Orlando, Fla. — Bemis Manufacturing Co., the world's largest toilet seat maker, has developed new ways to improve the bottom line for its business and customers.
Founded in 1901, the Sheboygan Falls, Wis.-based company introduced several products at the International Builders' Show, held in Orlando Feb. 8-10, that are the result of an acquisition as well as internal research.
The new toilet seats and accessories allow consumers to switch to a bidet at a low price, feel more comfortable and, for seniors and those with physical challenges, use the bathroom with more dignity, according to Bemis officials.
One of the new products has been dubbed "the Maserati of toilet seats" and another is a nonelectric DIY bidet attachment expected to have wide appeal.
While common in Asia and Europe, bidet, bidet seat and bidet attachment sales just started picking up in the United States during toilet paper shortages brought on by panic shopping at the onset of the pandemic in March 2020.
Seventeen percent of home renovators who upgraded their toilet in 2020 added a seat with a bidet — up 4 percentage points from 2019, according to Houzz's 2020 U.S. bathroom trends study.
Bemis' DIY bidet attachment — called Slim Edge — is made from ABS and is slim enough to fit under any toilet seat on any toilet. The device comes with a braided metal hose and brass adapter to tap into the water line. No extra plumbing work is needed.
The nozzle of the attachment then can be adjusted to the front or rear position for a robust or gentle spray of cold water.
At IBS, Bemis paired the Slim Edge with a few products, including a slow-closing polypropylene seat that has a night light.
The bidet attachment, which retails for about $42, is the easiest way to upgrade a toilet at a low price, according to Jonathan Bemis, the company's general manager of bidet, bath safety and general adjacencies.
Family-owned Bemis strengthened its position in the market for smart toilet seats and accessories with the December 2020 acquisition of Crystal Lake, Ill.-based BBC Innovations Corp. The deal brought Bemis the Bio-Bidet brand product line and BBC brand recognition and channels of distribution.