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Welcome to the Digital Magazine EDITION 7

From the industry’s leading independent fenestration media website

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‘Sheerline Brings A Whole Raft Of Benefits’ Says BSW Window Solutions

2022 National Fenestration Awards Nominations Phase Closes Soon!

Uni-Blinds® Integral Blinds Package Worth £1,000 Up For Grabs In Exclusive FIT Show Prize Draw

Just 34.5% Feel Ready For Updated Building Regulations In June

Inflation Reaches 7%

Industry Veterans Prepare For Mammoth ‘Loneliest Road’ Charity Cycle

Eurocell’s All-New, Bespoke Contemporary Conservatories And Orangeries

Haffner Announces New Board-Level Restructure

Google Trends Data Shows Slump In Door Interest

Premier Arches Scores Top Marks In Customer Survey

The Fenestration Industry Does Not Need Another Green Homes Grant Scheme

Almost 90% Of UK Homeowners Don’t Know PVC-U Can Be Recycled – Poll

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Freefoam: Real Homes And Real Stories

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profine Group Launches #FenestrationForUkraine Effort

Double Glazing Blogger www.doubleglazingblogger.com

‘Sheerline Brings A Whole Raft Of Benefits’ Says BSW Window Solutions This is a sponsored article by Garnalex: Since becoming one of the first fabricators to add Sheerline products to its online ordering p l a t f o r m , BSW Window S o l u t i o n s has been impressed with the innovation behind the supply and services offered by Sheerline Aluminium Systems. “Sheerline brings a whole raft of benefits to our business,” comments, Rob Morley, Managing Director of BSW Window Solutions, “Using modern and innovative designs, with an attractive slim finish, it has been really easy to sell and with the excellent turnaround service we receive, we’re pleased to have it as part of our product portfolio.” The Sheerline systems offer many benefits to fabricators and installers. Its smooth, clean, seamless aesthetics not only looks impressive, but when it comes to performance, delivers exceptional thermal and security qualities, thanks to the use of Thermlock® a unique thermal-break system, and customised security hardware. Rob continues, “In spite of the pandemic, our turnover for aluminium products doubled last year, so much so that we took over an additional 17,000 square feet to house a dedicated aluminium production line and have committed to a further 10,000 sq. ft factory to produce bi-fold doors. The majority of the products we will be manufacturing will be from Sheerline’s range. “Sheerline products allow us to serve our customers better. The overall system is simplified, meaning we hold less stock, and because the components are produced 4

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collectively on one site in Derby, we benefit from a far better and more reliable turnaround.” Rob ends. R o g e r Hartshorn, CEO of Garnalex, says, “Hearing such positive feedback from BSW Window Solutions is brilliant. We work hard to ensure the products we produce are innovative, attractive, and work well across all our supply chain. We have spent an enormous amount of time and thought into getting every stage right. Rob highlighted the importance of an agile supply chain, and we want our customers to meet the evergrowing demand for aluminium products. Every major component in a Sheerline product is made by us, here in Britain, meaning we have more control of our supply chain to give customers shorter lead times. We also hold stock of our standard colour profiles, helping to transform delivery expectations for our customers.” Continuing to reinvent the way in which the market perceives traditional aluminium systems, Sheerline’s two distinct systems – Classic, an ultra-secure beadless aluminium window system, and Prestige, a versatile and thermally efficient system, offer U-values as low as 0.9 W/(m2K) for triple glazing, and 1.3 W/(m2K) for double glazing – are not just another product; they create an experience customers will notice. You can learn more about Sheerline by visiting www.sheerline.com and www. sheerlinevideo.com. You can also call 01332 883960 or email info@sheerline.com. Follow @SheerlineSystem and @GarnalexSystems for the latest news and updates. For more information about BSW Window Solutions, visit www.bsws.co.uk or call 01733 459955.

ALUM

Sponsored Content Glazpart / REHAU

Just 34.5% Feel Ready For Updated Building Regulations In June In just under two months, a raft of newly updated Building Regulations will come into effect, with new rules on ventilation and minimum u-values having direct impacts on the fenestration sector in England. Last week I ran a poll on Twitter to try and gauge whether the sector felt ready or not in view of the rapidly shrinking timeframe we have to be ready. The results were not all that encouraging

Only a third ready for Building Regulations

why we don’t feel prepared as there are going to be many more changes in the run-up to 2025 and the Future Building Standard regulations.

A mad scramble During these last two months, we are likely to see a flurry of activity from industry suppliers and trade bodies attempting to educate as many as possible on what the new rules are and how they will affect their business. I sense a mad scramble to the finish line in these coming weeks. But the reality is that the sector, in all parts of the supply chain, really should have been more engaged with the entire process, not just in the remaining weeks before new rules are enforced. Consider also that when it comes to ventilation, installers will have already been affected as far back as February. Even though sales activity appears to be slowing, the backlog of work carried over from 2021 means many installers still have many months’ worth of work booked in. They will have had to have been thinking about the inclusion of trickle vents just after the start of the new year.

This is the question I ran on Twitter for a week, and the results it gathered: Given that we have very little time left to understand what the new rules are and how they are going to affect us, to see the “yes” answer score under 50% is concerning to me. I accept that understanding updated Building Regulations is never an easy task, and the documents published by Government aren’t exactly easy to consume, but with the window of time narrowing these figures really needed to be better. Then we have to question why we don’t feel as ready as we should be. Is it industry apathy and reluctance to accept changes? Is it a lack of educational tools within the sector to help interpret and understand the new rules? Is it just poor communication? Whatever the reason is, moving forwards we have to address the reasons

Against a backdrop of increased marketing and awareness around the new rules, I still suspect there is going to be a significant proportion of the sector that will not immediately comply with the new regulations. Especially when it comes to ventilation and trickle vents. New minimum u-values aren’t really going to cause all that much fuss for windows as many systems already achieve 1.4, which means very little work is required. Ventilation on the other hand is a very different matter. You only need to look at various forums on Facebook and other platforms to see that some installers will comply, and others definitely will not. Perhaps over time that stance against the new rules will soften and some companies will fall into line, but others may stick to their guns and claim that pressure from homeowners forces them into doing what they do. What we do know is that the ability to police the new rules is almost zero, with one trade body admitting so. It means there is going to be a moral battle between those companies who choose to play by the new rules, versus those who know they will be able to get away with flouting them.

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When It Comes To Building Regulations, It’s All About 2025 In just a couple of months, the fenestration sector in England will be required to comply with newly updated Building Regulations. Amongst the various changes, the two that are of most scrutiny have been ventilation (Part F) and conservation of fuel and power (Part L). Yet, as our sector scrambles to understand what the changes mean for business, the real and most significant changes are about to happen just three years away with the Future Buildings Standard.

Urgency and innovation required When it comes to research and development, three years is not long at all. It takes time to develop new ideas or adapt existing ones, test them, revise them, test them again, plan for production, marketing and all else in between. This is why it is important we understand what the roadmap in the short term actually looks like. This is a table, published by the Government, which shows what buildings and when will be affected by either updated Building Regulations or Future Building Standards legislation: You can see that both new homes and new nondomestic buildings, so commercial use buildings, will be affected by the Future Buildings Standard. Why is this important? The aim of FBS is to see the overall u-values of windows going into these homes reduced all the way down to 0.8. For context, as of June 15th, windows fitted must be 1.4 or better. 2025 regulations into new homes will see a 0.6 reduction, which in three years is a bold 18

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move downwards. The table shows that existing homes won’t be affected by Future Building Standard regulations. However, we are all fully aware that where regulations in new builds start, it’s not all that long before they follow into existing homes. Even if existing dwellings aren’t affected by FBS, I would expect that Building Regulation revisions will still see u-values lowered anyway.

Either way, with the Government wanting to build at least 300,000 new homes per year, and a gargantuan task of retrofitting tens of millions of homes to reach net-zero by 2030, the fenestration sector is going to have to move rapidly to be able to meet these new requirements. It will also have no time to fight them. We did such a poor job in coordinating a response to the 2022 revisions to Building Regulations, that the prospect of the sector coming together to fortify a single position and voice is laughably impossible. Therefore, time would be more productively spent on understanding the trajectory we’re on in terms of regulations and figuring out how to turn it into opportunities rather than something to rail against. For example, how good would it look to the general public to show off an entire sector that rose to the task of climate change and was able to say that all new windows would meet the FBS minimum u-values by 2025 and that UK fenestration is doing what it can to limit its carbon footprint on the planet?

Serious investment in R&D has to happen now though. It takes years to develop products right so we have to look beyond this year’s changes and look toward the ones that will have the biggest impact.

technology is in relative infancy, and over time will become cheaper the more it is used. But when I think about the two options, the economic argument has to take centre stage if the overall aim of any new regulations is to be better for the environment.

Triple glazing vs VIG

Take a look at this comparison courtesy of Energlaze UK, who are using Fineo VIG by AGC:

The good news from this round of changes to the regulations is that with new u-values set at 1.4 many existing window systems will already meet that new standard. It means fabricators and systems companies have not had to worry too much about their existing product suites and can focus more on the ventilation part of the changes.

You can find out more about VIG here. Less weight. Less material used. Less weight on vans and trucks during transportation. More storage space available in warehouses. Less strain on installers. Less strain on window hardware. Think about the money you would save by not having to adapt your business to accept something heavier and bigger.

This breathing space isn’t going to last all that long. By 2025 many will need to meet 0.8 which is going to require some major changes to many window systems. Money is going to have to be spent on finding out the best route to 0.8.

If you’re a spacer bar company or involved in making glass, you’re going to want triple glazing to win the day, however. If VIG takes off in any significant way then it will start to harm sales of spacer bars. And if you’re one of the three major glassmakers you’re also going to want to see triple glazing come out on top. So what we’re going to see over the next few years is a big tussle between proponents of both. One side to keep the business they have, the other to make inroads and create a new niche within our sector.

At the moment, there are two solutions that could get us to 0.8. We either go down the triple glazing route or explore the emerging vacuum insulated glazing technology that is beginning to make its way into the UK market via companies like Masterframe. Right now, vacuum insulated glazing is more expensive than triple glazing. However, the

No matter what side of this debate you sit on, the fact remains: investment is needed now to be able to prepare in good time for changes coming in just three years’ time.

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2022 Off To A Goo Reports Strong The latest Builders Merchant Building Index (BMBI) report reveals that builders’ merchants’ value sales in January 2022 were 24.1% up on the same month in 2021, the strongest year-on-year growth seen in recent months. However, it has been primarily driven by price inflation (+15.1%) rather than volume growth (+7.8%). All bar one category sold more than the same month in the previous year with Renewables & Water Saving (+35.8%), Timber & Joinery Products (+31.5%), Landscaping (+28.9%) and Kitchens & Bathrooms (+28.8%) outperforming the merchants generally. Seven categories grew more slowly including Heavy Building Materials (+21.4%), Plumbing Heating & Electrical (+18.1%) and Tools (+13.3%). Compared to January 2019, a pre-pandemic year, total merchant value sales were 15.1% higher in January 2022, with two fewer trading days this year. Over the same period of comparison, prices increased at a faster rate (+19.8%), while volume sales were down 3.9%. Ten of the 12 categories sold more with Landscaping (+32.5%) and Timber & Joinery Products (+31.9%) again leading the charge. Kitchens & Bathrooms (+11.4%) and Heavy Building Materials (+9.8%) also performed well, while Decorating (-1.5%) and Tools (-3.2%) sold less. Total like-for-like value sales were 26.6% higher

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than in January 2019. Month-on-month total merchant 2022 compared to December 2021 days in January. In the main catego (+32.7%) did best, followed by Iron and Heavy Building Materials (+30 9.4%.

Mike Rigby, CEO of MRA Research “2022 is off to a flying start, with s across almost every category. How evidence to support the industry b in 2020 and 2021 is slowing down, inflation.

“What impact these higher prices sales this year remains to be seen, the highest levels of inflation for 3 Repair, Maintenance, and Improvem industry such a lift during Covid.”

Emile can der Ryst, Senior Client Retail & Technology UK adds: “Jan the recent growth trend, but even

od Start As BMBI g January Sales

t sales were 28.7% up in January 1, helped by three more trading ories, Timber & Joinery Products nmongery (+30.7%), Tools (+30.6%) 0.1%). Like-for-like sales were up

h who produce this report, said: solid performances recorded wever, we are seeing more belief that the sales boom we saw , as volume sales give way to price

s will have on builders’ merchant but with households now facing 30 years, it may be the end of the ment (RMI) boom which gave the

expectations that this would slow down going forward. February will now be even more uncertain due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, adding further instability to pricing indicators.” Developed and run by MRA Research, the BMBI – a brand of the Builders Merchants Federation – is a monthly index of builders’ merchant sales, and the most reliable, up-to-date measure of Repair, Maintenance, and Improvement (RMI) activity in the UK. The index is based on actual sales from GfK’s Builders’ Merchant Point of Sale Tracking Data, which captures value sales out to builders from generalist builders’ merchants, accounting for over 80% of total sales from builders’ merchants throughout Great Britain. An in-depth review, which includes commentary by sector experts, is provided each quarter. January’s BMBI report, published in March, is available to download at www.bmbi.co.uk. Sponsored Content BMBI

Insight Manager – Trade at GfK nuary has seen a continuation of in January there were already

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10 Ways To Win More Business The change in fortunes within UK fenestration has been well telegraphed, with a number of warnings by a number of companies across the supply chain that things have changed.

and aluminium bi-folding doors have brought in a huge amount of new business. This is new business that I don’t believe we would have won had we stuck to our standard offerings.

So, in this changing climate, where living costs are spiralling and inflation is the main story at the moment, what can installation companies in the fenestration sector do to win new business? After spending all my working life in this part of the fenestration industry, here are my ten ways to win new business in the months ahead.

It doesn’t always have to be the higher end where you expand your product offerings. It could be that your local area is more suited to a more budgetfriendly option to try and combat rising prices.

1. Boost social media marketing This should already be one of your central marketing tools within the business. But if it’s not, then it really is time to embrace social media and the many benefits it brings to a business. Image and video-based platforms create the most impact if the purpose of using social media is to create new leads. Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest and Facebook are all very good examples of image-based social media where homeowners search and scroll to find inspiration and new ideas. Some installers have been using social media as a means of lead generation for a while and report very good results from it. Social media requires work and long term commitment. The best results come from consistent posting and engagement over a sustained period of time. This builds up brand recognition with your potential audience and increases the chances of generating leads from the content posted on your channels. Make sure the images and videos are of good quality to ensure they stand out to viewers and ensure you post regularly. I have found Instagram and Facebook to be particularly useful to our installations business. 2. Expand your product portfolio When the economy is changing, as it is now, it is important to be responsive to the environment around you. Today, the story is about inflation and the rising cost of living. This means certain demographics will be under pressure to cut spending. And when spending is cut, sales fall. So installers have to be receptive to that and find new revenue streams. You find new revenue streams by expanding your product portfolio to offer more things to more people. For example, I have recently written about how our business has pivoted heavily towards the higher end bracket of products and clients and that it is already paying dividends. Focusing more on products such as pivot doors, flush windows 24

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Aiming at new markets that you have not tapped previously can always be very useful when times are less certain. 3. Exploit your existing client database Hopefully, installation companies have been building up email databases over the last few years. If so, this is a valuable source of marketing. Previous customers are some of the most loyal, and regular email updates to existing customers offering new products or additional services can bring in extra business. We tried it during the Great Recession. In an effort to find new revenue streams we contacted all of our previous customers and provided them with an offer on high-security door cylinders retrofitted into their existing doors. We did a great deal of business from our database and sold not only just a heap full of new cylinders but also secure some new window and door contracts too. Had we not done that, we would not have won that new business Existing customer databases are potential gold mines for new business. They should not be abused, with emails constantly peppered at customers all the time. But should be used when there are new products and services to offer. 4. Use your showroom If you’re an installer with a showroom, use it! Online services play the greatest part in the marketing of business these days. But a showroom is perhaps one of the few physical marketing means that pack a punch. We use ours to great effects. We estimate that 85% of the customers that come into our showroom end up placing an order with us. A showroom is a chance for installers to really impress a potential new customer with their products. But it is also a chance for a business to demonstrate to a client the professionalism of the company and gives the client the opportunity to get to know them. Keep your showroom clean and organised. There is nothing worse than going to a showroom with

samples just leant up in corners collecting dust or the general spacing not being planned out properly. Stage it well. Have all your key products in eye-catching places. Get plenty of light in there as well. This is your best chance to leave a lasting impression. If your budget allows it, perhaps spend some money on revamping the showroom. It gives you a chance to show off any new products you have decided to add to your product portfolio and is also a chance to invite new and existing customers to visit you and generate some new leads. Don’t underestimate the power of a showroom. 5. Get a virtual showroom Virtual showrooms are becoming incredibly important tools within the overall marketing plan of business. Installers need to embrace the additional opportunities virtual showrooms can provide. Not every installer has a physical space to host a showroom. This can make it difficult to demonstrate to a client their entire product portfolio. Virtual showrooms can get around that problem. With inbuilt hotspots, product videos, brochure downloads and more, virtual showrooms can provide a very effective tool for installers who want to be able to show a potential client everything they do.

During the height of the pandemic, when showrooms were closed, companies like Morley Glass and Masterframe funded the cost of virtual showrooms for many installers. A great show of support for the sector. The installers who benefitted from this have since reported tens of thousands of visits to these virtual showrooms, with new business being done as a result. It is also a great way to allow new clients to look at a business that perhaps cannot physically make it to the premises for a variety of reasons. Virtual showrooms are already a proven source of new business and are something installers should really be looking at. 6. Increase online advertising spending Social media is a fantastic tool to promote your business to all sorts of audiences. Even better, it’s free. However, all social media platforms, as well as Google and other search engines have paid options specifically for advertising. The good news is that the costs to advertise on social media and search engines are relatively cheap. You can be very specific with the types of audiences you point your adverts to, and you get a very detailed breakdown of costs per click and DGB MAGAZINE

what kind of traffic and lead generation you can expect to get from your investment. There are now tools you can use to prevent bots and competitors from simply clicking on your online ads to purposely run down and waste your budget. From experience, whilst this can bring in new leads, it works very well as a way to build up brand recognition with your audience. It may be that these ads generate leads further down the road, if not immediately, but it’s worth doing alongside your other marketing activities. 7. Focus more on what you sell Whilst expanding your portfolio to find more revenue streams is one option, the other is to attempt to focus more on what you already sell a lot of. Expanding the number of products you sell is not always an option for every company. But if your business already does well in certain areas, for example, in aluminium bi-folds, sliding patio doors, sash windows, solid roof conversions etc, then it would be wise to invest more in these areas. This is something we are going to do in tandem with expanding our product options at our place. We already do well with flush windows, entrance doors and bi-folding doors. So we’re going to do all we can to enhance further the number of sales of those products. We know we already do a lot of them. We know our margins on those products are good and we know there is still a healthy demand for those products in our local area. So we’re going to spend some time and money to expand in these areas. 8. Don’t ignore your website Websites are never finished. Anyone who tells you otherwise is lying. There is always something that needs updating. New products to add. Images to change. SEO to enhance. But just like a showroom or social media channels, a website is also one of the most important tools any company has. They’re a powerful lead generation tool. They create the first impression of a company before a client comes to see a business in person. A website that is left to fester and become out of date loses impact and falls way down in the search rankings. A simple way to win new business is to ensure that your website remains up to date. That means keeping all product information up to date, images fresh, lots of calls to action, link your virtual showroom to your website. Your site is a tool that can do many things. As long as you can inspire a potential client through your site for as long as possible, you will be sure to generate new leads through your website on a regular basis.

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9. Contact architects and housebuilders The self-build part of the economy is booming. More and more people are wanting to build their own homes. That means architects and specifiers are in very high demand. Now would be a very good time to introduce your company to them. Whether it’s via email or in the post, or even a knock at the office doors, send an information pack about your installations business and introduce who you are to them. If installers are looking to break into the higher end market this would be a very good route to do so. If you can strike up a good relationship with an architect there is a chance you can will more regular work on more projects by getting the products you provide specified as standard. This perhaps isn’t a route which will win lots of new contracts immediately. It will take some time and you may only make one or two new relationships. But those one or two could provide a lot more long term which is highly profitable and will provide excellent marketing material to help push your business further forwards. 10. Offer finance Giving your clients different ways to pay is going to be very important in the coming months and years as the cost of living crisis and inflation grows worse. Middle-income families are getting slammed with higher costs, with food, gas, electricity, fuel, clothes and everything else going up in price rapidly. It is squeezing the ability of many to freely spend. Many will still want their windows and doors upgrading. New windows and doors will still be a desirable option for many as an attempt to make their homes warmer in the winter. But the cost of living crisis means that paying out thousands just isn’t an option. So offering alternative ways to pay, such as financial services is one way to unlock that part of the market. Finance agreements in our industry are nothing new, but many smaller installers do not offer it as part of their overall service. As we enter a new tougher period for the economy, and personal spending is being restricted, offering finance on home improvements could be a very useful way to generate new leads and new business.

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Eurocell Reports Very Strong 2021 Results Earnings season is getting underway in UK fenestration, where some of the biggest businesses in our sector will start to report their full 2021 results. Eurocell has just dropped theirs and it’s a demonstration of just how strong demand was during the course of last year. Here are some of the highlights from that report.

Financial highlights Here are the main data points from 2021 compared to 2020 and 2019:

Financial headlines: ◌ Continued successful deployment of commercial strategies supported by strong underlying demand in our end markets, with revenue up 23% vs 2019, including: • Profiles up 22%: good contribution from trade and new build fabricators, as well as a very strong performance from Vista doors • Building Plastics up 24%: excellent performance across full range of manufactured products and traded goods • c.8% from selling price increases and a surcharge implemented to recover raw material price inflation ◌ Surcharge successfully recovered higher raw material costs, but dilutive to gross margin percentage ◌ Profit before tax up 19% vs 2019, driven by higher sales volumes ◌ Continued investment in business growth, with capex of £16.7 million including c.£7 million to expand manufacturing capacity, c.£2 million to increase logistics capability and c.£2 million for new branches ◌ Robust balance sheet and liquidity, with pre-IFRS 16 net debt of £11.0 million (2020: £9.9 million) ◌ Final dividend proposed of 6.4 pence per share, taking total dividends for the year to 9.6 pence, or £10.8 million

Operational headlines: ◌ • Decisive action taken in response to significant supply chain challenges – recovered the impact of unprecedented raw material cost inflation and secured the materials, labour and transport needed to service demand ◌ • Fit-out of new warehouse and next phase of manufacturing capacity expansion completed – key to delivering future improvements in operating efficiencies and margins ◌ • 12 new branches opened in 2021 (of which 4 are new larger format), resulting in a total estate of 219 sites

Sustainability: 28

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◌ Strong performance on sustainability as the leading UK-based recycler of PVC windows: • Further improvement in proportion of recycled material used to 27% (2020: 25%) • More than 3 million end-of-life window frames recycled, avoiding landfill and driving a significant carbon reduction (more than 48k tonnes) and substantial cost saving compared to the use of virgin materials ◌ Commitment to substantial further progress on sustainability, with KPIs published covering the circular economy, emissions and energy management, and social targets ◌ Received the London Stock Exchange’s Green Economy Mark, awarded to companies that derive more than 50% of revenues from environmental solutions, and reflects contributions to the global green economy ◌ Supporting PVC sector on sustainable development initiatives

Medium-term ambitions

◌ 3 to 5 year objectives: • Revenue – outperform our markets • Recycling – 33% of raw material consumption from recycled material • Operating profit margin – targeting improvement of 150bps

CEO Mark Kelly: We entered 2021 well placed to take advantage of the continued recovery in our markets. A very good sales performance has been underpinned by the success of our commercial strategies and high levels of demand in the RMI(4) market, and we are very pleased to report good profit growth and a return to the payment of dividends. We expect supply chain constraints to ease over the coming months, and the actions we took last year have ensured we have the resources necessary to operate efficiently and support our growth aspirations for revenue and margins. The RMI sector remains robust, new build continues

to grow and customer demand levels are good. With operating constraints resolved, our focus for 2022 will be on delivering improved returns from our strong sales growth. Notwithstanding the events in Ukraine and the attendant macroeconomic uncertainties, the year has started well, with sales volumes to the end of February up 6% on 2021. We, therefore, continue to see good potential to outperform our markets and deliver further progress.

Everything up The financial table at the top shows what a good year 2021 was. Given how disruptive 2020 was, with lockdowns and the start of the pandemic, the better comparison is with 2019, and all major metrics are very healthy. These results should not be a surprise, considering the sheer weight of demand we all nearly crumbled under last year. I fully expect earnings from other major companies to look very similar to this. How 2022 ends is in question though. The cost of living crisis is beginning to bite hard and inflation threatens to cause major economic problems. I expect the rest of this year to be much more challenging than last year. It was good to see an increase in the amount of recycled material used within the company, and 3m+ frames kept out of landfill, or 48,000 tons, is very impressive. The push towards net zero and a much more sustainable industry should see those figures pushed even higher this year. The challenge for 2022 will be to at least sustain what has been built over the last two years. A war in Europe, the continuing potential for supply chain disruption, uncontrolled inflation and a cost of living crisis that will get worse before it gets better will certainly present headwinds. If we’re talking about improved results this time next year, or even results that match 2021, I would chalk that down as a serious win. View the full 2021 report here: https://investors. eurocell.co.uk/media/1318/2021-prelim-resultsfinal.pdf DGB MAGAZINE

February Sales Up 22.9%, Driven More By Price Inflation Than Volume Growth

The latest Builders Merchant Building Index (BMBI) report reveals that builders’ merchants’ value sales in February 2022 were 22.9% up on the same month in 2021, continuing January’s solid start to the year. However, this was driven more by price inflation (+13.4%) than volume growth (+8.3%). All categories sold more. Landscaping (+33.7%) did best. Five categories did better than Merchants overall, including Timber and Joinery Products (+25.6%) and Kitchens & Bathrooms (+25.2%). Plumbing, Heating and Electrical (+15.0%), Decorating (+14.2%), and Tools (+8.8%) grew more slowly. Workwear & Safetywear (+1.0%) was weakest. Compared to February 2019, a pre-pandemic year, total merchant value sales were 22.6% higher. All categories sold more, with overall growth driven by the strength of two categories: Landscaping (+51.1%) and Timber & Joinery Products (+38.3%). Kitchen & Bathrooms (+17.4%), Heavy Building Materials (+16.5%) and Plumbing, Heating & Electrical (+10.4%) were among the categories which grew more slowly. Month-on-month total merchant sales were 7.5% up in February 2022 compared to January 2022, with no

difference in trading days. All bar three categories sold more including Landscaping (+28.6%), Kitchens & Bathrooms (+10.6%) and Heavy Building Materials (+7.7%). Mike Rigby, CEO of MRA Research who produce this report, said: “February delivered a solid performance for merchants. True, most of the +22.9% headline value growth was driven by price inflation of +13.4%, but in any normal year +8.3% volume growth would be regarded as spectacular. It still is, but we have yet to see the full effects of the uncertainty ushered in by the invasion of Ukraine, a secondary kick to price inflation and shortages that follow from the disruption to supply chains, and the impending energy price increases. It’s impossible to forecast how these factors play out in different markets, but my money is still on this strong demand continuing.” John Newcomb CEO of the BMF (Builders Merchants Federation) adds: “Continued growth is a positive thing to take away for Britain’s builders’ merchants, but with a note of caution around the relative impacts of inflation over volume growth. Current demand is strong and may well continue. However, the rate at which increased energy and raw material costs are driving up prices and the challenges this poses throughout the supply chain down to the end customer remains a concern.” Developed and run by MRA Research, the BMBI – a brand of the Builders Merchants Federation – is a monthly index of builders’ merchant sales, and the most reliable, up-to-date measure of Repair, Maintenance, and Improvement (RMI) activity in the UK. The index is based on actual sales from GfK’s Builders’ Merchant Point of Sale Tracking Data, which captures value sales out to builders from generalist builders’ merchants, accounting for over 80% of total sales from builders merchants throughout Great Britain. An in-depth review, which includes commentary by sector experts, is provided each quarter. February’s BMBI report, published in April, is available to download at www.bmbi.co.uk. Sponsored Content MRA Marketing 30

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Inflation Hits 6.2% As Cost Of Living Crisis Hits Home

Near the end of March, we saw a double-dose of bad financial news. First, inflation rose to 6.2%, which exceeded forecasts of 6%. Rising inflation has prompted the Bank of England to start to raise interest rates from record lows to 0.75%. The BoE is expected to keep raising rates until inflation comes under control, but there is a long way to go until that happens. Second, the hit to the economy from the cost of living crisis was laid bare by both the Chancellor in his Spring Statement and the OBR. Growth in the UK has been revised down from 6% to 3.8% this year. Perhaps more starkly, the independent OBR has said that even with the measures announced by the Chancellor in his Spring Statement, the UK is set to see the biggest hit to living standards since the 1950s.

Marketing now matters All of this matters to UK fenestration, and we can 32

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already see the effects of the changing economy on our industry, with warnings and articles now being published warning on the changing landscape. Our industry has certainly not been immune from the spiral of price increases that many other sectors have been hammered with. The price of our goods has skyrocketed in the past two years, along with the cost of labour and transport. Those increases have been passed down to the consumer over those past two years, but you can feel a sense of unease growing about how much more we can pass on, else risking hitting a ceiling and some portions of the public simply not being able to afford our products. The fact is, the outlook this year and likely next is going to be a lot harder than the last two. Most believe that from the second quarter onwards even more will feel the effects of inflation and slam the brakes on spending on big-ticket items. New windows and doors are in that bracket. It is going to take some time for economic conditions to

settle down, and the war in Ukraine has lengthened that further. The steps our industry takes next will be vitally important if we are to navigate this next period as smoothly as possible. We can either stick our heads in the sand, deny what is happening and pretend everything is fine. Or, educate ourselves about what is happening, adapt once again and hit this new challenge head-on. That means marketing very much matters. Not just the industry marketing to itself, but to the public. Despite the rising cost of gas and electricity, there is a very major role our industry can play. The good news is that the products we sell can contribute massively to improving the energy efficiency of homes. Let’s leave the trickle vents aside for the moment. There is a very clear marketing opportunity for our sector to take and we need to be making the most of it.

I have seen a lot more focus on customer service, product quality, and choice as a means of selling in both the B2B and B2C sides of the industry. It is a much more professional approach and although I believe it has been forced upon some, rather than it being done by choice, I hope it stays that way when inflation becomes more stable. This is a more sustainable, higher-quality approach to sales and it will do the sector the world of good in many ways if we can stick to these principles for as long as we can.

Installation companies need to start being a lot more vocal on social media and whatever other advertising platforms they use to promote the energy efficiency side of things. Fabricators and other suppliers that have a route to consumers should also be promoting the same message. Yes, we have suffered wild price increases on our products, but our products are also part of the solution. It would have been nice to see the Chancellor recognise new windows and doors alongside solar panels and heat pumps when it came to lowering VAT.

Inflation changing our market These past two years of surging demand and wild price increases have changed our market. Maybe forever. Pre-pandemic we were talking about trying to prevent another race to the bottom on price. We knew that with a raft of growing product niches, like aluminium bi-folding doors and sliders, solid roofs and flush windows, we had a chance to reset how we go about selling our wares to the general public. We knew that we had to avoid ripping the margins out of premium products and starting a price race where no one wins. I was worried that we weren’t learning our lessons as some of the marketing activities from certain installers and fabricators appeared to be following the same path as previous generations. Then the pandemic came and turned everything on its head. Lockdown upended everything and upon our return, we were all met with demand we simply could not handle. Supply chains crumbled and the spiral of higher inflation soon began. Suddenly, the regular emails about aluminium bifolds at 37p per leaf glazed dried up. The industry was quickly realising that in an environment where raw material prices were out of control, sales based on the lowest possible prices would be the worst road to go down. DGB MAGAZINE

Inflation Reaches 7% coming months. Even if raw material costs become more stable, the cost to produce them continues to rise. It takes a lot of gas and electricity to make gas and PVCu/aluminium profiles. Businesses are not protected by any caps. You only need to look back at the story of Pilkington’s energy costs rising from £1m per month to £8m per month. That was back in January. There have been further increases since. The industry has to expect further price increases in the coming months and they’re sadly going to have to be passed down to the end-users. In our case, the homeowners. As expected, inflation in the UK continues to rise. In March, inflation rose to a 30-year high of 7%, up from 6.2% in February. Crucially, this still doesn’t take into full account the invasion of Ukraine by Russia and the energy price cap rise which came into force at the beginning of April. Therefore, inflation is expected to continue to rise in the coming months.

Double-digit inflation For context, 7% was the previous topping out mark predicted by the Bank of England, and we got there a lot faster than they thought we would have done. Frankly, they have done such a poor job in predicting what is to come that it has become a bit of a joke now. Inflation is now expected to peak somewhere between 10-12%. If so, that would be the highest level since the inflation crisis of the mid-70s. The cost of gas, electricity, fuel, food, wages, National Insurance and much more are rising at the fastest pace in decades. What is becoming frustrating is that the war in Ukraine is now being squarely blamed for the variety of problems much of the world is going through right now. This was to be expected as politicians do like a scapegoat. But remember that the war in Ukraine has been going on for six or seven weeks. Inflation has been a growing problem since the start of 2021. We must remember that when politicians trot out the war as the excuse to blame everything on. With utilities and fuel rising so steeply, this is having an effect on the price of everything, including products in the UK fenestration sector. The glass energy surcharge has gone up again to 17p from Pilkington. New rounds of price increases from systems companies and fabricators are also stating that the cost of energy as well as raw materials as the causes for the latest increases. And here is going to be the problem for the 34

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Being proactive Unlike the pandemic, which was a crisis of uncertainty, we know what we’re dealing with when it comes to inflation and the cost of living. We know prices are going up. We know they’re going to continue to go up. We know that many families are going to have to cut back on spending, including rethinking their plans on big-ticket items such as new windows and doors. So, because we know what the problems are, we can better plan and prepare to tackle them. For example, the rising cost of energy provides the fenestration sector with an ideal marketing message. We know our products save significant amounts on heat loss. Therefore that provides us with a very strong argument to go to the public with. We are going to have to compete with many other sectors now when it comes to the allocation of spending by homeowners. But few have such a timely and attention-grabbing USP as saving energy as we do. We need to use that to our advantage and continue to extol the virtues of investing in home improvements to make sure that when next Winter comes along, people are keeping their houses as cheap to run as possible. Marketing activities also have to be stepped up. The worst thing our industry can do now is become less visible, both internally and to the general public. Marketing is the one avenue, other than word of mouth and recommendations that keeps our sector visible and active. We have to be increasing it now to ensure that the positive impacts are felt weeks and months down the line. It is also time for installers to reevaluate which demographics to aim at. Offering budget options right now seems futile considering the rate at which even our most basic products have been rising in price. I have written previously about how our family-run installations business is being very deliberate in targeting the wealthier bracket of people, and that it’s paying dividends. Now would be a good time to look at your product portfolios and decide whether it is time to change approach.

Some Tradespeople Are Now Making More Than £1000 Per Week In another sign of the ongoing major squeeze on available skilled labour, new data shows that in three areas of the UK, the average weekly wage of tradespeople has broken the £1000 barrier. The demand for skilled workers will only rise further as all areas of construction struggle to recruit fast enough to meet demand, which puts power and influence in the hands of the current workforce. But ever-increasing wages only add further to inflation.

£1000 per week This is not the first time in the last few years that average weekly wages have topped the £1000 barrier, but with three regions of the UK doing so at the same time, and demand for skilled workers only set to rise further, there is a chance that the £1000 per week becomes embedded and ends up being a new higher threshold for workers. In data, provided by Hudson Contract, London, the South East and East Midlands all show that the average weekly pay for all tradespeople was above £1000. East Midlands was the region that topped out as the highest. Reports have been rife for a while now of skilled bricklayers, plasterers etc commanding £1000 per week in wages. This data serves only to reinforce the anecdotal evidence we are being told on the ground all of the time. We know well in the fenestration sector that there has long been a skills gap, and that there is a dwindling supply of skilled workers to facilitate growth in our market. The effect of this is to push wages up higher in a bid for companies to attract the right talent, whilst not being able to plug the gaps and bring in a big enough cohort of new young people to make up the chasm. This is good news however for skilled workers, who are finding their talents in high demand, which puts them in a position of power and influence when it comes to wages. Very handy, considering the cost of living crisis and inflation that we’re all living through right now. It does though feed into the inflation cycle. Companies who are putting their wages up to these levels will no doubt be passing those costs down to the end-users, which ultimately only serves to continue rising inflation. It’s a very difficult situation for many businesses to be in. They need skilled workers, but they’re picking from a limited

field, and having to use higher pay as a method to bring them on board. But those higher costs have to be accounted for somewhere, which usually means higher prices being paid further down the supply chain.

Wages will head higher If you’re a tradesperson, the good news is that there is no sign that wages will drop off at any point soon. All the ingredients are there to create an environment where wages are used as a USP to attract the right people to a business. The Government has set itself a whole host of unattainable targets over the next decade. It wants 300,000 news homes per year. It wants to retrofit tens of millions of homes to reduce their carbon footprint. It has eyes on all sorts of infrastructure projects in many cities around the country. The one thing these all need, but that we don’t have even close enough of, is skilled workers. There’s not a chance any of the long term construction-related targets will be met. We are short of hundreds of thousands of the right people. The Government will in all likelihood attempt some kind of fast-track training to usher people into those sectors, but it won’t be enough and it’s likely the training won’t be good enough either. It means that the skilled workers currently in the economy are going to be even more sought-after, which again puts them in the front seat when it comes to setting pay arrangements. The fenestration sector, just like other construction-related parts of the economy, is vastly short of the number of right people it ideally needs. What we are seeing now are the effects of policies set by various Governments over the past two to three decades, which have weighed very heavily on the side of academia, with trades and manual jobs shunned and derided. If we are to see a turnaround in the current situation, it has to start at the education level. We need much more of the education sector to actively provide better opportunities to school leavers, showing that there are more routes to success and careers than just university. What is worth noting, is that it’s highly likely that there are more tradespeople working right now who have more money in the bank than those who went to university and got a degree!

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Safestyle UK Publishes Fu systems proved invaluable in helping to mitigate the worst of its impacts. Looking ahead, the Group will continue to proactively manage cost-inflation, however we expect consumer confidence to be impacted by the ongoing cost-of-living crisis. Pleasingly, our record-level order book will allow us to smooth the impact of any short term slowing of demand. Notwithstanding the factors above, the Board and I remain positive on the outlook for 2022 as the business emerges transformed after four very challenging years and continues its return to our historically strong financial performance and growth.”

Financial and operational highlights Earnings season continues as the biggest publicly traded companies in UK fenestration announce their full 2021 financial results. Safestyle is the latest to announce theirs and as expected, they show a very profitable 2021 as the entire industry benefitted from pent up demand from homeowners and a cash glut thanks to furlough payments and holiday refunds.

Safestyle UK statement Here is the statement published by Safestyle UK:

Return to profitability alongside continued progress made against our strategic priorities Safestyle UK plc (AIM: SFE), the leading UK-focused retailer and manufacturer of PVCu replacement windows and doors for the homeowner market, today announces its final results for financial year 20211. Commenting on the results, Mike Gallacher, CEO said: “Despite the continued uncertainty caused by the pandemic as well as the widely-documented supply chain and inflationary pressures, I am delighted we have been able to deliver our best financial performance since 2017 and make significant progress against our stated strategic objectives. The Group’s underlying profit before tax for the year represents a £16.4m turnaround from 2018’s underlying losses as we continued to improve margins and deliver growth. The strong performance of the business in 2021 made the cyber attack in January 2022 even more frustrating, however our previous investments in upgrading IT 36

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For the purposes of this announcement, where appropriate we have included comparisons of the Group’s financial and operating performance for 2020 and also 2019 with the latter, in many cases, a more meaningful comparative being prior to the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. 1. The financial statements are presented for the year ended on the closest Sunday to the end of December. This date was 2 January 2022 for the current reporting year and 3 January 2021 for the prior year. All references made throughout these accounts for the financial year 2021 are for the period 4 January 2021 to 2 January 2022 and references to the financial year 2020 are for the period 30 December 2019 to 3 January 2021. 2. Gross margin % is gross profit divided by revenue. 3. Underlying profit / (loss) before taxation is defined as reported profit / (loss) before taxation before non-underlying items and is included as an alternative performance measure in order to aid users in understanding the ongoing performance of the Group. 4. Non-underlying items consist of non-recurring costs, share-based payments and the Commercial Agreement amortisation. 5. Net cash is cash and cash equivalents less borrowings. A reconciliation between the terms used in the above table and those in the financial statements can be found in the Financial Review.

Financial headlines • The Group’s underlying profit before taxation of £7.6m represents the first return to full

ull 2021 Financial Results • •

• • •

•

year profitability since 2017 and a £16.4m turnaround versus 2018. Revenue growth of 13.5% versus 2019 demonstrates the Group’s improving revenue trajectory. Early anticipation of cost inflation combined with the positive impact of strategic initiatives delivered a 527bps improvement in gross margin versus 2019. Net cash position strengthened to £12.1m versus £7.6m at the end of 2020. Operational headlines The COVID pandemic continued to impact operations in 2021 and our priority remained the safety of our staff and customers throughout the period. Managers and staff have shown huge flexibility and resilience as we have maintained our commercial operations. Despite the sustained disruption, continued progress was made against our core strategic priorities, including brand development, consumer finance costs, revenue management, compliance and sustainability. A 14th installation depot was opened in Milton Keynes during the year. This investment improves operational coverage, reduces travelling time and will help drive the productivity of our fitting teams. Order book at the end of the year was 8.4% lower than 2020’s record levels, but remains healthy at over a third higher than any other year. The Group has achieved a 19% reduction in its CO2 per frames installed metric versus 2020 which represents early achievement of our 2024 target. Over 95% of the waste generated from the Group’s operations, which includes the removal of old product from customers’ homes, was recycled. Customer service provision was extremely challenging due to the broad range of disruption experienced, most notably labour availability. Investment in resource resulted in the backlog being cleared by the end of the year.

Post balance sheet event • Having achieved our objectives set out in the Turnaround Plan and reporting a strong financial performance in 2021, the business was hit by a cyber attack, originating from Russia, at the end of January 2022. • Business continuity actions, as well as IT investments in the last two years, mitigated the impact, although it caused a level of operational disruption that took some weeks to fully recover from.

• We have now recovered our systems and processes and the Group is trading in line with original plans.

Outlook • Despite strong progress being made by the Group in 2021 to overcome well documented labour shortages, we anticipate resource shortages in critical skilled labour pools will continue in the short to medium term. • Cost pressures have escalated in the first quarter across raw materials, fuel and labour. We will continue to address these issues through pricing whilst also using our scale advantage to mitigate the impact. • Demand has remained robust in the first quarter. • We successfully launched our new TV campaign in February 2022 which has underpinned our continued order book growth in the first quarter. • Over the full year, we aim to maintain a balance between order intake and installations capacity to continue to optimise margins. • Despite the short-term impact of the cyber attack on the financial performance of the business, the Group has a strong balance sheet and the Board therefore intends to continue to invest behind its strategic initiatives. • The Board expects performance for 2022 to be in line with current expectations with annualised H2 financial performance representing further growth on the good profit delivery of 2021. As expected, 2021 full-year results for Safestyle UK were very healthy. Last year was a fantastic year for everyone, so the above results are no surprise. I expect other results from other companies to reflect the same positivity. A little digging into the Safestyle UK results can point to a slightly different outlook for 2022 however. For example, in their operational headlines, they mention that their order book for 2021 compared to 2020 was lower by 8.4%. This could be a hint towards a general slowing of business activity that the sector is currently experiencing. But, we’re coming off a very intense period so whilst a drop of 8.4% sounds a lot, the reality is that order books will still remain very busy indeed. As more results are announced, they will be published here. You can view the full announcement on the PLC website here: https://otp.investis.com/ cl i e nt s/uk /s afe s t y l e/r n s/r e gul ator y-s tor y. aspx?newsid=1575532&cid=656 DGB MAGAZINE

Industry Veterans Prepare For Mam 10th October 2022; coinciding with World Mental Health Day. Set to try to clock up 52,000 miles – the equivalent of going around the world twice – Kelly’s Heroes will also promote the Time to Change #AskTwice campaign along the routes. Part of the route includes the infamous stretch in Nevada known as the ‘Loneliest Road in America’, thanks to its vast mountainous and sandy scenery. It’s this road that John has chosen to name the challenge after and is particularly poignant given the lonely nature of mental health. The epic month-long fundraiser follows on from the charity’s 1000-mile journey from John O’Groats to Land’s End in 2020 when Kelly’s Heroes raised over £130,000. The funds raised for WM&KM have since enabled the charity to roll out mental health support services such as counselling, support groups, and online emotional support service for people living in Northamptonshire and beyond.

Former Glazerite UK Group chairman John Hewitt has announced his latest ‘Kelly’s Heroes’ fundraising challenge for mental health charity, We Mind & Kelly Matters (WMKM).

John says: “This year’s challenge sees us cycle part of Europe and right across America, with the European leg covering more than 1800 miles. The US leg covers four different time zones and crosses seven mountain ranges, which will see us climb 145,000 feet. It is a huge undertaking, and we are under no illusion as to how hard it will be, but we are determined to make this our biggest fundraising challenge to date.” VEKA Group is the main sponsor for the event, with John adding: “We are hugely grateful to VEKA

Sponsored by the VEKA Group, the epic 52,000mile cycling challenge will see John joined by his daughter Amy to raise awareness and funds for WMKM, the charity founded in memory of John’s late daughter and Amy’s sister, Kelly. Joining them are an intrepid team of cyclists, including Sarah Ball from Balls 2 Marketing, DoorCo’s Dan Sullivan, and Peter Mew from Mews Windows. Setting off from Burgos, Spain on 10th September 2022, which coincides with World Suicide Prevention Day, three teams of four cyclists will undertake consecutive relays over 10 days. The arduous route takes them through France, where they will take on the world-famous Mont Ventoux, before finishing the European leg on 19th September at VEKA’s headquarters in Sendenhorst, Germany. From there, 12 riders head across the pond to take on the epic Highway 50 east-west route across the United States. Kicking off in New York, the team will cycle 3343 miles to San Francisco before finishing the ride on the Golden Gate Bridge on 38

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for supporting us and also taking part, and we are so excited to be starting and ending the European leg at two of their sites.” Further support has come from others in the industry, including Bohle Ltd and Central Window

mmoth ‘Loneliest Road’ Charity Cycle

Systems. John explains: “Dave Broxton from Bohle Ltd has been critical in the planning for both rides, which has been particularly challenging given the original route was meant to start on the Russian border. Gary Morton of Central Window Systems recently joined me for a recce of the USA route, which has equipped us with some useful insight. It also brings to reality the sheer scale of what we’re taking on!” John concludes: “The entire industry really got behind us in 2020, and, even at this early stage, we’re already receiving some great support for this year’s challenge. We’d love it if those in the industry could share our challenge across social media, as it would really encourage us in our efforts and help increase awareness of mental health.” The Loneliest Road has some rider positions left. If you are interested in taking part or would like to know how you can support Kelly’s Heroes’ Loneliest Road challenge, visit WM&KM at Fit Show 2022, Stand C32 or watch https://youtu.be/12yI2dnozig

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Glasgow’s newest fabricator Made For Trade Windows started making their own windows in September 2021, having previously bought in frames, in a bid to improve service and improve their offering of niche products. Originally starting out as a trade counter in east Kilbride in 2017, and buying-in frames to sell on to end installers, owner James O’Hara established a new facility in Baillieston manufacturing windows and doors in the Deceuninck system in 2021. Operations Director Mark Owens, who was appointed in January 2021 to spearhead the move into fabrication, said the decision was always appealing. “Fabrication is in our DNA,” he said. “It was always our long-term ambition to be a manufacturer, as we could see there was great potential in providing a direct manufacturing service to trade desks and installers. Not only that, but the ability to offer a broader product range and shorter lead time were also key aspirations.” Made For Trade chose to partner with Deceuninck primarily because of the broad product range. Mark explained that specialist products like the Flush Casement and the Sliding Patio Door gave the fabricator access to a potentially larger customer base. As did the systems company’s colour offer. “Most fabricators can’t offer a wide range of colour options on a standard lead time, so they don’t push colour out to their customers,” Mark said. “The fact that we have access to 30 colourways from stock

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definitely gives us an edge over our competitors. “We’ve seen many examples in the past of whole projects being held up because of the delay on one coloured product or even profile, meaning a negative experience for the fabricator, the installer, and ultimately the end-user.” Mark said that Made For Trade is one of the few fabricators in Scotland to make sliding patio doors. “When we were buying frames in, we had to buy sliding patio doors in from England, in some cases having to buy through other suppliers rather than the original fabricators,” Mark said. “So, making them ourselves is a big thing because it allows us to control cost and quality to a far greater degree than we could previously. “Manufacturing sliding patio doors allows us to offer customers a more complete package of products, at competitive rates, which they can’t necessarily purchase elsewhere.” Similarly, Deceuninck’s Heritage Flush sash is providing Made For Trade Windows with a unique supply opportunity. “There still aren’t many fabricators in Scotland offering flush sash casement windows. However, given its increasing popularity in England, we decided it was a good time to introduce something new to our core product range. With its pleasing sightlines and similarities to traditional timber windows, particularly in wood effect foils, demand for the product is constantly growing and again this allows us to

Colour And Specialist Products Drive Growth For Made For Trade Windows offer something our competitors don’t.” Made For Trade Windows started making 100 frames per week, and has quickly grown to 200 frames per week, with significant growth on the horizon. “Deceuninck’s Heritage windows haven’t really surprised us with their popularity given their huge popularity in other parts of the UK, while the comprehensive colour range and significant stockholding has allowed us to confidently start fabricating as we emerge from the

pandemic, with a view to quickly growing our customer base,” Mark concluded. For information on Made For Trade Windows visit www.mftwindows.co.uk For more information call 01249 816 969, email deceuninck.ltd@deceuninck.com or visit www.deceuninck.co.uk Sponsored Content Deceuninck UK

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Deceuninck supplied 162 different colourways last year, cementing its position as a leading supplier of foiled products. Colour and foiled products account on average for 60% of Deceuninck’s overall sales in the UK. It offers 30 plus colourways in stock and 20 additional colours in just 15 working days, with on average Deceuninck fabricators selling twice as much colour as their competitors. Even so, according to its Sales Director, Chris Jones to have supplied 162 different colourways in a year, came as a surprise. He said: “We know that we do a lot of colour and we know that we offer a lot of flexibility on those colours but to have supplied more than 160 different colourways was still a little bit of a surprise. “If you think about it, however, you can see how get there. It’s not that we’ve supplied 162 different colours but it’s the combinations of those colours – and as we know, everyone’s taste is different, and occasionally, there’s no accounting for it.” Deceuninck has made a significant investment in its foiling capability, including a six-figure spend last year on a state-of-the-art Luna R machine. Capable of processing highly complex profiles, it’s at the cutting edge of lamination technology. Delivering exceptional quality of finished product also delivers additional flexibility in foil supply.

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‘Accounting For Taste’: Deceuninck Supplies More Than 160 Different Colourways In A Year It has also recently added AgateGrey-On White to its stock offer in response to growing demand. This was evidenced in a study commissioned by Deceuninck by YouGov. It found that when asked about their colour preference white was cited by 43% of homeowners as their preferred colour choice. Greys, including Anthracite Grey, Agate Grey, and Grey, accounted for a combined 17%. Irish Oak and Rosewood polled 7% and 6% respectively. Greens, including Chartwell and Sage Green, recorded 4% and 1%; Black and Cream each recorded 4%. “We know how important colour is to our customers”, explained Chris. “We also know that the colours that just because a colour has been popular in the past, it doesn’t mean that it will retain popularity in the future, it’s about an evolution of offer. “We’re constantly reviewing sales to understand and predict sales and to make sure that we and our customers can access a colour offer tuned-in to end-user preference.” For more information, call Deceuninck on 01249 816 969, email deceuninck.ltd@deceuninck.com or visit www.deceuninck.co.uk. Sponsored Content Deceuninck UK

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Not All Solid Replacement Roofs Are The Same Says Leka Systems

The rise of home working and increasing concern about the environment means the solid replacement roof market is growing at pace. But it pays to choose your solid roof system carefully, because there’s a big cost to making the wrong decision, especially right now. This is the view of Rhys Hoddinott, Managing Director at Leka Systems, home of one of the most innovative solid roof systems on the market today. He says: “Not all solid roofs are comparable. Leka roofs offer value in more ways than one.” Leka products have always attracted attention because of their thermal efficiency. With U values as low as 0.12 W/m²K, Leka roofs dramatically outperform common glass and polycarbonate roofing systems – as well as other solid roof systems. The incredible thermal efficiency is partly due to the GRP construction, which, as Rhys explains, is something that brings cost benefits too. He says: “Leka roofs don’t use aluminium, which means we aren’t being affected by the huge increase in aluminium prices. Fabricators and

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installers using aluminium are having to pass price increases onto consumers because they can’t absorb them any longer. Because we don’t use aluminium on our roofing products, this isn’t something we’re having to do.” The GRP construction also makes the roof incredibly lightweight, which means it can often be used without additional reinforcing, helping to keep time and costs down even further. Leka Systems saw 40% sales growth in 2021 thanks to success and uptake from its growing fabricator network, proving that the products offer what today’s installers are looking for. Leka fabricators also benefit from exclusive regional partnerships, as well as comprehensive and proactive support, including training and technical advice. Rhys concludes: “If you want products that maximise your customers’ opportunities, there’s only one solid roofing system you need. It’s the warm roof from Leka Systems.” Sponsored Content Leka Systems

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Eurocell’s All-New, Bespoke Contemporary Conservatories And Orangeries Eurocell has extended its range of market-leading conservatory and orangery solutions with the launch of new contemporary designs that create desirable extended living spaces or can modernise existing and traditional conservatory structures. Responding to increased consumer demand for 21st-century conservatory designs that include greater use of glass, reduced brickwork, superior thermal insulation, and a contemporary build aesthetic for shape and colour, Eurocell has added a raft of new quality-led features that improve liveability and reflect changing homeowner tastes, which will create business growth opportunities for fabricators and installers. The latest conservatory designs bring together a combination of Eurocell’s exclusive pilaster and slimline roof systems, with a modern highline gutter solution, to enable the creation of cuttingedge and desirable living spaces that connect the house and garden. Requiring low maintenance and designed for ease of fabrication and fast installation, the sleek and attractively designed options will ensure the swift and cost-effective completion of projects. They also offer peace of mind with a 10-year guarantee on product performance once installed and provide all-year-round comfort through superior thermal performance.

Flexible pilaster options The new features include innovatively designed pilaster solutions providing strength, durability, high insulation performance, and varied decorative options. Using corner posts with reinforcement, the pilasters provide a robust construction solution. They are also the foundation for stunning cladding options such as Coastline and Ecoscape that are available in a range of colours, including anthracite grey, moondust grey, silver birch, spiced oak, and midnight black. For homeowners preferring an internal plastered finish, the new pilaster options provide the perfect backdrop to help deliver stunning interior spaces that can include striking lighting effects and the increased specification of automation and technology.

Slimline roof system to enhance light and space 46

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The contemporary visual impact of the new Eurocell conservatory options is reinforced with the addition of a slimline roof system solution. With a thinner ridge system and reduced sightlines on conservatories, the slimline roof system enhances the feel of light and space. The system’s colour range includes white, anthracite grey, smooth aluminium grey, and matt black to provide a modern look.

Highline gutters – easy to install with advanced aesthetics To further support the creation of visually appealing conservatories, Eurocell’s new contemporary highline gutter perfectly complements the slimline roof system. Available in white, anthracite grey, and

black, the highline gutter is suitable for internal and external 90-degree corners. They have been designed to make the installation process quicker by allowing increased space for installers to fix to the conservatory structure. The bottom of the gutter has been designed to allow better aesthetics over full height brickwork and pilasters. The range of features is suitable for new conservatory structures or as a cost-effective method to modernise existing and traditional conservatories. Easy to install, they can quickly transform favourite internal spaces and enhance the connected experience of indoor and outdoor living. Sean Bunyan, Head of Commercial Operations for Eurocell, says: “Our further enhanced range of conservatory solutions is designed to help create ideal living spaces for homeowners. The impact of the pandemic and the work from home rules have made many people reappraise their living and working environments. As a result, we expect to see continued strong market demand for newly

realised modern conservatory solutions, as well as projects where homeowners are looking to transform traditional conservatories. We have also ensured that customer feedback has been used as part of the design and development process for the exciting new features. “The contemporary pilaster, slimline roof system and highline gutter options are fantastic qualitybased additions to the conservatory solutions we offer. They are now available for fabricators and installers looking to work with their clients on the development of attractive and welcoming spaces that connect the indoors with the outside.” For more information, please visit: www.eurocell.co.uk/homeowners/conservatories Sponsored Content Eurocell

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Endurance Outlines Environmental Performance Credentials

With the new building regulations coming into force in June this year, Endurance Doors have confirmed that their engineered timber door platform complies with the new legislation, assuring continued strong growth through their Installer Partner network. The specification of a laminated timber core is the cornerstone of an Endurance Door that’s bolstered using PVCu CoolSkin door skins, a wet glazing process and the unique Moisture Barrier System, among other strong USPs. It is a product proposition that has evolved over the years and the company continues to invest in product innovation as the latest ultra-premium Avantal door shows. Since 2004, Endurance Doors have aspired to be market leaders in reliability and best value, with a focus on sustainable supply chain partners and continuous product development. The environmental credentials are strong given the fact the engineered timber door leaf is a carbon sink, sourced from renewable forests within Europe and that the slab and frame are recyclable at the end of their useful life. However, with continued product development aligned within their sustainable and reliable framework, Endurance is actively developing its door proposition to exceed future long term environmental as well as building regulatory standards.

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Stephen Nadin, Managing Director of Endurance Doors commented: ‘The new changes to Approved Document L building regulations do not affect Endurance Doors as we are categorised as a timber door manufacturer. Yet at the same time, we have a product development programme in place that is designed to meet the needs of any future legislation and further reduce our impact on the environment, thanks to our strong partnership with Metsa Wood and Rehau, among other business partners. He added: ‘Endurance is a brand that reflects ultimate security, quality and sustainability, in that the doors we make have a relatively low carbon footprint and you’ll be hearing more of our commitment to the environment in the coming months.’ For further information on the Endurance composite door range, including the latest colours and finishes and ultra-premium Avantal door, please call the sales office on 01652 659259, visit https://endurancedoors.co.uk, or e-mail marketing@endurancedoors.co.uk. You can also add to the Twitter following @EnduranceDoors. Sponsored Content Endurance Doors

Investment For Growth Continues At Endurance

After a year in which Endurance Doors has grown 85%, the solid core timber composite door company is further investing across the business to support the continued growth of the innovative brand, with people and capital expenditure very much at the forefront of the programme. Endurance is the driving brand in a group business with a £30m turnover across three business units and employing 230 people. Last year over £1m was invested in warehousing, distribution, extended facilities, IT infrastructure and software development, including Big Change distribution software, the latter helping to improve customer communications at the point of delivery to a world-class standard. The marketing department has also grown with the introduction of a new group marketing manager and graphic designer, there to support the business, but also customers too. A further £850k has been earmarked for this year including new offices, a training room, and notably a flagship showroom environment, designed to present the entire Endurance doors range in full including the latest ultra-premium Avantal door. The group is also firmly committed to investing in solar panels this year, helping to reduce the reliance on the 100% renewables electricity provider and in

a number of charging points, as they look to move towards more electric vehicles across the company car fleet and to support visitors to the site. Stephen Nadin, Managing Director of Endurance Doors commented: ‘We’re a very visible investor in the group and our Installer Partners know we’re a business partner for the long-term that builds lasting relationships. We’re investing in people, processes and capital equipment to support further strong growth and also to continually improve the way we do things as a business, as it’s the Endurance way. He added: ‘Our thirst for growth and innovation shows no sign of slowing down either and we’re generating weekly enquiries from businesses looking for a better door partner. As consumer demand looks to slow down in Q3, we’re expecting further companies to change to Endurance for a more rewarding future together.’ For further information on the Endurance composite door range, including the latest colours and finishes and ultra-premium Avantal door, please call the sales office on 01652 659259, visit https://endurancedoors.co.uk, or e-mail marketing@endurancedoors.co.uk. You can also add to the Twitter following @EnduranceDoors.

DOORS Sponsored Content Endurance Doors

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Open The Door To The Complete Aluminium Look quality installations using the Prestige Composite Door Frame couldn’t be easier, perfect for busy installation teams. The system’s two low threshold options, tested to the requirements of Part M, can be run continuously under sidelights if required for improved aesthetics. With both thresholds able to accommodate a mechanically jointed ‘T’ transom/ mullion, providing slimmer sightlines when doors are configured with sidelights. All are designed to match seamlessly with the rest of Sheerline’s Prestige and Classic range.

Sheerline has released the latest addition to their aluminium window and door range, the Prestige Composite Door Frame. Designed to allow installers and fabricators to offer ‘whole-house’ aluminium solutions, where all frames are perfectly matched across a project. With consistent styling, colours, performance and guarantees across the house, right down to the frames around the composite doors. A choice of two aluminium outer frames that fit both 44 and 48/49mm door blanks are all ready to help door sets meet the new requirements of Part L coming into force on June 15th this year, with Sheerline’s unique Thermlock® thermal breaks delivering outstanding thermal efficiency as always. With an outer frame that is 16x more rigid than reinforced PVC-u, installers can now offer a truly premium feeling door ‘experience’ that matches homeowners’ expectations of aluminium. The ultra-sturdy frame combines strength and durability and virtually eliminates door ‘bounce’. Choosing Sheerline ensures every window, bi-fold and entrance door across a project is supplied to the same high-quality standards, ready to wow discerning homeowners. Created with installers in mind, features such as threshold cover strips that conceal fixings and universal sealable end caps, mean that delivering 50

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Sheerline believes that homeowners should not have to compromise between style, function or keeping heating bills under control on any fenestration product. From ultra-slim 59mm sightline windows to bi-folds and roof lanterns everything is cohesive, sharing many common components to not only deliver perfectly matched looks but also to help streamline the manufacturing process. Delivered on the same agile lead times and available in bespoke and dual colour options, Sheerline’s newest addition to their Prestige range, underlines their commitment to offering installers and fabricators the very best ‘whole house’ aluminium solution. To learn more about the Sheerline Composite Door Frame visit www.sheerline.com or www. sheerlinevideo.com. You can also call 01332 978000 or email info@sheerline.com. Follow @SheerlineSystem and @GarnalexSystems for the latest news and updates. Sponsored Content Sheerline

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Glass Energy Surc May No It seems rather frivolous and frankly quite pathetic to be talking about glass energy surcharges when you consider the carnage and suffering that is being endured by the Ukrainian people right now. But the war in Ukraine is a conflict that will have effects around the world, and UK fenestration will not be immune from those effects. The key area of concern right now is commodities.

Glass energy surcharges may rise again It was only last week that I was reporting that glass energy surcharges were on the way back down. Sadly, the Russian invasion of Ukraine is sending nearly all relevant commodity prices sharply higher. Many to record highs. In relation to glass, the commodity that matters is gas. Pilkington reintroduced the energy surcharge which was originally pegged to the price of oil (if my memory serves me right) but that was then switched to gas. UK gas futures are near all-time highs, European gas futures are at all-time highs and show no signs of slowing. The reason the glass energy surcharge was coming down a touch was prices in the market were becoming more stable to some degree. Now, the war in Ukraine has smashed that reality, sending gas prices soaring. I fully expect energy surcharges to start rising once again.

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It’s not only gas. Every major transport and construction commodity is rising fast in price: • • • • •

Oil (Brent) – $113 Oil (WTI) – $111 Aluminium – $3820 Nickel – $28,265 Copper – $10,490

All prices correct at time of publication – source: https://www.lme.com/en/ PVC resin prices are also expected to rise once again. The price of steel has come back down from it’s highs of Q3 in 2021, but have been rising once again. Whether it’s oil, gas, electricity, steel, aluminium, these price increases will work their way through the supply chain and find their way into our sector. On the transport front, with diesel rising above the 170p mark for the first time, this is going to add further pressures to fabricators and major manufacturers in the UK fenestration supply chain.

Further price inflation The long and the short of all of the above is that prices will continue to rise in our sector. It has been something we have become used in the last couple of years, but there was a sense at the start of this year that perhaps markets were becoming more stable and the rate of price increases was beginning to calm.

charge Reductions ot Last Sadly, due to the war in Ukraine and the shockwaves that is sending through all major markets, I cannot see how we can avoid further price inflation throughout this year. My previous advice has been to make sure that those increases are passed on down the supply chain to the end-user. In our case, the homeowner. This time around, I would say to stick to that. However, the cost of living crisis is going to get worse, inflation is now likely to surpass 10% this year according to some economists due to the war in Ukraine. Where possible, if companies can look at streamlining their own businesses which could allow them to absorb at least a small portion of any future increases to come, that will help mitigate some of the effects.

on, the more unstable the economic environment becomes, which leads to a loss of consumer confidence. This is a very serious moment in time and the business side of our sector has to be agile to the effects that will arise.

It’s not being said in public, but in private I am having a lot of conversations where people are telling me the brakes are being slammed on and things are slowing quickly. On social media, you won’t see that so much, because people and companies want to save face and portray a land of milk and honey at all times. But the reality is that the outlook is changing rapidly and businesses at all levels of the supply chain need to very quickly look at their own operations and see where costs can be trimmed to ride this very tough period out. If inflation does surpass 10%, that would be the highest rate since 1981. Every day these various crises grind

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Morley Glass To Unveil Further Integral Blind Innovations At 2022 FIT Show

Leading integral blinds manufacturer Morley Glass will unveil two further innovations in its award-winning UniBlinds® range at this year’s FIT Show. The first is a completely new system for the health and social care sector, as well as other commercial and public buildings, called ScreenView®. This provides installers with a solution for applications such as hospital and medical school door vision panels, where a mix of privacy and observation is required, switchable with ease, at different times of the day. Coupled with fire-rated glass, this offers a solution that is both practical and fully compliant with the requirements of a fire door specification. Unlike any of the Venetian or pleated blinds available in the current Uni-Blinds range, ScreenView® has two layers of wide slats arranged in a ladder style, which move up and down to provide 54

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an open view for observation or complete closure. As with every product in the Uni-Blinds range, ScreenView® is manufactured by Morley Glass in Leeds using the world-renowned ScreenLine® integral blind systems from Italian pioneer Pellini S.p.A. A second innovation making its debut at the FIT Show is a smart home solution for the eco-friendly, solarpowered integral blind system, Uni-Blinds W Smart. Already available with a remote control device, the W Smart is a Venetian blind that utilises a small solar panel on the exterior face of the window or door to power the raising, lowering and tilting of the blind – providing easy automation without the need for any hardwiring by an electrician. Now, providing an alternative option to the fully Loxone smart home compatible Uni-Blinds MB System, W Smart features a new Pellini

plug and play smart hub called ScreenHub®, a technology upgrade that means it can now be controlled using a smartphone app. Both innovations will be on display at the FIT Show for installers to explore and try out at the Morley Glass stand, number N31, which will take place at Birmingham’s NEC from 10th to 12th May. Ian Short, MD of Morley Glass said: “These exciting new products reflect our commitment to being continuously innovating to give installers and end-users ever more attractive and suitable integral blinds, whatever their requirement. ScreenView® and our new technology for W Smart satisfy very different needs in completely different markets, but what they both have in common is that they enable endusers to take a different approach to how they incorporate shading and privacy into their windows and doors.”

As with all Uni-Blinds integral blind systems, which sit between the panes of glass in a double glazed unit, ScreenView® and W Smart are manufactured by Morley Glass and delivered nationwide at no additional cost in as little as 10-12 days. Full design and installation support are available to help installers achieve the highest quality solution across the Uni-Blinds range. This range includes five control systems and the option to upgrade the glass specification for greater thermal or solar control performance in any of the integrated Venetian, pleated or pleated blackout blinds. Register now for your free tickets to the FIT Show at www. fitshow.co.uk. Find out more about Morley Glass: www.morleyglass.co.uk. Sponsored Content Morley Glass & Glazing

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Ultion Security Handle Tests Eight Times More Than Minimum

Brisant’s Ultion 2 Star handle has been tested to 800,000 cycles in the EN 1906 test rig where its mechanical strength is tested, the door handle being opened and closed repeatedly. Whilst many handles aren’t even tested, the standard requirement is 100,000 cycles. The 2-star handle smashed this target and lasted eight times longer than the minimum standard. Brisant’s design ethos is to develop products that do as much as possible, not as little as possible. As well as looking great the curved form on the Ultion 2 Star handle also helps to repel the elements and burglars. It has six coatings of armour plating and lasted a year in the weather test chamber when the test standard needs only 10 days. But what is the point in still looking great and stopping burglars if the mechanism isn’t that strong? Steve Stewart, Founder and Ultion designer said, “Brisant creates products for customers who want better. We are delighted that it lasted eight times longer than the industry requirement. This test isn’t just about how many times or how many years a door handle can be operated, it’s a demonstration of the overall build quality. These handles will now look great for good and work for good!” Sponsored Content Brisant Secure

HARDWARE 56

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Dimple Glazing Keeps Pace With Demand With CNC Machining Centre From Haffner Aluminium fabricator Dimple Glazing has just invested in a new Fom Industrie Adir C Fom CNC Machining Centre from machinery experts Haffner. Dimple Singh, General Manager of Dimple Glazing said: “We wanted to increase our manufacturing efficiency and output to keep pace with demand. High-quality automation was the route to go and we knew Haffner was the machinery supplier we needed.” Dimple approached Haffner because she’d worked with Haffner’s Commercial Director Bryan Dando previously. “Bryan’s industry knowledge is second to none so we knew we could trust his recommendations. Our choice was more than justified because his expertise, hands-on approach and after-sales support have been invaluable.” The Adir C Fom CNC Machining Centre from Fom Industrie gives Dimple Glazing everything it needs. It’s a 3-axis machining centre with 0°, 90° and 180° pneumatic worktable rotation. It will support the company as it expands its output and increases its efficiency to keep pace with demand for its aluminium windows and doors. It’s a futureproofed choice too because Dimple Glazing plans to expand into PVC-U fabrication and the machine is capable of handling both materials. The machine was installed in February and is already more than living up to expectations. Dimple said: “We are delighted with the machine’s output and quality. It’s already made a massive difference to our factory floor.” At present, Dimple manufactures a range of aluminium windows and doors from AluK and Alutech. The company is based in West London and supplies to trade and retail customers across the whole of London and around the M25 perimeter. The family-owned company has been in business for 30 years and was named after Dimple when she was born. Today, Dimple runs the rapidly growing business alongside her mother. And with the Adir C Fom CNC Machining Centre in place, the company is set to continue to go from strength to strength!

Sponsored Content Glazpart

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Open Letter: Rob McGlennon, Managing Director, Deceuninck reach as much as £2,350 by March 2023 (OFGEM), it gives us all plenty of reason to upgrade the energy efficiency of our homes. What does that mean for you and your customers? Well, it’s not going to be as easy as it was last year (you don’t need me to tell you that). Opportunities are still going to be there but differentiation in your product and service offer is going to be more important. We’re doing things to help our customers to continue to do that. We’ve added agate-grey-onwhite to stock, so we can now offer 30 plus colourways from stock. We’ve added a flush sash option to the 2500 range, to offer either sculptured or chamfered flush casements. These are the small points of difference, which can help you and your customers win business.

This is an open letter from Deceuninck UK Managing Director Rob McGlennon: It has gone in the blink of an eye, but we’re already through the first quarter of the year. The industry has been buoyant, and volumes remain high going into Q2. There are, however, headwinds on the horizon. Our hearts go out to those impacted by the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Compared to the unfolding humanitarian crisis, its impact on business is inconsequential. We need to recognise nonetheless, that there is an impact on all of us and to be prepared for it. Oil and gas prices hit record highs before the conflict and have since been made worse by it. That’s something which is going to impact our costs, your costs and those of other key areas of the supply chain, not least glass. Homeowners are also feeling the pinch of rising costs. Home energy bills will jump by an average of around £700 to top £2,000 this year. Forecast to

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We’re also pushing sustainability. Our recycling facility has the capacity to reprocess up to 45,000 tonnes of waste PVC-U a year. That’s the equivalent of preventing three million windows from going to landfill, delivering a 90,000tonne reduction in CO2 emissions compared to virgin material. This story will win Deceuninck fabricators and installers business in the future, not because people will make purchases solely on green credentials but presented with two, three or more options at a similar price and delivering the same level of performance, we know that homeowners will choose products which they see as being more sustainable. It is that combined offer – aesthetics and colour, security, energy efficiency and sustainability – which we need to sell on. And that is the point. We haven’t needed to work too hard to sell. Now we need to bring back in a little discipline and make sure that we’re delivering the right story to the end-user.

Premier Arches Celebrates Record Breaking Month Thanks to recent strategic investments, February has seen a record month for leading arched and angled frame manufacturer Premier Arches, outperforming the same period last year by an impressive 105%.

choosing to order fully fabricated frames from us, including sashes, accessories, glass and composite door slabs. This offering means our busy fabricator customers don’t need to mess around with glass templates or finishing arched frames in their own streamlined The company has also beaten its factories that are set up for speed. October 2021 sales by 29% and its November 2021 sales by 12%, “Another reason for increased typically two of its busiest months sales is an influx of new customers of the year. onboarding with us over the past three months, attracted by our Managing Director Sean competitive pricing structure, Greenall comments: “Sales in our online instant quoting and February have outperformed all ordering platform, our attention previous months since the birth of to detail when it comes to product Premier Arches in 2015, including quality, and our honest approach last summer, which is unheard of to customer service. seeing as February is both a short and typically quiet sales month in “For years, Premier Arches has the fenestration industry.” been one of the industry’s bestkept secrets – my brothers and I Founded by Sean and his two have focused so heavily on product brothers Thomas and Daniel, quality and customer service that Premier Arches manufactures and we previously spent no time or supplies arched, angled, gable, money telling the industry what circular and entirely bespoke we were doing through sales and windows and doors in a range of marketing activity. seven stocked systems including Residence 9, plus another five “The recent appointment of non-stocked systems, offering a industry figure Joe Trueman to our full service to fabricators, trade board, as well as partnering with counters, installers and local leading marketing agency Purplex, builders.

has helped us to apply more focus on telling the industry who we are and what we do. “I’m incredibly proud of the business – we’ve built a culture of putting our customers first, being honest and sending quality products out of the door first time. “With guidance from Joe and support from Purplex, it’s so nice to now share this culture publicly, and to see the industry and our customers responding with loyalty. “Through December and January, we have made significant improvements to our machinery, manufacturing flow, training and recruitment, meaning we are confidently set up to grow. “We are ready to onboard many more new customers as well as deal with increased demand from our existing fabricators, trade counters and installers, while our order intake suggests that we are already on target to substantially beat the record again in March.” For more information, email info@premierarches.co.uk. Sponsored Content Premier Arches

The company transforms the often daunting procedure of profile bending into a simple and pain-free process, saving fabricators time and money, and helping them win more lucrative projects which would otherwise be turned down. In recent months, Premier Arches has seen an increase in demand from fabricators for fully glazed products, one reason Sean attributes to the company’s record sales. He comments: “For speed and convenience, more and more of our existing customers are DGB MAGAZINE

Premier Arches Scores Top Marks In Customer Survey This is a sponsored article by Premier Arches: Leading arched and angled frame manufacturer Premier Arches has scored top results in a recent customer survey, ranking highly when it comes to product quality, customer service, turnaround times, and value for money. Managing Director Sean Greenall comments: “We’re expecting 2022 to be a huge year at Premier Arches, so it’s vital for us to know what our customers think about how we currently perform as a supplier, as well as where they need us to improve moving forward. “Along with exceptional manufacturing quality and a ‘make life easier’ offering, clear and honest customer service is one of our three main business principles at Premier Arches. We, therefore, felt it appropriate to share all the results from our customer survey publicly, so that existing and prospective customers can see exactly how we are currently performing. “We’re constantly trying to listen, improve and adapt, and a customer survey was a great opportunity to look at the collective answers from our top customers, which will then drive the changes we make this year.” In the survey, Premier Arches ranked an impressive 4.62 out of 5 on finished manufactured product quality, 4.19 out of 5 on customer service, 3.69 out of 5 on product turnaround speed, 3.95 out of 5 on value for money and 4.31 out of 5 on easiness to deal with. Out of 42 customers who responded to the survey, which included fabricators, installers and trade counters, 53% use the company’s unique online pricing and ordering portal to instantly quote and order arched and angled frames, while 65% buy fully glazed frames from profile stocked in-house. Established in 2015, Premier Arches manufactures and supplies arched, angled, gable, circular and entirely bespoke windows and doors in a range of seven stocked systems including Residence 9, plus another five non-stocked systems, offering a full service to fabricators, trade counters, installers and local builders.

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Serving many customers across the UK, the St Helens-based company transforms the often daunting process of profile bending into a simple and pain-free process, saving fabricators time and money, and helping them win more lucrative projects which would otherwise be turned down. Sean continues: “We were very pleased to see our higher scores generally correlating with what’s important to our customers. “When it comes to bespoke arched and angled frames, the finished product quality is vitally important because there just isn’t enough time to re-make badly made items with bending lead times as they are, so receiving a score of 4.62 out of 5 from our busiest customers was very pleasing to see. “We are now putting plans in place to improve on all our scores this year, and recent investment in some new machinery should help us to improve our product turnaround times which are typically much longer for arched frames because of the bending process involved. “The insight we’ve gained by asking our customers for their honest and direct feedback has been invaluable, and we would like to thank them all for taking the time to respond. “It’s now time to analyse and improve, and prepare for what’s set to be a very prosperous year.” For more information, email info@premierarches.co.uk. Sponsored Content Premier Arches

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As is to be expected, persisting and rising inflation, coupled with the commodity spikes after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a new wave of material price increases are incoming.

energy costs are high, specifically gas. Although they have come down from their highs, which spiked as the war in Ukraine began, they remain historically high when you look back at previous years. I am expecting more concrete numbers on the increases that are coming soon.

Now, if you take a look at the wider commodity market, it will show that prices have come down from their highs. This is where wider context matters. Price inflation was a problem BEFORE Unlike 2020 and 2021, where Russia invaded Ukraine. In the the industry was going through swirl of media coverage, it will a boom period, these latest be easy to forget that we had increases set to hit are against Next is glass. I have seen been combatting inflation long a rapidly changing economic comments from those with before the war broke out. When picture. knowledge of the matter that the the invasion happened, it put base price of glass is to go up boosters on inflation and caused shortly, and reviews of the energy a ton of uncertainty and volatility Resumption of rises surcharge are being made. I in markets, which caused the wrote recently that the drop in spikes we have seen. Those spikes 2022 began quite calmly. the glass energy surcharge price have since eased, but remain Supply chains were beginning may only be temporary as the elevated and above levels seen at to ease and the frequency of rises in commodity prices resume. the start of the year. price increases slowed. We even saw a gradual reduction in some I expect the surcharge price to stop its decline and start to edge The result of the above is that costs such as the glass energy upwards again. So that would further major price increases surcharge. be two price increases on one across the various materials used material there. in the UK fenestration supply However, it quickly became chain are imminent. apparent that the trading Then there is aluminium. As the environment was rapidly war began the price of aluminium Increases changing and was not the in a very rose beyond $4000 per ton. This, free-flowing spending type of different market by the way, was the year-end economy that we had enjoyed target given by Goldman Sachs at in the previous two years. Then, In private conversations, I am Russia invaded Ukraine at the end the start of the year. At the time told that the price increases that of writing the price is $3340 per of February which added fuel to are coming are going to be steep. ton, which again historically is still the fire of an inflation problem I have noticed a distinct change very high, and close to previous we already had before the war in the tone at the supplier level as all-time-high records. The long started. well. The bullish attitude has gone term price outlook for aluminium and there is much more concern remains above the $3000 level for I have been having a number being voiced about prospects for of conversations with key people a sustained period, so it appears this year and next. there won’t be much relief on that at the manufacturing level and front. it appears we’re about to see a As an industry, we knew that the wave of painful price increases trading conditions of 2020 and Steel is also looking very painful across a number of key materials. 2021 wouldn’t last forever, and at the moment. At the time of at some point, there had to be a writing steel rebar is at $900. The first is resin. The price pause or drop in business activity. This is down slightly from a high of resin has risen somewhat What is becoming clear is that the of $952, but when you consider in recent weeks, although in pace of the decline and rapidly comparison to other commodities it was at the $380 mark in June changing economic circumstances 2020, we are wildly higher. For a it has been relatively stable. The has taken many by surprise. The reason being given for estimated shorter-term context, the price of raft of new price increases that rebar was at $648 on January 1st. double-digit price increases are coming is happening at a very We touched $952 last week, and coming on resin is due to much uncomfortable time. the long term predictions are for higher energy costs, rather than that price to climb higher still. the material itself. We know 74

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MORE PRICE INCREASES ARE COMING 2020 and 2021 were years where inflation and the cost of living weren’t an issue. The Government was funding millions through furlough payments, business grants and loans etc. The UK suffered the worst recession on record, but many didn’t feel it due to the support packages put in place. Instead, a lot of money was put in a lot of pockets, which fueled spending on things like home improvements. Fastforward to now, and we have inflation that looks set to exceed 10%, a likely recession by the end of the year and a cost of living crisis that is restricting spending from the middleincome demographic. These new price increases are only going to add further pressure to what is already a very messy picture. I will give the usual advice to all companies, and that is to pass on whatever increases you have to the end-user, as it is impossible for our companies to absorb it all. But I am calling on companies at the top of the supply chains to begin to push back on these new increases. There is the argument that these increases are out of their control, which is true, but it is also possible for our lead suppliers to begin to challenge the logic and intent of these increases. The timing of these could not be worse, and will further compound already serious problems. I am seeing predictions of a 20% reduction in sales this year across the sector. That would be a significant hit after two years of absolutely booming growth. I urge those at the very top of our sector to start pushing back at these increases, else risk that 20% becoming something bigger.

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Why The Future Is I don’t know about you guys, but I am selling a lot of flush windows right now. Comfortably more than during the same period last year. Literally, every job I am selling and pricing up right now is in flush. Whether it’s White or foiled. At the start of the year, we had an internal conversation where we discussed what we needed to sell more of in a year that was going to be more tricky than the previous two. Flush windows came up as an example, and it looks like we were spot on. Flush windows forging forwards I mean it when I say every job I have signed up recently, and every contract I am working on now for clients involves flush windows. I wouldn’t say we are pushing flush windows more than other options with our clients. When we get people into the showroom we show them all the frame options available but we are finding more and more are gravitating towards the flush option unpromoted. We always get the same comments and they always tend to focus around the smooth edge to the outside, that they look less chunky, it’s a look they haven’t seen before, they love the timber-look joints etc. Essentially, they don’t look like normal PVCu and that grabs people’s attention. On a personal front, I love the flush finish more than any other option. The flat front with timber-look joints is one of the best ways to produce a PVCu window in my opinion. It’s been one of the biggest innovations in the world of PVCu in the last decade and has breathed some life back into that part of the sector. Flush windows inspire clients in my experience. They’re a world apart from the usual Chamfered or Sculptured options which have been around for a long time. They transform the appearance of a house. For the first time in a very long time, clients can get

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excited about their windows being replaced. The entrance door market went through a similar evolution when the composite door landed. Now, new front doors are a sexy purchase that people can get excited about. Windows didn’t really have that. Windows were just windows. Yes, there has been a lot of colour choices for a while, but the frame options were limited. Until flush windows became an option that was tangibly different from anything else on the market. I have found that flush windows allow clients to get excited about their purchase, which if you can achieve that as an installer means you have a much higher chance of winning the order. Flush windows are a driver of sales and will continue to grow in volume in the years to come. Standard welds and timber-look joints When it comes to flush windows there are two ways to do it. The standard 45-degree angle using either the super-neat graf weld or the regular one. Or, the one I prefer, the timber-look weld using Timberweld® technology. The latter of the two does cost more per sash, however, but really completes the look flush windows are trying to achieve. There has been great debate about how to go about achieving the timber-look joints. It’s basically been a battle of weld versus mechanical butt joints. That was a few years ago but it does seem that the Timberweld® way of doing it has settled to become the more preferred way to do it. I would say that half of flush window orders we win at our place are with Timberweld® joints. It used to be less than half but it does appear that clients are becoming more comfortable in spending that little bit more to achieve the best possible look for their new windows. I anticipate that this year that ratio may tip beyond half.

In Flush Windows Flush windows also allow us to command a better profit margin. Clients see flush windows as a more premium option, and with it expect to pay a higher price than standard casement windows. I have also found that flush windows can breathe life into old, less fashionable colours. Rosewood and Golden Oak are very good examples. In a normal casement window these colours can look very dated. But, do them in flush and use timber-look joints, you can transform how it looks. Rosewood and Golden Oak simply look far better in flush than anything else. I also think White looks better as well. Some have commented that they don’t like the black gasket line that you see around the sashes with lighter colours, but in my experience, this hasn’t been enough to sway clients away from it. White does look better in flush in my opinion. Flush windows are going to be a huge driver of sales in the coming years. As we move away from the pandemic and other parts of the economy recover, coupled with a cost of living crisis and inflation that will steal attention away from home improvement work, the industry needs to use “hot” products like flush windows to retain high interest and inspire people to continue to spend their hard-earned money on their homes. Do I think they will overtake sales of standard casements? No, that part of the market remains massive and would take a serious overhaul in order to do so. But, I think some companies who focus more on the higher end of the market could find themselves selling flush more than anything else in a few years’ time. Even some housebuilders I am seeing are beginning to work the product into their developments. A housebuilder on a site near me have installed flush windows on their entire estate in a nice wood grain effect and they look fantastic!

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UK Fenestration Has To Prep I think it is fair to say that 2022 is perhaps not panning out quite how we thought it would. We knew that the industry was slowing down. We knew that price inflation was becoming a bigger problem. However, the “wall of worry” as some financial analysts like to call it, is stacking up so high, that UK fenestration now faces a very different kind of year than we were all expecting.

Very tough market conditions First of all, before the perma-positive folk get all agitated, there is nothing to say that this year won’t be without its opportunities. Even during the Great Recession after 2008 there were ways to excel in UK fenestration. But 2022 seems to be trying very hard to be worse than 2020 and 2021 combined. We even have the incredibly important port region of Shenzhen in China now in a full lockdown due to rising COVID cases there. It means there will be nothing coming out of one of the world’s largest ports for a number of weeks. In short, UK fenestration faces a very tough market in the coming months. The problems are stacking up: • Ukraine – the war initiated by Russia after their invasion is a huge distraction for the public. Worries about it spilling over into something worse keep people on their screens and away from more productive matters. The war is also exacerbating already existing problems that will hit most of Europe, including the UK, economically. • Rising inflation – it is important to remember that we had a soaring inflation problem BEFORE the war in Ukraine began. Inflation was predicted to reach at least 7% in the Spring. That is now expected to extend into double-digit figures. Everything is going up: petrol, diesel, gas, oil etc. It feeds into everything we buy and everything we make. It is the public that bears the brunt of these higher costs, and the UK is expected to face the tightest squeeze in living standards in more than 50 years. 78

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• Real-wage decrease – wage inflation is struggling to keep pace with rising price inflation. In the last quarter of 2021, according to the ONS, UK wage inflation rose 4.3%. In normal economic circumstances that would be great, and would put a decent amount of spare cash in people’s pockets. However, these are not normal circumstances and price inflation is comfortably outpacing wage inflation. It means a real-terms hit to people’s earnings, with predictions of a 2-3% drop in income by the end of the year. If this happens, it would be the worst reduction in living standards in decades. • UK consumer confidence falls – this one is important to the fenestration sector. According to Trading Economics, UK consumer confidence fell to a 13-month low in February. This is the month before the Ukraine war began. Confidence is key to any market and any economy, so major dips point to problems further down the road. The silver lining for February was that UK GDP bounced back somewhat by 0.8%. This was seen as a bit of a spring back from the Omicron variant. • Recession predictions – such are the economic headwinds that are coming, a growing number of analysts are now predicting a recession by the end of the year. Yes, we have just had a recession, a recordbreaking one, stemming from the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns. The effects of that recession however were insulated from a great deal of the public as the Government were paying millions of people in furlough, and businesses in grants and loans. Any recession this time round will be felt and will be felt hard by many. I am sorry for the shitlist of bullet points, but these are the real-world realities that we face as a sector right now. The last two years have been an absolute boom for UK fenestration, and we always knew that we had to be grateful for the position we found ourselves in compared to other sectors of the economy that were still suffering from lockdowns. The outlook, however, for 2022 is one that is very rapidly changing from the last couple of years and we have to be pragmatic and reactive

pare For A Very Tough Period in the face of the very many challenges that we now face.

Adapting to a different market In my frequent calls with suppliers and installers, in private, they tell me that things have changed. Installers tell me that middleincomers have stopped spending and that forecasts for this time of the year are not where they were expecting. In public and on social media, people will only ever paint the picture they want you to see. The reality is likely very different. So, how do we go about taking on this new economic landscape? The good news is that for most of those bullet points above, we know what to expect in the coming months. We know costs are rising. We know interest rates are going to rise. We know that livings standards are going to take a hit. This is knowledge we have in the bank, which means we can proactively plan. For some comparison, the pandemic was a different challenge. There were many unknowns during that crisis. As an industry, we were unable to plan like we wanted, and this became apparent with the various supply chain problems we experienced. This time is different. Price inflation will have to continue to be passed on to the homeowner. With the recent rises in commodity prices, I would expect some very hefty price increases on resin, steel and aluminium in the coming weeks. Businesses in our sector won’t be able to absorb all of that, so must pass that on to the end-user. Marketing must also be stepped up immediately and directly to the consumer. There are a lot of distractions right now. Our industry is now fighting against other sectors and people’s changing priorities on how they spend their hard-earned money. It’s not going to be as free-flowing as the last couple of years. Installers need to get out there on to screens and give some inspiration to potential buyers who are rightly concerned by events out of their control. This is where social media and video content comes into their own. People

are constantly on their screens right now, so let’s make sure that we go to where the eyes are and show consumers that investing in their homes, upgrading the looks of their properties and improving energy efficiency is still a top priority for 2022. Companies up and down the supply chain in fenestration need to start looking at where they can save money. The price increases are going to come and the manufacturing part of the supply chain will seek to absorb what it can. To offset that, businesses need to look at ways of saving money without compromising on their quality and customer service. That is easier said than done I appreciate, but margins have to be protected and streamlining operations is one way to do that. Installers should also start looking at demographics that still appear to have the flexibility to spend. At our place, we identified towards the end of last year that middleincomers were stopping spending as freely. Those with families and mortgages, who had benefitted from vacation refunds and furlough money, were no longer spending as they were, and the trend would continue into 2022 as the cost of living crisis got worse. What we predicted is indeed happening. But what is also happening is the wealthier demographic is also continuing to spend. Almost every contract I have signed up so far this year would fall into that bracket. It is proving a good line of business to go down and we will develop that further throughout the year. As a result, we remain on track to reach our yearly targets. I see our industry, and the wider economy, entering a new phase. We have to view what is coming in a wider context. We have had our boom period, and now I see a much more turbulent period coming up, where companies who have not managed their profits well during the good times will find severe problems. This period could last a couple of years. After a recessionary period, and once we reach a more stable footing, the companies left in our industry when things pick up again will stand in very good stead to benefit from the resulting uplift.

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Edgetech Service Still Exceptional Despite Unprecedented Challenges, Say Customers

Despite unprecedented challenges, warmedge experts Edgetech, a Quanex company, have continued to offer outstanding service.

have been placed under huge pressure by the ongoing disruption of the pandemic, even two years on from when it began.

These were the findings of the company’s latest regular customer survey.

“At Edgetech, we’ve not escaped that, and have been hit by a raft of inflationary pressure, material shortages, longer lead times and much more.

Once a quarter, Edgetech selects forty customers at random and asks them how likely they are to recommend the firm on a scale of one to ten. They then subtract the number of customers who rate them six out of ten or less from the number who give them nine out of ten or more to determine their ‘Net Promoter Score’ – a widely proven metric used in customer experience programs that measures the loyalty of customers to a company. The average company scores 10 using the Net Promoter Score system. A score of over 50 is considered exceptional – and this quarter, Edgetech achieved a Net Promoter Score of 63. What’s more, even with the enormous supply chain disruption of the last year, the customers questioned reported that 88% of Edgetech orders were received on time and that 100% of orders were received in full. Edgetech Head of Marketing & CX Charlotte Hawkes comments: “Manufacturers of all kinds 80

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“Against that extremely challenging backdrop, this positive customer feedback is a massive achievement for the Edgetech team. “It’s hugely gratifying that we’ve been able to continue supporting our customers throughout this tumultuous period – and I’m especially pleased to see comments praising new initiatives like our online ordering system, which took a lot of hard work and dedication to get up and running. “While we’re delighted by this feedback, we’re not complacent – IGU manufacturers are still facing big challenges as they continue to recover from the events of the last two years, and at Edgetech, we’ll continue striving to offer them the very highest standard of service.” For more information, please call 02476 639931 or visit www.edgetechig.co.uk Sponsored Content Edgetech

Eurocell Shares Best Practice With Tomorrow’s Tradespeople

With continued concerns about skills shortages across construction, Eurocell is playing its part in supporting the development of tradespeople of the future. The company has committed to undertaking a series of educational visits to Further Education colleges around the UK, designed to share best practices around window and door cavity closure specifications and installation for the housebuilding market. Each session involves up to 40 apprentices, many of whom will go on to have careers in the housebuilding sector. They will find out about the important role cavity closures play to ensure a high standard of thermal insulation on new builds, the variety of cavity closure designs on the market so the correct solution is fitted, and what to be aware of during the installation process. With varied installation methods deployed by UK housebuilders, it is essential the fundamentals of cavity closure methodology are understood, and the Eurocell visits are designed to ensure apprentices gain a solid base of knowledge in this specialist area. Apprentices get to view product samples and view expert demonstrations around the technicalities of the installation process onsite. Dean

Hawkins,

New

Build

Development Manager, for Eurocell, says: “Investing time and resources to help those starting out in their careers in the construction trade is vital to support the sector’s future, so it’s great to be able to play our part and help apprentices grow their knowledge. “Understanding best practice when it comes to cavity closure choice and installation, and its importance in delivering window and door thermal efficiency in new builds, is one of the many areas that can assist construction apprentices as they embark on their educational journey. “We look forward to meeting apprentices as our visits continue.”

The Eurocell Further Education college visits will continue across 2022. For more information, please visit: https://www.eurocell.co.uk/ Sponsored Content Eurocell

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The Fenestration Industry Does Not Nee

In the Chancellor’s Spring Statement in March, Rishi Sunak announced a handful of measures in an attempt to continue to steer the UK in the right direction on the green climate front. It wasn’t enough, but that is by the by. We saw VAT reduced from 5% to 0% on solar panels, heat pumps and insulation. We saw new investments in nuclear power plants and wind farms. We saw absolutely zip for windows and doors. As short-sighted as that is, what we don’t need is any new over-complicated schemes to try and generate interest. No new Green Homes Grant We had the Green Deal. Remember that? Lasted less than two years and was shut down due to pathetic levels of interest from homeowners and industry. Then we had the Green Homes Grant in 2020 which was closed in 2021. Similar idea. Similar levels of interest from both sides. This one was even outsourced to an American company to run, which resulted in companies waiting 90 days 82

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to be paid for work done months before. What an achievement. After two attempts at schemes designed to generate interest from homeowners, it’s clear that these types of mechanisms do not work. They are too complicated. They require too many hoops for homeowners to jump through. The requirements for installers wanting to take part are too complicated at a time when extra paperwork, qualifications and additional demands only add to the pressures of running busy businesses. Here’s the thing: for many installers, order books are still measuring in months, not weeks. Sales may be slowing, but the residual work from last year means most will still have a very solid 2022. Installers don’t need the work right now. They can afford to be choosy. Everyone I think does agree though that the UK’s housing stock needs to be vastly improved to curb emissions. How we get to the right result is where opinions differ. We do not need any new versions of a

ed Another Green Homes Grant Scheme Green Deal or Green Homes Grant. Nothing which requires additional bureaucracy for companies to take part. It’s a hurdle, not help and immediately kills interest. Yes, companies would always like more work. The future may bring leaner times so it’s important to keep sales funnels flowing. But this is not the way to do it. Lower VAT, but a catch If you want to generate genuine interest from homeowners and companies then you have to focus on cost. And in this climate of spiralling inflation, this is guaranteed to catch the attention of any homeowner who is concerned about the cost of heating their home. We have seen other sectors granted 0% VAT by the Government recently. Solar panels, insulation, heat pumps etc. Want to know the difference between us and them? The others are PAS2030 qualified. We are not.

charged with the leadership of this industry another time. There is a bargain to be struck. Our argument for lower VAT is strong. A reduction to 5% or even 0% is guaranteed to generate a huge amount of new business. Imagine the marketing message our sector could put to the homeowner. Imagine how much a 15% or 20% cut to costs could reverse some of the many price increases that have been passed down to the consumer. Imagine how many more homes would be better insulated. But to get what we want, we would have to agree and come to a common position on one of the stickiest issues we have: standards and qualifications. And that is where my optimism wanes significantly. If you’re an installer reading this, would you be willing to become more qualified and subject to scrutiny in return for lower VAT rates and potentially a lot more business?

Our industry is infamous for its reluctance to change, to adapt, to try new things and to generally work together to be better. It is why the Government has such a poor view of our sector. Our inability to speak as one, to remove ego and attitude from the table, means that when we go to them with cap in hand, they more often than not say no. So here’s the catch. We all know that better windows and doors make the most difference to the heating in a home. There have been enough reports and studies to demonstrate that. That single point alone makes the argument for lower VAT stronger than perhaps any other product group. However, if we go to Government, be it in a band of small splinter groups or a larger single one, the counter demand to our request for lower VAT will be to become more qualified. Other sectors around us are way further down the qualification road than we are. That is why you are seeing other sectors gain certain benefits. The Government has seen other sectors willing to become better and have been rewarded in other ways. That, I’m afraid, is where we’re going to become stuck. But I will rant on about our lack of cohesion and the wrong people being DGB MAGAZINE

The Supplier Marketing Emails Are Back

In a sure sign that the outlook in UK fenestration has changed once again, many will have noticed that marketing emails from suppliers and fabricators are flooding back into inboxes. This is a clear shift in approach from the last couple of years and is another indicator that fortunes are changing.

Resist the race to the bottom In the past couple of weeks, we have had marketing emails on composite doors, flush windows, aluminium bi-folding doors and more. During the most of 2020 and 2021, we rarely had any emails from any suppliers touting new business as the industry was entirely flooded with more businesses than it could cope with. The lay of the land now is very different. Rampant inflation has pushed up retail prices for homeowners by 40-60% or more in very quick time. Inflation generally is out of control and there is a cost of living crisis that is threatening to cause further economic 84

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hardship. We are already seeing warning articles from various companies in the supply chain warning that things are not the same as last year and that there is a tougher time ahead. Laying the groundwork and dampening expectations. Now that lead times in many areas are returning to something we remember as normal, and sales funnels aren’t as full as they have been, companies are now switching back to trying to win new business. Remember when we were all amazed when companies weren’t touting for new business? What a weird time to be in business that was. Sadly, we do not appear to be learning from previous mistakes. In the past, I have written about how our industry made problems for itself by using price as the main driver for sales rather than quality and service. Judging by the approach in the sales emails I have seen, we appear to be on the road to making the same mistakes. We have had emails for aluminium bi-folding doors at a few hundred quid per leaf glazed,

composite doors delivered inside a week and offers on flush windows. First, considering the rising cost of aluminium, the very idea of selling aluminium bi-folds so cheap is bizarre. Second, no one needs composite doors in a week. Many installers still have many weeks, maybe a few months of work ahead of them. Good installers shouldn’t need something that quick. Third, flush windows are meant to be a premium upgrade to standard casements. Why cheapen the image by driving sales on price? Considering the backdrop our industry is operating in, and the constant rate of increases across the board, it seems incredibly short-sighted and most certainly risky to be taking a price-based approach to winning new business when there is a much more obvious road to travel.

Against that particular backdrop, fabricators and other suppliers ought to be focussing on winning new business on the basis of quality and service. Installers know that prices everywhere are going up and by everyone. What I have seen installers in need of more is better quality and service. Installers are still having a tough time running their companies, and require consistency of service and product quality to be able to make their own jobs as simple as possible. I would urge suppliers to think carefully about the needs of installers at the moment. Don’t cut corners to fly products out of the door quicker than they need to be. I don’t think installers need a composite door in a week right now. Be reliable, be fair on price, produce at a high quality and I would suspect that most installers would be happy at that.

Now is the time to focus on quality The stack-em high and sell-em cheap approach needs to be consigned to history in our industry. That was the White Gold days type of selling when PVCu was becoming the dominant material. But it does not work in a modern economy with a much more informed client base and with prices as high as they are. Margins are being squeezed in all areas and homeowners are being asked to pay more and more each month for new windows and doors. Undercutting competition is the high-speed train to bustville. Just about everyone is putting prices up. So very much like energy suppliers, there is little reason to move suppliers in our industry due to price. There is a level playing field of sorts there. So where do you go to fight and win new business? It all comes down to quality and service. Installers will remember during the height of supply chain pressures in 2020 and 2021 who served them well and who didn’t. Those who came through that period relatively unscathed, where service levels remained high, stand in good stead to win new business from those installers who are unhappy with their current suppliers. DGB MAGAZINE

This Is How We’re Going Times are changing. Again. The past two years have been perhaps some of the best business our industry has ever done in decades. The pandemic and lockdowns brewed a perfect trading environment as far as our sector was concerned. A severely limited economy where our industry found itself as one of the few that were able to operate, whilst many other parts were restricted or closed altogether.

That rather nasty mix of surging living costs and rising rates combine to create a much more restrictive spending culture. Energy bills rose £700 on April 1st, with predictions of another steep rise in October. Food and fuel are constantly going up, with wages now lagging way behind the pace of inflation. The OBR and others have predicted the biggest hit to living standards in 70 years. Millions of families are now having to make some hard choices about where they spend their money. The free will spending that UK fenestration has enjoyed by the middle-incomers over the last two years is about to dry up.

The result was vastly increased consumer spending on home improvements, with the public switching how they spend their money, refunded holidays and furlough cash. For the UK window and door industry, in times of such All that being said, there are uncertainty and hardship, the last always opportunities to exploit and two years have been a sort of revenue streams to tap. Even in the golden age. darkest days of the Great Recession in 2008/2009, there were ways to One can never look at times make a success from those very gone by in the world of business, hard years. At our place, we knew however. It is now time to assess at the end of 2021 that things were the here and now, and that picture going to be different this year. looks very different to 2020 and We weren’t arrogant enough to 2021. think these evolving circumstances would not affect our business.

Hard choices

So we created a plan to try and navigate the harder times coming, The backdrop against which our industry operates looks very and it’s working. different now to the last two years. The rebound around the world Change it up has sent inflation spiralling across the board, with the cost of pretty At our place, we could sense at much everything flying north. This the end of last year that things were is now hitting the general public in changing on the ground. The end the pocket very hard. With inflation of 2020 was relentless. The end of in all major economies the highest 2021 was rather quiet and certainly in decades. In the UK, inflation has did not feel like the boom times of reached 6.2% in February, and this the previous two years. We knew does not include any effects of the the environment had changed. war in Ukraine. Inflation is now set to reach double-figures, and There was nothing to fear, interest rates will rise throughout however. The imminent future was the year to combat it. secure. We had an existing order book with months worth of fitting, 86

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which gave us breathing room to figure out where to pivot to in order to maintain the increased business we had become used to. First, we decided we had to focus more on what we already sell more of and what was growing in popularity. For us, that meant concentrating on products such as flush sash windows, aluminium bi-folding doors and timberalternative windows and doors. Sales of these products were already rising steadily anyway, and we knew from feedback from our clients that other companies were simply not giving homeowners choice. Flush windows, for me, have been a personal success this year. Knowing other companies in my local area are not really pushing it, by simply showing my clients the choice of flush windows gives me a hook with which to pique their interest and emotions. As a result, and without exaggeration, the last NINE deals I signed up before I left for paternity leave were all full houses of flush windows. I had my best ever month not just personally, but within the entire company for decades. By simply concentrating more energy on what we already sell good amounts of, we achieved one of our best ever months in our 41 year history. This was no fluke, but simply refining our offering and being smart enough to see where the trends are going. The same goes for the other products I mentioned. We are now selling more aluminium windows and doors, as well as bi-folds and sliders now too. We have changed up our product portfolio and will now focus more on the higher end market. That’s not to say we weren’t high end before. In comparison to our competition, our offering was always far more premium than others. But we have taken it one

g To Beat The Downturn Image credit: B&P Windows Ltd

step further and it is already paying dividends.

Target the right people One of the main reasons for polishing up our product portfolio is very deliberate. It is to attract the higher earners. The ones where a crisis won’t really affect. As I thought might happen, the middle-incomers in our area have begun to slow their spending quite dramatically. However, those that haven’t are the weather bracket. The debt-free types, who perhaps own or owned their own business, who have no mortgage or young kids and have a lot more disposable income. The products we are now pushing more of, are aimed very specifically at those people. I can tell you now, that it’s working well for us. Those with money also like to spend it. Give them a good enough reason and they will part with that cash. We have been adapting our sales methods to cater more for the wealthier demographic and the work is paying off. I have even changed my language and my

approach to relationship-building to service my clients and I am finding incredible results. After a bumper first quarter, we find ourselves with a near 5-month fitting schedule and plans to recruit additional fitting teams to bring that waiting time down. We will continue to target the higherearning demographic as we look to execute a four-year plan which will transform our business. It’s important to say that our business will always cater to everyone where we can. Each client gets the attention and work ethic they deserve. But there has been a very clear drop off in certain types of buyers over the last few months and we expect that trend to continue and get worse as inflation and the higher cost of living continues to bite. We as a business have to adapt to survive and have found that our predictions and planning are bearing serious fruit at the moment.

the type of consumer that we want to deal with. Add more highend products to our portfolio and gradually phase out some that are no longer useful to us. Although this year is going to be harder than the last two, if we can keep our focus, we think 2022 could actually be better than 2021. Our industry knows what is coming. It has been telegraphed for months, and now it’s starting to bite. We need to be adapting and changing right now if we all want to keep the market share we have all gained these past two years. No one wants to go backwards after all the hard work we put in to make the most of the recovery in demand. Let’s be smart and aggressively exploit the opportunities that exist out there. Yes, the headlines are bad. Yes, the economy is about to hit a pretty rocky patch. But that doesn’t mean there won’t be a whole list of great moments to make the most of this year and next.

We will continue to refine our work. Become more targeted in

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Trevor Ranns Joins Deceuninck As Experienced BDM new business sectors, and new products. “Two key growth areas that our customers can really make the most of our Deceuninck’s strength in colour, and flush casements. “Colour is still a significant growth area in the window industry, and Deceuninck’s 30+ colourways from stock are winning our customer’s business, and improving margin. Meanwhile, more than half of what Deceuninck sells is flush – including our Heritage Window Collection – which underlines the interest shown by homeowners.” Trevor started out as a Technical Service Engineer in the early 1990s. Part of his responsibilities was to help fabricators switch between PVCU systems, which helped him understand the challenges they had to go through. He later worked at another systems company where he helped develop and launch new products.

Deceuninck has appointed Trevor Ranns as Business Development Manager, who has 30 years of experience in the PVCu window industry across fabricators and systems companies. Trevor joins the leading systems company from Norfolk-based fabricator Ashford Commercial, where he spent 10 years developing relationships with commercial contractors and helping the fabricator to diversify operations to optimise opportunities. Significantly, Trevor helped the company to more than double turnover over a four-year period.

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At Deceuninck, Trevor will be tasked primarily with helping customers to maximise opportunities to improve margin and profit. “Winning new business is always good, but it mustn’t be at the expense of the relationship you have with your existing customer base,” Trevor said. “I’ve already seen many of our fabricators, and I’ve had a very warm welcome. “Deceuninck has got some great products, and I’ve been impressed with its overall service. I’ve already found new opportunities for some of our customers, including

“Trevor and I worked together 25 years ago, and I know that his window experience is priceless,” Deceuninck MD Rob McGlennon said. “Deceuninck is positioned to help fabricators win more work with more margin, and Trevor is the perfect Business Development Manager to help them do that.” For more information, call Deceuninck on 01249 816 969, email deceuninck.ltd@deceuninck.com or visit www.deceuninck.co.uk. Sponsored Content Deceuninck

Windows And Doors Are Actually Lifestyle Products In my time during paternity leave, between the naps and the nappies, I have had a chance to sit back and ponder our industry in a wider context. Think about it in different ways. As I sat there, with a little one on my chest, it dawned on me that we have been viewing our own products in the wrong light for a very long time. Many of us are going down the luxury and highend route, which is the right thing to do. But I believe we have to see our products in a much more integrated part of life. I see windows and doors as lifestyle products.

A part of life For as long as I have worked in the fenestration sector, our own attitude to our products has been rather industrial, without finesse in some cases, and plainly basic in some quarters. But for me, the reality is far different than that. Just look at the progress our sector has made in turning what has traditionally been a pretty uninspiring purchase for a client into one that is sexy, desirable and aspirational. Composite doors provided a much-needed step in the evolution of entrance doors. Aluminium bi-folding doors are something nearly every homeowner wants. Flush windows are roaring right now, making homes look very different to previous generations of windows. Unlimited colour options have broken the White barrier. We even have companies like Festa and Spitfire commanding fivefigure sums for their stunning pivot entrance doors.

are highly customisable and bespoke to the client’s needs. A homeowner can specify in exacting detail how they want their new windows and doors to look and feel, to suit a theme, a purpose and a function. Just to add context, this is the definition of lifestyle products: Lifestyle products are goods that are perceived as an expression of an individual’s style, preferences, values, way of life and social status. The finest details of what we sell can all now be determined by the client. Frame shape, colour, glass specification, hardware type and colour, even down to the type of silicone that is used externally.

a better product, and we feel good about it. We see them as fitting into our lives, as expressions of ourselves, and we’re prepared to spend significantly more money on them as a matter of pride. In case you haven’t noticed, windows and doors are approaching that realm.

Entrance doors are especially becoming a status symbol for homeowners. Even in these times of spiralling costs, there is most certainly a level of pride and boastfulness when it comes to buying a new front door for the rest of the street to see. That is why I believe you’re going to see a whole new high-end market in Windows and doors are not just entrance doors explode onto the windows and doors. They aren’t scene imminently. just bits of PVCu, aluminium and timber shoved into a hole in a wall The best thing about all of this? to keep the rain out. We have come The profit margins are far higher a long way from the White Gold than on standard offerings. Flush days of selling crap White plastic windows, pivot doors, aluminium windows at ludicrous prices, thank bi-folds, bespoke sprayed windows god. In many areas, we are a much and doors all carry better margins more polished affair in terms of than the basic window and door our product offering and choice. products. People who really want It’s time we recognised that what them are prepared to pay more we sell is a far more precious and to have them. That is why, in this aspirational purchase and apply time of toughening economic the right marketing approach to circumstances, going after the embellish it further. higher-end market is a very good idea right now.

Lifestyle product margins

Lifestyle products are around us in every sphere. No doubt you reading this right now buy right into that model. It could be boutique coffee, more expensive than the rest but I bet it tastes damned better. Cars are an obvious one. Luxury watches, designer clothes, high-end restaurants. I can guarantee we all buy into at least one of these, if not more.

Why do we do that? Because we The one thing that links all of the like the idea of buying into what above is that all of those products we perceive as a better brand and

People with money like to spend it. It really is as simple as that. They are the ones that buy heavily into the lifestyle and its associated products. Windows and doors are part of that bracket now and it’s going to bring a whole world of opportunities with it. Social media will be a big driver of content around our industry in the next few years and I expect it to generate plenty of new business through people seeking out the products they see in well-viewed videos.

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Almost 90% Of UK Hom PVC-U Can Be R A new independent study commissioned by Deceuninck and conducted by YouGov has found that 86% of UK homeowners didn’t know that PVC-U windows and doors can be – and are being – recycled. “It’s a pretty damning indictment”, said Rob McGlennon, Managing Director, Deceuninck. “In a commercial environment where product sustainability is increasingly important, we clearly have work to do.” To highlight the scale of the challenge for the PVC-U window industry, when asked which window and door frame material type they believed was most recyclable, 37% of homeowners said wood; 32% chose aluminium, and only 10% chose PVC-U; the remainder were not sure. This directly impacted how sustainable each material was seen to be. This time window and door frames manufactured in wood polled 46% of the ‘popular vote’. This was, however, at the expense of aluminium, which was seen as less energy efficient by respondents, and as most sustainable by only 12% of those polled. PVC-U was also cited by 12% of those surveyed. Rob continued: “There is a challenge here. The message isn’t getting across to the end-user, despite the efforts we’re making as an industry to recycle more. “That’s got to change and for those companies who drive it, there are going to be some great opportunities ahead. For those who don’t, well I’m afraid they’re going to miss out.” Deceuninck has invested more the €15million in support of PVC-U recycling in one of the world’s most advanced recycling and compounding facilities. This gives it the capability to reprocess up to 45,000 tonnes of post-consumer and postmanufacturing PVC-U per year – the equivalent of preventing 3million windows from going to landfill annually. Use of recycled material also delivers a reduction in CO2 emissions of 90,000 tonnes compared to virgin feedstocks as well as a 90% energy saving. PVC-U is also a highly recyclable building material with a BRE recognised Reference Service Life of at least 35-years and that PVC-U can be recycled up to 10 times without impacting on performance. “These are some pretty powerful messages. Communicating the process that goes into the manufacture of the product containing recycled material is a great way of showing end users just

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meowners Don’t Know Recycled – Poll how technically advanced PVC-U systems are, and to upsell our offer alongside other innovations including colour and energy efficiency”, Rob concluded. For more information about Deceuninck’s product and service offer please call 01249 816 969, email deceuninck.ltd@deceuninck.com or visit www.deceuninck.co.uk.

Rob McGlennon. Managing Director. Deceuninck. Gloucestershire. United Kingdom.