Window News November / December 2022

Rio French Door

REHAU have expanded their Rio product range to include the Flush Fit French Door. We have taken the design elements of our Rio Flush Fit Window and developed a complementary French Door that allows you to apply its unique clean aesthetic to every element at home.

Windows. Reinvented for modern life. www.rehau.uk/rio enquiries@rehau.com Tel: 01989 762600

Fenestration Industry Sees Significant Drop In

Demand, Reveals Insight Data

“It is worrying to see that there has been a significant drop in enquiry levels across the indus try, with a post-pandemic boom seemingly having dissipated.

“With the cost-of-living crisis affecting everyone, it is vital that suppliers are finding reliable and reputable installers to work with.

“That’s why our Salestracker platform was created, it ensures stability for businesses by effi ciently and accurately targeting the right prospects.

Recent analysis carried out by the Insight Data shows that only 26% of businesses are recording higher levels of enquiries com pared to before the pandemic, a figure that stood at 63% 12 months ago.

The survey, which was conduct ed for the 2022 Glazing Summit, was presented to over 2,000 in stallers across the UK. It shows that in 2021, 10% of companies were experiencing lower de

mand than before the pandemic – a figure that has now risen to 37%.

It is a statistic that Insight Data’s operations manager, Alex Trem lett, labelled as a concern.

“While this shows a lack of de mand, it also reflects the current position of the consumer, with a cost-of-living crisis gripping all corners of the nation,” claimed Alex.

“It is the world’s first fully inte grated sales and marketing platform, designed exclusively for the building and fenestration in dustry. With over 13,700 records exclusively on the fenestration database, it is a tool which is invaluable to many.”

The decrease in demand has also led to a decline in the amount of optimism surround ing sales, with an extra 21% of companies expecting them to dip over the next 12 months.

“Our market analysis essentially concludes that confidence in the market is much lower than 12 months ago,” adds Alex.

“Due to lack of demand and ris ing costs, there is a high chance some businesses will make cut backs to try and survive. But for companies who invest in product development as well as their sales and marketing, this could be avoided

“This is because a sound sales and marketing strategy can help suppliers to overcome challeng ing times. We could even see many companies expand into other sectors, adapting their existing offering to increase the chances of success.

“Salestracker is the tool you need to prepare for all eventual ities. By saving money, time and labour, the platform ensures your marketing is reaching the right people at right time.”

www.insightdata.co.uk

consumables. It is a reputation that both Assa Abloy and the Win dow Ware senior leadership team want to maintain.

SVP and head of Assa Abloy UKI, Harry Warrender comments: “Sam and the team at Window Ware have built an impressive business. When acquiring the Arran Isle Group, our view and strategy in Assa Abloy was to divest Window Ware post-completion. It was important to us that we found a good new owner for the busi ness and indeed our colleagues that joined Assa Abloy in June. I am delighted with this result and would like to wish Sam, Richard, Sarah, and the wider team every success for the future.”

Senior Leadership Team Invests In The Future

Of Window Ware

Having been owned by Arran Isle Group (formerly Heywood Williams Group) for more than 20 years and then more recently by Assa Abloy following an acquisition which was completed in June this year, Window Ware is now celebrating its new status as a fully independ ent, standalone company with the existing senior leadership team proudly stepping up as the new owners.

When Assa Abloy took the deci sion to divest Window Ware from its group, the senior leadership team saw this as the perfect op

portunity to invest in the com pany’s future and demonstrate their belief and commitment in the business they have come to know and love.

Between them, the new di rectors of Window Ware have racked up more than 50 years combined fenestration industry experience, so they know the business inside out. And under their careful guidance, Window Ware has grown to become one of the UK’s most trusted mul ti-brand providers of door and window hardware, tools, and

Window Ware managing director, Sam Nuckey agrees: “The direc tors and I have been successfully leading Window Ware since 2015. We are still passionate about the business and excited for what the future holds, and by becoming its new owners we are only affirming our full and continued commitment to the business. We are delighted our investors could see the same strong growth potential that we do.”

Sam maintains, “As director-own ers, we gain independent control of Window Ware and are in the best possible position to maintain uninterrupted business continuity and stability for our customers, brand partners and employees alike. This will also ensure we re tain the core values our customers know and trust, as well as remain agile and responsive to market needs.”

Windowware.co.uk

(left to right) Sarah Binns, Richard Bryant and Sam Nuckey

Senior Architectural Systems Expands Its UK Manufacturing Capacity

Senior Architectural Systems is set to expand its manufacturing capacity with the opening of a new facility in Rotherham, South York shire.

Located close to Senior’s existing head office and main manufactur ing centre in Denaby near Doncaster, the new Rotherham site on Mangham Road will provide an additional 90,000 square feet of usable storage and production space. Together with Senior’s established sites in South Yorkshire and Scotland, the new facility will increase the company’s overall UK manufacturing capacity to 220,000 square feet.

The move is part of Senior’s wider strategic expansion plan to en hance the thermal-efficiency of its entire product range and to significantly increase production of its low U-value and UK patented PURe aluminium windows and doors system. Recent updates to

Part L of the Building Regulations and the rising cost of energy prices have led to a surge in demand for Senior’s compliant and efficient aluminium fenestrations systems, says the company, and through the acquisition of the new Rotherham site, Senior will be better placed to continue to meet its customers’ needs.

It is anticipated that Senior will commence production of its PURe range at the new Rotherham site in early 2023. Once the new site is fully operational, Senior will be able to maximise the space in its existing Denaby HQ to both increase the speed of its in-house powder coating facility and support the ongoing development of its full range of high-performance alumin ium windows, doors and curtain wall systems.

Commenting, Senior Architectural Systems’ managing director Mark Wadsworth said: “Since launch

ing our patented PURe windows and doors in 2015, we have seen demand continuously grow and so it was always our intention to expand our production capabilities. We have made a number of invest ments at our main Denaby site, so it was important that we could both complement and replicate this successful and sustainable man ufacturing model by finding a site that was not only similar in size, but was also nearby. The new site in Rotherham fits the brief perfect ly. We are excited to commence production of our PURe system in the New Year and look forward to maximising this new capacity to continue to enhance the ther mal-performance of our complete range of products.”

The new site in Rotherham will also provide valuable storage space to assist with Senior’s nationwide delivery service and coincides with the company’s difficult decision to close its distribution centre in New port, Wales. All customers in Wales and the South of England will now be served by the two main facilities in South Yorkshire, with Senior’s branch in Livingston continuing to support orders to Scotland and Ireland.

www.seniorarchitectural.co.uk

A Plus Opens New Factory, Doubling Capacity

Trade fabricator, A Plus Aluminium has opened a new facility in Sandy, Bedfordshire in an investment ini tially creating 20 jobs with potential to double capacity.

The purchase of the new 20,000 sq.ft manufacturing and storage space, referred to as A Plus Mid lands, is part of a long-term, strate gic investment plan.

In boosting its manufacturing capabilities, A Plus can capitalise in the growing interest in aluminium and manage increased demand across the country. With its head quarters in Watford, the new prem ises provides additional capacity for the existing customer base and important access to the northern home counties and across the midlands.

A Plus Midlands is now operation al, manufacturing bespoke alumin ium window and door products for trade residential customers, making use of modern production processes, including three CNC machines. The substantial yard, meanwhile, offers ample storage for stock which ensures a fast turn around and low lead times, says the company.

The site will benefit from addition al significant investment over the coming months and more jobs are planned across factory operations, including fabrication.

Jon Palethorpe, joint managing director of A Plus Aluminium, said: “The opening of A Plus Midlands represents a significant step for ward. It is part of the future of our company, a foundation for longterm growth and development. The past few years have been tough for everyone, but we are excited to be moving into our new facility and proud to be creating jobs at what is an incredibly chal lenging time, economically.

“Our aim is that in time each A Plus site will evolve and serve dedicated markets – Watford will focus on our commercial and project clients, near to the southeast and great er London market and with easy access to the road network for our midlands and northern customers, while Sandy will become our core trade residential factory. For now, Watford will remain our central hub, providing a base for our adminis trative and technical staff.”

www.aplusaluminium.co.uk

Donaldson Door Systems Rebrands From Rowan Manufacturing Ltd

A Scottish joinery manufacturer of door sets has a new identi ty. Following its acquisition by the Donaldson Group in 2020, Donaldson Door Systems (DDS) is the new brand of the business formerly known as Rowan Manu facturing Ltd (RML).

Established in 1979 as the manufacturing arm of the Row an Group, DDS specialises in manufacturing, merchanting and supplying internal and external door sets, as well as staircas es from its site in Plains, North Lanarkshire.

Since its acquisition in February 2020, all colleagues and oper ations have moved over to the Donaldson Group, with manag ing director, Luke Roberts, and general manager, Billy Cameron, continuing to drive the business.

DDS holds Secured By Design accreditation and is claimed to be the only company in Scotland to be both Q Mark and Certi fire certified. DDS will harness the expertise of the Donaldson Group, operating within its offsite division, to continue servicing the UK housebuilding and construc tion market.

donaldsondoorsystems.co.uk

Q3 2022 Grows Year-On-Year, But Inflation Drives Increase Amid Falling Volumes, Says BMBI

The latest total value sales data from Britain’s Builders’ Merchants shows Q3 2022 recorded +4.3% year-on-year growth. However, price inflation (+14.6%) continues to drive the increase in sales as volumes fall -9.0%.

Quarterly sales, Year-on-Year

Ten of the 12 categories sold more in Q3 2022 compared to the previous year with Renewables & Water Saving growing the most (+38.4%). Workwear & Safetywear (+23.6%), Kitchens & Bathrooms (+17.2%), and Plumbing, Heating & Electrical (+14.2%) all grew more than Merchants overall. Heavy Building Materials also increased (+11.9%) while Landscaping (-1.3%) and Timber & Joinery Products (-11.1%) were the only categories to sell less. With one less trading day this year, like-forlike sales were +5.9% up.

Comparing Q3 2022 with Q3 2019, a more normal pre-Covid trading year, total value sales were +23.4% higher this year, but vol ume sales were -6.8% down while

prices were up +32.4%. Despite one less trading day in the most recent period, like-for-like sales were +25.3% higher. All categories sold more.

Quarter-on-Quarter

Quarter-on-quarter, sales were down -2.2% in Q3 2022 compared to Q2 2022. Volume sales were down -5.5% and prices were up +3.5%. Despite four additional trading days in Q3, like-for-like sales were -8.3% lower. Renew ables & Water Saving (+14.5%) was again the standout category, followed by Workwear & Safet ywear (+8.1%) and Kitchens & Bathrooms (+6.2%).

September sales, Year-on-Year

September 2022 sales were +3.0% up year-on-year. Volume sales were down -9.6% and prices were up +13.9%. Like-forlike sales were +7.9% higher for September 2022, which benefit ed from an extra day compared to September 2021. Nine of the twelve categories sold more

including Renewables & Water Saving (+62.6%) and Workwear & Safetywear (+32.5%).

Total value sales in September 2022 were +28.3% higher than the same month three years ago, with no difference in trading days. Elev en of the twelve categories sold more than September 2019.

September sales, Month-onMonth

Compared to the previous month, September 2022 total merchant sales were marginally down (-0.5%) compared to August. Volume sales were flat (+0.1%) and prices fell -0.6%. Half of the 12 categories sold more, again led by Renewables & Water Saving (+28.2%).

Last 12 months

Sales in the 12 months from Octo ber 2021 to September 2022 were +9.5% higher than in the same 12 months a year earlier. Volume sales were -5.6% lower and price +16.0% higher. All categories sold more. Renewables & Water Saving (+23.1%) was higher than other categories while Kitchens & Bathrooms (+17.9%) also grew strongly. Landscaping (+2.9%) was weakest.

www.bmbi.co.uk

First Fall In Sales Since 2020

strong Historic Sales, 54% on net balance, which is stronger than Members reported in Q2.

As recipients completed the State of Trade Survey in early October, forecasts will be viewed in light of Kwasi Kwarteng’s mini-budget revealed on the 23rd September.

With the mini-budget in mind, looking forward the outlook is not as optimistic with 15% of Mem bers on net balance expecting a fall in sales in the next quarter and only 8% on net balance in dicating a growth in sales for the year ahead. This shows a dra matic change in outlook since Q2 where Members forecast 52% growth on net balance for the next quarter and 38% growth on net balance for the year ahead.

It would be expected that fore casts could bounce back as the UK government appears to have stabilised the financial markets with an emergency statement by the new chancellor, Jeremy Hunt on the 17th October.

Sales Volumes – Quar ter-on-Quarter, the majority of Members, 54%, are reporting an increase of over 5% growth, only 15% of Members report ed a reduction in sales of up to 5%. This shows a little softening over Q2 where 67% of Members reported an increase, quarter on quarter, of over 5%. Sales Vol umes – Year-on-Year continue to show strong increases.

By Phil Slinger –CAB Chief Executive

The Construction Products Asso ciation (CPA) have reported that, on net balance, 12% of ‘heavy side’ firms saw sales fall in Q3, the first quarterly fall since the pandemic-related restrictions were introduced in 2020 Q2. The Construction Industry has seen a two year sustained growth in the sector with demand the likely

constraining factor in the year ahead. On the upside, inflationary pressures showed signs of easing but remained high for fuel and energy requirements.

A fall in sales for heavy side firms would indicate a reduction in project starts and as fenestration requirements can be up to twelve months from project starts, CAB Members are still reporting

Historic Unit Costs remain high for all construction product com panies, but do show a slight softening over Q2 figures. Expected Unit Costs are forecast by all companies to remain high for the next quarter and year head.

Energy costs remains the biggest influence on Cost Factors with Members reporting increases 100% on net balance. Fuel costs have softened a little since Q2 where it was reported as the

biggest influence at 100% on net balance. Third most influential, Wages & Salaries has softened a little since Q2 falling back to 77% on net balance.

Likely Constraints on Activity

Over the Next 12 Months report ed during 2022, remains product Demand. This has increased over the year from 46% of respond ents in Q1 to 77% in Q3 indi cating uncertain times ahead for Members.

Historic Capacity Utilisation, members reporting operating above 90%of capacity has grown since Q1 from 23% to 54% in Q3 quarter on quarter. Expect ed Capacity Utilisation looking to the next quarter 38% and year 46% of members reporting operating above 90% of capacity indicates reasonable long term order books. Members Expected Capacity Utilisation is just slight ly ahead of that reported by the wide Construction Industry.

The pressure on labour costs has softened slightly with a reducing number of Members on balance reporting increases, however, pressures remain and 85% of Members on balance see this as an ongoing concern. Members fears of increases in labour costs is ahead of the wider Construc tion Industry suggesting a lack of an available skilled labour pool.

In Q1 and Q2 Capital Investment on net balance has centralised on Product Improvement, in Q3 this has changed and now the emphasis both in the past year and year ahead, is centralised in Plant & Equipment. This could be as result of pressures on reducing costs by introducing more energy efficient machinery. This is supported by the fact that members have also increased their Capital Expenditure in prop erty growing from 33% in Q1 and Q2 to 50% of Members on net balance in Q3.

www.c-a-b.org.uk

Mercury Rising

Specialist fabricator Mercury Glazing has reported a yearon-year growth of 18% with the company achieving its highest ever monthly sales figure in September. Steve Cross, Mer cury’s director, said: “We are delighted to be reporting such strong sales growth especial ly against the backdrop of so much market uncertainty. The economic situation is undoubt edly choppy so this is no time for complacency, but it’s impor tant to observe these figures.”

Steve says the company’s on going success is down to three clear factors.

The first is its strong portfolio of specialist products across PVC-U and aluminium. Steve comments: “We have a 20-year track record for manufacturing high-end specialist products. They are typically installed in the high value commercial and residential projects that are less affected by economic turbu lence. And history shows that ‘heritage’ and high-end prod ucts tend to be protected during economic downturns.”

The second is the strict manu facturing protocols the company has in place. Steve says: “High end products mean you need to be laser-focused when it comes to product quality. There’s no room to cut corners and we never forget this. When you buy from Mercury you’re buying the reassurance of attention to de tail you can rely on.”

Lastly, it’s investment in plant and people. The company is committed to continuous investment to ensure it has state-of-the-art manufacturing processes. Steve comments: “Technology is advancing the whole time and we keep our finger on the pulse to ensure we are using the best machines that deliver the best in quality. When you add in the expertise and experience of our staff, it’s a winning proposition.”

Mercury Glazing is in the middle of a four-year plan for growth. As these latest sales figures show, it remains well on course.

www.mercuryglazing.co.uk

Sternfenster Strikes Gold

“We are absolutely delighted to have won this Gold award, and it is a real reflection of the hard work and investment shown by our senior leadership, and also by each and every colleague who has stepped up to the plate and developed their role within the business,” Sternfenster’s MD Mike Parczuk said.

“People are the most important thing in any business. Without them, we are just [a] large factory with lots of nice machines and big lorries. Our focus over the last two years has been to make sure that we have structures and processes in place so that every person –whether they’re on the shop floor, in the offices, or out in the field –understands what’s expected of them. And that has really paid off!”

Sternfenster has won a Gold Investors in People (IIP) Award –putting it in the global top 23% of all IIP-assessed businesses – demonstrating the trade fab ricator’s ongoing commitment

to improving the skills within the business, and the service levels they offer its customers.

The company now rubs shoulders with other Gold winners, such as

Sternfenster achieved Silver IIP status in October 2020, which in itself was a recognition of a deter mination by the trade fabricator to embed training and development into every aspect of the business. To achieve Gold standard just two

Wilmott Dixon, Sainsbury’s and the Wates Group.

years later is highly unusual, and puts the company in the top 23% of all 50,215 IIP-assessed busi nesses globally.

Sales director Nathan Court said that by setting personal profes sional development goals for all Sternfenster’s colleagues creates an environment where the ultimate winner is the customer.

“It’s all about empowering the wider team,” Nathan said. “At the core of everything we do are our Family Principles: a set of values and that shape and underpin our actions, behaviours, and attitudes in helping us achieve our Compa ny vision.

“Our colleagues are assessed on a regular basis to make sure that their goals are being attained and that’s all within the framework of trying to achieve our wider vision. And we know when it works be cause we hit our key performance indicators, and you can only do that when you have everybody across the entire organisation pull ing in the same direction. And an engaged team results in a better service for our customers.”

A training and development framework details what is expect ed from Sternfenster’s employees, and what they should expect from the company, and it is this twoway dialogue that allows interaction with suppliers and customers to shine according to customer service manager Sam Cannon.

“The teams I manage – the quot ing team, the batching team, the Starglaze retail team – all commu nicate directly to people from outside the business,” she said. “Our IIP Silver Award helped to win and retain quality colleagues, which makes us better as a company and improves the service we offer our customers.

“Our Gold Award will only improve this further.”

www.sternfenster.com

Predicted Upturn Confirmed By Carl F Groupco

Independent hardware distributor Carl F Groupco has reported a 45% increase in demand for trickle vents following the amendments to Part F of Building Regulations in June.

John Crittenden, managing direc tor of the company, said: “We’re not surprised to be reporting these increased sales figures because they mean the requirements of the new Part F of Building Regulations are bedding in. The changes mean that trickle vents are by far the most cost-effective way to achieve compliance with the ventilation requirements, so we always predict ed a sharp increase in demand.”

Carl F Groupco’s customers are benefiting from the company’s commitment to maintaining en hanced stock levels across its ranges. It holds stocks of trickle vents from some of the top brands including Glazpart, Greenwood, RW Simon and Yale.

John commented: “It’s important to stress that trickle vents are the most cost-effective way of meet

ing the new Part F requirement, which is mandatory. Whether it is a home extension, new build or replacement windows, the major ity of installations will need to be fitted with trickle vents. By holding strong stock levels across multi ple providers, we are making it as easy as possible for customers to comply with the regulations.”

The company is renowned for its proactive approach that adds value to its customers’ busi nesses. It took the lead in raising awareness of the requirements of the new Part F legislation, claims the company, and continues to support its customers by holding strong stocks of Part F-compliant products.

John concludes: “The industry has taken some time to adjust to the changes of Part F of the Building Regulations, but as our increase in trickle vent sales confirms, the changes are now bedding in well.”

www.carlfgroupco.co.uk www.smartsecure.co.uk www.carlfdirect.co.uk

The DGCOS Partnership Is Ideal For Installers

The Double Glazing and Con servatory Ombudsman Scheme (DGCOS) is recognised as being a consumer champion, having already helped hundreds of thou sands of consumers. But it’s not just consumers who can reap the benefits provided by the Scheme, as they have also provided hun dreds of fenestration businesses a critical point of difference, because when you are a DGCOS installer, you are committed to complying with high standards of consumer protection.

Ideal Window Solutions is a DG COS member who has operated in the Installer market for over 25 years, working on new build developments with housebuild ers, as well as domestic and retail installation for general consumers.

A founding member since 2010, Ideal Window Solutions has over 12 years of association with DG COS and has protected over 6,500 customers.

When asked the benefits of be ing a member, Thom Emerson, sales and marketing director of Ideal Window Solutions explains: “I believe as a company that we really are a consumer champion, we work very hard to be com municative and transparent with our customers, but as with many construction projects, disputes do occur. Having a professional body to go to that you have absolute faith in to mediate any issues is so important for both our business and the homeowner. DGCOS works with us to support both sides of the argument, afford

ing us the opportunity to supply evidence, particularly if we believe we have already tried to right any wrongs. The professionalism of the people at DGCOS is second to none, and we can be rest assured that any situation, big or small, will be brought to conclusion with the best possible results.

“We’ve had very few situations that have been taken all the way to litigation, thankfully. It is ex pensive, even if you do win, and I strongly believe one of the main reasons for this is the support we get from DGCOS. They have helped us to put good contracts in place that are solid and robust and have managed to mitigate any complaints before they escalate.

“You don’t need to be doing unique projects with unusual requirements to benefit from their assistance, as DGCOS is also there for the everyday, ordinary work too. We take full advantage of their installer journey benefits, lifting the lid on our business –our financials, our contracts, our procedures – for DGCOS to gain insight into where we can improve. If you take this support, you will improve and it will, ultimately, make you more profitable. In my

mind, they are the Rolls Royce of consumer protection.”

Faisal Hussain concludes: “Ideal Window Solutions is an ‘ideal’ member for DGCOS. Like us, the people behind the brand believe in doing the right thing and most importantly, they care. They are a great example of what is good in our industry and this is proven in the successes we’ve seen in their dispute resolution results.”

This conversation took place as part of a series of industry pod casts hosted by DGCOS. You can listen to the full podcast via their website www.dgcos.org. uk/news/the-ideal-partner-for-in stallers or by following DGCOS on Spotify: open.spotify.com/ep isode/1pXjrEXBI7Y7pnoTYMMT SY?si=sPTogDnWRpynAoiwoyjIsA www.dgcos.org.uk

Following on from Maco’s dual an nouncements of their attendance at FIT Show in 2023 and the Maco Innovation Tour taking place in the weeks leading up to the industry’s leading exhibition, they have now announced a location of one of the stops that the Innovation Tour will be taking.

The Maco Innovation Tour sees Maco bring their solutions and in novations on the road in the truest sense of the word. Touring across Europe in a state of the art, carbon offset exhibition lorry, the tour will reach the UK In May 2023.

With 5 exclusive events across the UK, the tour spans three weeks leading up to the FIT Show where

the exhibition truck will depart to continue on its next stop as part of the European tour.

The first location released by Maco as one of their stops will be at the impressive National Space Centre in Leicester.

Representing a place of excel lence and innovation, the loca tion is said to align with Maco’s brand values and solutions, of which a new product will be a huge part of the tour.

Maco is set to release the re maining locations, tour route and booking details to be able to visit the exhibition truck, very soon, says the company. www.macouk.net

200K Extension Investment Key

To Hurst Growth

Hurst Doors has invested £200K in a new 430sqm extension to its 50K sq ft manufacturing facility in Hull to enable a greater consisten cy of service in its dispatch of PVC panels and composite doors.

The investment is in response to five years of growth that has seen the business almost double in size, moving from manufacturing ap proximately 1700 panels per week to over 3500 and from around 200 composite doors to 500.

The new building, which will reduce the energy required for heating and lighting, will house the finished goods storage and distri bution area, providing up to 1000 panel spaces and 500 composite door spaces and a dedicated load ing area to load Hurst’s dedicated fleet of 24 vans overnight.

The extension will also house the maintenance department and a small machining area featuring two CNC routers for preparing MDF cores and PVC skins.

Kevin Wheatman, Hurst’s director and general manager, explained: “Almost doubling in size saw our factory space get very congested, very quickly, with dispatch en croaching on manufacturing, while our fleet of vans also doubled from 12 to 24.

“Creating the additional space has enabled us to increase our finished goods storage capacity for both panels and composite by over 25%. The freed-up space will also allow for an additional 30 bay stor age area as well as further capacity in composite production for 100 more doors per week.”

Other benefits include an improved 3m production line layout, both for storage of raw materials and line feed access, improving health and safety and production efficiency, and the relocation of the packaging of Composite and Panels to nearer the dispatch area.

Hurst’s investment is set to im prove its service to customers and provide the company with the means for further growth.

“We have built our reputation on our OTIF and have recovered to an OTIF of 99.8% on panels and 97% on composites, and, while we have hit those targets, this invest ment will make it easier to achieve them and reassure customers that we are doing everything we can to increase and ensure consistency of service,” added Kevin.

“The additional space will also allow for future investment in the plant and equipment to facilitate the composite production process, improving both efficiency and reducing costs, giving us scope to grow capacity and the business even further.”

www.hurstdoors.co.uk

Leads 2 Trade Sees 29% Increase In Double Glazing Consumer Interest

Leads 2 Trade has seen a big rise in customer interest in double glaz ing for the last few months when compared to this time last year.

The provider of double qualified sales leads for companies oper ating in the home improvement industry saw a 29% increase in customer interest and a 41% increase in the number of appoint ments booked for their installers in the same period.

Andy Royle, co-founder and director of the Stockport-based company, commented: “Consum er interest is still high despite the cost-of-living crisis, and these results should give installers confi dence.

“Both a 29% increase in turning customer enquiries into business and a 41% increase in appoint ments arranged for our members means that it’s far from doom and gloom. With windows and doors being vulnerable places for heat to escape, homeowners have under standably been looking at upgrad ing them to help keep their energy bills down.

“Installers are not getting as many leads from their self-generating efforts and with order and quote books drying up we are seeing

more installers joining our net work.”

Leads 2 Trade has been connect ing homeowners looking to replace their windows or doors with trusted double glazing installers in their local area from its Trusted Local Supplier network since 2006

For consumers, all leads are dou ble qualified from its websites by Leads 2 Trade’s in-house call cen tre, and for installers, the compa ny’s guaranteed appointment, ‘no pitch no fee,’ leads mean installers only pay for the lead if they sit and pitch it so come with zero risk, says the company.

Andy added: “In terms of enquiries and leads double glazing has been very consistent and high-ticket items such as conservatory roofs haven’t really shown any signs of slowing down. We are not far off seeing the pre-covid levels of 2019 which is hugely positive.

“That’s good news for installers and they must take advantage, particularly as 80% of our leads are now pre-booked appointments because it reduces no shows and is more cost effective, typically achieving a 1:3 conversion to sale with a cost of sale as low as 8%.”

https://bit.ly/3WZfPZs

Direct Trade Windows Celebrates 21 Year Milestone

Trade supplier Direct Trade Windows is celebrating its 21st anniversary this year, marking an important milestone for the Slough-based company.

Originally manufacturing PVC, Direct Trade Windows opened its doors in 2001, and has since come on leaps and bounds.

Today, the company now ex clusively manufactures steellook aluminium, and works from a state-of-the-art factory.

Since switching to aluminium, Direct Trade has always sup plied a wide range of Smart products, including the Smart Alitherm Heritage range, Smart AluSpace interior doors, VS600 aluminium vertical sash windows, Smart EcoFutural commercial windows, as well as Visofold 6000 slim bi-fold doors.

In 2018, the company added Cortizo products to its offering, including casement windows, the COR Vision sliding door, and 4600 lift and slide.

www.directtradewindows.co.uk

Insight Data Reveals 9% Drop In UK Fenestration Companies

Data specialists, Insight Data, re veal a 9% drop in UK fenestration companies in the last six years.

Analysis of the organisation’s fenestration database found almost one in ten (9%) companies have ceased trading between 2017 and 2022, with the total number of fabricators and installers reducing from 15,099 to 13,7491.

Alex Tremlett, operations manager at Insight Data, said: “The home improvement industry has faced many challenges in the last few years, and unfortunately our data shows some companies have been unable to survive the fallout caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Whether a company has folded, restructured, merged or changed strategy to stay ahead, suppliers may find their well-established re

lationships could be disappearing.

“This means, companies could be unknowingly wasting time, mon ey and resources marketing their products and services to those lead decision-makers who have actually changed role or organisa tion.”

To help reduce the risk of this hap pening, Insight Data has developed a specialist database of the leading fenestration companies to simplify pinpointing prospects during these challenging times.

“Our fenestration database now holds contact information for 20,000 decision-makers within 13,750 fabricators and installers, giving suppliers into the glass and glazing sector unprecedented mar ket intelligence.

“While the number of fabricators and installers has declined over the past few years, our team has suc cessfully managed to increase the number of senior decision maker contacts we hold by 7%. In just six years the contacts have grown from 18,625 to 20,000 meaning our clients have more opportunities to promote and sell their products and services than ever before.”2

All of the data accessed with Insight Data contains a host of valuable business and financial in formation including what products each company manufactures, its turnover, credit rating and more.

“With Insight Data, all of the key information needed to see if a company is a worthwhile pros pect is available at your fingertips, helping our clients to make better business decisions.”

The other databases available through Insight Data include local builders, architects and specifiers, builders merchants and construc tion file, which contains a range of construction industry companies such as main contractors, house builders and property developers.

Alex adds: “Our dedicated team of researchers work tirelessly to make sure that our databases have the most up-to-date information. As a result, each one continues to grow and I would encourage any supplier looking to target local builders, architects or the wider construction industry to get in touch.”

www.insightdata.co.uk

1: 15,099 companies recorded on Insight Data fenestration database in 2017. 13,749 companies record ed on Insight Data fenestration database in 2022. Total difference is a drop of 8.94%.

2: Contacts listed on the fenes tration database are recorded by Insight Data. 18,625 records were recorded in 2017, while in 2022 this figure increased to 20,000 creating a total increase of 7%.

Celebrating 15 Years Of Insight Data

Data specialist, Insight Data, is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year, marking a key milestone for the company.

Introduced to the industry in 2007, Insight Data was the first market research company dedicated to collecting in-depth informa tion about the window, door and conservatory sectors, claims the company.

Always keen to adapt and evolve the product to meet increasing demand, Insight Data’s Salestrack er system has come a long way throughout the years.

In 2011, just four years after launching, the Insight Data team transformed the Salestracker soft ware into a fully functioning CRM, providing up-to-date industry data live and in real-time.

Andrew Scott, founder and man aging director of Insight Data, said: “Our system was a real revolution that dramatically changed suppli ers’ sales and marketing strate gies.

“For the first time in the industry’s history, data was updated auto matically – offering customers unrivalled market intelligence.”

GQA Warns Of Fake CSCS Cards In Circulation

GQA Qualifications has identi fied a new style of fake CSCS card that is currently in circu lation, and site managers are urged to be extra vigilant when granting access to construction sites.

Fake cards are not a new phe nomenon, and the vigilance of construction site management teams can prevent unqualified workers from gaining access to their sites when they present a fake card.

The fake card currently in cir culation can be identified due to the poor quality of the GQA logo, the different style of CSCS hologram (coloured instead of silver), fonts and text align ment, and the clarity of the background on the card design, though to the untrained eye the fake card may pass initial scru tiny.

The problem is made worse by the fact that the fraudsters behind the scam have also developed a background web site which provides training and qualifications records for the individual named on the card, meaning when the QR code on the card is scanned it appears to link back to genuine records.

To combat this fraud, and to ensure that only properly quali fied workers are able to access site, GQA recommends the use of the recently released CSCS Smart Check app where site safety management teams can scan the QR code with the knowledge they will not be di rected to fraudulent websites.

For further information or to report a fake GQA card, please contact GQA on 0114 2720033 or email info@gqaqualifications.com

More Product Development & Support At VBH

VBH has reported an expansion in the levels of technical support that they offer customers.

Business development director Rob Norman is responsible for both the new product develop ment team and technical team.

Rob says, ”The two teams share an office space in Gillingham, working in tandem to develop our new greenteQ products, and also collaborating with our key third party suppliers to develop their products for the UK market. The guys on the tech side offer support, both from the office and on site, to our customers and partners. We currently have seven members, with the recent addition of Ross Childs, which we are very pleased about.”

Rob Norman

Ross Childs

Ross Childs has 13 years hard ware experience, including 8 years involvement in product testing, and will be heavily involved in VBH’s Kitemark test programme with BSi, as well as looking after the facilities at VBH Gillingham, that include a neutral salt spray booth.

VBH advise that these new fa cilities are an integral part of the development process of additions to the greenteQ range. Rob says, “The recent level of investment that VBH has put into our depart ment has been high, but this will be recovered many times over as we are able to bring products to market very efficiently. Having local facilities, rather than relying on our team in the Far East, means that we retain control of the develop ment process.

“In addition to the appointment of Ross, the customer support side of our technical team is also being expanded further, as we are seeking to recruit another exter nal technical support engineer to support both our customers and sales team with on-site hardware demonstrations. It’s a great time to take on the management of the VBH Tech and NPD teams!” www.vbhgb.com

A Third Wouldn’t Report Fire Door Safety Issues

A third (32%) of the British public would not re port a problem with a fire door, with a perceived lack of personal repercussions being one of the main reasons for not reporting, new research to mark Fire Door Safety Week (31 October – 4 No vember 2022) has found.

Organisers of Fire Door Safety Week say the find ings show that there is a “clear lack of account ability” over reporting fire door issues, and that lives are being put at risk as a result.

Despite three quarters (75%) correctly believing that propping a fire door open stops it perform ing its role in the event of a fire, 44% wouldn’t take action over a propped open fire door as they wouldn’t know who to report it to, and almost half (49%) do not feel it’s their place or role to report it.

Helen Hewitt, CEO of the British Woodwork ing Federation which founded Fire Door Safety Week, said: “There were 243 fire-related fatalities in England in the past 12 months¹, so individual action really is crucial in preventing tragedies. Fire doors propped open put lives at risk in the unfortunate event of a fire. Without being proper ly closed, a fire door cannot hold back the spread of fire and smoke to fulfil its life-saving role.”

The research showed that propped open fire doors are a common occurrence, with 10% of respondents having seen a propped open fire door in their place of residence on some occasions and 20% in the workplace. It also identified that the two most common objects used to prop open a fire door are a wedge and a fire extinguisher.

Concerningly, 31% incorrectly believed that a fire door that was propped open with a wedge or a fire extinguisher was safe and 18% didn’t believe a propped open fire door poses a risk to those in the building so wouldn’t take action. Not only was a propped open fire door incorrectly deemed as safe, but 15% believed that keeping a fire door closed stops it performing, highlighting a lack of understanding around the role fire doors

play in the event of a fire.

Gavin Tomlinson, National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) Chair for Protection and Business Safety said, “We urge everyone to help keep buildings and their occupants safe and Close the Door on Fire. A fire door can only protect from fire and smoke if it is closed. We ask that if people see a fire door propped open, they close it. It’s a simple ask that could save a life.

“Everyone has a role in ensuring their buildings remain safe from fire, and if you have any con cerns, then please ensure these are reported to the building owner or person responsible for the fire safety of that building. If it continues to be a problem or you are concerned about fire doors in a building, you can contact your fire service for advice and support.”

The research also found a lack of understanding over what constitutes a safe fire door. Alarmingly, 44% believed that either: a fire door is a normal door covered in fire-resistant paint (13%), a fire door is a normal door but with ‘fire door’ signage (13%), or that any timber door was a fire door

(7%).

Helen Hewitt added: “There is clearly still a dan gerous lack of understanding and need for edu cation on the role of fire doors. The encouraging news is that when people are better informed about fire doors, they’re more likely to report issues. Half (49%) of respondents said having a better understanding over what fire doors do and how they work would encourage them to take action.

“To Close the Door on Fire, this year’s Fire Door Safety Week campaign aims to help address the lack of education and accountability around fire doors and reporting. This will be a crucial step in reinforcing the message that a closed fire door can be the difference between life and death and driving positive action to reduce fire-related fatal ities.”

For more information on Fire Door Safety Week, visit: https://www.firedoorsafetyweek.co.uk/

¹ National statistics: Fire and rescue incident sta tistics: England, year ending September 2021

Increased Capacity, Increased Efficiencies And New Jobs

Freefoam Building Products has announced the arrival of two addi tional new extrusion lines to their production plant in Northampton.

Supplied by Austrian company Greiner Extrusion, the new lines will increase production capacity by 12.5%. With continued expan sion, a growing customer base and increased turnover, Freefoam says this significant investment further underpins the company’s commit ment to remain at the forefront of PVC extrusion capability in the UK.

“We’ve been planning this addition to our facility for many months and I’m very pleased to see our plans come to fruition. These new lines will increase capacity of our pro duction of PVC fascia, soffit and gutter products and allow us to

operate more efficiently,” explained Geoff Barnett, Freefoam’s general manager

“We have a long and successful relationship with Greiner and by choosing these new lines to work alongside our existing extruders we can make significant efficien cies. We follow and embrace lean principles of manufacture and this standardisation across the production plant allows complete interchangeability between lines. It maximises the benefits of trans ferable skills, tooling and spares in order to keep lines continually running and minimise down time.”

The new lines will also bring new jobs. Operating a 24/7 production facility means an extra 5 team members will be joining Freefoam,

making a total of 154 now em ployed in Northampton. Freefoam says it is committed to continuous improvement and max imising efficiencies and these two new lines form part of these devel opments. Alongside a wide range of other infrastructure projects around the manufacturing and mixing plant site in Northampton, these changes will ensure Free foam production facilities are fit for purpose now, and in to the future.

“We have ambitious growth plans over the next 2 -3 years,” com mented Colin St John, commercial director, “and we need to ensure we have the infrastructure in place to meet these ambitions and the demands of our customers. This investment will allow us to plan ahead and maximise production capacity to future proof our busi ness. I’m particularly pleased to be bringing new jobs to Northampton. We run our entire UK production, distribution and sales operation from this site and we bring a whole range of professional, administra tive, skilled and semi-skilled roles to the local economy.”

www.freefoam.com

GGF Facilitates Future Homes Standard Discussion

Insight Data

Celebrate 10-Year Partnership With Sliders UK

PVC-U door fabricator Sliders UK, has strengthened its partnership with Insight Data following 10 years of successful and sustained business together.

Beedel

In the continued drive to achieve net zero by 2050, the Glass and Glazing Federation (GGF) has fa cilitated a meeting with its mem bers and representatives from the Department of Levelling Up Housing and Communities (DLU HC) to discuss the Future Homes Standard.

Kevin Jones, senior technical officer at the GGF explains: “The Future Homes Standard is a set of requirements that will comple ment Building Regulations to ensure new homes built from 2025 will produce significantly less carbon emissions than homes delivered under current regulations. The plan is to use low carbon heating and world-lead ing levels of energy efficiency to achieve the ambitious targets.

“The recent amendments to Parts F, L, and the introduction of Part O, that had to be implemented by 15th June 2022, were the first stage of this project, but there is more to come. This recent meeting was set up to deliberate a roadmap for energy efficient windows and doors both now and in the future. GGF members

provided real data for the meeting which enabled two-way discus sions to take place ahead of the consultation that is expected to launch in the spring of next year. The initial modelling from Govern ment will start later this year and further meetings will likely take place to discuss the important part glazing will play in the whole house approach.”

Chris Beedel, head of govern ment advocacy adds: “This was a crucial meeting with DLUHC to ensure that the glazing industry is part of discussions about the potential opportunities that lie ahead, as well as the transitions that would be required to deliver change.”

Kevin concludes: “There is nothing more frustrating than new leg islation being implemented that isn’t in the best interests of the market. Unfortunately, this hap pens all too often when indus try and government don’t work together. The GGF is determined to ensure the glazing industry has a voice through genuinely collab orative meetings such as this.” www.ggf.org.uk

Sliders UK originally signed up for the fenestration database in 2012 and has since grown on its repu tation as a supplier of aluminium windows, bi-folding, sliding patio and composite doors.

As well as having access to over 13,700 records on the exclusive fenestration database, Sliders UK has also recently signed up to Insight Data’s specialist email mar keting platform, known as STEM.

Grant Harvey, Sliders UK’s market ing manager said: “Salestracker is an excellent platform and a vital tool to our sales team. The system is very easy to use, but when I did require some guidance and assis tance, the support I received from Insight Data was outstanding.”

“We are incredibly proud to contin ue working alongside Sliders UK, which has become an expert in their sector,” explains Aaron Sol omon, sales executive at Insight Data.

“With our real-time data, we have been able to work hand-in-hand with them, ensuring they pinpoint high-quality prospects”.

www.insightdata.co.uk

Aaron Solomon

Chris

GGF’s Finger On The Pulse Keeps Members Compliant

say the new windows aren’t better than the old, just that they offer a similar level of airtightness.

The tests themselves take less than half an hour to complete and the installer and homeowner can be provided with the results immediately upon completion. The testing will initially be rolled out across the South and South East of England from the 21st Novem ber 2022 with the intention to expand the service to all members from the 1st January 2023.

“Many installers have managed to meet the new regulations by offering the necessary addi tional ventilation, but there are still circumstances whereby the requirement for extra vents are losing sales. Perhaps because of a previous bad experience on the part of the homeowner, or per haps other installers have already convinced the consumer more ventilation is not a good thing. For these situations, pulse testing is a good alternative way to prove compliance.

“We have meticulously researched the available technology for this type of testing and found a solu tion that is quick, simple, safe, repeatable, and usable in an occupied home. Fully accredited testing with this equipment is now available to installers in the South and South East of the country but will be rolled out further afield early in the new year. Bookings can be made at https://bit.ly/3TPo2wp and GGF and Fensa members can enjoy discounted rates for the service.”

Following much speculation on the Approved Document F legislation regarding trickle vents, the Glass and Glazing Federation (GGF) has announced that bookings are now open for a new service that will help installers prove compliance once and for all.

“The introduction of pulse test

ing allows fitters to show the airtightness of a building pre and post installation,” expands Dave Mechem, director of inspection & assessment. “If the reading doesn’t change, which we have found is often the case when like for like PVC-U windows are installed, there is no need for additional ventilation. That’s not to

Dave concludes: “It’s not always easy to decipher complex legisla tion, let alone prove compliance, which is why we want to support our members to do just that. We’re not suggesting installers don’t offer extra ventilation, but we do believe it’s important to have an alternative so that reluctant home owners don’t miss out on new windows, and installers don’t miss out on valuable sales.”

The best looking lantern on the market just got a whole lot more secure, with the introduction of a new SBD upgrade option. With slim 50mm sightlines, and end caps that run perfectly in line with the perimeter of the lantern, Thermlock® technology also ensures it’s one of the most thermally efficient too. Available in bar length and kits, give us a call to try out the S1 lantern on your next project.

A Stellar Extension For Capital Windows

Specialist fabricator Capital Win dows has signed a new three-year supply agreement with Epwin Win dow Systems. Peter Adams, general manager at Capital Windows, said: “We chose Stellar because we were impressed with the unique flush aesthetics of the aluminium system which offered something very different. The market certain ly agrees – as demand for Stellar from our customers continues to rise and we have secured multiple high-value projects as a result of the system’s impressive credentials

and high-end appeal.”

Stellar offers a fully flush window, with flush detailing inside and out. This is achieved thanks to the patented Reverse Butt Joint, that means no dummy sashes or re verse adaptor profiles are needed. And thanks to the system’s intelli gent design protocols, it easily met the requirements of the new Part L legislation and has the added ben efit of being ready for the proposed amendments to Approved Docu ment Q too, claims the company.

Peter said: “We have been very impressed with the clear com munication from Epwin Window Systems concerning the changes to the Building Regulations. The information supplied was expertly executed and clear to understand, which ensured we were ahead of the market for manufacturing compliance.”

Capital Windows manufactures the full range of Stellar products including the new Stellar Slimline Bifold door and the New Stellar Tilt and Turn window. Peter said: “The latest products are packed with unique features. For example, the new Stellar Slimline Bifold door benefits from tailed glazing gaskets and an under-glass seal which breaks up the cavities behind and under the glass to enhance the thermal performance. And instal lation is quick due to the unique patent-pending adjustable locking stile, so the clearance between the lock and keep can be adjusted to take up cutting tolerances, elimi nating the need for adjustable door jambs.”

Peter also highlights the unique aesthetics of the system as a significant selling point. He said: ”Stellar is a straightforward system to sell into the domestic mar ket. Consumers are immediately impressed by the flush aesthetics and appreciate its modern, contemporary appeal. And installers find it so easy to fit thanks to the pre-gasketed clip in beads which dramatically speeds up installation.”

Peter concludes: “While the market may be slowing, we remain busy with a strong pipeline of high-end Stellar projects. Our ambition has always been to provide cut ting-edge products supported by exceptional service from an im pressive team. And by partnering with Epwin Window Systems, we are on target to meet this ambi tion.”

www.epwinwindowsystems.co.uk

A Gladiatorial Showroom Opening For Endurance

Pyramid Profiles Join Veka’s Independent Network

With the help from Hunter from 90’s TV series Gladiators, Endur ance Doors have opened a new showroom in Brigg, North Lincoln shire to help drive consumer sales in the local market, formed as a basis for Installer Partner product training, whilst also providing a physical platform for marketing launches and activities

This new ‘cutting-edge’ retail environment for entrance doors is located separately to the manufacturing facility, but still within Brigg, North Lincolnshire. It features sev en doors in total from across the Endurance range, along with wall mounted hardware boards, colour swatches and even a super-sized interactive digital board. The doors include two from the Classic, Country and Urban Collections, along with a new ultra-premium Avantal doorset which is already generating considerable interest.

Consultations can be booked on line with a design consultant, whilst

the virtual showroom also gives web visitors a taste of this new retail investment by Endurance. It also fully reflects the consumer marketing strategy that underpins the Endurance Doors brand too.

Stephen Nadin, managing director of Endurance Doors said: “This isn’t a typical trade only showroom, but a cutting edge, premium retail environment. We feel this is the perfect opportunity to develop new marketing ideas, provide both online and face to face design consultations and generate high quality leads for our Installer Part ners in our immediate area.

“It was fitting to bring Hunter back for the day to open the new retail showroom and we’ll be looking to have him back again to revis it the sledgehammer test. He’s got through a GRP door, another timber composite, but not yet one of ours!”

endurancedoors.co.uk

PVCu fabricator Pyramid Profiles has joined Veka’s Independent Network to further increase its level of customer support. Inde pendent Network is a long-es tablished scheme supporting installers to ensure that all Veka products are fitted to the highest standards.

Manufacturing PVCu windows and doors since 1995, Pyramid Profiles is a leading Veka Halo fabricator, supplying Halo Sys tem 10, Rustique Sculptured and Flush Sash to installers across the UK.

Veka’s Independent Network adds an extra dimension to Pyr amid Profiles’ customer support package, including a 10-year Insurance Backed Guarantee on installations, lead generation from the inveka.co.uk website, plus comprehensive marketing and business tools.

“We’ve been supplying the trade with PVCu windows and doors since 1995 and started using Veka products around six years ago and we haven’t looked back,” says Paul Bailey, manag ing director at Pyramid Profiles.

www.pyramid-profiles.co.uk

Veka Signs Up to Support Building Our Skills

Building Our Skills – Making Fenestration, Glass and Glazing a Career of Choice has won the support of Veka plc. The PVCu window systems manufacturer is to take part in two of the campaign’s programmes in order to help it attract new recruits into the industry, and even the company’s MD is personally getting involved.

The next few months will see Veka active in Building Our Skills’ ‘In spiring the Future’ campaign and new ‘Inspiration Days’ programme. The Inspiring the Future Campaign asks employers to go into schools and talk to young learners about the possibilities for their future ca reers and what they could achieve. It is intended to make both them and teachers more aware of the broad range of career paths on offer in the fenestration industry. Veka plc MD, Neil Evans, is setting

a great example by taking part in school visits.

The Inspiration Days initiative is designed to open up industry factories and facilities for school visits. The programme has been devised in order to enable young people to see first-hand what goes on inside businesses. It gives them the opportunity to talk to employ ees and see what job roles are on offer. The process can inspire them at a time when they are working out which career path to choose.

Commenting on the company’s pledge to support Building Our Skills, Veka’s MD Neil Evans, said: “Attracting new recruits is abso lutely the right thing to do in order to help address the industry’s skills shortage, and reaching young learners of school age is a key part of achieving this. Here at Veka we

share Building Our Skills’ aims of showing young people what working in the industry is all about and demonstrating the wealth of roles on offer. I’m firmly behind staff members going into schools to talk to pupils as a great way of inspiring them and hopefully getting them to choose the fenes tration industry when they’re ready to make their career choice. That’s why I’m doing my bit. In addition, we’re looking forward to demon strating the opportunities that the industry affords by hosting school visits.

“I would encourage other com panies to get involved in Building Our Skills’ Inspiration Days and Inspiring the Future programmes. Throw open your doors to young learners and encourage your staff to visit schools. Let’s all get behind Building Our Skills’ admirable work in order to help future-proof our industry.”

Mark Handley, Building Our Skills’ partnerships manager added: “We’re so grateful to Veka for its support. The company is a pres tigious leader in its field, and I’m confident that its partnership with us will inspire other fenestration industry employers to follow suit.

“I believe that the sky’s the limit in this industry for anyone with a decent work ethic and willingness to learn through the right training. We’ve heard so much over the past few years from people in the industry about the skills short ages. It’s sad and it’s frustrating, because there’s such a huge variety of roles available, and a big part of the problem is that so many would-be employees just don’t know about them. For the vast majority of youngsters they’re unaware of what’s on offer. So many people think that this indus try is only about selling windows! The reality is there are over 50 career paths available, and Veka’s involvement will help to communi cate this fact to young people.” buildingourskills.co.uk

Neil Evans, Veka MD

Customer Care Is Key

Essex Trade Windows recently switched to aluplast as its profile supplier after its previous systems partner failed to keep up with demand.

The trade fabricator, which was established in 2007 by experi enced industry professional James Bracegirdle, moved to new prem ises in 2021 as part of a strategy to increase output and offer more flexibility to its customers.

But, despite new machinery and improved infrastructure, production slowed as supplies of window profile failed to keep up with demand.

“We put a lot of effort into that move,” James said. “We increased the floor area to about 9,000ft2, and we now have the capacity to manufacture about 200 win dows a week, but our previous supplier couldn’t supply profile quick enough. They were literally holding us back – even though we

had been buying from them for 14 years.

“While we were going through a period of really high demand, the systems company actually started rationing what we could receive –at one point down to 30% of the volumes that we ordered.”

Essex Trade Windows supplies many small businesses across the south east. These are companies that avoid high volume work, and instead install fewer high value products which command a bigger margin.

“Because I have lots of smaller customers, rather than a few big accounts, I can’t easily reduce everyone’s volumes,” James said. “It was at the point I realised I needed a new supplier who could meet my demands while providing the quality I had become accus

tomed to.”

Switching profile supplier is no easy task for any window fabrica tor, but James took advice from some of his customers and se lected three to research in greater detail.

“aluplast quickly became the ob vious choice because of its head line features,” James said. “For example, their Ideal 70 profile is clearly high quality, and they have a significant strength in colour.

“About 30% of what we do is colour, so it is important that any systems company we choose can supply colour on the same lead times at standard white, which aluplast can. And a lot of their col ours, such as the woodec foils, are available from stock, which gives me the confidence to sell a wider range of products to my custom ers.

“My customers also appreciate the Ideal 70’s environmental creden tials. The homeowners my custom ers service tend to be in the upper bracket, and put sustainability close to the top of their desired features.”

Profile supplied by aluplast is made from ecotech, which maximises the amount of recycled content in a profile’s design, without affecting performance.

ecotech uses a ‘dual-extrusion’ process that uses two extruders in parallel to push recycled and virgin polymer through the profile die at the same time. This ensures that recycled material is only used in the internal webbing, remaining isolated from the external wall, with virgin polymer used to provide the external wall of the profile. This gives a pristine finish to the surface of the window.

“The flush sash casement pretty much sealed the deal for us be cause we were already starting to win a lot of business in that mar ket,” James said. “It looks the part

in heritage properties, especially with its slim 58mm sightline sash.”

Other design features include a choice of standard and heritage deep bottom rail, and options for mechanical jointing, which com bine to create a strong match for a traditional, 19th century timber sash. It also suites with both the Ideal 70 and Ideal 4000 profiles, minimising stock for fabricators.

James explained that while the product easily won him over, there are other elements of the partner ship that are just as key.

“It is refreshing to be dealing with a multi-national company – aluplast helped with the programming of all my machinery, including a prepping machine, corner cleaner, automatic saw, and bead saw. And director Ian Cocken and area sales representative Hussain Abdulkad er, who we deal with regularly, are both straight-talking guys. They will go out of their way to tackle any issues that may crop up.”

This supplier/fabricator relationship has increased in importance in recent years, as companies up and down the supply chain re-evaluate who they buy component parts from, according to James.

“While we have suffered from some poor decisions made by a previous key supplier, we are also seeing window companies turn to us because some of the larger fab ricators in our region are not look ing after their customers,” James said. “As the market contracts, and more companies chase fewer high-value jobs, now’s not the time to lose sight of your customers’ value.

“So, we decided to limit our output to about 150 frames per week, because we know we can comfort ably manage that without taking on lots of new staff. And it gives us the tools to look after our cus tomers with an excellent product range.”

www.aluplast.co.uk

VBH Trade Counter Serving Welsh Customers

Hardware manufacturer VBH, reports that more customers than ever are using the improved trade counter facility at the company’s Swansea site.

The counter is open during week day working hours and offers a large selection of hardware from VBH’s own greenteQ brand, as well as from other top marques including Yale and AGB.

VBH advise that fabricators, installers and maintenance com panies within a wide radius of Swansea regularly call in to collect products including profile cylin ders, patio door gear, resi-door and window hardware, vents and construction chemicals among other items.

Operations manager at VBH Swansea says: “Often, customers can’t wait for a delivery so prefer to call in and pick up what they need for the day. As well as the convenience of being local, we cater for orders of all sizes, with no mini mum order value and no need to pre-order. Walk-ins are welcome.”

The trade counter has proven so popular that it has been listed as a finalist in this year’s National Fenestration Awards in the Trade Counter of the Year category. www.vbhgb.com

The Importance Of Tracking Financial Performance

Alex Tremlett, operations manag er at Insight Data, explains why it’s more important than ever for companies to track the financial performance of potential custom ers to stay ahead of the game.

“While targeting the right people is essential, so is making sure the business you want to work with is financially stable,” he explains.

“Time and time again we’ve seen so many salespeople spend a great deal of time signing up a new customer, only to have the finance department decline the account at the last minute due to a poor credit report.

“Companies can sometimes find themselves seriously out of pock et for signing up a new customer and never receiving payment. But, in today’s climate, it’s more im portant than ever that fabricators ensure their prospects are finan cially stable.

“At Insight Data, we’ve developed a specific element to our exist

ing CRM system. This means we can provide our customers with a snapshot of their prospects’ finan cial information to make sure they only deal with financially sound companies.

“Our system includes details on credit status, credit rating, recom mended credit limit, if there are any County Court Judgements against them and their network – helping companies to make informed business decisions.

“With the current uncertainty of the market, this tool is extremely valuable especially if you supply to the construction or fenestration industry.”

Designed to help companies sup plying into the window, door and glazing markets to effectively tar get their perfect prospect, Insight Data’s fully integrated sales and marketing platform, Salestracker, provides in-depth market intelli gence in real-time.

Join the fenestration

WORKING GROUP

Let’s have a conversation, email me at: f.hussain@schemes.org.uk

DGCOS is a consumer protection scheme for the installation of double glazing products. Being a member of DGCOS shows that as an installer you are committed to complying with high standards of consumer protection.

Faisal Hussain CEO

We’re launching a new working group to help promote all the good things we do as a sector to external stakeholders, like government. Be part of shaping how our industry is perceived and make a real difference. It’s open to anyone operating within the glass and glazing industry. Find out more: 0345 053 8975 | info@dgcos.org.uk | installers.dgcos.org.uk

Solid To The Core

Having a clear vision of a successful route to market for your products is always a good thing to have. Not only does it provide focus but, ultimately, it breeds success. Endurance Doors appear to have that particular goal firmly laid down.

The company’s new showroom was recently opened in gladiatorial style (readers of a certain age may

remember Hunter from the 1990s TV series Gladiators, who made an appearance at the launch), En durance Doors now have a venue to help drive consumer sales and support the company’s Installer Partners. To mark the occasion the industry press were invited to tour the new showroom and see the manufacture of the company’s range of doors first-hand.

It’s the company’s Installer Part ners that managing director Ste phen Nadin believes is the key element of Endurance Doors’ path to success, alongside, the strength of the doors offering. Stephen commented: “We feel strongly that our Trade Partners are part of our team, and have, therefore, devel oped a service offering that makes selling and installing our products simple and hassle-free.”

Endurance currently has around 280 installer partners across the country. The partners are, however, carefully vetted to ensure that both parties are equipped to gain max imum potential from the relation ship. Once this has been complet ed the full benefits of the Installer Partner Scheme come into play.

Firstly, there is the door offering itself. A solid timber core manu factured using the same ‘species’

of plywood with sheets applied to align the grain vertically and then horizontally, greatly assists with the cores strength and its resist ance to bowing. Having identified a potential problem with water ingress at the bottom of the door, the company developed its unique moisture barrier system back in 2013 to eradicate this. Endurance Doors’ 3mm bowing guarantee, introduced in September 2020, is a testament to the company’s confi dence in the door’s design.

Summer temperatures, particularly those we are now seeing in the UK, can also affect composite door performance over the long term, so all Endurance Doors use CoolSkin door skins, which the company says are highly effective and prov en to help eliminate the dangers of cracking and delamination.

In 2016 Endurance invested in

consumer based marketing, pro ducing a brochure that very quickly highlighted the benefits of this ap proach. Today, the company’s dig ital marketing activities, including an impressive website and door designer, produces around 900 consumer enquiries each month, which are passed on to installer partners in the relevant territories.

Scott Foster, head of group sales and marketing for Endurance Doors, says the showroom is also proving highly popular with consumers, not only in the local area but with people prepared to travel some distance, who can see and feel the doors up close and per sonal. Additionally, installer part ners can utilise the facility to assist in closing a sale. With the initial success of the showroom coming so quick there are plans to look at opening more showrooms in stra tegic areas around the country.

Endurance Doors also has a new trade website within the company’s overall web platform, to support its nationwide network of Install er Partners. The Installer Partner profile on the site can be utilised by the installer not only as an endorse ment by Endurance Doors but is also customisable with an installer’s company logo and colours, togeth er with professionally designed content including information about the company and completed Endurance installations - all with assistance from the experienced marketing team at Endurance.

MD Stephen is keen to point out the importance the company has placed on the entire installer cus tomer experience with Endurance Doors, which includes systems such as Amicus, an internal res olution platform, designed to streamline support requests from its Installer partners and provide swift, satisfactory outcomes with full feedback data; Business Micros Touch Portal, enabling Endurance customers to design, quote and order products online; an Ama zon-style delivery system which includes notifications at key stages of an expected delivery in real-time together with paperless signing; and a team of service engineers who operate nationwide to address any manufacturing issues on an installation, liaising directly with the homeowner if required.

There are also various training options available both online and in-person days at the Endurance Training Academy in Brigg, designed to develop the skills and knowledge of its trade partners.

Stephen concluded: “At Endurance Doors, we have been manufactur ing door products for over 28 years. Over this time, through our commit ment to continuous improvement, we believe we have developed a product that is both highly desir able to consumers but also offers the reliability and robustness that is demanded by the Trade.”

https://endurancedoors.co.uk

‘Glass or Concrete Facades?’

By Phil Slinger – CAB Chief Executive

The environmentalists tell us we have to stop building our glass skyscrapers as they are sim ply unsustainable and that we should be using much higher thermal performance wall con struction with punched openings for windows. They go on to say that as we embrace our low-car

bon future, this will be the death knell for our glazed high rise cities, but are they right?

Often the discussion against the use of glazed buildings starts with the problems that were experienced with ground break ing Crystal Palace, built to house the Great Exhibition in London in 1851. Constructed of plate glass and cast iron, on sunny days organisers had to cover parts of the structure to help reduce the temperature to make it accessi ble for visitors. Sadly destroyed by fire in 1936, this glass struc ture has influenced our passion for extensively glazed buildings. The comparison of Crystal Pal ace to today’s high rise buildings is not a fair one, technology of course has moved on since the 1850’s.

In 2014 architect Ken Shuttle worth famously denounced his own design of what was known then as ‘the Gherkin’ saying that he would not have designed the building the same way if he had the chance again. Shuttleworth has since become one of the faces of the anti-glazed buildings movement in the UK, but, built with today’s technology of twin skin facades and high insula tion glazing, the Gherkin, better known now as ‘30 St Mary Axe’, would be much more environ mentally friendly building with a lower carbon footprint.

There have been errors, big ones, in some of our extensively glazed structures, the Walkie Talkie building in London for example. On sunny days the building began to damage cars with is concentrated reflection of sunlight due to the facades convex shape. Quickly rectified, the problem did nothing to abate the problems of sustainable high rise, but only to open up the debate again.

Over the years King Charles has also weighed in and offered his opinion on sustainability and

architecture, in fact, he was seen as a little outspoken when he warned us about likely climate change over forty years ago. In 1984 King Charles, in a lecture to the Royal Institute of British Architects, called a proposed extension to London’s National Gallery a “monstrous carbuncle”. The speech went down in histo ry, and, at the time his interven tion annoyed many architects, but most would now agree that King Charles’ opinion helped to hold back some inappropriate designs at the time which result ed in more harmonious buildings being commissioned that complemented our UK cities archi tectural heritage. Whilst glazing placed in punched openings has long been used in architecture down the centuries since the advent of glass, this should not mean that it is the only way we should construct our buildings.

Aluminium, strong and very light, works perfectly with glass to create a building envelope. Glaz ing with an aluminium support structure can be easy to clean and maintain with good weath ering characteristics. Correctly designed, it can offer unpowered natural ventilation for the interi or, can harness solar energy for

heating as well as incorporating high levels of insulation and shading when the sunshine is out, keeping the buildings occu pants comfortable all year round.

It is also important to point out that not all our glazed facades used in skyscrapers are just glazing. Whilst architects can be free to design using the clean and minimal line of aluminium and glass externally, a large proportion of the visible ‘glazing’ can contain insulated spandrel panels and additional internal back up walls which can offer very high levels of insulation and could incorporate renewables technology such as photovolta ics.

Completed in February 2013, One Angel Square Manchester attained a BREEAM ‘Outstand ing’ rating and remains as one of the most sustainable large buildings in Europe. Utilising natural resources, the facade maximises passive solar gain for heat by using natural ventilation through its double-skin facade, the building also incorporates adiabatic cooling systems which helps to keep the building cool and comfortable on sunny sum mer days. Designed by 3DReid

in May 2009, the success of this building demonstrates that we have had the technology to build such sustainable glazed struc tures for some time.

Not all our facades using glass and aluminium can be viewed as ‘glazed’ structures. Aluminium, due to its ease of forming and extensive life expectancy, either powder coated or anodised, can be used to offer complete design freedom. In London city, The Forge aspires to be the first commercial building construct ed and operated in line with the UKGBC’s net zero carbon definition and energy reduction targets. Anticipated to achieve a BREAAM ‘Excellent’ rating, the construction is the world’s first large-scale office scheme to be built using a standardised “kit of parts”. An approach known as ‘platform design for manufacture and assembly’ (P-DfMA), which applies the advances made by the manufacturing industry translated into today’s construc tion methodology.

The UK and Europes leading aluminium systems companies, all members of CAB, continue to develop new aluminium systems with innovative thermal insulation technology. Thanks to alumin ium’s material properties, the wide range of processing possi bilities, it’s endless recyclability, we believe that aluminium offers a sustainable external envelope solution. Together with high rise facades, aluminium is equally at home in the residential home improvement market, something that discerning homeowners are now recognising.

Sustainable aluminium systems offer architects and facade engineers the ‘kit’ they need to design stunning and exception al facades for the future of our low-carbon, high rise cities and our developing suburban land scape.

www.c-a-b.org.uk

The Forge, London

Confusion Still Reigns, Despite Government Support, Claims Cornwall Group

Don’t expect glass prices to tumble, or for stability to return to the market following the govern ment’s recently announced energy support package for businesses, Chair of the Cornwall Group Mark

Mitchell has warned.

According to Mark, energy sur charges imposed by the glass manufacturers will likely remain in place for some time yet, and global

pressures on gas supply will continue through the winter.

In September, the government announced an emergency support package for businesses to help with the cost of energy. It pledged to cap the wholesale price of energy at £211 a megawatt hour for electricity and £75 a megawatt hour for gas, which is less than half the wholesale prices anticipated this winter.

The changes will apply to new con tracts from 1 October, and to fixed contracts taken out since 1 April.

“There is no doubt that this energy cap for businesses is good news,”

Mark said. “We are an energy intensive business, and we have seen our energy bills rocket in recent months.

“For example, our combined en ergy bill was approaching £250K per month, where previously it was £60K per month. These costs have to be passed down the supply chain in the form of price increases because they simply cannot be ab sorbed by us or our suppliers. And it is important that our customers keep an eye on input costs from all suppliers because they don’t want to be left holding the can.”

The energy surcharges imposed by the glass manufacturers are not currently affected by this price cap, and there is no sign of them being lifted.

“The government price cap for businesses was supposed to calm

an uncertain situation, but the only certainty we now have is uncertain ty,” Mark said. “While we can man age our own energy prices a little more confidently, we are still at the mercy of the glass manufacturers who impose often unpredictable surcharges with little notice.

“Also, while Western Europe is suggesting it is well placed for gas supplies this winter, that remains to be seen, and a harsh weather winter will naturally put a huge strain on supplies,” Mark observes. “That, coupled with recent appar ent sabotage to main gas links into Europe, will inevitably keep whole sale prices high.

“Additionally, Far East demand re mains high for gas, causing ongo ing spikes in pricing impacting on global prices.

“So, while the support with

energy cost is welcomed, it will be a few months yet before we see what the full impact will be. Meanwhile, we’ll be waiting to see what happens with the en ergy surcharge, because greater clarity on that will benefit us all.”

The Cornwall Group has cus tomers across three divisions –merchanting, manufacturing and trade counter – with separate boards managing separate sets of demands. This means they have a very targeted approach to the individual needs of the industry and are not adversely affected by challenges in one area.

This, it is claimed, puts the group in a financially strong position, to weather economic storms while investing for future growth.

www.cornwallglass.co.uk

The Business Pilot Barometer offers a monthly analysis of the key trends defining window and door retail. It draws on real industry data collated by Business Pilot, the cloud-based business management tool.To find out more see www.businesspilot.co.uk/barometer

The Business Pilot Barometer

Market bounce as energy

bite – but will it last?

bills

By Neil Cooper-Smith, Senior Analyst, Business Pilot

Despite massive political and economic upheaval, October was another month of political and econom ic change on an historic scale. Despite it (or perhaps because of it?) homeowners have continued to spend on home improvements.

The industry did good business in October, despite double digit inflation, warnings of an impending downturn in the economy and a projected fall in property prices. So, what’s driving sales, and more importantly, will it continue?

The most important factor are house prices. We know that if people have equity and are confident in the housing market, they are more likely to spend on improving their properties.

At present, and despite the warnings of a drop, yearon-year growth stands at 8.1%. It should be noted, however, that this figure has been inflated by high demand at the start of this year.

13% fewer homes came onto the market in October compared to the five-year average, compounding the imbalance in supply and demand, and keeping house prices higher, even though levels of activity are lower.

Leads, and sales were up 19% in October on Sep tember, more than reversing the falls recorded in September on August, more than offsetting a small drop in average order values (8%) to £4,848.

The longer-term outlook is that prices will fall. Lloyds Banking Group warning last month, that it expects a drop of around 8% next year as the cost-of-liv ing crisis hits.

The flip side of this, is that one of the major driv ing forces of inflation, the increased cost of ener gy, gives homeowners a tangible reason to invest.

Liz Truss had pledged to guarantee that average energy bills at £2,500 a year for two-years. One of the first things her new Chancellor Jeremy Hunt did last month, was to distance the Government from this commitment, trimming the deal to sixmonths, ahead of an ominous sounding review.

With average bills at £2,500, they remain at more than £1,200 than they were in March this year. Energy market analysts warn a withdrawal of Government funding could push bills as high as £4,684 from April and at best to £3,923 – still £1,423 more than under the current cap.

The decisions you make today will determine where your business goes in the next 12-months, so if you’re still running your business on un linked spreadsheets and gut feeling, it’s time to get in touch.

www.businesspilot.co.uk

Tracking Google Trends evidences a very clear correlation between Ofgem announcements on energy costs and interest in new windows and home energy efficiency improvements more broadly

With house prices still historically high homeown ers will be more likely to have the confidence to invest in improving the energy efficiency of their properties in the run in to the end of the year at least. Spiralling energy costs, give them the in centive.

Against this backdrop, mining your data for those projects that you didn’t close or win, and re-tar geting them, could deliver big results. How many leads went cold earlier in the year, last year? Why?

Business Pilot allows you to bring this informa tion to your fingertips in an instant, helping you to target and re-target prospects, at the same time controlling operational costs and maximising profitability.

Dear Gerald

Less Is More

As a designer and innovator, I am aware that inspiration comes from all sorts of plac es, and what I want to share with you is a prime example of this.

I recently got my “newlook” bank credit card through the mail and thought, “Wow, they are so much cleaner and nice to look at.”

For decades now, bank

cards have broadly looked the same – utilitarian, and full of numbers and words – essentially a lot of visual noise. Most banks have now simplified the design significantly, which not only makes the cards more attractive and easier to read, but also involves more recycled plastic, more sus tainable manufacturing and more design inclu sivity..

I love what the banks have done. They are fol lowing the trend set by the Gods of design, Apple – that of simplicity. Apple is currently taking their software programme one step further with Matter Compatible devices. For those who don’t know; Matter Compatible home technology, due to be launched later this year, aims to solve many of today’s smart home headaches. From platform owners like Apple, Google, and Amazon to major manufacturers such as Samsung and LG and smaller, accessory-focused players like Nanoleaf, Eve, and Wyze, there’s a huge industry collaboration behind Matter compatible smart home products. A common language for smart home devices to communicate, Matter technol ogy aims to simplify everything about the smart home, from purchase, to set up, to everyday use. Its biggest promise is that it will enable smart devices – from white good appliances, lighting, heating, to speakers, all to communicate togeth er.

As technology has and continues to become more complex, it’s tempting for companies to show the rest of the world how far they can push its capa bilities. But that’s not what sells. It’s about starting with the customer and understanding how your technology can make their life easier. When it comes to innovation you could mistakenly think, by adding a new feature or more “visual noise” you will sell more. But rather than adding, why don’t people strip back and embrace simplicity? Like in the new design bank cards? Because it’s hard to do.

Smart Ready is following closely all emerging technologies, making sure the industry doesn’t get left behind. Our technology and hardware brand partners Hug and Sac – both certified Smart Ready – promises to deliver simple and honest technology that will change the way the industry approaches smart windows and doors as well as protecting companies, boosting their confidence and supporting insurance requirements for home security alarms, all in the simplest of ways.

We can collectively, as an industry, move moun tains with smart windows and doors in terms of performance and perception and it can be done simply by being Smart Ready.

Giovanni Laporta, Inventor and Innovator Smart Ready

If you want to get involved in the discussion, or would like to air your views on a particular industry subject, then Email me at gerald@windownews.co.uk

We cannot guarantee that we will publish everything, but we will do our utmost to make sure that everyone’s voice is heard.

Group HR Manager Joins Q19 Group

The Residence Collection and its sister company Window Widgets have welcomed a new Group HR manager, Katherine Woolford, following the acquisition of Profoil Limited in May which formed the Q19 Group.

Founded in 2000 with the creation of the Window Widgets brand, followed by The Residence Col lection in 2011 and more recently acquiring Profoil Limited this year, the Q19 Group is growing expo nentially and now has over 140 employees across the Q19 Group.

Katherine Woolford has joined the team, where she will be respon sible for delivering group people

management strategies in support of the organisation’s strategic aims. With the role having both a strategic and an operational focus, Katherine will provide expert advice and support on all HR matters, whilst driving the people element of the business plan and developing the HR team.

Bringing with her over 27 years of experience within HR, and work ing with a range of businesses across Gloucestershire, Katherine has been previously involved with a variety of exciting roles across a range of responsibilities. These included supporting company expansions, managing multiple teams of people, aiding learning

and development, and supporting financial services.

Katherine Woolford comment ed: “I’m really pleased to join the newly formed Q19 Group and be part of the business’ exciting growth period. I’m looking forward to sharing my experience and knowledge of HR from my career to date, particularly the experience I have gained working closely with other SMEs and owner-run businesses.”

Sarah Hitchings, sales and mar keting director at the Q19 Group, added: “We’re thrilled to have Katherine join our team, and we’re excited for her to introduce her vast HR knowledge to the Q19 Group. She brings with her fantas tic experience, and we can’t wait to see her excel within our busi ness as we continue to expand the Q19 Group team.”

Katherine Woolford

Hoppe (UK) Appoints New Marketing Manager

Hoppe (UK) has appointed Francesca Brittain as marketing manager.

Francesca has more than 17 years’ experience working in mar keting and communications. She has worked for a range of organ isations within the construction and engineering sectors including Victoria Forgings and Rivetwise. She has also worked for Autism West Midlands and previously volunteered as a business mentor at the Princes Trust.

While at Rivetwise, Francesca won the Best Marketing En gagement Award from Stanley Engineered Fastening (SEF), part of the Stanley Black and Decker Group, for her campaign promot ing SEF’s products.

Francesca said: “I’m looking forward to bringing a fresh perspec tive into Hoppe (UK)’s marketing and combining this with the wealth of knowledge and expe rience across the team to create exciting campaigns. I’m also very excited to meet our customers and promote the fantastic pro jects they’re working on.”

www.hoppe.co.uk

James Saunders Appointed Managing Director Of Enfield Speciality Doors

Enfield Speciality Doors has announced the appointment of James Saunders as managing director.

James began his career with En field Speciality Doors seven years ago in project management, before working across many dif ferent areas within the company. This has allowed James a com plete overview and insight into all aspects of the business.

James says: “I am both delight ed and excited to be taking the business into its next phase. We have achieved so much in the past seven years and my insight into the business has allowed me to understand where we need to channel our efforts, so we contin ue to realise our ambitions.”

With two factories just outside of London, Enfield supplies con tractors nationwide, and special

ises in the commercial sector – including hospitals and edu cation facilities – for new-build projects and refurbishments.

Enfield Speciality Doors was acquired by Gerda Security, a leading British manufacturer of fire safety and security products, at the end of 2021. While Gerda Security runs Enfield Speciality Doors as its parent company, the door specialist continues to operate as a separate business unit.

Alastair Thompson, CEO of Gerda Security, says: “Since the departure of Nigel Sill and Rich ard Ward, James has stepped into the role of general manager seamlessly, so it was only nat ural that he was elevated to the position of managing director.”

www.enfielddoors.co.uk www.gerdasecurity.co.uk

Future

The Glazerite UK Group has further strengthened its IT department with the addition of senior software product developer, Andy Thomp son. Andy worked for Glazerite for a number of years prior to re-join ing the fabricator in the newly created role.

Paul Jagger, Glazerite’s head of IT, says: “We’re delighted to welcome Andy back to Glazerite. He will be focused on driving through stra tegic changes in IT and will work closely with myself and Group MD, Rob Brearley, on developing our systems, alongside rolling out Group-wide projects.

“Andy has also been tasked

with helping us to introduce new technologies to help underpin our ambitions for growth as a compa ny and for our installer-partners.”

Andy joins Paul, IT systems ad ministrator, Chris Cooper, and IT apprentice, George Willdig in a burgeoning department being strengthened to improve the fab ricator’s internal infrastructure as well better support customers with next-generation software services.

Andy adds: “I’m delighted to be returning to Glazerite and joining the team. We’ve got lots of new ideas and technologies in the pipeline and I’m looking forward to embedding these for the benefit of

the business, our employees, and our installers.”

www.glazerite.co.uk

Restructured Sales Team Provides Support For Leads 2 Trade Members

Leads 2 Trade, provider of double-qualified sales leads to installers operating in the home improvement sector, has made significant changes to its sales team to improve its service for customers.

Oliver Jennings, who has been at the Stockport-based company since 2014, has been appointed to the role of sales and partnerships manager.

Staff changes in the sales team has seen a focus on restructur ing the sales department and it is now a four-strong team, with two full-time area sales manag ers supported by two account managers. It will be their job to recruit new members and man age and retain them thereafter.

Oliver explained: “With staff changes in the last 12-18 months, it was causing confusion for members. This move provides more stability and structure for our members. Instead of having multiple managers, members will have direct contact with their own manager and that manager will have a support team behind them.”

Having started in the call cen tre at Leads 2 Trade eight years ago, Oliver then moved into a support role within the sales team and then an account management role for four years before moving into a hybrid marketing and data analyst role and working on Leads 2 Trade’s affiliates network.

“We are looking to bring in a head of marketing and the op portunity arose to move back into sales in a management role and I’ve retained the affiliates side of things too. Thanks to my previous role in sales, I’ve been able to hit the ground running,” said Oliver.

Andy Royle, Leads 2 Trade’s co-founder and director said: “We needed to regroup and reshape the sales department and we needed a figurehead for doing that. Oliver has the knowl edge and experience to rebuild the sales team and manage it. We can also still take advantage of his analytical skills in his new role too.”

As one of the longest serving team members, Oliver has seen the company change and go from strength to strength during the last eight years, including the addition of more sales lead types which has also resulted in the growth of the call centre.

leads2trade.co.uk

Farewell To Phil

Respected Ultraframe technical training manager, Phil Wharf, has retired after a 26-year career at the conservatory and extension specialist. After joining Ultraframe in February 1996, as a member of the technical support Team, Phil has worked in a variety of techni cal and training-based roles and has assisted many thousands of customers in learning about the intricacies of the company’s con servatory and extension systems.

Commenting about his career at Ultraframe and plans for retire ment, Phil said: “I have seen many changes in the industry and Ultra frame during my time here which I have been reflecting on recently as my retirement approaches. Some of the most memorable include our founder John Lancaster hand ing over the reins, exciting times when the company floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1998, and Brian Kennedy’s Latium Group acquiring Ultraframe in July 2006.

Ultraframe has dominated a very competitive industry for almost 40 years, and I am extremely proud to have been a part of this for the last 26 years and have seen continu ous product development through out that time. I am very much look ing forward to my retirement now, especially not ‘living by the clock’ and ironing shirts on a Sunday!”

It is estimated that during his time at the helm of Ultraframe’s training department, that Phil has trained some 10,000 sales people, survey ors and installers – an incredible figure!

Commenting about Phil’s retire ment and his huge contribution to Ultraframe over the years, Ultra frame marketing director, Alex Hewitt, said: “On behalf of Ultra frame, I would like to thank Phil for his hard work and dedication over the years. The knowledge that Phil has and has shared is incredible and he will be very much missed.

Gowercroft Joinery Appoints New Finance Director

We would like to wish him a very happy and restful retirement.”

On his last day, Phil was present ed with a selection of gifts from his colleagues and said the fol lowing: “Well folks, here it is, my very last day here at Ultraframe! Aged exactly 66.33 years old (you know how I like precise numbers). I wish all my colleagues old and new, past and present, my sincere thanks and best wishes. Keep working hard everyone. Always remember the devil’s in the detail and whatever your job role is WE ALL work in sales. Long live ‘the Frame’!”

In his new role Harry will be taking ownership of the company’s finan cial structures, as he works across the business streamlining systems, driving efficiencies and profitability, and building strong supplier rela tionships in support of the company’s senior management team.

Harry said: “I am thrilled to be joining such a dynamic and rapidly expanding business. Gowercroft has had such an amazing track record so far, and I am very much looking forward to being part of its future successes.”

Timber window and door manu facturer Gowercroft Joinery has appointed a new Finance Director to help spearhead the next stage of the company’s expansion.

Harry Dixon brings almost a dec ade of commercial accountancy and building industry experience,

having started out as a credit control apprentice at one of the country’s major chains of builders’ merchants and then rapidly pro gressed his career with major IT and construction companies, all of which have gone through acceler ated growth journeys.

Andrew Madge, managing di rector of Gowercroft said: “We’re delighted to have Harry on board. His broad base of experience and positive attitude is a perfect fit for our company culture as we push ahead, launching new products and expanding into different mar kets. www.gowercroft.co.uk

AT Precision’s New Hire To Drive Excellent Customer Service

Steve Lewis Returns To Spearhead Cotswold Technical Sales

A popular returning employee is set to drive excellence and inno vation as Cotswold’s Technical Manager.

Steve Lewis previously served in the role for 5 years, during which time he played an integral role in new product development, tailoring existing products for new markets, and supporting the company’s sales and technical teams in India.

Now, he’ll once again be taking the lead in providing technical support to Cotswold customers, delivering internal and external product training, and designing the bespoke solutions that will help Cotswold clients grow.

“Steve doesn’t just have an incredible grasp of the technical side of our products – he also ex cels at the front-end,” comments managing director Tim Ferkin.

“Tailoring the perfect product starts with getting to know the customer and their business, and that’s where Steve’s in his ele ment.

“I’m delighted he’s returned to Cotswold as we embark on an exciting new phase in our histo ry.” https://bit.ly/3tM0wG7

Aluminium bi-fold hardware supplier AT Precision has strengthened its commitment to delivering outstanding customer service with the appointment of a new internal sales co-ordina tor.

Joanne Healy joins the Durham-based company with over 20 years of customer experi ence, having previously worked as an administrator at supermarket giants Sainsbury’s and Morrison’s, as well as a service co-ordinator at HBCL Cold stores, a supplier of food safe panelling systems to the food manufacturing industry.

“Throughout my career, I’ve prided myself on delivering out standing customer service, and over the years have developed

a strength for building excel lent customer rapport,” says Joanne.

“As an internal sales co-ordina tor at AT Precision, I’m able to draw on my previous experience to deal with new customers and build new databases, while keeping in regular contact with existing customers.

“As with many in the industry, product delivery has been a challenge in the last few months thanks to supply chain issues, but we’ve managed to avoid this by keeping a rolling stock, ensuring next-day delivery at all times. We never let our custom ers down, and that’s something I’m determined to continue.”

Sales director Michael Hewitt comments: “While we’re very proud of our unique product offering, customer service is really what makes AT Precision stand out from the competition, proven earlier this year when we achieved ISO 9001 certifica tion, demonstrating our ability to deliver high-quality services to customers on a consistent basis.

“Joanne is the ideal person for this role, and has seamlessly taken on keeping in regular con tact with customers and mak ing sure everything is running smoothly at all times.

“She’s a real asset to our grow ing team, and I very much look forward to seeing how she helps the company thrive.”

www.atprecision.co.uk

More Investment In Resources At BM Aluminium

Simon Crilley is the latest sign ing at Business Micros Alumini um, joining the team to plan and manage the introduction of new LogiKal software products and features into the UK markets.

Taking on a newly created role as product manager, Simon will be working directly with both fabri cators and systems companies to ensure that the LogiKal offering adds maximum value to their oper ations and helps them keep pace with current and future market challenges.

Based at BM Aluminium’s Tewkes bury HQ, he will also help cus tomers with remote and on-site product training and track pro

gramming needs so that LogiKal is always up to date with specific product and system requirements.

Simon has a vast amount of aluminium industry experience, having spent more than 30 years in fabrication, product development, technical support, and system design. He has been a LogiKal user and BM Aluminium customer himself, so speaks the language of customers and understands just how important it is that the software they rely on delivers real payback on their investment.

He explained: “Lead times and supply chain issues continue to pose problems for fabricators. Software can obviously play an

important role in helping to mitigate the impact of that by speeding up ordering, pricing and processing and optimising operational effi ciency. LogiKal is already the most versatile and reliable software in the market, and, over the next few months, we’ll be announcing some exciting new options which I know will make it even more valuable to our customers.”

www.bmaluminium.co.uk

2022 to further strengthen its customer relationships in the Southwest.

Calum, who has worked in the fenestration industry for more than 15 years, says of his appointment: “I’m excited to join Glazerite. They are a modern, ambi tious company with a great ethos and an extensive range of products. This includes heritage frames such as the Veka Imagine vertical slider, Halo flush sash and the Residence Collection products. These present some real opportunities for our installers and espe cially those based in the Southwest, which is home to many conservation areas.”

Calum adds: “The fenestration industry has served me well and I’m passionate about helping others break into it. I give regular career talks to highlight the variety of opportunities it offers, and to inspire new blood to become part of this rewarding and social industry.”

Glazerite Welcomes A New Addition To Sales Team

The Glazerite UK Group has appointed a new sales manager as part of its ambitions for growth. Calum Williams joined the trade fabricator on 24th October

Calum is re-joining Glazerite’s Group sales & commercial director, Jeff Dunn, who he worked with at Con sort. Jeff says: “Welcoming Calum to the team gives us a chance to deepen our customer relationships in the Southwest. I look forward to the energy and passion he will bring – he is a great fit for Glazerite and eager to start meeting existing and prospective installers in his new territory. It’s an exciting time for anyone to be joining Glazerite and I am delighted to be working with Calum once again.”

www.glazerite.co.uk

Kenrick Appoints Fourth Apprentice

Kenrick has recruited its fourth apprentice into the business in a bid to help address the industry’s skills shortage and encourage more people into a career in fenestration.

17-year old Violeta Marcu has joined the West Bromwich head quartered hardware supplier as part of her Level 3 qualification in Business Administration with Wolverhampton-based training provider Nova Training. And the senior management team has been so impressed with her that it plans to offer her a permanent role after she has completed her apprenticeship in February next year.

In her varied role, Violeta is re sponsible for managing Kenrick

orders, looking after customers and co-ordinating the transport of goods. She also works closely alongside the product devel opment and health and safety teams within the business.

Violeta says: “I felt so welcome as soon as I joined Kenrick –everybody here is valued and the environment and work ethic is terrific. I enjoy every day at Kenrick – there is a lot of variety in my role and I am constantly learning new skills and picking up useful product knowledge. The vast majority of our customers are delighted with our service, which is not only a credit to the team, but it allows me to broaden my experience beyond customer service into other departments at Kenrick.”

Kenrick is keen to hear from talented people who want to join the team.

Find out more by emailing sales@kenricks.co.uk

Schüco

Presents New Range Of Options For Bi-Fold Door

The newest Schüco bi-fold door is now available with triple glaz ing and with a wider range of opening options offering greater design freedom.

The AS FD aluminium bi-fold door system can achieve very

large panel sizes of up to 3.5 metres high by 1.5 metres wide. Combined with slim sightlines of only 90mm this offers greater views with minimal obstruction, says the company.

First launched in the Spring with

a profile depth of 75mm, the system can now be specified as a triple glazed version with a profile depth of 90mm. The highly insulated AS FD 90.HI offers increased airtightness which enables U-values as low as 1.0 W/m²K.

The addition of new opening op tions offers even greater flexibility. Up to nine panels can be com bined without fixed panes, and doors can be folded inwards or outwards, in one direction only or opened like a pair of curtains to the left and the right. For added convenience, a ‘traffic door’ can also be integrated to give quick access to the outside without

having to open the entire system.

The large folding sliding panels can be moved easily and almost silently thanks to the smooth-running stainless-steel roller system, and four different threshold height options, including a 4mm and 15mm ramped option, to offer flexibility and ease of access.

There is no compromise on secu rity either as the new bi-fold door is tested to burglar resistance RC2 and is covered by Secured by Design, the official police se curity initiative of which Schüco UK is a member.

www.schueco.uk/asfd

Endurance’s 3mm Bowing Guarantee, 2 Years On…

In September 2020, Endurance Doors made a product commit ment, offering a 3mm bowing guarantee for their range of pre mium solid timber core composite doors which still stands today.

With clever engineering enhance ments including their own Moisture Barrier System to the foot of each door, a wet seal glazing process and the use of proven CoolSkin PVCu door skins, it’s a unique door construction that’s designed to perform long-term. The company says: “As Installer Partners from the Endurance Network will testify, the Endurance door is now one that stands for outstanding product quality and performance, along with an industry leading marketing and customer care programme”.

According to Endurance Doors, after an unprecedented hot year where several weather records have been broken, product liabil ities from failed composites have again plagued installation com panies across the UK. But it’s not only product performance that has hampered these businesses, but a lack of customer care in some quarters has meant product fail

ures have remained unresolved for many months.

In contrast, Endurance Doors says it no longer sends out technical personnel to assess a bowing door, rather they simply have faith in the installers evidence, help ing to speed up the resolution process considerably. It’s also a reflection of the confidence in each Endurance door from within the business, but also from an Installer Partner’s perspective too.

Stephen Nadin, managing director of Endurance Doors commented: “Poor composite door perfor mance continues to plague the industry from a product quality perspective and the way in which complaints are dealt with. Our internal processes have been designed to give our Installer Partners a wonderful customer experience when there may be an issue in product performance. Thankfully these issues are particularly rare for us, given the enhanced specifica tion of our timber composite doors, hence our new no quibble replace ment policy.”

endurancedoors.co.uk

Invest In Energy Efficient Doors, Says Distinction

Distinction Doors is urging fabri cators to review their composite door offerings considering soar ing energy costs.

The supplier of composite doors believes that the current situ ation, coupled with the recent update to Approved Document L is likely to trigger further interest and increased demand for high performance, energy efficient home improvement products.

“It’s reasonable to think that the consumer landscape will sig nificantly change this winter,” says Andy Grogan, associate director of sales for Distinction Doors. “We will see polarised extremes, with some homeowners on a tight budget and una ble or disinclined to spend on substantial home improvements, while others will have the funds to invest in improving the energy efficiency of their home, for longterm reward.

“We have a responsibility to en sure that those that can spend, do, by providing easy access

to high performance, attractive products. That’s why we are en couraging both fabricators and installers to review their door portfolio and stay competitive. While price is likely to remain a

key factor in decision making, these homeowners will also be seeking reassurance that they are investing in the best possible product for now and the future.”

A new entrance door is an in vestment. It can protect a home from the harsh and sometimes damaging effects of the UK weather and contribute towards a healthier and comfortable home. When comparing their current offering against others in the marketplace, Distinction recommends that fabricators consider thermal performance (U-value) and Doorset Energy Rating (DSER) and weather re sistance.

“Our doors, for example, are proven to be more energy effi cient than traditional timber or solid timber core doors,” con tinues Andy. “In a test at the University of Salford’s Energy House our 44.5mm Signature composite door was 19% more thermally efficient than a 48mm solid timber core composite door and 17% more thermally efficient than a 44mm traditional timber panelled door.”

Distinction’s doors also offer ex ceptional weather resistance and for added benefit, the company’s decorative glass is triple glazed and laminated as standard for improved thermal efficiency, says the company.

“The energy and cost of liv ing crisis is highlighting many deep-rooted societal issues. Fundamentally, the UK must change the way it builds, main tains and runs its buildings, not just in the face of rising energy costs and limited energy sup plies, but as a way of creating warm, comfortable and healthy spaces for everyone. As an industry we must help to deliver on this by offering the very best performing products,” con cludes, Andy Grogan.

www.distinctiondoors.co.uk

Aluplast Launches Flush Door

Aluplast has launched a flush door to suite perfectly with its flush casement window, allowing fabricators and installers to tar get higher value projects where a uniform appearance is desired.

Like aluplast’s flush casement, the new flush door suites per fectly with the systems com pany’s Ideal 70 and Ideal 4000 profiles. This opens-up oppor tunities in both the heritage and contemporary sectors by provid ing a uniform flush appearance across both windows and doors, while minimising stockholding for fabricators.

The flush door is also fully PAS24-accredited in both single and double open-out configura tions.

“With our new flush door, fab ricators can make flush French

doors and open-out flush en trance doors that suite with the flush windows in the rest of the house,” aluplast’s sales and mar keting director Ian Cocken said. “These can be made using the Ideal 70 fully sculptured system for a timeless heritage feel, or they could be made using the Ideal 4000 SquareLine profile, which creates an ultra-modern look.

“Most other suppliers don’t have a flush door option, and their customers are limited to storm casements, which affects the overall look of the building.”

Cocken also explained that sourcing flush windows and doors from the same supplier has a positive effect on the col our choice.

“If a window company chooses

to buy the French door from a different supplier to the window, the colours across two ranges could be inconsistent,” he said. “We know how important colour is right now because we have picked up a significant amount of business from fabricators who have been unable to maintain a reliable supply of coloured profile from their previous supplier.”

The vast majority of aluplast’s flush casement orders include colour, and with a range of 40 different finishes, including the ‘next generation’ woodec and aludec foils, aluplast has invest ed significantly in its foil offer. This has allowed it to maintain a strong supply of its most popular stock colours, with foiled prod uct accounting for as much as 50% of total order volume.

aluplast’s Flush door has a five-chamber design that can achieve U-values as low as 1.2W/m2K, and is manufactured using ecotech, which maximises the amount of recycled content in a profile’s design, without affecting performance.

ecotech uses a ‘dual-extrusion’ process that uses two extrud ers in parallel to push recycled and virgin polymer through the profile die at the same time. This ensures that recycled material is only used in the internal webbing, remaining isolated from the external wall, with virgin polymer used to provide the external wall of the profile.

“We know that while volume orders are starting to decline, demand for high-value products continues to increase,” Cocken said. “By offering a flexibility and uniformity across windows and doors, in both heritage and con temporary styles, and in a wide colour choice, we are helping our customers maintain business levels during a difficult trading period.”

www.aluplast.co.uk

Apeer Launches All New Virtual Door Designer

November sees the unveiling of Apeer’s long awaited, brand new virtual door builder – signalling the dawn of a system that Apeer believe will, over the coming years, revolutionise the Ballyme na based company’s customer reach. Integrated into Apeer’s website, the release has been finalised over recent months, forming the inaugural part of a programme which replaces the current door builder software.

IT manager Eddie McStravick has led the two-year develop ment project: “The new door designer has been created with the homeowner in mind, so we have focused on ease of use and strong computer graphic imag ing (CGI) aesthetics to make it the best-looking door builder on the market. We spent a lot of time researching our compe tition, resulting in us releasing software that combines the most versatile, quality elements of modern technology into one single system. Performing as a web-based application and de signed with ‘mobile first’ behav ioural considerations, responsive design features ensure that the online user experience remains slick across any device.” With organic reach and engagement as priority outcomes, Apeer have released widget code that allows the builder to sit on customer websites.

So why the upgrade? Simplicity. Apeer says it wanted to create something which was purely image based and streamlined enough to enable users to design their dream door in less than 10 clicks. The entire prod uct line is included, with all door types and sub styles available to choose from including Silka, Apeer70, Apeer44 and Modo ranges. Plus, a full range of glass designs. Phase 1 has included the launch of the visual door designer, with pricing and real time ordering to be added in the coming months.

Control also proved to be a huge factor in Apeer’s potential to increase customer base through lead generation, both bottom up and top down. Firstly, the new technology is completely Apeer owned. The company has the absolute flexibility and autonomy to give their installers a bespoke packaged widget that has the aesthetic identity of the install er’s own business. Secondly, when a homeowner creates their perfect door using Apeer’s website, they are passed on to the most local installer as a new lead. It’s a win win for all parties, says the company.

Eddie finished with: “As part of the process homeowners can upload a photo of their own home and overlay their door design for a preview of the end result. We spent a lot of time on ensuring enhanced, sharp im agery for the most realistic effect possible. We’re really excited about how the door designer will change our business, along with the extra exciting updates to the system planned for release next year.”

www.apeer.co.uk

ODL Europe Reports Strength Of Traditional Door Designs

Composite door supplier ODL Europe reports a strong upturn in demand for traditional door designs despite an ever-growing market backdrop for contem porary styling. Suzanne Nicholl, ODL Europe’s head of sales and customer services, explains: “For some time, contemporary door designs have grown in popularity, a trend that is reflected in our own sales growth. But with over half of the UK’s housing stock being built before 1964 such houses may not always suit contemporary designs. This explains the continued pop ularity of traditional cottage door styles.”

As evidence of the continuing popularity of traditional door designs, Suzanne points to yearon-year sales increases of ODL Europe’s Canning cottage door collection which delivers traditional styling with a diamond panelling that makes a strong design state ment. Also seeing strong sales is the Hornby collection, which offers a fresh modern approach to the cottage door because it is available in both cottage and flush variations, delivering the next level of flexibility.

www.odleurope.com

It’s Quality Hardware That Opens Doors In Patio Door Market, Says Coastal

After attending this year’s Glaz ing Summit in October, Coast al Group’s managing director Loren Jenner had some key takeaways from the day. “With the current market conditions, we must all work harder to win sales – unlike what we have seen in 2021, business is not going to fall into our laps” he states.

Whilst this is the case, the market has seen continued demand for a premium product, especially on patio sliding doors says Coastal Group. “The de sign and function of patio doors continues to evolve and excel,” continues Loren Jenner. “We find that our customers are in creasingly looking for patio han dles that mirror the high-quality upgraded aesthetic of the doors themselves and that sets them apart from their competition”.

Coastal says the KM9 series handle is carefully crafted to bring the ultimate look and per

formance to patio sliding doors, designed with a robust solid stainless steel feel and smooth operating function for ultimate user experience. “We spent a lot of time perfecting the handle’s design, as the key touchpoint to

operate the doors themselves we know how important the role hardware plays is,” says mar keting manager Neil Jones. “Lis tening to our customer’s prefer ences, we’ve since upgraded it to a solid stainless steel back plate to support even the larg est, heaviest sliding doors and deliver the premium appeal to end users”.

Hardware’s importance doesn’t just end at creating a striking visual, performance and longev ity must be considered when selecting the right handle for your patio sliding doors, out lines Coastal Group.

This was demonstrated on a recent project where Coastal were contacted to replace a competitor’s handle less than 12 months after it had been fitted on a luxury beachfront holiday home. The standard zinc handle in question was showing signs of significant corrosion. Hovw ever, Coastal’s BLU KM9 han dle offers a lifetime guarantee, manufactured from 316 Marine Grade Stainless Steel.

“One of the key USP’s our KM9 handles gives to the seller is it’s exceptional corrosion resistant properties and lifetime guar antee,” Neil Jones continues. “With an increasing number of sliding door systems being located in and around coastal areas and in premium proper ties, installers can be confident that wherever in the world their doors are fitted, they will not be let down by our hardware”.

Loren Jenner concluded: “This can be a great opportunity to upsell and improve your prof it margins. Our customer’s feedback is that the additional money invested in high-quality hardware is minimal in the cost of the door system but can sig nificantly help with their bottom line”.

www.coastal-group.com

UAP has launched a new key wind lock, designed specifically for doors with fixed handles such as pull handles.

Suitable for composite and tim ber doors, the Fullex Key Wind lock uses a key or thumb turn to engage and retract the bolts and latch. Once the door is closed, the latch can’t be operated with out the key.

Julian Roberts, technical services director at UAP said: “The Fullex Key Wind Lock is ideal for use with pull handles on the doors of residential properties, enabling homeowners to benefit from se curity, reliability, and functionality.

For

“If, for example, an intruder tried to open the door just after some one had entered the house with their shopping, they wouldn’t be able to get in as the latch would hold the door shut.

“A further benefit is the lock’s simplicity. Other key wind locks on the market require the key to be turned between 360 and 720 degrees. The Fullex Key Wind Lock enables the user to enter the door swiftly and easily.

“To operate the lock, it takes half a turn to withdraw the bolts, is then returned to original position, then turned again to retract the latch.

“In addition, we have developed a matching escutcheon, provid ing the option of a full, cost-ef fective system, including a pull handle, Key Wind Lock, high security escutcheon and 1 Star cylinder.”

https://uapcorporate.com/

Mighton Unveils New Range Of Avia Smart Security Products

Mighton has launched a full suite of Avia smart home security products, building on the success of the company’s Avia smart door lock with a premium, fully inte grated and retrofittable package of solutions, that have all been designed to work seamlessly with Apple’s HomeKit security ecosys tem – widely acknowledged to be the most secure platform availa ble, says the company.

The Avia smart door lock, which was introduced to the market in 2019, raised the bar for smart security products, claims the company. Combining the best of mechanical and smart technology, it was the first smart lock to meet the criteria for Sold Secure SS301 Silver approval, and the first to achieve the Government’s Code of Practice for consumer Internet of Things (IoT) security.

The new family of Avia smart products includes the original smart lock plus an ‘intelligent’

casement window handle, sash fastener and a window and door sensor that allow users to tell, at a glance via their Apple devices, the status of their windows or doors.

The casement handle is available in a range of finishes and can re place existing handles in a matter of minutes, with no specialist tools required. The Avia window handle, sash fastener and window and door sensor are all battery operat ed, easy to install, and easy to set up using Bluetooth LE technology with an LED indicator that con firms pairing and operation.

The Avia range also includes a smart socket that can be used in conjunction with Apple Home Automation to give complete con trol of household appliances; and a high tech, motion sensor PIR camera that can detect move ment up to 10m away. Featuring a powerful LED light that illuminates when a person is detected, as well as an audible alert, it can operate

for more than a year on battery power or indefinitely with an optional mini solar panel.

Mighton’s chairman, Mike Der ham, commented: “Smart home security products continue to grow in popularity but in order to take full advantage of the de mand, it’s vital that fabricators and installers can demonstrate solutions that are genuinely secure and not just a gimmick, in order to give homeowners ultimate peace of mind.

“With Avia, they are able to do just that. The Avia smart lock benefits from the class leading security that Apple’s iOS oper ating system provides, backed up by robust, mechanical hard ware.

“We’ve applied the same ethos to our new family of Avia smart security products, which have been subjected to rigorous security testing so that they are also compatible with Ap ple’s HomeKit,” he continued. “The result is a market leading security package that will work seamlessly with any Apple de vice, delivering a familiar, high end user experience.”

Hardware manufacturer VBH has added two new colours to its suited range of residential door, patio door and window furniture.

In response to requests from customers, the popular Alpha re si-door handle set is now avail able in two anodised aluminium finishes.

This brings the number of availa ble finishes to 12.

VBH describe greenteQ Alpha as a premium quality handle set for use with entrance doors

New Anodised Finishes From GreenteQ

and bi-fold doors. It features a number of benefits including sprung levers, thicker fixing bolts and a flange around the cylinder profile cut out. As a part of the greenteQ Suite, it is matched in colour and lever style to Alpha casement and tilt & turn handles, and Aspire lift/slide patio door handles.

Gary Gleeson, marketing man ager at VBH said: “Alpha was originally launched in 8 painted and plated finishes, before we added our Enduro and Antique Black options in 2019.

“A number of customers who buy these original finishes also

have a need for gold and silver anodised finishes, and don’t like mixing handle styles to obtain these colours. We are happy to have used these requests as the catalyst to expand our colour range further.”

As components of the greenteQ Suite, the new anodised handles are covered by the greenteQ 10year performance and surface guarantee, and are approved for use on Q-secure guaranteed installations. These installations are guaranteed against breakin, with up to £8000 available in compensation.

www.vbhgb.com

Class-leading

Outstanding

Enhanced

New

Ready

Forget Keys, Says Force 8

‘No need to grapple with a set of keys, or try to remember a pass code, just let yourself in’. Stockport based Force 8 says TouchKey is the future of security within the door lock market – it’s simple to use as you are the key.

Using fingerprint technology, all you need to do is hold the handle and place your thumb on the sen sor, which is positioned where your thumb would normally go when opening a conventional door. Force 8 claims to be the first to offer this innovative system on any of their new doors, with a special introduc tory offer of £495. The system is self-contained within the door and no extra wiring is required, making installation easier, says Force 8.

In a statement, the company said: ‘The TouchKey App from ERA gives the homeowner full permis sion to control and monitor who has access to the property and track the activity of who has en tered and at what time. The system

can store up to 50 profiles, and all the information is stored on ERA’s cloud platform, and not stored on the phone or handle, creating a two-factor authentication with ERA’s server when anyone enters the property to prevent hacking. In the event of a problem with rec

ognition, TouchKey can also be opened by a smart phone’.

The system is not confined to a domestic property, Force 8 have already installed a TouchKey into a local solicitor’s premises to allow the staff access the private area of their offices. Hill & Co Solicitors have been using the TouchKey for the past few months and are said to be very happy with its perfor mance and ease of use.

According to Force 8, the securi ty and mechanical aspect of the lock is ‘second to none’. When closing the door, all six locking points automatically secure the door tightly to the frame and for easy smooth opening from the inside without a key, simply use the internal thumb turn. Force 8 also says the system is extremely advanced, with self-learning smart fingerprint technology establishing robust user recognition by learning and adapting the characteristics of an enrolled fingerprint template through valid verification over time.

Force 8 previewed the TochKey at this year’s FIT Show saying it proved to be extremely popu lar and that the whole system is backed up by ERA and guaran teed.

Carl F Groupco Stocks Latest UKCA Standard Product

said: “The Fuhr 870 lock is one of our most popular products so it was important to confirm it would have the correct accred itations when the CE mark is no longer recognised in this country. We liaised with the product team at Fuhr to confirm all the correct certifications were in place.”

John said: “We see it as our responsibility to support our customers by being ahead of the curve. So checking our products conform to the latest regulations is an important part of our cus tomer commitment.”

ndependent hardware supplier Carl F Groupco has confirmed that the popular Fuhr 870 Type 8 Emergency Exit multipoint door lock now meets the new UKCA standard. John Crittenden, man aging director of Carl F Groupco,

The government has announced it intends to end recognition of the European CE mark in Great Britain by 1 January 2023. Instead, prod ucts must be tested and certified by a UK-recognised approved body. To indicate a product con forms to the relevant standards, the UKCA mark must be affixed to products.

The Fuhr 870 Type 8 Emergency Exit multipoint door lock allows a door to be opened at any time to provide an emergency exit from the inside. From the outside, access can be provided using a key. After opening, the cylinder must be locked to regain full security. It is suitable for use on PVC-U, aluminium, composite and timber doors. Single and double door options are availa ble.

www.carlfgroupco.co.uk www.smartsecure.co.uk www.carlfdirect.co.uk

Choice

Suitable to use on wider apertures Can meet spans up to 5920 x 2360mm.

Ready to discover the best in sliding patio doors? Then you’re ready for PatioMaster.

The Devil Is In The Detail For Door Hardware

Hardware distributor Carl F Groupco has reported an increase in demand across its high-quality door hardware ranges suitable for use on aluminium doors. But for fabricators looking to offer aluminium doors with style, aesthetics and high-quality specifications, John Crittenden, managing di rector at Carl F Groupco says the devil is in the detail.

He said:”Aluminium has become the go-to material for door prod ucts as they deliver high-end aesthetics and long-lasting func tionality that the market demands. But high-end aluminium doors need quality hardware to com plete the picture. If you think about an aluminium door, the

hardware is the function that end users will engage with daily, so exceptional quality and user experi ence are essential. It’s why we’re increasingly finding that aluminium fabricators and system houses are seeking next-level hardware as part of high specification installa tions.”

For such projects, FUHR multi point locking systems has be come a popular choice.

Carl F Groupco says the FUHR autosafe 833 Slam Shut Door Lock is a reliable multipoint locking device that has automatic locking functionality. It’s opened with a key on the outside and a handle on the inside. It protects

a property from unauthorised ac cess from the moment the door is closed as the latches turn into sol id latch deadbolts upon closure.

The next two popular door hard ware solutions available from Carl F Groupco are part of the SmartSecure range, which offers electronic multipoint door locking systems and smart access control technology that ensure function ality, durability and security – and pave the way to modern, stressfree living.

The SmartSecure FUHR auto tronic 834 Automatic Door Lock is a practical hybrid solution that combines the convenience of an automatic lock and the advanced functionality of an electrome chanical lock. The door locks automatically as it’s closed. It can be opened manually with a key or with any of FUHR’s access control systems. These include

SmartConnect, an easy access control system that allows users to open doors with a smart phone or tablet. There’s SmartTouch comfort, which uses an active transponder and keyless unlock ing by simply touching a sensor on the door or pull handle. There are also FUHR Radio Access Con trol Options, which include a radio fingerprint scanner, a radio keypad and a radio transponder.

According to Carl F Groupco, the ultimate solution is the FUHR 881 multitronic door lock kit. With this system, the door is opened electronically using any FUHR keyless access control system.

Of course, the products at this premium end of the market are just a small selection of what the company offers. With long-stand ing relationships with Europe’s most innovative manufacturers, Carl F Groupco says it has the flexibility and competence to en sure their range always supports market trends.

www.carlfgroupco.co.uk

Mighton’s Avia Secure Awarded SBD Approval

Mighton has announced that its Avia Secure smart casement handle has achieved Secured by Design (SBD) approval.

The SBD accreditation follows recent PAS24 testing and approval for the casement handle, which is designed to notify homeowners of the status of their windows by sending alerts to Apple devices or via the Apple HomeKit platform.

The Avia Secure range includes door, window and PIR sensors, a sash window fastener and smart socket which – like the casement handle – have also achieved the government recognised BSI Inter net of Things (IoT) security stand ard. The comprehensive range includes the Avia smart door lock too, which has passed rigorous testing to be awarded both Sold

Secure SS301 Silver approval and ETSI accreditation.

Mighton’s chairman, Mike Derham, commented: “Smart products in the home have become part of our everyday lives – many of us will not think twice about using a mobile phone or tablet to adjust the heat

ing, lighting or to operate home entertainment systems.

“But they also want the peace of mind that the security prod ucts for their windows and doors are robust enough to withstand traditional attacks and can still function properly in a worst case scenario,” he added.

All products in Mighton’s Avia Secure range are retrofittable. The casement handle, sash fastener and window & doors sensor have been designed for ease of instal lation, and are all battery oper ated. The Avia casement handle can be retrofitted in just a matter of minutes. Easily paired to Apple devices with Bluetooth LE tech nology, they allow users to check whether windows or doors are open or shut. www.aviasmart.com

Senior Gears Up With Winkhaus aluPilot In A UK First

Senior Architectural Systems has teamed up with hardware manufacturer Winkhaus to bring the aluPilot gearing system to the UK market.

As part of Senior’s commitment to the continuous improvement of its aluminium fenestration sys tems, the company approached Winkhaus to develop a bespoke solution for use on its low U-value PURe aluminium tilt and turn win dow and its SPW600 aluminium window.

Senior and Winkhaus, which has

technical teams in both the UK and Germany, have collaborated closely to adapt the innovative aluPilot gearing system for use in the UK market, making Senior the first UK based fenestration supplier to offer this solution, says the company. Developed to help reduce fabri cation time, the aluPilot system is claimed to be easy to use with ‘an innovative design that reduces fastening, tooling and handling requirements’.

The two companies spent time together at Winkhaus’ UKAS accredited laboratory in Kettering

to ensure the new gearing system met all the necessary weather and security tests, with additional cycle testing completed at Winkhaus’ facility in Germany. Senior and Winkhaus continued to work closely to develop the necessary technical manuals and LogiKal integration ahead of launching the new system.

Commenting, Senior Architectur al Systems’ technical manager

Andrew Phillips said: “We are always looking for ways to make our products work better for our fabricator customers and after evaluating our window gearing system, we saw an opportunity to work with Winkhaus to incorporate the efficient aluPilot system into two of our most popular window ranges. This new system, which we refer to as slide bar sections, has strengthened our PURe and SPW600 aluminium windows by helping to reduce fabrication time and streamline the installation pro

cess while offering the same high levels of thermal-efficiency, PAS 24 enhanced security and aesthetic appeal.”

Mike Rushen, Winkhaus UK’s sales director added: “Working in part nership from the inception stage of a project allows us to create bespoke solutions specifically to our customers specification and needs. We take great pride from the fact that we were chosen by Seniors to partner with them on a project as innovative as this one. At our base in Kettering we continue to invest in our technical department expanding our Product Management team to complement our existing resource. We believe that innovation and project partner ships are fundamentally important to our business and will continue to be a major part of our ongoing strategy.”

www.seniorarchitectural.co.uk www.winkhaus.co.uk/alupilot

Stainless Steel Growth From Total Hardware

Total Hardware has confirmed a 21.94% year-on-year growth for their Superior 25 stainless steel door hardware range. For Chris Pell, general manager at Total Hardware, there are numerous reasons why fabricators and installers have turned towards stainless steel door hardware, not least of which is the products’ durability and protection against product corrosion.

Chris said: “When it comes to product durability and strong aesthetic appeal, our Superior 25 stainless steel door hardware range continues to deliver. We’ve seen sustained year-on-year growth from customers who have decided to switch to stainless steel hardware as standard or offer an upsell on their products, especially from customers work ing in the premium end of the domestic market. With the con tinued demand for high-end door products, fitting Superior 25 door hardware makes perfect sense as the hardware offers both long service life and functionality”.

But it’s not just the domestic sector that is seeing the bene fits of fitting stainless steel door hardware. Chris said: “For cus

tomers working in the commercial markets, stainless steel hardware should always be the default solution as it guarantees fewer call-backs or costly remedial vis its, which is important to protect an installer’s bottom line and business reputation. And with a 25-year surface finish guarantee and 10-year mechanical guaran tee as standard, installers can fit with absolute confidence.”

The Superior 25 stainless steel door hardware range delivers a suited range of door hardware for high-quality, coordinated aesthetics.

Manufactured from 304 Grade stainless steel, Total Hardware says Superior 25 door hardware is suitable for all door projects, including doors situated in de manding environments and projects with a high-end focus on enduring quality.

The Superior 25 door hardware range is available in six finish es, White, Black, Chrome, Gold, Brushed Stainless and Flint, which works across contempo rary and traditional door designs.

www.totalhardwareltd.co.uk

Coastal Group: Details Matter On Heritage Style Doors & Window

Recent years have seen a huge rise in the popularity of heritage Crittall style, industrial-look doors and windows. The design incorpo rates a steel-look grid design with slim profiles and has been used to compliment Victorian, Scandinavian, and contemporary properties.

Whether it’s delivering elegance on external bifold or French doors, or creating space and light internally with dividers or screens – the herit age style has been used effectively to transform the look and feel of a property.

Hardware manufacturer, Coastal Group believe that an often-over looked element – the hardware – can make all the difference in bringing a heritage project to life.

“We believe that details make all the difference in creating an excep tional entrance, especially on herit

age or Crittall style projects,” states Loren Jenner, managing director at Coastal Group. “The iconic look of slim metal frames and mono chrome colours deserve hardware that embodies this elegance – as the touchpoint for homeowners and visitors alike, hardware sets the standard”.

Coastal Group believe one of their latest product innovations, the Op era range is the perfect accompa niment for heritage style doors and windows. It’s simplistic, elegant design is part of a suited range of hardware, allowing customers to match finish and style across their

world their doors and windows are, our hardware is guaranteed to stand the test of time and look great whilst doing so”.

Made from Marine Grade 316 Stainless Steel as part of the BLU range, Opera hardware comes with a lifetime guarantee. Its durable design provides excellent resistance to corrosion, even in the most exposed environments or when fitted to acidic timber, says Coastal Group.

The Opera lever door handles are durability tested to BS EN 1906:2012, Durability Grade 7 –200,000 Cycle, as Loren outlines: “Beautifully crafted slim frame

Yale SensCheck Achieves SBD ‘Secure

Connected Device’ Accreditation

Yale has announced that anoth er product from its portfolio has achieved the Secured by Design (SBD) ‘Secure Connected Device’ accreditation, with its SensCheck door and window sensors achiev ing the required standard for both physical and cyber security attrib utes.

The SBD ‘Secure Connected Device’ accreditation guarantees that the Yale SensCheck door and window sensor range has achieved the highest level of security for internet-connected products as well as meeting traditional physical security standards, providing users with a label of trust. To achieve this the sensors underwent rigor ous testing to ensure they function and communicate as they should, and that the appropriate security controls are in place.

Yale says that the Yale SensCheck range utilises smart technology to provide homeowners with ‘instant connected security status’, ena bling them to protect the things that matter most and be sure of their door and window security for instant peace of mind. It allows the homeowner to be notified via the Yale Smart Living Home App if their doors are open or closed, locked or unlocked, and whether their windows are closed, open or in the night vent position.

Paul Atkinson, managing director at Yale, comments: “Having recent ly achieved the ‘Secure Connected Device’ accreditation for our Yale Conexis L1 Smart Lock. We were delighted that the Yale SensCheck Door and Window Sensor range has now also received the same endorsement from Secured by De

sign. The backing of this reputable, trusted independent initiative helps to reinforce to homeowners that our products have been tested to highest standards.

“With more and more people starting to invest in smart home technology and creating smart ecosystems, the SensCheck range provides a fresh competitive ad vantage for fabricators and install ers.”

As well as checking the door or window status, SensCheck can be set to give a chime when the window or door status changes. SensCheck is also compatible with leading voice partners Amazon Al exa and Google Assistant enabling homeowners to ask a variety of commands, such as “Alexa, is my front door locked?” and “Alexa, is my bedroom window open?”.

Michelle Kradolfer, SBD’s IoT technical officer, comments: “Yale were one of the first companies to achieve the ‘Secure Connected Device’ accreditation with their Conexis L1 smart door lock and to have followed this in such quick succession with the SensCheck accreditation is a fantastic achieve ment. We hope other companies will take note and follow in Yale’s footsteps in developing IoT prod ucts safely for the UK market”.

SBD’s is the only way for companies to obtain police recognition for security-related products in the UK. SBD launched the ‘Secure Connected Device’ accreditation this year for companies providing Internet of Things (IoT) connect ed products. The initiative works closely with certifying bodies, who assess IoT products and servic es against the ETSI EN 303 645, SBD’s IoT Device assessment framework identifies the level of risk associated with an IoT device and its ecosystem, providing rec ommendations on the appropriate certification routes.

https://bit.ly/3V29rPO https://bit.ly/3EVjgtq

Ultion KeyTag Finds Lost Keys

This September saw Brisant launch Ultion KeyTag. Built into the actual Ultion key itself, KeyTag finds lost Ultion keys in a matter of minutes by sounding an alarm. KeyTag works with the Apple Find My app that is already into the iPhone operating system, so there is no app to install, and the Ultion Key can be found in the same way as a lost iPhone or iPad.

Remarkably, with all the functional ity, power and sounder in the body of the key, it’s still only 11mm thin, so looks and feels like a normal house key.

Nick Dutton, CEO of Brisant said,“We were taking pre orders for the weeks running up to the launch in September, which is when customers were expecting it. Though there was an overwhelm ing mountain to get out on launch

day, we had all hands to the deck and achieved sending everything out. The feedback we have had has been exceptionally positive.”

Brisant says KeyTag has enabled door installers to have something else to offer homeowners that they want to come as an accessory with their door. In a competitive market , anything that can differen tiate them from the crowd is vital. At one time your watch just told

you the time, look at what a smart watch can do now.

According to Brisant, ‘a surpris ing number of burglaries happen when the door is just left unlocked. KeyTag reduces the risk of home owners having to leave the door unlocked because they have lost their key. Not only does KeyTag help people locate their keys quickly when they are in a rush, but their phone also gets a notification if they have left their key behind. This in turn keeps their belongings safer. With almost 50% of domes tic break-ins happen in daylight and over 66% happen during the week, there is no safe time to leave the door unlocked. KeyTag reduc es the risk of burglary’.

If the door has an Ultion lock it can have a KeyTag Ultion key. It doesn’t matter if it is a new door, a new Ultion lock or if it is one that was fitted a while ago. KeyTag can be ordered on a key already owned as well as on a new door, says the company.

KeyTag comes in five colours, two of which glow in the dark.

www.brisant-secure.com

Get A Grip On Tilt/Slide Patio Doors

Hardware manufacturer VBH has recently introduced a new greenteQ handle set range for tilt/ slide patio doors.

Tilt/Slide patio doors continue to be a popular option for patio doors. According to VBH, their ability to offer a large opening when in the Slide mode or con trolled ventilation in the Tilt posi tion makes them a popular alter native to standard inline sliding patio doors. And that many people prefer the fact that they offer lock ing points around the whole door sash.

The new BGT10 handle sets are taken from VBH’s Continental

greenteQ product range and, as such, are available in the finishes most popular in Europe. These are white, brown, F1 silver anodised, F4 bronze anodised, and F9 dark

silver anodised.

There are standard and slim variants available. The standard external lever stands off the door face by 51mm, while the Slim out er handle stands off by just 24mm, allowing it to pass the fixed mul lion as the door slides open.

Rather than supply the handles in a set, VBH supply BTG10 as sep arate inner and outer halves. This ordering format allows fabricators to choose a slim or standard outer, as well as opting for different inter nal and external colours for bi-col our doors, cutting down waste and reducing cost.

www.vbhgb.com

Sheerline’s S1 Roof Lantern Achieves Secured By Design Accreditation

Sheerline’s aluminium S1 roof lantern has achieved Secured by Design (SBD) accreditation. The aim of the police-backed initiative is to provide a recognised stand ard that increases security while deterring and reducing crime.

This optional security upgrade from Sheerline ensures the S1 aluminium roof lantern is secure enough to withstand opportunist criminals, providing peace of mind to homeowners.

When Sheerline’s design team was developing the next genera tion S1 roof lantern, security was a key consideration. This, says the company, is because traditional lanterns have a host of security

flaws and weaknesses that can be exploited.

According to Sheerline, it has overcome these issues through innovative design solutions. For instance, the S1 already features high-performance glazing tape that adds an invisible layer of security while anti-tamper rafter fixings, plus high-security radius fixings that are only accessible from the inside, are supplied as standard. In addition, glazing is held securely in position using a unique patent-pending glass lock.

The optional SBD upgrade adds additional security clamping plates, locking the SBD lantern’s laminated glass panels in place,

preventing them from being lifted and removed by would-be intrud ers* even if rafter top caps have been removed. These stainless steel components are held firmly in place by stainless steel security screws for added strength.

This optional security upgrade is invisible on finished roofs and doesn’t compromise the stylish contemporary design or thermal performance. Customers also still benefit from the exceptional thermal efficiency of Sheerline’s Thermlock technology, which supports 28mm glazing and offers a centre pane U-value of 1.0.

Thermlock is unique to Sheerline and utilises multi-chambered ther mal breaks to keep heat in and, says Sheerline, reduce energy bills. Part L compliance comes as standard the team behind Sheerline has also simplified the installation process by creating a unique hook and bracket system – keeping hip rafters in place while they are fixed.

Roger Hartshorn, Sheerline CEO, said: “The fact that our award-winning S1 lantern has achieved SBD accreditation is a significant achievement for the team. We’re delighted our lantern is among the top rated for securi ty in the UK as very few systems have achieved this standard. To day’s announcement is important because it shows our commitment to security and signals the fact that every product in the Sheerline range is now SBD accredited.”

“Since Sheerline’s inception, we’ve been committed to devel oping stylish yet secure and sustainable products. We set out to fundamentally change the alumin ium window and door landscape for installers and fabricators, and this announcement highlights our dedication to that pledge,” he added.

https://bit.ly/3U0pE6C

*Based on SBD’s test criteria

Now that the Building Regulations require all rooflight upstands built on site to meet a 0.35W/m2K U-Value, Whitesales has launched an all-in-one proprietary solution that takes away that hassle and makes it easy for builders to com ply.

The overhead glazing specialist has developed a new pre-assem bled timber sloping upstand to fit with its popular em.glaze fixed and hinged aluminium rooflights, which means builders don’t need to build anything separate on site and don’t need to worry about U-Value calculations for Part L compliance.

The Whitesales upstand also saves time on site because it comes pre-assembled rather than

in kit form like some other timber upstands, and it can even be sup plied to site ahead of the rooflight if needed to suit onsite timescales.

With upstands now classified as part of the wall feature for the pur poses of Part B fire safety require ments, Whitesales has ensured that its version easily meets the EN13501-1 fire resistance stand ard, with pre fitted fire-rated insu lation sandwiched between the

plywood elements and the addition of an A1 fire-rated plasterboard lining as standard.

Whitesales is offering the new tim ber upstand in 18 sizes to match with its complete em.glaze roof light range. All the sizes meet the standard requirement for upstands to be at least 150mm at the lowest part of the flat roof and all have a 5 deg pitch to ensure adequate water run-off. They are construct ed from FSC Certified C16 grade CLS timber battens and studs and marine grade plywood, with an insulating foam sandwich layer to give the necessary thermal perfor mance and a plasterboard inner.

The new Whitesales timber up stand is available from stock in the standard sizes on a lead time of just two to three weeks for roof openings from 500 x 500mm right up to 1500mm x 3000mm. More details at: https://bit.ly/3TWEdrR

John Mitchell

Carl

Amanda Hale Roundbrand

Ultrasky Flat Skylight Now Features Ceramic Technology

Ultraframe has announced a new ceramic paint technology enhancement to its Ultrasky Flat Skylight, along with a reduction in the lead time to just 10 days.

According to Ultraframe, the new ceramic painted edge is applied prior to toughening the sealed unit for guaranteed longevity with the paint essentially ‘baked’ to the internal face of the external glass, meaning that it is incredibly ro bust and cannot be scratched off or deteriorate due to weathering. As the ceramic paint is applied prior to the unit being sealed, this also achieves a clean edge-toedge black aesthetic which also

conceals both the spacer bar and edge seal, protecting it from UV rays and removing the requirement for a silicone secondary edge seal.

Commenting on the latest en hancement to the Ultrasky Flat Skylight, Ultraframe marketing director, Alex Hewitt, said: “Our Ultrasky Flat Skylight already fea tured groundbreaking technology and we have recently enhanced the product further with the new ceramic paint technology. We’re also delighted to announce a reduction in the lead time to just 10 working days which we know will be a huge plus point for our customers, allowing them to

keep their site schedules running smoothly.”

The Ultrasky Flat Skylight is an im portant product in the Ultraframe portfolio and has grown steadily in popularity since its launch. Ideal for use on both orangeries and flat roof extensions, Ultraframe says it boasts a number of class-lead ing benefits, including being the fastest Flat Skylight to fit on the market, thanks to its unique clickfit frame and one-stage installation process. The company also claims it to be the warmest Flat Skylight available with a U-Value of just 1.2 thanks to warm frame technolo gy and offering impressive 34dB noise reduction properties. The simple click-fit frame means no fiddly trims and a fast precision fit every time, while its distinctive frameless glass and slim alumin ium surround gives the Ultrasky Flat Skylight a stunning contempo rary look, says Ultraframe.

Available in grey, black, and white as standard colours or any RAL on request, the Ultrasky Flat Skylight is Building Reg compliant and has a host of marketing support availa ble, including 3D digital samples. www.ultraframetrade.co.uk

Eurocell Launch New Contemporary Rooflight

rooms.

Eurocell has extended its range of design-led rooflight solutions with the launch of Luma – a new flat rooflight.

Eurocell says Luma delivers a superior design that not only looks good but has been developed for ease of installation. It offers install ers further business building op portunities as consumer demand grows for striking flat lanterns to help illuminate new extensions, or support the exciting refurbishment of favoured living spaces, garage conversions and even garden

The Luma rooflight provides inside fixing specification for home security assurance and ‘excellent’ thermal efficiency with a U-value of 0.9, as the cost of heating homes continues to be a concern for many. Luma also comes with a 10-year guarantee and features an integrated drainage system that allows moisture to drain away outside.

The slim aluminium frame comes with a choice of clear, neutral or blue tinted glass in double or triple

glazed units which also offers the time saving convenience of selfclean glass.

Luma is available in durable black and white powder coated finishes as standard and can be sprayed in any RAL colour. Made to measure in both square and rectangular op tions, it is UV-resistant to withstand challenging weather. Widths range from 500mm to 1400mm with a maximum projection of 3200mm and maximum glass areas of 2.5m2 for double glazed units and 2m2 for triple glazed units. eurocell.co.uk/luma

A New Low For Energy Efficiency

ultra-low U-values.

Further options contribute to Ideal neo’s energy efficiency. These include ‘powerdur’, a specially designed fibre-glass-reinforced plastic insert, which improves the thermal performance and makes the windows 20% lighter than conventional windows. This saves fuel during transportation, relieving strain on the environment in the process.

Glass units can be bonded to the frame, which improves weather tightness, thermal performance, and the window’s rigidity. And since Ideal neo windows are lighter, glass bonding doesn’t impact on the weight during installation.

Aluplast has launched Ideal neo, a ‘radical’ new energy efficient profile that can create windows with a U-value of just 0.9W/m2K with a standard double glazed unit.

Part of aluplast’s energeto family of products, Ideal neo is a new flushfit, 76mm front-to-back system, which tackles the challenges of stricter Building Regulations head on, while scoring marks for sus tainability.

“Ideal neo is a huge leap in innova tion, and offers significant opportu nities for fabricators and installers,” Ian Cocken, sales and marketing director at aluplast, said.

“On a headline level, windows manufactured using Ideal neo can achieve U-values as low as 0.9W/m2K with a standard 28mm double-glazed unit. But the key advantage for fabricators investing in this technology now is that the frame design allows U-values to be pushed much lower without signif

icantly changing the overall design of the window – they will be effec tively future-proofing themselves against further regulatory updates.”

Ideal neo offers a base-level 1.2W/ m2K Uf-value, and the ability to carry units up to 50mm. This means triple glazing can easily be incorporated, which presents the opportunity to offer windows with

Aluplast says the Ideal neo system also has a classic centre seal –‘safetec inside’ – which is a special extruded middle rebate with a third internal seal. This ensures better tightness of the entire construction, improves thermal and acoustic properties, and makes it more difficult to force open the sash by blocking access from an external attack.

Finally, profile supplied by aluplast, including in the UK, is made from ecotech, which maximises the amount of recycled content in a profile’s design, without affecting performance.

And all profile is available in 40 different foiled finishes, including woodec and aludec. These, says the company, are next generation foils that accurately replicate timber and aluminium, and open up opportunities for fabricators and installers targeting high-end installations.

“Ideal neo is a brand-new prod uct, designed from the ground up, which closes the loop on recycla bility, and raises the game for fabri cators and installers in an increas ingly environmentally conscious marketplace,” Cocken said.

www.aluplast.co.uk.

Deceuninck Unveils Ultra-Energy Efficient New Systems Offer

Deceuninck has launched its new Elegant window and door system, which has been engineered to maximise thermal performance and design reach, at the same time as minimising stock-holding.

Unveiled to the UK media during a recent visit to the systems’ leader’s state-of-the-art recycling facility, Elegant is built around i-COR, a modular ultra-energy efficient out er frame, which is available in three different frame depths, a standard 76mm system, plus 84mm and 115mm options.

Each frame is compatible with five different sashes including Elegant Abstract, a sleek minimalist flush sash option and ThermoFibra In finity, Deceuninck’s ground-break ing glass-fibre reinforced sash, which has a rebate of only 7mm, while achieving u-values of as low as 0.88W/m2K.

Rob McGlennon, managing director of Deceuninck, said that Elegant represented a step change

in window and door performance but also manufacture.

“Our standard offer is the 76mm frame.

“If you took that in isolation and disregarded the 84mm and 115mm frames you can manufac ture five different windows includ ing what we believe will be a very popular flush sash option, Elegant Abstract.

“You don’t have to hold masses of stock. Production is easier because outer frame dimensions don’t change, so it’s less com plicated to cut, mill or rout, also saving time, and the u-values are incredible”, Rob explained.

In addition to the Flush Elegant Abstract and ThermoFibra In finity, Elegant is also available in Infinity, which features a subtle transition between the frame and sash; Elegant Origin which has a classic detailing; and the more pronounced square chamfered,

Elegant Grando.

ThermoFibra Infinity employs De ceuninck’s patented ThermoFibra glass fibre reinforcement system eliminating steel from the sash.

It combines this with Forthex, Deceuninck’s extruded insulated thermal reinforcement, which max imises design potential without the need for traditional steel reinforce ment using embedded steel wires in a low-density insulating foam core.

As strong as steel reinforced windows but 30% more thermal ly efficient with 40% savings on materials and weight ThermoFibra and Forthex are also 100% recy clable.

Rob continued: “Elegant moves PVC-U into a different space, through the way that it is made; and through the through-life per formance and the high-end archi tectural aesthetic that it delivers.

“Elegant shifts the conversation from a discussion limited to one about PVC-U and aluminium, to one about next generation, premi um low maintenance and energy efficient composite windows and doors.”

Elegant also uses recycled ma terial in manufacture, something which sits as part of Deceuninck’s

ambitious sustainability strategy.

This includes a commitment to cut the CO2 emissions from its own operations (Scope 1&2) by 60% by 2030 from a 2021 baseline, as part of the Science Based Targets programme.

Something it is working to achieve in part through the €15million in vestment it has made in one of the world’s most advanced recycling and compounding facilities.

With the capacity to reprocess up to 45,000 tonnes of post-con sumer and post-manufacturing PVC-U per year it gives Deceun inck capacity to prevent more than three million windows from going to landfill annually.

Rob continued: “There is a pow erful sustainability story which underpins Elegant and which gives it immediate reach in the commer cial sector, as an alternative to and alongside, aluminium products.

“We know, however, that that story also resonates with the end-user.

“In combination with the minimal ist sightlines and it’s very strong architectural aesthetic, Elegant has very strong end-user appeal, as a low maintenance and ultra-energy efficient, composite window and door system.” www.deceuninck.co.uk

When A Legend Becomes Greenline

Profine have re-branded the Leg end window and door system to Greenline, a sister brand to Kömmerling and it is now being extruded with a unique, recycled green core as part of a strong, visible product USP.

The Greenline platform boasts 5-chambered frames and mullions, whilst the energy efficiency credentials are improved further through the adoption of 7-cham bered sashes. With a distinct green core, this product system is one for today and tomorrow’s environmentally conscious trade partners, installers and consumers, says profine, with both chamfered and sculptured sash and bead options.

There is a new website planned for Q1 2023, along with addition al brochures and point of sale materials. There are also the re sources of profine Group behind the brand with further R&D and investment planned to make it

a ‘standout’ green window and door system.

Kevin Warner, sales and mar keting director of profine UK commented: “Greenline is now a sister brand of Kömmerling for UK and international markets. We’ve new marketing materi als to come and an investment programme of development for this important product platform for profine.”

He continued: “Like our Köm merling 70 platform, Greenline can also achieve a U-value of 1.2 (W/m2K) as standard using a 28mm glass unit and there’s even a dedicated composite door outer frame. We’re expect ing further interest from manu facturing partners and installers with a product system that has a very visible USP and story to tell.”

www.profine-uk.com www.kommerling.co.uk

Finishing Touches From Euroglaze

Rehau trade fabricator Euroglaze has partnered with Yorkshire Specialist Coatings (YSC) to offer customers a bespoke colouring service on everything from fin ished frames to trickle vents.

Located on the same Barnsley industrial estate as Euroglaze itself and jointly run by Rob Hall who spent 15 years at Euroglaze as an installer, surveyor and then commercial manager, YSC prides itself on offering the kind of service which only comes from having spent time working at a fabricator.

He says: “At Yorkshire Specialist Coatings, it goes without saying that we deliver on quality and ef ficiency, but much more than that we focus on solving all the niggly problems which used to frus trate me about coating services when I was on the other side of

the fence. For instance, we mask off all the gaskets and even the hidden parts of the frame before we spray so that there is never any overspray visible, which can cover all the important references written on the frames, and we la bel our products on the packag ing, so customers don’t need to unwrap items until they are ready to be fitted.”

Because of the close links with YSC and the convenient location, Euroglaze can offer its custom

ers a fast turnaround on sprayed orders and expert advice on how to make the most of the service available.

Rosie Brennan, customer service manager at Euroglaze explained: “Our partnership with Rob and his team helps us to add real val ue to our customers. It means, for instance, that even when colour ed components and accessories are out of stock from our suppli ers, we can get them sprayed to match quickly and easily instead and avoid any delays.

“Yorkshire Specialist Coatings understand the urgency of every order and buy into Euroglaze’s lean manufacturing philosophy, so we can provide a colouring service which is very much an ex tension of our own offering rather than just a bought-in add-on.”

Like the rest of the colouring sector, YSC has seen anthracite grey dominate orders over recent years, but Rob says agate and pebble grey are both now rising quickly in popularity along with the company’s matches to some of the high-end interior paint brands.

He adds: “We spray around 100 doors and 100 windows per week as well as scores of ancillaries and, while the majority of what we do is in various shades of grey, there are some more adven turous door buyers out there and we have seen some pretty vivid orange, yellow, pink and purple composite door choices over recent months.”

As well as working closely with Euroglaze, YSC also provides a nationwide colour spraying service to other fabricators and offers a fast turnaround delivery and collection service to com panies throughout the Yorkshire region.

www.euroglaze.co.uk

www.yscoatings.co.uk

Business Pilot Customer:

‘Happy To Eat My Words’

Initially a sceptic, director of Signature Home Improvements Rakeem Porter-Young is now a Business Pilot convert, after it became central to the company’s operations.

Chichester-based Signature Home Improvements was established in the summer of 2019, and today serves customers across Sussex, Hampshire and Surrey with high value windows and doors.

“Our typical customer is typically a homeowner who is looking to upgrade their windows and doors but in a lot of cases that means not just the performance but also the aesthetics. For example, at

the moment we are seeing a big increase in flush casement win dow sales,” Rakeem said. “We hit the ground running when we set up the business because the pandemic lockdown caused a spike in enquiries and sales as people looked to upgrade their homes, and we haven’t looked back since.”

Rakeem explained that a per sonal connection brought him into contact with Business Pilot when he first set up the business, and initially turned it down on the grounds it was “overblown and unnecessary”.

“I’m more than happy to eat my

words now, because the Busi ness Pilot CRM software has been transformational,” he said. “I really wish we had signed up to it earlier.”

Signature Home Improvements used a spreadsheet to manage leads and sales in the early days, while the operations side of the business was all paper based.

“As far as spreadsheets went, it was up there with the best,” Ra keem said. “It was cloud-based, so two of us in the office could access it easily and update it when we needed. But it sat alone. It didn’t connect with operations, and all other forms of communi cation took place separately. We operated like that for about 18 months.”

Signature had a very busy 2020 as the country emerged from a series of lockdowns, and homeowners viewed their homes with a new critical eye.

“Everyone who worked from home saw, on a daily basis, where they’d like to make improve ments,” Rakeem said. “And these were typically the windows and doors because they made the biggest statement. Also, they had a pile of cash they couldn’t spend anywhere else.

“More importantly, our spreadsheet was struggling to keep up, so we invited Matthew Gaskin in from Business Pilot to give us a demonstration of their CRM/ERP software. We had one demo and we were sold!”

In January 2021, Signature started using Business Pilot after a train ing course presented by Rebecca Taylor, and immediately benefited from a number of key features, such as the integration of all documents and communication, and being able to follow a project all the way from lead through to completion.

“The results were immediate,”

Rakeem said. “There must be thousands of CRM tools on the market, but none of them are designed by window professionals for window professionals. Busi ness Pilot is, and it really shows.

“The cost savings are significant. We don’t have to spend nearly as much time on admin, and the way emails in particular are tracked through the system is an abso lute game changer. If a customer contacts us, we can access all their details in one place. But we rarely get phone calls from people chasing us up because emails are automatically generated giving them status updates on their installation.

“As a result, we present ourselves as a very professional company –it’s taken our company to a whole new level.”

Looking back, Rakeem said that he shouldn’t have dismissed the Business Pilot software so early on.

“If I was starting out today, I would sign up to Business Pilot imme diately. It’s well worth the money, and you are missing out if you don’t have it,” he concluded.

signaturehi.co.uk www.businesspilot.co.uk

Software To Streamline Processes At Direct Trade Windows

Delivering excellent customer service relies on careful pre-plan ning and organisation behind the scenes, which is why Direct Trade Windows has invested in a unique software solution to help streamline its services.

Airtable is an exclusive business management software that allows clear visuals of ongoing factory processes at any time, enabling Direct Trade Windows to provide exact and guaranteed delivery times to its trade customers, says the company.

Director AJ Hassanali comments: “In today’s market, automation is key to saving both time and money, which is why we invested in Airtable, designed by our own developers to manage process es and flag up any issues such as delivery delays, meaning our customers are always kept up to date with extremely accurate information.

“The system is also accessible at all stages of the manufacturing process and is completely auto mated, eliminating the need for reams of paperwork and further streamlining the entire process as a whole.”

Direct Trade Windows has also invested in a unique quoting app in order to help customers take the lead, and providing installers with sales support and infrastruc ture.

The app not only provides in formed quotes, but is also able to share lucrative leads with cus tomers in addition to providing them with technical support when they need it.

AJ continues: “At Direct Trade Windows, we pride ourselves on manufacturing the highest quality steel-look products, and due to our steady year on year growth, we needed to increase produc tion and have a way of keeping our customers informed of the processes at all times.

“Airtable has been a very worthwhile investment, enabling us to maintain high-quality standards while being able to track every stage of the manufacturing pro cess to keep all teams up to date, which ultimately instils confi dence in our offerings and sets us up for a successful future.”

www.directtradewindows.co.uk

Lead Generation Through Technology

Over the past two years, no one in the industry was immune to the disruption of supply chain issues, while at the same time, many witnessed a surge in demand as consumers chose to invest in home improvements, after saving a reported £150 billion during lockdown.

This year thankfully saw the UK return to normal following the pandemic – but that also means that the market has started to cool significantly, bringing on a sharp decrease in demand.

Consumers simply aren’t spend

ing as much on home improve ments, something only exac erbated by the current energy and cost of living crisis, and the glazing industry as a result is facing a challenging future.

It’s therefore more important than ever for us to invest in lead generation – after all, leads are essential for any kind of busi ness growth.

And one proven way to do this is through technology.

Looking back to the pandemic, there’s no doubt that compa

nies who embraced a digital approach had an advantage over those that didn’t, whether it was through online pricing and ordering, customer quotes, sales, or supplier relations.

And a new technology that’s already begun transforming the industry is Augmented Reali ty Conservatory Design (ARC Design).

Developed by tech start-up Augmented Reality Creations (ARC), the software works as a visualisation tool that sits within an installer’s website, helping homeowners design and fully customise their own conserv atory within minutes, before submitting the design to the installer to request a quote.

With the click of a button, the homeowner can then view their

design in 3D augmented reality, allowing them to view the con servatory in situ on their house, helping them make their final decision.

ARC COO and co-founder Andy Clear comments: “The unique feature of ARC Design is that it hooks consumers onto an installer’s website with a simple yet engaging experience – they experiment with their different design options, all the while associating this experience with the installer’s brand, position ing that installer as the obvious frontrunner for the installation.

“From the installer’s point of view, they can then access the homeowner’s design preferenc es and contact details, meaning that during their first interac tion with a potential customer, they can go in highly informed

and easily show their expertise, giving a faster route to sale and even opening the door for a higher price.

“As a result, ARC Design is a huge help in increasing lead generation.”

Lead generation can often be difficult and time consuming, but as the market slows follow ing an industry boom, it’s vital that businesses invest in tools that will help them win more sales.

And with ARC Design, gener ating leads doesn’t need to be difficult at all – the software is easy to use, requires no design experience or training, and can be installed onto a website in just 30 minutes.

“We’ve come up with tech

nology that not only attracts customers, but keeps them engaged up to the crucial deci sion-making step,” Andy says.

“Today’s consumers are much more open to dealing with in stallers in a virtual environment – and the immersive experience of augmented reality is certainly growing in popularity.

“If you want to stay ahead in what’s becoming a very difficult market, it’s essential that you have a powerful lead generation tool to hand – and ARC Design is certainly one you can rely on to not only bring in sales, but one that’s set to re-shape the future of the conservatory market.”

For more information or to re quest a free demo, visit www.arc-solutions.co.uk

Supercharge Your Production

Give your aluminium window and door production an edge with Window Designer.

• Process designs up to five times quicker than some alternatives

• Single software package across PVC-U and aluminium

• Modular system grows as you do • Further efficiencies with time-saving add-ons Boost production. Reduce overheads. Make money.

Installers Enjoy “Best Of Both Worlds” Following Windowlink’s Business Pilot Integration

Two of glass and glazing’s software products, Windowlink’s Focus and Vector, are now compatible with Business Pilot CRM system.

Made by installers, for installers, Business Pilot is a cloud-based platform that aims to help fenes tration firms take control of their purchasing, sales, financials and deliveries to drive profits while reducing hassle.

Business Pilot is also fully mobile

optimised, allowing customers to use it anywhere, on any device.

Now, the system can be used in conjunction with Focus and Vector, Windowlink’s software products that make sales pitches quicker, easier and more effective, claims the company. For Windowlink customers, the process is really simple. They just have to import leads from Business Pilot, create a job using the lead details, and upload the quotation and contract

to Business Pilot.

Once the survey has been com pleted, the revised job file and relevant paperwork can also be uploaded. What’s more, the flexibil ity of Windowlink software means that the process can be modified and tailored for each customer if required.

Integrating the two systems re duces error, eliminates duplicated effort, and makes crucial job files and reports easily available from a central hub, claims the company.

“Business Pilot integration was a natural next step for Focus and Vector,” comments Windowlink managing director Mark Dudley.

“Both Business Pilot and our own products represent some of the leading offerings of their kind on the market today, and we kept finding that our customers used both.

“We’re delighted that it’s now eas ier than ever for installers to enjoy the best of both worlds.” www.windowlink.com

Swadlincote Windows Boosts Efficiency With AdminBase

Swadlincote Windows, has boosted efficiencies and further improved customer service with its use of the AdminBase installer management system.

“Since we have started using the SMS service through AdminBase it has made us even more efficient,” explains Tyrone Birch, business manager at Swadlincote Win dows. “Homeowners today are much more likely to check a text

message than they are to answer the phone. It’s much more con venient to respond to a request in their own time when it suits them, rather than being caught out by an unexpected call at an inconvenient time. We have been using the SMS service to advise customers on installation dates, confirm service dates, and to ask homeowners to check they’ve received quota tions, invoices and more. We even schedule text messages at certain times throughout the day which helps to control the tempo for the business.”

Rhonda Ridge of Ab Initio, creator of AdminBase, adds: “It’s fantastic to see quality focused compa

nies like Swadlincote Windows utilising the features of Admin Base to further improve internal efficiencies and customer service. Coming from an installation background myself, I wanted to design a system that genuinely makes life easier for home improvement businesses and being able to send co-ordinated text messages from a central system is just one of the ways AdminBase can do this. Text messages are so useful in busi ness, but when they only exist on one person’s phone, it can muddy the communication waters. When used from a centralised system throughout the entire customer journey, it becomes an invaluable support.” abinitiosoftware.co.uk

Tyrone Birch

The First Step To A Paperless Office

customer details and any planned requirements. This content can then be seamlessly converted to Window Designer quotes/ orders by the click of a button. Zandi then interacts with Window Designer to populate it with all the relevant data.

On the customer service side, Zandi can log complaints and manage customer returns. Dash boards can give a snapshot of any outstanding issues, returns and replacements along with a workflow for items that need to be dealt with. Zandi also includes a suite of metrics so fabricators can assess where the fault areas are so they can be as proactive as possible.

“If you were to say to me that you are taking Zandi away from me, that would be extremely disruptive because it has become just an everyday part of our process, and it is really key,” Graham said.

“We’re also encouraging our customers to use the Customer Zandi Portal. It makes life so much easier. For example, there is a dig ital sign off, so there’s no sending us an e-mail to say ‘can I pro ceed?’, and any relevant dialogue sits alongside the status updates within the job.

Zandi, the comprehensive CRM system from First Degree Systems, is so central to HWL Windows’ operations that the company has built its whole order processing function on it, which has helped them to save time and money, go paperless, and reduce errors, says the company.

“Zandi allows us to stay on top of our customer relationships,” HWL director Graham Howatson said. “You can follow an order from a pre-quote stage all the way through to delivery without re-en tering details. That way you are keeping on top of your customers’

requirements right from day one.

“Using Zandi has also meant we’ve been able to go paper free in our office. All documents we receive are digital, and these are attached to the related job file in Zandi.

“We’ve saved a small fortune on paper and ink, but it also means that people don’t have trays on their desks. We have boxes on Zandi that people are then as signed to.”

Zandi’s Pre-Quote/Pre-Order sys tem allows users to capture the

“So, there are no emails going backwards and forwards, which can be lost, and if there is a fault, then there’s a complete audit trail. One of our targets is to get the whole of our customer base using it, and I think that’s probably one of the best functions within that software.”

Zandi forms part of the Window Designer suite of design process ing software from First Degree Systems. Different elements help window fabricators optimise their work flow and create manufactur ing efficiencies, which ultimately result in greater profitability, claims the company. www.firstdegreesystems.com

Graham Howatson, HWL director

Emmegi Machines Are Not Just For Aluminium

Emmegi (UK) might be best known for supplying CNCs, cutting cen tres, saws, and handling equip ment to aluminium fabricators, but it also has an extensive range of products specifically designed for machining in steel.

This includes the Comet S4 4-axes electric head CNC machining centre, which has recently been installed at Cross-Guard Ltd in Scunthorpe for fabricating the company’s steel security grilles, bars and cages, and hot and cold aisle containment solutions.

Cross-Guard already had a number of Emmegi machines in its factory and, over the years, the production team had been impressed with their durability and reliability. When it came to adding to the manufacturing set up, Emmegi was there fore the natural first choice.

The Emmegi team reviewed Cross-Guard’s requirements this time around and its desire for even quicker, more efficient manufactur ing. They recommended the Com et S4 with mobile worktable, which can accommodate steel elements up to 4m in length to suit even the

largest scale applications.

The S4 comes with an 8.5kW elec trospindle as standard, but CrossGuard was able to choose the higher performance 10kW electro spindle option with rigid tapping, which has all the additional torque necessary for machining even in heavy duty steel. This rotates from -120° to +120° on the horizontal X axis so that it can work on the top and sides of the profile with no need for repositioning, and has a safe, twin tank lubrication system featuring minimal oil diffusion as

well as an oil emulsion spray suita ble for steel.

In terms of the speed that CrossGuard wanted, the Comet S4 features a 10-piece tool magazine on the X axis gantry which moves along with the electrospindle and means no time is wasted during tool transfer. There is also integrat ed software which automatically carries out the precision position ing of the vice units according to the length of the workpiece and the machining being carried out, so that operators don’t need to spend time making the calculations for themselves.

Ash Pope, Cross-Guard’s produc tion manager, is impressed with the capabilities and precision of the machine. He said: “By their nature, our products have to be built to last, so there can be no compromises at any stage of the manu facture. What we particularly like about the Comet S4 is that, as well as speeding up machining times, it is actually helping us to deliver an even better quality of product.”

The range of Emmegi products for processing in steel includes Satellite, Phantomatic and Comet machining centres and the Twin Ferro twin head saw. Details are at: https://bit.ly/3EqryYL

More info on Cross-Guard is at: https://cross-guard.com/

A Little Understanding… Goes A Long Way

And never has that been truer than when specifying frame fabrication machinery. So say Adam Jones and Sean Mackey, owners of Cov entry-based Jade Engineering Ltd, who increasingly find themselves riding to the rescue of frame makers that invest large sums of cash in new, complex automated ma chinery, without fully understanding the implications of their purchase.

That such problems develop is understandable, says Adam: “With the difficulties many fabricators have in finding skilled, reliable staff to work for them, together with the fluctuations in the market caused

by the difficulties faced by home owners, many are investing heavily in CNC machinery for the first time, or upgrading old kit that they have had for years. It’s the right way to go…CNC machines increase throughput, improve quality and obviously reduce reliance upon staff, with one skilled operator doing the work of many.

“However,” continued Adam, it is not as simple as looking at the specs for individual machines, working out the finance and plac ing the order. Because as good as the latest CNC machinery is, they and the associated kit re

quired, need to be combined into a planned package based upon the detailed and varying production requirements of every fabricator. Whatever the brochure says, there is no ‘one size fits all’.”

Sean agrees and warns: “We have a very good business that has emerged from being called in to sort out what appear to be niggling issues in day-to-day production that manifest themselves after new machinery has been installed. The machinery supplier does not un derstand the implications of what happens outside of their piece of kit or the wider implications of the

needs of the fabricator. A bottle neck appears for example, or the flow-rate is well below expecta tions and needs, and production output might even fall. And we are frequently called to help out.”

But why would any self-respect ing fabricator turn to Jade? The answer lies in the fact that Jade Engineering will inevitably have supplied the machine tools for most of the existing kit that the fabricator has been using for years and might even have a corner cleaner or end miller that they bought in the early days of setting up and which are still going strong now. Jade Engineering’s products might quite literally be operat ing behind the scenes, but every PVC-U and the majority of alumini um fabricators will know the name. But often, it’s out of sight, out of mind, says Adam: “Obviously we would love to sell every bit of kit that goes into every frame making shop, but even we can’t supply everything,” he quipped. “But our name is well known at least for providing the tooling used by every frame maker at one time or anoth

er, for the standalone, specialist single-function machines that sit between the £100,000 CNCs and we have developed a good rapport with many of them. And in those chats we have with the production manager or the owner of the firm when they are buying new tools, for example, we know quite a lot about what they make and how they make it.”

Those off-the-cuff chats about day-to-day production issues have now turned into a separate divi sion for Jade Engineering, as Sean explains: “We have re-branded the company into three distinct divi sions to better enable our cus tomers to understand the extent of what we do. Jade Tooling and Jade Machines are self-explana tory to a degree, but Jade Consult was added when we moved from advising tooling customers of ours how they could perform a reverse butt weld with the new kit they’d purchased, to planning and sup plying a whole production line for them. Jade Consult is now big business for us…and it’s impor tant that our customers know how

much more we can do for them than the tools or special-purpose machines.”

Jade Consult includes some of the UK window and door industry’s tops brands as its customers, who understand that their business is making frames, and the machin ery required to manufacture them, is better advised by specialists: “Because of the unique position we have, having supplied products to almost every frame fabricator in the country, we have developed a depth and breadth of knowledge that is unique. We know what they make and how they want to make it, because our products have been specified for the process, or at least for part of it,” said Adam. “That gives us unique access. So when they call to say that they’ve a bottle-neck forming even after their new, hugely expensive machine has been installed, we can pretty much guess why…but these days, we can solve the problem before it even occurs, if they come to us first,” he concluded.

www.jade-eng.co.uk

Adam Jones

Sean Mackey

Stuga Machinery

Appoints New Commerical & Sales Director As Steve Haines Retires

Following the acquisition of Great Yarmouth based manufacturer Stuga by Stürtz Maschinenbau in Germany, the company has now appointed a new commercial & sales director to spearhead ambi tious growth plans and take over the reins from Steve Haines, who retires in December this year after a lifetime of service in the fenes tration industry.

To say that Steve’s influence in the adoption of automated machin ery for the fenestration industry in the UK is massive would be an understatement. Steve was destined for a career in sales very early on: having started his career

as an apprentice for aerospace giant Rolls Royce (Engine Divi sion) in the 1960s and a role in general management at a large multi-national, Steve moved into sales in the 1970s. In 1982 Steve began a machinery agency in the fenestration industry (Wegoma UK Ltd) and was MD until 1992. Steve grew the agency to be one of the biggest agencies in the UK and during that period even sold Sturtz cleaning equipment and eventually welding machines.

In 1992 Steve took over the running of Actual UK and sold their welding and cleaning machines until eventually beginning his career-defining relationship with Stuga in 1999.

Steve initially joined Stuga as a consultant and it is fair to say that Steve’s impression was enormous and positive. “Steve’s efforts single handedly put Stuga on the

Steve Haines

map and built our brand over the years that followed” says Gareth Green, Stuga’s Technical Director, son of the founder and previous owner. “Steve made the name Stuga synonymous in the industry - customers didn’t buy a machin ing centre, they bought a Stuga”, Green continues.

Steve can be recognised as being the first person to bring entry-lev el and cost effective automated machining solutions to the UK fenestration industry, at a time when many factories were using aged semi-automatic machines in very labour-intensive processes.

Steve became a shareholder in Stuga in 2009 and has since steered the company to greater and greater successes, culminat ing in them being the focus of at

tention from German-giant Stürtz.

With over 20 years’ experience in senior sales, project and product management roles, new appointment Ed Williams brings with it a wealth of knowledge and expe rience. Having been responsible for the strategic direction, enhancement and financial perfor mance of a range of products and services in previous roles within the packaging industry, Williams’s track-record will provide a sound base on which to meet the growth demands set out by Stürtz Group.

“The chance to join the team at Stuga and lead the growth of the business – in particular the re-introduction to the UK & ROI markets of the excellent portfo lio of Stürtz machines – was too great an opportunity to miss” says

Williams.

The technical fit of Stuga and Stürtz machine portfolios makes for an exciting prospect and will place Stuga in a position to offer a one-stop-shop approach to manufacturers and fabricators throughout the industry, from small startups to large corproates. “The bringing together of Stuga’s well-trusted sawing and machine capability alongside the range of automated systems from Stürtz is a match made in heaven – there is nobody else in the fenestra tion industry who offers turnkey solutions of this magnitude and scope and it’s a perfect time to apply my 20+ years of experience, as the industry seeks to overcome labour-market challenges and in vest more in automated solutions, energy efficiency and predictive maintenance,” adds Williams.

When asked to comment on how Stuga and Stürtz will realise their ambitious growth targets, Williams pointed out: “Stürtz Group have a very simple approach – we have products and services that the industry trusts, coupled with a reputation and service structure on which to support that growth.

“Acquisitions like this can often create doubt in the minds of cus tomers who’ve come to know the Stuga brand over years of working together,” explains Williams, when asked about the reception of the Stürtz and Stuga merger. “But UK customers can be assured by the fact that Gareth has invested his future in in the form of be coming a Stürtz shareholder, and my appointment to ensure local commercial activity is focussed in the right areas of customer satis faction and reliability.”

For more information about Stuga Machinery Limited click here or for more information about Stürtz click here

Ed Williams

Prefix Systems Invest In Haffner Automation

Specialist fabricator Prefix Sys tems (UK) Ltd has invested in a FOM Industrie FMC 470 CNC Machining Centre from Haffner. The new machine was installed at Prefix Systems’ state of-the-art aluminium manufacturing centre in Blackburn, Lancashire and the award-winning fabricator has al ready reported a strong return on investment.

Chris Baron, director at Prefix Systems (UK), said: “We are con stantly looking for ways to im prove our manufacturing process. Sales of our WARMroof system continue to grow and we needed to find ways to unlock more vol ume through our factory. The FOM 470 machining centre allows us to increase throughput. The 4-axis machine is more versatile than our existing aluminium CNC, result ing in a more efficient production process and allowing us to stay on top of our quality control.”

Chris was also impressed by the service and attention to detail they received from Haffner. He said: “When we decided to pur chase another CNC machine, we approached various suppliers to see what options were available. The support we received from Haffner from the start was first class. When manufacturers like us make a substantial invest ment in a new machine, we need reassurance that the supplier is going to support us from point of sale to commissioning and Haffner delivered at every level for us.”

The FOM Industrie FMC 470 CNC Machining Centre has four controlled axes and has been designed to carry out drilling and milling operations on aluminium profiles. Features include multi piece loading, X Flow and a tool integrity system to streamline operations and enhance product

quality.

Established in 1996, Prefix Sys tems is claimed to have grown to be the UK’s largest independent glass and solid roof fabricator offering a wide range of conserv atory, home living and glazing solutions. Alongside their award winning WARMroof system, the company also manufacture a range of high-quality aluminium window and door products and operates across a multi-site op eration to support their growing customer base throughout the UK.

Matt Thomas, managing director at Haffner, commented: “Follow ing our initial consultation with Prefix Systems, we recommend ed the FMC 470 CNC Machining Centre as we knew the machine would deliver the manufacturing accuracy and high-quality output the company required. As Chris is finding, the automated preci sion speeds up production and is extremely user-friendly. We are delighted that Prefix System are pleased with their purchase.”

www.haffnerltd.com

Kall Kwik Can’t Keep Shtum About Schtec

Window machinery supplier Kall Kwik is introducing a new supplier to the UK market with a new, cutting edge range from Schtec, a machinery manufac turer based in Istanbul.

Launched in 2013 by a group of experienced engineers and designers, Schtec has been producing high-quality, afforda ble machinery for the European market for close to a decade. Their range encompasses all the latest innovations and consid erations for manufacturers, but with a difference according to Kall Kwik.

All Schtec machinery is con structed using the highest-qual

ity parts and componentry, which match the capabilities and demands of more expen sive pieces of machinery, with out the premium price point, says Kall Kwik.

Constructed and designed with the same components and features that manufacturers would expect in top-of-the-line German machinery, Schtec’s systems make use of Beckhoff automation software, and even the screws used are manufac tured by Würth.

“By focussing on creating high-quality, affordable machin ery, Schtec has really carved out a niche for themselves in

the industry,” said Danny Jones, technical director for Kall Kwik Machinery.

“Their focus on delivering the best machinery for the best price is an ethos we can get behind here at Kall Kwik, and when the products are so wellmade and constructed with the best materials available, it’s a no-brainer for us to give our stamp of approval.”

Kall Kwik will be offering Schtec machinery as part of their core range, alongside models from manufacturers like FOM and URBAN.

kallkwik.uk.com

the prospects are in your hands.

Our data allows you to target prospects directly, helping you win more sales, more effectively. So if you need more fabricator, installer or trade counter customers, we’re the only database supplier that’s 100% dedicated to the window, door, conservatory and curtain walling industry. For your FREE trial go to: windowbase.info/free-trial or call us on 01453 845717 e: info@windowbase.info

Granada’s Secondary Glazing Turns Down The Volume At University Facility

Rather than eliminating external noise, secondary glazing manufactured by Granada Secondary Glazing has been installed to keep the noise in at a university’s music department and prevent disturbance to nearby residents.

Although more commonly spec ified to reduce noise intrusion in buildings, secondary glazing is equally effective at stopping excessive sound levels leaking out due to its superior acoustic insula tion performance.

Opened in 2022, the York St John

University Creative Centre is a purpose-built, three-storey permanent home for their music and computer science courses. It also contains specialist facilities for the atre, drama, creative writing, and media production students.

However, aware that a number of the practice rooms back onto a busy street with some residential housing, the University sought out secondary glazing as a means of further soundproofing them. This was in addition to the existing sound-deadening measures, such as acoustic foam tiles.

Secondary glazing offers a dis creet, cost-effective and efficient solution in reducing the emission or intrusion of noise levels by up to 80%, or 54dB. An added ben efit is improved thermal insulation by up to 65%, helping to retain heat and lower energy bills, claims the company.

Granada Glazing’s technicians in stalled 25 Horizontal Sliding units with 6.4mm acoustic laminated glass in recording studios, music practice, teaching and percussion rooms to dramatically cut noise levels emitted throughout the day.

Rob Cottam, commercial sales manager at Granada Secondary Glazing, comments: “This was an incredibly interesting project for us. It’s rare that we’re approached to help keep noise within a build ing; our products are generally

specified for projects where the client is keen to keep unwanted noise out.

“An acoustic laminated glass specification was chosen to help achieve this goal. Factoring in the glazing choice, our expertly craft ed frames and the cavity between primary and secondary unit, the results were incredibly impressive.”

Rob adds: “As you’d expect, from a soundproofing perspective, the windows themselves are gener ally the weakest spot, the most likely to let noise leak out into the surrounding areas. Thankfully, our products, combined with the excellent work from the University, has effectively soundproofed a number of rooms within their mu sic department.”

Senior’s Tall Order In Bristol

Senior Architectural Systems has supplied the fenestration pack age for use on the tallest resi dential building in Bristol.

At 26 storeys high, the residen tial tower block forms part of the wider Castle Park View scheme, which is the largest Urban Green Space in the city. The develop ment also features a main block and a 10-storey tower, creating in total 375 new one and two bedroom apartments. Senior has supplied its slimline SF52 alu minium curtain wall system and patented low U-value PURe al uminium windows and doors for use across the scheme, working alongside specialist installers Denval, architects Chapman Tay lor, contractors Bouygues UK.

Created following the extensive regeneration of a brownfield area and built on the former site of an ambulance station, sustainability

is a key part of the design of the Castle Park View and the resi dential scheme has achieved a level four standard in the Code for Sustainable Homes certifica tion.

Both Senior’s thermally-efficient SF52 aluminium curtain wall sys tem and Part L compliant PURe aluminium windows and doors are highly durable and fully recyclable, claims the company, making them the ideal choice for a modern development that is also striving to help reduce the energy bills of its residents. The thermal performance of the aluminium fenestration system complements the other sustain able features including the use of the UK’s largest water source heat pump, the nearby Castle Park Energy Centre, as the de velopment’s main heat source.

www.seniorarchitectural.co.uk

Exceeding Building Standards

And Futureproofing Tenants’ Homes

Established in 1993, Broadacres Housing Association (BHA) has a proven track record of providing high quality homes. Since its founding, the not-for-profit or ganisation has grown significantly and now boasts a portfolio of over 6,500 homes across York shire and other locations in the north of England. Stock can be found in towns like Northallerton, Darlington and Harrogate, as well as larger cities such as York and Leeds.

Even with this growth, BHA has always emphasised quality and longevity when working with its suppliers on both new build and retrofit projects. Rehau has been a key partner in this respect, with the company’s windows having

been installed successfully in many of BHA’s longest-standing homes.

Until recently, a small collection of bungalows in St Gregorys Close, Crakehall were no different. Despite holding firm for more than three decades, the older Rehau windows fitted in these homes needed removing. After consultation, BHA decided to replace them with the Total70C – a newer, more efficient Rehau design that’s better suited for 21st century needs.

As James Marley, BHA’s con struction manager, points out, the upgrades were partly driven by the organisation’s vision to be ‘the best rural housing association

in the country’. However, it was also practical for the association to keep ahead of the regulato ry curve by fitting homes with high-performing materials that exceed current standards. “Close attention is given to the budget and how we can use it effective ly,” says James. “Any investment needs to provide maximum return, both in terms of perfor mance and durability. That way tenants get a better home that will last, and the association saves more money over time.”

Improvements of this kind are in part driven by the Decent Homes Standard, a technical document first published in 1997. For a property to be deemed a ‘decent home’ it must meet certain cri teria. This includes up-to-date facilities and services, as well as windows and doors that provide a good degree of thermal comfort through efficient insulation. A sim ilar standard is now also planned

for the private rented sector, which will require large-scale remedial action to improve the condition of roughly half a million properties across the UK.

Lasting value

While upgrades are part of dayto-day work for BHA, James believes it’s still important to take a longer-term view when up grading homes. “We seek quality products that not only adhere to the Decent Homes Standard, but also ones that will futureproof our properties against proposed changes to housing legislation. Broadacres has used Rehau windows for many years knowing they are resilient to the country’s highly seasonal weather. This is especially important for a site like St. Gregorys where all the tenants will be living on the ground floor. Without adequate windows and doors, cold draughts and damp can create big problems later on.”

Rehau’s Total70C system is ideal for organisations seeking lasting performance. Products in this range have exceptional thermal properties, achieving A+ on the Window Energy Rating system, while also surpassing the require ments set out in Part L of the Building Regulations. For windows an overall U-Value of 1.6 W/ m2K is needed; the Total70C sits well underneath this threshold at 1.31 W/m2K.

This level of performance, as James explains, is an advantage when working across such a large portfolio. “BHA’s current major works specification has been prepared with Rehau’s guidance. This new window makes it easier for us to meet our carbon reduc tion targets, while also laying the groundwork for future challenges around thermal performance in homes. We know from customer surveys that window replacement is a top priority, so it’s vital to get

it right the first time, especially when you’re dealing with thou sands of buildings.”

Speed and security

BHA’s decent homes replacement cycle sees it budget and plan for windows to remain in-situ for 30 years without premature failure. Rehau has proven itself against this measure. However, as Keith Hogan and Kevin Hudson, directors at Newlife Windows, BHA’s preferred installer, point out, there are other more practical benefits to using a product like the Total70C system.

“Newlife is Rehau approved,” says Keith, “so our team is very familiar with the company’s profiles and what’s needed to fit them to a high standard. This familiarity also means we can replace and install the new prod ucts quickly, which is not always the case for competitors’ designs.

Knowing we can enter a person’s home and be confident we’ll com plete the job to schedule 99% of the time is great for customer satisfaction and our relationship with Broadacres.”

Keith’s final point, as James is keen to highlight, is key for a housing association. “No one wants to have their day disrupted with building work, but we also need to make improvements to our homes from time to time. Newlife Windows can give us a schedule and we’ll know that the work will be finished according to the timescales given. This is a big advantage when liaising with tenants and is partly down to the good design and functionality of Rehau’s windows.”

Beyond this, the Total70C system also provides customers with greater resistance to break-ins. If required, the hardware used on all Rehau’s Total70 range can be fixed into the steel reinforce ment on both the sash and frame, increasing the security level for residents. “This installation meth od is simple,” says Kevin Hud son, “particularly if you’re already removing existing Rehau frames from the property. It’s important to have this feature available for properties like those at St. Greg orys.”

Frames for the future

BHA’s long-standing relationship with Rehau has been driven by product performance and longevity. However, sustainability has also been key, with the associa tion currently working beyond the requirements set out in the Future Homes Standard. It also has its own set of KPIs based on the UN’s global development goals. These include a commitment to alleviate fuel poverty and a pledge to minimise impact on the envi ronment.

“Rehau is a natural partner for BHA when it comes to sustaina bility,” says James. “We know the

windows have excellent thermal efficiency, and this helps our ten ants to spend less on their energy bills when the weather gets cold. Knowing the new frames are made from older recycled ones is an added bonus.”

James is referring to PVCR, which has seen significant investment in its waste management and recy cling machinery since becoming part of the wider Rehau Group in 2014. PVCR collects used PVC material, such as old door and window frames, and puts it through a number of different treatment processes so it can be redirected back into the manufac ture of new polymer products. In doing so, PVCR not only limits the amount of plastic that ends up in landfill but also allows Rehau, its parent organisation, to operate a self-sustaining business model inspired by the circular economy.

Rehau is committed to upgrading technology used in the treat ment process and, therefore, the volume of material that can be recovered for future use. Currently 55% of a salvaged PVC window frame is converted into material used in new Rehau products, with roughly another 30% of the by-product created through shredding and granulation, be ing sold on to other business

es. PVCR aims to increase the amount of good-quality PVC being reused to 70% and finding viable markets for as much of the remaining 30%.

Sustainable suppliers, as James points out, “make it easier for an organisation like BHA to do its job without losing track of the bigger picture. We have our own set of CSR targets that would be harder to achieve were it not for com panies like Rehau. In a market like housing, where the focus is always shifting, having reliable products made the right way is so valuable.”

James concludes: “Long-standing relationships like the one be tween Rehau and Broadacres are ultimately based on trust. These windows make our tenants’ lives better, which is the most impor tant thing, but the fact we know they’ll fit without fuss and also look good once installed is what really sets them apart. Rehau is specified as standard across all our projects because we know what we’re getting, even if that means looking further when a supplier isn’t nearby.”

For more information about Re hau’s Total70 system, visit https://bit.ly/3TT8NCT

Spectus

Windows And Doors Deliver For New Lincolnshire Housing Development

738 Spectus windows, 95 Spectus French doors and 27 Spectus sin gle doors have been installed in the first phase of a new build housing development in the village of Kirton near Boston, Lincolnshire.

The Spires development is an exclusive collection of 2, 3 and 4-bedroom homes designed and built by Ashwood Homes. The new build development will provide a mixture of private homes with 21 of the builds set to be affordable housing.

Ashwood Homes aims to build properties of the highest quality and it extends the same discerning approach to partnership compa nies and the products chosen on its numerous developments. In the case of The Spires development,

the new build project was award ed to experienced, longstanding Ashwood Homes partner, Highseal Manufacturing Ltd, part of the Fair Share Group.

Established in 2012, the Fair Share Group is an independent manufacturing facility based in Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire. The company fabricates the Spectus 70mm PVC-U window and door system from Epwin Window Systems and is committed to delivering man ufacturing excellence and onsite installation support at every level.

The new 152 first-phase plots made up of 2, 3 and 4-bedroom properties, were manufactured in white on both sides from the popular Spectus Bevelled 70mm System.

The Spectus Bevelled System is a 70mm flagship PVC-U window and door system from Epwin Window Systems. In this project, all manufactured windows needed to adhere to Document Q, Build ing Regulations and BSi Kitemark standards for the energy and secu rity performance.

As an experienced fabricator and installer, the Highseal Manufac turing team is familiar with the requirements and protocols of new build developments. As such, the team worked closely with the housebuilder and site contractors to ensure the window and doors were manufactured and installed in line with the timescales required. The first phase development commenced in November 2019 and was com pleted in September 2022.

Holly Donaldson, office manager at Highseal Manufacturing Company, said: “Ensuring the windows were manufactured and installed on time was crucial as the second fit on the electrics can only be completed once the buildings are completely weatherproof. As such, we worked closely with all site contractors for a seamless build.”

With the first phase now complet ed, the Highseal Manufacturing team are scheduling the start of second phase of the development. Holly, said: “We are delighted to have partnered again with Ash wood Homes on this new develop ment. The company has a number of developments across the region featuring family homes between two and four bedrooms. As with all of its projects, these properties are built to a high specification. The first phase of The Spires develop ment has been a great success and we are looking forward to working with Ashwood Homes on their second phase which consists of 670 Spectus windows, 85 Spec tus French doors and 8 Spectus single doors.”

www.epwinwindowsystems.co.uk

Direct Trade Windows Goes The Extra Mile

Going the extra mile for customers is paramount to Direct Trade Windows, which is how the trade supplier has helped to transform a new residential development in Hersham.

Working with Surrey-based lux ury home developer Park Lane Developments, the company has supplied ultra-slim Cortizo sliding doors, complete with bespoke sliding options.

“Park Lane required seven-panel sliders on a four-track system, and four-panel sliders on a fourtrack system, and because this is not readily available on the market, they’d been severely let

down by a previous supplier,” explains Direct Trade Windows director AJ Hassanali.

“At Direct Trade Windows, we have a reputation for going the extra mile to help our customers, which is why they turned to us, and thanks to our state-of-the-art in-house CAD system, our team were able to provide a suitable design and fabrication method, delivering the required bespoke products and winning the trust of Park Lane Developments.

“Thanks to strategic investment in machinery, we have a reputa tion for being able to manufacture products that are known for being

difficult and time consuming to make.

“It’s been a pleasure working with Park Lane Developments, and to supply them with products not readily available on the market has been a privilege.

“The build is due to be complet ed next month, and I very much look forward to seeing the final result, and to working with Park Lane Developments on future projects.”

www.directtradewindows.co.uk

TuffX Glass Steps Up To The Job

With space at a premium and homes of three or even four sto reys becoming increasingly popu lar, dark, narrow, purely functional stairwells are commonplace, but with the addition of glass these can become bright and welcom ing focal points which dramatically improve the quality of living space.

With this in mind, TuffX were cho sen to supply 15mm toughened safety glass with dubbed corners, in a mixture of rectangle and CNC-shaped panels, along with 33mm laminated walk-on floors with sandblasted corners to a res idential property in Plymouth with grand designs for a double-height staircase.

The project was used to comple ment and complete an open-tread glass staircase with a glass balus trade and walk-on glass landing. The finished result is a bright, airy and modern space with maximum natural light flowing through three floors and reaching out across the living areas beyond at every level.

It’s a clever way of bringing the multiple floors together and showcasing the impressive sense of space on offer in the property while creating a connected and homely feel throughout. Topped with a walk-on glass floor that pulls the whole look together and creates a stylish talking point.

Overall the whole effect is one of a bright, light space that shows off the full height of the property to maximum effect from every floor.

“We’re delighted to see the finished result for this project, which truly shows the potential of tough ened safety glass to absolutely transform modern open-plan, multi-storey living,” said TuffX’s commercial director Paul Higgins.

“When space and natural light are at a premium, glass makes an effective solution as well as a bold design statement for balustrades, walk-on floors and staircases — so why not combine all three?”

www.tuffxglass.co.uk/

The Residence Collection

& Renovate Leeds Help Create Dream Home For North East Celebrity, Gaz Beadle

Geordie Shore star, Gary Beadle (Gaz), started the renovation of his new family home with argua bly the most important part – the windows. Situated in the idyl lic suburbs of Yorkshire, Gaz’s luxury cottage home is blessed with scenic countryside views, though the view from the inside was a different story thanks to outdated windows that blocked out light. The TV personality, who shares his home with wife Emma McVey and their two children, tasked Renovate Leeds to install a whopping 98 new windows, transforming the interior and exterior of their new home and maximising the potential of its stunning location.

Working closely with premium window and door designer, The Residence Collection and a local window and door manufacturer, HWL Windows, Renovate Leeds installed bespoke windows de signed by The Residence Col

lection throughout the property, bringing the couple’s vision to life. What was once a protruding window profile with dark brown frames and bars across the glass, are now stylish flush win dows with a fresh grey exterior.

Renovate Leeds helped the couple choose their dream windows with expert advice. Through samples and social media stalking, The Residence Collection was the front runner thanks to design, quality and modern technology. The Resi dence Collection’s R7 collection was the obvious choice, thanks to its flush finish both inside and out. The collection, which was chosen by Gaz for his home, adapts a modern aesthetic that is also versatile with superior acoustic and thermal proper ties. The windows consist of a traditional mechanical joint that provides ‘the ultimate timber alternative’.

Gaz opted for Eclectic Grey for his exterior. For the interior, a classic Chalk White was chosen, to suit the minimal and cosy inte rior of the home.

Although style and aesthetics were incredibly important when choosing the windows, it was vital to consider other elements such as quality, longevity and performance. The Residence Col lection R7 windows boast an en ergy rating of A++ that are double or triple glazed as standard, all with a maintenance-free finish.

Gaz Beadle commented: “I couldn’t be happier with my windows. When we moved into our home, the windows were outdated and blocked out a lot of light, so we knew they needed updating. Now, I can’t believe the difference and how open and airy our home feels. Not only that, but the windows have complete ly transformed the aesthetic to suit our modern family life style. I couldn’t recommend The Residence Collection windows enough and Renovate Leeds did a fantastic job at installing them.”

www.residencecollection.co.uk

Swan Selects Sheerline To Transform School

fact the frames were easy to glaze and said they would be happy to recommend Sheerline to future clients.

Sheerline’s Prestige range was recently chosen to replace aging sash windows in a large grammar school in Kent, helping to freshen the look of this traditional brick building. As the transformation had to take place over the summer hol idays, it was crucial the project was delivered on time, and Sheerline’s agile service was key to helping the team at Swan Doors & Windows meet this deadline.

At over 20 years old, the existing sash balances were beginning to fail. This meant if a window was open, it could close at any time. This was obviously a serious safety concern that needed to be addressed quickly with minimal disruption to the school.

Improving the thermal performance of the windows was also an im portant consideration and a key reason that Sheerline’s Prestige range – with its unique Thermlock thermal break was chosen for the project. With energy prices rising, home and business owners alike are looking for sustainable ways to cut their costs without compromis ing on warmth.

Transforming Borden Grammar School was a collaborative effort that brought together contractors Waller Associates and Swan Doors and Windows Ltd.

Swan commented: “We used Sheerline over other options for this project because we liked the overall quality of the product and the availability that helped us keep to the tight timescales.”

After consulting with the school, they choose a Prestige window in a Georgian style finished in Hipca gloss white RAL9910 for a contem porary take on the windows that were being replaced. It was key to choose a style that enhanced the look of the school but still matched its character and other buildings on the school estate.

The fabricators at Swan were said to appreciate the quality of the aluminium profiles and the feel of the windows in operation. They required little to no adjustment on site, which is what the team at Sheerline aimed for when design ing the system. In addition, Wallers Associates commented on the

Paul Ewart, director at Swan Doors and Windows Ltd., said: “Sheerline provided on-site technical support for our first few jobs to ensure that all our staff were trained appro priately, and that the product was fabricated correctly, which we found invaluable. We hope to con tinue building our order book with Sheerline products.”

Since the installation, the class rooms are brighter and airy, and as the glass installed is solar con trolled the classrooms will be cool er in summer, and warmer in win ter. Even though the style change has been subtle, the now renewed exterior looks much improved. Changing to 50/50 top opening sash windows also means they are safer and easier to operate.

CEO of Sheerline Roger Hart shorn said: “The feedback we’ve received from Wallers Associates and Swan is a testament to the hard work we put into designing the Sheerline range. When we first developed the idea, we knew we had to overcome the existing issues within the industry, and that’s what we’re doing.

“We’re proud to provide unrivalled support to our customers, whether they’re home or business owners, installers or fabricators – everyone receives technical support and high-quality customer service.”

www.sheerline.com

I Like Them So Much, I Fitted One For Myself

Stockport-based Classic Con struction started fitting the Deca lu88 Bi-folding Door from Deceun inck Aluminium at the beginning of 2021 as part of its strategy to supply premium products while reducing time on site, including callbacks.

“We aim for the higher end of the market and source higher quality materials,” Classic Construction’s managing director Jason Clarke said. “So, the bi-folds and window systems we use are the products that our clients notice, and you don’t have to be an expert to real ise that the systems we choose to use in these builds are excellent.

“We switched to the Decalu88 about 18 months ago, and as soon as the doors arrived it was imme diate to see that they were superior

to all the systems that we’d used before. We use Decalu88 as stand ard now.”

Achieving U-values as low as 1.13W/m2K with a double-glazed unit, many installers discovered the Decalu88 Bi-folding Door as a straightforward way of achieving Part L requirements without using triple glazing.

But they also found a commitment from Deceuninck Aluminium to bring new levels of service and flexibility to aluminium systems supply, including dual-colour and marine grade as standard.

“We’re putting Decalu products in weekly – on all the luxury builds and on all of the garden rooms –and you can easily see it is a more quality system,” Jason said. “It’s

like when you shut the door of a Mercedes or other high-end Ger man car – when you shut the door on this system it definitely feels solid and of a higher quality.”

Deceunick Aluminium says most bi-folding doors on the market have a maximum weight of 100kg150kg, but the rollers on the Deca lu88 Bi-Folding Door are designed to take 200kg a leaf, which almost guarantees smooth performance and reduces the likelihood of being called back to site to make any minor adjustments. And the pre-installed gasket saves install ers about 30-40 minutes per door, simply because they don’t have to install the gaskets. With the Decalu88 you glaze each leaf in five minutes.

“Decalu products are easy to install, and we don’t have any callbacks – not even adjustments or things like that,” Jason said. “I’m not saying that the previous systems we used were full of errors, but we did have to adjust a few things. So, touch wood – or

aluminium! – these ones are no problem at all.

“We get a lot of great feedback from our customers about what we build for them. But the one element that they return to time and again is the quality of the aluminium doors and windows.

“And I like the Decalu products so much that I have used them on my own property – I’ve got two sets of bifolds at my house as well.”

www.deceuninck.co.uk

Iconic Retail Store Transformed With Spectus

that this iconic building required. All products were manufactured in the 70mm Spectus Bevelled system by Jade Windows.

Redbrick Mill is an iconic depart ment store for furniture and interi ors and is home to over forty care fully selected high-quality retail brands. A former steam powered woollen mill built in the 1860’s, Redbrick Mill was launched by a local textile entrepreneur in 2000 with the ambition to create a ma jor high-end retail destination.

The manufacture and installation of the 200 Spectus casement windows was awarded to long standing Spectus Approved Win dow Contractor, Jade Windows (Brighouse) Ltd. Based in Batley, West Yorkshire, Jade Windows is a longstanding family-owned business with considerable experience in the commercial sector and an exceptional track record of working on several prestigious commercial projects.

The contract required the fab rication and installation of 200 bespoke 3 metre x 3 metre case ment windows with arched frames to perfectly replicate the aesthet ics of the building’s original timber frames. The windows were man ufactured in Anthracite Grey with Georgian bar detailing to visually replicate the industrial aesthetics

The popular Spectus Bevelled system has all the technical cre dentials for high-quality commer cial applications. It can achieve a Window Energy Rating of Band A++ and U values as low as 0.8W/ (m2K), claims the company. In this project, the windows were manufactured in Anthracite Grey finish to the external and internal faces. This chosen colour palette perfectly replicated the required aesthetics and delivered a ‘crittall’ window effect which has long been associated with Art Deco and Modernist movements in early 20th Century architecture. All products were manufactured to PAS24:2016 standard.

With over 200 windows needing to be installed on a busy retail site, effective project management was essential. Jade Windows liaised closely with the building owners to agree a phased installation pro gramme for minimum disruption.

Now the project is complete, the iconic mill has been transformed. Ryan Fozard, sales manager at Jade Windows commented: “The iconic store has been completely transformed. The bespoke win dows perfectly blend with the historic architecture of the former mill and the chosen aesthetics pay homage to its industrial heritage. We are delighted to have worked on this prominent project and once again, the quality and relia bility of the Spectus system has delivered at every level. This is a symbolic stand-out building in Batley and we are proud of the finished results.”

www.epwinwindowsystems.co.uk

200 Spectus casement windows have been installed in an iconic retail building refurbishment in Batley, West Yorkshire.

Stellar Brings

Updated Aesthetic To Domestic Property

Stellar aluminium system from Epwin Window Systems has been fitted in a 1930’s domestic property in Croxley Green, Hertfordshire, owned by Peter Adams, general manager of Capital Windows.

The installation of nine windows included two large 7-pane walk-in bay windows to the front of the property.

The windows were manufactured and installed by experienced Stellar fabricator Capital Windows. Peter explains: “My family recent ly moved into our four-bedroom detached home and the ageing windows were top of the to-do list. Here at Capital, we manufacture several aluminium systems but we decided on Stellar for our own home as we like the modern flush aesthetics and the slim sightlines deliver maximum light appeal which was important to us.”

Peter chose Stellar casement win dows with fully flush aesthetics to the internal and external faces. He said: “Stellar has clean lines and the option of a genuine fully-flush casement window. By design it is an extremely modern system, but its contemporary styling also works well with more traditional architec ture, which was ideal for our family home.”

The windows were manufactured in white on both faces with Square lead glass detailing to complement the property’s heritage. And as you would expect, the installation ran smoothly and on schedule. Peter said: “You cannot underestimate just how quick and easy Stellar is to fit. The patented pre-gasketed knock-in beads make fitting very straightforward and leave the neatest finish on the gasket line. It’s a unique selling point that we have promoted to our customers

but seeing it first hand on my own property underpins the importance of this detail.”

With energy efficiency being front and centre of Peter’s agenda, Stel lar’s thermal efficiency complies at every level. Peter said: “By design, Stellar meets all the latest require ments of Building Regulations as standard without the need for enhanced triple glazing or addi tional foam inserts. The bespoke thermally enhanced low-lambda thermal breaks within Stellar and its intelligent design features bring improved weather tightness and reduced air leakage as well as enhanced acoustic benefits that improve the overall comfort level of the property. With a 1930s-built home, energy efficiency was essential and I knew Stellar windows would more than deliver in this area.”

Peter concluded: “Our ethos at Capital Windows is that we will only work with a system we would be proud to have in our own homes. And for me, that system is Stellar.”

www.stellaraluminium.co.uk

Senior Takes Student Housing To Another Level In Glasgow

Senior Architectural Systems has supplied a full glazing package for use on the new True Glasgow scheme.

At 13 storeys high and with a cen tral location that puts the development within easy reach of Glas gow’s main universities, the True Glasgow student accommodation scheme has been constructed by main contractor Ogilvie. Senior’s supply chain partner and specialist contractor Scottech has fabricated and installed Senior’s aluminium windows, doors and curtain wall solutions.

Specified to provide daylighting and give far-reaching views of the city, Senior’s thermally-efficient SPW600e tilt and turn aluminium

windows were installed to the individual apartments. The main façade also benefits from the slim sightlines of Senior’s SF52 alumini um curtain walling, which has been fabricated in a combination of dif ferent capping options to create a unique façade design. As a vertical capped option, the slimline curtain wall features a specially designed toggle system which is used horizontally to create externally frame less transoms and to complement the height of the building structure. The SF52 system has also been installed as a completely frameless silicone glazed solution, with addi tional ventilation achieved via the incorporation of Senior’s frameless SFF aluminium window vents.

To complete the fenestration

package, Senior’s robust SPW600 aluminium commercial doors have been used to provide safe and secure access.

Comprising 315 apartments for both shared and single occupancy, the new True Glasgow scheme on New City Road has been de signed to offer inspirational student accommodation. With each apartment offering light and spacious living and study areas, the devel opment also includes an array of exciting communal facilities includ ing a gym and cinema. To balance the scheme’s city centre location, access to greenspaces has been incorporated through the creation of a rooftop garden and a walled courtyard garden at ground level. www.seniorarchitectural.co.uk

Freefoam

“Ticks All The Boxes” For A1 Ironmongery And Plastics

Freefoam has launched a new video to showcase its partnership with Scottish based PVC suppli er A1 Ironmongery and Plastics. Featuring an interview with directors Ivie Kerr and David Maxwell, the short film highlights the busy commercial trade counter, large stocking warehouse and explains how diversifying an existing iron mongery business into PVC build ing products has bought success for both companies.

A1 Ironmongery and Plastics cov ers the whole of Ayrshire and the west of Scotland with branches in Kilmarnock and Ayr both stocking the full range of Freefoam PVC products . Started in September

2008 and expanding the Kilmarnock branch in 2013 with a large, dedicated unit focusing on PVC, Ivie explains “It was our ironmon gery customer base who encouraged us to start stocking PVC. They were finding the demand and wanted us to stock it alongside our traditional ironmongery products.”

When looking to diversify the business into PVC A1 Ironmongery and Plastics had a range of criteria they were looking for in a supplier. David explained “We wanted a product that was good quality, but also came with good customer service and back up, and found that Freefoam’s range and support package ticked all the boxes.”

Whilst stocking the full Free foam range of fascia, soffit, gut ter, cladding and Geopanel, A1 Ironmongery and Plastics find that Freefoam’s deep gutter range is a particularly strong selling product – due to their location on the west coast of Scotland with its high rainfall levels.

David summarized “When you’re confident about a product, that you know you’re not going to have any issues with, and you can go out there and sell it in a competitive market at a good price, we believe that’s one of things that Freefoam gives us”

Colin St John, Freefoam’s com mercial director concluded “Building strong and lasting relationships with our customers, such as A1 Ironmongery and Plastics, is cru cial to our business. Our roofline, cladding and interior products are an ideal addition to any building product business and it’s fantastic to see our customers grow and flourish with the help of Freefoam.”

www.freefoam.com

The Residence Collection’s New Website Helps Customers Find Nearest Installer

The Residence Collection, which already works with over 650 install ers has launched a new website which will help professionals in the trade be more easily accessible to customers, says the company.

Launched in September 2022, the website features an updated installer search function so that customers can find their nearest Residence installer. Included in this function, customers will be able to contact installers directly to organ ise an appointment, book a show room visit or get a quote, not only

benefiting customers but installers too. The website also boasts a live chat function so that customers can receive expert advice no mat ter where they are, completed with a host of other modern functions that improves the customer jour ney.

Jo Trotman, marketing manager at The Residence Collection com mented: “We’re always looking at ways we can make the customer journey more efficient and the new website definitely meets our objec tive of being more user friendly. We

pride ourselves on using the very best technology for our windows and doors, so it’s only right that we use the best for our website too. We’re extremely excited for cus tomers to use our new website and we hope they enjoy exploring what we have to offer and hopefully choosing the Residence Collection for their windows and doors.”

www.windowwidgets.co.uk

www.residencecollection.co.uk

a purpose, it was dated and simply not cutting it in this instant access digital age.

“The new site is more responsive and faster to load with a simplified user experience. Now it is live, the website will be populated with new informa tion on products and services regularly, including updates on lead times.”

A Plus Aluminium Launches New Website

A Plus Aluminium has launched its brand-new website at aplusaluminium.co.uk, designed to be responsive and faster to load with an improved user experience.

Highlights include a book an appointment function for the company’s new showroom and better navi gation for trade, residential and commercial website visitors.

The design is based on new corporate branding soft-launched during the pandemic. The orange accent colour is used for signposting and influenc ing the user.

“Our website is a central part of our sales and marketing,” says Jon Palethorpe, co-director of A Plus Aluminium. “Like many B2B businesses we use it as a hub – a go-to for product information and service offerings. While our old website still served

“We have given website visitors two options,” con tinues, Jon. “The second block on the homepage is divided into three areas – trade, residential and commercial, which are clearly titled and with a brief description. From here, users can click through to the relevant product listings. This is also achieva ble through the main menu. Alternatively, they can choose to view our whole product range.”

The website features 14 products categories, including aluminium front doors; aluminium sliding doors; curtain walling; and rooflights. Due to rising demand and the fact that A Plus Aluminium claims to be one of the first trade suppliers in the UK to offer a truly compliant solution for automatic opening vent systems (AOVs), AOVs are listed separate ly in the main menu.

The information and images have been updated across all the product pages, with support from the system suppliers. There is a product search function in the header which is fixed throughout the site. A download tab is also included in the main menu.

www.aplusaluminium.co.uk

Energy Calculator From Deceuninck

bon footprint, claims the compa ny.

“We’ve seen enquiries slow in this final quarter of 2022, as the costof-living crisis started to bite,” Deceuninck’s MD Rob McGlennon said. “While this has put a damp ener on volume products, we’ve actually seen sales of high-end energy-efficient products increase as the more affluent homeowners invest in the energy efficiency of their homes.”

The government has vowed to protect domestic energy bills during the 2022/23 winter period, but this is only expected to last until April 2023. This has created a small window of opportunity for homeowners to bring forward home improvement plans that will help mitigate against the anticipat ed increased energy costs.

“These homeowners are look ing for improved aesthetics and increased security, but as energy prices have gone through the roof, these have dropped behind ener gy efficiency as key features,” Rob says. “It is vital that we act on this trend, and give our customers, and their customers, the support they need to deliver the energy ef ficiency message and drive sales.”

The company states, according to the Energy Calculator, owners of a detached house on mains gas will save just over £18K in ten years if they upgrade from single-glazed wooden windows to triple-glazed Heritage 2800 from Deceuninck. They will also save almost 28 tons on emitted carbon.

Deceuninck has developed a sales tool that leverages the cur rent interest in energy efficiency and sustainability, and supports window companies as they sell modern thermally efficient prod

ucts in a contracting market.

Hosted on Deceuninck UK’s home page, the Energy Calculator demonstrates how replacing old windows can save homeowners money while reducing their car

Even replacing existing PVC-U double-glazed windows with Tra ditional 2500 double-glazed win dows from Deceuninck in a similar property will save the homeowner more than £6,500 over ten years, and more than 10 tons of carbon, claims the company

“These are compelling figures and should make the case for home improvements as energy bills

increase,” Rob said. “The calcu lator clearly demonstrates that homeowners will see a tangible payback on their investments as those savings are realised.”

At the start of 2022, an inde pendent survey commissioned by Deceuninck and conducted by YouGov, found that 63% of homeowners would be more likely to purchase home improvements, which they saw as being more ‘sustainable’.

Specifically, more than two-thirds of UK homeowners (68%) would choose windows and doors with a higher recycled content over and above products that don’t contain recycled content (or which did so at lower levels), and 38% would be prepared to pay more for home improvement products that had higher recycled content and re duced impact on the environment.

“Demonstrating that new ener gy efficient windows can reduce your impact on the environment, is a strong proposition for many homeowners,” Rob said. “It is even more significant when we can support it with our €15million investment in an advanced PVC-U recycling and compounding facil ity.”

The new site in Belgium gives Deceuninck the capability to reprocess up to 45,000 tonnes of post-consumer and post-manu facturing PVC-U per year, which is the equivalent of preventing three million windows from going to landfill annually. Use of recy cled material also reduces CO2 emissions by 90,000 tonnes when compared to virgin feedstocks, as well as a 90% energy saving, claims the company.

“There has never been a better time to sell energy efficient and sustainable windows,” Rob said. “And there’s never been a better time to partner with a supplier that can help you on that journey.”

www.deceuninck.co.uk

GGF Promotes

Sustainability With MyGlazing Hub

The Glass and Glazing Federa tion (GGF) is flying the flag for a greener future with the help of its online support Hub for home owners, MyGlazing.com. With a dedicated environmental section, MyGlazing is a valuable resource for GGF members to use with consumers that are looking for more reassurance, support, and advice on sustainability.

“In an era of rising energy bills and increasing pressure to reduce our carbon footprint, it has never been more important to im prove the energy efficiency of our homes,” says Anda Gregory, chief development officer at the GGF. “But even the most eco con scious consumers don’t always know the best course of action to take when it comes to home improvements. This is precisely why we created a comprehensive objective third party resource for GGF members to use with their customers.

“The MyGlazing website offers homeowners a whole host of information about buying new home improvement products,

but the environmental hub on the site is a dedicated section to give consumers advice and guidance on how to reduce their carbon footprint, lower fuel bills, save money, and increase the value of their property.

“Our easy-to-use Energy Savings Calculator can also be found in the environmental hub and allows homeowners to calculate how much energy, and money, they could save by upgrading their windows. The tool asks for the type of property they live in, type of windows currently in place, and the type of window likely to be installed, before it works out the savings for that specific project.

“Homeowners can find all kinds of articles on the hub, from ad vice on recycling and eco-friendly tips to implement in daily life, to how to reduce their carbon footprint. The aim of MyGlazing. com is to help homeowners na tionwide to become more sus tainable, but it is also a valuable tool for our members to use when selling in the home.”

Best Practice Installer Guide For Conservatories Launched By DGCOS

The Double Glazing and Conserv atory Ombudsman (DGCOS) has published a new Installer Guide: Building A Conservatory. This general guidance document has been published for installers to ensure best practice from start to finish, based on the experiences DGCOS has had in dealing with disputes between members and their customers over the last dec ade.

Faisal Hussain, chief executive of DGCOS, explains: “The Installer Guide: Building a Conservatory, covers everything from defining what a conservatory is, which might sound obvious but actually isn’t always, to excavations, foun dations, drainage and building the structure – issues that all installers should consider from the begin ning. The aim of the guide is to

help installers be aware of poten tial areas where issues may arise, in order to construct a quality build that does not require come-backs due to errors in any part of the planning or building process.

“The guide also explains best practice in terms of assessing a potential site before starting any groundworks to ensure founda tions will be the correct depth; the strata the builder is likely to encounter; and whether there are any trees or drains in the area which may be an issue. There is a sec tion on excavations giving advice on how to deal with different soil types, plus other things to look out for such as circumstances under which a structural engineer should be engaged, as well as a dedicat ed section on getting the founda tions right. The report also deals

with the substructure, addressing topics such as damp proofing, and building the superstructure itself. The final section addresses drain age in relation to roof run-off, gut ters, outlet pipes and soakaways.

“The guide is an invaluable start for anyone involved in building conservatories, but there are also useful links to external bodies that can provide further detailed infor mation such as the Government website for information about the Party Wall Act 1996 and Approved Document A, Citizens Advice for guidance on drains and sewers and links to local authority build ing control departments. There is support within the support!

“At DGCOS, we are fully commit ted to ensuring all of our members have access to support and doc umentation that raises standards in our industry. We hope that this latest Installer Guide will help our installers avoid some of the pitfalls seen in our industry in the past.”

A copy of the DGCOS Installer Guide: Building a conservatory can be viewed here: https://bit.ly/3G Ff6a4 ind out more about DGCOS and the Installer Journey Benefits here: www.dgcos.org.uk

Mike Parczuk

New Website Signals Start Of New Era For Cotswold

A new website is the final piece of the puzzle for Cotswold Architec tural Products as it embarks on an exciting new phase in its history.

Earlier this year, Cotswold split from Caldwell Hardware, remaining with the company’s long-standing owners while Caldwell was sold to another business.

Now, Cotswold has become one of Europe’s largest independent friction stay manufacturers, claims the company.

Under the leadership of long-standing Cotswold employee Tim Ferkin, the company is setting

an ambitious course for growth –and a brand new website was a natural part of that process.

“Our new website is designed to quickly and easily communicate to our customers exactly why they should be doing business with Cotswold,” Tim explains.

“Visitors can read about our 45year legacy of excellence and innovation in hardware.

“They can learn more about the vast array of hardware products we’re able to offer – including our world-renowned friction stays, but also handles, support arms and accessories.

“And they can view some of the fantastic projects Cotswold prod ucts have been incorporated in, read our latest news, and find contact details for our offices in Cheltenham and Mumbai.

“This is a hugely exciting period for Cotswold, and having assembled a world-class senior team to lead us into this new era, the website is the final step in our journey to becoming a thriving independent business.” www.cotswoldap.com

splusdoors was founded by Robert Horton, who commissioned the build of a specialist website, where customers can build their windows and doors from scratch using the free online design tool.

Managing director, Robert Horton, said: “We’re pleased to announce the official launch of win dowsplusdoors and are really looking forward to seeing some of our customers turn their designs into reality.

Windowsplusdoors Launches New Website

Windowsplusdoors is set to officially launch its website, which has been carefully created with the end-user in mind.

The firm specialises in sourcing and supplying en ergy-efficient, stylish A-rated uPVC windows and composite doors to the customers’ exact specifi cations, including style, colour and even the type of glass, which could help generate significant savings for homes throughout the UK.

Following significant business growth and the vast expansion of its Staffordshire-based sister company, Horton Building Plastics, window

The new website features a free to use configu rator design tool, where customers can choose from a wide range of high-quality, long-lasting windows and doors. They can even customise the colour, the detailing of the glass and decide which frame complements their new window or door.

“Not only that, investing in A-rated dou ble-glazed windows and ensuring your doors are properly insulated can cut energy costs by up to £195 per year, so it’s a worthwhile investment. As an experienced trade retailer, we bring excep tional quality products to keen DIYers, renova tors and property owners from all corners of the country”, Robert added.

The firm’s high-quality windows and doors are also approved by Secured by Design.

www.windowsplusdoors.co.uk

Window News & FIT Show –Win A Stand

Entries are coming through thick and fast for the inaugural ‘win a stand’ competition with Window News and FIT Show.

The campaign has been launched to entice new and emerging brands to exhibit at FIT Show 2023, which returns to the NEC from 23 - 25 May next year.

Window News and FIT Show are offering one lucky brand the chance to win an exhibitor space at FIT Show 2023, an extra special edition of the trade show which is celebrating a decade of innovation since its 2013 launch.

Over 20% of the lineup for FIT Show 2023 is made up of debut brands ranging in sizes from small startups through to more established brands who have chosen the 2023 event as an

integral part of their marketing strategy next year.

The campaign with Window News is specifically designed to encourage brands who may have thought about exhibiting before but might not be sure if they’re quite ready, those who might believe that the cost of exhibiting is too prohibitive, or those who have never considered exhibit ing before and would like to take their first step on the FIT Show ladder.

Speaking about the competition, FIT Show event director Nickie West said: “This is a really im portant campaign for us on two levels: firstly, we’re always look ing at new ways to encourage and support new and emerging brands to take the plunge and reap the benefits of exhibiting

at FIT Show and, secondly, we really want to shine a spotlight on how much new there is to see at FIT Show.

“FIT Show 2023 is an extra spe cial one for us as we celebrate ten years of being the UK’s num ber one trade show for the glass, glazing, window, hardware and components industry. The fact that 20% of our 2023 lineup is already made up of brands who will be exhibiting at FIT Show for the first time reinforces the fact that a trip to FIT always delivers something new for our audience.

“We’ve already had some brilliant entries and I’m excited to see the campaign evolve ahead of the end of January closing date.”

Window News editor Gerald Batt commented: “We’re excited to team up with FIT Show to of fer the very first exhibitor stand giveaway. As a publication, we are committed to supporting our industry event and believe in the importance of encouraging and supporting new brands as they look to develop – this campaign will allow us to do just that.”

FIT Show & Window News will take the hassle out of your FIT Show debut by providing a Crys tal Stand Package with 12M2 of stand space*. All we need from you is a business case which outlines:

• Company name, website and overview of nature of business

• Target audience

• Background of your companywhen you started, why you started and what your goals are for the next five years

• A 500 word overview of why you think you should win a free place on the floorplan for the FIT Show 2023 - whether it’s your innov tions, sustainable credentials or grass roots initiative - tell us what

sets you apart from your competition.

Find out more and enter at WindowNews.co.uk Entries close 31 January 2023.

Deadline for submission

Entries open November 1st 2022 Winner announced February 28th 2023

What You’ll Win

• Crystal Stand Package with 12M2 of stand space, which includes walling, lights, electrical connection, carpet and furniture ready for you to arrive, add your company branding and product and be ready to meet 10,000 potential customers!

• Press release announcing that you are exhibiting

• Marketing support in the run up to the show

• FIT Show TV interview at the event

Terms and conditions:

• Only open to first time exhibiting brands

• Must be a service or product provider relevant to the fenestration industry

• Entrants cannot be employed, family or friends of either Mon gomery Group or Windows News

• One entry per company

• One winner will be selected by FIT Show organisers and the editor of Window News before being notified in February 2023

The Judges

Representatives from FIT Show & Window News.

Victorian Sliders Set To Showcase Sash Window Innovations At FIT 2023

Sash window manufacturer, Victo rian Sliders has become the latest fenestration industry firm to sign up for FIT Show 2023.

The company will take a sizeable stand at the May event, which draws thousands of key deci sion-makers from throughout glass, glazing and construction.

The South Wales-based business is thriving after a succession of record-breaking years for sales, and its energy efficient and cost-ef fective ECOSlide window remains in high demand across the British Isles, says the company.

At the FIT Show, the firm will seek to showcase its latest innovations – including the latest iteration of ECOSlide.

“Over the course of seven highly successful events, the FIT Show has established itself as fenes tration’s leading trade exhibition,” comments Victorian Sliders man aging director Steve Winslet.

“For us, as we seek to continue to

pursue growth, showcase inno vative new products, and build relationships with hundreds more customers throughout the sector, exhibiting at next year’s event was a natural decision for us.

“We’re looking forward to the opportunity to connect with people throughout our industry, and show them both our exceptional prod ucts, and our constant commit ment to improvement.”

FIT Show event director, Nickie West added: “Victorian Sliders are a huge part of the FIT Show story over the last decade, which is why I am delighted that they will be join ing us as we celebrate ten years of FIT Show at our May 2023 event.

“This is a brand that always puts on a really fantastic showcase – we are working closely with them to make sure that their installer and new architect and specifier offer ing gets the right exposure at FIT Show. We’re excited to see their campaign evolve over the coming months.”

www.victoriansliders.co.uk

Steve Winslet, Victorian Sliders managing director and Nickie West, FIT Show event director

Over 70% Of Space For FIT Show 2023 Allocated

FIT Show organisers have an nounced that over 70% of space has already been allocated for its May 23 – 25 2023 anniversary event.

2023 marks a full decade since the UK’s only dedicated trade show for the window, door, glass, hardware and components indus try launched at Telford Exhibition Centre in 2013.

The floorplan for FIT Show’s seventh instalment has seen significant support from across the fenestration industry and includes a number of heritage and new brands who have joined the lineup in recent weeks.

What started out as a 5,800M2 and 165 exhibitor event at Telford has grown exponentially over the last decade. FIT Show 2023 at Birmingham NEC will occupy three

halls with over 9,000M2 of stand space and comprise up to 280 brands.

FIT Show 2023 lineup includes stalwarts and returning brands such as Cortizo, Brisant Secure, Morley Glass & Glazing, Made For Trade, Haffner Ltd, ODL Europe and Glazpart. The 2023 lineup also includes debut brands; Brett Martin, Düspohl Maschinenbau GmbH, Metsa Wood, Security Doors Fac tory, AlloTools, Technal UK, Carib bean Blinds, Atech Makine, Kozza Raling and Schtec Makine.

As well as increasing in size, FIT Show has evolved to attract exhib itors and visitors from across Eu rope with a growing contingent of brands from Turkey, China, Spain and Italy. The trade Show also in corporates a much broader scope of product and materials, building on its predominantly PVC windows

and doors roots to include a strong representation of aluminium and timber solutions which illustrates the innovation across the sector over the last ten years.

Alongside an increase in the range of materials that visitors can see at FIT Show, organisers have devel oped new features which have broadened the types of products and services at the Show. Com plementary products and services, such as its outdoor living offering, roofing and software providers are all designed to create a true show case for the industry and help the visitors broaden their portfolios and increase profitability.

Speaking about how FIT Show has evolved over the years, FIT Show event director Nickie West said: “FIT Show as it stands today has evolved in line with the industry – it’s a true reflection of the inno vation and development that has taken place throughout the sector since we launched. The industry has grown, and we’ve grown with it.

“There is always something new to see at FIT Show, another rea son to exhibit, something different to enhance a visit. We keep our ears close to the ground and work closely in consultation with our

stakeholders to ensure that FIT Show meets the changing needs of the market. It’s how we’ve always worked and is a key component to our success and longevity. The fact that so many brands, and indeed individuals, have been on this jour ney with us is testament to the vital position FIT Show holds within the UK fenestration calendar.”

Haffner Ltd have exhibited at every single FIT Show since it launched. CEO, Dave Thomas said: “Having exhibited at every FIT Show since it launched in 2013, the exhibition has become a strategic part of our overall sales and marketing strat egy. The show offers a perfect en vironment for us to showcase our vast range of fabrication machines and the added-value benefits they offer fabricators. No other platform allows us to run live demonstra tions to such a wide audience at any one time, and the quality of the footfall is always strong.

“The confidence we placed in the exhibition resulted in us booking the largest stand in FIT Show’s history. This gave us the widest platform to showcase our vast selection of cutting-edge machines including our Graf Synergy range. And with a large number of six-fig ure machinery packages sold on the first day, the return on invest ment was exceptional.

“The FIT Show also provides a networking platform like no other. Networking is the masterstroke to support your marketing activities and nothing can beat connecting with your audience personally. We are still securing new business following the 2022 show with the largest pipeline of new enquiries in our history. It shows the signif icance of face-to-face exhibiting for the industry and we are already looking forward to the 2023 show.”

Another FIT Show legacy brand is ODL Europe. Bryan Bultema, ODL Europe MD said: “ODL Europe has continued to support the FIT Show since it launched in 2013. We have

exhibited at every exhibition as the show offers a wealth of posi tive benefits, including extending our market reach to support our growth strategy. The exhibition has also been a superb platform to support several new product launches in addition to further connecting with new and existing businesses.

“The networking opportunities are superb, and the FIT Show has be come an essential part of our sales and marketing strategy. The return on investment is excellent and following our success at the 2022 show, we didn’t hesitate to be one of the first companies to sign up for FIT Show 2023.”

DoorCo has supported FIT Show across the years. Michael Roe, DoorCo head of sales added: “Ten years ago, an exhibition was the best chance you had of getting in front of the market with your products, and today, although we have social media and marketing campaigns that are more sophis ticated, this still holds true. Indus try-dedicated exhibitions like FIT Show provide a unique platform where you can showcase your latest innovations, meet up with customers and get in front of the wider industry, all at the same time. People come to FIT Show looking for something new, so if you have a product to launch or a strong

message to deliver, FIT Show is fundamental to reaching that con centrated audience outside of your customer base.

“Each time DoorCo has exhibited at FIT Show, we have successfully delivered our message and created opportunities for the business. One of the key take-aways from 2022 is that today, entertainment is just as important as product. Our stand was impressive and showcased the new brand hierarchy really well using a mix of technology and physical products, and although we’ve received some great feed back on this, visitors were equally as positive about the Korean tapas bar and the party on Wednesday night.”

Chris Reeks, MD of Fentrade Aluminium, exhibited at FIT Show for the first time in 2022 and shares his thoughts on why he’s returning for 2023. Chris said: “We are look ing to build upon the success of our inaugural show in 2022 where we met with existing and potential customers and grew our presence as an aluminium trade manufac turer.

“We see the 2023 FIT Show as a springboard to launch the next stage of our growth and develop ment strategy by increasing our

Matthew Glover, Nickie West and Paul Godwin

brand awareness within the indus try and further growing our cus tomer base.

“As a company one of the deciding factors to exhibit for 2023 centred around the 10 year anniversary; there will be an even bigger focus and emphasis on the show for 2023 because of this which will drive more footfall to the exhibition. It will be great to be a part of the celebrations as we ourselves will be celebrating our 5 year anniver sary.

“Having been a visitor to FIT from the first show in 2013 I have seen it grow and more importantly the team learn from each event to keep changing and adapting to the industry’s needs. It was always something when launching Fen trade in 2018 that was kept to the forefront as a marketing strategy when I believed the time was right.

“I see FIT as an integral part of the industry to showcase new prod ucts and to be able to network with a large number of customers, suppliers and industry colleagues in a very short space of time. It is important to us as a marketing vehicle and also an opportunity to maximise our resources to meet and greet customers and suppliers alike.”

FIT Show brings every link in the fenestration supply chain together under one roof across three days. Exhibitors include fabricators, systems houses and suppliers of the leading products and services across windows, doors, flat glass, hardware and components.

FIT Show will continue to follow a biennial frequency, placing the show in Fensterbau Frontale’s ‘off year’. The May 2023 edition will be followed by FIT Show 2025 and return every other year thereafter, say the organisers.

GGF & Fensa Official FIT Show Learning Partners

The GGF and Fensa have an nounced that they have been invited to act as the official learning content partners of FIT Show 2023. With the emphasis on technical content and the provision of much needed clarity on building regulations, the two organisations are well placed to support visitors to the show with the most accurate and up to date information.

“Industry professionals are often let down by a lack of informa tion,” says Anda Gregory, chief development officer at the GGF. “Especially when it comes to updated Building Regulations.

The GGF and Fensa are always working hard to ensure fabricators, installers, and glass manu facturers have all the information they need, so we are thrilled to support the FIT Show as learning partners and use this credible platform to educate the market about important topics such as key trends, Building Regulations, sustainability, recycling, energy efficiency and net zero goals, and learning

and apprenticeships. We’ll be offering advice, information, and practical demos to ensure visitors have access to all the in formation they need on the day and following the show.”

FIT Show event director, Nickie West said: “We’re excited to an nounce the GGF and Fensa as our official learning programme content partners for FIT Show 2023. As a flagship event for our industry, it’s hugely important that we are delivering the right content to meet the evolving needs of our audience. It made perfect sense to partner with our industry’s main representative organisations to do this.

“The GGF and Fensa will primar ily be responsible for fulfilling the technical learning aspects of the programme, with a special focus on building regulations. This content will sit alongside a broad mix of CPD approved seminars, panel debates and practical demos within the wider learning programme at the FIT Show next May.”

Morley Glass:

Proud To Be Part Of FIT Show’s

10th Anniversary Event

sector has to offer.

“Speaking with our customers and supply chain partners, the FIT Show’s ‘everyone’s going’ slogan is as true today as it was a decade ago and we are al ready looking forward to being there again. Our experience of this year’s show was extremely positive, not only as a platform to present our current Uni-Blinds in tegral blind systems portfolio, but also to get insights from install ers about what they would like to see in future. This makes the FIT Show a truly unique event.”

The 2022 FIT Show gave Morley Glass an opportunity to launch several new integral blind de velopments which are already proving popular with customers. These included the symmetrical version of its top selling Venetian cordless slider integral blind sys tem, the SV+, which is now sell ing in volumes of around 1,000 units every month, and Screen View, a new system designed specifically for hospitals where hygiene and infection control are crucial.

With only six months to go before the 2023 exhibition opens its doors, the Morley Glass team is busy progressing its plans for the next FIT Show with the focus on revealing even more integral blind innovations to the fenestra tion sector.

After the success of the 2022 show, Morley Glass and its exclusive integral blind systems manufacturer Pellini S.p.A. are working hard ahead of May’s event to be ready to launch a series of new developments for Uni-Blinds, with two new products already confirmed for launch in April.

All built with ScreenLine systems inside, these are set to offer even more ways to tailor integral blinds to homeowner tastes and to meet commercial specifications, says the company.

Ian Short, managing director of Morley Glass said: “It may seem like only yesterday that the first show took place, but the 2023 FIT Show will actually be the tenth anniversary event. This longevity shows how resilient the show has been, particularly given the disruption of the pandemic, and demonstrates that it still the must-attend event in the indus try’s calendar to get together and explore the best of what our

Ian adds: “We were delighted with the response we had to all our integral blind systems at this year’s show, but we know the service we provide continues to be as important to installers. That’s why we continue to innovate on both fronts.

“Our close partnership with Pel lini ensures we can offer a standard 10-12 day lead time, backed with complimentary nationwide delivery, which helps installers to provide a quick turnaround for homeowners and end-users – no waiting around to complete the sale or installation. And our free post-consumer glass collection and recycling service helps in stallers save money and the has sle of arranging waste disposal, as well as being important from a sustainability point of view.”

www.morleyglass.co.uk

Pictured at the 2022 FIT Show, Ian Short, managing director of Morley Glass, with Rik Henderson, FIT Show commercial manager, signing up for 2023’s event

Morley Glass Picks Up Five Awards In 2022 NFAs

Uni-Blinds integral blinds manu facturer Morley Glass has re peated its 2021 success in the National Fenestration Awards (NFAs) by winning in five catego ries again in this year’s awards programme.

The company won the award for Integral Blinds Company of the Year for the fifth year in a row. Morley Glass also won the NFA for ‘Best use of video’, an award it also won in 2021, which continues to be a key part of its marketing programme given the medium’s ability to bring the ben efits of integral blinds to life for installers and end-users.

Three members of the Morley Glass team were also recognised for their outstanding contribution. The NFA for ‘Office Manager of the Year’ was presented to Jess Owens, the award for ‘Social net worker’ went to Charlotte Gilbert and Bryony Shaw was named the proud winner of the ‘Young person’ award.

Ian Short, managing director of Morley Glass said: “Thank you to everyone who took the time to firstly nominate us, and secondly to those who cast their vote in the NFAs. It means so much to us to win awards that are voted for by people working in the window

and door industry as they are the ones whose opinion matters most.

“I’d like to congratulate all the winners and especially our three individual award winners – Jess, Charlotte and Bryony. Thank you to the NFA team too for organis ing a fantastic presentation event at Doncaster racecourse.

“Being part of the NFAs is impor tant to help us gauge how well we’re doing as a supplier to the industry. And winning inspires us even more, encouraging every one in our team to push harder so we can stay at the forefront of the market.”

Winning these latest five NFAs marks the sixth year in a row that Morley Glass has won accolades in this awards programme. It has done so in a year of major investment to increase its pro duction capacity and the size of its delivery vehicle fleet, as well as boosting its recycling opera tions – all of which helps Morley Glass give its installer customers a unique advantage.

www.morleyglass.co.uk

Mike Parczuk

Kolorseal Wins NFA For Fourth Consecutive Year

As such, with the National Fenestration Awards being industry led, this win reflects the high standards and the unequalled reputation of Kolorseal, in a fair and open way.

Deborah comments, “This has to be the best award to win – one where we are voted for by our custom ers and suppliers. It is something we never take for granted and for the Kolorseal team it demonstrates that their commitment to the company does not go unnoticed.

The NFA award is a great recognition that boosts mo rale and demonstrates to the industry as a whole that we can help them with their own businesses.

All of us really appreciate every single vote that has been given to us this year, particularly given the very tough competition.”

Deborah Hendry, managing director, takes great pride in celebrating this achievement which she considers is very much a team effort. The awards, recognised for requiring both nomination and voting by industry peers, she believes demonstrate the highest acknowl edge from the sector.

Eurocell plc is celebrating after winning five industry honours at the National Fenestration Awards 2022.

Sam Shelton, senior account manager won Young Person of the Year, Andy McDonnell, managing director, scooped Director of the Year, and the business was also recognised with the accolade of Conservatory Fabricator of the Year, Equinox was awarded Con servatory Product of the Year, and for the third year in a row, Trade Counter of the Year.

Andy McDonnell, managing director commented; “To have won five awards at the National Fenes tration Awards 2022 is a huge achievement for the whole team, and recognises our commitment to excellence and dedication to our customers across the business.

“As these awards celebrate excel lence within the industry, we feel extremely privileged that so many

For Deborah Hendry, the NFA Colour Specialist of the Year Award is a wonderful achievement. She con tinues,“In a very tough market we are so proud and deeply humbled to have won this year. No doubt our success story can be attributed not just to the quality standards we provide but also the drive and commit ment of the whole team.”

www.kolorseal.co.uk

Eurocell Win Five Industry Honours At NFA Awards

have voted for us, and we’d like to thank all those who took the time to vote.

“We’d

credible support of our customers throughout the industry, and to the National Fenestration Awards for hosting another fantastic event!” eurocell.co.uk

also like to thank the in

NFA Success For VBH

VBH has been successful at the 2022 National Fenestration Awards, picking up wins in two categories.

The presentation event was held at Doncaster Racecourse on 5th November, where 20 members of the VBH team joined hundreds of other industry hopefuls.

VBH emerged victorious in the Hardware Company of the Year and Digital Marketing Campaign categories.

VBH marketing manager Gary Gleeson says, “The team here have been looking forward to the NFAs since we were short-listed in May. We travelled from all points of the GB compass to enjoy the day and were over the moon to win two awards, including that for Hard ware Company.

“Hardware supply is, of course, what VBH is all about, so we were particularly pleased to win this one. It was nice to celebrate a win or two on the horses while we were here, too!”

Gary concludes, “VBH have been named Hardware Company of the Year three times since 2019. This is particular pleasing as it’s a vote for everything that all members of our team do, right across the compa ny, to provide the industry with the best products and the best ser vice.”

www.vbhgb.com

Listers Wins Fab Of The Year Award

Trade fabricator Listers scooped the prestigious ‘PVC Fabricator of the Year’ at this year’s National Fenestration Awards.

The multi-site national fabricator was selected by industry peers as the most deserving recipient of the award at a gala dinner held at the Hilton Doncaster Racecourse hotel at the beginning of November.

“The NFAs are a really good indi cator of how you are perceived by those who matter: your suppliers and your customers,” Listers’ re gional sales and marketing director Sam Weber said. “According to the organisers, this year’s event was the biggest since the awards were established in 2013, with 2,128 nominations submitted. So, it was a massive achievement just to get nominated!

“We are thrilled to have won, and it is testament to all the hard work that everyone across Listers puts into producing quality products, while being easy to deal with.”

GJB Group acquired Listers in 2017, and in the process created

one of the largest fabricators in the UK. Now operating under a single fabricator brand, Listers employs 340 people across 10 locations including six ‘Big Trade Counters’.

The company partners with several key suppliers – including Sheerline, Residence Collection, Eurocell, Veka, Reynaers and Doorco – to provide a wide range of products for customers, including a com prehensive premium collection, which is expected to be key as the market for home improvement products slows going into 2023.

Despite warnings of a recession, Listers continues to invest across all sites, which has included: a new ROTOX sash tandem line, which produces a sash every minute; new FOM saws and CNCs, to underpin the new aluminium facilities; and a new Schirmer cutting and ma chining centre, which significantly increases its PVC-U capacity. This represents in total a more than £2.5m spend in the last two years on machinery and equipment, says the company.

www.listerwindows.co.uk

Made For Trade Wins North East Business Award

and whilst Made for Trade re mains B2B, the drive to increase homeowner interaction has seen MFT’s Korniche brand become synonymous with desirable glazing products, says the company.

Now operating from three pur pose-built fabrication units with more than 250,000 sqft and employing more than 150 highly trained operatives, Made for Trade continues to invest in growth; with a quarter of pre-tax profits being put towards new assets, from facilities to state of the art CNC equipment.

The last two years have been unlike any other for UK business es, and MFT’s strategy for dealing with this tumultuous timeframe also impressed the panel, as the manufacturing business overcame significant supply chain challenges and industry issues to sell 32,000 units in 2021 alone.

Made For Trade has been an nounced as the winner of the overall Manufacturing Award at the 2022 North East Business Awards grand final; reflecting the company’s growth, investment and impressive manufacturing capabil ities.

The Manufacturing Award has a wide-ranging scope, with the main aim being to highlight those com panies across the North East of England that have impressed the judging panel via their demonstra tion of manufacturing excellence, alongside attributes such as design and innovation, quality, efficiency and sales flair.

One factor that helped Made For

Trade stand out from the compe tition proved to be the relatively unique position of being both a design and fabrication outfit in one efficient organisation.

Made For Trade encompasses the full timeline, from initial design through to in-house delivery – all for the benefit of efficiency, improving quality and reducing cost.

The company was founded by Richard Gaunt in 1979 as Aanco. Today, Made For Trade remains a family business led by Richard’s sons: managing director Bradley and technical director Ashley.

Last year saw the business grow with a turnover increase of 31%,

Made For Trade says it is set to grow to a £45-50M turnover through commercial focus and vertical integration and in excess of £1M is again being invested in bespoke machinery for the pro duction line, whilst the team are exploring a future that involves inhouse glass manufacture to create a true one-stop shop. And in the office, the company’s Kwikquote software is being further developed to streamline customer experience.

This year saw Made For Trade achieve ISO9001:2015 certifica tion, something that was a likely key point for judges. This standard for quality puts every step of the manufacturing process under the spotlight in terms of procedures and repeatability, from initial con tact right through to delivery.

Made For Trade said: “As the company looks to the future, the recognition gained as a North East Business Award winner truly goes hand-in-hand with Made For Trade’s continual improvement in manufacturing excellence.” www.madefortrade.co

The North East Business Awards Grand Final 2022 at Hardwick Hall in County Durham.

Shelforce Wins Another Award

Window and door manufacturer Shelforce has scooped another award after being voted Diversity Champion at this year’s Scale-Up Awards 2022.

Shelforce, which specialises in providing PVCu and aluminium products to local authority build ing projects and works closely with Birmingham City Council, impressed the judges with its inclusive approach to training and employment, with 75% of its workforce having a disability.

It’s just the latest in a long line of awards the Erdington-based company has picked up in the last 18 months and it will sit alongside the likes of the 2021

Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce (GBCC) Business of the Year, the 2021 Asian Business Chamber Awards for Outstand ing Contribution to Diversity and Inclusion, and the 2021 British Chamber of Business Awards Equality Trailblazer for the West Midlands.

Shelforce beat strong compe tition from six other companies and a delighted Howard Trotter, the company’s business manag er, said: “It’s absolutely brilliant to win Diversity Champion at this year’s ScaleUp Awards. It’s a great reward for the initiatives we have in place for staff and the leadership and management team, and it was a wonderful

evening.

“We have created a hugely sup portive work environment that both inspires and benefits our team, and this has created ex ceptional staff satisfaction, devel opment and increased employee engagement with Shelforce’s values and goals.”

The prestigious event, held at London’s acclaimed Tobacco Dock and hosted by comedian Russell Kane, attracted 450 busi ness leaders, entrepreneurs and VIPs.

Attendees included the likes of Theo Paphitis, Touker Suleyman, Alpesh Patel OBE, Josh Robson and Emma Sayle.

Oli Ballard, director at Scale-Up Awards, commented: “We were so excited to crown these incred ible businesses that are shaping their respective industries and the UK economy, and I’d like to congratulate Shelforce.”

www.shelforce.com

Tradeglaze Win Twice At BusinessRegional Awards

Tradeglaze marketing manager

Katerina Pickup has earned the Employee of the Year award. Jeremy Wetherall said: “Kate rina has been with us for three years now and has been instru mental in getting our name out there. While facing unpredictable fast-changing market condi tions, she has leveraged new opportunities and has helped navigate the business to growth. She is an inspirational leader who knows how to lift others to success, and an admirable am bassador for the modern, pro fessional double glazing industry. I am delighted to have her on our management team and excited for the many new projects ahead of us.”

Lincolnshire fabricator and installer Tradeglaze has won two awards at the 2022 Lin colnshireLive Business Awards. The prestigious black-tie dinner welcomed almost 300 guests on 20th October to celebrate business and individual achievements, with judges giving out awards in 11 categories. Trade glaze earned the ‘SME Business of the Year’ award and the ‘Employee of the Year’ award for the company’s marketing manager Katerina Pickup.

Tradeglaze, with its retail com pany Jackson Windows, have accelerated expansion plans in the last year to support the rap idly increasing demand for their double glazing products. While the past year has been full of challenges, from material price increases, energy price hikes and labour shortages, the team at Tradeglaze have put relentless

effort in innovation.

Jeremy Wetherall, Tradeglaze managing director said: “We are beyond proud to have earned the two LincolnshireLive awards and delighted that the hard work of the team and our persistent commitment to high standards and exceptional customer care has been recognised.”

“We work on complex projects which require high levels of expertise and our teams are specialists in their areas, from our consultants, surveyors, fabricators, installers, to our office teams and our remedial engineers. If you take a look at the stunning products we man ufacture and install, with no two frames being the same, this is amazing. The two accolades are a much welcomed recognition during testing times for our com pany and the industry overall.”

Jeremy Wetherall conclud ed: “We are making additional investments in HR and have designed bespoke training and development programs to ensure every member of our team has the knowledge and support to perform their role and to grow professionally. We are all pas sionate about exceeding our customers’ expectations and our hard-earned outstanding cus tomer reviews are a testament to our efforts. I could not be more proud of our people.”

“Providing high quality products and a reliable service to our customers is absolutely key to us. We have earned a rock-solid reputation in the county. I want to thank to our Tradeglaze and Jackson Windows customers for believing in us, our people and our products. Having put several six figure investments in the business this year, we are positive about the future. We are incredibly thankful to all our teams; every single employee has contributed to our success and has helped us show that together we can do things we had never thought we could achieve.”

www.tradeglaze.co.uk

Glazing Summit 2022 Attracts Biggest Ever Attendance

The Glazing Summit smashed its attendance record for the fourth year in a row as the fenestration industry’s finest came together for another vital day of debate, dis cussion and networking.

Almost 500 delegates descended on Edgbaston Stadium for what was hailed as the best Glazing Summit – and the event also featured more big-name sponsors, more expert speakers and more keynotes than ever before.

And according to Glazing Summit founder and CEO of organisers Purplex and Insight Data Andrew Scott, the numbers show the event’s growing importance to the industry.

“The Glazing Summit has grown year on year and to get our biggest ever turn out not only shows the event’s significance in the indus try calendar, but it also shows the desire as an industry to come together to share ideas and tackle the issues we are all facing,” said Andrew.

“After the boom in home improvements through the pandemic, we now face economic and global uncertainty so it was an important time to get together and discuss where we’re heading and how we can best navigate our way through the challenges ahead.

“Times are going to get tougher but rather than doom and gloom this year’s Glazing Summit showed

there is plenty of opportunity out there for agile businesses and I hope those in attendance left as optimistic about the future of the industry as I did.”

Attendees enjoyed five dynamic debates and discussions with a panel of industry experts on im portant issues such as the current supply chain challenges, people and skills, regulations, innovation and merges and acquisitions.

They were also inspired by world class keynotes, including Richard Harpin, CEO of Homeserve PLC and one of the most successful en

trepreneurs in the UK, who closed the event, Barclays Chief Econo mist William Hobbs and legendary retail and customer experience expert Peter Cross.

The evening’s Glazing Summit gala dinner included a hugely motivational speech from legend ary athlete and sports personality Kriss Akabusi to round off the 2022 event.

“The Glazing Summit is only as good as its panellists, keynotes and agenda and we raised the bar again this year,” added Andrew. “The combined knowledge and ex perience in the room was incredible and I’d like to thank everyone who attended and all our sponsors for making it a truly memorable event. I’m already looking forward to another equally important Glazing Summit next year.”

Next year’s Glazing Summit will take place on Thursday, October 12 at Edgbaston Stadium again. For more information, or to book an early place, visit www.glazingsummit.co.uk

A Night Of Swine, Piggin’ And Song At Birmingham PiGs

More than 200 of the glazing in dustry’s finest rocked up to make the most recent PiGs party the biggest event to date at Birming ham, with live music from the ever-popular house band ensuring that a lively night was had by all. Such classics as ‘Porking on Sun shine’, ‘I Fought the Boar’, and ‘Stand by your Ham’ had guests hogging the dance floor.

Taking place at Revolucion De Cuba on Thursday 29 September, the final UK PiGs event of the year was a huge success and saw a host of new faces and companies in attendance, building on the re nowned networking opportunities that these get-togethers present.

“There was an amazing buzz in the room and everyone looked to be having a great time,” says Sarah Ball, PiGs organiser. “The band, Ellie Jones & The Giants, were superb once again and it was lovely to see so many new faces there, as well as lots of regulars.

“I’d also like to say a person al thanks to everyone who has bought one of our PiGs badges at events this year. We have raised more than £700 in donations, plus lots more direct to my Just Giving page, for We Mind & Kelly Mat ters, which has been our chosen

charity this year.

“The money is vital to support the work they do for suicide preven tion, as well as raising awareness and understanding of mental health.”

As ever, Sarah says a huge thank you for the support to all the wonderful PiGs sponsors who make these events possible. The 35 sponsors for Birming ham were: Abcell, AGC, Alutech Systems, APS, Arkay Windows, Bison Frames UK, Brownhills Glass Company, Business Pilot, Comp Door, Easy Vent, Edgetech, Emplas, Extrudaseal, FIT Show, The Georgian Bar Company, Glass Express, Glazerite, Glazpart, Kubu, Mackenzie Glass, Mi Glass, Origin Frames, QANW, Quickslide, RegaLead, Reynaers Aluminium, Selecta Systems, SOL Conserva tory Roofs, Supalite, Thermoseal Group, UK Doors Online, Unique Window Systems, Vertik-Al, Window Ware, and Yale Door & Window Solutions.

To keep up with all the latest PiGs news, follow them on social media or sign up to the email list here: www.peopleinglazing.co.uk/ contact-us. If you’re interested in becoming a sponsor, call Sarah on 07540 049655 or email sty@peopleinglazing.co.uk

Qualicoat Autumn Members Meeting

By Angus Mackie – Qualicoat UK & Ireland Chair

Members met at the Arden Hotel, Solihull for their Autumn meeting with most members opting to meet in person and several joining remotely. The format of the ‘hybrid’ meeting is proving to be very suc cessful and gives more members the opportunity to attend meetings of the Association and partake in the updating of the Qualicoat specification.

With regard to executive posts, the Association is pleased to announce that Chris Mansfield of Tomburn has stood and been vot ed in to be vice-chair of the Asso ciation. Chris is in regular attend ance at the Member’s meetings and as an active contributor brings a wealth of experience to the Chair. Chris will be taking up the position in 2023.

Despite the economic outlook, Members reported that business remains healthy despite rising costs of materials and energy. Growth of the Association also continues with three new licences being granted in October, one fur ther new member expected to gain their licence before the end of the year and a further three applicators progressing through inspections. These initial inspections, undertaken by independent test house IFO, review both plant and processes to ensure that an applicator member can operate within the Qualicoat Specification. Often a new appli cator’s initial inspection will consist of a long list of non-conformities after their first inspection, this could include the need to upgrade equipment as well as introduc ing new processes. Working with the applicator, IFO will help guide new working practices to ensure the applicator can maintain the high specification laid down by

Qualicoat. Following further un announced inspections, when the applicator can demonstrate full conformity, only then will a licence be awarded. It can take up to a year to become a licensed Qual icoat Applicator, once approved current licence holders can be found on the associations web site.

All licensed applicator mem bers are then inspected twice yearly by IFO, through an un

Angus Mackie

announced visit, to ensure they continue to conform to the up to date Qualicoat Specification. A further requirement is that all applicator members must send their laboratory technicians on a technical training day once every two years. This year the training was held at pretreatment system Member, Chemetall in Milton Keynes on the 8th November.

One of the Associations mis sions is to continually improve the quality of the final coatings. In mid-October all the independ ent test houses who inspect members of the Association across the globe met in Spain to review feedback from inspec tions and put forward sugges tions for further improvement in the specification. Of the points raised, two of the recommenda tions to be introduced in 2023 are as follows:

It has been the case that whilst all production lines are inspect ed on an unannounced visit, the member is then awarded an up to date single paper licence to show

company compliance. In future each coating line will be issued a separate certificate and should the Applicator carry additional qualifications, such as ‘Seaside’ approval, these will also be issued separately.

For Applicators who wish to supply pre-anodised and powder coat ed finishes, Qualicoat are now approving finishing between two plants in different locations as long as the process completes within a 72 hour period. Suitable pretreat ment plants are expensive invest ments for an applicator, anodising plants are far more expensive, so very few powder coaters have the ability to utilise pre-anodising as a pretreatment prior to powder coating. Allowing pre-anodising to be conducted off site for an appli cator will allow for a wider supply of pre-anodised powder coated profiles to specifiers.

Finally, it was reported that chrome-based pretreatments, which are still used by some mem bers, will receive a full ban, when used as a powder coat pretreat

ment. The European ban will come into effect in September 2024 and it is very likely that the UK will fol low this lead. Since chrome-based pretreatments were identified as a potential carcinogenic, the industry has devised various chrome-free systems which have been demon strated to be as substantial as their chrome based counterparts. Most of these systems are Qualicoat approved.

The Qualicoat Specification is continually and incrementally revised in real time with regular update sheets, the specification is completely rewritten at year end to include all updates. The Spec ification, its appendices and any update sheets are always freely available for download at www. qualicoat.net. For details on the availability of various colours and finishes contact any Qualicoat UK & Ireland member for more infor mation. For updated information about the use and specification of Qualicoat in the UK and Ireland, please visit the UK & Ireland Asso ciation new website at www.qualicoatuki.org.

The hup! One Hundred

Around 100 attendees recently

Swindon. The event was packed out with a record number of attendees, all eager to learn more about ‘the better way to build’.

Commenting about the success of the recent event, Ultraframe marketing director, Alex Hewitt, said: “Ever since we launched the hup! system we’ve had a fantastic response to our open days and training

events, but this was our best attended yet with around 100 builders and installers joining us on the day. It was fantastic to share our news about hup! with them and hear positive feedback about how the system will change the way they build.”

Attendees were trained on all aspects of hup! – what it is, surveying, installation, sales tools, and an expla nation of how simple Building Regulations are when using the system. A sample of the system was avail able for attendees to get hands on with building a hup! wall and corner column and fitting the ventilation trim. The full range of 14 brick mesh shades was also on display for visitors to see – the brick mesh is just one of the external finish options for hup!, with others including render and cedar cladding.

Along with the technical training, attendees were able to hear from members of the Ultraframe marketing team about the marketing tools that are available and coming soon to support them in selling the system. These include a comprehensive digital toolbox that will allow hup! users to position themselves and the hup! brand as the ideal choice for an extension, con servatory, or conservatory transformation. www.ultraframetrade.co.uk

enjoyed an open day devoted to the hup! building system from Ultraframe at the National Self Build & Renovation Centre in

NBP Shows Their Support For The Children In Need DIY SOS Big Build 2022

Northern Building Plastics donated products for the BBC’s Children in Need DIY SOS Big Build Special supporting Leeds charity Getaway Girls. The charity helps empower young women and girls to lead safe, healthy and fulfilled lives, by improving mental health, building confidence and self-esteem.

The opportunity for NBP to give back to its community was one they just couldn’t turn down.

Local tradespeople and suppliers were asked to donate their time and products to help on the project and NBP donated underground drainage, soffits, fascias and rainwater goods to help get it over the line in just 13 days. Getaway Girls charity now have a space that provides new offices, a creche, a music studio, counselling rooms, activity spaces plus a new garden.

Judah Wilson, CEO at Northern Building Plastics, says: “With our head office being in Leeds, it was fantastic to be able to help out a local charity like Getaway Girls. We’ve also donated a lot as a com pany to Children in Need this year.

“The work that the DIY SOS team do is incredible and it’s amazing to see another example of how they are helping the local community. This project will transform the lives of so many young girls and wom en around Leeds and it was a no brainer for us to contribute.”

Speaking on the final day of the build, CEO Flavian Docherty, praised the local companies for their generosity on this project.

“It’s fantastic (people) giving up their time for free, especially at the moment, obviously people are struggling, and I think it’s amazing they’re doing this. They don’t know Getaway Girls. We just want to say thank you.”

Presenter of the popular show, Nick Knowles, also echoed Flavian’s statement and spoke highly of the companies and people who donated.

“It’s a health check for the commu nity. How is your community? Will people come out and help if they get the opportunity? The answer is yes. Wherever we go in the coun try, that’s true. And then for the audience, it can be really reassur ing to know that there are a lot of good people in our society who do want to help.”

For more information and to do nate to the Getaway Girls charity, visit www.getawaygirls.co.uk

Rio French Door

REHAU have expanded their Rio product range to include the Flush Fit French Door. We have taken the design elements of our Rio Flush Fit Window and developed a complementary French Door that allows you to apply its unique clean aesthetic to every element at home.

Windows. Reinvented for modern life. www.rehau.uk/rio enquiries@rehau.com Tel: 01989 762600