On Point issue 4 Newsletter from Window Ware

In this issue...

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2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 Years

New Regal handle raises the bar Page 2

Maximise your aluminium advantage Page 3

Product spotlight Page 3

Regal MKII heritage handle raises the bar Market-led new features make top-selling Regal Hardware handle even better!

Welcome to On Point.

I’m delighted to see the return of Window Ware’s ON POINT newsletter after a 16-month absence while we navigated numerous lockdowns, carefully managed fluctuations in supply and met extraordinary levels of demand. Along with our recovering delivery KPIs and replenishing stock levels, ON POINT’s reappearance is yet another welcome sign that things are slowing returning to a new, yet stronger, post-COVID normal.

NEW IN

Beautiful bygone styling; two-tactile designs; 9 stunning finishes; dual suitability for flush sash and standard 70m profiles; matching pegs and stays.

Check! It can only be the industry’s favourite heritage handle from Regal Hardware.

Except that this is the new and improved Mark II handle and, while it still retains all the charm and modern-day advantages of the original, it boasts some eagerly anticipated upgrades on its much-loved predecessor.

Looking ahead though, there is still plenty of uncertainty in the market! Cost inflation, freight issues and limited stock availability have become familiar traits of the current economic climate, and all the market indications predict they are here to stay as demand outstrips supply into 2022.

But before you start panic buying, let me assure you that your supply chain is safe with us. Like all businesses, it’s taken us a while to adjust to the upturn, but now we’re confident we’re on top of the situation! In fact, our regular customers will know we’ve been on it right from day one.

Even since the very first lockdown, our fabricators needed us to be honest about stock shortages or shipment delays, and so we worked even harder to maintain a proactive and transparent dialogue with them throughout.

Our fabricators needed extra help sourcing hardware or finding alternatives to meet rising demand over the last year, so we stepped up our support and brought our ASMS back off furlough early to help our customers through this challenging period.

We’ve built a reputation for delivering just what our customers need, and we have no intention of letting that slip!

Antique Bronze

Black

Polished Chrome

Satin Chrome

Brushed Copper

PVD Gold

Pewter Patina

Graphite

Most notable is the new push-button operation, which delivers robust and familiar modern espag handling, and the new positive ‘click’ on close mechanism, which ensures full engagement and prevents misuse. Both these new features come as a direct response to market feedback, and work to enhance usability, improve mechanical performance and prolong service life.

In addition, the arrival of two new fashionable finishes (rose gold and brushed copper) give a nod to the latest design trends and add to the handle’s stylish appeal.

Rose Gold

Turn to page 2 for the low-down on all the latest enhancements and top features:

senior management team who will be on hand to answer all your most pressing hardware product and supply questions.

Glad to see you at the Glazing Summit After a year with no large-scale industry gatherings due to COVID, this really feels like THE event of the 2021!

The Summit takes place on 21st October at the Edgbaston Stadium. See you there! glazingsummit.co.uk/

Window Ware is super proud to be sponsoring the Glazing Summit again this year and we can’t wait to meet up with customers, partners and industry connections we haven’t seen in person since the pandemic began. A catch-up is long overdue.

Happy reading everyone!

Sam Nuckey Managing Director

Look out for Window Ware MD, Sam Nuckey in the panel line-up on stage and say hello to some of our

OUR NEW WEBSITE HAS LANDED

New website hits the spot!

Now www.windowware.co.uk welcomes After over a year of working remotely to more customers online than ever before!

Even before COVID reared its ugly head and made e-commerce sites essential to the continuation of business through varying degrees of lockdown restrictions, we were already in the process of reassessing our digital presence to ensure we were delivering exactly what customers wanted and creating the very best user experience. Thanks to our helpful website regulars, we had plenty of feedback to guide our development plans.

Autumn 2021

Issue 4

windowware.co.uk

design, build and test our new website, it was officially launched last month. It’s early days yet, but already, more and more customers are choosing to order online. Now 1 in every 5 sales orders come in through the new website!

Join the online ordering revolution and visit www.windowware.co.uk today!

Scan the QR code with the camera on your smartphone

01234 242724

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Upgraded heritage handle raises the bar Going down a storm with Residence Collection fabricators Even though the new handle is officially launching to market this month, fabricators of The Residence Collection’s premium flush sash window system have been using the new handle in their manufacturing since April. This advanced access was made possible by The Residence Collection’s decision earlier this year to appoint Window Ware as its approved hardware distributor.

In the meantime, Residence fabricators have been putting the new handle through its paces, and we’re pleased to report the feedback has been extremely positive so far. They’re definitely liking the look and feel of the Mark II, especially as the new features do a great job of resolving any previously reported issues. They’re also really excited about the on-trend new colours: rose gold and brushed copper.

Feature highlights NEW positive ‘click’ on close Indicates full engagement & prevents misuse NEW push-button operation Colour matched button delivers robust & familiar modern espag usability

Flexible fittings Interchangeable spindles & colour-matched screws

Secure & convenient Deadlock the window with a standard key

Quality assured Covered by a 10-year mechanical guarantee

Distinctive 9 stunning, hard-wearing finishes to suit all styles & tastes

Fabricator-friendly packaging Colour-coded bags identify left- & right-hand variants Full hardware suite Matching stays, working or dummy pegs

Two classic designs Monkey tail & pear drop Left- & right-hand variants

Dependable supply to meet soaring demand we felt confident about recommending Window Ware to our fabricators.”

Rose Gold

Brushed Copper

This flourishing hardware partnership has really come into its own at a time when many fabricators are working flat out to meet increased demand for new doors and windows. Well-publicised supply challenges and material shortages haven’t made their job any easier. True to form though, Window Ware has come through for customers with the first-class support, extensive stock holding and fast-response service to keep their production lines moving.

The new handle, along with matching pegs and stays, forms an important part of the full Residence-approved hardware kit. This Autumn, that hardware provision will expand to include shoot bolts and extension rods, mega egress and butt hinges, and accessories. Alongside Window Ware’s already extensive choice of fabricating essentials including fastenings, sealants and adhesives, Teflon and air tools, as well as finishing products such as cleaners, Residence fabricators can find Sarah Hitchings, Sales and Marketing Director for the everything they need all in one place!

Residence Collection says, “Right from the very start,

“Their reputation as a leading hardware supplier was second to none and we knew they could give our customer base the dependable supply and consistently high levels of service they needed to fully tap into the current home improvement boom.”

“The handover of our hardware provision so far has been seamless. The Window Ware sales team and Area Sales Managers are doing a great job of building the kind of strong relationships and regular, open dialogue our fabricators require to keep moving forward even during these extraordinary times.”

Battling the big squeeze Commercial Can-do! on supply Here are just some of the commercial projects we’ve helped to specify and supply hardware solutions for.

Ongoing material shortages and price hikes are impacting everyday build essentials like sealants, adhesives and hand tools.

The pandemic has added to existing supply issues and bottlenecks caused by Brexit and a global shortage of increasingly expensive raw materials. The resulting production constraints and surges in demand have meant many core elements of the fabricator’s standard toolkit are harder to come by and cost more than ever! And even though availability is slowly improving, there are still backlogs with manufacturing and we predict demand will continue to outstrip global supply into next year.

Having said all that, this is definitely not the time to panic buy. Window Ware continues to work closely with its supply partners to ensure there is enough stock to go round.

How we’re securing your supply: We’re ordering far earlier.

Not only does this help the manufacturers forecast demand and plan their production accordingly, but it ensures we’re first in line for outbound goods. It also helps to overcome extended manufacturing lead times which have effectively doubled on top-selling hand tools such as our Xpert range and increased by as much as 3 months on silicones and adhesives like our highly rated reXon range.

We’re ordering larger quantities.

Based on predicted usage, our purchasing team has upped order sizes. We’re investing more in our stock to minimise the risk of patchy supply for our customers, meet increased demand and maintain quick response times.

How can you help?

Be prepared, but don’t overbuy!

Get your orders in to Window Ware as soon as your work schedule is confirmed. Availability is never 100% guaranteed so give yourself extra wiggle room on deadlines and alternatives to avoid last minute stresses.

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Despite the obvious pandemic-related setbacks, the construction industry has managed to hold strong and we’re getting involved in a wider range of commercial construction projects than ever before.

Window Ware has been called on to supply…

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Aluminium louvres with built-in insulation panels for the refurbishment of residential flats.

Louvre panels to the Prison Service to provide side protection from wind and rain on covered exterior walkways between cell blocks.

Custom-built overglass Airstrip ventilators to go into new aluminium windows for a primary school in County Durham.

Electric window control systems to deliver natural ventilation for commercial and residential buildings.

Bespoke louvre doors for the bin store and condensing unit in luxury London apartments.

Noise-reducing acoustic overglass vents for student accommodation built near a busy main road.

School repair work especially has continued apace, and in July this year, we saw a remarkable 143% increase in sales of our top-selling Caldwell and

DuoFlex folding opener ranges compared to July 2019. As Caldwell’s No1 UK distributor and their largest nationwide stockist bar none, we’re able to fulfil large or small orders with one of the shortest lead times around.

If you’re sourcing hardware for an upcoming build or refurb project, why not let us help? We’re adept at interpreting CAD drawings and understanding design specifications to advise on and select the most appropriate hardware solution for your application. Even if it’s just an initial scoping exercise for a future project, give our experts a call today!

Richard Fraser 07801612468 richardfraser@windowware.co.uk

Ready to help you maximise your aluminium advantage Discover why Window Ware is the right hardware supplier to set you up for success with your aluminium windows.

If you’re a fabricator ready to branch out into manufacturing aluminium doors and windows for the first time, you’re going to need a hardware supplier with the product range, technical know-how and a proven track record to help get you started and turn your growth plans into reality. That’s where Window Ware comes in!

We’ve got plenty of experience of supplying specialist aluminium applications to share and set you up for success. In fact, we’ve been channelling extra resources into supporting this flourishing market for years now and it’s all there ready for your taking!

Since 2018, we’ve added loads of new products to our portfolio, grown our team with dedicated sales support, become a member of the Council for A l u m i n i u m in Building (CAB) and produced a dedicated 130page aluminium hardware e-brochure (with the printed edition arriving this month.)

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As a result, more and more aluminium fabricators are choosing Window Ware as their preferred hardware supplier. In fact, in the space of just 5 years (20162020), our aluminium sales have grown by 90%. More recently, between June and July 2021, we supported 12 aluminium start-ups with essential profile-specific hardware and pre-production support.

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In addition, our strong relationships with our industry partners put us right at the centre of the launch of new aluminium system, Garnalex Sheerline Prestige. Working with Garnalex and our brand partner, Yale, we supplied the hardware to support those early testers and ensure successful first adoption.

This ground-up involvement gives us a unique and comprehensive understanding of the right hardware to kick-start your own Garnalex fabrication set-ups.

Here’s what one Garnalex fabricator had to say: James Cardno, MD of Direct Roofing Systems Ltd explains, “Garnalex recommended several hardware suppliers, but the decision to go with Window Ware was a no-brainer for us!”

“We already source a range of hardware with them, such as trickle vents, window locks and handles, so we’ve worked with their Area Sales Manager, Dan Gilson, a lot in the past and he always goes out of his way to look after us.

What’s more, by sticking with Window Ware, we can keep our supply chain simple and make ordering easier, as well as benefit from lower volume pricing on larger orders.”

Product Spotlight!

Our pick of new arrivals and products our customers keep raving about!

NEW Yale Vertex TM Decorative ironmongery for vertical sliding sash windows.

Includes pole rings, sash lifts, tilt finials, travel restrictors, sash locks and keeps in 5 different finishes.

NEW Yale Quartus Espagnolette handle for uPVC and aluminium windows Features push-button operation, inline or offset, key-lockable/converts to non-locking, 10-year guarantee and available in 5 finishes.

scan the QR code to view a copy of our aluminium ebrochure

Glide Hardware Options Glazing Ltd started manufacturing aluminium windows last February.

Director, Nick Loades remarks…

“We needed a one-stop shop for trickle vents, window handles, locks – the lot! If I’m going to spend time raising a purchase order, it makes sense to try to order everything all in one go.

Window Ware offers the convenience and the comprehensive product range I was looking for, so I can quickly and easily source everything I need to run my business.”

“For me, it’s the relationship with our Area Sales Manager that really makes it, and Dan Gilson has got it bang on the button! The whole industry is experiencing supply issues at the moment, but the fact that Dan goes above and beyond to communicate any delays or shortages to us really helps us manage our customers’ expectations and adjust our offering accordingly.

For example, if we know the grey handle isn’t available, our sales guys can focus on selling the white or black handles instead. That transparency is key to keeping our customers happy.”

“Quite simply the best patio wheels we’ve ever used!”

“I couldn’t believe the massive difference they’ve made to the operation of our patio doors. The self-levelling polymer wheels beat traditional steel wheels hands down, to give a smoother-than-smooth sliding action and a premium feel that takes our finished product to a whole new level!”

Scott Law, MD, Express Trade Frames See the self-levelling wheels in action!

Avantis 650 multipoint door lock “We’ve tried using other door locks in the past, but we kept having issues and getting call backs, plus they were time-consuming to fit. It’s a different story with Avantis multipoint locks. They go straight on the workbench and work first time without fail. We never get any questions or queries from our team of fabricators and no one has come back to us with a faulty lock yet!”

Jake Stephens, Director, WinRem Ltd

12 Aluminium start-ups June-July 2021 3

ASMs answer the call!

Warehouse racks up record capacity

Our Area Sales Managers have been changing it up to keep the hardware and advice coming for fabricators through the pandemic.

A behind-the-scenes look at the latest efficiency improvements in the Window Ware warehouse.

Laura Wren Operations Service Manager

With the Window Ware warehouse team now fulfilling hundreds of orders each day and picking on average +20% more product lines than usual in response to the home improvement boom, it’s no surprise we’ve had to really change it up to meet increased demand, stay COVID safe and still get the hardware out the door on time every time.

Here’s how we’ve made sure our warehouse is running like a well-oiled machine: We’ve grown the warehouse team and recruited more staff to increase capacity. Our skilled team leaders and experienced 20-year warehouse veterans have done an amazing job of bringing new-starters up to speed fast!

We’ve stepped up communication with a daily operations meeting that allows us to identify and resolve issues faster as a team the moment they crop up.

We’ve stayed COVID-safe at all times with the help of a clever device which alerts each wearer if they get too close to their colleagues and tracks who they come into contact with just in case they need to self-isolate.

We’ve installed more packing benches and banding machines with screens to reduce contact through equipment sharing and package up a greater number of orders.

We’ve added more racking and altered the layout of the warehouse to speed up frequent picks, optimise space usage and improve flow through the warehouse.

The moment lockdown measures started to ease, and our fabricators resumed operations, we saw demand for hardware soar. Inbound phone calls were hitting record levels daily.

Joining forces with the internal sales team, they made sure the lines of communication were kept open even in the depths of lockdown and, most importantly, gave our customers a dependable point of contact during uncertain times.

Having hung up their car keys temporarily due to travel restrictions, our ASMs rechannelled their considerable talents to the phone- and email-frontline to cope with this influx. Armed with laptops, headsets and a whole heap of practical know-how gained during their years out in the field, they helped to double our enquiry handling capacity and speed up response times.

From holding virtual consultancy sessions to support new projects and filtering through alternatives with a fine-toothed comb to find just the right one, to expediting deliveries to meet urgent deadlines or putting a rush on backorders to meet critical hardware needs, our resourceful teams were always on hand and willing to explore every avenue to achieve the best results for our customers.

Our ASMs share some of their key takeaways of the last 18 months:

Demi Whitbread

“My technical knowledge has increased tenfold in the last 12 months. The process of finding new solutions for our customers has given me a greater product understanding than ever!”

Dan Gilson

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Council for Aluminium in Building

Member

Sponsor

“I’ve certainly realised I don’t need to be knocking on doors all the time to still be successful in my sales role and win new business.”

Tim Plant

“The pandemic gave us the opportunity to work even closer with our customers (albeit remotely). I think this has helped to build deeper trust and strengthen relationships.”

Richard Adams

“Getting grounded during lockdown was tough for me because I was so used to being out on the road and seeing customers face to face. But we’ve all had to change and embrace new ways of doing business, and that shows how adaptable and resilient our industry is.

George Esler

“Being open and honest whenever products were out of stock or deliveries were delayed definitely helped us to successfully navigate the last 12 months. It was better to set realistic expectations and offer workable solutions rather than break promises.”

Karl Williamson

FINALIST

“Constant communication and transparency were key to maintaining service levels and minimising uncertainty for our customers.

That’s something we’ve always done, but the last year proved just how crucial it is.”

Window Ware, Telford Way, Cross Park, Bedford MK42 0PQ Sales: 01234 242724 | sales@windowware.co.uk

“People come to Window Ware because they know they’ll always get the answers they need. Even when many suppliers were still shut or in the early stages of reopening after Lockdown 1.0, we made sure someone was there with the right response. That counts for a lot.”

Richard Fraser

www.windowware.co.uk