Amidst rising demand for its products in the region, Delta Faucets has launched its Ara bath collection

On-trend products that focus on sustainability have powered Delta Faucet’s meteoric rise in the Gulf, where it has registered a triple-digit year-on-year growth rate since it was established in the region in 2011.

In the last four years, the leading US-headquartered manufacturer of branded kitchen and bathroom faucets has formed multiple partnerships with strategic distributors in Oman, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE, and is continuously growing throughout the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region, according to Ross Jackson, general manager, Delta Faucet Company Mena region.

To support its expansion plans, Delta Faucet launched its regional headquarters in Dubai, UAE, in 2013.

In context ... Ara single-handle faucet.

“As we expanded into the region, we bought with us the drive to raise awareness about the water scarcity in the region, which led us to launch the first edition of our student competition in 2013 promoting future sustainability of water resources. This year we will be running the third edition, and we look forward to further establishing our commitment to sustainability in the region,” says Jackson.

The competition was organised in line with the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (UNDESD) and in partnership with the American University in Dubai (AUD) and Alabbar Energy & Sustainability Group (AESG).

The company attributes its success to several factors.  Jackson elaborates: “The Mena region is continuously growing and there are always new developments being planned. With Dubai winning the bid to host the 2020 Expo, and Qatar hosting the Fifa World Cup in 2022, the Middle East has become a hub for investors and developers. We can see a drive in the region towards becoming more sustainable, making more room for our innovative and trend-conscious products.

“We find that in this part of the world, customers are very design-conscious when it comes to interiors. Having an interior that is on-trend is something that is common in this region and with the increased interest in sustainability, the nature of our products marry the two aspects quite perfectly. Providing fashion-forward faucets equipped with innovative sustainable technologies, our products provide customers with the peace of mind that they are doing their part for the environment without compromising on the luxury of their faucets,” he says.

Delta Faucet products are sold through retail stores and wholesale showrooms across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Jordan and Lebanon. Currently, the majority of its business in this part of the world comes from contracts with developers, due to the number of projects that are currently under way and are planned for the near future.

The Ara showerheads ... feature H2O technology.

New range

The company has recently introduced the Ara bath collection on the market. The collection is available in contemporary chrome and Brilliance stainless finishes.

“The new range uses a variety of our award-winning, innovative smart technologies including the Diamond Seal Technology, which combines a durable Diamond valve with InnoFlex PEX waterways. The valve requires no lubrication, eliminates wear on seals, and ensures ‘like new’ operation for the life of the faucet, lasting up to 10 times the industry standard. The InnoFlex waterways eliminate potential leak points and are less hassle to install,” Jackson says.

In addition to this, all shower heads in the Ara collection feature H2O kinetic technology, which creates a shower experience like no other, he says. Each showerhead and hand shower contains an internal system that sculpts the water into a unique wave pattern, creating a consumer-proven feeling of more water, all without using more water.

Last year, the company had introduced Temp2O hand showers and showerheads. These products feature a water-powered Temp2O LED (light-emitting diode) digital temperature display that shows the temperature of the water in the shower. Three colour indicators signal different temperature ranges for an easy, visual indication of the water temperature. Blue represents below 26 deg C, magenta is between 26 and 43, red is greater than 43 deg C.

“In addition to this, we welcomed the Brizo Sotria product suite to the Mena region. Influenced by soft contemporary design sensibilities echoing mid-century style, the latest collection of luxury faucets, fittings and accessories for the bath also marked the launch of the brand’s new Brilliance Luxe Nickel finish,” says Jackson.

The Ara showerheads ... feature H2O technology.

Projects

“Businesswise, 2014 was a great year for us where we won a key residential project in Dubai and the prestigious Danat Al Emarat project in Abu Dhabi,” he continues.

The Danat Al Emarat is a hospital for women and children in Abu Dhabi, offering the latest in sustainable and innovative architecture and modern technology, all in compliance with the Abu Dhabi Estidama Pearl rating system for green building design. The hospital boasts a comprehensive range of services exclusively for women and children, unrivalled world-class facilities and five-star luxury, setting a new standard in patient-care delivery.

He further says: “Keeping this in mind, we provided the hospital with our Diamond seal faucets, the Addison single-handle faucet and the Addison high rise single-handle faucet, our water-saving H2O kinetic showers, which are definitely an attribute of our sustainability initiatives in the region.”

Delta Faucet products are featured in projects and developments such as the Casa Community Arabian Ranches, Imperial Residence, C19 Residential Tower, in Dubai; the Hamdan Residential development in Amman, Jordan; and at an Aramco building, in Dammam, Saudi Arabia. The company is currently working on a number of private villas in the UAE, Qatar and Bahrain, besides a number of residential and commercial projects in the region.

“Our biggest markets are most certainly Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar. However, recently we have started to see a surge in Jordan, Oman and Bahrain. We are working on a wide variety of projects throughout the Mena region,” Jackson says.

“We have very positive prospects for 2015 and look forward to continue building on the success of Delta Faucet Company in the region. With Brizo strengthening its presence in the market and anchoring itself as the industry’s leading fashion-forward, innovative faucet, and Delta Faucet products becoming an increasingly popular choice amongst consumers and developers alike, we are confident that this year will be an even bigger success than previous years,” he adds.

Growth strategy

Delta Faucet, as a brand, is committed to designing products that improve the way people interact with water and this is the basis behind its award-winning technologies and water-saving features.

“Sustainability and style should not be mutually exclusive and we go beyond excellent design to incorporate smart thinking that anticipates people’s needs, providing thoughtful innovations and inspirational designs. When considering the financial aspects, we also believe that innovation should be available to all and that’s why our products are affordable and smart, whilst also helping to reduce water consumption and, therefore, help lower water bills.

“In the region, our main opportunity will come from our innovations in water savings. Water consumption in the Middle East is extremely high compared to the global average. For this reason, we think it is important to introduce products that place a high priority on environmental sustainability. We offer a wide range of residential and commercial faucets that focus on water conservation,” Jackson points out.

“In 2014, BGreen launched the region’s first voting platform ‘UAE Sustainable 2013/2014’, and we were recognised as one of the most sustainable companies in the UAE. This was an honour for us and we are committed to continue driving the Mena region towards being more sustainable in the long run,” he concludes.

Founded by Masco Corporation in 1954 with the introduction of the single-handle faucet, Delta Faucet is considered to be America’s faucet innovation leader, featuring Delta, Brizo and Peerless products. The global organisation offers kitchen faucets, bath faucets, shower heads, shower systems and related accessories in more than 53 countries.