THE KINGSTON INFORMER THE TRADITION OF FINE BRASS WWW.KINGSTONBRASS.COM
MONTHLY NEWSPAGE OF KINGSTON BRASS
KB PRODUCT CATALOGS NOW VIEWABLE ONLINE
JANUARY 2011 - ISSUE 1
IN THIS ISSUE SEE PAGE 3.
All About Fauceture
P. 2
Quality Control: An Intro
P. 3
The Vilbosch Series
P. 4
A good 2010 to a better 2011? The future 2010 was an exceptional year for Kingston Brass. The company underwent a series of changes during last year but progressed despite the current problem with today’s economic climate. Since its existence, KB has steadily grown selling their wide line of kitchen and bathroom products. In 2010, three notable changes were made that helped KB to grow further economically: Last January, KB successfully began integrating a large number of their products to be compliant with the California Health and Safety code section 116875 (AB1953). AB1953 is the code signifying that plumbing fixtures must have lead content no higher than 0.25% in weighted average to classify it as being “lead free.” With KB providing a series of lead-free products to the public, the company promotes in being a greenhouse builder and continues to obtain items with AB1953 compliance. During the course of last year, KB also had focused on the aspects of design and the supply chain to fulfill the varieties of product demands from the U.S. market. With KB’s expansion, the move to increase in personnel was also made in 2010. The additional help was necessary in fulfilling the extra work that emerged from the company’s growth. The move was also an effort to better accommodate
customers. Kingston Brass CEO Erik Chen has introduced various ideas in diversifying KB products by offering quantity with quality to the public. “We have prepared to introduce 15 new collections of new product lines that have been worked on in the past three to four years,” he said. To better accommodate the public, the collections will provide a better of way of marketing as a designer brand, Chen said. Along with the new collections, Chen has altered KB’s large volume of items by creating three divisions (brands)—Fauceture, Gourmetier and Designer Trimscape. Each of these brands will host a particular group of products presented to give the public more of what KB has. “We have set these brands up as a strategic business unit to cover the small niche market,” said Chen. “With more up-to-date products coming soon we also have a new structure pending to enhance the performance of these three brands.” As a different sales strategy, the three divisions of KB will create a better infrastructure and also to provide convenience for the customers, he said. For more information on the three brands, log on to www.fauceture.com, www.designertrimscape.com, and www.gourmetiersink.com.
of plumbing looks green In actuality, we could say the future of plumbing looks green in two different ways: First, like any other industries, the latest trend is to install watersaving fixtures. Secondly, the trend is environmentally conscious and will bring opportunities to manufacturers, sales representatives, distributors and plumbers to generate extra revenue. Politics aside, we have to agree that this movement is here to stay. Protecting our natural resources has become a paramount objective to many countries. Water is an essential requirement to sustain human life. After all, our bodies are made up mostly of water. The average family of four uses 150,000 gallons of water every year;
See PLUMBING in page 3
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FAUCETURE: Modern minimalist bathroom design Home makeovers are no longer just for the professionals. Practically everywhere you look, TV shows, magazines, even online videos educate consumers on decorating tips or home remodeling ideas. This means that consumers have more interest and confidence to choose what they want, and know how to DIY (do-it-yourself) their own feel of design. The Fauceture bathroom collections are now carefully coordinated as new design solutions that eliminate the concerns about faucet choices and fixtures. The decision-making process for homeowners will be easy once they discover other Fauceture items coordinate with their desired item.. Fauceture bathroom collections are offered in an array of designs with numerous choices and matching possibilities. Faucture collections include lavatory faucets, vitreous china sinks, pedestal lavatories, toilets, and decorative bathroom accessories.
Kingston Brass knows that consumers have different interests and tastes and offer many more design choices for every budget. Bathrooms are used every day. Give yourself a good reason to have a well-designed and decorated bathroom space. You will be surprised that it is not difficult as you think. We invite you to visit at www. fauceture.com. Here you will discover that there are many options to revolutionize your existing bathroom decor. You can also browse our e-catalog by going to www. kingstonbrass.com/downloads.asp
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QUALITY CONTROL:
PLUMBING conĆ&#x;nued from Page 1
PART 1 OF A 2-PART SERIES ON PRODUCT TESTING It is no secret that producing and delivering a quality product takes a consistent team effort. A task starts with the design process, where a team of engineers join together with the single goal of designing a product that will not only give the customers years of trouble-free performance, but also one that is easy to install and maintain. Once the product has gone to production, each component that is fabricated is thoroughly inspected and measured. Since most of our products are intended to transport water, it is essential that all products meet strict tolerances, thereby avoiding potential leaks or product failures. When the product is fully assembled, it goes through additional steps of actual testing depending on the specific product. In the case of our shower valves, the valve is tightly sealed, injected by pressurized air and then submerged into water to check for air leaks. This test will ensure that there are no pin holes in the valve body casting. Faucets are randomly selected to go through a cycle testing machine, where they are cycled on and off 500,000 times. At the end of the test cycle, the faucet is expected to have a 100% positive shut-off.
TOP: This Kingston Brass employee is checking on the performance of a new shower head to comply with the required Universal Plumbing Code (ASME A112.18.1M).
BOTTOM: This kitchen faucet is being tested for its water flow rate and leaks.
In other words, there should not be any drips once the faucet valve has been shut off. In the next issue we will
guide you through the finish testing process to packaging and shipping procedures.
KB catalogs viewable online Browsing for Kingston Brass products just became easier to access online. KB has joined the large number of online publishers in featuring its own collection of brochures, catalogs and booklets on Issuu.com. Voted No. 1 in various online websites and magazines, Issuu has become the premiere site in hosting a wide range of publications digitally uploaded and viewable to the public. With over 16 documents currently uploaded, KB has enabled readers to find ease in viewing all products, collections and information while navigating online. The company will continue to unveil more lines of products and collections on Issuu in the future. Browse our catalogs on http://www.kingstonbrass.com/downloads.asp or also log on to http://issuu.com/kingstonbrass.
the toilet alone uses 30,000 gallons. Using a high-efficiency toilet (HET) can save up to 4,000 gallons per year. If your home was built before 1992, chances are your showerheads put out about 5 gallons of water per minute (GPM). If your home was built after 1992 or if you remodeled your home after 1992, then you most likely have a showerhead that puts out 2.5 GPM, providing that the flow restrictor has not been removed. Multiply this by the number of minutes you’re in the shower, and the water adds up fast! To calculate, 5 GPM x 10 minutes = 50 gallons. Multiply that by 4 residents per house and it results to 200 gallons per day. Multiply that by 365 days, and that will result to 73,000 gallons per year. At 2.5 GPM, that same family of four will only be using 36,500 gallons per year without altering their comfort or lifestyle. As far as the second green prognosis of the plumbing industry, it will come as a result of a proactive group of individuals who will seize this opportunity and manufacture and market low flow toilets, showerheads, flush valves etc. There is already a for-profit organization whose main purpose is to train and certify plumbers in the new green plumbing technologies. GreenPlumbers(R) has developed a five-course accreditation program that totals 32 hours of training. The courses are Climate Care, Caring for our Water, Solar Hot Water, Water-Efficient Technology, and Inspection Report Service. The bottom line is that this greening effect is a win-win situation. Not only are we working together to reverse the environmental changes and save the planet for our future generations, but it will also open opportunities for those willing to be flexible and adapt to the circumstances.
This is the time of year when all of us are asking ourselves, what’s in store for 2011? Kingston Brass, in its tradition of staying at the forefront of plumbing innovation, will be showcasing their Vilbosch series. Comprised of eight different collections, The Vilbosch series is positioned to be Kingston Brass’ answer to affordable contemporary Euro styling: (1) The Concord collection’s cylindrical tubular lines, (2) The Kaiser collection, a spin off of the Concord collection, features similar lines upgraded by black accents on the handle that break the monotony and add a little splash of style, (3) The Claremont collection features distinctive square-shaped angles, (4) The Clearwater collection, one of many fusion offerings, is a collection that manages to successfully blend contemporary escutcheons with more traditional wave lever handles. The collection achieves a look that only our team of designers could have envisioned and successfully brought to life. Like these, there are others: (5) The Manhattan, with its tubular lever handles and (6) the Nuvo Fusion that blends cylindrical escutcheons with rectangular sleek lever handles. There is no question that modern bathroom décor has been evolving from its beginnings in the early 19th Century. Kingston Brass proves that boldness and elegance can go hand-in-hand towards the evolution of bathroom design for 2011. In the upcoming issues, we will explore the different collections in Vilbosch and the many options they provide. Watch for the Vilbosch catalog by searching us at www. kingstonbrass.com/downloads.asp
CLAREMONT Typical of the Claremont collection, this widespread exhibits a perfect combination of strong masculine lines of the base escutcheons, softened by the flowing lines of the spout and tubular lever handles.
VILBOSCH
CONCORD This Concord spring spout kitchen faucet with its heavy duty sprayer is sleek and functional and a perfect example of contemporary beauty.
CLEARWATER The soft flowing wave lever handles accent this gooseneck lavatory faucet--a traditional shape perfectly blended in this contemporary environment.
NUVO FUSION The cylindrical base accented by its sleek, elegant lever handles is what makes this Nuvo Fusion mini-widespread an appealing collection for your bathroom decor.
KAISER The Euro contemporary cylindrical shapes accented with a black color insert in the handle gives the Kaiser collection its unique look.