KBzine: the original kitchen and bathroom industry e-news - since 2002
17th August 2018
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 International News
Products Traditionally modern design for your kitchen
Abajo - a space-saving, subtle extraction system from Blanco
This system is perfect for open-plan living where sightlines should be kept clear. The Abajo sits flush to the worktop and siphons steam and cooking odours away leaving the room's atmosphere crystal clear. Survey reveals safety managers' confidence with workplace eyewash stations
New superslim worktops - a real innovation in laminate
Crosswater's Svelte bathroom furniture collection now offered inn Storm Grey
Franke's new Atmos hood aims to make condensation a thing of the past
Streamlined and elegant: Rangemaster launches two new kitchen taps
New VitrA Signature Collection offers retailers that little extra
The award-winning shower toilet; V-care Essential, is also included to provide retail partners with a competitively priced solution in this rapidly growing market segment. |
The Summer holidays are once again here and I'm relieved to say that this will be the last issue of KBzine until 7th September. Not that I don't love producing KBzine and sister publication Cleanzine; it's just that with two issues to broadcast every week from early January, I'm worn out by August! I never stray far from my roots though and am naturally always on the lookout for a good story. At last weekend's festival I attended an enthralling presentation by explorer Mark Wood - amongst many incredible achievements, the only man to have completed back-to-back solo treks to the South Geographic Pole and a 200-mile crossing of the Arctic ocean to the Geographic North Pole. And when I say solo that means no dogs and no back-up whatsoever (https://vimeo.com/46217790). He also supported the BBC Top Gear team to the Magnetic North Pole. I won't share his response when he was asked which was worse... trekking in 'solitary confinement' or trekking with Jeremy Clarkson. Nor will I share how he goes to the toilet in such extreme conditions... Mark's raising money to fund a second attempt to climb Everest next year - he abandoned his first with less than 200 metres to go, when he realised that unless he did, his lead climber would die. "There were only four of us and the rear climber had already baled," he said. "Having served in an armed forces recovery unit I've seen death many times. Looking up I could see the head torches of climbers reaching the summit and for a split-second I wondered what was more important - sticking a flag into Everest's summit or a saving a life. The other climber and I got our friend down the mountain safely and he survived." If you're wanting to get your name in lights, Mark's looking for sponsors and his expedition is being Skyped live to more than 1 million schoolchildren all over the world - creating the most extreme classroom on Earth. Advertising in KBzine offers pretty good value too and John Austen will happily take your call... As well as inspiring young people, Mark wants to draw attention to our changing world and the melting ice caps (some of his videos are pretty graphic). Whether it's down to global warming or the natural rhythm of the Earth, wouldn't it be wonderful if we could find a way to distribute all this water to where it's needed most. Yours,
 This Week's News
BMA works towards international agreement on water efficient products
BMA technical director Andy McLean attended an ISO meeting in Australia that brought together representatives from China, Japan, UK, USA, Switzerland, Australia, and Singapore, to discuss how this could be achieved. He is pictured here )third from right second row) with other members of the ISO meeting in Australia Builders' merchants' sales soar as part of 0.9% rise in construction output
The data on builders' merchants is produced for the Builders Merchants Federation through the 'Builders Merchants Building Index' (BMBI) which tracks builders' merchants' actual sales using GfK data. It found that total builders' merchants' sales in the first six months of 2018 increased by 4.0% over the same six months in 2017. The data also showed that average sales a day in the second quarter of 2018 were 18.7% higher than in the first quarter. Smeg's new digital brochure features entire built-in and integrated appliance range
Abode scoops LTG's 'Best in Kitchen & Bathroom Accessories' Award
LTG contributors and readers were invited to nominate brands and products they felt deserved recognition, with the LTG team putting forward a selection of companies that have excelled within key industries. The judging panel agreed on Abode as the deserving winner of the Best in Kitchen & Bathroom Accessories Award. Our industry's views of plastic waste: Franke's Snapshot Survey results revealed
According to the Snapshot Survey conducted by Franke as part of its Refill not Landfill initiative, almost 70% of workplaces across the kitchen and bathroom industry do not currently offer a dedicated recycling facility for plastics. 30% of respondents reported taking their plastic waste home to recycle, with 34% throwing their plastic bottles in the general office waste. Carron Phoenix retailers to host 'World's Biggest Coffee Morning' for Macmillan
For the second year in a row, Carron Phoenix is inviting retailers across the country to host coffee mornings on either Friday 28th or Saturday 29th September and providing them with all the resources to do so free of charge. Sleek with no leaks for the perfect wetroom
"A few manufacturers have attempted to create something similar but, in our opinion, Abacus Elements has really nailed it with this clever design making it one of the best wetroom trays we have seen," Roger Bisby, Skill Builder.
Designed to create sleek, stylish wetrooms, the Infinity single-fall wetroom tray by Abacus Elements is the only product of its kind on the market today where the slopes of the tray former and drain are fully integrated and sealed. This ensures straightforward design and installation of a leak-free, secure wetroom which oozes class. The Infinity single fall wetroom tray helps achieve a subtle style statement and a minimalist look as the tiles fall seamlessly into the wall. Better than ever ceramic hobs from Amica
The ACH6420FR (pictured) four zone model replaces the PH6420ZT. The hob has front touch controls with LED display and nine power levels, along with many safety features including temperature limiter and a time limit security system. It has an easy clean, stylish black frameless design for easy maintenance. Matt black finds its surface match with CRL Quartz Vicenza
The perfect contrast to trending bold colours in interior design and the ideal partner to popular brassware and appliance finishes such as matt black, CRL Quartz Vicenza is striking to the eye with its movement of colours from soft whites and greys to dark, bold veins. Colour pop kitchens add real vibrancy to the home's hub
Joanne Emery, marketing manager, shares her prediction for Autumn/Winter 18: InSinkErator supports PhD food waste research project
A new housing development in Upper Rissington, Gloucestershire, was allocated funding by the Local Government Association to take part in a food waste disposer pilot study to manage unavoidable food waste. Norbord answers the call of the Royal Marines
Following the closure of their barracks in Plymouth, 60 Marines were relocated to Royal Marine Base, Chivenor, but the three buildings allocated to them needed to be renovated. The Marines appealed for help with paint and building supplies on their Facebook page. Masterclass takes to the high roads (and the low roads) by expanding into Scotland
"We're delighted to be able to offer kitchen retailers in Scotland the opportunity to work with Masterclass and come on board as part of our partner programme," comments Masterclass Kitchens managing director Gerald Jones. Companies fined for breaching safety regulations Two companies have been fined recently for breaches in safety regulations that led to injuries for their workers. In the first, an East Lothian-based sole trader was fined after a self-employed furniture maker was injured on its premises. Edinburgh Sheriff Court heard how, in 2016, the furniture maker was working on the premises owned by Peter Anselm Fraser, trading as A and A Fraser Property. Whilst the worker was moving wood over the planer blade, the machine skidded on the table causing her left hand to slip off the top edge and come into contact with the exposed part of the blade, which caused hand injuries. Samsung creates new technical expert roles to enhance kitchen trade support Samsung has created new roles in its customer engagement team for the kitchen trade to better serve the needs of the premium market and provide enhanced customer service for retail partners. The roles, in Samsung's contact centre operations in Leeds, were created in August to provide the kitchen market, including studios, designers, installers and builders, with deep product knowledge, industry insights and expertise from a dedicated team of customer engagement specialists. 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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clicking the link above. Recent News
KitchenAid supports retailers with bespoke training opportunities
Stylishly arranged over two floors, the venue offers retail partners valuable and bespoke training on the vast array of KitchenAid appliances. New FTA events to provide road map for new international logistics landscape
BMA sponsors new award to promote customer safety through compliance
The kitchen of the future : Magnet and Samsung launch Smart Kitchen
Plumbers' Merchant Graham reaps benefits of Saniflo Kinemagic display with free fitting and training
How-to video focuses on installing Abacus' Easi-Plan Modul Basin Frame
The key to any stylish bathroom is in the planning. With the Easi-Plan range of flushing & support systems by Abacus, any bathroom structure is possible. Marketing
Big brand consumer promotions from Amica
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