NKBA Market Index points to better 2011
Hackettstown, N.J. — According to the National Kitchen & Bath Association, kitchen and bath dealers are entering 2011 optimistically, with increased showroom visits, sales volumes, remodeling budgets and revenue the final quarter of 2010. The NKBA Kitchen & Bath Market Index (KBMI), which forecasts the confidence of kitchen and bath dealers on a scale of -60 to +60, is +37 for Q1 2011, or up 23 points from last quarter. This KBMI is based on dealer optimism reported across various indicators and highlighted this quarter by 78% who anticipate an increase in kitchen and bath revenue.
“The NKBA Kitchen & Bath Market Index really mirrors a number of other industries that saw improved fourth quarters following several very difficult years,” stated Don Sciolaro, CEO of the NKBA.
“Consumer spending this holiday season was significantly up from the previous three years, yet still well short of levels enjoyed the first part of the decade. Hopefully, this KBMI is a sign that the kitchen and bath industry is also on the right path and that the economy is slowly moving towards recovery.”
The NKBA KBMI is determined by averaging expectations of NKBA member kitchen and bath dealers during the next quarter based on expected increases (+1), decreases (-1) or no change (0) in each market condition. That total is divided by the number of dealers surveyed and multiplied by 10, which gives the KBMI a range of -60 (pessimistic) to +60 (optimistic). The NKBA KBMI surveys approximately 150 kitchen and bath dealers across North America each quarter.
Among the NKBA KBMI highlights:
• Showroom visits — Up 38% from previous quarter; up 21% from previous year; 79% anticipate an increase in Q1; 1% anticipate a decline
• Kitchen remodels sales volume — Up 113% from previous quarter; up 110% from previous year; 82% anticipate an increase in Q1; 2% anticipate a decline
• Kitchen remodeling prices — Up 20% from previous quarter; up 9% from previous year; 34% anticipate an increase in Q1; 2% anticipate a decline
• Bathroom remodel sales volume — Up 105% from previous quarter; up 50% from previous year; 72% anticipate an increase in Q1; 2% anticipate a decline
• Bathroom remodeling prices — Up 22% from previous quarter; up 18% from previous year; 39% anticipate an increase in Q1; 4% anticipate a decline
• Kitchen and bath revenue — Up 155% from previous quarter; up 117% from previous year; 78% anticipate an increase in Q1; 3% anticipate a decline.
Visit www.nkba.org.
Rheem unveils big rebranding initiative
Atlanta — Rheem Manufacturing Company demonstrated the future of integrated air and water technology in both the HVAC and water heating industries at the AHR Expo 2011, held recently in Las Vegas. Rheem unveiled its new brand identity and numerous redesigned products.
“Rheem has spent more than 85 years developing products that provide the highest quality, reliability and durability,” said Rheem CEO JR Jones. “Given that water heating and HVAC systems account for more than 60% of a home’s energy consumption (source: U.S. Department of Energy), Rheem has a unique opportunity to build off our rich history of high-quality water heating and HVAC products with a full suite of innovative and energy efficient products.”
More specifically, attendees of the AHR Expo were treated to a highly professional overview of exciting new Rheem products and systems, all of which feature a high-quality, modern appearance. Also on hand were products in the Rheem exhibit that are not yet released, such as the second-generation hybrid electric water heater, featuring a color touchscreen.
Finally, Rheem took extra steps to ensure that its exhibit design and layout align with the company’s outlook on innovation through the incorporation of new technologies. For instance, Rheem brand ambassadors working in the exhibit leveraged iPads® to provide background on Rheem products. They also gave a sneak peek of an upcoming iPhone® /iPod Touch® Rheem racing game app that was developed to tie into their racing sponsorships. As a bonus, champion NASCAR driver Kevin Harvick of the No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet was also in the Rheem exhibit demonstrating the game for AHR attendees and challenging his fans.
“Over the past three years, Rheem has invested more in our products, people and operations than at any other time in our history — even in the midst of very challenging economic times,” said Rheem senior vice president and COO Chris Peel. “We are very proud to share with the AHR Expo attendees the early fruits of our efforts, including our new products and brand identity.”
Rheem also unveiled a totally new and enhanced website in February that projects the company’s new branding and direction.
Visit www.rheem.com.
Speakman intros counter display program
New Castle, Del. — Speakman Company has introduced the Anystream® Counter Display Program, a turnkey way for plumbing wholesalers to sell Speakman Anystream showerheads.
The counter display features three of Speakman’s well-known showerheads, displayed in a stepped space-saving counter display. Each display is shipped from Speakman fully loaded with product, allowing the customer to remove the display from its packaging, insert the header, place the display on the counter and start selling. For easy reorder, Speakman has developed replenishment sleeves for each of the showerhead items in the display.
To learn more or to order a display, contact your local Speakman sales representative or the company’s customer service team at 800/537-2107.
Visit www.speakmancompany.com.
T&S Brass offers AXION MSR emergency eyewash equipment
Travelers Rest, S.C. — T&S Brass has transitioned its emergency eyewash product line to Haw’s revolutionary new AXION MSR™ technology. AXION MSR (medically superior response) is an eye/face wash specifically designed to operate in concert with standard healthcare protocols and the natural function of the human eye.
“AXION MSR is the latest technology in eyewash design and is a definite best-practice in emergency response,” said Jane VanBergen, T&S Brass marketing product manager. “All relevant products in the existing T&S Brass eyewash line will change to the revolutionary new AXION MSR technology.”
Patent pending AXION MSR features include the following:
• Inverted eyewash and eye/face wash flow pattern
• Laminar flow eyewash streams for greater stream consistency
• “Zero vertical velocity” stream engineering for maximum victim comfort
• 3.7 gpm flow rate; competitive products are between 4 and 8 gpm
• Field configurable as either an eyewash or eye/face wash
• NSF approved anti-microbial surface protection
• Mitigates damage to the eyewash head from mold and mildew
• Can retrofit to existing T&S, Haws or Chicago eye/face wash installations
• Eye and face wash heads are included with each unit and are also available as spare parts.
This technology is available on the following eye/face wash models (including wall mounted, pedestal, and deck mounted units): EW-7360B, EW-7610, EW-7611, EW-7612, EW-7612LH, EW-7656WC and EW-8904. The portable unit, the EW-7501, will remain in the current design.
Visit www.tsbrass.com.
Moen sponsors unique home renovation project
North Olmsted, Ohio — In 1926, it was a sight to be seen, a Tudor home featuring the best that the 1920s had to offer — bathrooms brimming with pink tile, unusual cabinets and accessories, solid copper plumbing and beautiful, exposed wood beams. Unfortunately, time hasn’t been kind to the home originally owned by the Kuppersmith family of Mobile, Ala. Recently, the neglected abode was full of peeling lead paint and corroded plumbing, it was an overall energy nightmare, with no insulation and drafty, wooden-frame windows.
Fortunately, the home just happened to be located near renowned home expert Danny Lipford, who was looking for his next big project. What happened next is the subject of a 13-part series, “The Kuppersmith Project,” airing on Lipford’s nationally syndicated TV show Today’s Homeowner with Danny Lipford. Moen® is a proud sponsor of the project.
“This is such a great story that it took 13 episodes to tell,” said Lipford, a home improvement veteran with 30 years of remodeling experience under his belt. “There are so many issues to cover: its history, challenges and how best to create a sustainable, modern residence. Viewers will be intrigued, and they’ll learn some tricks they can use on their own homes as well.”
The 1,900-square-foot house will receive a total transformation during the project, including a 1,500-square-foot addition to create a family-friendly, open design and a new master suite. Decisions were made to encourage a greener lifestyle by incorporating practical ways to recycle and by emphasizing indoor air quality. Better Homes & Gardens even took an interest in the Kuppersmith project and assigned its senior designer, Joseph Boehm, to handle the interior of the home. The end result will be featured in Better Homes and Gardens and Renovation Style magazines in August.
“We were thrilled to become a sponsor of The Kuppersmith Project, because it’s a great representation of what so many homeowners go through during a typical remodeling project, the questions that are asked, the decisions that need to be made, the budgets,” said Kathy Flinn, director of advertising and brand at Moen. “While most projects might not be of the same scale as Kuppersmith, the process is still the same. It really is a great learning experience for Danny’s viewers.”
Moen products will be used in all five bathrooms, including the master suite. The Vestige® collection was chosen for its traditional style and sustainable benefits. All of Moen’s lavatory faucets, including Vestige, are certified to meet WaterSense® criteria, meaning the fixtures meet the EPA’s guidelines as environmentally responsible and efficient products. The faucets are flow optimized and allow water to flow at 1.5 gpm, versus traditional aerators that flow at 2.2 gpm. This provides consumers the sensational water experience they are accustomed to, while reducing water usage by up to 32%.
In the kitchen, cleaning and water savings will be a breeze, thanks to the Moen Lindley™ Eco-Performance faucet with the new Spot Resist™ finish. Spot Resist does just what it says — it actually resists fingerprints and water spots. The faucet also allows users to easily switch between three unique water flow settings. The default setting features a reduced flow rate of 1.5 gpm, in an Eco-Performance standard aerated stream or aerated spray mode, which translates to a 32% water savings. For tasks that require a set amount of water, such as filling a pot, washing dishes or preparing foods, homeowners can toggle to the “Full Flow” option to change the flow rate back to the standard 2.2 gpm.
For the ultimate in innovative technology, Moen’s ioDIGITAL™ vertical spa is featured in the Kuppersmith master bath. Thanks to its easy-to-use interface, ioDIGITAL allows consumers to set and maintain water temperature and flow with electronic precision. It also offers four custom presets and one-touch activation of multiple spray outlets, allowing the user to choose a shower or body spray; handshower or rainshower, or to choose them all.
Visit www.kuppersmithproject.com for video blogs from the home’s point of view or www.moen.com.
Aqua Glass launches customer-driven innovation
Moorestown, N.J. — Aqua Glass has launched a customer-driven innovation process that is rewriting the company’s rules of engagement. Established more than 40 years ago in Adamsville, Tenn., and now headquartered in Moorestown, N.J., the company is using deep customer research to drive improvements in quality, service and products. For 2011 the company has launched initiatives in several key areas, including:
• Quality — Aqua Glass has re-engineered its manufacturing processes to deliver customer issues to the shop floor. The company has established a reliability lab that uses advanced statistics and materials analysis to improve products, rather than deal with issues when they reach the warranty stage.
• Trendspotting — The company has named a director of innovation and launched an ethnographic research program where personnel can watch customers as they install Aqua Glass products. That information is then integrated with the manufacturing team, where improvements are made in everything from product design to instructions to packaging. Other team members spot trends and test them with audiences such as homeowners who want to age in place.
• Customer service — The company offers customer support that is both skilled — every service representative receives technical training on every product — and live (Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST.) Reps go beyond offering information on choosing and installing products. In a move that’s rare in the industry, team members are encouraged to take their time and fully answer customers’ questions, building stronger relationships in the process.
• Design — Based on several years of research with customers, Aqua Glass is emphasizing products that are stylish as well as functional. New product lines take style cues from traditional and modern influences yet keep the demands of ergonomics and modern living in mind.
• Technology — In 2011 the company is launching a number of products based on a new material that is lighter, stronger and easier for builders and homeowners to install.
“We’re giving customers a better experience throughout the entire product lifecycle,” said Joanne Torcivia, director of new product development and innovation. “We solicit customer feedback in design. We design products that customers are expecting from us. When products are in use, we solicit feedback to see how we can make them even better. For every touch point, we’re in constant communication with our customers.”
Visit www.aquaglass.com.
HARDI: Strong December sales reaffirm tax credits’ impact
Columbus, Ohio — Heating, Air-conditioning and Refrigeration Distributors International announced that North American HVAC/R average distributor sales for December closed out 2010 in line with the association’s forecast, but fell short of most manufacturer and analyst projections going into the year.
HARDI’s monthly Targeted and Regional Economic News for Distribution Strategies (TRENDS) report showed average growth for the month of 17%, versus December 2009, undoubtedly driven by the impending expiration of the full $1,500 residential tax credits. The running 12-month sales improved for the fifth consecutive month, meeting the top end of HARDI’s 2010 growth projections at just over 10%. Four U.S. HARDI regions and Canada finished the year up double digits.
For the second consecutive month, Average Days Sales Outstanding continued to decline, falling much more in line with distribution averages. Average distributor sales per employee inched up again after a modest increase last month.
“As expected, the pending reduction of the $1,500 tax credits, effective January 1, pulled early 2011 demand into December, giving our members a great close to what was generally an underperforming 2010,” said HARDI executive vice president and COO Talbot H. Gee. “December’s distributor sales mix of cooling equipment was nearly 50% 14 SEER and higher, which will most certainly not be the case next month or likely any of 2011. The question moving forward isn’t whether, but how much, high efficiency sales will drop if we’re unable to fully reinstate the 25C tax credits or grow other efficiency incentives.”
According to HARDI chief economist Alan Beaulieu of the Institute for Trend Research, “Average sales improved in 2010 for every HARDI region, and the annual growth rate is the highest recorded in the HARDI TRENDS reports since mid-2006. We were spot-on with our 10% growth rate projection for 2010, but despite a stronger economic environment we don’t see enough in the HVAC/R industry to sustain that level of growth next year.”
Visit www.HARDInet.org.