Karl Kanth

Karl’s Passion

As an engineer, designer and innovator, I’m passionate about delivering products of the highest quality. Products which provide customers with the ultimate in practicality, usability, and timeless style. And, most importantly which are made to last.

This has been a passion of mine for many years, ever since I began working alongside my father within the property industry, and more specifically – the bathroom sector.

So many manufacturers were, and are sadly continuing to, deliver highly-disposable, low-quality products which are not only notoriously difficult to install and maintain, but which are purposefully designed to last only a few years.

Why? Because these manufacturers shamelessly focus on profit alone, with no genuine care for the needs of those who place their trust in them. They deliver poor quality simply to encourage customers to come back, and to invest in the same sub-standard products time and time again.

Not only that, but they continue to operate in a way that is unethical and unsustainable by taking manufacturing out of the UK and moving it to the far east. This philosophy goes against everything I believe in.

I’m proud to lead a British company which has created jobs and opportunities here in the UK, and which is committed to making a valuable contribution to both our economy and our communities.

“ ...trying to reverse the throwaway society we have become”

We’ve built our business on solid foundations. We’re a British-born organisation which not only assembles all our products here in the UK, we source all our raw materials, manufacture all our components, support and nurture the incredible talent we have here. This ensures that we play our part in protecting the precious world we live in.

My journey started with a desire to reverse this throwaway society we have become, and it’s my continued mission to ensure that we drive this forward together to bring genuine benefits to all, both now and in the future.

The Kanth Vision and Principles

Our Vision

By combining the very best of British innovation, design and engineering, our vision is to manufacture premium shower systems and brassware which are not only technically superior, but which are truly built to last a lifetime.

We have developed our core principles which underpin everything we believe in, and everything we promise to deliver. And these principles apply to every single aspect of the Kanth business. From the initial idea and creation of a new product, to the manufacture and operations, right the way through to delivery and after-sales support.

These principles are not independent, but all come together to create a solid and robust business model. And one which forms the basis of every decision we make and every action we take as a team.

Our 8 Principles

• Innovation
• Longevity
• Timeless Design
• Outstanding Value
• Sustainability
• Originality
• Purpose
• Local Manufacturing

Innovation

The shower and brassware market is littered with me-too, disposable products. Manufacturers justify the sameness and short lifespan of their products on design constraints, yet these are nothing more than technical issues to be overcome through innovation. 

Most shower valves fail after a short time due to limescale build-up and low water pressure - an inevitable consequence of their manufacturing process: sand casting. To overcome this, we decided to start with a solid brass ingot and use CNC machining to create the valve engine. 

“British innovation, design and engineering built to last a lifetime and surpass all others.”

This is one example of how we have innovated our way out of a design constraint to create an industry-first product, but there are many more. We are committed to creating high-performing, long-lasting products and we are willing to go to great lengths to achieve this. If the problem lies in the material, we will source a different material. If there are limitations within the production process, we will create new tooling concepts and production techniques. 

Now we have a new problem. It's not a design constraint, but something much bigger - the throwaway society. At Kanth, we are doing our best to innovate our way out of this societal issue. We are coming up with new business practices - such as our refresh scheme - to ensure we make products that will stand the test of time in a market designed to push customers into constantly buying more.

Longevity

Contrary to what our throwaway society would have us believe, new does not always mean better. When you buy a Kanth shower, you are investing in something that will last a lifetime. 

Timeless Design

There is no point in making products that are guaranteed to last for twenty five years if they will not remain stylish for twenty five years. We create aesthetics that never age and avoid design fads, using a minimalist contemporary design that will stand the test of time. 

Of course, we also recognise that customers generally want to change the style of their bathroom at some point. Under our refresh scheme, they can update or change everything cosmetic while our shower valve remains concealed within the wall. 

Outstanding Value

Most competitors offer a five year guarantee to our twenty five year guarantee. This means our customers will only need to pay for one valve and one installation over a twenty five year period while competitors' customers must pay for five valves and five installations. Of course, our customers also have the opportunity to use our refresh scheme within those twenty five years to get the full benefit of a bathroom update every five years without the need to buy a whole new shower system. This is outstanding value for money.

“ ...you will experience the value we offer – it is simply incomparable.”

Sustainability

Sustainability is thrown around as a buzzword, but not everyone understands what it means. It is not about depleting the earth's scarce resources and using high amounts of energy to make hundreds of products before planting a couple of trees to 'offset your carbon impact.' It's not about sticking a recycling tag on your end product so that it can be thrown away guilt-free after a few years, wasting all the energy that went into its production.

“Being a sustainable company is not just about how long the product lasts, but the impact it has on the planet.”

Sustainability is about supporting processes that can work in harmony with our planet in the long term. This means only extracting materials you absolutely need and ensuring each product you make with those precious materials is durable, remaining in circulation for as long as possible to retain the energy that went into its production. Recycling has a place, and all of our products can be 100% recycled, but this is a last resort and not compensation for making disposable products. 

Originality

Originality can be defined in many ways. It is about being different, offering something unique, and thinking outside the box. We do all of these things, but for us originality is first and foremost about the purpose our products will fulfil. Before Karl sits down to design any product, he asks himself the following questions:  

Is there a genuine need for this product? 

Does it offer a functional benefit to the customer? 

Do we have something similar in our product portfolio? 

We will never innovate new products just to fill our portfolio. If they do not offer a unique function, we will move on to something that does. 

“Our products will meet the known and unknown requirements of the user, to break barriers in how a shower can be designed and installed”

Purpose

It's about people, planet, and then profit.

People often talk of trade-offs, but we find that there is a harmonious relationship between these three elements. Prioritising workers and customers means manufacturing locally and innovating high-quality, long-lasting products, which in turn is good for the planet and makes us a business that people want to buy from. 

Perhaps the real trade-off is between short-term and long-term goals. Stripping costs to the bare minimum makes sense if the goal is to make quick profits and satisfy short-term shareholder needs. However, if you want to create solid foundations and build a successful family business for future generations, there is no trade-off.

Local Manufacturing

As a British business, it is very important for us to invest in manufacturing operations here in England. 

Firstly, we believe it is the right thing to do. Businesses have a responsibility to support the community in which they operate. This means providing jobs to the local workforce and contributing to local economies. 

Secondly, it is the only sustainable option. Sourcing manufacturing from distant shores to reduce costs to the bare minimum is not a long-term solution. We don't want to exploit workers in the Far East to cut costs and we do not want to ship our products halfway across the world and pollute our oceans. 

Thirdly, having our operations at home gives us control over our manufacturing and the quality of our products. Moreover, it gives us the freedom we need to innovate.

“All core operations will remain here in the UK hub with our localised manufacturing operations acting as satellite facilities around the world.”