Q&A BKU Q&A
Meet the Sponsors
The 2022 BKU Awards has now been and gone for this year, but we’re still very pleased to be showcasing our wonderful sponsors who help make the Awards the special event they are. In our first piece this month we’re delighted to hear from Rashpal Sidhu, managing director at Roca UK & Ireland, who tells us about the company and offers his insight on the hot topics of the moment.
Tell us about your company
Roca is a family-owned company based in Spain that began manufacturing cast iron radiators back in 1917 before expanding into the bathroom sector in 1929. In the years since, Roca has enjoyed stellar growth and today its commercial network reaches more than 170 countries and is supported by more than 21,500 employees worldwide. For Roca, its people are everything! Many of us who work for Roca UK & Ireland have been with the company for many years, which just goes to show the loyalty and dedication that Roca inspires.
Why was it important for you to sponsor an award this year in particular? As one of the key manufacturers in the bathroom industry, Roca has always attended the leading industry events. They are a chance to network and to show our support. This year we were proud to sponsor BKU’s sustainability award. This very much reflects our values: sustainability is at the heart of everything we do, from implementing more efficient production processes to developing products that help reduce water usage and energy consumption.
It is not just through our manufacturing processes and products that Roca promotes sustainability. The company also works to help solve problems arising from the lack of water and sanitation in the world through the non-profit We Are Water Foundation, which was set up in 2010.
This year’s awards were our first carbon-neutral event – how important is sustainability to you (and the sector more widely)?
Very important! As a leading manufacturer in the bathroom industry, it is our responsibility to improve our practices to save water and energy. Roca’s new Ona collection is an excellent example of this. Ona brassware, for example, features Cold Start Technology. This is available as standard on most of Roca brassware and ensures that taps produce cold – rather than hot – water by default. The handle can then be turned to the left to introduce hot water gradually. It’s only at this point that the boiler is engaged, so Cold Start can help towards saving energy for the homeowner.
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The Ona collection also features Fineceramic®, an innovative material that allows Roca to create basins that are 40% lighter whilst retaining the benefits of using a material which is 100% ceramic. This is achieved by adding the mineral corundum to the basic ceramic mixture, resulting in a material that has 30 per cent greater tensile strength compared to most standard-fired ceramics. This increased strength means we can create basins with a thinner profile, which in turn reduces their overall weight. As a result, much less raw material is used, and a lighter product is transported thereby lowering the carbon footprint.
2021 was a better year for the sector than some had perhaps forecast. How has 2022 been so far?
We have been busy! Roca Group’s ability to evolve and adapt to changing retail and consumer needs means we now have a large market share. Some of these needs are reflected in the exciting new collections launched this year – specifically, Ona by Roca and Lua by Laufen. Both collections address consumer interest in hygiene, sustainability and affordability without sacrificing good looks.
This year we also developed a new retail strategy, designed to support all our loyal retailers to ensure that we remain a desirable brand. It includes access to our full-time training manager in addition to training at our Bardon head office and The Roca London Gallery.
Many consumers are still working from home and this looks unlikely to change in the short term. Is this reflected in the types of kitchen and bathroom products and services consumers are buying? Increasingly, consumers are looking for products that make their lives easier. As such, WCs in the new Ona collection are rimless, meaning that the flush vortexes water around the whole of the bowl, cleaning the pan much more effectively than a regular flush. What’s more, ceramic pieces can be treated with our optional Supraglaze® coating, which allows for more efficient cleaning.
People are also looking to express more of their personality in the bathroom: it is no longer a utilitarian space devoid of colour and texture. Ona sanitaryware reflects this and is available in a white or matt white finish that can be complemented with furniture and accessories – also in the Ona range – in Mediterranean-inspired finishes including Matt Green, Dark Elm and Light Oak. These tie in perfectly with the ongoing trend for spa-inspired bathrooms with a strong link to nature.
What’s next on the horizon for Roca that our readers should be aware of? We are all concerned about the economic outlook for 2023. However, this year we’ve made significant investments in new ranges such as Ona, expanded our BDM sales team with a focus on specialists in their respective field, and developed a new retail strategy. I’m confident that we’ll see the benefits of these initiatives in 2023, resulting in another rewarding year.
In terms of new products, we have some very exciting developments in the pipeline that we will be showing at ISH 2023. We are also continuing to reduce our water consumption in manufacturing and Roca Group are aiming to move towards water neutrality within five years.
01530 830080
www.uk.roca.com
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