Duravit USA has engaged New York-based agency, Dellon Sales, to represent the brand in strategic territories within the northeastern market. Dellon will expand Duravit’s presence across New York, New Jersey and Philadelphia. As a plumbing industry leader since 1949, Dellon and its team of knowledgeable professionals is poised to achieve aggressive sales goals and expand brand awareness for Duravit. 

Zurn Water Solutions Corp. and Elkay Manufacturing Co. announced they have reached a definitive agreement to combine the businesses in an all-stock transaction. Upon completion of the transaction, Zurn Water Solutions shareholders will own approximately 71% and Elkay shareholders will own approximately 29% of the combined and newly named company — Zurn Elkay Water Solutions Corp.

LPG announced growth of over 38% for 2021, establishing a record during one of the most challenging years in the industry. To compliment this promising growth, the organization has added new executive team members and is slated to add new vendor partners in early 2022.  

The National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) released its annual Market Outlook report. Its goal is to provide a thorough assessment of how various economic and housing market trends are impacting the kitchen and bath industry. The report provides a gauge of the current market size and a forecast for the entire year. 

Oatey Co. announced that Central Sales Inc. (CSI) is now Oatey’s manufacturer representative in Nebraska and Iowa. The change comes as a result of CSI’s recent acquisition of In Depth Marketing, which was effective January 3. All In Depth Marketing employees have joined the CSI team.

On Dec. 16, the U.S. Department of Energy officially reversed weakened showerhead standards adopted under the previous administration. Since 1994, showerheads have been limited to a 2.5-gallon-per-minute (gpm) standard, and in 2013 this requirement was amended to ensure the 2.5-gpm standard applies to fixtures with more than one showerhead. The rules adopted in 2020 allowed each individual showerhead to meet the 2.5-gpm standard (for example, a fixture with three showerheads could use 7.5 gpm), while also exempting body sprays from the standard.

While the overall kitchen and bath industry continues to show healthy growth for the year, the overall index is down 4% quarter over quarter as lingering issues caused by the pandemic seem to be catching up to consumer sentiment. Despite this, the industry is coming off of a record-breaking quarter of growth in Q2, which has fueled projections for the year at around 12% growth in sales year-over-year, with many members still encouraged about future growth in 2022.  

Launched in 2018, Decorative Brands is a relatively new division to the AD community but has been among AD’s fastest growing. Director Linda Hoff shared that in just four years, the division grew from eight members to 50 and now includes 75 supplier partners. Earnings have risen significantly each year, with member rebates more than quadrupling since 2018. 

The National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) released its annual Design Trends report. The 2022 study, a deep dive into all aspects of both kitchen and primary bathroom design, forecasts the styles, features, materials and innovations expected to be most popular over the next two to three years. The current study finds that the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated consumer interest in and adoption of key trends in their homes such as integration of smart technology, multi-functional spaces and natural and nature-based designs.  

The National Kitchen & Bath Association announced its NKBA Global Connect programming at KBIS 2022. Geared to international manufacturers and distributors interested in learning more about the North American kitchen and bath marketplace, these programs will be featured on the stage Feb 8-10, 2022 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida.