It’s almost half a century since Warren Ginsberg, Chairman, at HiB first had the thought to put a heated pad with a bathroom mirror. It’s a feature that’s now become synonymous with quality mirrors and cabinets worldwide.
But the marrying of emerging technologies and the humble bathroom mirror, all started with a chance introduction with heating expert David Perl.
During the 70s and 80s, Warren had been the Sales Director of Garfield Glass-Mirror Wall, a company some will remember were among the first to supply Block & Quayle – now known as B&Q, Homebase and Wickes, amongst others with a range of Mirror Tiles and Drilled Mirrors. Garfield Glass was already growing from a company of just 15 people when he joined, to more than 350, thanks to the massive growth in the DIY industry.
To celebrate Garfield Glass’s success, much of which was also thanks to the increase in mirror sliding door sales, Warren was tasked with organising a huge social event at a hotel near Swiss Cottage, London.
He decided to look for a comedian to form part of the entertainment for the event and the staff at the hotel recommended he spoke to the organisers of another party held at the hotel the week before, which included a brilliant comedian, who had been booked by David Perl.
So he met with David. Now this meeting wasn’t exactly Mr. Rolls meets Mr. Royce at the Midland Hotel Manchester, but it was quite significant in its own way as it was this chance encounter that led to the development of the heated pad that we now know and use in mirrors to this day.
David, who has now sadly passed away, was at the time, working in the gas industry. During more than two decades of friendship, he mentioned he was involved in developing heated pads for the industry in which he worked.
Over time, Warren had suggested that the heated pads could be used for another application, on the back of a range of mirrors that were being developed for his company that he had just launched.
It was 1995, just five years after the launch of HiB, that a mirror fitted with a heated pad was introduced to the bathroom market. It was a plain beveled mirror with a heated pad added, perfect for reducing condensation on the mirror’s surface. The mirror was a success and 10 years later the same technology was introduced into bathroom cabinets.
“We’ve come such a long way since the first heated pad was developed,” says Warren. “Now heated pads are sold with almost every illuminated mirror manufactured throughout the world. At HiB it is one of our most popular features, simply because it offers a solution to a problem experienced by everyone with a bathroom; condensation on the mirrored surface after a shower or bath.
“Today, a huge number of companies produce these products in The Far East, Europe and the US, the total number of heated pads sold with mirrors is huge.
“But it’s funny to think that the origins of this now industry-standard technology all came from a chance encounter, a long friendship and a lot of product development, all beginning with a party and a spontaneous search for a comedian.”
