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Ideal Standard Now Private

Ideal Standard International has announced a management buy-out, making it a privately owned company. The change is along with a recent change by American Standard Companies of the sale of its bath and kitchen products business lines for $1,745m. The buyer was a fund advised by Bain Capital. Many UK plumbers and heating engineers use Ideal Standards products in domestic installations of bathroom suites and bathroom fittings and the new owners intend to improve the performance of the company. The new owners are looking to leverage the strong brand awareness and the good links to the plumbing sector in general and local plumbers in particular to further build upon the success so far. The company holds many brands that are household names and are very popular with UK plumbers such as Armitage Shanks, Ideal Standard, American Standard and Jado. Among these brands, Armitage Shanks is a popular brand with plumbers that specialise in Bathroom suites, bathroom fittings (taps, mixers, tubs ...
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Corgi and Plumb Centre Say No to Cowboy Plumbers

Corgi and Plumb Centre have partnered up to back a gas safety initiative that would limit un-registered plumbers ability to buy and install gas boilers and parts. Plumb Centre and Parts Centre, both part of the worlds largest plumbing and heating supplier, Wolseley Group, are backing an initiative which was developed in partnership with Corgi (Council for Registered Gas Installers, UK) to crack down on cowboy plumbers.As of the beginning of 2008, Wolseleys hundreds of Plumb Centre and Parts Centre across the country will limit the sale of safety critical gas parts to Corgi-registered plumbers and heating engineers, in order to raise safety standards in the plumbing and heating industry. Plumbers visiting a Wolseley branch will be asked to bring along their plumbers Corgi card in order to buy safety critical gas parts (such as gas boilers of parts). Plumbers showing their Corgi card will further enhance the drive to improve safety standards in the plumbing and heating industry.Corgi ins ...
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