“It’s been excellent; everything I thought it would be and more”, says Ruth Black sharing thoughts about her first year leading bathroom manufacturer Aqualla and Adamsez.

Having been a customer of the business in her previous role, she  explains why she decided to make the move:“I joined Aqualla because it’s a fantastic business—exciting, challenging (in the best way), and full of opportunity. There’s so much to achieve, but we’re clear on our goals and ready to deliver.”

Founded just 14 years ago, the brassware supplier is still relatively young. But it has firmly established itself in its native Northern Ireland and Ireland.

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So much so, it acquired historic bath brand –  Adamsez – in 2020, with a vision to grow the brand through retail.

 Despite an unpredictable market, where the combined business has to work harder, Ruth Black reports Aqualla is “growing in line with our ambitions, and we believe in our opportunity for continued, sustainable growth”.

Transitioning leaders

Taking over from founder Steven Allaway, who stepped down from the business at the end of 2023, following its sale to FM Mattsson, Ruth Black has made the role her own.

Adamsez Sonata bath reflects the trend for texture in the bathroom in a freestanding and back-to-wall version

“I knew Aqualla from a customer perspective, but I took the time to understand the business and the people within it and what inspires them.

“We have a team of really experienced people who want the business to do well.

“We’ve got a great business and a great opportunity to do big things”, she says when talking about the transition

“It wasn’t difficult, but it was a different experience for everyone involved.

“While Steven brought unique qualities as the founder, I was hired to apply my business development and growth expertise to take the business forward during this critical transition.

“My focus has been on leveraging those skills to help the company transition smoothly and mitigate the growing pains of scaling”, she explains.

Firmly focused on operational excellence, “it’s not a buzzword for me, it’s what I live and breathe” and with a determined spirit, “I don’t give up on anything”, Ruth Black explains: “You often hear about businesses who grow rapidly but lose sight of their customer.

“Every conversation I have with our team starts with the customer: ‘Where is the customer in this? What are we doing for them? How will this impact the end-consumer?

“This customer-first mindset isn’t just a talking point—it’s embedded in every decision we make, setting us apart in a competitive market.”

Customer-centric business

In fact, such has been the dynamic response to feedback from its customers; within the first 12 months of her tenure, the company exhibited at KBB Birmingham and introduced a new product category of cisterns, frames and flush plates.

Aqualla introduced Brushed Bronze finish across brassware and flush plates and introduced along with cisterns and frames

It further expanded its mirror collection and introduced new finishes, such as Brushed Bronze creating full colour consistency across its range.

Most recently, it has introduced a range of luxury tubs to the Adamsez brand which it acquired in 2020, including spa-inspired, textured and Stone baths, and created a new website for Aqualla.

“We’re listening to our customers, taking on their feedback, and working with them to meet their needs.

“We’ve developed what we believe is a well-balanced portfolio across Aqualla and Adamsez, that meets the needs of today’s market sectors”, says Ruth Black.

In addition, the company has also responded to an increasing number of customers asking about product sustainability and the company’s eco-credentials.

“It’s well documented, in terms of all the work we’ve done on our product in terms of sustainability, verified by the Unified Water Label”, says Ruth Black.

Taking it a step further, as part of its new product research and development, the company now considers how they will be packaged, and no longer uses polystyrene or plastic, to make its products as environmentally friendly as possible, which is part of its sustainability journey.

However, what may be less obvious to the naked eye is the work undertaken behind the scenes to support the business in 2024.

With a keen focus on continual operational excellence, Ruth Black adds: “You can have a really good quality product but unless you have that support mechanism in the background, to support the growth, then you’re missing the point.

“We’re very proud of all we’ve done this year, and what we’re going to do next year, around our product but we also want to make sure our great product is equalled by great service.”

As part of this, the company has strengthened its retail team, with a team of ten in Great Britain, alone.

“We already had strong sales teams in Ireland because it’s our home market, both North and South.

“But we’ve been building a strong sales team and growing the business in GB.” She adds: “We’re not going to lose sight of our customers, but we also have growth ambition in the UK.”

Ruth Black continues: “I believe we’re doing the things our customers want us to do and we’re doing them well.

“We’re providing them great product. We’re providing them differentiation in their own showrooms and we’re supporting them and adding value to their businesses through our sales team.”

Supporting regions

So how will Aqualla and Adamsez brands be supporting its GB customers?

Adamsez Stone bathroom collection of matching baths and basins meets the demand for compact luxury bathtubs.

Although remaining tight-lipped about details, Ruth Black continues: “We are very much focused on enhancing our customer service and product offering in GB in 2025”.

She hints: “We’ve listened to the nuances of our customers, by geographical region, and making sure our portfolio of product reflect the markets we’re in.”

And she believes the benchmark of success will be based not only on growth but also the relationship it fosters with its customers.

“The benchmark for any business is obviously growth but we’ll see that because of the trust and loyalty our customers place on us.

“We’re partnering with them to add value to their businesses and help them succeed.”

Opportunities for business

Obviously, not immune to the challenging economic factors creating an unpredictable market, Ruth Black points to its company values as supporting growth opportunities. These are ‘Customer comes first. I step up and We win together’.

She says as the company continues to grow, her challenge will to be remained firmly focused on these values, which also drive and inspire her in business: “I believe that by truly listening to our customers and embracing a ‘customer first’ ethos, we build stronger market relationships, which ultimately creates opportunity.”.

Combining our innovative new product development and reputation for reliability and service, then we will continue to establish ourselves as a go to supplier.”

While the business continues to develop and grow both in its native Irish and Great British markets, at its heart it remains humble.

Ruth Black concludes: “Our goal is to keep doing what we do best—delivering quality through a collaborative team and supporting a loyal customer base we’re truly grateful for.”