NEWS | Round-up
Our climate change champion Richard Hagan, managing director of Crystal Doors, explains how the connected home can enhance our sustainable journey by highlighting areas where we are wasting money
EVERYTHING is CONNECTED in the circle of LIFE
AS A child, I was fascinated by David Attenborough’s nature documentaries, which opened my eyes to the wonders of Planet Earth. They were my first steps to learning that everything in nature is connected through balanced ecosystems and complex feedback loops, also known as the circle of life. However, it’s only in the past few years that it has become clear just how complex and interconnected our planet really is. Recognising and enhancing this interconnectedness is the solution to many of the biggest challenges facing us today, whether it’s the climate emergency or our health.
I have begun rapidly accelerating my efforts to
improve connectivity by installing sensors, apps and smart meters in my home and at work. If you can connect it, you can measure it, and if you can measure it, you can manage it.
Access to this data is helping me to better manage the complexities of energy consumption, material use and employee activity at Crystal Doors. It’s been a journey of discovery, enlightenment and, sometimes, when faced with the facts of what’s being wasted, despair. We are currently developing a digital dashboard using IoT sensors and Industry 4.0 to bring all our data together into one place to discover new efficiencies and operate more transparently. In today’s complex world, we need connected digital solutions like this to uncover and visualise the significant amounts of money we as businesses, homes and individuals waste every day. Interconnectedness also teaches us to think about the full lifetime costs and impacts of a purchase. I recently bought a new
If you can connect it, you can measure it, and if you can measure it, you can manage it
A-rated fridge in the knowledge that it will be far cheaper and better for the environment in the long run than a less efficient model. It only seems cheaper to purchase a less efficient model if we uncouple the appliance’s initial purchase price from the additional energy needed to operate it over its lifetime. That’s the kind of disconnected thinking we need to abandon. Perhaps more than anywhere else, I’m excited about the opportunities ahead for connectivity in the home. Motion sensors and apps are already able to track how every room is being used in real time, allowing us to preheat spaces, remotely control appliances, warn us if elderly relatives are not moving about their home as usual, and even provide peace of mind by notifying us when our children finally get home from a night out. I no longer worry about my children as my parents did when I was out partying in the 1980s, and if that’s not progress, I don’t know what is.
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KBB suppliers get share of £20m in public sector work
PLACES ON a £20 million public sector project have been won by seven kitchen sup pliers, manufacturers and retailers. The four-year £20m framework is intended to deliver modern, accessible and sustainable kitchens to social housing providers and the public sector nationwide.
The Supply of Kitchen Units and Worktops (K7) framework from public sector procurement specialist LHC went live on September 1 and is worth up to £11m in England, £2.5m in Wales and £6.5m in Scotland.
The kitchen suppliers and retailers appointed to the framework nationally are: • Benchmarx, trading as Travis Perkins; • Joinery & Timber Creations (65) Ltd; • Magnet Kitchens; • Moores Furniture Group; • Richmond Furniture; • Dennis & Robinson Ltd, trading as Paula Rosa Manhattan;
• City Building (Contracts) LLP. The K7 framework is available to social
housing providers and local authorities, public sector organisations running care homes, sheltered housing, halls and day care centres, or publicly owned buildings where residential- style modern kitchen supply and fitting is needed, such as libraries, museums, conference centres, sports halls and potentially some other educational and healthcare buildings. It can be used to procure impaired mobility kitchen options, cabinets, worktops, moisture-resistant worktops and associated products, such as sinks, taps and energy- rated appliances.
It builds on the previous K6 framework and offers a broader range of inclusive kitchens. Commenting on the development, LHC head of technical procurement Dean Fazackerley said: “K7 brings to the table seven pre-approved suppliers who can guarantee a high standard of product and workmanship, as well as longevity. This is hugely important for social housing providers and local authorities who need to ensure the kitchens installed promote a decent standard of living for the residents and communities they serve.” He added: “The ability to guarantee good- quality homes in a good state of repair, regardless of location, has been a continued feature of government reform in recent years. This framework has been developed jointly with social landlords and the public sector to support this aim.”
The K7 framework is available to use through mini competition or direct award until August 31, 2026.
Thomas Crapper invests in new warehouse to facilitate growth
LUXURY BATHROOM brand Thomas Crapper has shown its commitment to retailers by investing £100,000 into a new warehouse and expanded facilities. The investment includes a new 850sq m warehouse in Huddersfield as well as expanded administration facilities for its growing team and enhanced services.
Speaking about the Paul Dwyer, Thomas Crapper’s managing director, comments: “We are delighted with our progressive development over the past few years. The Thomas Crapper brand is synonymous with quality and style – and is equally loved by designers, installers and homeowners. We have expanded our facilities so that our customer service levels remain at optimum levels.”
Established in 1861, the iconic sanitaryware brand was bought by Hartford Holdings, the parent company of Trojan Baths, Mantaleda and Traymate, in 2016.
Since then, the management team has forged ahead with a strategy for growth that
includes increasing its product portfolio from 40 SKUs to 250 and the expansion of its retail network from 15 to 110.
The company has tripled its turnover in six years, and is now looking to expand into Europe, Hong Kong, and the USA.
· October 2022
Climate
Champion Change
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