Industry Update
Methven UK Invests for Growth
Ahead of New Product Launches As part of its ambitious expansion strategy, global designer and manufacturer of premium showers and tapware, Methven UK has invested £500k in a new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system to support its continued growth and to improve customer service.
The new system, named AX, will enable the company to deliver improved visibility across the supply chain, offering retailers, merchants and distributors easier access to real-time stock availability, delivery dates and streamlined order processing with reduced transactional costs.
Crucially, the new system will allow Methven UK to improve analysis and classification of its customers and products – enabling the company to tailor new products specifically for its diverse cross section of customers. The investment also forms part of Methven UK’s strategy to increase the brand’s share of the UK showering and tapware market, by offering superior, life-enhancing shower experiences and exceptional customer service.
Beauty above and below the surface as Okite showcases
Italian style and quality To celebrate Design Week Okite, Scavolini and Gambero Russo took 500 guests from around the world on a delicious journey through taste that served to highlight the pivotal role of the kitchen worktop.
Taking pride of place in the Scavolini kitchen was Okite, a unique composite surface that is resistant to heat, stain and scratches while offering the highest levels of safety and hygiene, making it the natural choice for food preparation areas. Manufactured by Seieffe Industrie, Okite worktops are five times stronger than granite, non-porous and easy to clean while requiring no special maintenance to keep them looking as good as new.
Eco-friendly and offering unparalled levels of quality, Okite worktops are composed mainly of quartz, giving an excellent level of protection from everyday kitchen spillages including oil, coffee and wine.
The collection includes 11 ranges and 90 colours, offering an endless array of design options. Introduced 11 years ago as a kitchen worktop, the verstality of Okite means it is also suitable for use on floors and walls and even in the bathroom.
Lord Green visits Beko factory in Turkey to highlight successful UK investors L
ord Stephen Green, UK Minister of State for Trade and Investment visited Beko’s washing machine plant in Çayırova near Istanbul as part of the UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) and Confederation of British Industry’s (CBI) first joint trade mission to Turkey, arranged to foster greater UK-Turkish trade relations.
“I am very pleased to have the opportunity to see the exciting and innovative work being done at Arçelik,” comments Lord Stephen Green. “There is great potential for knowledge sharing between our countries so that UK and Turkish firms can combine
their expertise and work in partnership to win contracts elsewhere in the world. I am delighted to have taken so many UK businesses to Turkey so they could explore trade and investment opportunities first hand and see the successful work being done by companies such as this.”
British business leaders on the trip included Nick Baird, chief executive officer of UKTI and John Cridland, director general of the CBI. The delegation toured Europe’s highest capacity washing machine plant, home to the world’s quietest and most energy efficient washing machines which are sold in the UK under the Beko brand.
“Arçelik has been trading in this country for over 21 years and is now Turkey’s largest single investor in the UK,” comments Ragip Balcioglu, managing director of Beko Plc in the UK. “The Beko brand continues to grow in the UK; we are now market leader in washing machines, refrigeration and freestanding cooker categories and take great pride in the awards we have received. We look forward to a strong performance in 2012 and will continue to work with the British Government’s efforts to increase the presence of Turkish companies in the UK market.”
BKUJUNE 2012 53
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