The Bathroom Brands business was co-founded in 2005 when Patrick Riley and Tim M. Powell partnered to develop a low-cost, full-service supply chain for bathroom products. Utilising their existing depth of experience in the bathroom products industry, particularly in sourcing products from countries located in East Asia, Patrick and Tim saw the opportunity to develop a new business, based on close relationships with its manufacturing base and a focus on constantly improving its products. Patrick and Tim opened their first office in Shanghai, China and for the following five years built the foundation for an efficient supply chain for the bathroom industry. Patrick knew from his experience in the industry that the opportunity existed to design a new route to market for a comprehensive range of traditional products, supplied efficiently and offered at the right price points.
Bathroom Brands entered into agreements with distributors and introduced them to its innovative supply arrangements, which included a planning and quality assurance office in China managed by Tim. With a close focus on organising direct ordering, consolidation, just-in-time stock controls and factory scheduling, the Group developed a new process, from factory to distributor, which sought to minimise handling and delays. As a result of the implementation process, Patrick and Tim built up close relationships with key suppliers throughout China. In August 2014, Crosswater moved to its existing UK headquarters at Lake View House in Dartford, UK, with the Bathroom Brands Group moving in 2016.
David Hance founded the Crosswater business in August 1998, selling to bathroom retailers taps and mixers sourced from various European suppliers. Crosswater established a reputation for innovative and quality products, coupled with good service and strong personal relationships, generally with owner/manager businesses in the South East of England. With a growing turnover, the scale of the Crosswater business was extended with the acquisition of the Simpsons shower business in 2006, followed by the Bauhaus brand in 2008. In 2014, the Bathroom Brands Group became the sole shareholder in Crosswater Limited. The principles of the Crosswater business have remained a focus in the Group's Crosswater (UK Retail) operating division today: innovative premium products; excellent customer service with targeted next-day delivery direct to the showroom; a level of customer interaction which seeks to make each customer feel valued; and careful selection of the appropriate business partners.
