By Dianne M. Pogoda
COMPANY NEWS
FORTUNE BRANDS SPINS OFF MASTERBRAND: Fortune Brands has separated its MasterBrand cabinet business via a tax-free spin-off, distributing all outstanding shares of MasterBrand stock to Fortune common shareholders and creating a separate entity, MasterBrand Inc. The deal was completed December 16. After the distribution, Fortune Brands changed its name to Fortune Brands Innovations, Inc. and its ticker symbol to “FBIN.” More about the Company’s plan to separate here.
SMEG’S GOOD THING, SMALL PACKAGE: Smeg added a compact refrigerator to its signature retro line. The FAB10 fridge is just three feet tall but nearly two feet wide, and is sized in between the FAB28 and FAB5 units. The FAB10 has 4.31 cubic feet of total capacity with two glass shelves and one bottle shelf, and is available in black, white, cream, red, pastel blue and pastel green. Smeg will showcase the new addition at KBIS 2023 in booth W3328.
ALVIC RAMPS UP IN US: Alvic USA, a maker of cabinet doors and panels, has expanded its production facility in central Florida to produce its full Syncron line domestically. The investment in new machinery will improve the supply chain, holding in-stock lead times to seven to 10 days. Earlier this year, the company introduced a shipping hub in Las Vegas to speed product access around the country. Alvic USA is the American arm of furniture manufacturer Grupo Alvic Spain. For more, go here.
AMBA’S WATERPROOF WARMERS: Amba Products revealed its Jeeves Wet-Rated Kit for the bath, a UL-certified kit that allows installation of its compatible Jeeves towel warmer racks in wet areas, including shower alcoves and stalls and above bathtubs. It’s a first for the company, and Amba expects to obtain UL-certifications for its other collections.
INDUSTRY NEWS
MORE FULL BATHS: An NAHB survey shows that 62.6 percent of new single-family homes started in 2021 have two full bathrooms, 27 percent have three full baths and 7.2 percent have four or more — meaning nearly 97 percent of new homes have multiple full baths. Homes with two full baths dominate new starts, creeping up from 59.3 percent in 2015. Read more here.
IS ‘SUSTAINABLE’ MORE EXPENSIVE? Do sustainable building choices have to be more costly than traditional methods and materials? According to a recent survey, the answer is: not really. Built Environment Plus (BE+), a Massachusetts-based nonprofit that drives sustainable design, construction and operations of the built environment, asked the building community about its net zero and net zero ready projects — including how much more they cost. About 85 percent of respondents said it costs less than 1 percent more to achieve net-zero ready buildings that are highly energy efficient and have all-electric heating. Construct Utopia has more here.
PEOPLE NEWS
KOHLER NAMES BARR CHIEF BRAND OFFICER: Kohler Co. has named Samie Barr as Chief Brand Officer, reporting to David Kohler, Chair and CEO, to drive the brand globally and across its diverse businesses. Barr has 30-plus years of consumer and retail experience, and most recently was SVP of Marketing at CB2, a division of Crate & Barrel. She also held leadership roles at Hyatt Corp and Starbucks Coffee Co.
WINDSOR TO BLANCO: Diana Windsor has been named SVP of sales for Blanco North America, focusing on sustainable ad continued market growth for its residential kitchen sinks, faucets and other kitchen solutions. She previously held management roles at Waterworks, Watts Water Technologies and Kohler.
NEW TEAMS AT WANTEDDESIGN, ICFF: Emerald, the parent company of ICFF and WantedDesign Manhattan, promoted Kevin Gaffney to Group Vice President of its Design Group, while Odile Hainaut and Claire Pijoulat, co-founders of WantedDesign, have assumed the roles of Brand Directors for ICFF + WantedDesign Manhattan, scheduled for May 21-23, 2023. For more, go here.
