NEWS | Round-up


Big brands pioneer new sustainability initiatives


AS CALLS for action on climate change intensify, big brands in the KBB industry are playing their part in the fight to save the planet. Hot on the heels of World Water Day


(March 22), Roca has announced it is launching a new water efficiency plan. In conjunction with Veolia Water


Technologies Ibérica, Roca will be introducing two production processes for vitreous china and faucets at its Moroccan Settat plant and Eskisehir in Turkey, where it will carry out a pilot water usage monitoring scheme, the recommendations of which will be rolled out to the rest of its factories, with the ultimate goal of becoming water-neutral within five years. The two pilot schemes, at plants


located in two of the most water- stressed areas of the planet, will audit production processes.


The scheme is based on the Rs system – reuse, recycle, recover, regenerate, replenish and reduce consumption. It will involve avoiding the use of fresh water when not strictly necessary, recycling it and controlling its use, reusing it and adapting its quality to each particular use. Hansgrohe has pledged that by the end of 2022, all of its international sites will have switched to green power and achieve climate neutrality in terms of direct emissions and energy. The company’s electrical energy supply is based entirely on green


Grohe’s Everwave CollectiX boat


Carsten Franke Electrolux COO said: “These partnerships put Electrolux at the forefront in terms of the percentage of the total volume of products being transported in a more sustainable way. As we continuously contract increasing volumes of biofuel for sea transportation, we are also supporting the overall market development toward more sustainable practices for shipping goods across the world.” Grohe has confirmed through a


power, achieving, it says, savings of over 26,000 tonnes of CO2. Hansgrohe has pledged to the decarbonisation of the company and to save water in its production, while converting its entire product portfolio, according to CEO Juergen Kalmbach, to water- and energy-saving products. He said: “Sustainability is not a sprint for us, but an extreme marathon that will literally make us fit for a liveable and economically successful future.” Appliance company Electrolux meanwhile has taken steps to reduce its sea transport emissions by 15% in 2022. To achieve this, is has teamed up with shipping companies Maersk and CMA CGM Group to use biofuel based on waste oils, such as cooking oils, and LNG for 25% of its total sea freight. The company also plans to halve its transport emissions by 2025.


survey carried out by YouGov on its behalf, that more than half of European consumers want to contribute to a plastic-free world. Fifty-four percent of respondents said a new product should support them in cutting down on plastic usage in their daily lives – ahead of waste (53%) and saving energy (51%).


Grohe said that kitchen studios are in a unique position to support consumers in their quest to reduce plastic usage by offering products such as the Grohe


Rak Ceramics signs €39m deal to acquire Germany’s


Kludi Group Rak Ceramics has acquired 100% of the German brassware and showering systems specialist Kludi Group in a deal totalling €39 million (£32.7m).


Blue, which


provides chilled, filtered and carbonated water directly from the tap. This, said Grohe, could help a family of four avoid the use of 800 single-use plastic bottles a year.


Grohe also played its part in cleaning up the planet when for every Grohe Blue purchased August 1 and December 31 last year, it committed to collecting one kilo of waste with the help of Everwave’s CollectiX boat.


Siematic and Nicholas Anthony unveil new Mayfair design studio


SIEMATIC AND interiors specialist Nicholas Anthony have opened their newly renovated Mayfair showroom on London’s Wigmore Street. The new showroom is intended to be like an artist’s studio


that takes visitors on an inspirational design journey. Under the creative direction of Nicholas Anthony’s design director, Niko Rasides, the studio has been designed to have clean- cut lines and minimalist forms, combined with natural materials and artisanal finishes.


Speaking about the showroom design, Rasides said: “For us, design is a language with a sole purpose of elevating our everyday experiences. What’s crucial about home design is that it reflects the character and values of the people who live there – not just who they are, but who they want to be. We know that design has the power to be transformative, and our goal is to help our clients to create homes that take their ideas and daily rituals to a whole new level. That’s the journey we want them to engage with at our Mayfair studio.” Siematic’s interior architect Marc Sporer added: The experiential showroom exhibits a cross-section of Siematic’s diverse and flexible room planning concepts. As the brand is driven by customer-centricity, no two Siematics are the same – they’re precisely tailored to the needs of our customers and that’s what’s reflected through the displays. The team renovated the Mayfair studio during the


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lockdown months and used local stonemasons, lighting specialists, and wallpaper designers, as well as sourcing stone from Spain and Italy, fixtures from Germany, and the artisanal elements from the UK. Tony Nicholas, managing director of Nicholas Anthony, said the interior specialist has a long history as a brand that represents quality and craftsmanship. “We’ve been developing our offering further in recent years to embody an all-encompassing home interior design and interior architecture service. With design director Niko’s inspirational energy and vision, our specialist team can help homeowners, and designers to create spaces that are truly unique”


UAE-based Rak Ceramics said that the acquisition of the Kludi Group was an opportunity for Rak Ceramics to strengthen its business across European markets and complete the Rak suite of products by growing its offering to include taps and faucets. The deal also included a 49% share of the Kludi Rak Joint Venture the company entered into in 2007 for the production and sales of fittings in the Middle East – a partnership it says has grown and proven successful and profitable, recording “impressive growth and sustainable margins”. Kludi Group said it expected the acquisition to realise operational synergies, leveraging both companies’ manufacturing presence across Europe, the UAE and Asia.


Rak Ceramics group chief executive Abdallah Massaad, (pictured left) said: “This acquisition of Kludi Group aligns to our growth strategy and commitment to strengthen our presence in core markets and focus on core products. It provides Rak Ceramics with the opportunity to spearhead our expansion into European markets and enhances our positioning in projects across the sanitaryware and faucets business. The acquisition, built on a long-standing partnership and a shared vision, opens up new opportunities for Kludi Group as we aim to develop this historic and established European faucet brand further by funding its strategy and driving forward modernisation and digitalisation of the brand.” Kludi Group group CEO Julian Hence (pictured right) said: “I am confident that this transaction will be extremely beneficial to all parties involved, including customers and shareholders. Kludi Group is now a more robust, world-class taps and faucets brand that is well-positioned to capitalise on Rak Ceramics’ extensive network to expand our product offering to markets that would not have been possible otherwise.”


The deal should be completed by May 31.


· May 2022


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