KBzine: the original kitchen and bathroom industry e-news - since 2002
21st January 2011
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International News
Products
A fantastically useful application has been designed specifically for retailers and designers of Uber kitchens. Form a line! The Contour from leisure sinks is now available
NKBA Elects 2011 NKBA President & Executive Committee
The US National Kitchen & Bath Association has announced the election results for the 2011 NKBA Executive Committee, which will be led by 2011 President David Alderman, CMKBD of Chesapeake, Virginia. The 2010 Vice President Alan Zielinski, CKD of Niles, Illinois will become President-Elect, while 2010 NKBA Secretary John Morgan of Glyndon, Maryland has been elected Vice President. Mark L. Karas, CMKBD will serve as Immediate Past President. New patent application arrangements will save businesses money UK Intellectual Property Minister Baroness Wilcox has welcomed new arrangements for filing patents in Europe which will cut costs for businesses. Bushboard's Nuance range gives McCarthy & Stone home a stylish new shower room
Blanco's new taps feature in New Year brochure
A new brochure, focusing entirely on Blanco's extensive range of taps, is being launched this month by Blanco UK. As well as the stylish chrome and brushed steel taps for which the company is well known, the brochure also includes the latest selection of the coloured styles which are currently capturing the consumer imagination. 2011 products at 2010 prices at Tile Depot - VAT held till end of sale Tile Depot, the independent tile and stone retailer with 15 stores in London and the South East, has held the cost of home improvements with 2011 tiles and tiling products at 2010 pre-VAT hike prices until the end of its Winter sale. Amica's glossy new catalogue introduces OptiGas
Whirlpool's gas hobs add further steel to stainless
In an era where hobs are aplenty but often indistinguishable in terms of design and performance, the importance of staying one step ahead is paramount as budgets are being continually squeezed. |
Welcome to the
Images from the earthquake that devastated Haiti just over a year ago have been appearing in various media to mark the anniversary of the catastrophe and we are witnessing the devastation caused by heavy rain in Australia and rain and mudslides in Brazil. The fact that heavy flooding on the African continent has killed 10 people and displaced over 10,000 in Mozambique, while forcing South Africa to declare eight of its nine provinces disaster areas after 41 people died there, has barely made the news. With natural disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes, floods and tsunamis leaving millions of people homeless each year, there is no doubt that urgent action needs to be taken to protect and help people globally. It has become crucial to make housing more sustainable and to check if existing standards are up to the job. Consumer and public policy experts from around the world feel this urgency and will convene in London this year to consider how to improve global consumer housing and make sustainability a reality. Hosted by BSI, the 33rd ISO COPOLCO (Committee on Consumer Policy) congress, 'Homes for tomorrow - building through standards', will be held from 23rd - 27th May 2011. The event will consider two key themes: rebuilding homes after disasters - including prevention and post-disaster recovery - and 'greening' our homes. The international summit, which is sponsored by the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills, will be broken up into workshops, training and plenary sessions, spread over the five days, and will also include a technical visit, welcome reception and farewell dinner. Discussions at the various sessions will be wide ranging and are likely to cover topics from post-disaster reconstruction considerations to the environmental impacts of home fires and floods; from increased energy efficiency to eco-friendly households. The conference will present a balanced discussion of immediate concerns, while thinking about long-term ways in which to make homes sustainable. In the past, COPOLCO events have been attended by a wide variety of delegates and speakers from many different fields, including governmental bodies, trade associations, consumer interest groups, private companies, international organisations and more. The key speaker list has also featured prestigious figures from all over the world, including opening addresses from the President of India at COPOLCO 2009 and the Prime Minister of South Korea at COPOLCO 2008. This is one event in which our industry ought to be involved. For further information, visit: www.ansi.org Yours,
 Jan Hobbs
This Week's News
Zip extends its popular commercial Hydrotap collection
Since revolutionising the provision of drinks in the UK workplace, when the current HydroTap was launched in 2005, Zip has continued to invest in the development of its time, energy and cost saving HydroTap system for the delivery of instant boiling and chilled filtered water to meet the changing needs of the commercial market. The house that Ray built - in Romania!
Ray Isted, Head of Training at Whirlpool UK, recently volunteered to build a house in Romania! The Whirlpool Corporation is involved with Habitat for Humanity, an organisation that donates products and provides manpower to support building projects, making a difference to families. Whirlpool EMEA is the longest standing corporate partner in the European and Central Asian region. Whirlpool has helped around 10,000 families, and over 500 Whirlpool employees have volunteered and participated in the house building projects. London's Vertical Gateway Hotel is fashionably dressed in 'M' - Axor Citterio M
Nestled on the banks of the Thames, the river that is the vibrant life-blood of London, and immediately adjacent to London's Vertical Gateway, the Capital's only heliport; Hotel Verta is a truly unique proposition. For an unrivalled experience, business or leisure guests can land by helicopter immediately outside the hotel and step inside to enjoy the generously appointed facilities including a sumptuous restaurant flooded with natural light, first floor bar wi Ellis Furniture launches the Inspire Gloss Azure kitchen
The Inspire Gloss Azure is made from high gloss, acrylic faced, MDF glass effect PVC edged doors supplied on an 18mm glued and dowelled rigid carcase and features large, deep Blum soft close drawer boxes and extra length steel bar handles. Methven welcomes new sales director for the UK and Europe
Simon joins Methven from Twyford Bathrooms where he held the position of sales director and managed a multi sector, cross functional sales function for two and a half years. Prior to Twyford Bathrooms, Simon spent 10 years with Bostik as general manager sales where he managed a multi sector, multi branded sales function of 50 and was instrumental in the integration of three businesses into Bostik during a five-year acquisition trail. Sustainable bathroom fittings used in Olympic water polo arena The water polo arena being constructed for the London 2012 Olympic Games will include bathroom fittings geared towards reducing the structure's impact on the environment. According to the Olympic Delivery Authority, the building will have low-flow taps and showers, as well as waterless urinals. Nature inspired Wintergarden tile range grows with introduction of new colour
The Wintergarden range is the latest addition to the popular Laura Ashley collection of tiles. Square tubes rooted in Italian design Quad from MHS Radiators is a radiator that epitomises Italian chic and sophistication. A combination of tall, square, elongated tubes and bold, angular lines gives the Quad an unashamedly elegant presence. Manufactured from aluminium, Quad comes in either soft, chalky white or bold, punchy anthracite textured finishes. Available in four widths (295mm, 365mm, 435mm and 575mm) it stands 1,800mm high and has outputs ranging from 800W to 1600W. For added peace of mind and to underpin its quality, the Quad is fully guaranteed for five years. A new Habitat for Premium-Line
The complete Premium-Line collection will be offered at each store, ensuring customers have the opportunity to include a wide variety of cooking options in their KBA announces newest KBB industry Hall of Fame member The US National Kitchen & Bath Association has announced the 2011 inductee into the Kitchen & Bath Industry Hall of Fame, which honours individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to the industry. The inductee, Surjit Kalsi, is Chairman of Capital Cooking Equipment and is considered one of the foremost experts in cooking range design and manufacturing. Beginning his professional career in 1957, Surjit has applied his creativity and expertise as a design engineer and is credited with changing the face of the appliance industry. He is said to have introduced the concept of commercial quality ranges for residential use and developed the world's first all-stainless steel outdoor barbecue line. The list of his contributions also includes the invention of the world's first pyoly Better Bathrooms opens Arch 2 in Manchester Following the success of the opening of Better Bathrooms' new Manchester showroom in 2010, the bathrooms and tiles retailer has opened phase 2 of the store. The initial Manchester arch opened in July last year and since its opening, it has proven extremely popular with the local residents and has become one of the retailer's busiest stores. It was always inevitable that the showroom would need to expand, but the speed at which the new arch has been made available to the public is phenomenal. With only six months passing since the opening of the first phase, the new arch is up and running and features even more of Better Bathrooms' outstanding product range. 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. News in Brief
New to Laufen’s flagship designer Il Bagno Alessi One series is the countertop washbasin complete with handy ceramic shelf, which is fired from one piece to create a beautiful rippling wave. E: [email protected] Polypipe Ventilation is now offering site based support to customers of its energy-saving domestic and light commercial ventilation systems, together with its industry-recognised BPEC accredited training programme. T: 08443 715 523 Simpsons’ new Bifold shower door enclosure boasts an up-to-the-minute look which suits every bathroom décor, size and budget. It comes with ClearShield protection, which eliminates calcium build-up on the glass. T: 0845 873 8840 Food waste disposer manufacturer InSinkErator saw a 29% increase in year on year UK sales in 2010. T: 0800 389 3715 Ideal Standard has published its new hotel solutions brochure and design planning service for hotel specifiers based at the Bath Room, its bathroom design studio in Clerkenwell, London. To request a copy, mention KBZine and email: [email protected]
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Self-build site insurance provider welcomes Government's self-build sector boost
Site insurance provider Self-Build Zone has today welcomed the Government's recent policy announcement that it is to cut red tape and boost demand in the UK self-build sector. REC counters claims about bogus self employment in construction
Following a call last week by UCATT - the Union of Construction, Allied Trades & Technicians - for a government review of payroll companies in the construction sector, the Recruitment & Employment Confederation has emphasised the need to strike a balance between stopping false self-employment and ensuring that the UK construction industry retains its flexible workforce. Mereway drivers gain First Aid training
Firms advised that proper book-keeping is essential to avoid £3,000 fine
Small businesses say Her Majesty's Revenue & Customs should get its own house in order following reports of poor service !
Proposals published for £200 million network of Technology and Innovation Centres
Yesterday the Government invited organisations to register their interest in forming a technology and innovation centre focused on the area of high value manufacturing. Electrolux announces Design Lab 2011 theme - 'Intelligent Mobility'
Electrolux Design Lab 2011 invites industrial design students and recent graduates of industrial design to compete for a six-month paid internship and prize money by submitting ideas that consider intelligent mobility within home appliances. The brief specifically seeks solutions that address how people prepare food, clean and do dishes both within and beyond the home. David Cameron takes tea with InSinkErator's Joe Ferrara
Affordable luxury and minimalism lead the way for 2011 kitchen trends
2011 will see a surge in minimalist and luxury kitchen styles, according to solid surface distributor Staron UK. People
Liebherr announces key sales appointment
Bringing a huge amount of relevant experience and knowledge from a background in sales, Tracey will be responsible for retailers in the area, looking after the main distribution partners and building strategic relationships with key kitchen furniture retailers, in order to enhance Liebherr's reputation in this channel. "I am really pleased to be joining such a well respected brand and I am looking forward to developing the area and increasing business," promises Tracey. "It's an exciting time for the Liebherr brand, with lots of technological innovations in the pipeline." T: 08444 122 655 |
