Andrew Knowles and Steve Clancy, both of Kroll, were appointed Joint Administrators of Mulbury Homes Limited (“the Company”) on 15 February 2022 and have ceased to trade the business as a going concern, making the existing staff redundant.

Headquartered in Lymm, Cheshire the developer employs circa 40 staff and had been struggling with trading and cash flow issues brought by the pandemic, planning delays and rising costs.

Andrew Knowles, Joint Administrator, stated: “The continued difficult trading conditions, rising costs, and financial pressures as a result of bad debt has led to a weakened cashflow position which has led to the appointment of the Joint Administrators.”

“The Joint Administrators are continuing with their duties following the sale, realising assets, and distributing funds to creditors as well as investigating the financial affairs of the Company as part of their statutory duties,” continued Andrew Knowles.

A statement from the Mulbury directors said: “Since we started the business in 2010, Mulbury Homes has worked in partnership with our housing clients to deliver over 2,000 homes across the North West and we are proud of our record.

“We had a strong pipeline of projects and we were hopeful for the future. However, we have not been immune to the very challenging conditions facing the construction sector brought by the pandemic, planning delays, cost increases and supply chain issues.

“We have been working tirelessly to keep the business going but the current conditions left us with no option but to call in administrators.

 “We would like to thank our staff, clients, supply chain and partners for their support to Mulbury Homes in the last 12 years.”

2020 is helping Homebase move its desktop design solutions for its showroom businesses to a fully digital customer experience.

2020 Ideal Spaces, the web-based inspiration and planning solution, will be integrated with Homebase and Bathstore systems to create a seamless end-to-end customer journey for designers and customers.

‘We are thrilled that Homebase continues to put their trust in our solutions,’ says Tim Lambert, managing director UK – Senior Director EMEA at 2020. ‘They have implemented 2020 Ideal Spaces in their stores and will soon be live on their website, to play an integral role in increasing engagement with prospects and inspiring their customers.’

Paul Cannon, IT director at Homebase: ‘2020 Ideal Spaces is truly market-leading and that’s why we’re excited to continue our partnership with 2020. We know that more and more customers are choosing to shop online or are looking for the ease of taking on bigger projects, like a new kitchen or bathroom, virtually. Working with 2020, we’ve made the experience not only more inspirational, but easier too.’

Ian Penney, business unit director: ‘Rebuilding the way we sell kitchens and bathrooms has been a real labour of love, from sourcing the right ranges to making sure we’ve got the most passionate, knowledgeable team. Making the design process easier was key and 2020 Ideal Spaces has done just that. It’s simple to use, quick to learn and fully integrated which means our team can focus on helping our customers create their dream kitchen or bathroom. The website and full project integration allows us to offer the best customer experience possible.’

The benefits of Homebase’s full implementation of 2020 Ideal Spaces will include:

• Enhancing the customer experience by offering a fully flexible design journey online and in-store.
• Closing more sales and expediting the process by facilitating collaboration between online prospects and expert designers.
• Capturing better qualified leads through their website.

kbb Birmingham, the biennial kitchens, bedrooms and bathrooms event, has announced this year’s shortlist for the 2022 Innovation Awards. The awards honour the best ideas in the KBB industry, recognising the most creative, sustainable and ground-breaking solutions.  

The shortlisted entries are:

•            Bora, X BO Steam Oven

The BORA X BO can be used for roasting, baking, steaming and more, it even cleans itself spotlessly after use.

•            Keuco, Shower Light

Pictured below, the Shower Light integrates a light and shower head to combine light and water, enhancing the showering experience.

•            Novy, Easy Pro Hob

The Easy Pro Hob is an induction hob featuring an extractor that automatically regulates extraction once cooking begins.    

•            Roca, In-Wash® In-Tank® smart WC

Pictured top – the In-Wash® In-Tank® combines maximum intimate hygiene and freedom of installation. It is the only shower toilet on the market that has an integrated cistern offering streamlined installation and easy maintenance.

•            Ca’ Pietra, Mermaid’s Garden Tiles

Submerge into the great underwater world with Ca’ Pietra’s stunning collection of Mermaid’s Garden tiles.

•            Røroshetta, Sense Cooker Hood

The Sense Cooker Hood range has integrated, silent, smart technology features that focus on indoor air quality and fire safety.

•            Liebherr, Peak BioFresh Refrigerator

Liebherr’s Peak BioFresh Refrigerator helps to keep fruit and vegetables crisp and fresh, whilst being energy efficient.

•            Perrin & Rowe, Armstrong Mini Tap

The Perrin & Rowe Armstrong Mini Tap offers instant steaming hot water and filtered water for drinking.

•            LoftRobe Storage Solutions        

LoftRobe’s Storage Solutions are raised and lowered by remote control to make the most of your small and unused space.

•            Furnipart, Ocean IX handles

Furnipart’s Ocean IX Handles are made of recycled materials from the maritime industry such as fishing nets, ropes and trawls.

Andy Bishop, Creative Director, kbb Birmingham commented:

“The standard of entries this year was incredibly high. The judges were so impressed by the quality and design of the products, which all demonstrate the truly exciting innovators in the KBB industry who are bringing something new, unique and forward-thinking to the market.”

The Innovation Awards 2022 is in partnership with manufacturer Blum. Amanda Hughes, architect & interior design liaison at Blum who is one of the judges commented:

“We are thrilled to be continuing our support of the kbb Innovation Awards programme. Blum is known as a pioneer of great design, so it feels like a natural fit to be partnering with these exciting awards. We are looking forward to celebrating these brilliant innovations, which cover several key issues that are important to the whole industry.”

The shortlisted entries will be displayed in a specially designed space (K74) on the show floor at the NEC, for the duration of kbb Birmingham and winners will be announced on the 8^th of March 2022. As well as the judges’ winner, there will also be a special prize for sustainability. In addition, returning this year will be the popular People’s Choice winner, which is chosen by visitors to the show.

kbb Birmingham will feature over 200 exhibitors across 26 different product categories. The event expects an audience of over 12,000 visitors over the four days.

For more information on kbb Birmingham, to exhibit or to register to attend, please visit www.kbb.co.uk

Online retailer Victoria Plum has created its first, exclusive kitchen collection to include seven ranges.

The new collection includes the New England, Chicago and Boston ranges which come in a selection of on-trend white, grey and mid grey tones. Cabinets come with matte and gloss finishes, and feature handled or handle-less designs.

Victoria Plum is also offering a variety of kitchen product solutions for that dream kitchen providing everything including the kitchen sink.

Solutions comprise a range of worktops, tiles, flooring, heating, lighting, Rangemaster sinks, and Bristan and Schön taps.

The collection has been designed to give peace of mind when renovating or revitalising the kitchen space. According to Victoria Plum, all seven cabinet ranges have been created to make the kitchen functional yet stylish and include all those little extra touches that buyers are looking for.

To find out more about the exclusive new Kitchen Collection at Victoria Plum visit www.victoriaplum.com/kitchens

Shower designer and manufacturer Roman has welcomed 5 News producers to its headquarters in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham on Friday 11^th February.

Roman aired on 5 News with the company’s Chief Operations Officer, John Wright, discussing the challenges that the North East based manufacturer has faced due to COVID-19. As the challenges unravel, Roman’s objective is to get supply chains back to normal as global uncertainty highlights many strong reasons to buy products that are manufactured in Britain.

John Pearce, CEO at Made in Britain commented: “The perfect storm created by recent economic events has made conditions challenging for almost all British business, and manufacturers have it even harder than most. But I have the privilege of hearing on a daily basis about the work that being done by Made in Britain members such as Roman Ltd. Great companies like this epitomise the commitment, innovation, adaptability and resilience that are embedded in the DNA of British manufacturing – and ensure the sustainable growth of our sector.”

“It was a pleasure to be interviewed by Channel 5 news today regarding our current trading conditions in light of the GDP annual growth rate of 7.5% announcement today and the issues relating to Covid. I expressed the view that our strong sales growth more than reflected the GDP figure and explained the current challenges we are facing due to the worldwide increases in commodity prices and very high freight costs. All things considered we are extremely positive about Roman’s future” added John Wright, Chief Operations Officer at Roman Ltd.