For nearly 40 years Bath Fitter has been a bathroom industry disruptor, revolutionising bath renovation through a process that enables baths and showers to be fitted in less than a day without messy demolition. And its products are built to last. The first bathrooms created when the company launched in 1984 are still in use today. Founded in Montreal, Canada, by three brothers, the company now has more than 200 locations in North America and, in 2020, set up its first European base in Limerick in the Republic of Ireland. The office is headed up by Michael Prendergast, vice president of European sales. Michael, who was born in Montreal, began his career in sales after leaving university in Canada, initially selling building products such as plywood and melamine panels and kitchen cupboards. Fifteen years ago, he moved back to Canada to work for Bathroom Fitter. And, in late 2019, Michael and his family relocated to Ireland, shortly before the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. “The healthcare sector is one of the many verticals we operate in,” says Michael. “Wherever there is a bathroom or a wetroom, we can help – whether it is student accommodation, hospitality, assisted living, nursing homes, cruise ships, or hospitals…. the list is endless.

“Our products are well suited to areas concerned with hygiene given the properties of our core product – acrylic. “Acrylic is non porous, so things can’t permeate it. Plus, it is very easy to clean and maintain. And, because we produce the sheets ourselves, rather than source them, we are able to make them to any length needed. “It’s a seamless, one-piece system and the big benefit is that it is not a panel system where there is a seam every two metres. “With our product there is no grout, no silicon, and it is extremely hygienic, long lasting, and easy to maintain – again this is vitally important in the health sector. “As one document produced by the NHS states, ‘we need to eliminate seams as much as possible’.” Bath Fitter is endorsed by the Irish Development Board (IDA) and once the office in Ireland was opened in Limerick, Michael was introduced to the Health Service Executive (HSE) through that organisation and Bath Fitter was certified by the HSE, which governs all health and social care services, as an ‘approved vendor’. The company was also given ‘essential service’ status, meaning work could be carried out while COVID-19 restrictions were in place. “We are currently moving into Belfast in Northern Ireland, where we are working with hospitals, hotels, and assisted living facilities to improve infection prevention and control protocols in bathrooms and wetrooms,” Michael said. He adds: “The bathroom is the most-private room in any building. “For me, the pleasure is that I can positively affect people’s lives and I love that”.