As it celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, MAAX Bath Inc., one of North America’s leading manufacturers in the bathware industry, is in a growth mode thanks to the success of its numerous innovative product lines.

“Our success over the past half-century stems from our long-standing commitment to innovation,” said Mark Gold, president, MAAX Bath. “Throughout our history, we have made design, quality, convenience, price and customer service our top priorities. All of us at MAAX are proud of the rich legacy we have built together and are working hard to anticipate market trends and needs to continue to impress our customers for years to come.”

Founded in 1969 in Tring-Jonction, a village in the Beauce region of Québec, MAAX initially specialized in the manufacture of pools and components for snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles. Over the years, its product portfolio evolved, diversified and grew, and MAAX ultimately emerged as a North American market leader in the bathware industry with three main product lines: bathtubs, shower solutions and shower doors.

Today, MAAX, part of American Bath Group (ABG), has eight production facilities in North America and employs nearly 1,400 people. The company also has two R&D centers in Sainte-Marie-de-Beauce and in Lachine, in Québec, as well as a dedicated team based in the United States.

“Our products are present in the bathrooms of thousands of homes in Canada and the United States, and every day our customer base composed of distributors, specialized stores and retailers continues to grow,” said Gold. “We have approximately 5,000 points of sale in North America and have sold approximately 30 million products to date, making us No. 1 in Canada in our bathware space.”

New product development is fundamental to MAAX’s current growth strategy. U tile, a game-changing product launched in 2015, is an innovative shower wall panel solution offering an easy-to-install and to maintain alternative to conventional ceramic tiles. Its cleverly engineered polymer surface delivers a real stone and tile experience and gives bathrooms a designer makeover, providing years of durability and elegance with minimal maintenance.

“We are constantly testing new products and technologies by exploring emerging market trends and have a team dedicated to innovation-related activities. We are committed to maintain our leadership by offering our customers complete bathware solutions that meet everyday needs,” said Gold.

MAAX has invested extensively in modernizing equipment and strengthening manufacturing, quality, environment, health and safety (EH&S) processes at its eight manufacturing facilities strategically located to serve its customers in Canada and the United States: Lachine, Ste-Marie and Tring-Jonction in Québec; Armstrong in British Columbia; as well as Bellingham, Washington; Martinsburg, West Virginia; Plymouth, Indiana; and Valdosta, Georgia. MAAX also has operational leadership of two American Bath Group facilities located in Yelm, Washington; and Minneapolis.

In line with its customer care plan, MAAX has also invested in the development of a powerful web-based Partner Portal that enables customers and members of MAAX’s sales force to obtain the latest updates on order status, product availability, delivery dates, and a plethora of other vital information.

Gold notes that the 2017 merger between MAAX and Tennessee-based ABG is benefitting both companies since they now hold one of the largest market shares in the North American bathware industry. While ABG plans to build on the strengths of the MAAX brand in Canada, it will also offer MAAX interesting business opportunities with its neighbors to the south.