KBzine: the original kitchen and bathroom industry e-news - since 2002
5th February 2016
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 International News
Products White is now the toast of the kitchen!
Indesit says its new MyTime dishwasher boasts fastest eco cycle on the market
Harvey Maria shows how to use 2016's colour trends
Pantone believe that "Serenity is weightless and airy, like the expanse of the blue sky above us, bringing feelings of respite and relaxation even in turbulent times." New adapter for waste disposal units from Rangemaster Sinks
An industrial revolution in the bathroom...
The new season's arrivals are the epitome of luxury and create an instant focal point for the bathroom. Haier enters into global strategic partnership agreement with General Electric Haier Group and General Electric have announced a Memorandum of Understanding to cooperate globally and jointly pursue growth projects in focus areas where both companies can increase business competitiveness such as industrial Internet, healthcare and advanced manufacturing. This strategic cooperation framework agreement brings together two highly complementary world-class enterprises and establishes a model for cross-border investment and cooperation between China, the US and other regions. Peka extends appeal of Fluid II corner system
Available exclusively in the UK from LDL, the Fluid II solution for corner spaces utilises Peka's clever swivelling carousel system to ensure perfectly balanced movement. What's more, the improved profile of the shelves enables the system to function fully even when the opening angle of the unit front is restricted to 85%. Classy curves from new Citronella
Showers make a splash in bathroom industry
InSinkErator is steaming ahead with colour in 2016
Blanco - German perfection at its best - appearing at KBB
V-Zug completes home steam cooking offering with its first built-in vacuum drawer
Many chefs use vacuum drawers to shrink-wrap food and liquid in air-tight bags. By stopping the food from being affected by ambient air or humidity, it helps to preserve its flavour, moisture, texture and nutrients. |
Living in a three-woman household as I do, stopped becoming easy once my daughters returned from university for good. I’d become used to having my own space, while my girls had been responsible for running their own homes and had thus developed their own ideas about the food they wished to eat. Over the years, two of us had stopped eating meat and one had become gluten intolerant. Two prefer skimmed milk while one of us opts for semi-skimmed; the one ‘trying to give up dairy’ tends to buy soya milk – and as that’s expensive, when it’s on offer we end up with a fridge full of the stuff. Two of us prefer orange juice while the other likes apple juice. Then we have a selection of cheeses – two of us are quite adventurous, but when it comes to Cheddar, we have to have both full fat and the reduced fat version. Oh and the vegetables! The reason I’m talking about the contents of my fridge (and yes – the same principles can apply to my freezer contents too) is that both have become full to bursting point. Yesterday I almost opened a carton of orange juice that appeared to be about to explode; it had been pushed behind a myriad of other items and had probably been open for over a week and was going off. I can remember considering myself lucky that I’d found it in time. I’m considering this all now, because I’ve just read that someone's fridge freezer has exploded. Apparently the door blew off with such force that it ripped out three internal doors, lifted the kitchen roof, forced open the loft latch and smashed chunks out of the wall. The householder sustained ‘serious’ cuts and bruises and a fire officer said that there was ‘food everywhere’. I can imagine… While I’m not suggesting that the appliance exploded because it was bursting with fermenting perishables, I wouldn’t mind betting that the manufacturer wishes that this could be the case. Exploding fridge freezers aren’t common, so this story will be big. Consumers will of course end up blaming the brand – however innocently the appliance may have behaved – and the manufacturer will have its work cut out, rekindling confidence and winning over the consumers once more. I wish them luck... And perhaps they could start by designing a fridge freezer that goes up to the ceiling, for families like mine? Yours,
 This Week's News
Ministers call on construction industry to invest and build home-grown talent Ministers called upon the construction industry this week, to remove barriers to get more young people to consider careers in construction and develop an ambitious action plan to address the skills pressures and other constraints that are limiting housebuilding and infrastructure development. Housing Minister Brandon Lewis and Skills Minister Nick Boles want the construction industry to look at whether current business models are holding back the industry from developing the skills it needs - and to consider new models of construction such as offsite manufacturing. Judges announced for 2016 KBSA Designer Awards The Kitchen Bathroom Bedroom Specialists Association has announced that Bruce Thomas, business development director at Mereway, is the newest member of the panel of judges for the 2016 KBSA Designer Awards. The Panel also includes: - Renee Mascari, CEO KbbNTG and director of Mascari Studios (head judge) We have Mail: Sale of Goods Act 1989
Further to your comments in last week's leader, the Sale of Goods Act 1989 states (and is backed up by recent precedent) that a product must be 'fit for purpose' and more so in a specialised shower/bathroom environment... where the buyer - in law - has up to six years to reasonably reject the product as unfit. It is not reasonable to have any part rust inside a shower inside 15 years - let alone three years! Solid brass chrome plated items cannot rust... but mild steel items - plated, can, if the plate is thin and fails or where corrosive cleaners have taken off the plating (as in the many law suits to 'Cillit Bang' before the manufacturer was forced to put on its bottles: "Do not use on chrome taps"). 27th September: save the date!
Recognising quality, excellence and innovation - Geberit Award winners 2015 revealed
So successful was the finished design that it won retailer David Root the prestigious accolade of Best Domestic Installer at the Geberit Awards 2015. More than 8.1 million searches for accredited tradespeople during 2015
Grown in seconds: new website demonstrates sustainability of American timber
Supported by environmental consultants ThinkStep, AHEC aims to promote a better understanding of the true environmental benefits of using American hardwoods in design and manufacture. Grown in Seconds uses the extensive data gathered by the US Forest Service to track the annual growth and harvest rates of every hardwood species to calculate how quickly wood used in projects can be regrown within the forests of the US. BAL expands specification support team with two appointments
Alan Thurston and Tracey Hopkins will work with architects, designers and specifiers supporting them on M40/M20 specifications, providing project support and delivering RIBA-accredited CPDs. Speedy Easi-Plan installation cuts costs
The Easi-Plan range has been designed specifically for the UK market and the installation frames provide a precision, pre-wall fixing system that is simple to install, practical and flexible while eliminating exposed pipes or the need for unsightly pipe boxing. The savings in installation time make the frames a worthwhile investment during the initial installation and simplify any changes at a later date. Blanco develops sales team in preparation for an exciting 2016
Mereway launches £30,000 charity initiative to celebrate 30 years
Staff at the Tyseley office and factory are aiming to raise at least £30,000 from a series of charity events throughout the year. The company is supporting four main charities that will receive the bulk of the funds raised, with another list of local charities selected by staff all to receive a donation. The KBzine Archive Search We keep an extensive archive of news stories and product information that have featured in past issues of The KBzine. If you would like to run a search of the The KBzine web site using the search tool below please just go ahead by entering in the name of the person, product or company or any other key words that you are looking for. How to contact us at The KBzine:
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Abacus Manufacturing Group helps raise money for Saint Michael's Hospice
 Garry Smith appointed as Hoover product manager
Utopia appoints marketing director to strengthen brand position
Wilsonart appoints new national accounts manager for distribution
Christian Smith takes on national account controller role at Whirlpool UK Appliances
Granite Transformations COO Danny and pal Bernie attempt Cook Strait world record
Marketing
Sing to the sound of SysRock for a chance to win £5,000 of Festool Tools! Festool is giving customers the chance to win £5,000 of Festool tools... This fun competition is to celebrate the launch of the new SysRock BR10 Site Radio by asking tradespeople to submit a video of them singing along to one of the SysRock songs, as chosen by tradespeople at the end of last year. Literature
Hafele launches new kitchen accessories directory
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