Since the second quarter, the global sanitary ware industry has seen a number of additional acquisition deals. The investing parties include Svedbergs, a European investment company focused on the sanitary ware industry; MasterBrand, a US manufacturer of bathroom vanities and cabinets; Hiatt Group, a leading UK hardware company; and Chinese enterprise Huayi Sanitary Ware, among others.
European Investment Company Svedbergs Acquires 80% Stake in Czech Firm UBC
On June 8 local time, the European investment company Svedbergs issued a press release disclosing that the company had completed the acquisition of an 80% stake in the Czech sanitary ware enterprise UBC s.r.o. and two affiliated companies, Polysan s.r.o. and Sapho Manufactory s.r.o. (collectively referred to as “UBC”). It stated that after 3 years it has the right and the intention to acquire the remaining 20% stake, with the acquisition price to be determined based on the company’s financial performance during that period. Effective June 8, 2026, UBC is incorporated into the consolidated financial statements of the Svedbergs Group, with its operating model following the group’s decentralized management system, whereby the various entities collaborate and operate independently, with assets and businesses kept separate from one another.
The CEO of the Svedbergs Group stated that UBC is a well-managed company with a strong product supply, good profitability, and a mature sales organization. The two parties will join hands to strengthen their influence in Europe and build a stronger platform for long-term profitable growth. He looks forward to working together with UBC and its employees to continue developing the business within the framework of a decentralized business model.
The UBC acquired in this deal is a Czech sanitary ware product group that has been in operation since 1991. It has a strong and stable long-term B2B customer base in the Czech Republic and continues to expand its export business, serving several neighboring markets such as Slovakia, Poland, and Hungary. Most of UBC’s sales come from its three main brands—Sapho, Aqualine, and Polysan—which target different customer groups and price points, together forming a balanced and competitive brand portfolio.
On the other hand, the Svedbergs Group is a European long-term investor in independent companies that has grown steadily through acquisitions in recent years, primarily investing in sanitary ware enterprises.
MasterBrand Completes Acquisition of American Woodmark
On May 8 local time, MasterBrand, a US manufacturer of bathroom vanities and cabinet products, announced the completion of its merger transaction with American Woodmark, another local cabinet enterprise; the previously announced all-stock merger transaction has been completed. Under the terms of the earlier cooperation agreement, following this merger, three former directors of American Woodmark—Andrew Cogan, Philip Fracassa, and Daniel Hendrix—will join the MasterBrand board of directors as independent directors.
Following this merger, MasterBrand has established the most comprehensive portfolio of trusted cabinet brands and products in North America, with broader geographic coverage, financial strength, and stronger capabilities. MasterBrand expects to achieve approximately US$90 million in annualized run-rate cost synergies by the end of the third year following the merger; adjusted diluted earnings per share accretion can be realized as early as the second year after the merger.
MasterBrand CEO Dave Banyard stated that this merger is transformative for the company, integrating the complementary strengths of two industry leaders. It will enable the company to offer customers richer, high-quality products and premium service, while also creating long-term value appreciation for shareholders. He went on to say that at this stage, the company’s core task is to advance business integration, coordinating both teams, production operations, and core resources, and to accelerate the delivery of value to all stakeholders.
UK’s Hiatt Group Acquires Shower Brand Lakes
On May 21 local time, the Birmingham-headquartered leading UK hardware manufacturer Hiatt Group announced that it had completed the acquisition of the UK shower enclosure brands Lakes Bathrooms Ltd and Lakes Showering Spaces.
The Lakes acquired in this deal was founded in 1986 in Gloucestershire, in the south of England. With more than fifty years of deep industry experience, it primarily produces shower enclosures, shower partitions, and various sanitary ware products, and enjoys a strong industry reputation. In 2023, the company completed a management buyout (MBO) led by its board of directors, until it was brought into the Hiatt Group in this deal.
For the acquiring party, Hiatt Group, this acquisition brings a wholly owned in-house production factory, which will further enhance the group’s supply chain resilience and also create synergy with the group’s existing mature operating model.
Huayi Sanitary Ware Completes Acquisition of European Sanitary Ware Enterprise FRANCIS
According to a report by Xiangcheng City Daily, Huayi Sanitary Ware recently completed the acquisition of the European brand FRANCIS. In October 2020, Huayi acquired a 100% stake in Comap (Jiangmen) Pipeline Heating Equipment Company, the wholly owned production base in China of the UK’s PEGLER HOLDINGS LIMITED, and formally took over operations in November of the same year. Previously, the assets related to the FRANCIS brand were mainly operated through Comap; following the completion of this integration, the brand and its production and operating systems in China have been uniformly incorporated into the Huayi system.
The FRANCIS brand acquired in this deal also belongs to the Pegler Group. Founded in 1899, it has a 125-year history and has long focused on providing innovative, aesthetically pleasing, functional, high-quality sanitary ware products, offering comprehensive solutions for upscale hotels and residences. With Huayi’s full integration of the FRANCIS brand, Comap not only continues to operate as a production base but has also become the core entity holding the operating rights of the FRANCIS brand and all of its production assets.
Originally published in WeChat by Chu Wei Tou Tiao on 2026-06-29. Translated and edited for English-language readers.