Ex-Sanitec appointment ‘coincidence’ states Ideal Standard

Former Sanitec executive vice president
Anna Burns joins Ideal Standard

Ideal Standard has denied the recruitment of a former Sanitec executive vice president is linked to a potential acquisition of the Swedish bathroom giant, stating it is ‘coincidence’.

Anna Burns, formerly executive vice president of product line management and innovation at Sanitec, has been employed by Ideal Standard, in a project-based role, working on the trade side of the business.

At Sanitec, Burns was responsible for product design, development and portfolio management across the group and was in charge of an 18-strong team. Prior to her position at Sanitec, Burns has also held a number of senior marketing roles at Sanitec-owned Twyford Bathrooms.

Most recently, she was employed by radiator manufacturer Stelrad, where she held the position of marketing director. There she was charged with spearheading the introduction of brands and product ranges for merchants and specifiers.

According to the news agency Reuters, Sanitec has been put up for sale by its private equity group owner EQT, for an estimated 1Billion Euros.

Although it remains to be confirmed, Reuters claims Ideal Standard Bain Capital is through to the second round of the bidding process for Sanitec.

However Ideal Standard would not be drawn on any comment about the potential acquisition of Sanitec.

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Sanitec for sale

Private equity company EQT has appointed UBS to help dispose of the Sanitec Group, which includes Twyford Bathrooms in the UK.

Reuters has stated that a sale of the Sanitec Group could fetch up to €1billion for the Swedish private equity company.

Sanitec has 20 production sites in Europe and had net sales amounting to €777m in 2010 and employs 7,500 people.

It is not known whether Sanitec will be sold as a group or split up in a sale, nor is it understood if any interested parties have already been identified.

The sale of Sanitec could attract interest from other private equity-owned bathroom product groups and trade competitors, such as the likes of Roca, Toto or Kohler.

Marketing manager of Sanitec-owned Twyford Bathrooms, Mark Winfield commented: “We’ve been aware, for some time, that the company was being built up into an efficient organisation to be sold.”

And he added that for the Twyford Bathrooms business, “nothing has changed”.

EQT bought Sanitec in 2005 from private equity company BC Partners, which also owns German shower and tap manufacturer Grohe.

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