Qualceram Shires wants its customers to soak in quality. The company is a manufacturer of high-end ceramic bathroom products. Sold under the brand names Qualceram, Shires, Selecta, Trent, Shaws of Darwen, and Trent, products are distributed through DIY and specialty retailers in the UK and Ireland. Having been a part of the bathroom industry since 1934, the Shires group of companies was acquired by Qualceram in 2000. Hit hard by the downturn in new home construction and sales, Qualceram Shires had been exploring its options as it struggled to meet its debt obligations. In early 2009 the company suspended its stock market shares and appointed an examiner in order to seek protection from creditors.