INDUSTRY UPDATE THE TILE ASSOCIATION COLUMN
BA announce new brand ambassador in Patrick Bradley
BA has announced its Blossom Avenue brand will be endorsed by Architect Patrick Bradley in 2020. The firm, which is celebrating 30 years in UK manufacturing, launched the
brand at the end of 2019 to promote their full bedroom and kitchen offer available throughout their retail network. The multi-award-winning architect who is most famous for his Grand Designs Grillagh Water House, said; “Construction businesses are under ever more intense pressure to deliver sustainability, quality design and durability. I believe Blossom Avenue is of the kind of quality which immediately reassures builders as well as buyers.” Nuala Brady, head of marketing at BA, says the partnership is strategically significant; “This is a tight field in which top brands have worked hard to achieve profile and market position. Patrick Bradley brings successful business and a unique sense for design and its application to the Blossom Avenue brand.”
Franke announces two internal promotions
Franke UK has announced two internal promotions strengthening the leadership and structure of its UK sales team. Jo Rawstron is the new sales and marketing
director and Chris Gallagher is the new sales director for projects and key accounts. Rawstron will be responsible for all kitchen studio related sales, together with marketing and customer service for the Franke, Carron Phoenix and KWC brands in the UK. Rawstron joined Franke in 2012 with extensive experience of the kitchen industry from previous roles in sales, distribution and marketing for Kitchen Studios and Wolseley UK.
Gallagher will be responsible for project
and key account sales of the Franke, Carron Phoenix and KWC brands in the UK. Gallagher joined Franke in January 2013 from Newell Brands, where he worked in a variety of sales roles across both their consumer and commercial businesses. Both roles will report directly to Neil Clark, UK managing director. Neil Clark, UK managing director comments: “Both Jo and Chris are experienced members of our management
team. Their new appointments show Franke’s commitment to promoting from within and will strengthen our focus on key customer groups.”
66 BKU MARCH 2020
TTA lobbies for removal of Anti-Dumping Duties on porcelain tiles
T
TA is lobbying for the removal of EU Anti-Dumping Duties (ADD) levied on the imports of wall and floor tiles
from the People’s Republic of China. It has written to the Department for International Trade, saying these are anti- competitive barriers to trade which serve no purpose in a post-Brexit economy. The Department for International Trade has stated that duties will remain in place even after the UK leaves the EU. However the UK’s withdrawal from the EU opens up the possibility of the UK establishing its own national tariff system regarding the import of foreign-made products. TTA believes the removal of anti-competitive barriers to trade on porcelain tiles, in the first instance, will benefit the UK tile distribution sector and UK customers, by reducing costs on these products. The intention of the EU ‘Trade Remedy Measures’ has been to protect the interests of European producers from the anti-competitive practice of dumping low cost foreign-made products on to the market. The levies currently apply equally to both ceramic and porcelain tiles, particularly those sourced from The People’s Republic of China. However there are no UK manufacturers of porcelain tiles. So TTA is supporting its members involved in the retail and distribution of porcelain tiles, who are pushing for abolition of the tariff. As applied to porcelain tiles, the duty will serve no purpose once the Brexit transition period ends. AD560 is due for review by the EU in November 2022, in any case, at which point the Government will set up a new UK Trade Remedies Investigations Directorate, which will be empowered to adjust or remove any duties being levied in the UK market. However TTA believes this is an unacceptably long delay.
For further information or to join TTA visit
www.tiles.org.uk/join
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