French household equipment manufacturer Groupe  have agreed to buy German peer WMF for 1.02 billion euros ($1.14 billion) from private equity firm KKR

Including debt and pension liabilities, the deal is valued at 1.7 billion euros.

WMF, or Wuerttembergische Metallwarenfabrik, makes high-end coffee machines mainly for cafes and restaurants as well as cutlery, pots and pans for retail consumers.

KKR acquired a controlling stake in WMF in 2012 from private equity firm Capvis in a deal valuing the group at about 600 million euros.

Groupe SEB, which owns household brands including Moulinex and Tefal, expects to get regulatory approval for the deal in the second half of the year.

Trade Electricals Direct (TED). the fast-growing trade arm of East Anglian retail group Hughes Electrical, has been rebranded.

TED, which was formed in 2010 and has annual turnover of £15million, will now operate at Hughes Trade.

Hughes Electrical, a member of the EADT/EDP Top 100 listing of the 100 largest companies in Suffolk and Norfolk, has already rebranded two of its other businesses, Bennetts and Apollo, under the single Hughes brand with the change at TED completing the process.

Nuage is a unique model that can be customized according to the customer’s needs. It is available in two finishes: one with plasterboard panels (6 mm thick) and a white paintable one.

With 3s +B electronic rotative controls and strip 7W LED lighting, Nuage model is an exceptional hood. It accommodates a grease filter (GFA) as well as a charcoal filter. It is made of stainless steel to be paneled with drywall (which is not included) or a white paintable. It is 76 cm wide and 78.6 cm high, while it has a 43,4 cm depth.

Nuage has a characteristic modern hollow design while it can easily be placed on the kitchen wall where it looks like a modern piece of art. The total absorption of this hood is 267 W. It is an air recycling kitchen hood.

Additional Information http://elica.com/GB-en/nuage

Dimensions: Height 78,6 x Width 76 x Depth 43,4 cm.Finish: Stainless Steel to be paneled
.Control: 3s +B electronic rotative.Lighting: Strip LED 7W.Duct Size: 15 cm.Noise level: 49-62 db(A).Pressure: 414 Pa.Power: 267 Watt.Grease filter: GFA (included).Carbon filter (included).Wall mounted.Place your cooking hood at ≥ 50 cm above an electric stove and at ≥ 65 cm above a gas stove.2 year official Elica guarantee.

Smeg UK has opened a new eco-conscious headquarters, on the site of the original MG car works.

The triple-storey Magna Building places emphasis on light, living green spaces and natural materials, set in four acres of landscaped land that has transformed the former brownfield site in Abingdon, Oxfordshire.

Featuring iPad controlled meeting rooms, plus a showroom, cookery school and theatre facility, the 43,000 sq. ft. building has been future proofed to support the ongoing expansion and growth of Smeg’s UK operations. And following Smeg’s principle of ‘technology with style’, the building has a sophisticated design with a modern and muted palette with greenery throughout.

The airy and open plan environment will also act as a hub for local groups, as well as an enabler for growing already close ties with charities, schools, business and enterprises.

The building was christened Magna as not only is it the Latin for ‘great’, but also the name of an award-winning MG car produced on the site in the 1930s.

Smeg UK managing director Mike Giddings said: “We’re delighted to have secured a fantastic new head office building to support the brand’s ongoing expansion in the UK. Akin to Abingdon, Smeg has a wealth of history and heritage, and as a local employer and family-run business, we’re keen to continue to develop links with the Abingdon community.

“The new purposely developed building is in an inspirational setting, a space epitomising the company’s values – at the forefront of technology, style and design.”

www.smeguk.com

Amica has confirmed its offering a 5 year parts warranty on all laundry products

with a capacity of 7kg and above

Dublin-based distribution company, KAL Group has reached an aggreementwith Groupe Brandt (France) S.A.S., to promote and distribute De Dietrich kitchen appliances throughout the UK and Ireland.
As part of the agreement, KAL Group will honour all warranty obligations for the De Dietrich brand. The Group has also has appointed key members of staff from the former FagorBrandt-owned subsidiary company, De Dietrich Kitchen Appliances Ltd.

De Dietrich core and premium ranges come with a3 year parts and labour warranty

in warranty repairs  call 0844 847 7641

out of warranty call 08455 557 3701

uk sales office 0844 557 3750

LG has just announced the first ever refrigerator with 20-year warranty with its new Centum range. The 20-year warranty only covers the Inverter Linear Compressor, but that’s the expensive part to replace if it goes wrong. This is double the previous warranty and says a lot about LG’s confidence in its technology.

The range includes both standard top-bottom, fridge-freezer and a side-by-side model. Both of these have better than A+++ energy efficiency by 20% and 10% respectively, so they won’t cost a lot to run over those 20 years either.

The inverter linear compressor is is said to create less friction which leads to better reliability and also 25% quieter

LG also offers a 20 warrenty on the Centum washing machines launched last year.

Glen Dimplex has announced major changes to it’s senior management team.

Among these appointments is former Chief executive Sean O’Driscoll, who will now lead the company as president of the group and Fergal Naughton who will take over the role of Chief Executive.

Martin Naughton had recently stepped down as president and from the executive board, but will remain as chairman of the shareholder supervisory board.

The changes ‘will provide clear, strategic counsel and direction’

“I believe it is necessary to change the structure of the group in order to drive its long-term profitable growth and success, but let us work together to make our companies even more exceptional. I am also delighted that Martin McCourt has agreed to join us as non-executive chairman. He steered Dyson to international success for 15 years.” – Martin Naughton

GDHA is a privately owned company made up of global leading cooking and refrigeration brands Stoves, Belling, New World, Britannia, Valor and Lec. In nearly 40-years of producing quality home appliances, we have earned a reputation for being the specialists in market-leading domestic and electrical appliances. At our 26-acre Liverpool base, we turnover £140 million a year, employ over 1000 people (including 190 engineers trained to the highest standards) and believe that ‘British is best’. That’s why, wherever possible, we always manufacture right here in the UK, with 85% of our products made in-house.

Manufacturing in Britain is really important to us – by keeping production on home soil we are doing our bit by creating lots of local jobs and whats more, we are ensuring that each and every product is perfectly suited to the UK market