Industry News

L.R. Brands is comprised of QuickDrain and the newly launched 1916 Collection

Oatey Co., a leading plumbing manufacturer since 1916, has announced the launch of L.R. Brands, the latest innovation from the brand that has been the top choice of professional plumbers for more than a century. From elegantly engineered total shower and bath solutions to freestanding tub drains, L.R. Brands is the home for design-minded individuals. Built on Oatey’s heritage of quality and named after L.R. Oatey, who founded Oatey Co. in 1916, L.R. Brands is meant to be the one thing that contractors, designers and customers will all agree upon.

L.R. Brands is comprised of two brands with a shared commitment to craftsmanship – QuickDrain and 1916 Collection. A premier manufacturer of curbed and curbless shower solutions, QuickDrain pushes the boundaries of bathroom design with custom-feeling shower solutions, including WallDrain, ShowerLine, ProLine, SquareDrain and BenchSeat. The newly established 1916 Collection is a portfolio of thoughtfully designed, exceptionally engineered bath accessories, including its recently launched Freestanding Tub Drain, that enhance both of the form and function of every bath experience.

“At Oatey, we are craftsmen at heart,” says Katherine Lehtinen, Senior Vice President, Brand and Digital Marketing. “We pay attention to the finer details – it’s who we are, and it’s what our customers expect. That’s the inspiration behind L.R. Brands. We’re building on our heritage brands, known for their quality behind the wall, to bring new bathroom solutions to the table that help you elevate the design you had in mind.”

The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action in collaboration with the Association of the German Trade Fair Industry and the Association of German Woodworking Industries presents the first German Pavilion at KBIS 2022, organized by koelnmesse as part of the NKBA Global Connect Pavilion Program.

The National Kitchen & Bath Association, representing close to 50,000 kitchen and bath industry professionals and owners of the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show, announce the launch of its NKBA Global Connect Pavilion Program at KBIS 2022 with the inaugural German Pavilion. The pavilion, organized by koelnmesse and presented by the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWi) in collaboration with the Association of the German Trade Fair Industry (AUMA) and supported by the Association of German Woodworking Industries (HDH) will bring manufacturers of German kitchen and bath products and services together in one co-operative space February 8 – 10, 2022 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida.

Participating manufacturers

The German Pavilion will include the following manufacturers and service providers:

• nobilia European Kitchen Furniture
• Kesseboehmer Functional Hardware and Fittings
• Haecker Kitchens
• SieMatic Kitchens
• Dein Konfigurator Design Software
• AMK- German Kitchen Trade and Service Association

Located in the South Hall, the German Pavilion will allow attendees to see and experience the newest German kitchen innovations in materials, finishes, installation capabilities and configurations in an efficiently designed space.  Additionally, the NKBA Global Connect pavilion, positioned nearby, will offer programming, talks and networking events featuring first-time international exhibiting brands and participating members of the German Pavilion. Global Connect Spotlights, Trend Talks and Market Outlook presentations will take place over the three-day show period.

“We have been collaborating with our German alliance partners AMK and VDM for three years to support the development of the first NKBA Global Connect Pavilion,” said Suzie Williford, EVP, Chief Strategy Officer, NKBA. “I’m so pleased we have been able to make this dream a reality.  The North American market continues to offer tremendous promise to these and other international brands who bring new ideas and technologies to the kitchen and bath marketplace. We look forward to a long and productive relationship with the German government and our strategic alliance partners at KBIS 2022 and beyond.”

Organization aims to foster innovation and provide consumers with safer, simpler and more interoperable options for HVAC and other long-life appliances and systems in their connected home ecosystem

Trane Residential (Trane) and American Standard Heating & Air Conditioning (American Standard), two leading residential HVAC brands, today announced the launch of the Home Connectivity Alliance (HCA) with global manufacturers Arcelik, The Electrolux Group, Haier, GE Appliances and Samsung Electronics (Samsung) at Samsung’s pre-show Keynote address at the 2022 Consumer Electronics Show (CES). HCA will provide consumers with safer, simpler and more interoperable options for their larger investment, long-life connected appliances and systems, focusing on HVACs, TVs and appliances. Katherine Shin, Secretary at Home Connectivity Alliance and Vice President of Customer Experience for the Residential HVAC and Supply business at Trane Technologies, joined the CES Keynote to discuss Trane’s involvement as a founding alliance member and HCA’s collective commitment to building a more intuitive and seamless smart home experience.

Through HCA, Trane and American Standard along with other founding alliance members will set out to develop guidelines for Cloud-to-Cloud interoperability across long-life appliances and systems like HVAC that consumers use and rely on every day. The alliance’s efforts support compatibility across multiple manufacturers to provide consumers flexibility in purchasing multiple brand appliances and systems that will work together without being locked into a single platform or sacrificing privacy and data protection. HCA also aims to make consumer data more accessible to drive insights consumers can act on immediately that result in real savings and efficiencies.

“At Trane and American Standard, we continue to innovate and design residential HVAC systems and devices that are integral to the home,” says Shin. “For instance, our smart thermostats can automatically adjust temperature settings based on whether homeowners are at home or away or homeowners can adjust the temperature via the convenient app. Alternatively, they can grant our independent dealers access to remotely diagnose HVAC problems and order replacement parts in advance of an on-site visit. These smart home features offer both homeowners and dealers an invaluable layer of convenience and can reduce homeowner energy consumption and utility expenses while saving the homeowner and dealer time. However, our smart products and many other long-life systems on the market today collect a profound amount of data that must be utilized in a secure environment or otherwise risk consumer satisfaction and trust. Forming this alliance allows us to be the collective voice for home electronics data privacy, where we will agree upon industry standards to protect our consumers’ data so that manufacturers like us can provide even more energy-efficient products that build a more sustainable future.”

HCA invites other connected device manufactures to join, as members will have the opportunity to innovate, influence industry trends, share expertise across peers and become leaders in expanding the connected home ecosystem and in delivering simple and elegant consumer experiences. By collaborating with other standards organizations and governing entities, HCA will foster fair competition and drive innovation to provide consumers with the safest, most feature-rich and interoperable options in their connected home.

“Support from Home Connectivity Alliance member companies like Trane Residential and American Standard Heating and Air Conditioning gives us a strong foundation to deliver results,” said Yoon Ho Choi, President of Home Connectivity Alliance. “With first-hand knowledge of appliance manufacturing and an emphasis on consumer data privacy, we are well-equipped to integrate HVACs and other large systems to improve consumers’ experience in the home.”

To learn more about the Home Connectivity Alliance, membership benefits and how to join, visit www.homeconnectivityalliance.org.

Explore the benefits of propane CHP and micro-CHP systems

Driven by the climbing costs of electricity and increasing grid outages, consumers and businesses are searching for affordable, reliable energy solutions. The Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) created a new resource for residential and commercial construction professionals that outlines the benefits and capabilities of propane-powered combined heat and power (CHP) units.

A propane-powered CHP unit uses a propane engine to power a generator that produces electricity. It then uses the heat that’s generated for home or building heating and to heat water. Available in a wide range of capacities, CHP systems are ideal for single-family homes, apartment buildings, small businesses, utility power, and large commercial and industrial applications.

“CHP systems offer residential and commercial customers an energy solution that’s environmentally friendly, affordable, and incredibly reliable—plus, many won’t go down with the electric grid,” says Bryan Cordill, PERC’s director of residential and commercial business development. “Vulnerabilities in our electric grid are causing Americans to seek other reliable energy options, and we want them to know they can rely on propane anytime, anywhere.”

The free, downloadable brochure details some of the key benefits of propane-powered CHPs, including:

• Propane-powered CHP and micro-CHP systems outpace the efficiency and emissions of traditional heating or water heating systems, surpassing energy savings from even the most efficient boilers.
• In commercial micro-CHP systems, propane units reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 15 percent compared with diesel diesel and 50 percent compared with electric.
• Propane models reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions by 13 percent compared with natural gas and 50 percent compared with electric.

Download PERC’s new brochure to learn more or visit Propane.com.