Build March Issue

Build Magazine 67 AKWandDLPGroup 1. What does your business do? We are the leading designers and manufacturers of stylish accessible bathroom and kitchen products 2. Who are your clients? Contractors, local authorities, housing associations, care homes, installers and merchants. 3. What makes you unique? Our passion for what we do. At AKW, we are at the forefront of digital technology and manufacturing techniques. We use our 27 years of specialised knowledge of kitchen and bathroom adaptation design to continuously improve our solutions. We constantly innovate our designs to help a home still look stylish whilst still delivering functionality in our products for electric showers, wet rooms, screens and sanitaryware. Nothing makes us happier than knowing that our products help residents to maintain their independence and dignity. 4. What’s your biggest challenge facing you at present? Our biggest challenge is actually opportunity! The demand for stylish products will continue to rise unabated. Those requiring products that are easy to use, intrinsically safe under any circumstances, enhance the customers lifestyle are no different to fashionistas of younger generations. In fact the more mature population are often more demanding. At AKW we have a world class range of marketing, engineering and production competences available to us. We have proven with the iCare that we can produce cutting edge products that ably fulfil any inclusive need and yet appeal to all. The challenge is to pick what opportunity we should deliver first – there are so many. We have a clear schedule of product developments and we anticipate overwhelming customer acceptance. The emotion we wish to instil in all of our customers is “I want one”. 5. What’s the aim for your business? Inclusivity – designing products that suit all members of a modern, multi- generational household. 6. What’s your company’s biggest challenge? Time. Our UK based engineers have been focussing on the aesthetics of our products to move away from the ‘institutional’ look to a more stylish product that looks great in private residences. This can’t happen overnight even though we wish it could. 7. What individual in your industry and beyond do you admire the most and why? Jon-Allan Butterworth who represented Great Britain at the 2012 Summer Paralympics. He lost his left arm in 2007 in an insurgent rocket attack when serving as a Senior Aircraftman’ weapons technician with the Royal Air Force at Basra airbase in Iraq. AKW sponsored Jon-Allan in the build up to the 2012 London Paralympics at which he won 3 silver medals. Contact Details: Name: Lloyd Best Company: AKW and DLP Group Email: [email protected] Web Address: www.akw-ltd.co.uk Address: Pointon Way, Droitwich Spa, Worcestershire WR9 0LR Telephone: 01905 823298