News > Breaking news
Manufacturing falls for second month
September 2011The manufacturing sector contracted in August for the second month in a row, according to an industry survey.
The purchasing managers' index – PMI – for the manufacturing sector, compiled by financial information...
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AGA Rangemaster reveals boom in profits
August 2011AGA Rangemaster Group has more than tripled its profits in the last year, according to its trading statement for the half-year to 30 June.
The Warwickshire-based range cooker specialist posted an operating profit of £2.9m, up...
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Police to investigate fatal Beko fridge-freezer fire
13 July 2011Police have confirmed they are investigating a fatal fire which has been linked to a faulty Beko fridge-freezer. A spokesperson for Harrow Police said: "The Coroner's officer has asked Harrow CID to review the death of a 36-year old man in...
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Beko customers left dangling over dangerous faulty product
8 July 2011Appliance manufacturer Beko has apologised for the "frustrations, concerns and inconvenience" experienced by consumers trying to find out if they are among those affected by faulty defrost timers on its fridge-freezers.
The...
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627 jobs saved as Sharps is bought
7 July 2011Sharps bedrooms has been sold, safeguarding 627 jobs. It was part of the collapsed HomeForm Group's Moben kitchens, Dolphin bathrooms and Kitchens Direct empire.
Sharps, newly named Sharps Bedrooms Limited, is owned by an...
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557 jobs and £1.5m of consumer deposits lost as Moben and Dolphin close
7 July 2011Moben, Dolphin and Kitchens Direct have now officially been closed with the appointment of administrator Deloitte, who says it is now looking to sell the brands. More than 550 staff have been made redundant. Deloitte says that unless a...
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Biomass hits manufacturing hard, warns FIRA
27 May 2011Furniture industry body FIRA is holding a second ‘Biomass Summit’ today – 27 May – to further discuss the potentially crippling effect of biomass energy on furniture manufacturing.
Energy companies are paid...
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Global positioning and energy-efficient appliances pay dividends for BSH group
27 May 20112010 was a year of record revenues and profit levels for BSH, the global domestic appliances company has announced.
Sales amounted to more than €9bn, a rise of €668m on 2009 – equal to 7.9%, or 4.1% adjusted for...
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- KBSA design award judges revealed
The KBSA has announced the judging panel for its new annual design award competition, which closes at the end of May.
Awards will be given to the best kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, home office and...
read more... - Laufen celebrates landmark anniversary
With 120 years in business to celebrate,
you'd expect a spectacular cake - and that's just what Swiss ceramics manufacturer Laufen received at
a celebratory event during Milan's...
read more... - Doca's centre of excellence
Centre of excellence: Spanish luxury kitchen, bedroom and bathroom furniture manufacturer Doca is making its
mark on the UK market and opening a new London trade centre and showroom in June....
read more... - Adapting to markets drives Haier sales
Chinese-owned global appliance brand Haier - the world's biggest appliance manufacturer with 7.8% global brand market share - saw turnover rise by 12% in 2011 to around £14.5bn.
Jeff...
read more... - Kitchens International opens sixth showroom
Celebrity chef Nick Nairn has opened Scottish retailer Kitchens International's sixth showroom, hosting a series of demonstrations for a VIP audience at the Princes Street, Perth location. The new...
read more... - Solid sales mean new centre for Cosentino
UK and Ireland sales of Cosentino's solid surfaces were worth €18.4m in 2011, a 19% increase on 2010.
The Spanish-owned business, the world's largest manufacturer of quartz and stone...
read more... - Silverdale takes responsibility for Jacuzzi sales
Silverdale Bathrooms, the company that makes Jacuzzi ceramic products
in the UK, is to assume responsibility for the products' sales, marketing and retailer support.
The...
read more... - Victoria & Albert launches Cabrits bath
Victoria & Albert Baths used its debut at Milan's International Bathroom Exhibition to launch the Cabrits bath. Made from Quarrycast, the bath's contours echo volcanoes found in the Dominican...
read more... - New-look Quadro range to reaffirm Zanussi design identity
Described by the company as its ‘best range yet', Zanussi's new-look Quadro has been introduced to ‘re-energise and reaffirm' Zanussi's design identity.
Clean lines and ease of use...
read more... - Sink sales increase sees Schock expand
German sink manufacturer Schock has increased production capacity by 20% to cope with rising demand at home and abroad.
The granite sink specialist has opened a new production hall at its Regen...
read more... - Apprenticeships benefit business, says Ellis Furniture
Kitchen and bathroom furniture manufacturer Ellis Furniture needs no convincing about the merits of apprenticeships - over a quarter of its 200-strong workforce started there as trainees and one has...
read more... - BCG launches own-brand bathroom furniture
All the range: Worcester-based distributor BCG has launched Viva,
a range of own-brand bathroom furniture manufactured in the UK
by an unnamed company. Viva is available in a range of...
read more... - Strong sales drive Hettich move
The UK subsidiary of German furniture fittings manufacturer Hettich saw sales rise by 10% in 2011, helped by strong demand for the Sensys Hinge and InnoTech drawer system.
Boosted by additional...
read more... - Scavolini shines at Eurocucina
Unveiled in Milan at the biennial Eurocucina fair was a new collaboration between Italian kitchen manufacturer Scavolini and fashion brand Diesel. The result is the vintage Successful Living from...
read more... - Molem & Co stars in ITV drama
The Knutsford branch of bespoke kitchen and bathroom furniture manufacturer Mowlem & Co was transformed into an upmarket tile store for the ITV drama Love Life, which was screened in March....
read more... - Cosentino’s Shaping Silestone unveiled in Milan
Inspired by the Swiss Army penknife, Cosentino's concept piece, Shaping Silestone, incorporates worktop, stove, table, sink, as well as chairs - "all that a kitchen needs", according to Brazilian...
read more... - Porcelanosa’s Dual tile is smooth operator
Porcelanosa claims that when grouted, the joints on its new Dual mosaic tile become invisible. Specially designed for bathrooms and wet rooms, the 20x30.3cm tiles are available in several patterns...
read more... - Symphony's spring promotion
This Venetian Tahiti Oak bathroom is part of a spring promotion that will see furniture manufacturer Symphony offer retailers discounts of up to 50%. The promotion, which will last until July, will...
read more... - Tell us your success stories, FPB urges business owners
Do you have a business success story? The Forum of Private Business is calling for successful business owners to pass on the secrets of their success in a bid to help budding entrepreneurs and boost...
read more... - Ikea crowned nation's favourite retailer
Move over John Lewis - your place as the nation's favourite retailer has been claimed by Swedish furniture giant Ikea, according to a poll of 6,000 UK shoppers.
Ikea's extensive range of stylish...
read more... - TKC keeps customers satisfied
Satisfied customers of door and accessory supplier TK Components have given the company the thumbs-up in a survey.
All but five out of 100 customers said they would recommend TKC's products and...
read more... - Building sector still under pressure
The UK's building and construction sectors continue to be among the hardest hit by insolvencies, according to information services Experian.
The number of building and construction companies...
read more... - New owners for Tile Shapes
Hemel Hempstead-based tile and bathroom retailer and distributor Tile Shapes has been bought by the Romford-based building materials business Nicholls & Clarke.
The 30-year-old business,...
read more... - IfM scheme aims to help businesses grow
A programme to help small and medium-sized manufacturers build better businesses and sustain growth is being rolled out across the UK. The scheme, backed by the University of Cambridge Institute for...
read more... - Family firms need planning support, says FPB
Family businesses contribute nearly a third of UK GDP – but only a fifth of them make it past the second generation of ownership. The Forum of Private Business says many family businesses fail...
read more... - Business failure rate falls over year
The rate of insolvencies fell to 0.7% in January this year, down from 0.11% the month before and equalling the rate in January 2011. According to business information provider Experian, the decline...
read more... - Underfloor heating market set to grow
Underfloor heating, which currently accounts for around 5% of the heating market, is set to remain one of the fastest growing areas in the sector thanks to technological advances, according to a...
read more... - Green Deal could boost jobs and business
Climate change minister Greg Barker says that the government’s Green Deal plans to make the nation’s draughty homes and businesses more energy efficient could support up to 65,000 jobs by...
read more... - Homebase sales fall
Consumers' reluctance to buy big-ticket items such as kitchens and bathrooms contributed to a 6.2% fall in sales to £195m at Homebase in the eight weeks to 25 February. Full year sales were...
read more... - Aestus adds to product portfolio
A spring clean at radiator and towel-warmer manufacturer Aestus has seen it launch around 30 new products and up its bespoke offering. The Willenhall-based business has also rebranded its literature...
read more... - Tough December hits Triton
Norcros saw UK revenue at its Triton shower business fall by 7.3% in the 18 weeks to 5 February as it felt the effects of lower retail activity in December and trade destocking. Sales were said to...
read more... - Cosentino expands US operation
Cosentino is to nearly double the number of distribution centres it operates in the US as it seeks to capitalise on a recovering housing market. US sales of its quartz and stone surfaces rose 8% last...
read more... - Jax Bathrooms changes tack
Jax Bathrooms is to stop selling direct to retailers and concentrate on producing for distributors and own-brand suppliers. The Birmingham-based manufacturer is said to be discussing making...
read more... - Euroline invests in company rebrand
Importer of Italian appliances Euroline has set in motion plans for a revamped image, an improved online presence and marketing strategy, and the launch of a new sink and tap brand.
The Earls...
read more... - Job fears slow big-ticket sales
Around a quarter of consumers are being deterred from making big-ticket purchases because of fears over job security – tying up almost £7bn worth of potential sales.
Research by GfK...
read more... - Symphony unveils retailer support package
KBB furniture manufacturer Symphony has brought together two years’ worth of developments and marketing initiatives into one retailer support package.
Aimed at helping retailers...
read more... - Pre-pack administrations to avoid clampdown
The dropping of proposed legislation designed to clamp down on pre-pack administrations has been greeted with dismay by the Forum of Private Business. The former employment minister, Ed Davey, who...
read more... - Homeform can’t pay warranties, says administrator
Creditors of the Homeform Group – including customers with warranty or guarantee claims – are unlikely to see any money following the demise of the company in July last year.read more... - Roca launches short film competition
Bathroom manufacturer Roca has launched its first international short film competition to raise awareness of the world’s growing water-shortage problems. Budding directors can enter the...
read more... - Ripples celebrates 24th anniversary
Ripples effect: Bathroom retail franchise Ripples marked its 24th anniversary last month with a Valentine’s-themed promotion called ‘Love your bathroom’. The first Ripples...
read more... - Consentino's creative thinking
Creative thinking: Demonstrating the versatility of its Silestone quartz surface material, Cosentino has collaborated with the Form Us With Love studio to create a series of vases. Made from rings of...
read more... - Ambiance Bain gets the show on the road
French bathroom manufacturer Ambiance Bain unveiled its new mobile showroom at Idéobain in Paris last month. The company has invested £50,000 in the vehicle, which will be used to...
read more... - Let us spray, says Dornbracht
Dornbracht has turned the concept of the shower on its head – or on its side – with the launch of the Horizontal Shower that can be enjoyed lying down. The German manufacturer’s...
read more... - Bid for Olympic gold, small businesses urged
Over £50m-worth of Olympic contracts are still up for grabs – and small businesses have been urged to bid for them.
London-based entrepreneur Will Davies says the Olympic...
read more... - Symphony's Inspire suite to appear on TV
Symphony’s Inspire marketing suite is to be seen by millions after being chosen by kitchen utensil supplier OXO as the backdrop for its latest TV advertisements. The 20,000sq ft Barnsley-based...
read more... - FIRA's recycling success
Furniture that’s been tested to destruction by FIRA is now being recycled instead of going to landfill. Since FIRA started working with a specialist recycling company last summer, some 400...
read more... - Roman launches screen-saver system
Users of Roman showers and bath screens should find them easier to keep clean now the manufacturer is pre-coating the glass surfaces with its Ultra Care glass protection system. Roman first launched...
read more... - Apprenticeship boost for employers
Prime minister David Cameron has announced that small businesses will be offered a £1,500 incentive to hire their first young apprentice.
The incentive, announced to coincide with...
read more... - Smeg fridges are works of art
Retro-style Smeg fridge doors featuring handwritten messages and song lyrics form part of an exhibition in Hong Kong by British artist Stuart Semple. Drawing parallels with what he believes is the...
read more... - Wood for construction a priority, says SBOT
The Stop Burning Our Trees campaign – SBOT – has welcomed the Committee on Climate Change’s recommendation
“that the use of woody biomass in construction should be...
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With the Olympics now less than 6 months away, how prepared are you? Do you know how London road closures will affect your kbb deliveries? What contingency plans are you putting in place to make sure your business isn't adversely affected?
With the Olympics now less than 6 months away, how prepared are you? Do you know how London road closures will affect your kbb deliveries? What contingency plans are you putting in place to make sure your business isn't adversely affected?
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