Interview with the founder of The Used Kitchen Company, Looeeze Grossman

Welcome back Looeeze! What are you most looking forward to about the show?

There is something truly uinique about kbb Birmingham, it’s where you are guaranteed to see all your industry faves, network with established relationships and most importantly forge new connections. It is always exciting to get a sneaky preview of what is up and coming, but sadly when Wednesday comes along you realise you’ll have to wait another 2 years before you can do it all over again.

What can visitors expect to see on TUKC stand?

As kbb Birmingham's Sustainability Partner,  of course, sustainability will be at the forefront of everything we do, and as more and more consumers are keen to add to their eco-credentials we are constantly looking for ways to simplify the process.

Our key initiative is promoting the reuse and resale of pre-owned and ex-display kitchens, thereby extending their lifespan and reducing waste.  This year we are actively encouraging retailers to promote the concept of recycling their client’s old kitchens, through POS material and offering incentives to showrooms, which we will be promoting big time throughout the show.

This is your third year of partnering with the show, tell us about some of your highlights? 

Kbb Birmingham and TUKC have worked tirelessly to promote sustainability throughout the shows and beyond, and it is evident that we are making great inroads towards a more sustainable future despite the significant challenges posed by the pandemic and the cost of living crisis.

What excites me the most is our industry’s collaborative effort.  We’re pooling our strengths and adopting a more unified and comprehensive approach at every stage of the process, from sourcing materials to manufacturing, distributing and most importantly promoting a circular economy throughout.   Spreading awareness is crucial, the more consumers and retailers we have on board the easier it will become to pave the way for a more sustainable future for us all.

Sustainability is integral to your brand, what advice would you give to companies in the KBB sector who would like to become more sustainable?   

As an industry, there are numerous challenges we need to overcome to be more sustainable, but every small step we take will create great strides towards a more environmentally responsible and ethical business model. By making a commitment to sustainability in the everyday running of your business operations, educating your team and engaging them in finding ways to reduce environmental impact are simple but very effective first stages. Assess your supply chain to identify areas where improvements can be made in terms of sourcing sustainable materials and reducing carbon footprint and most importantly promote your sustainable efforts to your customers and suppliers to build trust and credibility.

Maintaining open communication within the industry is equally important. We must share our achievements and the hurdles we face, enabling us to collaborate effectively in identifying key areas for improvement.

You can visit Looeeze and her team on stand P102 at kbb Birmingham.

Find out more about TUKC here.

Check out what else kbb Birmingham is doing to ensure the industry gathers sustainably next month at the NEC Birmingham here.