The pace of change
09/08/2013 | Have you noticed how fast the bathroom industry is changing? It’s actually quite difficult to keep up with what’s going on. Manufacturers are consolidating, new suppliers are entering the market, new products are being launched on what seems like a daily basis, and there is a constant flow of new regulationsbeing created. ‘Change is good,’ comments Yvonne Orgill, CEO of the Bathroom Manufacturers Association – the BMA. ‘Manufacturers are keen to introduce exciting, new and water and energy efficient bathroom products. It maintains interest in the industry and it promotes new business. It is also important in the race for sustainable low carbon products. But I agree that keeping abreast of everything that is going on can be daunting.’ The Water Label scheme, the brainchild of the BMA, has itself seen major developments.The Water Label was born in 2006 and was developed by the BMA to show how individual bathroom and kitchen products perform. The label shows an accurate record of how much water a particular product will use in normal use and from that the water consumption figures for new or existing properties can be calculated. The Label has been the catalyst for the design of new and super-efficient bathroom products. They have efficiency built in and have no less performance so customer satisfaction remains high. In recognition of the work of the BMA, it was presented with two major awards at industry events in the Spring. Fast approaching 2500 products are listed on the label’s website and more are set to be uploaded following a commitment fromthe major UK builders merchants, retailers and manufacturers. In July theypublicly announced their support of the scheme and are now working hard towards having all bathroom products fully labeled and in stock by mid-2014. So you will seemore of the label appearing on stockists’ shelves in coming months. www.europeanwaterlabel.eu/ With this rapid pace of development and change the BMA is keen is to ensure that all channels in the bathroom industry are equipped with the tools and the knowledge necessary to do their job. The BMA’s Bathroom Academy, the Water Label website, and regular communications are all designed to convey the very latest information about industry trends. The Bathroom Academy plays a major part in training new entrants to the industry. New, specially designed, one-day seminars are now being designed which look specifically at bathroom design and the regulations which govern what can and can’t be achieved in a new bathroom. ‘Over the last decade there have been fundamental changes in the bathroom and it has developed into what I think you will agree, is the most technically advanced space in any building,’ says Orgill. ‘Our association, which is well recognised as The Voice of the Bathroom Industry, is keen to ensure that the changes are communicated and understood for the benefit of everyone.’ The Bathroom Academy is well placed to help the bathroom industry recover from the doldrums of the last five years. www.bathroom-academy.co.uk/