KBzine: the original kitchen and bathroom industry e-news - since 2002
5th February 2010
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International News
Products Indesit wins Good Design award 2009 with the Quadrio
For the third year running Indesit Company has received a Good Design Award for industrial design. After Scholtés's Multiplo cooking vessel in 2009 and the Indesit Moon washing machine (in the 'Bathroom' category) in 2008, the 2009 award went to Hotpoint-Ariston's Quadrio fridge in the domestic appliances section. Granted by the Chicago Athenaeum - Museum of Architecture and Design together with the European Centre for Architecture, Art, Design and Urban Studies, the award was in recognition of the excellence of the design produced by the famous Japanese designer Makio Hasuike for a revolutionary fridge that carries forward food preservation technology whilst showing an intelligent attitude to energy saving. The revolutionary Quadrio concept guarantees energy savings of over 50% with respect to a normal fridge: both the fridge and freezer compartments have independently opening doors so that the internal temperature is re-established more quickly. An intelligent technology that's useful for the consumer and friendly to the environment because it's geared to economic efficiency, wellbeing and reduction of waste.
For over 50 years the iF design award has served as a recogniSed trademark for outstanding design all over the world. This year the jury gave its professional opinion on the design quality of entries in 16 product categories and noted that - especially in economically uncertain times - design is a decisive factor in terms of market success and value creation, with many of the submitted products setting new benchmarks in their respective fields. According to the jury chairman Fritz Frenkler (of f/p design in Germany): "Good design isn't born of good marketing, it's created by designers." A total of 2,486 products from 1,016 entrants in 38 countries were judged and 778 designs were awarded as the best designs. The iF product design award are marked on design quality, workmanship, choice of materials, degree of innovation, environmental friendliness, functionality, ergonomics, visualization of use, safety, brand value, branding and universal design. Fisher & Paykel Appliances is pleased to announce that in the category Kitchen/Household the Product Design Award 2010 has been awarded to CoolDrawer, said to be the world's first multi-temperature cooling drawer. Lawmakers join forces to 'waterproof' EU policies A newly-established Water Intergroup in the European Parliament has started to help MEPs consider EU water policies more horizontally, as the European Commission prepares to put its water strategies in line with climate and resource-efficiency policies. "Adaptation to climate change, risks of flooding and water scarcity will be on the agenda, as well as the influence of product design and different production processes," said the new group's chairman, MEP Richard Seeber opening its first meeting yesterday on Wednesday. The group's monthly meetings are also expected to address "the security of infrastructures, the necessity of ensuring technological leadership by the European water industry and the relationship between water, health and biodiversity," he continued. The informal MEP and stakeholder group was set up with the support of Eureau, the European federation of national drinking and waste water operators, which will also manage the intergroup's secretariat. Zehnder Retail Division tells us it is strengthening its operation in the UK merchant and showroom market with the introduction of the Zehnder brand to the retail market. This will incorporate the current Acova product portfolio from 1st February 2010. RETRA shows there is strength in numbers Retra, the electrical retailers association, welcomed a record number of associate members last year, underlining the importance of the need for businesses to stick together in difficult times. Proof that there is strength in numbers, retra has been joined by an increasing range of associates from an array of sectors, including distribution and digital services. Retra is especially proud of the additions because they bring extensive benefits to members. The new associate members that have joined retra in the last 12 months include: Big Red Sales, D.A.D, Digital Radio Development Bureau, Digitaltvinfo.com, Kodak - Tetenal, Midwich, Euro Digital Services, Humax Electronics Co., LG Electronics UK, Philex Electronic, The Sirius Buying Group and Technisat Digital UK. Training for the KBB industry: first 12 delegates of 2010 put through their paces This year's first one day KBB sales and customer care course was held at the Whirlpool training centre in Croydon on Wednesday. Twelve delegates took part in the course, which is designed to give people the skills required to increase conversion rates and improve profitability on installations. To date 380 delegates have attended the course which is run by Graham Hayden, and this January course included delegates from The Myers Touch, Dobsons Home improvements, Tradex and KCA. This course is approved by the KBB NTG - as well as by CITB Construction Skills who sent delegate Gerald Kelly on the course. Full details of training courses from Graham Hayden can be found on his website: Siamp rises to the challenge to raise money for African charities
Siamp UK joined forces with industry colleagues and people from across the world to tackle a tough fundraising challenge in South Africa. National Kitchen & Bath Association reports the styles for 2010 The results are in from a recent survey of designers conducted by the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) of the US to reveal the key design trends for 2010. The results of the NKBA 2010 Kitchen & Bath Design Trends Survey confirmed the continuation of a number of existing trends in the marketplace, but also uncovered others that indicate shifts in the direction that kitchen and bath style will take this year. Below are 2010's seven kitchen trends and four bath trends: 1. Traditional is the new Contemporary: Traditional will continue as the most popular kitchen design style in 2010, with contemporary following closely behind, while the Shaker style is seeing a surprisingly strong resurgence. Shades of whites and off-whites will be the most common kitchen colors in 2010, while brown, beige, and bone hues will also be popular. 2. Cherry on top: Cherry will remain the most popular wood for kitchen cabinetry, followed closely by maple, while alder increases in use. As for the finishes placed on those cabinets, medium natural, dark natural, glazed, and white painted will all be common. Other colors of painted cabinetry and light natural finishes are in decline, however, as are distressed finishes. Baumatic joins forces with Galaxy in series of consumer competitions
Vado has purchased a new 22,800 sq ft warehouse in Cheddar. Situated on a 1.4 acre site, the new building effectively doubles the company's available warehousing space and also provides much needed office space for the extra two people a month being taken on! The new building will also house a recreational room for staff enjoyment, a new bank of meeting suites, plus another showroom area for customers. Sarah Williams, VADO's Commercial Director, comments: "We are committed to taking the business forward and even during these bleak financial times we are planning for a very bright future." T: +44 (0) 1934 744466 National Sleep Foundation launches air purification product for the bedroom The National Sleep Foundation of the US has partnered with Austin Air Systems, a leading indoor air cleaner manufacturer, to launch a new National Sleep Foundation-branded air purification system specifically designed for the sleep environment. The National Sleep Foundation Bedroom Machine by Austin Air is making its debut at the Big Sleep Show in Washington, DC today. RETRA meets Chinese delegation
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Welcome to the With the UK's car scrappage scheme about to end, I've come across a similar scheme in the US which covers unwanted kitchen appliances etc. and is designed to stimulate the economy while saving energy and encouraging recycling - thus helping the environment. Seems like a good idea to me... The 'cash for appliance clunkers' rebate programme has a pot of $300m. Those taking advantage of the scheme can be awarded up to $200 for the purchase of an energy efficient appliance, through discounts given at the cash register when they make their purchase, as well as a 'mail-in rebate' if their ‘clunker' appliance is hauled away by one of the approved recycling companies. And of course, consumers will save money not only when they buy the appliance but throughout the appliance's life too, as using less energy will result in cost savings on utility bills. I hear that the US ‘cash for clunkers' car programme went through $ 1 billion in just a week, so I should imagine the industry and the retailers are feeling pretty frazzled right now as consumers rush out to choose their new appliances before the money runs out! Lane Burt, Manager of Buildings & Energy Policy with the Natural Resources Defense Council in Washington, D.C., believes that the programme's success could encourage manufacturers to invest more in green technology in the future. “Green technology is usually a small market, and when the manufacturers expand capacity, it involves changing their manufacturing lines and where they're investing their resources,” he said. “If they see there is a market, they will put more money into developing new, energy-efficient technology.” And talking of new technology, our rolling KBB 2010 preview kicks off this week with information from a handful of the companies that will be exhibiting. If you're a manufacturer or supplier who's taking part and haven't yet sent KBZine information that will encourage our readers to attend the show and visit your stand, please do so as soon as possible so we can include it in our pages over the coming weeks. Everything we run will end up in our KBB feature, which can be used by those visiting the show to plan their days there, so do make sure you don't miss out! Yours,
This Week's News
New cooperation between Keller Kitchens and Bruynzeel Kitchens Keller Kitchens and Bruynzeel Kitchens have reached an agreement resulting in a new and exciting cooperation; the Bruynzeel holding company has taken over 100% of the shares of the Keller group from Keller. The contract was signed last week and, further to this new organisation, the Netherlands now houses one of Europe's largest kitchen factories. Due to the combined strength of these two established companies, a solid foundation for expansion of the group over Europe has been laid. "We are really pleased that this union represents no negative consequences for our employees; the move is entirely positive," says Willem Keller, MD of Keller Kitchens. "I will remain as Managing Director of Keller Kitchens." Both companies will retain their own identities and independence and continue with their individual policies, strategies, brands, collections and production plants. This structure is possible as the two companies are serving the residential kitchen market in totally different ways. Bruynzeel has always managed its own kitchen stores in Holland and Belgium, while Keller has a network of independent kitchen specialists in the UK as well as Holland. Franke helps provide a touch of luxury
Franke products have recently been used to help furnish the Leekes Retail and Leisure Group's development, Hensol Castle Park. The luxury apartment complex consists of 59 apartments with an average sale price of £350,000. Hensol Castle Park is a collection of spacious two and three bedroom apartments located within the spectacular and historical parkland of Hensol Castle Estate. Beautifully designed and located within an estate-managed development, these homes promise much from the outside and then deliver more from the inside with so many bespoke design features. The apartments are all furnished with Franke sinks, taps, waste disposal units and cooker hoods. Zero from MHS Radiators - a high output alternative to steel panels
MHS Radiators has launched the Zero range of low cost, lightweight aluminium radiators with contemporary styling and excellent heat outputs from 423W to 3,068W. They make an excellent alternative to steel panel radiators and thanks to their low water content heat up rapidly and are extremely efficient. And where high pressures are needed, like high rise buildings, Zero operates at up to 16 BAR, making specification simple. Rangemaster introduces three new colours to popular Professional+ Range Cooker
Building on the success of the Professional+ in Stainless Steel, this superb appliance is a culinary masterpiece offering discerning cooks a wealth of features to choose from: Secret to long-term business success (as the economy recovers) revealed... On Tuesday, the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development published the first year findings of one of its flagship research programmes, Shaping the Future, which offers practical insights into achieving sustainable, long term business prosperity. The report follows six organisations undertaking change programmes, tracking their progress, examining the challenges and opportunities they encounter, and helping to stimulate debate among the 5,500 practitioners signed up to the dedicated Shaping the Future network. The interim report, 'Sustainable organisation performance: what really makes the difference?' identifies the key areas that organisations need to consider on their journey to sustainable organisation performance. To successfully implement change and achieve sustainability, the report concludes that organisations need to focus on: There's nothing like a good bubbly!
Taking a bath has just become cause for celebration! Renowned UK bathroom specialist Frontline, has three new fabulous free-standing baths to entice you to luxuriate in the tub... The Aquabathe range, exclusive to Frontline, is a clever fusion of contemporary and lavish design. With sumptuous lines, the curvaceous Pano bath is one to admire. This brand new freestanding double ended bath is designed for perfect relaxation. The raised contours of one end and graduated recess provide an ideal head rest. Standing proud at 1800 x 900mm and finished in brilliant white, the Pano bath is designed for pure relaxation. Croydex welcomes Damixa to the UK with huge KBB giveaway
Croydex is delighted to announce a new partnership with Danish brassware manufacturer Damixa, whose products are to be showcased at the KBB 2010. Croydex, now responsible for the Damixa brand in the UK, will be kicking off this exciting development with a 'not to be missed' promotion. Damixa has been eager to regain its foothold in the UK market since its management buy-out last year. Nearly 40% of CEOs worldwide plan to increase workforce in 2010 With their worst fears of prolonged recession behind them, CEOs' confidence for future growth has bounced back from the gloomy prospects of a year ago, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers 13th Annual Global CEO Survey, released on Wednesday at the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos. This rising confidence has translated into a planned boost in recruitment, with nearly 40% of CEOs expecting to increase their headcount this year. That contrasts with 25% who are planning job cuts over the next year, down from nearly half who decreased headcount in the past 12 months. 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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