NEWS | Round-up
KBSA and Quooker help student complete Bucks New Uni kitchen degree
THE KBSA has helped a student taking the Buckinghamshire New University kitchen design degree complete the final year of her course with the support of corporate member Quooker. Student Denise Pinnegar (pictured) received funding from The Kitchen Education Trust (TKET) for her second year, but was unable to secure the financial assistance she needed for her third and final year of the course. She contacted the Kitchen Bathroom Bedroom Specialists Association (KBSA) and although they have funds set aside to help students,
she was unable to benefit from these as she is lives in the Republic of Ireland. The
KBSA contacted several
corporate members on her behalf and Quooker responded straight away, offering the financial support that Pinnegar needed.
Quooker managing director Stephen Johnson said: “We are delighted to have the opportunity to support Denise and ensure she can complete her course. The Foundation Degree in Kitchen Design is a well- regarded professional qualification for our industry, which provides students with a fantastic education. We are
HiB invests in expanding distribution operations
BATHROOM SUPPLIER HiB has invested in expanding its operations department in order to support the ongoing growth. As part of the company’s ongoing development strategy and to improve productivity, a new 300m2
loading area
has been installed at its Inspire House distribution site in Tamworth. The new extension and loading space will allow HiB to increase stock capacity and support its fleet of delivery vehicles, which transport products across the company’s network of partners. Neil Berry, operations director at HiB, said: “The installation of a new loading area has been key in helping us manage the fantastic growth we have seen over the past few years. The additional space will allow us to continue
the development of the
operations department, giving us the opportunity to increase our stock and parts capacity, as well as more space to manage deliveries. This means that we will be able to increase our capacity
on the whole and offer an even more effective service to our customers.” The new semi-permanent structure is the latest in a series of investments the company has made to enhance operations and customer experience. HiB has also introduced a new customer experience support system and management software to offer advanced communication and administration. Speaking about HiB’s strategy for growth, managing director Robert Ginsberg said: “Offering our customers the very best possible service is incredibly important to us at HiB. By investing in the right infrastructure, we can ensure that we are able to manage increasing orders, while still offering a high level of customer experience and efficiency
from across our
departments. The new extension is the next stage in our development plans, and I am sure it will make a significant difference to our operations department in the coming years.”
Symphony to drive more leads to retailers with 2020 Ideal Spaces
THE BRITISH KBB furniture manufacturer Symphony is to expand its partnership with design software specialist 2020 to drive more leads to its retailer network. Symphony, which celebrated
its 50th anniversary in September, will make use of the extended functionality of 2020’s Ideal Spaces software to help drive brand awareness and channel more leads to its dealers. The
software will go live on
Symphony’s website in Q4 and will enable customers visiting the site to configure their kitchens and be directed to its network of KBB studios. Symphony’s collaboration with 2020 will also result in it offering Ideal Spaces to joint SME customers in a Symphony-ready version. The move is
part highly-qualified of Symphony
Group’s future digital and dealer support strategy and is intended to drive
leads to its
network of dealers. Simon Collyns Symphony marketing and retail director said: “Working with 2020 has proven to be a very fruitful collaboration and we couldn’t be more
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excited to be able to provide our dealers with a solution to bring them more customers and eventually increase footfall in their stores. 2020 Ideal Spaces is the perfect platform to achieve this.” Symphony’s partnership with 2020 dates back nearly 30 years to when the company started to use 2020 Fusion for its building division. There is close collaboration between the two companies on B2B projects and they share many common customers. 2020 EMEA director Tim Lambert added: “Symphony and 2020 have been working together for many years to provide the best technical solutions for our common customers. “These new developments in our partnership are yet another proof of our commitment to serve the wider KBB industry.”
Symphony manufactures fitted kitchen, bathroom and bedroom furniture, had a turnover of more than £280 million in 2019 and employs more than 1,500 staff. Its portfolio of brands includes Laura Ashley, Gallery, Linear, Aquadi and Urbano.
· November 2021
proud to be playing a part in the continuing education of designers and hope that others in the industry will join us in supporting others.” Commenting on Quooker’s support for their student, Kitchen Design course leader Jayne Hall Cunnick added: “I continue to be overwhelmed with the amazing goodwill and industry support we have received for our kitchen design degrees. We received a commendation during our recent academic validation panel for our industry engagement within the courses and, without the support we receive from the KBSA and the wider
industry, such as Quooker, Symphony and many others, we would not be able to provide such a comprehensive balance of knowledge and expertise for our students. The students benefit greatly from the intellectual generosity and the financial support from industry. Long may it continue.” Any students wishing to apply for a
bursary can contact the KBSA for further information.
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