Allied Group buys Specialty Piping Products
Houston — The Allied Group acquired Specialty Piping Products, located in St. Charles, Ill. Now known as Allied Chrome, the company joins Allied Fitting, Warren Alloy Valve and Fitting, Tectubi Raccordi S.p.A. and TRILAD Fittings and Flanges as part of the Allied Group of Companies.
Allied Chrome will be run by Specialty Piping Products’ president, Bob Qualey, who made the following comments regarding the acquisition: “The Allied Group presented us with a great opportunity to join North America’s leading master manufacturer. With the formation of Allied Chrome, our customers can benefit from 20+ years of chrome-moly experience along with the strength and support the Allied Group brings to our organization.”
Allied Chrome currently resides in a 12,000-square-foot facility and has plans to expand to accommodate more inventory. The company specializes in distribution of chrome-moly butt-weld and forged fittings and flanges used in critical piping applications for power and process industries, and offers materials in the following classes: WP-11, WP-22, WP-91, WP-5 and WP-9; F-11, F-22, F-91, F-5 and F-9.
Allied Group CEO Marc Herzstein remarked: “2011 has had a great start. With the addition of Warren Alloy and now Allied Chrome to our team, customers will experience great service and have easy access to our extensive product line.”
Visit www.allied-group.com.
NKBA survey reveals 11 top kitchen and bath trends for 2011
Hackettstown, N.J. — More than 100 designers, who are members of the National Kitchen & Bath Association and have designed kitchens or bathrooms during the last three months of 2010, participated in an NKBA survey to reveal design trends in the marketplace for 2011. The results of this survey suggest that there will be some changes in the direction that kitchen and bath styles will take this year.
Following are seven kitchen and four bathroom trends poised to take hold in 2011. These are overall trends across the U.S. and Canada — although they won’t necessarily appear in all geographic areas.
Kitchens
• Shake it up —The Shaker style began a rise in popularity in 2009 and gained momentum in 2010. By the end of the year, Shaker had supplanted Contemporary as the second most popular style used by NKBA ?member designers. While Traditional remains the most popular style, having been used by 76% of designers surveyed over the last three months of 2010, that’s a slight drop from the previous year. Meanwhile, the percent of respondents who designed Contemporary kitchens fell to 48%, while Shaker rose to 55%. Cottage was the only other style to garner at least 20% of the market, as it registered at 21%.
• Dark finishes — Dark natural finishes overtook medium natural, glazed and white painted finishes to become the most specified type of finish toward the end of 2010. While medium natural fell from being used by 53% to 48% of designers, glazed from 53% to 42% and white painted from 49% to 47%, dark natural finishes rose from 42 to 51%. Light natural and colored painted finishes remained fairly common, as each rose slightly from the previous year: 24% to 25% for light natural and 24% to 29% for colored paints. Distressed finishes dropped significantly from a year ago, when they were used by 16% of designers, to just 5%.
• A place for wine — While the incorporation of wine refrigerators seems to be on the decline (see Bonjour Réfrigérateur below), unchilled wine storage is growing in popularity. While only 39% of surveyed designers incorporated wine storage areas into their kitchens at the end of 2009, just over half — 51% — did so as 2010 came to a close. While other types of cabinetry options remain more common, most are on the decline, including tall pantries (89% to 84%), lazy Susans (90% to 78%) and pull-out racks (81% to 71%). Appliance garages also seem to be falling out of favor, as their use declined from 36% at the end of 2009 to 29% a year later.
• Bonjour réfrigérateur — The French door refrigerator has strengthened its position as the type specified most often by NKBA member designers. While freezer-top refrigerators were only specified by 8% of designers as 2010 drew to a close — down from 10% a year earlier — freezer-bottom models fell very slightly from 60% to 59%, and side-by-side units actually rose slightly, from 46% to 49%. Meanwhile, French door refrigerators jumped from 67% to 78%. Among smaller units, refrigerator or freezer drawers remained flat at 31%, while undercounter wine refrigerators fell sharply from 50% to 36%, an interesting change, given the increasing use of unchilled wine storage.
• Inducting a new cooktop — Induction cooktops haven’t overtaken gas and electric models, but they’re closing the gap. As we entered 2010, gas cooktops had been recently specified by 76% of NKBA designers, compared to 38% for electric and 26% for induction. However, while the incorporation of gas cooktops has fallen to 70%, electric cooktops have risen slightly to 41%, while induction cooktops are up to 34%. Meanwhile, single wall ovens are down from 46% to 42%, although double wall ovens are up from 68% to 74%. In addition, warming drawers are down from 49% to 42%, and ranges are down sharply, from 81% to 68%.
• LED lighting — Incandescent lighting continues its journey to obsolescence. While 50% of NKBA member designers incorporated incandescent bulbs into their designs at the end of 2009, only 35% have done so a year later. Instead, designers are clearly opting for more energy-efficient lighting options. While the use of halogen lighting is down from 46% to 40% over the past year, LED (light-emitting diode) lighting has increased from 47% to 54%. Designers aren’t turning to CFLs (compact fluorescent lights) as a solution, though, most likely due to the poor quality of light they produce; their use by designers remained flat at 35%.
• Trashy designs — Greater emphasis is being made to address trash considerations in the kitchen. Some 89% of kitchens designed by NKBA members in the final quarter of 2010 include trash or recycling pull-outs. In addition, garbage disposers were incorporated by 86% of designers, up from 75% the previous year. Trash compactors have also become more common. Entering 2010, they were recently used in designs by 11% of designers; a year later that figure had climbed to 18%. These changes may be due to an increase in sustainability awareness, but they certainly indicate an increase in concern about trash generated in the kitchen.
Bathrooms
• Quartz countertops — Quartz continues to take away market share from granite in the market for bathroom vanity tops. A year ago, 85% of NKBA bathroom designers incorporated granite into a recent design, compared to just 48% for quartz, but now that gap has narrowed to 83% for granite and 54% for quartz. Unlike in the kitchen, solid surfaces haven’t gained much popularity in the bathroom, increasing only from 23% to 25% over the past year. Meanwhile, solid marble has declined from 46% to 37%, while cultured marble and onyx have increased from 12% to 19%. No other material has even 10% of the market.
• Green bathrooms — No, we’re not referring to eco-friendly spaces; we literally mean green bathrooms. A year ago, green color palettes were used by only 14% of NKBA designers, but at the end of 2010, that figure had risen to 24%. Still, whites and off-whites, beiges and browns are the three most commonly used color tones in bathrooms. However, while white and off-white palettes are up slightly from 57% to 60%, beiges are down sharply from 66% to 57%, and browns have dropped from 48% to 38%. Other common color tones include blues at 22%, grays at 21% and bronzes and terracottas at 17%.
• A worthy vessel — Undermount sinks continue to dominate newly remodeled bathrooms, with 97% of NKBA bathroom designers having specified them over the last three months of 2010, up from 95% a year earlier. Vessel sinks have become the clear second choice among designers, as 51% of NKBA member designers have specified them in the final quarter of 2010, up from 39% a year ago. Integrated sink tops were also up from 34% to 38%, pedestal sinks were up from 21% to 29%, and drop-in sinks were up from 23% to 27%. This shows that bathroom designers have been specifying more lavatory sinks across the board.
• Satin nickel faucets — This trend relates to both bathrooms and kitchens. From the end of 2009 to the end of 2010, the percent of NKBA designers who specified a satin nickel faucet rose from 41% to 63% in the kitchen and from 45% to 57% in the bathroom, while the percent who specified a brushed nickel faucet fell from 61% to 48% in the kitchen and from 66% to 38% in the bathroom. Other popular faucet finishes in both the kitchen and bathroom are bronze and oil-rubbed bronze, polished chrome and polished nickel. While stainless steel is popular in the kitchen, specified recently by 44% of designers, that figure drops to just 16% in the bathroom.
Visit www.nkba.org.
Modern Supply promotes water conservation
Knoxville, Tenn. — Modern Supply Company has teamed up with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense program to offer consumers water-efficient product choices. Products are available in their Knoxville, Chattanooga and Johnson City, Tenn., showrooms and at branch locations in Sevierville and Crossville, Tenn., and Bristol, Va.
?Products that earn the WaterSense label must meet or exceed EPA’s criteria to use water more efficiently, while performing as well as or better than conventional models that use more water. The first products on Modern Supply shelves to earn the WaterSense label are American Standard and Delta faucets.
The goal of WaterSense is to decrease consumers’ indoor and outdoor water use by promoting high-efficiency products and simple water-saving practices. By offering customers a selection of products that have earned the
WaterSense label, Modern Supply is helping preserve water for future generations and helping consumers save money on their utility bills without sacrificing quality.
Visit www.modernsupplyshowroom.com.
The Master Group enters Toronto and Hamilton markets
Boucherville, Quebec —The Master Group L.P. announced its progression westward into Ontario with the acquisition of three branches belonging to Ontario distributor Eastern Refrigeration Supply Co. Ltd. Two of these locations are in the Greater Toronto Area and the third is in Hamilton. The Master Group will gradually move into these three branches starting in early spring 2011.
“After 60 years of operations in Eastern Canada, this expansion in the Toronto and Hamilton markets allows us to take an important step in line with our growth plans into new regional markets and prepares the way for a national platform,” noted Michel Ringuet, CEO of The Master Group L.P. “We are more than happy to conclude this agreement and are all motivated by the same objective: to deploy and provide the same level of service, expertise, quality, diversity and innovation that have made our company a leading player in all the markets it services.”
With regards to the personnel of these three establishments, The Master Group believes that they will be a major asset to its implementation and wishes to offer them a new working environment with new and exciting challenges, while preserving their values of employee loyalty and respect and maintaining a philosophy similar to Eastern’s.
A family business based in Markham, Ont., since 1963, Eastern Refrigeration Supply has earned its reputation particularly in the refrigeration sector. They are the distributor for renowned brand names such as Copeland, Luxaire, Honeywell, KeepRite Refrigeration, Dupont and Sporlan.
REHAU forms strategic alliance with Climate Automation Systems
Leesburg, Va. — REHAU has established a strategic alliance with Climate Automation Systems (CAS) to market the new, web-enabled REHAU Smart Controls system. This advanced interior comfort control system will facilitate the integrated operation of residential building technologies, including radiant heating and cooling systems and solar and renewable energy sources, to promote an optimal balance of comfort and energy efficiency.
“Our alliance with CAS will facilitate the next-generation operation of building technology solutions, providing homeowners with greater control over interior comfort as it relates to achieving more energy efficient systems operation,” said Bill Johansen, director of construction services at REHAU. “This is in alignment with our strategic focus toward providing customers with sustainable building technology solutions on an integrated, whole-systems level, and helping them to meet more aggressive energy saving goals both today and in the future.”
The strategic alliance unites the foundational engineering capabilities of REHAU with the climate automation software development competence of CAS, particularly with the company’s ENV system.
“The ENV system is the first of its kind to bring intelligent climate control technologies, previously exclusive to large-scale commercial buildings, into the residential and mid-range commercial market,” said Ron Antinori, CEO and founder of CAS. “It balances all aspects of the home environment — from forced-air to radiant systems – and incorporates real-time weather data, a statistical database and established rules that create a better home climate, while also reducing the impact on our earth’s environment.”
The new REHAU Smart Controls system will enable real-time onsite or remote management and optimization of HVAC system functioning, including hot water heater, forced air and radiant systems, from any Web-enabled device. Working to achieve maximum energy efficiency, it will facilitate the ability to set distinct comfort settings for each controlled zone, while recording and reporting critical system information through an Internet-accessible database.
The system is designed to interface with weather service data and to automatically adjust settings in anticipation of predicted weather condition changes. It will also provide immediate system troubleshooting data to the homeowner and designated service contractors, accessed through an easy-to-use online dashboard that enables quick, efficient diagnosis of potential issues.
Visit www.na.rehau.com/controls.
Foremost launches Shower Enclosures Division
East Hanover, N.J. — Foremost Groups has introduced Foremost Shower Enclosures, a complete line of shower and tub doors. Foremost offers every type of door from the ultimate luxury of frameless heavy glass to the basic framed tub and shower door — and everything in between.
The division offers four exciting collections:
• The Marina Collection — Elegant frameless heavy glass doors
• The Cove Collection — Luxurious and stylish frameless doors
• The Lagoon Collection — Subtle sophistication of semi-frameless
• The Tides Collection — Essential style of framed doors.
In addition to rich finishes and elegantly shaped handles and towel bars, stylized glass is also available to make a customer’s new tub and shower door unique and personal.
Foremost Shower Enclosures will be available for purchase exclusively at authorized wholesalers and showrooms throughout the U.S. They will be manufactured at Foremost’s new manufacturing facility in Hobart, Ind. The facility features a brand new showroom highlighting the latest Foremost shower door, chinaware and bathroom furniture products.
“In addition to being the headquarters for our new shower door business unit, the new facility in Hobart will also serve as a central distribution point in the U.S. and will allow us to consolidate shipments to our wholesale customers of all our bath products including toilets, vanities, seats and doors,” said Dave Bruce, executive vice president of Foremost Groups Inc.
Foremost Groups, based in East Hanover, was established in 1987 as a privately held company focused on importing wood cabinetry and bathroom fixtures for the retail market. Since then, the company has expanded its scope developing four product divisions — bath furnishings, indoor furniture, outdoor furniture and food service equipment — which produce world-class goods of superior design, engineering and value for consumers and industry. Foremost Groups has offices and distribution centers in the U.S. and Canada.
Log on to www.foremostshowerdoors.com.
Mapes & Sprowl Steel now offers treated steel
Elk Grove Village, Ill. — Mapes & Sprowl Steel, through a channel partnership with AK Coatings, is now offering Agion® antimicrobial-treated steel for use in HVAC systems, commercial refrigeration systems, appliances and building components where the growth of bacteria, mold and mildew may be an issue.
The Agion antimicrobial compound is an inorganic material whose active ingredient is ionic silver. Encapsulated in a zeolite matrix for continuous controlled release to the surface of the treated steel, silver ions suppress the growth of destructive bacteria and other microbes.
The compound is incorporated into an epoxy-based paint and applied to steel using roll-coating technology.
Mapes & Sprowl Steel provides Agion-treated materials in all available galvanized steel substrates; 18g through 26g are standard stock items. The company offers coil slitting and cut-to-length services for Agion-treated steel.
The Agion coating has been formulated in a way that allows the material to be fabricated in the same manner as non-Agion treated steels, without loss of coating or efficacy. On treated steel articles, the pieces may also be welded, and the surface coating can be easily repaired. Touch-up paint for Agion treated products is also available from Mapes & Sprowl.
Visit www.mapessprowl.com.