Installer’s Andy Bishop talks to Tom Reynolds, CEO of the Bathroom Manufacturers Association (BMA), about the success of the BMA Theatre at this year’s InstallerSHOW, and preparations for the annual BMA Conference in September 2024.
Andy: “Hello Tom, thanks for taking the time for a chat today. How did you come to be the association’s CEO? “
Tom: “I joined the BMA in 2019 after some years with the British Ceramics Foundation (now Ceramics UK) so not a million miles away from bathrooms. While there, I had great experience working with government to help create trade policy, anti-dumping regulations and export promotion for British Ceramics. Prior to that, I worked in trade media.”
Andy: “Can you give me a little background about the BMA?”
Tom: “The Bathroom Manufacturers Association is the trade body for manufacturers of bathroom fixtures and fittings. With over 50 full members we represent an impressive 80% of the market by value. We have a broad membership with varying business models – some are UK companies, some assemble in the UK from a global supply chain, and others are European manufacturers. All of them are manufacturers of bathroom fixtures and fittings and own intellectual property rights.”
Andy: “Can you tell me the main aims of the BMA?”
Tom: “The principal BMA objective is to provide an independent forum for bathroom manufacturers trading in the UK, to discuss and debate matters of mutual interest properly. We act as an information highway between industry, the government and the consumer on all issues affecting the UK bathroom business. Further to that, we have three main aims.
“Raising standards and product compliance: BMA members spend a lot of time and money to ensure products comply with international standards and national regulations. Sadly, not all companies do the same, selling consumers short and risking their safety. It’s our mission to improve product compliance in the UK marketplace through BSI, ISO, and for European markets, by complying with CEN. We partner with Trading Standards for installation safety alerts and are well-connected with the Trading Standards network.
“On sustainability, we help and support our members and their customers in reducing their environmental impact. This not only includes sustainability in manufacturing but also things like water saving, which is a huge issue and one where installers can play a big part.
“Understanding the market. We conduct our own research into understanding and growing the market. This includes collecting monthly turnover statistics from our members, which form an important indicator of how the market is performing. We work on these focus areas by providing a networking forum, sharing important information with our members, and influencing critical stakeholders. ”
Andy: “In your 5 years at the BMA, what would you consider to be the biggest challenges?”
Tom: “Brexit was difficult for us, as it was for many people, and it remains so to this day. There is a huge demand for products travelling from the UK to the EU and vice versa. Commercially, it hasn’t made a huge difference. However, with a lot of paperwork, every transaction is much more complicated than it was previously. Even exports via Northern Ireland to the ROI have their complications. Also, as the EU moves forward on things like drinking water regulation, the UK is currently standing still. The BMA is encouraging compliance between the two because any costs generated by this are likely to be picked up by the consumer. Hopefully, the new UK Government will use its new position to form better relations with the EU. I’m not expecting these issues to be resolved overnight, but any improvement would be very welcome.
“The other challenge was, of course, Covid. Like many sectors, the bathroom business was presented with the huge problem of sales dropping 20% overnight. I’m pleased to reflect that the BMA was very active at this time, offering advice and consultations to our members. It gave us the opportunity to really show the value of the BMA. Our ongoing dialogue with government allowed us to constantly update members on workplace rules to keep the industry running as well as possible at this time. I think it really helped our members to bounce back by the third quarter of 2020. I am incredibly proud of how the BMA responded to the pandemic, but I think the industry is still living with the consequences – the current subdued market is an ongoing result of this.”
Andy: “What other achievements have you helped the industry with since you joined the BMA?”
Tom: “The BMA has built a much more collaborative relationship with government, especially DEFRA. There are growing concerns about water scarcity, and our industry is crucial in helping DEFRA meet its targets. Around 250,000 new houses are built in the UK every year, which means another 7.5 million homes by 2050. All these new properties need a clean and reliable supply of fresh water, and of course, we don’t have an endless supply of water. The climate crisis means changing weather patterns, hotter summers and drier winters. We all have to play our part to make sure there’s enough water to go around, for farming, industry, and for our natural environment. That means we need to reduce our individual usage.”
Andy: “The BMA took centre stage at the recent InstallerSHOW, is this event something that is key to the BMA?”
Tom: “The BMA and our members have been involved in InstallerSHOW for over half a decade, and in that time, we’ve seen it become a critical annual event for the bathroom sector. It’s the place for manufacturers to come together with the people fitting their products, probably their most important stakeholder after the end user.
“This year we ran an extensive programme of talks with a wide range of subjects. The audience was strong throughout and enthusiastic to get involved. Controversial subjects like ‘Should plumbers be licensed?’ certainly drew a crowd. We had great input from speakers like Linda Barker, who spoke about what clients want in terms of design. Our research in 2023 found that when installers try to design, clients are not so happy, so understanding design is crucial for installers. These days, with so much design content on social media, I think people tend to have a greater awareness of design and think it’s easy. The best installers with the highest margins tend to be the most design-savvy.
“Our biggest success at the InstallerSHOW was Pitchfest, where manufacturers pitched new products to installers in just 3 minutes. It was fast and fierce and proved to be hugely popular. We ran Pitchfest twice at the event, and the winners who made brilliant pitches were Mark Vitow and Thomas Dudley. Expect more of this in 2025!”
Andy: “I am sure you are very busy now working on the BMA Conference.”
Tom: 2Absolutely. We’ve run the conference since 2001, and it’s grown and grown. This year, we will receive over 150 guests from across the industry, including a mix of members of the BMA and non-member industry professionals. This year’s theme of ‘Building Growth’ will run throughout the event and include thought-provoking keynote talks from industry experts, panel discussions, and networking opportunities with fellow professionals. Key speakers include Mohammed Chaudhri, Experian’s Chief Economist and Director of Market Intelligence and renowned interior designer Oliver Heath.
“The conference will end with a gala dinner and the inaugural Thirty under Thirty Awards, which will provide an opportunity to celebrate the achievements and hard work of our younger members who are forging long and successful careers in our sector.”
Andy: “Finally, what are your predictions for the industry in the next few years?”
“At the moment, I think everyone would agree that it’s a tough market. The cost-of-living crisis, post-COVID issues, high interest rates affecting the housing market, and a looming shortage of plumbers and installers could put a ceiling on the market.
“Despite all these things, I’m optimistic about the future. The end of this year and early 2025 will hopefully benefit from a lowering of interest rates and a return to consumer confidence. The new government’s increased house-building plans would be great for the bathroom market and we will continue to report changes to our members and beyond.”
The BMA conference takes place at the Queens Hotel, Leeds on the 16th and 17th of September. A few tickets are still available via this link
More about the BMA at bathroom-association.org.uk or contact them here
