Make 2009 your best year ever -- hot bath and plumbing products

BY PETER SCHOR,

showroom specialist

I know that many of us are going through some tough economic times. The election is over and many of us across this great nation were on opposite sides of the political spectrum. John McCain is a great leader and a patriotic American. His concession speech was genuine and tells us all that he will be a part of the new history in the making. This is a time for lots of healing and burying the partisanship that divides of the Democrats and Republicans for the good of our country. Two days after the vote, president-elect Barack Obama set up a D.C office with 15-20 people in it. Talk about wasting no time!

I received tons of emails from many plumbing industry friends in Asia, Western Europe, South Africa, and around the world. All expressed congratulations and said “We love Americans and look forward to a better, less arrogant and friendlier government.” The world is in positive amazement  that we have chosen an African-American as our incoming president.

We the people of the plumbing and hvac industry need to shift our attitudes to the “Yes I can” that made our incredible America! We must go back to the phrase of the 1970s, “The Plumbing Contractor Protects the Health of the Nation.” The law of attraction says there is enough out there for all of us. Don’t buy into fear which I define as “False Evidence Appearing Real.”

How many of you believe that many people are making a lot of money in this time? I can tell you that plumbing contractors serving the 4- and 5-star hotel industry are doing great! Many people are into cutting costs, increasing productivity and exceeding the expectations of their clients.

Many of today’s plumbing contractors have moved into the Kitchen and Bath Industry -- bathroom remodeling. This segment at the high-end luxury has slowed, but it is still flourishing!

There is still gold for the plumbing contractor in the area of bathroom remodeling and bath products. Green is “in” big-time and your plumbing wholesalers, their showrooms and manufacturer partners are right there to help you in this knowledge base. So are the magazines, conferences and conventions. There are 39 national and regional “Green” conferences held in 2009 and numerous industry newsletters. Get “green knowledge” and “make green $$$,” even in these times!

Bath and plumbing products are still hot going into 2009!

Electronics in bathrooms: I predict that “electronics” in bathrooms will continue to grow such as faucets that feature infrared eyes that activate the faucet when an object is 6" to 7" away. Steam, faucets, toilets, chromatherapy, music, lighting, lcd tv mirrors (www.electricmirror.com), floor warming, towel warming, Internet, a place to hook up your MP3, and much more are joining the cast of many electronic options in bathrooms. Electronic faucets are hygienic, easy to use and save water.

A good example of electronics and water combination is Kohler (www.kohler.com), who makes sure that all sensory needs are met with its DTV II custom shower. The digital hydrotherapy system brings music, chromatherapy and steam together in the shower for a memorable experience. The DTV II interface controls the spray outlets, speakers, lights and steam generator, and each user can save individual preferences to memory. Today, there are new generations of these products out there!

Showering: The replication of bringing water from the outside (oceans, rivers, water slide parks and car washes) to the inside and privacy of the shower will continue to grow and amaze most of us. One of the hottest shower product categories at the show were vertical shower columns/panels. Many of these pre-plumbed units can be retrofitted to be attached to a 1/2" ips outlet, which is exceptional for remodeling projects of both residential and commercial. Jaclo Industries (www.jaclo.com), Hansgrohe (www.hansgrohe-usa.com) and Smart Showers (www.smartshowers.com) are among the best.

One of best finds ever was Tile Redi (www.tileredi.com). Tile Redi manufactures leak-proof, mold-free shower pans that are ready to accept tile, marble or stone. These pans can be sold at the price of a hot mop, and tons of money can be made by today’s plumbing contractor!

Steam showers with musictherapy, chromasteam, and aromatherapy: Mr. Steam (www.mrsteam.com) has come out with their steam showers with musictherapy  (shower speakers for audio input), chromasteam (light and color that soothes the mind), and aromasteam (aromatherapy on demand that infuses aroma oils into the steam environment.

Bathing: Bathing continues to flourish and grow with air massage, whirlpool and air massage/whirlpool combination, chromatherapy, aromatherapy, digital controls, ozone sanitation systems, and much more. Jason International (www.jasoninternational.com) continues to manufacture the best quality product. Jason International was rated #2 out of 19 whirlpool tub man­ufacturers in a 2007 study made by an independent marketing research firm. One of my spectacular finds is Diamond Spas (www.diamondspas.com), which manufactures stainless steel and copper bathtubs, spas, sinks for lavatories. This is a must see on their Web site!

With all of the large bathtubs and big bathtubs and multiple showers, one must have 24/7 hot water on demand from Rinnai (www.rinnai-us.com). Take a good look at the newer high volume flow rates and capacities from Rinnai 2008-2009!

Faucetry: I have found a great line of North American faucets called Cascade Faucets (www.cascadefaucets.com), which has full ranges of Italian designs, and  meets all iso standards and iapmo approvals. The LaTorre line of products has 48 years of manufacturing experience, and parts are extremely abundant in the usa.

Sinks and lavatories: The Rivers Collection has a full collection of magnificent exclusive stone sinks, lavatories, console units and wrought iron stands to house stone vessel sinks and other material sinks. Take a look at this hot catalog of products www.the-stockmarket.com/Rivers_brochure.pdf. DecoLav (www.decolav.com) continues to innovate with beautifully designed plumbing products and good value!

Bath accessories: Mr. Steam (www.mrsteam.com) has an incredible line of electric towel warmers that have an “essential oil well” to put aromatherapy oils to accept a favorite fragrance. Sonia America (www.sonia-sa.com) and Gingers dominates the bath accessory market. A must for today’s bathrooms are magnifying mirrors and lights with led lights (500,000 lifetime light) and not only for women with bad or good make-up but is great for us men, too when shaving! Today we have the most extensive collection of ada-compliant, barrier-free, and assisted living products ever, meeting the challenge of the aging of the population One company in the safety bar field that blows my mind with design and a fastening system is called Great Grabz (www.greatgrabz.com). Must see on the Web site!

Electric floor warming: Easy Heat, Warmly Yours, Nuheat, Warm-up, and Danfoss are some good electric floor warming that will continue to grow and be used in the bathroom, and many other areas around the home.

Let us all make December 2008 a time for us to think about our goals and plans of new actions for 2009!  Let us all live in abundance within the universal laws of attraction. Don’t buy into fear in these challenging economic times. We Americans are resilient and will persevere!  I wish you and your family what I wish for myself and my family: great health, peace, prosperity, joy and much love. Let us pray for the safety of our armed forces! God bless all of you!