News March 2010

Charity Skydive funded by Frontline

Former St Helens and Great Britain captain, Paul Sculthorpe took part in a charity sky dive with the Red Devils to launch the St Helens Saints 2010 home jersey.

The event was funded by club sponsor, Frontline, which was collar sponsor of the Saints’ home and away jerseys in 2009. Frontline has been Official Partners of The RFL since 2007 and has extended its sponsorship of The Frontline Fair Play Index for both the engage Super League and the Co-operative Championship until the end of the 2011 season.

Michael Sammon, marketing director of Frontline Bathrooms, said, We are delighted to be the main sponsor of Saints for 2010, and we were extremely impressed by Scully’s enthusiasm in his remarkable debut with the infamous Red Devils parachute team. It was an exciting (and slightly nerve-wracking!) day, which proved to be a fantastic success.”

Team Chantry Triathion charity fundraiser

Contracts director at Chantry Kitchens, Derrick Smith and the marketing and training manager at Hettich UK, Neil Schofield are embarking on a five-month fundraising event for charity. The Team Chantry Triathlon will include triathlon, bike events and 10k runs in aid of the Butterwick Children’s Hospice in Stockton-on Tees and St Francis House Children’s Hospice in Didsbury, Manchester.

The events covered will include the Manchester 10k run; Castle Challenge Triathlon, Northumberland; Blackpool cycle event, Lancashire; Lakeland Triathlon, Cumbria and Tatton Park Triathlon, Cheshire. The Team Chantry Triathion fundraising event will be launched at the kbb exhibition, where visitors will be encouraged to fill a charity bucket and sponsor per kilometre covered in the five-month period.

In addition, the pair is looking for corporate sponsors to help fund the activities which will cost £1,000 in entry fees and travel, with monies left over donated. Supporters names will be featured on equipment, clothing and transport, plus advertised on Chantry and Hettich websites.

Ideal Standard urges Government to tackle water-saving

Ideal Standard International called on the Government to do more to tackle water efficiency in the bathroom at a House of Commons event. Alongside the Bathroom Manufacturers Association and the National Home Improvement Council, Ideal Standard renewed its commitment to water saving in the home, stressed the need for educating consumers in sustainable use, and called on the Government to intervene to make change happen.

“Access to water is man’s most basic need. Water is a most precious commodity and we need to use it wisely. The next decade will see us at the forefront of developments to enhance sustainability. However our efforts will be in vain unless it is seen as part of a multi-faceted approach to the problem that combines product innovation, Government intervention and widespread education’; said Tony Rheinberg marketing manager at Ideal Standard.

Ideal Standard highlighted the role of manufacturers as two-fold: to create sustainable solutions for the bathroom that do not diminish performance; and to play a role in educating consumers and the industry in efficient water usage. Ideal Standard stressed the need to be targeting the areas where the most gains can be achieved — citing refurbishment as a key area.

Ideal Standard argued that in isolation, however, more efficient products will not necessarily save water but that they needed to be accompanied by enlightened consumer usage. “Getting people to turn off taps is a major challenge but there are signs that consumers are waking up to the importance of using water responsibly. Water metering will increase consumer awareness of the cost of water, for instance. But more needs to be done. In the UK we estimate there are still around 11 million WCs that flush on more than six litres of water — some use as much as 11 litres. It is in this area that government can help by providing incentives for consumers to change their WCs’

Yvonne Orgill, chief executive of the Bathroom Manufacturers Association, also urged the Government to introduce a toilet scrappage scheme to phase out ‘water guzzling’ toilets. She highlighted statistics suggesting that two thirds of the world’s population will live in water stressed areas, and that the UK will not escape it.

Lakes Bathrooms named Supplier of the Year

Independent home retailer Gardiner Haskins has named Lakes Bathrooms as its Bathroom Supplier of the Year. Based in Bristol and Cirencester, Gardiner Haskins is the largest home centre in the south west region. It has been a customer of Lakes Bathrooms for seven years and the retailer is now the largest independent customer of Lakes Bathrooms in the region.

Director of Gardiner Haskins, Andy Webb explained why Lakes Bathroom won the award: “Our choice was based on the complete package that Lakes Bathrooms offer, not one specific factor. We very much value the speed of delivery — usually next day — and their large UK stock holding means that we can supply our customers quickly and efficiently across the range without needing to hold onerous levels of products at our stores. The before and after-sales service we receive from Lakes, is the final element in a complete package of support.”

Lakes Bathrooms expressed its delight at winning the award, as sales director Robin Craddock said: The best vote of confidence you can have is recognition from your valued customer. Gardiner Haskins is a family firm and shares our ethos of delivering a high standard that keeps driving business forward. We are very pleased to work with them and are hugely proud of this supplier award.”

Grand Designs Live

Grand Designs Live takes place at Excel London from 1 -9 May 2010 and features over 500 exhibitors.

In addition, the event includes a programme of seminars and CPD talks, covering architecture and planning, the latest building technology and innovation, eco products and finance.

Whirlpool announces management restructure

As part of a strategic review, Whirlpool UK has announced changes at senior management level. Former head of marketing, Andy Burns is now head of business unit — kitchen retail and he has been succeeded by former retail channel manager Raj Mistry.

In addition, Harry Kyriacou joins the team as head of business unit — retail, with a remit for the development and implementation of the retail strategy. He brings with him marketing and business experience from his background in retail distribution channels at Philips. All three members of the management business team will report to managing director Ian Railton.

Railton commented: “The new team has been implemented to meet the longer-term business needs, as well as to become highly focused on our core requirements. Internally, it will promote quicker decision-making and cross-functional working, and externally positioning us better for the future and to meet the increasing challenges and demands of the market and our trade partners.”

He added: “We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our trade partners and suppliers for their patience and resilience over the last few months, and look forward to re-establishing and developing long-term partnerships for the future.”

EasyQuote rebrands to EQ Software

Business management software provider EasyQuote has rebranded and will now be known as EQ Software. Established in 2000, the company is celebrating its 10th anniversary and is using this time and kbb Birmingham to introduce the new name.

Following research with customers and potential users, findings showed that the EasyQuote brand did not reflect what the product was capable of delivering to the user.

Commenting on the name change, the company’s managing director Leigh Martin said: “Implementing the EQ Software name change better positions our brand identity and provides for a broader portfolio of products and services in the future.” He continued: It’s long overdue really, as the product has been far more than just a quoting tool for some time now.”

EQ Software links with design and visualisation systems and also integrates with Sage.

UK base for ATAG appliances

Following its acquisition by Gorenje, ATAG has moved its UK operations from the Netherlands to its parent company’s office in Wimbledon, London. The London office will handle all administration, back office sales activities, day-to-day enquiries and brochure requests.

The move is in a bid to provide a greater level of support for retail customers and to further develop the brand in the UK. National sales manager for ATAG UK, Graham Gleave said: “This is a great step forward for the brand, and even with modern- day communications systems there is nothing like having your own office. This will make it genuinely easier for all our customers and will enable us to provide more in-depth support going forwards.”

As a consequence of the move, Bill Miller is now responsible for the sales and marketing activities for both the ATAG and Gorenje brands in the UK market. He commented: “The merger of ATAG and Gorenje has afforded valuable opportunities for the brands across Europe, with genuine synergy between the brands.”

Miller continued: “Our exclusive to the kitchen specialist’ strategy and subsequent plans to build ATAG UK as a brand and business around the kitchen specialist channel remains unchanged. All kitchen specialists can be reassured that have our full commitment. Business, as they say, is as usual.”

MD of Barber Wilson passes away

Managing director of Barber Wilson, John Alford Wilson has passed away after a five-year fight against pulmonary fibrosis.

John led the company, which was over a hundred years old, and achieved the first Royal Warrant Grantee in the industry. He had worked in all areas of the family firm, even as a labourer in the foundry. In fact, there are still tools used in the factory that he made as a young man learning his trade.

Outside of work, John had an overriding passion for golf and played in single figures for many years. One of his finest golfing moments was a hole-in-one at Woburn, the 12th hole of 181 yards — a feat that earned him VIP membership of the Smirnoff Hole-In-One Club.

He is survived by his wife Suzanne, his children Simon and Lynne, grandchildren Katy, Helen and Henry and great-grandchildren Paul, Per, Johannes and Romy.

Keller Kitchens sold to rival Bruynzeel Kitchens

Netherlands-based Bruynzeel Kitchens has acquired its rival Keller Kitchens for an undisclosed sum. This buy-out sees the Netherlands house one of Europe’s largest kitchen factories, with Willem Keller retained as managing director of Keller Kitchens.

Bruynzeel manages its own kitchen stores in Holland and Belgium, while Keller Kitchens route to market is through a network of independent kitchen specialists in the UK and Holland.

Both companies will retain their own identities and continue with individual policies, strategies, brands, collections and factories.
WilIem Keller commented on the acquisition: “Due to the size of our concern now, we can look forward to cost savings in areas such as purchasing, product development and new production methods and technologies. This enables Keller to improve its performance level in terms of better products and services in a cost-effective manner; important in these challenging times.”

He continued: The union with Bruynzeel will help Keller to increase its competitive power and to establish growth in the fast-moving and widespread European kitchen industry. Equally importantly, the future of the company is guaranteed for years to come.”

Congrats

Congratulations to Tina Haralambous of Designer Interiors in London, who won the Fagor Induction Hob competition. She correctly answered that induction cooking technology works using a magnetic field. Haralambous wins an iFF-4R four zone, frameless induction hob courtesy of Fagor.