M&S completes 6.1MW roof-mounted solar project

Posted on by Posted in Renewable Energy

Marks-and-SpencerMarks & Spencer (M&S) has completed what it claims to be the largest roof-mounted solar array in the UK.

More than 24,000 panels have been installed on its East Midlands distribution centre in Castle Donington, which are expected to generate enough electricity to power nearly 2,000 homes.

That is almost 25% of the energy required for the facility, which is large enough to hold 11 football pitches.

The 6.1MW project will also help lower the supermarket’s carbon footprint by 48,000 tonnes over 20 years.

Energy and climate change minister Amber Rudd said:

“There is massive potential to turn our large buildings into power stations – and this is a great example of how businesses can reap the benefits.”

The retailer has made a commitment to source 100% of its electricity for UK and Ireland buildings from renewable sources by 2020.

Tagged with: , , ,

Aberdeen council backs revised plans for new £333m exhibition centre

Posted on by Posted in Construction

aberdeenAberdeen City Council has approved outline plans for construction of a £333m exhibition centre.

The new Aberdeen Exhibition & Conference Centre (AECC) is being developed by Henry Boot Developments in partnership with the city council. It will be twice the size of the city’s existing exhibition centre.

Henry Boot said that now that the master plan and business case had been approved, it would submit detailed plans to get full planning permission by the end of 2015.

The initial phase of the project includes a 750,000 sq ft exhibition and conference centre, two hotels and an anaerobic digestion green energy centre.

The second hotel and energy centre were added to bring in additional income streams to help offset the development costs.

Initial outline plans put to the council in October 2013 would have meant a cost to the public purse of £1.55m a year. With the additional revenue streams, this is now reduced to £100,000 per year and after 35 years the council will be entitled to purchase the AECC development, including the land, for £1.

Council leader Jenny Laing described it as:

“a significant, but very affordable, investment for the city”.

Henry Boot said that it now expects construction work to start by mid 2016 and to complete before the end of 2018.

The proposed new AECC is to be built on the site of the Rowett Institute in Dyce, while a mixed-use residential-led scheme is proposed for the Bridge of Don site.

The master plan also envisages a further 400,000 sq ft of business park accommodation and the redevelopment of the existing conference centre site at a later stage.

For more information about this project, see www.aeccevolves.co.uk

Tagged with: , , , , , , , , , ,

Showroom support you can vouch for from Keramag Design

Posted on by Posted in Bathrooms and Kitchens

KeramagTo support its 100 showrooms and to say ‘thank you’ to its valued customers.

Keramag Design are offering Love2Shop vouchers worth between £50 and £250 to any retail consumers who spend a minimum of £1000 on its products from a showroom before 31st May 2015.

Lynn Dale, national sales manager for Keramag Design said:

“As a relative newcomer to the UK market, we are delighted to already be working with almost 100 high-end showrooms”

“This promotion is just one way we want to demonstrate our commitment to helping increase footfall and in turn generate sales interest – after all, everyone loves getting something extra.”

The value of the vouchers will depend on how much is spent in one transaction, from a £50 voucher for spends between £1,000 and £1,999 up to £250 worth of vouchers for any purchases of £4,000 or over. The promotion applies to all five of Keramag Design’s Collections, plus its Opale, Mattis and Universal products.

Showrooms have been provided with POS material to help promote the offer and customers should expect to receive their Love2Shop vouchers within 30 days of their purchase. Terms and conditions apply.

www.keramagdesign.com

Tagged with: , , , , , , , , , ,

Win big with JG Layflat pipe in 2015

Posted on by Posted in Plumbing Industry News

jg-speedfitJG Speedfit will give installers the chance to win big with JG Layflat pipe in 2015.

This year’s competition will celebrate the fact that JG Speedfit are the official title sponsor of the GBmoto Kawasaki team competing in the 2015 MCE British Superbike Championships. The team will compete under the name of JG Speedfit Kawasaki, so the prize for this year’s JG Layflat promotion is a Kawasaki ZX-10R motorcycle.

By purchasing any coil of JG Layflat pipe you have the opportunity to win the brand new Kawasaki ZX-10R bike. To enter the competition, all you need to do is fill in your contact details on the back of the card found in each JG Layflat coil and send it back to JG Speedfit.

Alternatively, you can register for the prize draw online at the dedicated Layflat competition page on the company website. When registering for the competition online, don’t forget to enter the unique code found on the back of the card. For those who wish to register through their smart phone, just scan the QR code.

The bike will be a road-going version of the JG Speedfit Kawasaki competing in the BSB Championships.

Mike Riseley, UK director of sales, said:

“We are extremely excited about the launch of our forthcoming JG Layflat pipe competition – ‘Every Metre Counts 2015’. The production of the JG Layflat pipe was inspired by installer feedback and it is nice to be in the position to once again reward our customers through a competition like this one.”

The lucky winner of the bike will be announced on October 12, 2015. However on June 12, an additional prize draw will give away a weekend break for two to attend the BSB race event – taking place in Assen, Holland, September 19-20, 2015. The package will include flights, hotel accommodation and VIP hospitality.

Promotion runs April 1 – September 30.

Tagged with: , , , , ,

Wolseley acquires majority stake in BathEmpire.com

Posted on by Posted in Heating, Plumbing Industry News

Chris-Li-BathEmpireHeating and plumbing giant Wolseley has acquired a majority stake in online bathroom retailer BathEmpire.com for an undisclosed sum.

The acquisition aims to strengthen Wolseley’s position in the UK online market and provide a platform for further growth.

Wolseley chief executive Ian Meakins said:

“The UK B2C online bathroom market is growing rapidly and BathEmpire.com gives us an established brand with a scalable platform and the opportunity to build a significant presence over time.”

BathEmpire.com employs 96 staff at its Coventry headquarters and designs and sources its own products, supplying directly to consumers through its website.

In July 2013, the company secured an £8.5 million investment from Living Bridge, formerly known as ISIS Equity Partners. In the year to December 31, 2014, it turned over £26 million.

A market analyst told kbbreview:

“Online bathroom sales are a very, very profitable area when done well,”

“Manufacturers and some of the bigger retailers are aware that they must get into it. I know one big supplier to independent retailers is planning their own showroom and online site to sell products direct. It will create all sorts of arguments but the bottom line is that retailing bathrooms, in terms of consumer focus, is not being undertaken properly by independents – by definition to be fair – and therefore big boys with big cheques are trying to bypass them while justifying that it’s there to help promote the brand.

“Every single private equity firm you ever meet knows that every £3 million sales from bricks and mortar can be turned into a further £7m via the online channel with good marketing. As Tesco proved, nobody knows where to buy.

“If I had the capital to set-up an on-line site I would do it tomorrow!”

At the time of the 2013 investment, BathEmpire owner Chris Li told kbbreview he planned to take on Bathstore, B&Q and Wickes through a significant expansion of the company’s product range, creating a more comprehensive portfolio, rivalling some of the established market leaders “on the bricks-and-mortar side rather than just online”.

Li warned that the market would continue to shift towards online with challenging times ahead for retailers. “The channel shift is going to continue heavily over the coming years,” he said.

In 2012, Li was awarded Entrepreneur of the Year at the Growing Business Awards and his company was voted Small Online Business of the Year at the National Business Awards.

The company has featured in The Sunday Times Virgin Fast Track 100 for three consecutive years and was placed at 64 in the latest rankings after sales to December 2013 rose by 59%.

Tagged with: , , ,
Top