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KBzine: the original kitchen and bathroom industry e-newssince 2002
12th September 2014

 

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Please note that you are viewing an archived issue of The KBzine.




International News
Products

See Amica at IFA from today until 10th September

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Berlin's IFA, kicking off its 90th year today, is one of the world's top trade shows for consumer electronics and appliances and exhibiting for the 5th year in succession is Amica, Poland's leading and Europe's fastest growing built-in and freestanding appliance manufacturer.
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Orion; Sensio's new rechargeable LED under bed light

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Lighting specialist Sensio is pleased to further extend its bedroom lighting collection with another pioneering solution, the Orion rechargeable LED under bed light.

Enhancing both the functionality and aesthetics of any bedroom, Orion fits seamlessly beneath the bed, illuminating the area, whilst also transforming the bed into a focal point in the room. The discreet fitting can also be positioned inside cabinets, or under cabinets to create a floating effect and illuminate the floor in a kitchen or a bedroom.
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Innovation at the lightest of touches with Geberit Sigma70

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Setting itself apart from other WC flush plates in terms of looks and performance, Geberit has launched its most revolutionary flush system yet, the Geberit Sigma70 featuring new Dual Hydraulic Servo technology.

Making activation of the flush almost effortless for the user, the new Geberit Sigma70 flush plate is the latest innovation in the best-selling Geberit Sigma range, which includes an extensive range of flush plates and the Duofix range of framing systems and concealed cisterns for wall-hung WCs, with 8cm, 12cm and corner options to suit any situation.
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Smeg collaborates with innovative pop-up 'London in the Sky'

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Smeg is known for its collaborations with top architects and designers, but its latest venture, teaming up with open-air, pop-up restaurant London in the Sky, has reached new heights of style... 100 feet to be exact!
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Inclusive bathroom design looks set to grow

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Due to the increasingly ageing society, accessibility is no longer a minority topic; the demand for inclusively designed bathroom products looks set to grow. You can have good design with product that ultimately serves a purpose rather than just 'looking good' to create a great space for all ages.

Well-designed, accessible concepts are becoming increasingly important as a result of this demographic change.
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Tantalising tiles from Abacus

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Stunning aesthetics coupled with technical excellence is Abacus Manufacturing Group's hallmark. And the exciting, comprehensive range of Designer tiles allows the designer or installer to complete the perfect bathroom.
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Shower in classic style with Belgravia

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The new Belgravia exposed shower valve collection from Crosswater faithfully reproduces the style one might find in a luxury Victorian bathroom.
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Abode's Estimo... a tap of perfect proportions

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Abode previewed a number of new designs of contemporary style kitchen mixer taps at KBB earlier this year which are now out in the marketplace nationwide.
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UK water saving plumbing products market growing rapidly

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The UK water saving plumbing products market is estimated at £164 million at Manufacturers Selling Prices (MSP) in 2013, according to a new report by AMA Research.
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Add a sparkle to your shower with Dynamo

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New for August 2014, what could be more relaxing than showering under an invigorating spray of sparkling water with light dancing off the drops as they fall? Crosswater has made the dream come true with Dynamo, an innovative new shower head that incorporates LED lighting to illuminate your shower.
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Luxurious Hands and Faces from Ben De Lisi

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"My bathroom is a place where you just want to languish for ages" - Ben De Lisi. Iconic American fashion and interiors designer, Ben de Lisi, has designed a range of 'Hands and Faces' washbasins which are available to buy from Abacus Manufacturing Group via www.ben-de-lisi.com

The ceramic models comprise contemporary washbasins which are designed with functionality in mind. They are available in round, square, flat and rectangular configurations - something for every luxurious bathroom design scheme. Alongside the seven ceramic options, there are four beautiful basins in the Stone collection. Handcrafted from natural stone, these pieces epitomise luxurious bathing.
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Burger unveils new kitchen styles - available for quick delivery

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Bauformat has unveiled 32 new door additions to its Burger brand 'modern' kitchen range, which now offers 170 door choices.

Competitively priced, Cora and the new Cindy range (pictured) are available as part of the 'Schnell' quick delivery solution within 10 to 15 working days.
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Welcome to the

KBzine

I’m sure I’m not the only one that suffered another sleepless night, before logging onto/switching on the news this morning with real trepidation… Would a huge swathe of these beautiful islands no longer be part of the United Kingdom?

I thank those living in Scotland for voting the way I’d have liked to, given the chance.

Much of the press is today saying that the referendum showed democracy at its best. I hate to whinge, but bearing in mind the impact a ‘yes’ vote would have had on everyone in the UK, shouldn’t we all have been given the vote?

In other news today, Triton’s Lorna Fellowes, has criticised the revised consumer rights bill, arguing that the decision to introduce a 30 day short term right for consumers to reject goods they deem to be substandard, is a bad one for the industry. I couldn’t agree more.

I do sometimes wonder whether that other bastion of democracy, the European Union, is – instead of supporting business – trying to make things as difficult as possible for businesses to thrive.

What do you think?

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Yours,

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Jan Hobbs

 



This Week's News

People news...

Latest: Bathroom Manufacturers Association strengthens team... Crosswater Cucina gets dedicated team... Andy Vaughan moves on from kbb Birmingham... A fond farewell to John Brunton, Hansgrohe's Pioneering Project Manager... Wirquin sales team expands to meet customer demand across UK and Ireland... Insinkerator appoints new Marketing Manager, Europe... Promotion and appointment at Lakes Bathrooms... Whirlpool appoints new head of marketing... New Chief Executive sets sights on growth at TrustMark...
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Is 'same old, same old', what you're after?

* same-old.jpgIf 'same old, same old', is the sort of thing you're looking for then this year's Bathroom & Kitchen Business Conference is definitely not for you.
If you're looking for endless idle chat, going over the well-trodden and rather tiresome introverted confab about how good it all was in the glory days of 30 years ago then you are advised NOT to attend.

If, however, you care about the future of your business, and you want fresh ideas and innovative thinking from new blood and successful entrepreneurs, who are not usually associated with bathrooms and kitchens, then the conference is your 'must-go-to-that.'
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100% Design just a few days away…

100% Design, officially the UK’s largest design trade event and the biggest event during the London Design Festival, is just a few days away. It will take place from 17th – 20th September at London’s Earls Court. More than 30,000 visitors, including architects, interior designers, retailers and designers, are expected to attend. Find out about the seminar programme and what will be on show at:

www.100percentdesign.co.uk


New striking 'shower temple' from Belle epoque brand, Arcade

* Art-1.jpgLaunched Sept 1st, this striking new freestanding shower temple is Arcade Bathrooms' most timeless product.

Arcade includes beautiful ceramic sanitary ware, free-standing baths and stunning showering masterpieces. Every piece is hand finished with exceptional care using the finest materials and manufacturing process. A nickel finish is used throughout all brassware, fittings and accessories within the Arcade range, completing the luxury concept and setting the range apart, as the most acclaimed in bathroom styling.
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AEG encourages families to embrace future of cooking and technology at The Big Feastival 2014

* Big-Feastival.jpgThis year's Big Feastival saw an amazing attendance of 40,000 people who all turned up to sample a day of delicious food and innovative cooking technology.

As headline sponsor, AEG's latest induction hobs and steam ovens were shown off at their best through the expertise of some of the UK's hottest chefs. Jamie Oliver, Alex James, Rachel Khoo and Gizzie Erskine were just some of the many big names satisfying guests' foodie fix in the AEG Big Kitchen.
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Blanco travels a million miles for UK customers

* BLANCO-truck.jpgBlanco, the German manufacturer of sinks, taps and extractor hoods, supplies product direct to market via a fleet of ten trucks. Most of the UK is covered twice a week by the fleet of vehicles which collectively travel around a million miles a year.

£1.5million of stock is housed in the company's warehouse in St Albans, Hertfordshire; the only UK location where Blanco can be sourced by the trade.
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MPs must respond to public demand for action on pavement parking danger, says Living Streets

MPs must vote for tough action to stop the scourge of parking on our pavements which blights most of the country, says pedestrian campaign group Living Streets today, as Cheltenham MP Martin Horwood's Pavement Parking Bill receives its second reading in the House of Commons.

Over two thirds (69%) of the public are in favour of a national law says Living Streets, which is part of a coalition of charities including Guide Dogs, Age UK and the RNIB supporting the Bill to make pavement parking illegal in England and Wales.
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Franke Minerva boiling water taps are hot topic in BBC Good Food Magazine with exclusive sponsorship of 52 page cookery booklet

* Franke-Minerva-Mondial.jpgAs part of its ongoing support of retailers through its More in Store initiative, Franke is exclusively sponsoring a 30 Minute Meals booklet which is included with the October edition of BBC Good Food Magazine, on sale from early September.

The popular 52 page supplement has a circulation of 257,000 readers and a readership of 1,283,000. The October issue includes editorial, handy hints and tips, together with newly commissioned photography to showcase the many benefits of having a Minerva boiling water tap in the kitchen. The 30 Minute Meals theme has been devised to show the speed, convenience and time-saving benefits of Minerva through a variety of recipes.
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Green and Clean Cycling Scheme... Hansgrohe UK staff get on their bikes

* Hansgrohe_Green-Cycle.jpgOn August 28th, Hansgrohe launched its Green and Clean Cycling Scheme at the UK head office in Esher, Surrey.

Already recognised globally as a sustainable bathroom manufacturer, Hansgrohe says the drivers behind the UK scheme are to reduce carbon footprint locally and increase health benefits for staff by encouraging them to leave the car at home and cycle to work.
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A great retailer opportunity to display great value Abode designer taps

* Abode-Matrix-SQ-GR15.jpgAbode, one of the UK's largest kitchen sink, tap, bathroom brassware and shower manufacturers, is offering retailers a unique opportunity to display five of its latest kitchen designer taps at a special discounted price.

This promotion runs for a three month period from 1st October through to the end of December 2014 and is outlined on a promotional flyer as well as through the Abode e-marketing campaign.
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New Wirquin product to be launched at PHEX

* Macdee-Motion.jpgWirquin will be featuring at the plumbing & heating exhibitions PHEX Manchester (15th & 16th October) and Chelsea (12th & 13th November) three of its latest flagship products: the Chrono self-supporting WC frame, Slim shower trap and the Macdee Motion dual flush siphon.

The new Chrono frame will be launched at the Manchester show. Already a market leader in France, it is set to be a huge success in the UK as wall hung frames grow in popularity in bathroom design.
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Pioneering dishwasher from V-ZUG

The Adora SL WP dishwasher was one of five V-ZUG products recently awarded by the Plus X Award 2014. This powerful and groundbreaking dishwasher impressed the judges noting it for its innovation, high quality, functionality, ease of use and ecology.
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Jan Hobbs
Publishing Editor
Email:[email protected]
Tel: +44 (0)1372 811 307 
Mobile: 07980 288 373

 

 

 

 

John Austen
Publishing Director
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Tel: +44 (0)1580 755 863
Mobile: 07766 707 888
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Recent News

University addresses construction industry skills shortage

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A shortage of problem-solving skills in the construction industry is preventing professionals from advancing within their careers, prompting a new initiative between Birmingham City University and Mott MacDonald.
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iKBBI co-develops industry training for life-saving asbestos awarenes

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The Institute of Kitchen, Bedroom & Bathroom Installers has announced a new training initiative for its members relating to life saving asbestos awareness specifically for kitchen, bedroom & bathroom installers.
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People

Abode invests in apprenticeships

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Having been an employer of local people in and around the Barnsley area for many years, Abode is committed to giving something back to the community by working with the National Apprentice Service and First for Apprenticeships Barnsley.
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Marketing

Infrared heating display deal for kitchen and bathroom retailers from Infrarad

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Infrarad offers designer space heating, which consumes half the energy required to run conventional radiators, to leading builders' and plumbers' merchants, and kitchen and bathroom retailers.
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