GROHE has announced the appointment of Seamus Kelly as its new leader covering Ireland as of July 2023, reporting to Kristine Skauge, leader, UK, LIXIL EMENA.
Seamus (pictured top) moves into the newly created leadership role covering market-specific strategy and market activation, following a 7-year career within the GROHE business. Seamus previously held the role of Account Manager and has driven strong growth, with the new role allowing further scope to maximise growth potential across all channels within the Irish market.
GROHE has also announced the appointment of Mark White (pictured right) as its new leader covering Trade & Retail across the UK and Ireland from August 2023. Mark joins the GROHE team following a relocation from New Zealand where he previously held senior roles within the interior sector, specifically kitchen appliances.
Within his new role, Mark will take up responsibility for the sale channels covering retailers, trade counters, merchants, and buying groups, along with leading the Retail Service Team. Mark will report to Chris Dodds, leader, commercial UK, LIXIL EMENA.
With the latest appointments, GROHE continues to strengthen its localised resource and reaffirm its go-to-market strategy across the UK and Irish markets, with customer engagement and continued product innovation being key. With a customer-centric approach, the UK team will implement the go-to-market strategy with GROHE’s differentiated product portfolio for all channels, providing a unique and dedicated offering.
Commenting on his new appointment, Seamus Kelly notes, “I’m delighted to move into this new role and bring focus to the Irish market strategy. The Irish market offers plenty of exciting opportunity and I’ll continue to work closely with our customers and distributors to ensure we’re fulfilling all market potential.”
Chris Dodds shares, “I’m delighted to welcome Mark to the team and congratulate Seamus on his new appointment. The UK and Ireland are thriving markets that offer excellent potential for us. As a team we’ll be working towards strengthening and implementing GROHE’s unique go-to-market strategy with renewed energy and working closely with our customers to deliver our high standards”.
The new Kudos Premium Collection brochure showcases some of their most luxurious enclosure products that are available to purchase from a network of Premium Collection Retailers. The brochure includes their iconic Pinnacle8 doors and enclosures and Red Dot Design award winning Ultimate10 enclosures.
The Pinnacle8 range of enclosures is characterised by a minimalist cut out finger full and easy fit wall posts with concealed fixings and features crystal clear seals, 8mm toughened safety glass throughout. All products are 2000mm high and feature hinged, sliding and centre-fold, quadrant and level access options in sizes ranging from 760mm to 1800mm. Selected models come with matt black and brushed brass profile finishes and all options can be fitted to either a shower tray or wetroom floor.
Ultimate10 is the latest introduction from Kudos. It features an award-winning double action hinge which allows the door to open 90 degrees both inward and outward, for easy use and to save space. Ultimate10 is a frameless design available in a choice of 9 profile finishes, is 1985mm tall and is compatible with the Ultimate10 wet-room panels offering a host of design configurations.
This new 54 page brochure details all available and recommended sizes and designs, fixing kit options and profile finishes along with inspiring set photography.
Kudos Shower Products Ltd has been designing and manufacturing shower products at their Cumbrian facility since 1999. Visit their website kudosshowers.co.uk, call them on 01539 564040 or email info@kudosshowers.co.uk.
Fashion and home trends have long inspired tile design and tiles’ links to these industries can be traced back centuries while also seen represented on today’s hottest runways. It’s a love affair that has not waned and is projected to live into the future indefinitely.
This month, in celebration of London Fashion Week 2023, artisan tile studio, Otto Tiles & Design, spotlights their favourite styles inspired by prominent fashion trends – colour blocking and natural raw materials among others – combining them in a unique approach to tile design.
Damla Turgut, founder of Otto Tiles & Design, says, “Fashion has long influenced interior design with the latest trends and directions from the catwalk eventually translating through into our homes. But this year more than ever, I see the two industries colliding and mirroring each other with this year’s fashion influences effortlessly filtering through into décor almost instantly and our recent ranges are a shining example of how fashion and interiors unite.”
Below are Otto Tiles & Design’s latest ranges with links to this year’s fashion and interior design trends:
Casual Comfort in Seamless, Continuous Design
Otto Tiles & Design Signature Marble Collection
Creating seamless, continuous design is currently one of the hottest trends in interiors and fashion. Otto’s unique Signature Marble Collection – notably the brand’s first marble launch – lays strong foundations for this trend. The designs, which reinterpret the brand’s signature contemporary styles but in marble, bring something completely new to the tile market, and can be scattered to create an exciting pattern to offer an unexpected linear edge that is seamless and continuous. Mixing colours, cool neutrals, and powerful patterns, these marble tiles bring instant joy.
L-R: Otto Tiles & Design Signature Marble Collection – Red Moon pictured left and Half Moon Bay tiles picture right.
Designed in London by Otto’s Founder and Creative Director, Damla Turgut, and expertly hand-crafted by skilled artisans based in Turkey, the Signature Marble Collection consists of twelve bold and innovative pieces. They are created to inspire bold creativity and design-led interiors, reminiscent of the Art-Deco era.
Boho Style
Otto Tiles & Design Zellige Tile Collection
R-L: Otto Tiles & Design zellige tiles in Marine Blue Stripe and White Arch Terracotta
A key design feature for this year in fashion is casual yet modern, similar to the modern farmhouse style trending in home interiors. For tiling, this style can be visually intriguing without being chaotic, making it the perfect pattern for minimalists with an edge.
For those who enjoy a consistent yet cutting-edge design, should envelope their rooms in Otto Tiles & Design’s collection of zellige tiles with two new eye-catching launches; arch terracotta and stripes zellige. Even though they feature a minimalist colour palette, the final effect offers personality shining through, creating a graphic pattern without feeling visually chaotic – the space feels timeless yet youthful.
Made in Morocco, from a particular type of clay sourced from the region of Fez, zellige tiles are hand-made, hand-chiselled and hand-painted using natural paints, so each tile is unique. Zellige making is an ancient art form passed down through generations. It is labour intensive and requires many years of training. Due to their handmade production process, zellige tiles have a slightly irregular surface and may feature tiny chips, erratic edges, and corners, which gives them a rustic character and means that no two zellige tiles are the same.
Artistic Forms
Otto Tiles & Design Starry Night Range
L-R: Otto Tiles & Design Starry Night encaustic cement tiles in Navy Blue
Arguably a reaction to previous minimalist, plain and neutral-toned Scandi-inspired trends, hand detail and a continuing fascination with geometric forms with foliate and floral designs are common across tiles and fashion this year.
Patterns suit themselves well to wallpaper, wall art and rugs, but for authentic retro vibes, look to tile design, too. Otto’s encaustic Starry Night cement tiles are the perfect combination of bold yet understated tones which don’t overpower interiors, with authentic patterns that print a pop of uniqueness and joy to a space. The tiles, as seen above, complement the vanity area without overwhelming the space and the decorative stars add a splash of shine.
Within each box in the Starry Night range, there are plain colour tiles, as well as three variations of star tiles, with the star appearing in different sizes and positions on each of these. This invites the client to be imaginative with this fun and playful collection, and to create their own unique constellation. This collection showcases the shift across interior and runway fashion.
Otto’s tiles are suitable for use on walls and floors in a range of environments, including laying them so that they maintain a regular pattern or, uniting them in different directions to create all kinds of stunning designs. The collection is available at Otto Tiles & Design’s showroom in Hackney. The collection is also available online at www.ottotiles.co.uk.
Building on its successful launch earlier this year, the HIP Female Skills Competition is already preparingfor an even more exciting event in 2024, with entries now open, and the GROHE GIVE Program has signed up as headline sponsor following the debut success.
HIP, the only dedicated magazine for heating and plumbing students and apprentices, is renowned for its ‘Learner of the Year’ competition and continues to be committed to providing competitions for students, with the goal to build confidence and advocate skills development along with getting the very best people into the installer industry, regardless of gender.
Alongside providing valuable skills and encouraging young professionals to enter the industry, the GIVE Program wishes to excite and encourage more women into the profession to help bridge the gender gap within the field. It’s been found through recent studies that less than 3%1 of the 150,000+2 UK plumbers are female, showcasing a startling reality.
In February and March 2024, the HIP Female Skills Competition will expand its search from two to three regions across the country, seeking the very best up-and-coming industry professionals. Level 2 and 3 plumbing & heating learners from colleges nationwide will compete in a live practical installation. Each regional winner and runner-up will go on to compete in the grand finale for the chance to win the prestigious award.
Alongside the accolade for both the winning student and college, there are fantastic prizes to be won. Each competitor will receive a certificate for taking part, with prizes generously donated by sponsors, including headline sponsor GROHE GIVE, plus many others.
The competition will be judged by Jerry Whiteley, Technical Manager at the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering (CIPHE). Zoë Tanner, Managing Director at HIP, shared, “We’re so excited for the next HIP Female Skills Competition. It’s been immensely encouraging to see the competition being supported again by so many big names from the industry with the likes of the GROHE GIVE Program on board, and a fantastic way for learners to build their confidence and take pride in their work. Now more than ever is the time to support the next generation of talent and we can’t wait to see what the competition brings.”
On their headline sponsorship, Christopher Penney, Leader, GIVE Program, LIXIL EMENA said, “It’s so important to try and bridge the gap between skilled installers. Obviously, we know there’s a huge gap in the workforce currently and the fact that this is an all-female competition is a huge positive for the industry and a step in the right direction. We want to set new industry standards with our products and also the people that install them, and the more women we can entice into this industry, the better.”
Running alongside HIP Female Skills Competition will be the Meet the Manufacturer series, which gives manufacturers the chance to update lecturers on the latest industry and product innovations.
The Duravit CEO answers questions about the laying of the foundation stone for the new production plant in Matane, Canada.
1. Mr Tahy, Duravit AG is investing a high double-digit million-dollar amount in the construction of a new ceramic plant in Canada. Could you please explain the background of this project?
First and foremost: For Duravit, this is the largest investment in our company’s history. It fills me with pride that we have now been able to give the go-ahead for this extraordinary project. At the same time, I feel gratitude for the trust that our owner family has placed in us.
The new plant is a milestone for Duravit in several aspects: We are setting standards for the responsible use of resources by replacing natural gas as a fossil fuel with sustainably generated energy from hydropower. In addition, we have made our supply and logistics processes sustainable to strengthen our presence in the growth market of North America with our own local production facility. Not to be forgotten: Around 240 new jobs will be created at the new site.
None of this would have been possible without the support of our local partners: the responsible Québec, and the city of Matane. With Hydro-Québec as our energy supplier, we also have a long-term partner for the supply of affordable and, above all, clean energy.
2. The new plant in Matane, Canada, is a central element in Duravit’s sustainability strategy. What does that mean specifically?
We have set ourselves the ambitious goal of climate-neutral production by 2045. The production of ceramics is one of the most energy-intensive industries. A lot has changed here in recent years, and energy and resources are now used much more efficiently. Nevertheless, we need a disruptive change in ceramics production that tackles the CO2 emission problem at the root when using natural gas. And we are grappling this change with the new plant I, therefore, see the project as a real game changer for the whole industry.
The heart of our climate-neutral production facility is the electric ceramic tunnel kiln – a groundbreaking world first for industrial ceramic production. The energy is supplied exclusively with regeneratively generated electricity from the hydroelectric power plants of the Canadian energy supplier Hydro-Québec. With the new kiln, which is about 100 meters long, we save over 9,000 tons of CO2 per year compared to a conventional gas kiln – at full capacity.
3. What are the other advantages of the new production site in Canada?
The new site in Matane fits seamlessly into Duravit’s local-for-local strategy. The location directly on the St. Lawrence River facilitates logistics and the transport of goods. The most important raw materials for ceramic production – clay, kaolin, feldspar, and quartz – are available over short distances. This allows us to significantly reduce logistics expenses and additionally save energy from fossil sources.
Compared with importing our products from Europe, we therefore expect a reduction of our CO2 emissions in the North American market of 1,500 tons per year. Together with the electric kiln, we have a reduction potential of almost 11,000 tons of CO2 per year. That is groundbreaking!
4. What will Duravit produce in Canada?
North America is one of our growth markets. We see great development potential here, which we will serve in the future with the new production site. By 2028 we want to have reached the maximum capacity of the new plant: an annual production of 450,000 large ceramic parts. In doing so, we focus entirely on the needs of the North American market. With one and two-piece toilets, but also wall-hung toilets and washbasins. Compared to today’s data, that is almost a threefold increase. Accordingly, we need production on site – close to our customers.
5. How can you imagine the set-up of the production facility in Matane?
Since we are building the plant from scratch, we can rely on state-of-the-art production processes: The building area is around 40,000 m2. Everything is highly automated and follows the principles of Industry 4.0. As mentioned, the centerpiece is the electric ceramic tunnel kiln, while other highlights include automated transport systems, glazing robots, and an automated chamber dryer. In addition, the plant will rely entirely on die-casting technology. All this is state-of-the-art.
Despite all the automation, our future employees certainly play a decisive role. Around 240 new jobs for skilled workers will be created in Matane which will strengthen the region and actuates a growth impulse at the site. As a family business with a long-term focus, we are already looking forward to working with our future team in Canada.
Concerns have long been expressed regarding the government’s lack of effort to improve Britain’s housing crisis, now tradespeople are voicing their opinions on how this can be changed. Whether it be battling against record material and labour prices, an historically small workforce, regulations that stifle the ability for builders to work, as well as being in the grips of a mental health crisis, the construction industry is facing significant obstacles.
Clive Holland, broadcaster on Fix Radio – the UK’s only national radio station dedicated to tradespeople – explains what the UK must do to meet homebuilding targets, with a point of view from the trades.
“The government’s target of building 300,000 new homes a year is completely unrealistic and feels as if they are making as many promises as they can because the general election is just around the corner. “Housing Secretary, Michael Gove, has said the planning system is not working and as such, a new reform bill is being unveiled as a part of this levelling up against this rhetoric regeneration bill. If the government is serious about its housebuilding target and demand, there is a lot that needs to be done. “For me, there’s so much red tape surrounding regeneration that’s been around for a long time. Most brownfield sites already have construction, for instance, disused office blocks, public buildings, and long forgotten industrial areas, all of which could be changed if it wasn’t for the red tape.
“I think reduced rates should be given for building on the millions of acres of brownfield across the UK as an extra incentive for major housebuilders. It would reduce the nimbyism and the naysayers who do not want to see greenfield sites concreted over. “Currently, there are well more than 1 million properties across the United Kingdom without residents, including unused second homes, whilst there are hundreds of thousands of people in need of housing – it doesn’t make sense. “Under the current rules, it takes an average of five years for a standard housing development to go through the planning system. Since the COVID pandemic, everything has been done digitally and unfortunately taken its toll on house planning. Now, we are unable to go into planning offices and speak with someone directly meaning the whole process has become a lot slower, all because they have cut back on staff. “We are still experiencing numerous sites being mothballed simply because resources and interest rates are too high. I think it’s all going to come to a grinding halt if we continue the way we’re going. “The nutrient neutrality is going to allow for an additional 100,000 homes to be built in England by 2023. Yet, it often requires mitigation as part of the development either in the form of onsite treatment of wastewater and surface water runoff or by offsetting. Builders are rejoicing about nutrient neutrality now cutting a lot of the red tape, but I don’t think it will cut a lot of the problems in the future. “Another red tape aspect that I think is a major issue is the scrapping of the four-year rule without any reasoning or replacing it with something else. This encourages the rogue element of the construction industry and can create eye sores for neighbours and the wider public – it’s a recipe for disaster. “My problem always falls back into the hands of these ministers as none of them have experience in construction and it’s time that they should be guided by people with experience and the correct expertise.”
About Fix Radio Fix Radio, the Builders Station is the home of entertainment, music and information for UK tradespeople.
Since 2017 the station has been built from the ground-up with tradespeople in mind, providing a mixture of authentic trade voices, up-beat music and a schedule designed around the tradesperson’s day.
The station’s schedule includes some of the biggest talent in the industry, including social media influencers the Bald Builders, Clive Holland of the BBC and formerly Cowboy Trap, the country’s most famous plasterer Chris Frediani from DIY SOS, plumbing influencer Andy Cam, electrician turned YouTuber Thomas Nagy, carpenter, craftsman and social media influencer Robin Clevett and TV presenter and builder, Mark Millar.
Broadcasting nationally on DAB since May 2022, Fix Radio has an average reach of 352,000 tradespeople each week. The Builders Station also boasts 24.1 average weekly
When supporting charities, the Thomas Crapper team ensures that it “makes sense”….and the bathroom manufacturer’s latest collaboration definitely does! Thomas Crapper is supporting Bowel Cancer UK with the aim of spreading the word about the importance of early diagnosis and of course, raising as much money as possible.
Thomas Crapper will be cycling 250 miles in aid of Bowel Cancer UK – from the comfort of the Huddersfield HQ on the 28th September!
The team would love your support by donating whatever you can through this dedicated JustGiving page.
All of the money donated here goes directly to the charity.
Bowel Cancer UK is the UK’s leading bowel cancer charity. The team is on a mission to save lives and improve the quality of life of everyone affected by bowel cancer. Every year, nearly 43,000 people in the UK are told that they have bowel cancer. It is the UK’s second biggest cancer killer – over 16,500 people die from the disease each year. However, bowel cancer is treatable and curable if caught early and around 90% of people will survive for five years or more. Together we can work towards a world where no one dies of bowel cancer.
UWLA MD Yvonne Orgill says that the UWLA supports the Water Efficiency Fund set out in the Ofwat consultation on Scoping the Water Efficiency Fund August/September 2023.
The consultation is out for comment until 22 September and the UWLA’s response will support the focus on changing consumer behaviour, as well as recommend that the expertise and support that already exists within the Unified Water Label Association is harnessed to help government meet their goals.
Yvonne says, “The consultation asks, ‘How can we most effectively bring in expertise from other sectors and disciplines while also making use of and nurturing the expertise that already exists in this sector?’.
“The UWLA has a robust solution in the Unified Water Label, a smart tool, already supported by an industry that is visible in the marketplace, and changing consumer perceptions.
“The consultation document confirms that it is more important than ever to manage demand for water in England and Wales, as the sector is at risk of falling short of its long-term aspirations and targets in this area. Water companies are predicting that by 2050 we will need 25% more than the water currently put into supply to meet demand.
“We fully support that behaviour change is key and have made this an important part of our focus at UWLA. Manufacturers have developed innovative and water-efficient products, but without educating consumers on how best to use them, we will not see significant change. We have been working with every element of the supply chain, from installers to retailers providing them with the tools to communicate the water efficiency message.
“The development of a well-resourced, collaborative, sustained and wide-scale campaign, as proposed in the consultation, would enhance our work in this area.
“The UWLA does not support an enforcement approach or product restrictions via a mandatory label. This solution is likely to be ineffective, allowing poor-quality products into the market without robust market surveillance. Consumers will move to purchasing from overseas and install these products on variable pressure systems due to poor and inadequate infrastructure. Furthermore, a reduction in standards will likely lead to more water use and even increased health risks.
“Another consideration is the cost. A mandatory label will be significantly more expensive than a voluntary one, and a mandatory scheme will take away the flexibility the industry now has to operate a scheme to meet market demands.
“On behalf of the Unified Water Label Association, I would urge the KBB industry to work with us for the benefit of all to promote our own recognised and industry-led smart tool, the Unified Water Label.”
The British Institute of Kitchen, Bedroom & Bathroom Installation has announced that the 2024 BiKBBI Installation Awards programme is now open for entries.
The BiKBBI Installation Awards, which recognises the talent, contributions and achievements of businesses and individuals in the KBB installation sector, launched in 2021 and has seen significant growth, with the 2023 Awards attracting 130 entries from 102 businesses and individuals across the twelve categories.
The BiKBBI Awards is free to enter, and businesses and individuals can nominate themselves, their business, a colleague, business associate or a company that they work with via a dedicated online platform. Entries can be submitted from Monday 4 September 2023 and more information on the entry criteria, the submission process and key dates can be found at www.bikbbi.org.uk. The 2024 Awards categories are:
Installer of the Year
Young Installer of the Year
Apprentice of the Year
Installation Manager of the Year
Installation Business of the Year
Customer Service Champion of the Year
Community Champion of the Year
Independent Retailer of the Year
National Retailer of the Year
Industry Newcomer 2024
Environmental Champion of the Year
Special Recognition Award
BiKBBI CEO, Damian Walters commented “We have been delighted but not surprised to the see the increase in entries for the BiKBBI Installation Awards year on year– it’s a testament to the importance of the installation sector to the wider KBB industry, and never more so than with the skills shortage that the industry is now operating in. The efforts of installers, installation managers and installation departments operating within the KBB sector are critical to the success of every business within the industry – manufacturers, distributors, designers and retailers – and therefore its incredibly important that the contributions and efforts of the installation arena of the industry are recognised and celebrated.”
The BiKBBI Awards 2024 winners will be announced at a Gala Dinner ceremony at London’s prestigious QEII Centre, Westminster, on Tuesday 6 February 2024, in conjunction with BiKBBI Awards event partners Fix Radio, Quooker and Band of Builders.
Walters continued “These awards are only possible thanks to our Awards sponsors and those that support the programme by entering either themselves or someone else. It was great to see so many businesses come together in recognition of KBB installation at the 2023 Awards, and to be joined on stage by many worthy winners on the night. We hope to exceed the number of entries this year and to honour even more examples of excellence in our sector.
As part of this year’s London Design Festival, VitrA London has invited creative design consultancy, 2LG Studio, to deliver a playful installation in its Clerkenwell showroom – aptly named “Playscape”.
Inspired by sci-fi films and the works of French interior designer Andrée Putman, the installation by Jordan Cluroe and Russell Whitehead – the creative duo behind 2LG studio – combines the organic shapes of VitrA’s Istanbul bathroom collection with a checkboard design made up of curated tiles from the brand. With a captivating monochromatic structure reminiscent of a playground slide, the centrepiece is set to highlight the limitless potential for creativity in the bathroom space while offering a glimpse into a futuristic world.
“Playscape has been designed to re-imagine the way we experience our bathrooms,” says Cluroe, “as if a spacecraft has landed in the VitrA showroom from the not-too-distant future.”
“Bold, boundary-pushing and aspirational, our design speaks of futures past and takes us into new territory, showcasing the elegant organic shapes of the Istanbul collection – contrasted with the graphic impact of monochromatic tiling,” Whitehead adds.
Comprising basins, toilets, taps and showers, the Istanbul collection by British designer Ross Lovegrove celebrates the rich cultural and architectural heritage of its namesake city where East meets West and where VitrA was founded.
Established in 2014 by Cluroe and Whitehead, 2LG Studio is a design practice based in South East London. Originally trained in theatre, Cluroe and Whitehead work primarily in residential interiors but have also created products across lighting, print, furniture and objects. Their first book, Making Living Lovely – Free Your Home with Creative Design, was published in 2020 by Thames and Hudson. The duo have also appeared on the revived series of the cult British interior design show, Changing Rooms, on Channel 4 in 2021 and 2022.
To coincide with “Playscape”, VitrA London will run a series of free virtual reality (VR) experience sessions on Thursday 21 September 2023 (10:00 – 15:00). The brand’s Virtual Worlds software transfers bathroom designs into 4-D, enabling individuals to experience them on a whole new level. At each session, the user will be given a VR headset to explore a fully immersive virtual bathroom space; from turning on a virtual tap to interacting with the latest bathroom collections from VitrA – including those featured in the “Playscape” installation.
Celebrating the start of this year’s London Design Festival, VitrA London will host “Party at Playscape”, an evening event on Tuesday 19 September 2023. Limited tickets, A&D only, RSVP essential.
“Playscape” will be on display at the VitrA London showroom from 18–22 September 2023 (09:00 – 17:00). Free to attend, click here for more details.
Address: VitrA London, 64 Turnmill Street, London EC1M 5RR.
To browse VitrA’s latest collections, visit vitra.co.uk.
