Hygiene is becoming increasingly important in people’s consciousness. The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic is affecting many areas of daily life. Companies, hotels and institutions with heavily frequented entrance areas are faced with the challenge of raising hygiene standards as soon as customers, guests, patients and visitors enter the building.
The new disinfectant dispenser column from HEWI meets the increased hygiene requirements for washrooms and highly frequented areas. The mobile solution for hand disinfection increases hygiene in entrance areas of public buildings, healthcare buildings and the hotel industry.
With the disinfectant dispenser column, HEWI offers design options and enables aesthetic implementation of hygiene measures in entrance areas and lobbies. The HEWI design line is available in stainless steel and powder-coated surfaces with a deep matt finish in white, grey tones or black.
Touchless Disinfection
Two functional dispenser variants are available: In the sensoric version, the sensor dispenser can be used without contact and is equipped with a drip tray. Thanks to a reinforced base, the column offers optimum stability even in the manually operated dispenser version.
System competence in hygiene
The disinfectant dispenser column can be combined with other sanitary solutions. Soap and disinfectant dispensers, paper towel dispensers and waste bins are available in the respective design language.
HEWI | Public
Furnishing solutions in public and semi-public areas should reflect the character of the property with a representative design. Other important aspects in planning and implementation are atmosphere, the well-being of the users as well as economic efficiency and sustainability. HEWI offers the possibility of consistently meeting these requirements. Consciously selected materials and their careful processing result in high-quality products which can cope with the high user frequency over many years.
Pictured: HEWI disinfectant dispenser column System 900
The headline speaker for the conference is one that any child of the 80s & 90s will recognize, Robert Llewellyn is most commonly known for playing the role of Kryten for 30 years in the BBC hit series Red Dwarf. He also hosted the Channel 4 series Scrapheap Challenge for ten years. More recently Robert has taken his career to YouTube with his show Fully Charged. The series has over 400,000 subscribers and receives over 2 million views a month. On Fully Charged Robert and his co-host, Jonny Smith investigate the rapid development of electric vehicle technology and anything from solar panels to alternative energy sources.
Formerly a “petrol-head”, he is now an electric car advocate, and it is this approach to renewable energies and future technologies that Robert will explore at the 2021 conference.
The BMA Industry Conference which has been rearranged to 8 June 2021 will take place at Carden Park, Cheshire and focus on the topic of ‘sustainability in the sector’.
To register your interest and secure a place, visit our dedicated booking form.
Showering solutions manufacturer Coram UK has announced the resignation of long-standing Managing Director, John Blackburn.
Coram UK has announced that UK Managing Director John Blackburn will be leaving the company in November to seek a fresh challenge in the sector.
Well-known and respected in the bathroom manufacturing sector, Blackburn joined Coram UK as managing director in 2014 after a three-year stint as MD at Twyford. He successfully steered Coram UK’s brands, which include Impey wetrooms and Coram Showers, through a period of significant growth and adjustment.
As an experienced strategist and innovative business leader, his vision, passion and commitment to the Group has been unrelenting, as shown by the successful and timely delivery of the recent high-profile UK transformation project.
With progress underway for significant expansion of brands into specialised high-end bathroom outlets, as well as continued focus on the core healthcare, installer, merchant and specification marketplaces; Blackburn’s timely exit sees the brand primed for future successes.
Blackburn said: “I have enjoyed my time at Coram UK immensely and would like to thank my colleagues for their support and hard work over recent years.
“My decision to step back is motivated by my desire for a new challenge and to build upon the lessons learnt in growing both UK brands across multiple markets.”
He will be succeeded by Steve Huntly, who has been with the business in the role of Group Sales Director, since April 2017 and has designed and executed plans for a comprehensive restructure of the UK sales division including the advent of a new retail sales division.
Said Huntly: “I am incredibly excited to step into a new challenge at Coram Group and am looking forward to driving sustainable growth and progress across our whole showering solutions portfolio.
“It’s an extremely exciting time for our group, as we focus on significant new UK product launches and partnerships with our sister brands from across Europe.
“I would like to offer my sincerest good wishes to John who will be greatly missed by all at Coram UK.”
The Swiss Arbonia Group has appointed a new experienced commercial team with multi-brand responsibility led by John O’Brien, Business Development for the UK & Ireland
The Swiss Arbonia Group’s brand portfolio includes: Arbonia, Brugman, Kermi and Vasco, between them they cover all solutions for heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC).
Following the acquisition of ‘Belgium’ Vasco Group by Arbonia (May 2018) the increased portfolio of product (Design Radiators, Commercial Radiators, Radiant Panels, Fan Coils, & Ventilation) led to a re-energised planned approach to the UK and Irish market, this became a working project in the latter stages of 2019. This resulted in combining the expertise from within Arbonia and Vasco, paving the way for a new integrated approach to the building and construction sector.
Part of the strategy for reorganisation was to increase their specification sales force across Residential, Commercial, and Educational and Healthcare construction sectors. The concentration by Arbonia Group on this consolidation process is underpinned by its quality, service and continuous drive towards sustainable energy solutions.
John O’Brien is in charge of Business Development for the UK and Ireland and the driving force behind sales and strategy. Under his guidance Arbonia has appointed a highly experienced commercial team with multi-brand responsibility, with each agent covering a specific sector.
South England and London: Matthew Tickle North East England: Paul Barker Scotland: Charles Blair Wales: Phil McNeil Northern Ireland: Ian Thompson Southern Ireland: John O’Brien
John states that, “The concentration is on the internally manufactured products from our Group brands, Arbonia, Vasco, Brugman and Kermi. This gives us an extremely strong and competitive product portfolio and we now have the capability to cover both residential and commercial projects; this combined with robust financial backing nables our new sales team to showcase our combined capabilities with absolute confidence. The new team selection is extremely knowledgeable and all come from a technical sales background covering the range of products we offer. We are fully supported by a technical team at our production facilities and this support system is available to our sales and specification customers where required. This new market approach enables us to be a ‘one stop shop’ for designers and specifiers alike whist simultaneously catering for design product retailers”.
About Arbonia Arbonia’s extensive range of products encompasses numerous solutions in the field of heating, ventilation and cooling. All are suitable for a wide variety of buildings – offices, public buildings, industrial buildings; work and living spaces, each providing appropriate and energy-efficient solutions with high-quality components.
Arbonia Group
With its brands Arbonia, Brugman, Kermi and Vasco, Swiss Arbonia Group has an extensive brand portfolio for the UK. Arbonia Group is a focused European building supplier that is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange and has its headquarters in Arbon (Switzerland). The group is active worldwide with its own distribution companies, as well as offices and partners in more than 70 countries. Its main production sites are located in Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Poland, Russia and Slovakia. A total of around 8,300 employees work for Arbonia Group. The divisions that make up Arbonia are active in the following sectors: heating technology, ventilation and air conditioning technology, sanitary equipment, windows, as well as exterior and interior doors.
GROHE has expanded its range of modern thermostat solutions for the bathroom. The new GROHTHERM 1000 Performance and GROHTHERM 800 Cosmopolitan thermostats offer additional safety features and enhance shower comfort and convenience for the user
Combining high standards of quality and design with a multitude of innovative technologies, the new models offer additional safety features and enhance shower comfort and convenience for the user. Alongside the standard models which can be purchased individually, or as shower sets in combination with the GROHE Tempesta Cosmopolitan shower mixer with two sprays, low-pressure shower sets of both the GROHTHERM 1000 Performance and GROHTHERM 800 Cosmopolitan will also be available in a convenient one box solution.
“Low water pressure remains a pain point for many property owners up and down the country, delivering a poor shower performance that leaves users frustrated and underwhelmed”, says Paul Bailey, Senior Category Manager at GROHE UK.
“A study we commissioned recently into showering behaviours and attitudes revealed that 61% of us like to take a shower to get us feeling fit and ready for the day so it’s important that our shower performance can match our demands. It can be confusing for homeowners trying to find a suitable product for a property with low pressure, so we’ve created a one box solution comprising our new thermostats, hose and hand shower to provide a really simple, hassle-free solution”.
Precise control and uncomplicated installation: GROHTHERM 1000 Performance
Like all wall-mounted thermostats of the GROHTHERM range, the GROHTHERM 1000 Performance enables easy and uncomplicated installation. The integrated GROHE CoolTouch technology ensures that a barrier of cold water is formed between the hot water and the product surface, helping to reliably protect against scalding. With this technology, the product surface always stays cool to touch and never exceeds the running shower temperature.
Additionally, the GROHTHERM 1000 Performance is equipped with ergonomic ProGrip handles with a knurled surface making it convenient to use, even for children or with soapy hands. Economic, efficient water consumption is a must-have feature of any modern thermostat and the GROHTHERM 1000 Performance encourages its users to choose more considerately with the addition of its EcoButton, which when selected, saves water by up to 50%.
GROHE Grohtherm 800 Cosmopolitan shower set suitable for homes with pressure as little as 0.2 bar
Minimalistic design with smart ergonomic metal handles: GROHTHERM 800 Cosmopolitan
GROHTHERM 800 Cosmopolitan is the latest evolution of the compact thermostat and unites the highest standards of quality, technology, and design. Like the Performance series, this new range ensures easy and uncomplicated installation whilst its slim, cylindrical silhouette is streamlined and minimalist to meet the style demands of sophisticated, modern bathrooms. The solid metal handles of the new GROHTHERM 800 Cosmopolitan ensure safe and ergonomic ease of use thanks to an integrated “Ergorim” on the back which helps to improve grip when operating the shower even with wet or soapy hands. Meanwhile, GROHE’s EcoJoy feature offers the additional benefit of reducing water consumption by up to 50% without compromising on the showering experience.
Precise temperature control For ultimate showering convenience and safety, both GROHTHERM 1000 Performance and GROHTHERM 800 Cosmopolitan models are equipped with GROHE’s TurboStat technology, which ensures that the thermostats react fast and precisely to sudden changes in both water pressure and temperature, keeping them constant for the duration of the shower.
For those seeking a safe, family-friendly shower that all family members can use confidently and independently, additional features such as the GROHE 38°C SafeStop Button have been designed to protect against incidents where the temperature may be unintentionally turned too high.
SafeStop Plus is an additional function that allows users to pre-set the maximum water temperature to 43°C for extra safety if required.
Pictured top: GROHE GROHTHERM 1000 Cosmopolitan thermostatic shower set, available as both a standard and low-pressure model
COVID-19 has affected every sector across the globe, and the hospitality industry is among the hardest hit. Research* suggests that recovery to pre-COVID-19 levels could take until 2023—or later and like so many industries, hospitality will also see both subtle and substantial changes in the post-pandemic era.
The consumer is embracing the need for safeguards while travelling, staying in hotels, and eating in restaurants. On the list of things that will make them feel pandemic-safe, are contactless check-ins and check-outs, smart-phone ordering at tables, masks, and visors and critically, robust hygiene protocols. After the kitchens or food delivery areas, it is in bathrooms, washrooms and WC’s that consumers will judge whether an establishment has taken hygienic safety seriously. Businesses that can highlight both stringent procedures and the best in hygienic bathroom design will be in the best position to get back to pre-pandemic trading.
Specifying Bathroom Confidence for Customers
Throughout the COVID crisis, VitrA products have been available and fully supported an essential consideration for bathroom specifiers that need products that are proven and backed up with full service along with spares in this intensely hard-working sector. VitrA is recognised as an innovative manufacturers of complete bathroom solutions and tell us they are well equipped to help hoteliers and restaurateurs meet the many challenges that COVID-19 has created. Whether that be reducing touch-points with no contact flushing and water delivery or guarding against virus and bacteria build-up with special finishes on ceramic ware and tiles, VitrA can create bathrooms that are both safe and design-led.
What Gives a Bathroom User Confidence?
Confidence comes from reducing touch points and from the human senses, feel, smell, sight, and sound. Not only does the bathroom need to look and be clean, but an ambient aroma of a clean smell is confidence giving also. Reducing physical contact is essential. Quick, quiet no-touch flushing on WCs, responsive no-contact basin taps that turn off as quickly as they turn on and all without the need for physical touch are reassuring to visitors.
Speed of Cleaning Saves Times and Money.
Cleaning protocols are likely to add time and money to housekeeping budgets. With due consideration and compelling design meeting, the COVID cleaning procedures can be made quick, easy and reduce room turnaround. Wall-hung WCs and bathroom furniture speed up the daily housekeeping routine, by making it easier to reach the hard-to-reach areas. Tiled walls and floors are easy and straightforward to clean as there are no skirting boards.
Tiles with a built-in antibacterial like VitrA Shield offer a valuable back up to cleaning. On all WCs and basins, VitrA adds a unique glaze to reduce the growth of bacteria and limescale, this VitrA Hygiene glaze is available as standard on all ceramic sanitary ware products.
In addition VitrA Cleancoating is available on several ceramic basins, vanity basin tops and WC products. The coating increases the surface tension, ensuring the water flows smoothly from the surface. All that is required to keep the basin clean is a wipe with a damp cloth and mild detergent.
The rim around a conventional toilet pan is the place where water enters and is usually open, creating the perfect place for bacteria and limescale to accumulate. VitrA’s Rim-Ex technology offers the latest in WC bowl design. With a rimless, smooth internal pan, there is no hiding place for bacteria to multiply and limescale to build-up. Rim-Ex ensures the best in hygiene and offers the added benefit of speeding up cleaning time. Tests undertaken by Akdeniz University, in Turkey, prove that Rim-Ex is 95% more hygienic than a standard WC pan.
Rimless cleaning – large rim
Rimless cleaning – small rim
Pictured – VitrA RimEx technology eliminates the rim on a WC, making it far more hygienic and faster to clean.
Making hotel bathrooms safe
VitrA provides complete bathroom solutions for all hospitality settings with excellent hygiene and easy cleaning features – features that have historically been part of the VitrA design ethos.
In these difficult times, itis encouraging to see the bathroom industry is not only adapting to changing needs but also delivering fresh new launches to upliftand inspire. This week Diane Larnercaught up with Acquabella’s UKSales Manager, Robert Heredia to discuss the companies latestlaunch, the Acquawhite Collection.
DL: Whilst the pandemic has hit many businesses hard, Acquabella is delivering a new collection to market, what is your reasoning behind this launch?
RH: We believe that at a time like this we must strengthen our commitment to customers by helping them with new collections that complement and further improve our catalogue. The pandemic has changed the way we all promote our products, so in these times new tools have been discovered to reach the customer, even if it is not on paper, we can still ensure brilliant presentation. Our commitment extends to design and innovation, so when a product is ready and tested, it must be launched and for this, Acquabella has the best tools to do so.
DL: What are your objectives for the UK market?
RH: Without a doubt, and despite the fact that we are a modest and family business, we want to be the number one producer of resin shower trays in the UK and Rep. Ireland. For this, we have been working hard for the last 7 years and in hand with our retailers aim to place Acquabella as a reference brand in the renovation of any home, in the design strategy of any designer, and in the day to day portfolio of each sales team. We aim to become a reference brand (and a different Brand ), in our product typology in order to deliver moderate but constant growth.
It is also important for us to deliver quality and prestige, not simply quantity. In order to do this, over the last 7 years we have fully adapted our products to service the UK market, the result being we are now as respected as any other British brand. We are not afraid of Brexit, on the contrary, we will continue to give the same trust, service and quality to our UK customers as we go forwards into 2021.
DL: What is the inspiration behind the Acquawhite collection? Tell us about Acquabella’s new material?
RH: While we are developing new akron products in our R+D Center in Spain to be launched next, Acquabella also decided to extend its portfolio with additional bathroom products to complete and expand the range.
The new collections are based on the brightness of matt white and its smooth, soft-textured base. It is perfect for Acquawhite as a project-oriented collection.
Acquawhite’s versatility allows you to mix different styles in the same space, without the combination becoming chaotic. The design of this collection, which consists of a complete series of baths, totems, washbasins and worktops, allows products to be combined with elements in varying materials, textures and colours. A thoroughly personal space, where delicacy and the avant-garde coexist in perfect harmony. It has a soft touch that is similar to natural stone, so it invites you to relax and enjoy Acquabella’s bathroom features.
DL: How do you think the focus on hygiene will change bathroom design?
RH: Hygiene and design must go hand in hand in the ‘future normality’, even in our new collection we bet on aseptic white: a sense of order and cleanliness. We also comply with the antibacterial certification ISO 22196: 2011. I can see more and more design details adhering to this requirement as hygiene and design become fundamentally entwined. Together with storage space and the creation of a staycation space, now more than ever, we will see the home as an essential place to relax and disconnect.
DL: Acquawhite includes a variety of different ranges, to suit all audiences, which is your favourite range and why?
RH: Vars is my favourite one because of the design and because I love visiting the Vars ski resort in France, in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region, the Hautes-Alpes department, in the Briançon district and Guillestre cantón.
Lech bathtub is my favourite too as I have always loved the oval design for freestanding bathtubs
DL: What key trends can we expect to see next year and does Acquawhite reflect these?
RH: I believe that we are at the total forefront, always respecting tradition. Our products are eye-catching and in turn, combine design and the ability to adapt to any space, guaranteeing quality, durability and comfort for the bathroom.
As explained before Acquawhite integrates design, longevity, hygiene, cleanliness, relaxation and comfort, so I think the combination of textures in the Acquabella collection combined together with Acquawhite covers all possible trends.
To find out more about Acquabella visit the website.
The Bathroom Manufacturers Association is working with Carden Park Hotel and Spa to ensure that the Industry Conference taking place on 7-8 June 2021 will be a COVID safe event for all delegates.
The Association takes the safety of all the attendees and BMA employees very seriously and has been working with Carden park to make sure that the event can go ahead. Social distancing rules will be accommodated, and safety will be the priority.
Carden Park has undertaken an AIM Secure Accreditation which is awarded by The Meetings Industry Association (MIA). AIM Secure is the UK’s only recognised quality standard for the meetings industry. Considered the trusted measure of standards for conference & meeting facilities and suppliers to the industry, AIM checks legal compliance; enforces a strict business code of conduct and assesses facilities. Along with the AIM Accreditation the hotel has released a full policy document which outlines the extra procedures in place at the venue including social distancing guidelines, cleaning and sanitation and the changes to the meeting spaces.
For information on the steps being undertaken at Carden Park to ensure the hotel remains a COVID safe venue you can download a copy of their COVID Policy document here.
To book your place at the Industry Conference visit our website.
Utopia Bathrooms has significantly refreshed and extended Qube, one of its popular ranges of wall mounted and freestanding bathroom furniture.
The collection sees the addition of new units, new basin options and complementary accessories, all greatly extending its versatility. At the same time, three new on-trend finishes have been introduced, along with a new handle trim finish and a choice of co-ordinating brassware.
Qube is now available in seven finishes in total, including new Nordic Oak, a beautiful pale Scandi option, Anthracite Strata, a dark textured finish with metallic highlights, and Sorrento Walnut, a warm, honeyed shade with an attractive grain. As usual with Utopia, samples of all finishes are available free of charge.
The introduction of a new Matt Black handle trim and Matt Black taps alongside the existing chrome options also increases the design opportunities of this flexible range, giving it a striking contemporary feel. Further adding to the choice, Qube sanitaryware now includes a modular slimline ceramic slabtop basin together with new square or circular sit-on basins and an elegant new toilet.
New decorative open shelf base and wall units plus ‘finishing touch’ accessories, such as bath plinths and internal lights, complete the new look range.
Helen Clark, Head of Marketing at Utopia Bathrooms, comments “We’re absolutely delighted to unveil our new Qube collection to our retail partners and are thrilled with how beautifully this new collection has come together. The newly refreshed Qube is now even more flexible and versatile, offering the consumer an array of design possibilities all of which can be tailored to their own specific requirements.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has refocussed the public’s approach to hygiene and cleanliness. These key criteria for bathroom and washroom design have become the single most important consideration when designing for commercial spaces. Furthermore, Covid-19 or a series of new infectious diseases may well be here to stay, as outlined in a paper published on 15 August, with the prominent US immunologist Anthony Fauci and his colleague David Morens arguing that “we have entered a pandemic era”. With this in mind, we can expect to see an ever-increasing focus on hygiene enabling washroom materials and surfaces, touchless taps and sanitisers in the years to come.
As VitrA explains “The consumer is embracing the need for safeguards while travelling, staying in hotels, and eating in restaurants. On the list of things that will make them feel pandemic-safe, are contactless check-ins and check-outs, smart-phone ordering at tables, masks, and visors and critically, robust hygiene protocols. After the kitchens or food delivery areas, it is in bathrooms, washrooms and WC’s that consumers will judge whether an establishment has taken hygienic safety seriously. Businesses that can highlight both stringent procedures and the best in hygienic bathroom design will be in the best position to get back to pre-pandemic trading.”
In the washroom
To aid the cleaning process, and to ensure hoteliers and restauranteurs can adhere to cleaning protocols, VitrA has built-in VitrA Cleancoating on several ceramic basins, vanity basin tops and WC products. The coating increases the surface tension, ensuring the water flows smoothly from the surface. All that is required to keep the basin clean is a wipe with a damp cloth and mild detergent.
The rim around a conventional toilet pan is the place where water enters and is usually open, creating the perfect place for bacteria and limescale to accumulate. VitrA’s Rim-Ex technology offers the latest in WC bowl design. With a rimless, smooth internal pan, there is no hiding place for bacteria to multiply and limescale to build up. Rim-Ex ensures the best in hygiene and offers the added benefit of speeding up cleaning time. Tests undertaken by Akdeniz University, in Turkey, prove that Rim-Ex is 95% more hygienic than a standard WC pan. Read more…
In community spaces
RAK-Sanit is the ideal solution for domestic dwellings, modern and safer schools, public and private offices, restaurants, hotels, laboratories and, indeed, all those premises in which hygiene is of primary importance. All those places generally described as “community spaces”, in which numerous people of different ages, genders and cultures make random encounters. Inside, toilet facilities destined for use by all and sundry are increasingly in need of strong, antibacterial elements with a long product life.
The RAK-Sanit bactericide action is permanent, guaranteeing built-in protection throughout the entire expected product lifetime, thanks to its constant action against microbial colonisation; this technology, which has proved its capacity to reduce or eliminate the quantity of bacteria up to 99.99%, including MRSA, E. Coli, Salmonella and Legionella, actively prevents the growth of microorganisms 24 hours a day. Read more…
In the bathroom
Bette tell us “The material chosen plays a huge part in determining how quickly and effectively debris from tooth-brushing and washing in basins, and from washing in baths and showers, can be removed. Materials that can become scratched can harbour dirt and bacteria, as can tiled shower areas, so there is likely to be more demand for scratch-proof, non-porous and easy to clean materials, such as glazed titanium-steel.
BetteCraft Basin
“Bette uses glazed titanium-steel for all its baths, shower trays and basins. It is harder than marble, acrylic, stone resin or steel alone and its unique smoothness means that dirt and bacteria are unable to adhere to the glass-hard, non-porous surface. Dirt is easy to rinse off, and the material’s superior durability also means it can withstand heightened cleaning regimes, such as the use of bleach, as it is unaffected by chemicals.” Read More…
Touchless taps
Inta has advised people responsible for washrooms across the UK to strongly consider touchless taps as businesses prepare for an attempt at returning to normality.
Stuart Gizzi, Managing Director at Inta, based in Hixon, Staffordshire, believes that any investment in touchless tap technology will pay off long term as it gives users peace of mind in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, whilst allowing greater control over water flow and limiting waste.
Stuart said: “This year we have all become more aware than ever of germ hotspots that we may have interacted with without a second thought previously.Read more…
Inta IR500
Inta – large infa red
Reduce water flow to save water
As the government promotes the importance of regularly washing hands thoroughly for 20 seconds to slow the spread of Covid-19, fitting a flow regulator to household taps could make huge savings to water usage.
Kevin Gates, UK Managing Director at the world’s largest flow regulator manufacturer Neoperl (based in Malvern) said “As an industry we have the technology to easily reduce the flow of water in taps without compromising the experience. We all have taps in the home, whether in the bathroom or cloakroom, where water is largely used for just washing hands or cleaning teeth. Most of the time these taps have a higher flow rate than required and we are simply throwing clean water down the drain.
It’s a really affordable solution to retrofit a flow regulator, most consumers could do it themselves with a little advice. They simply need to be aware that flow regulators exist, obtain the right advice as to which regulator to fit to retain adequate performance and finally they need to purchase a simple tool to fit it.” Read more…
