Archive for October, 2008

You know that Blanco makes some of the world’s most finely crafted sinks, including new MicroEdge and Performa models introduced last week. But did you know that due to our high level of quality and craftsmanship, we also now make components of some of the world’s finest automobiles?

Blanco recently won the contract to provide Rolls-Royce with key elements for the iconic Rolls grille, starting with the 2010 models. We can’t help but feel proud about this, because no automaker is more particular and demanding than Rolls-Royce. Rolls hit a 17-year-high in sales last year, but that was still only 1,010 cars.

Each Rolls-Royce is hand-built and hand-finished to exceptional standards by the best technicians and craftspeople in the motor industry. An estimated two-thirds of all Rolls-Royce cars ever built are still on the road. This contract was won based on Blanco’s level of precision and our equally exacting design and manufacturing standards.

Due to these high standards we have had success in partnering with other top automakers. Since September 2006 every new Mercedes S-Class Coupe has been fitted with Blanco trim, the metal entry strips along the bottom of the doors. Blanco also makes step plate/kick plates for the Mercedes B-Class and components of the Mercedes CLK and M-Class models.

We also make trimwork for the Porsche Cayenne.

To be trusted by some of the finest automakers in the world, including Rolls-Royce, Mercedes and Porsche, is a tribute to Blanco’s quality, design and innovation, on full display with our new Performa and MicroEdge models.

Good selling, and please join in the conversation. Share your thoughts on this or other topics by clicking the comments link below.

Did you know that the Apple IPhone, BMW 3 Series Coupe and Blanco’s SteelArt sink have something very special in common?

They are among an elite few: Products that have won two of the world’s most prestigious design awards, the international IF Product Design Award and in the U.S., the Good Design Award.

In the product design world, Apple, BMW and Blanco have become synonymous with fine design.

Building on that legacy of world-class design, Blanco today is unveiling MicroEdge, an innovative concept based on the award-winning SteelArt design. Crafted and engineered with ultra-fine 1.0 to 1.25 mm sink rims, MicroEdge frames an elegant edge with flowing transitions, a dramatic look that elevates the sink to star status in the kitchen.

More than just good looks, MicroEdge features savvy installation options, enhanced front-to-back depth and smart utilization of space. It is that rare combination of stylish lines combined with top-notch performance that has earned Blanco recognition for creating some of the world’s best-designed products.

Blanco will lift the curtain on the MicroEdge today at the opening of the 7th DPHA Annual Conference in Phoenix.

Not attending the show? Stayed tuned to The Beat for more information in coming weeks about this exciting new product line.

Good selling, and please join in the conversation. Share your thoughts on this or other topics by clicking the comments link below.

Builders, designers, architects and remodelers have found a special appeal in Performa because it offers them a complete collection of premium kitchen and bar sinks, in both stainless steel and Silgranit.

The ease of a single source, the luxury of many solutions. A wide range of product choice makes it easy to extend a look from the kitchen, to the island, to the bar in the entertainment area, with consistent style and quality.

Now the already extensive Performa line is growing once again with the addition of a new stainless 1 ¾ bowl design, and its reverse, that fit into a standard 36″ cabinet. That expands the Performa line to 37 models in stainless steel and granite, including kitchen, prep and bar sinks.

To make it easier for you to share the Performa story, product training will be announced in the next week. We also are developing new product support materials:

• Fresh product photography
• A new display program
• Product information sheets
• Sales Talking Points
• A training presentation
• P-O-P pieces (sink drain and countertop)
• Updated website and Performa microsite
• Ongoing PR campaign

Blanco will lift the curtain on the new BlancoPerforma design a week from today at the opening of the 7th DPHA Annual Conference in Phoenix. Not attending the show? Stayed tuned to The Beat for more information in coming weeks about this exciting new launch.

Good selling, and please join in the conversation. Share your thoughts on this or other topics by clicking the comments link below.

LINKS BELOW:

• Learn more about the conference and DPHA.

The cactus-studded Sonoran Desert and rugged, crimson-hued McDowell Mountains north of Phoenix frame a panoramic land of magic and mystery.

This is a place of fiery Arizona sunsets, a land filled with tales of lost gold and forgotten treasures, a dramatic landscape that inspires creative discovery — where the genius of Frank Lloyd Wright founded Taliesen West and redefined architecture.

It is the perfect setting for the 7th DPHA Annual Conference, a premier event Oct. 24-26 for decorative plumbing dealers, manufacturers and rep agencies to explore new designs, new products and new concepts.

Blanco has some surprises of its own to share at this world-class showcase, lifting the veil on a new BlancoPerforma, 1 ¾ bowl design that fits easily into a 36-inch cabinet. This latest addition expands on last year’s successful Performa launch, featuring a popular size that fits today’s needs.

And we will debut an innovative concept from SteelArt — the MicroEdge design. Artistry expressed with brilliant precision, MicroEdge builds on a concept that has won the world’s most prestigious design awards, the IF and Good Design awards.

Designed and engineered with ultra-fine 1.0 to 1.25 mm sink rims, MicroEdge offers multiple installation options that elevate the sink to star status in the kitchen.

So come join us on a journey of discovery in the desert north of Phoenix, or stay tuned to The Beat as we preview these exciting new designs in the weeks ahead.

LINKS BELOW:

• Learn more about the conference and DPHA.

• Learn more about the conference site, the J.W. Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa.

Let’s face it, it’s hard to be humble when Johnny Grey, anointed by The New York Times as “The World’s Greatest Kitchen Designer,” chooses your sink and faucet for a one-of-a-kind, celebrity showplace.

For its annual New York charity show house, Metropolitan Home teamed up with Showtime network, giving seven of the world’s top designers a room and a theme based on Showtime stars.

Grey created a retro kitchen “to die for,” inspired by the Showtime character Dexter, a vigilante who stalks and dispatches bad guys. Blanco’s Master Ilux faucet and BlancoPrecision sink take center stage in a kitchen inspired by the edgy crime drama’s Miami setting.

Blanco also makes an appearance upstairs, with a sink and BlancoMeridian bar faucet featured in a café/lounge designed by Kirsten Brant.

The show house, located on New York City’s beautiful and exclusive Gramercy Park, is open for tours through Oct. 26. Proceeds benefit the Happy Hearts Fund, which provides education and health care to children who have suffered in disasters across the world, from Thailand to New Orleans.

LINKS BELOW:

• Johnny Grey’s blog about the surprising response of visitors to his kitchen.

• Take a photographic tour of the show house.

• Read all about the charity showhouse.

• Learn more about the Happy Hearts Fund.