Caroma Explained

Caroma
Currentowner:	GWA International
Country:	Australia
Introduced:	1941
Website:	www.caroma.com.au

Caroma (Caroma Dorf) is an Australian designer and distributor of bathroom products. Caroma was established in 1941, by Hungarian-born Charles Rothauser, and since closing its last factory in 2017 now sources all products from third-party overseas manufacturers.

Caroma is a subsidiary of GWA International Limited, and introduced the world's first two-button dual flush toilet system. The company self-distributes within Australia and abroad sells through distributors such as Sustainable Solutions International in North America and Sanlamere in the United Kingdom.

History

The company was established in 1941 with a factory at Norwood, an inner eastern suburb of Adelaide. The company announced its intention to close down manufacturing in Australia on 8 October 2014. The factory at Wetherill Park in Sydney closed in 2014.^[1] It finally closed the Norwood factory on 24 February 2017. Manufacture now occurs in Malaysia, China and Europe.^[2]

Caroma Dorf companies

The Caroma Dorf group of companies offers a range of bathroom, kitchen and laundry products from a number of brands.

• Fowler – range of toilets and basins for bathrooms.^[3]
• Dorf – Offers a range of products for bathrooms, kitchens and laundries.^[4]
• Clark – Clark has a range of kitchen sinks.^[5]
• Epure – Epure is Clark's expensive range which offers a variety of kitchen sinks.^[6]
• Radiant – products for kitchen and laundries.^[7]
• Irwell – A range of tapware products.^[8]
• Stylus – Best known for its baths and spas, Stylus also offers a range of cheap toilets, basins, mixers, taps, showers and bathroom accessories.^[9]
• Dux Hot Water^[10]

Innovations

• The first in the world to introduce the two-button dual flush system in 1982^{[11] [12]}
• The first in the world to introduce the 6/3L dual flush cistern^[13]
• The first to introduce the 4.5/3L dual flush cistern through Smartflush technology^[14]
• The first company to gain a WELS 5 Star rating for toilet suites^[14]
• The first company to achieve an Australian WELS 6 Star rating for urinals^{[15] [16]}

Awards

• Australian Design Award for Excellence in Australian Design in the Housing & Building category (2009) – Caroma Invisi Series II Toilet Suite^[17]
• Australian Design Awards for Excellence in Sustainable Design (2007) -Caroma H2Zero Cube Urinal^[18]
• Australian Design Award for Excellence in Australian Design in the Housing and Building category (2005)- Smartflush Toilet Suite Range^[19]

External links

• Official Website
• Bathroom Vanities

Notes and References

1. News: Caroma and Dorf owner GWA slashes 164 jobs as it shuts two factories . Sophie . Foster . The Courier-Mail . 8 October 2014 . 2 March 2018.
2. News: Bathroom manufacturer Caroma will close the doors of its Adelaide factory ending 76 years of manufacturing tradition . The Advertiser . 24 February 2017 . Renato . Castello . 2 March 2018.
3. http://www.fowler.com.au Official Fowler website
4. Web site: Bathroom Products and Inspiration – Dorf . dorf.com.au.
5. Web site: Clark Kitchen Sinks, Kitchen Taps, Kitchen Accessories and Laundry Tubs. Since 1941 . clark.com.au.
6. Web site: Kitchen Sinks – Epure. clark.com.au. 23 April 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100410054934/http://www.clark.com.au/products/kitchen-sinks/epure. 10 April 2010. dead.
7. Web site: Bathroom products from Stylus. Quality Toilets, Basins, Baths, Spas and Taps. radiantstainless.com.au.
8. Web site: Bathroom products from Stylus. Quality Toilets, Basins, Baths, Spas and Taps. irwell.com.au.
9. http://www.stylus.com.au Official Stylus website
10. Web site: Dux Hot Water . dux.com.au.
11. Web site: Australia Innovates – Powerhouse Museum. powerhousemuseum.com.
12. Web site: Toilet cistern and seat, dual flush volume 'Uniset', plastic/metal, Caroma Industries Pty Ltd, South Australia, 1982–1992. powerhousemuseum.com.
13. Web site: DuoSet dual flush toilet cistern. powerhousemuseum.com.
14. Web site: Sectioned Caroma 'Smartflush' toilet suite. powerhousemuseum.com.
15. Web site: Archived copy . 18 November 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20111125101819/http://www.environment.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/144669/Retrofit_Brochure.pdf . 25 November 2011 .
16. http://ag.gov.au/portal/govgazonline.nsf/6094A74B9E1BF38CCA257199001FA3DA/$file/S111.pdf{{dead link|date=November 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
17. Web site: Caroma Invisi Series II Toilet Suite.
18. Web site: Caroma H2Zero Cube Urinal.
19. http://www.designawards.com.au/application_detail.jsp?applicationID=1578 Smartflush Toilet Suite Range