Lecico Bathrooms UK: Lecico Bathrooms has announced the appointment of Dan Banks as Commercial Director, effective from January 2026. In this senior leadership role, Dan will oversee commercial operations, customer management, and sales activities. He brings experience from senior sales and marketing roles at Velux, Adey, and most recently Brand K. Source: Bathroom & Kitchen Update

Midea Partners with WS Weinmann & Schanz to Expand Nationwide HVAC Distribution in Germany Germany: Midea has announced a major expansion of its sales network, confirming that from February 2026 it will become a listed HVAC supplier of specialist wholesaler WS Weinmann & Schanz GmbH. The partnership covers Midea’s full HVAC portfolio, including plug-and-play solutions such as PortaSplit, as well as dehumidifiers, air conditioners, and heat pumps. This marks Midea’s first whol

Franke Group Acquires Røros Metall to Boost Nordic Kitchen Hood Business Switzerland: The Switzerland-based Franke Group, headquartered in Aarburg, has acquired 100% of the shares of Røros Metall, a premium Norwegian manufacturer of RørosHetta kitchen hoods and ventilation systems, to expand its Nordic presence and strengthen expertise in central ventilation. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Røros Metall will become part of Franke Home Solutions, reinfor

Klaus Grohe, Former Hansgrohe Head, Dies at 88 Germany: Klaus Grohe, the long-running head of Hansgrohe Group and honorary chairman of its advisory board, passed away on January 3, 2026, at the age of 88. Born in 1937 in Aachen, Germany, the youngest son of founder Hans Grohe joined the company in 1968 after studying business and economics in Bern, Switzerland. Over nearly five decades, he led the company as head of sales, managing partner, chairman of the executive board fro

Solar Expansion in Germany Stalls in 2025 as Rooftop Installations Weaken GERMANY: Germany’s solar power capacity expansion remained broadly flat in 2025, with around 17.5 gigawatts of new installations, nearly matching 17.7 gigawatts added in 2024, according to preliminary data from German Solar Association (BSW-Solar). While photovoltaics has become Germany’s second-largest electricity generation technology, the pace of expansion is insufficient to meet the 2030 target of 2

OBI GERMANY: OBI is set to open 15 new stores in Germany by mid-2026, marking the fastest retail space expansion in its 55-year history. Partnering with five franchise operators, the DIY retailer is going to add more than 130,000 square meters of selling space in the first half of 2026. The expansion reflects OBI’s dual operating model combining centrally managed outlets with entrepreneur-led franchises and aligns with its long-term strategy to become Europe’s leading destina

Russia Expects Decline in New Home Sales as Mortgage Rules Tighten Russia: State housing agency of Russia, Dom.RF, expects sales of new built homes to decline in 2026 following tighter Russia mortgage subsidies, despite the housing market avoiding a downturn in the previous year. Dom.RF forecasts new home sales of 21 to 22 million square metres in 2026, valued at RUB 4.5 to 4.6 trillion (USD 55.4 to 56.6 billion; EUR 50.9 to 52.0 billion), representing a fall in both volume a

UK Cold Snap Raises Risk of Heating and Pipe Issues UK: Temperatures across the United Kingdom are forecast to fall below freezing next week, marking a cold start to 2026 following a mild December. British Gas estimates that around 54,000 households may require assistance with heating and hot water systems during the cold period. The company noted that freezing conditions increase the risk of pipes freezing, which can disrupt heating and water supply. During the previous wint

Joins Procure Plus Carbon Tech Framework UK: Procure Plus has appointed Viessmann Climate Solutions to its four-year Framework for the Supply of Low & Zero Carbon Technologies, supporting social housing and public sector projects across retrofit, repairs, maintenance, and new-build activity. The framework, valued at approximately USD 2.0 billion (£1.6bn), provides a compliant route for social housing landlords and public sector organisations to procure materials needed for de

Showroom UK: Kitchen and bedroom retailer Wren has maintained its growth momentum, launching seven new showrooms in the final two months of 2025 and taking its total number of openings for the year to ten. New locations were unveiled in Salisbury, Barnstaple and Stafford in November, followed by three additional showrooms in December, including a Yeovil branch that opened on Boxing Day.  The company said the continued showroom rollout underscores its long-term commitment to n

Applications FRANCE: With no budget approved, the MaPrimeRénov’ application window will be suspended nationwide from January 1, 2026, Vincent Jeanbrun has announced. The Minister of Housing confirmed that, in the absence of a parliamentary budget, the State is unable to commit to any new spending. This suspension further prolongs uncertainty around the scheme and adds to the concerns of an already strained sector.  The construction industry is therefore starting the year unde

Acquisition FRANCE: In a press release issued on December 19, 2025, Decotec announced the acquisition of Atelier du Bain, a French manufacturer of shower doors and screens that had been placed into receivership earlier in the autumn.  Formerly known as Atmo (Ateliers de la Motte), Atelier du Bain is recognised as the inventor of the swivel and lift-up bath screen, designed to fold against the wall above the taps when installed on the short side of a bathtub. In 2022, the busi

European Gas Prices Europe: European natural gas markets saw a notable decline in prices toward the end of December 2025, with futures for natural gas dropping to around 50 Euro/MWh after the highs of late 2024, indicating easing cost trends on the continent. Despite this downward movement, demand pressures linked to colder weather forecasts kept market attention high, as climatic conditions remain a key factor influencing consumption and stock levels across Europe. In Italy,

Dekiln Secures ~US$3.8 Million to Commercialise Kiln-Free Tile Manufacturing UNITED KINGDOM: Dekiln Limited has secured approximately US$3.8 million in funding from the Royal Academy of Engineering to scale up its low-carbon, kiln-free tile manufacturing technology to industrial production. The funding coincides with Dekiln Chief Executive Dr. Aled Roberts being named among the inaugural Green Future Fellows, a programme designed to support engineers developing solutions that

EU-Backed Project Introduces Subscription-Based Model to Accelerate Heat Pump Adoption EUROPE: A new EU-funded initiative, HP SUBSCRIBE, aims to overcome the high upfront costs that limit the uptake of heat pumps in Europe’s commercial and public rented buildings. The project introduces a subscription-based model that allows tenants to access efficient heat pump heating without initial investment, while a specialised third party installs, finances and maintains the system. By

District Heating Prices Surge, Driving Sharp Rise in Iceland’s Home Heating Costs ICELAND: Latest inflation data from Statistics Iceland show a sharp increase in home heating costs, driven mainly by a 9.2% rise in district heating prices. According to Landsbankinn, this marks the largest increase in 15 years, last seen in 2010. The rise follows the introduction of new tariffs in December, meaning much of the expected January impact has already been reflected in inflation figu

Appoints New Management Team Germany: Kermi GmbH, has announced a change in management following the departure of its former managing directors, with Kerstin Sticht and Jan Kujaw appointed to lead the company. Sticht, who joined Kermi in 2001, has held several senior roles including Head of Strategic Planning and Chief Marketing Officer, where she strengthened the group’s brand strategy across European HVAC markets. Currently serving as Chief People Officer (CPO) of the MBT C

Airvance Group Acquires Majority Stake Austria: Airvance Group Acquires Majority Stake in Austrian Heat Pump Distributor IPK as Austrian distributor IPK, which specializes in air/air and air/water heat pump systems and distributes brands including LG and Hisense, signed an agreement to sell a majority stake in its share capital to the Airvance Group, a specialist in ventilation and indoor air quality solutions for residential and tertiary buildings. Under the transaction, the

Change Trade Name to “GENERAL Inc.” Global: Fujitsu General Air Conditioning will change its name to General Inc HVAC Solutions Ltd as part of a broader global rebranding exercise after the acquisition of the parent company by Paloma Rheem Holdings. The Japanese parent company completed the sale of its air conditioning business in August, and in October Paloma announced that the group would be renamed General Inc. The name change will be rolled out across all domestic and ov

Ariston ITALY: Ariston Group has completed the acquisition of 100% of Riello Group, a well-established company known for its heritage brands, including Riello and Beretta. This strategic transaction provides Ariston with access to complementary sales channels, product lines, and a robust service network, strengthening its position in Italy’s climate comfort sector. It also enhances Ariston’s standing as a global expert in combustion technologies, leveraging Riello’s extensive