A global leader in sustainable solutions for thermal comfort, Ariston, has launched its brand in South Africa to replace local brand Heat Tech, which had been part of the group’s stable for the past eight years.
The Italian multinational group entered the South African market in 2014 by acquiring Heat Tech, a well-known and trusted local brand that has steadily grown, enjoying the benefit of local go-to-market proximity and local production, backed by the global technological know-how of the group.
The launch of the Ariston brand is a natural evolution. As South Africa gains importance as a core geography in the group’s portfolio, the Ariston Group has consolidated its presence in the country. All the group’s products and services in South Africa will be marketed under the global brand Ariston.
“Ariston is a leader in water heating in over 40 countries on five continents. Our iconic brand successfully combines worldwide reach with an in-depth knowledge of each local market where we operate,” says Ariston Group chief strategy officer and executive vice-president Middle East, Africa and Asia, Cosimo Corsini. “With this rebrand, Ariston commits to bringing more than 90 years of history and expertise in water heating to the South African market, to best serve the needs of our professional partners and our end-users.”
 A preferred partner for professionals and trusted brand for consumers
Country manager for the Ariston Group in South Africa, Wayne Vertue, explains that the main decision maker for the market is the professional installer – the company’s partner in driving growth – while also remaining conscious of end-users’ needs.
“South African plumbing professionals are constantly looking to serve their customers with easy-to-install and reliable products made by a renowned and trusted brand, alongside a partner that is close to their economic, technical and after-sales needs,” he says.
“Ariston is well-positioned to local professionals’ needs by taking the heritage of Heat Tech and boosting its value proposition thanks to the global expertise of the multinational group and international technologies. We strive to become the preferred partner for professionals, contractors and end-users in delivering such solutions,” says Vertue.
As part of the brand repositioning, Ariston will also launch the Axios geyser range, which was designed specifically for South Africa by a combination of global and local specialists and is engineered to bring comfort to the home. The Axios range is aimed at increased ease of installation, high performance, safety and efficiency.
 Global mission toward a more sustainable home
Corsini says that the Ariston Group’s overall global vision is two-pronged. “Firstly, our purpose is to provide more homes worldwide with high-quality comfort solutions and, secondly, to make these solutions more efficient by developing new technologies.”
Vertue says: “After having acquired Heat Tech several years ago, we further reinforced our local product development centre of competence, strengthened our commercial offices with local management and leveraged our in-country production plant. Ariston has therefore now a well-established presence in Southern Africa and our location here is perfect to unleash further continued growth. Under the Ariston brand, we will continue our mission to be the home of sustainable comfort for our local professionals, retailers, and end-users.”
