Stone Italiana, a leading quartz and composite surface manufacturer, has published its second annual Sustainability Report and obtained an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) environmental certification for its entire range of surfaces.

The report acts as ongoing public proof of the company’s commitment towards a more environmentally conscious world and achieving a circular economy through greater use of recycled aggregates. All Stone Italiana products contribute credits to LEED-certified projects across four categories

The second Stone Italiana Sustainability Report records an increase in the percentage of recycled raw materials used to 11%, the introduction of a resin binder which is 25% of vegetable origin, and a 21% increase in turnover compared to the forecast. Securing EPDs for the full Stone Italiana range of materials was a goal set and achieved during the reporting period, extending the life-cycle study on all their materials from cradle to grave.

However, providing the design world with sustainable and aesthetically pleasing materials is nothing new according to Stone Italiana; the company has long adhered to an internal Green Vision.

Since 2020, Stone Italiana has focused on promoting its innovative new material Cosmolite^® – high-tech slab material made from inert materials that are 100% derived from recycled minerals. The inert materials are 100% recycled pre-consumer minerals other than quartz and part of the polymeric binder originates from renewable vegetable sources obtained from non-Genetically Modified (non-GM) and Identity-Preserved (IP) plants.

Their Green Vision has also driven the company to continually innovate and focus on increasing the levels of recycled materials across all their products, on creating products that are low VOC and safe for food, and on reducing the company’s overall carbon footprint through the installation of photovoltaics and grid economisers installed at their manufacturing sites.

Stone Italiana materials are available in the UK through Italian Luxury Surfaces Ltd.

About Stone Italiana:

Stone Italia say: Creativity, versatility, production capacity and research are the keywords of a company that since its establishment in 1979 has made its mark on the market with an avant-garde approach to producing engineered quartz and marble. Stone Italiana designs, manufactures and supplies slabs in varying sizes and thicknesses to make them adaptable to a wide range of uses. Stone Italiana has reworked qualities found in nature, such as uniqueness, originality and variety, with high-performance solutions to satisfy an ever more demanding market.

Houzz Inc. a leading platform for home renovation and design, today announced the launch of Email Marketing. The tool is directly integrated into Houzz Pro, the all-in-one business management and marketing software for residential construction and design professionals. With the new tool, home renovation and design pros can quickly and easily create, send and track analytics for newsletters, company updates and other communications using customisable pre-built templates.

“We are excited to provide an easy-to-use email marketing tool in Houzz Pro, empowering pros to stay top of mind with leads and clients, increase engagement and build their brand,” said Alon Cohen, Houzz co-founder and president.

“We heard from our community of industry professionals that they wanted an easy way to keep in touch with clients who often become repeat customers and to nurture leads until they are ready to move forward. Houzz Pro email marketing helps pros do all of this easily and within one software platform.” 

With Houzz Pro Email Marketing, home building, remodelling and design professionals can select a pre-designed email template with themes like newsletters, thank you notes, holiday greetings, promotions and more, or create an email design of their own. Once a template is selected, the pro can personalise it by dragging and dropping content including photos, company logo, text and social media links. Email Marketing is part of the Houzz Pro CRM suite of tools, so pros can build their target email lists from the lead and client contacts already in the Houzz Pro lead manager, then send the email directly through Houzz Pro. Houzz Pro provides performance analytics including opens, clicks and unsubscribes to help pros optimise future sends. The tool is available to Houzz Pro Essential and Ultimate subscribers.

Houzz Pro helps residential construction and design professionals to run an efficient, profitable business and makes it easy for them to reach new customers, all while delivering a standout client experience. The software is available in more than 10 countries across North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Subscription packages, priced to fit any budget or team, also include estimates, invoicing, lead management and business management tools. Pros can learn more and get started at houzz.co.uk/pro. The Houzz Pro app is available on iOS and Android devices.

The Houzz community includes more than 65 million homeowners and home design enthusiasts and over 3 million home renovation and design professionals around the world in more than 100 categories, including architects, interior designers, contractors and landscape professionals.

Download screenshots of the Houzz Pro email marketing tool here.

Water Regs UK is urging qualified RPZ (Reduced Pressure Zone) Valve Testers to join an approved scheme.

A review by Water Regs UK of the testers who undertook its free conversion training when the new RPZ AIM (Approved Installation Method) was introduced in 2020, reveals that of the 370 testers who completed the training, fewer than a third have applied for approved scheme membership since.

Paul Millard, technical Manager at Water Regs UK, says the trend is industry wide. He comments:

“The availability of suitably qualified RPZ Testers is essential for those responsible for RPZ valve maintenance. RPZ valves are a backflow prevention device which protects consumers and their water supply from contamination.”

“There is a shortage of approved RPZ testers across the UK. Reports from all approved schemes indicate that only around half of eligible testers have joined schemes”

When the new AIM was introduced in 2020, Water Regs UK offered free training to listed RPZ Testers, to help them become familiar with the changes and to ensure they can be recognised by water companies.

One of the benefits of being an approved RPZ Tester is that it demonstrates to your customers and water companies that you successfully completed tester training, have suitably calibrated equipment and are employed by a business with suitable insurance. Water Regs UK is encouraging testers to join approved schemes.

Meanwhile, there are still a number of RPZ Testers who did not complete the free conversion training before it ended in January 2021.

Installers who did not complete the conversion by 7^th January 2021, lost their status and no longer hold the necessary qualifications to test RPZ valves and have to sit a full training course to regain approval.

Access to these full courses has now increased with the news that two new qualifications have gained recognition by RPZ Valve Tester sector approval schemes.  These qualifications are recognised as meeting the minimum requirements of competency required for entry into these approval schemes, subject to the schemes entry criteria.

Courses are now being delivered by Develop Training Ltd and by Hydro-X Training.

Paul Millard continues: “While there is a drive to ensure approved RPZ testers take advantage of membership through the four sector schemes, there is still work to be done to ensure more RPZ Testers are approved. These two new qualifications will help more contractors achieve that goal.”

More information on how to become an approved RPZ Testers is available from the four schemes, APLUS (Anglian Water), WaterMark (Severn Trent and Hafren Dyfrdwy), WIAPS and if you are in Scotland or Northern Ireland, SNIPEF.

Links to the schemes can be found at https://www.waterregsuk.co.uk/installers/rpz-testers/

David Osborne has completed two consecutive three-year Board terms as a non-executive director of Made in Britain, playing a crucial role in the governance and evolution of the organisation into a trade association of close to 2,000 members across dozens of manufacturing sectors.

Joining what was then a fledgling group of a few hundred manufacturing members in the spring of 2016, Osborne and his team of design professionals and marketers sat they recognised the need in British manufacturing for a unique, designed identity mark that would help glue the many thousands of successful makers in the UK together – officially.

Made in Britain helps a variety of British manufacturers sell more in the UK and abroad with the use of the official Made in Britain mark. David Osborn took the opportunity to use the famous ‘red arrow’ design device of the collective mark, pointing customers to quality products made by responsible manufacturers.

Sue Peacock, designer at Roman said: “I often wonder if we use the mark more than any other of the 1900 businesses that are members. As everything Roman sells is made here at our factory in Newton Aycliffe, we make sure everyone who comes into contact with our business knows we are a member and sees the mark prominently as a sign of British provenance and quality on the products we make.”

David Osborne, CEO, Roman said: “The Made in Britain mark just makes great business sense. The more you embed it into your business, the more you benefit from the recognition, the collaboration with people making other kinds of products and the trust that comes from the transparent way the organisation is run. The modern sustainable future of British manufacturing looks a lot brighter now we have nearly 2000 firms across every county, proudly displaying the mark on products and within their corporate communications.”

Chris Harrop OBE, Chairman of Made in Britain said: “David is a pioneer with Roman and has been ground-breaking at Made in Britain on the board of directors, serving for two, three-year terms back to back as a volunteer and helping to create the very foundations on which we are built as a licence mark. As chair I have presided over many constructive debates on a long list of questions and challenges for the organisation. David always brings his upbeat, informed and positive outlook for the benefit of every member of Made in Britain as we have grown.”