going
to continue to build sales quickly’.
Key listings have already been achieved in John Lewis and selected independent
kitchen specialists nationwide.
For trade enquiries, please contact KitchenAid UK on 01737 231000.
http://www.kitchenaid.co.uk
Blum
Uses Grand Designs for UK Product Launch
Furniture
fittings expert Blum exhibited at Grand Designs Live for the third time
and once again experienced a very successful show.
At
Grand Designs 2007 Blum launched the new SERVO-DRIVE automatic drawer
opening system which opens drawers smoothly and effortlessly in response
to slight pressure from the hand, knee, elbow or whatever. This allows
the user to keep both hands free for loading and is also a designer's
dream as it makes handless drawer fronts a reality. The SERVO-DRIVE met
with great interest and enthusiasm.
All the Blum space saving products and systems at Grand Designs featured
the BLUMOTION soft close system for drawers, pull-outs and doors.
Visitors were fascinated with Blum's special storage solutions like the
unique SPACE CORNER drawer stack for corner units, the under-sink drawer
and the ORGA-LINE internal dividing and organisational system. Also of
intense interest was the DYNAMIC SPACE® mobile cabinet display where
visitors could see how units could be arranged in various kitchen configurations.
DYNAMIC SPACE® is the most advanced kitchen planning concept whereby
storage is allocated to five distinct zones of activity to make working
in the kitchen pleasurable and as efficient as possible.
Blum UK Managing Director Michael Powell said that the public response
to their products and ideas was unanimously positive and enthusiastic
– ‘We still consider Grand Designs the prime venue at which
to engage with consumers’ he says.
Tel: 01908 285700
Email: info.uk@blum.com
Web: http://www.blum.com
Cutting
Edge Kitchens for Gateshead Students
Gateshead
College has appointed Spennymoor-based Howell Cummings to supply and install
the training and commercial kitchens at its new £37m Baltic Campus.
The £330k investment is just a small part of what will make the
landmark building a world-class learning environment.
From
January 2008, the college's catering students will be able to cook up
a range of treats in 250sq m of work space, representing an investment
of £150k. Incorporating state of the art equipment, the purpose
built kitchens will feature stainless steel worktops, white rock walls
and specialist hygienic flooring.
The area will include a training kitchen and a separate production kitchen
catering for a small bistro, which will be open to members of the public.
Up to 10 students will be able to work in the production kitchen and 12
in the training kitchen at one time.
Over £180k has been invested in the 225 sq m refectory and kitchen,
which has been designed to cater for 200 covers.
The innovative campus will also feature a spa and beauty suite; music
recording and video studios with rehearsal rooms; fitness, weights and
dance studios; craft and design workshops; as well as a large atrium,
art exhibition spaces and serene gardens.
Steve Collingwood, Gateshead College facilities manager, was a key part
of the appointment process. He said: 'The training areas will include
all the latest equipment, allowing our students to learn in industry standard
kitchens without the pressure of a commercial environment. However, when
they are ready to take on this challenge we can offer students the unique
opportunity to work in the bistro for paying customers.'
Howell-Cummings was set up in 2003 and supplies and installs catering
equipment in hospitals, schools, offices, football stadiums, hotels and
restaurants.
Director Tom Cummings commented: 'It has been a pleasure to work with
Gateshead College on this project. The kitchens will boast the most up-to-date
facilities and will look and operate as professionally as the best commercial
kitchens. This is just the latest in a long line of contract wins for
Howell Cummings and we are confident that the company has a very successful
future ahead of it.'
For further information on the Baltic Campus visit http://www.baltic-campus2008.co.uk.
De-clutter
by Design with InSinkErator®
Kitchen
designers looking to help UK consumers de-clutter their kitchens can help
their clients by recommending food waste disposers and Steaming Hot Water
Taps.
Modern kitchens can get cluttered with gadgets that sit on worktops and
limit the room consumers actually have to use in the kitchen. InSinkErator®
provides a range of convenient appliances that can reduce some of the
untidiness, giving kitchen designers extra scope to create kitchens with
a greater feeling of space.
Food waste disposers are highly topical. With an increasing number of
local authorities implementing controversial alternate weekly household
rubbish collections, consumers are being forced to store waste for longer
and also separate rubbish according to type. For designers, this can mean
assigning valuable kitchen space to the storage of multiple bins for food,
plastic, cans and cardboard/paper.
Food waste disposers can help relieve some of this burden by diverting
food waste down the sink and reducing the overall volume of household
rubbish that needs to be stored in the kitchen.
Steaming Hot Water Taps are a great alternative to the kettle and are
ideal for consumers wanting to create the ultimate stylish kitchen. Delivering
98°C filtered hot and cold water, Steaming Hot Water Taps eliminate
the need to have a water filter and a kettle, clearing the clutter while
significantly reducing the amount of time it takes to make get hot water
for drinks, cooking & cleaning.
Ashley Munden, sales and marketing director for InSinkErator UK, said:
'Minimalist kitchens have been around for some time and don’t look
likely to go out of fashion. Exploiting space and maximising the functionality
of modern kitchens is of key importance to kitchen designers across the
UK and our range of sink appliance solutions helps kitchen designers meet
this ongoing trend.'
Tel: 01923 297 880
Web: http://www.insinkerator.co.uk
It
was party time at The Bristan Group HQ recently, when hundreds of employees,
their families, and even the sun, turned out to help celebrate the company's
30th birthday.
The Bristan Group celebrated its 30th birthday in style with a fabulous
family fun day on June 9th. The day kicked off at 11am when staff and
their families arrived at the company's Birch Coppice headquarters, near
Tamworth, to be shown around the cutting-edge purpose built premises,
before heading off across the fields to the Birch Coppice Social Club.
Here, young and old enjoyed the various games and entertainment on offer
- including a climbing wall, mini quads, circus skills, a falconry display,
central arena attractions, to name just a few.
Food and drink were provided throughout the day, and a tombola was held
to raise money for the company's chosen charity for 2007 - Leukaemia Research
- adding an impressive £1200 towards the £50,000 target. A
fantastic day was had by all.
For more information/stockists call Bristan on 0870 4425555, http://www.bristan.com
Cesana's
Success at Building Centre
Italian
shower manufacturer Cesana and bathroom, kitchen and appliance distributor,
PJH Group say that they are delighted with the success of their display
stand at the Building Centre in central London.
Cesana's impressive yet simple stand reflects its shower enclosure designs
and displays the Half Moon enclosure, the Tecnostar walk-in and the Tecnolux
quad models.
Since taking the stand late last year, Cesana has received over 120 project
sales leads, over 900 views of the enhanced entry within the Building
Centre product directory, plus over 200 hyperlinks direct to the Cesana
website.
Gloria Riva, Cesana's marketing director comments: ‘Our stand at
the Building Centre is extremely popular as it offers top end builders
and developers the opportunity to view the fantastic Cesana range and
see how innovative and different our shower solutions are. These products
have proved to be ideal 'sale closers' for quality residential and city
living projects and are also very popular with quality hotels throughout
the world.’
The Building Centre is the world's largest permanent exhibition and single
source of information for the construction industry. It is an established
focal point covering all aspects of architecture and design, construction
and planning, home improvement, DIY and self build.
The Centre has remained the heart of the industry for more than 70 years
and plays host to many important events, receiving more than 100,000 visitors
and delegates every year.
The Building Centre also offers a great follow up service so that all
trade enquiries are channelled direct to the PJH Group's sales team and
consumer enquiries are directed to the national network of showrooms.
Cesana has been established in Milan for almost 40 years.
The Cesana range is available as part of the new Moods Ultimate Bathrooms
Collection from the UK's largest bathroom, kitchen and appliance distributor,
PJH Group.
Tel: 01204 707070
Web: http://www.bathroom-moods.com
Daro
Showroom Offers Huge Variety
Manufacturer
and supplier of fittings for the furniture and allied industries, Daro
Factors, has opened a new showroom at the company’s headquarters
in Hackney Wick, east London.
The company established in 1923 as S. Spegelstein & Son became internationally
renowned for its ‘Union Jack Label’ fitting ranges which continue
to be listed along with an extensive range of other fittings and components
in the comprehensive Daro catalogue and on the company’s website.
The new showroom now represents the only major source of DIY, furniture
fittings and ironmongery in the east of London and for the whole general
London and Essex catchment area. However Daro supplies all its products
nationwide as well as a significant export market.
Focal point of the new Daro showroom is the Dynamic Space® display
for the kitchen fittings from Blum. This display demonstrates one of the
layouts that organises Blum's space saving internal concepts according
to five specific zones of activity to create an ergonomically efficient
kitchen environment. Included in the display - and the first to be supplied
to an appointed Blum distributor - is the new SERVO-DRIVE drawer which
opens automatically in response to slight pressure.
Other sections of Daro's new showroom contain extensively equipped display
boards showing fittings, hardware, bedroom and curtain railings, and lighting.
Director James Stone says that the showroom has met with a universally
positive response: ‘It gives customers the opportunity to physically
see and examine the products and how they work. Many of our customers
are returning with their own clients to discuss choices and introduce
them to new options.’
Directions to Daro's new showroom can be obtained from the website –
http://www.daro.com
- or by calling 020 8510 4000.
Made
in China to Designed in China
A
new taskforce set up by UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) met for the first
time this week with the aim of helping British designers win business
in China.
UK businesses could be competing for a slice of China's booming design
industry potentially worth more than £3billion.
UK Trade & Investment Chief Executive Andrew Cahn said the Chinese
economy is developing rapidly. 'What we are witnessing is a transformation
from 'Made in China' to Designed in China,' he said.
The 12 member taskforce is made up of British design companies that have
already broken into the Chinese market. It will host seminars in China
about the strength of UK design and share intelligence with the British
design community through direct training and marketing activities. Taskforce
members will be participating in conferences in Shanghai, Beijing, Wuxi
and Guangzhau from Oct 2007.
'Chinese companies are moving up the value chain and increasingly looking
to sell their products and services outside their own domestic market.
They're therefore spending more time and money on creative design, marketing
and branding,'
Andrew Cahn, Chief Executive of UKTI, said:
'We're taking a giant leap forward in showcasing the best of British design
in this booming market. The potential market for UK design will develop
rapidly as China's economy moves towards selling more sophisticated products
and services into a competitive market place.'
'The growing middle classes in China have made it possible for brands
such as Christian Dior, Louis Vuitton and Zara to establish a retail presence
which is opening the eyes of Chinese companies to the importance of branding.'
'The upcoming Olympics in Beijing and the 2010 Expo in Shanghai will give
Chinese companies huge international exposure which they haven't had to
date and they will want to show their best possible image.
'The UK is a world leader in the branding of financial services with real
expertise in retail and banking design. The Chinese government is committed
to deregulation of the financial services sector offering huge opportunities.
'This will not only give British designers the opportunity to work for
global brands entering China, but more importantly, it means that Chinese
financial institutions will start competing with global brands - forcing
them to use design to stand out.'
The Chinese government's five year programme, ratified in March 2006,
focuses on the creation of a knowledge led, innovation orientated economy
supported by greater domestic consumption. In addition, the national programme
on cultural development published in September 2006 states that 'On the
international stage.......not only needs strength in economy, science,
technology and defence but also cultural strength to be ahead of international
competition.'
Martin Darbyshire, CEO of Tangerine and member of the China Design Taskforce
said added:
'It is wrong to think of China's economy to be based on low cost, sub-contract,
manufacture. China is evolving quickly into a high tech, high skilled
and highly innovative economy.
'It already has the second largest share of science and engineering researchers
in the world, and between 2005 and 2010, the country will graduate some
three million engineers, nearly nine times the number that will graduate
in the United States.
'The country's remarkable combination of mass, youth and capital provides
an additional opportunity to use it as a test market for new products
and technologies. All this creates huge opportunities for British designers.'
A new report by UK Trade & Investment also published on 26th June
highlights opportunities for British design in the financial services,
manufacturing, leisure and tourism, healthcare and education sectors.
You can obtain a copy of this report by contacting Gary Hunt at Gary.Hunt@uktradeinvest.gov.uk
Taskforce members include Alloy, CGI (Automotive), Creactive Design, Conran
& Partners, Dalziel & Pow, Design Bridge, Geoff Howe Marketing,
Industrial Design Consultancy (IDC), Lowey Mann (The Team and Williams
Murray Hamm), Quadro, Smallfry and Tangerine.
Gessi
has Grand Designs on TV!
Luxury
tap manufacturer, Gessi of Italy, has recently been featured on Channel
4’s iconic Grand Designs programme presented by Kevin McCloud.
In an epic project to renovate a derelict 1,000-year-old castle in the
Italian Tuscan Hills, described by the programme as ‘a monument of
historic and cultural significance’ an English couple have spent
4 years gaining planning permission and another four completing their
project. The result is a comfortable and luxurious five bedroom home that
blends the historic and the contemporary in an authentic restoration of
a period castle.
The contemporary, quality feel to the interior extends to the bathrooms
where Gessi brassware has been specified throughout, and interestingly,
bought from sole UK distributor Chartley Brassware in the UK despite the
project being undertaken in the country of origin.
Rettangolo wall mounted shower heads along with matching 2 way concealed
thermostatic shower valves and fixed bracket kits are featured in the
walk-in wetroom shower areas. The basins feature complementary monoblock
basin mixers with Gessi bottle traps and matching accessories are wall
mounted above either side of the basin to create a somewhat period feel
whilst using contemporary products.
Lisa Landells, General Manager of Chartley Ltd, commented, 'It’s
very gratifying to see our products being associated with a building of
this significance and to be featured on a programme such as Grand Designs
can only be good for the Gessi brand'.
A video walkround of the castle can be seen on the Channel 4 website by
following this link:
http://www.channel4.com/4homes/ontv/grand-designs/grand-designs-abroad/gd_tuscany-6.html
Tel: 01785 811836
Email: mailto:sales@chartley.com
Tabitha
Davies is The Tile Association’s first female fixer member. Tabitha
was tiling runner up at Skillbuild 2004 and was TTA Best Newcomer award
winner in 2005.
Tabitha recommends a career in tiling. 'Tiling is a good career, the money
is good and I particularly like the different locations, meeting different
people and working with different products.
'I became aware of TTA when I was competing at Skillbuild and thought
at the time that joining would be a really good idea once I qualified.'
Tabitha operates throughout North Wales and Cheshire and is shortly going
to start her own company in the Cheshire area. Check out her website at
http://www.tabithas-tiling.co.uk.
Tel. +44 20 8663 0946
Web: http://www.tiles.org.uk
ECF
Equips with Homag for Expansion
Supplier
of furniture fittings and components, East Coast Fittings (ECF), has invested
in new Homag Group technology to expand capacity and reach new levels
of accuracy in the carcase and cabinet manufacturing division.
After
intensive market research ECF placed an order with Homag UK and area sales
manger Leon Bruchez for an HPL380 Holzma panel beam saw, a Weeke BHX 500
CNC processing centre and a Ligmatech ‘Boomerang’ panel return
system.
The three machines were bought as a 'package' with ECF making full use
of Homag's progressive finance offers set up in partnership with The Bank
of Scotland. The Homag Contract Hire scheme is a ‘no worries’
package that allows ECF to lease the machines over five years with Maintenance,
accident and breakdown insurance and a 15% discount on spares.
The Holzma HPL 380 beam saw gives ECF significant additional panel sizing
capacity and guaranteed accuracy and cut quality due to many of Holzma's
patented systems on the saw. For instance the famous mono-rail saw carriage
guidance system ensures perfect alignment of the main and scoring blades
which is essential for a chip-free cut on MFC panels going on to be edgebanded.
Dimensional accuracy comes from the pin-point positioning of the programme
fence via special magnetic encoding which is contactless and therefore
will not wear. Also the unique Holzma 'shark's fin' side pressure alignment
ensures perfect squareness while in itself contributing significantly
to the optimised movements that give the machine very fast cycle times
translating into extra capacity.
The Ligmatech Boomerang panel return device has been fitted to an existing
single-sided edgebander at ECF turning this machine into a true one man
operation. ECF also worked on the specification with Homag so that the
device can accommodate larger panels.
The
third machine is the state-of-the-art Weeke BHX 500 CNC drilling and routing
machine which has already sold over 150 machines since its launch last
November!
Currently the Weeke BHX 500 is being used for carcase and component production
- especially face and end drilling as well as specific cut-outs. The technical
specification of the Weeke BHX 500 offers ECF significant advantages both
currently and for the future.
The company says that the engineering and build of the machine is unquestionably
superior. The head configuration allows two panels to be drilled and worked
simultaneously (from top and bottom) either with identical, mirror or
totally independent patterns. The throughfeed system on the machine means
that one man operation is a reality and the outfeed can be connected to
an automated conveyor.
The Woodwop for easy programming and automatic selection of clamp positions
can be called up by barcode recognition if required. Batch size one processing
is easily possible with no vacuum pods to adjust when processing different
panels. Processing speeds of 130m/min make this feasible. The machine
is capable of drilling, routing and grooving (in X and Y directions) in
one process.
Finally, ECF made its important investment decision on the basis of the
excellent service, engineering and back-up support the company knew it
could rely on from Homag UK.
Tel: 01332 856500
Email: info@homag-uk.co.uk
Web: http://www.homag-uk.co.uk
HOMAG
Group AG plans IPO in 2007
HOMAG
Group AG has announced its intention to go public before the end of 2007.
The company is planning to obtain a listing in the Official Market (Prime
Standard) at the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. Based on its own assessment,
HOMAG is the world's leading provider of machines, cells, factories and
services required by manufacturers of furniture, structural elements and
prefabricated houses. Dresdner Kleinwort and JPMorgan have been appointed
as Joint Lead Managers and Joint Bookrunners on the floatation.
Substantial growth in 2006
Consolidated sales at HOMAG Group AG showed year-on-year growth of 20
percent to Euro 736.5 million in the 2006 financial year (previous year:
Euro 613.5 million, in each case excluding IMA) of which non-domestic
sales accounted for almost 80 percent. Key earnings figures showed above
market growth. ‘We were able to benefit from the positive economic
climate in 2006, and further reinforced our strong market position with
innovative products’, Dr. Joachim Brenk, CEO of the group, stated.
According to own estimates, HOMAG has a market share of around 23 percent
in terms of sales and is thus the market leader in its sector.
The strong growth in sales as well as the earnings optimisation programmes
implemented in 2006 had a positive impact on the group's key earnings
figures.
Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortisation and employee
participation (EBITDA) increased by around 56 percent to Euro 85.0 million
(previous year: Euro 54.6 million), equivalent to an improvement of the
EBITDA margin related to the group's total output from 8.8 percent to
11.5 percent.
Operating earnings before employee participation rose by around 80 percent
to Euro 65.2 million (previous year: Euro 36.3 million). Annual net income
before minority interests amounted to Euro 22.2 million (previous year:
Euro -1.9 million, which was significantly affected by negative one-off
factors from discontinued operations). Andreas Hermann, CFO, attributed
the improved earnings performance in 2006 to the high level of capacity
utilisation at all group companies. A further reason was the ‘Projekt
2008’ earnings optimisation programme launched at the end of 2005.
‘This programme has already had a positive impact’, Hermann
remarked. ’We have considerably enhanced our production efficiency,
thus achieving a tangible reduction in our personnel expenses ratio.’
Investments and employees
Compared to 2005 HOMAG almost doubled its capital expenditure in the financial
year 2006. One major area of focus was to expand the group's domestic
and international manufacturing capacities. The company has a long history
of manufacturing entry level machines at local production facilities in
lower cost countries such as in Poland, Asia and Latin America allowing
it to market its products locally at competitive price levels. The existing
plant in Poland was considerably expanded in 2006. ‘We see our international
production sites as complementary to our core production activities in
Germany’, Dr. Brenk, CEO of the group, added with regard to the company's
strategy.’
The group was able to create around 250 new jobs in 2006 and on average
had 4,623 employees (previous year: 4,385). More than 150 of these new
jobs are located in Germany. At the end of 2006 HOMAG had a total workforce
of around 4,700 employees.
Dynamic performance in quarter of 2007
The positive sales and earnings performance gained momentum in the first
quarter, with sales rising by 23.7 percent to Euro 193.1 million (Q1 2006:
Euro 156.1 million). At the same time, the group's EBITDA before employee
participation improved by around 123 percent to Euro 27.4 million (Q1
2006: Euro 12.3 million), with operating earnings before employee participation
rising to Euro 22.3 million (Q1 2006: Euro 7.4 million). ‘Given the
high order backlog and the continued robust new order intake, we are confident
about the group's future,’ Dr. Brenk, CEO of the group, stated. The
group gained further positive momentum from ‘Ligna+’, the world's
largest trade fair in the sector, held in Hanover in May.
Homag
Cuts and Wraps at Tech Doors
Oldham-based
Tech Doors has an impressive growth and success record. Managing Director
Dennis Ogden started production of bedroom and kitchen cabinet doors in
June 2003 and as of mid 2007 has realised a current turnover of £1.2
million. The company is a manufacturer of mitre-framed doors and PVC-edged
doors made to any size and quantity.
Up
until April of 2006 Tech Doors was buying in all its mouldings that surround
centre panels on the products however Dennis Ogden was constantly frustrated
by the inflexibility of suppliers with regard to colour and pattern matching
and, in particular, in introducing new colours. Quality and delivery were
also problems regularly encountered.
Following intensive discussions and research with leading European foil
manufacturers the decision was made to take moulding production in-house.
This was a major step for the company both in terms of a steep production
learning curve and investment in machinery. An original budget of £160,000
was quickly realised to be inadequate as it became apparent that, apart
from the full quota of new machines, all ancillary services like dust
extraction, waste disposal - and even ultimately electricity supply -
had to be significantly upgraded. In the end Tech Doors invested more
than double this to take the company into independent production.
Intensive research and discussions into the machinery supply market including
quotes from over 10 different companies, Tech Doors identified a number
of key supplies. Chief among these was Homag UK to supply a Holzma beam
saw to strip cut the MDF sheets before they were fed into the moulder.
And also a specialised Friz profile wrapping line and foil slitter for
cutting foils. A second Brandt single-sided edgebander was also ordered
to cope with increasing demand for PVC-edged doors and panels.
Homag was identified as one of the company’s key suppliers for a
number of reasons: The expert and exceptionally close service and advice
it received from Homag area sales manger Jim Cox. Also vital was the level
of technical expertise that both Holzma and Friz bring to their respective
technical areas and the level of engineering and after-sales service on
offer from Homag UK.
The
Holzma beam saw is the best selling saw worldwide and benefits from a
number of special and patented engineering features. Among these are the
monorail saw carriage guidance system which endures consistent alignment
of the main and scoring blades. The accuracy of programme fence positioning
is via a magnetic contactless encoding system while the special side pressure
alignment device ensures dimensional accuracy.
The Friz profile wrapping line is the PUM100 machine which will wrap a
variety of profiled materials with different surfacing foils and by applying
either EVA/PO or PUR hotmelt adhesive. It has a laterally adjustable unwinding
stations, an adjustable slot nossle unit, a foil heater and many other
quick set-up and adjustable systems. It can handle workpieces from 10-300mm
in width and in thicknesses from 6-90mm. The foil roll diameter can be
up to 600mm. and their area wide range of additional optional specifications.
Full production began in January 2007 and already a new door has been
introduced bringing this range up to six as well as four new colours bringing
this up to total of 22. Apart from mitre-framed doors other moulded components
like plinths, cornices etc are produced. Tech Doors are now in a position
to produce mouldings to customer specification in any size and quantity.
The investment for Tech Doors, while daunting at the time, is already
paying off and the company is moving forward rapidly.
Tel: 01332 856500
Email: info@homag-uk.co.uk
Web: http://www.homag-uk.co,uk