June - BRG

June 2012 - European Bathroom News
BRG Building Solutions is pleased to announce the release of its redesigned European Bathroom Newsletter.
BRG is pleased to announce that it has recently published its bathroom market summaries for Austria, Belgium, Czech
Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey and the UK.
The 2011 market summaries include a detailed market overview, historical trends (2000-2011) and forecasts (2012-2016),
prices and market values, end use and product segmentation, distribution and market shares.
For more information, please visit:
BRG Homepage
Global Markets and Forecasts - Launch of New Service
BRG Building Solutions is also proud to announce the launch of its new Global Markets and Forecasts service.
This service is built as an extension to our existing extensive market database covering selected building products in
Europe, North America, Latin America and the Middle East. It aims to go beyond the current platform in order to provide a
more comprehensive tool for evaluating potential market opportunities on a near global level.
This flagship edition provides market data on sales of Taps & Mixers / Faucets in 100 countries, backed up by supporting
data in the form of macro-economic indicators, construction trends and housing characteristics (per country).
In order to view a sample of the output per country, please click on the following link:
Sample country overview
WOLSELEY Announces Sale of BATHSTORE
WOLSELEY UK announced today that it is selling its BATHSTORE business to ENDLESS LLP. The sale is with
immediate effect.
WOLSELEY UK Managing Director Steve Ashmore said that WOLSELEY has taken a strategic view in deciding to sell
BATHSTORE and believes it is a positive move for BATHSTORE and its employees and offers the best way forward for
them, with an owner that is fully focused on the High Street retail market.
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Source: WOLSELEY
AFG Pressing Ahead With Reorientation and Focus on Sanitary Equipment
AFG ARBONIA-FORSTER-HOLDING AG, one of the leading suppliers of the European construction industry, is selling its
UK subsidiary AQUALUX to the Dutch FETIM GROUP as of 21 May 2012.
With the sale of AQUALUX, AFG is taking a further step in the on-going rationalisation of its business portfolio. The
HEATING TECHNOLOGY AND SANITARY EQUIPMENT DIVISION, to which AQUALUX belonged, will continue to
concentrate its sanitary equipment business on a three-level market development strategy via retailers and installers. The
focus here is on the quality products of the multi-award-winning KERMI brand, which has a high reputation and market
profile in Germany and in other European core markets. The basis for stronger internationalisation of the brand is being
further developed. For instance, the shower enclosure business will also be established in the domestic Swiss market in
the near future under the KERMI brand.
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Source: AFG ARBONIA-FORSTER-HOLDING AG
Triton Sells Sweden's BRAVIDA to BAIN CAPITAL
Private equity firm TRITON has struck a deal to sell Scandinavian installation services provider BRAVIDA to investment
group BAIN CAPITAL for an undisclosed sum, the latest deal in the Nordic region's buzzing private equity sector.
Earlier this year, it was announced that Bain Capital was among at least four private equity firms to proceed into the
second round of bids for BRAVIDA, which was estimated to be worth around $1 billion (€809 million). TRITON, which
owns BRAVIDA through its TRITON FUND III, bought the company from Norway's TELENOR in 2006. BRAVIDA has
about 8,000 employees and reported revenues of 10.77 billion Swedish crowns (€1.2 billion) last year.
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Source: REUTERS
Toilet Makers Size up €1 billion SANITEC
Makers of toilets and taps are sizing up Finnish rival SANITEC, put on the block by private equity group EQT with a price
tag of up to €1 billion, people familiar with the situation said.
Spanish family-owned group ROCA, Japan's JS GROUP CORPORATION and Turkey's ECZACIBASI HOLDING, which
has joined forces with private equity firm KKR, are all considering binding bids for SANITEC. Private equity groups BAIN
CAPITAL, owner of IDEAL STANDARD, and NORDIC CAPITAL, a long-term rival to EQT in the Scandinavian markets,
have also gone through into the second round of the auction process, which is being conducted by UBS.
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Source: REUTERS
OSTNOR AB Announces Staff Reductions
OSTNOR AB in Mora announced staff reductions of 21 employees, involving all departments of the company. Reductions
will come into effect after the completion of union negotiations.
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Source: OSTNOR
Syzran Sanitary Ware Plant to Expand and Modernise
The EBRD (EUROPEAN BANK FOR RECONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT) is providing long-term financing to
support restructuring, modernisation and expansion of a sanitary ware plant located in Syzran, Samara Region, Russia.
The plant, SYZRANSKAYA KERAMIKA, needs improvements to benefit from the fast-growing demand for sanitary ware
in Russia.
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Source: EBRD
Technical Wholesaler VIHAMIJ Bankrupt
Technical wholesaler VIHAMIJ, with its head office in Arnhem (NL), was declared bankrupt on Wednesday 23 May of
2012.
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Source: OMROEP GELDERLAND
BAUHAUS Enters New Market
After 15 years a foreign DIY chain is again considering the serious expansion to the Netherlands. The German
BAUHAUS, which is active in most European countries, think the Dutch market is a serious option to move into.
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Source: MIX ONLINE
New Training Academy for GEBERIT
GEBERIT has announced the opening of a new training academy in Ireland. The Dublin based purpose built training
academy mirrors the facilities available at GEBERIT's Warwick HQ and allows the company’s southern and northern
Ireland-based customers to take advantage of free of charge training modules covering the full breadth of GEBERIT’s
product ranges.
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Source: www.bathroom-review.co.uk