Mercury Glazing Supplies Ltd Sizes Up The Jack Door

Architects and specifiers love the design flexibility, security and thermal efficiency of the TD68 Jack Door from commercial aluminium systems supplier Jack Aluminium, according to fabricator Mercury Glazing Supplies Ltd, a specialist in niche window and door products.

Commercial glazing is a big part of the Gloucester-based fabricator’s offering and the company has found that the Jack Door meets the demands of commercial installations.

“We use the Jack Door because architects want free rein when designing large buildings.  The flexibility of the system in terms of the sizes, designs and hardware options available means we can help customers to achieve exactly what they are looking for,” says Chris Reeks, Sales and Marketing Director at Mercury Glazing Supplies Ltd.

“It’s also really important that Jack Aluminium is committed to independent testing of its system for security and thermal efficiency.  It gives specifiers real peace of mind knowing that the door is PAS24 as well as offering excellent U-values.”

Design specification is easy due to the intrinsic strength of the product.  To date, the system has been fabricated to some impressive sizes.  In relation to PAS24, the Jack Door is available up to 1300mm wide by 2480mm high, making it the largest PAS24-approved, thermally efficient commercial door on the market, claim the company.  “Having a door that has been tested to this width is really important, as it meets Disability Discrimination Act requirements on wheelchair access.”

Colour options are equally broad.  Jack Aluminium delivers powder coated aluminium profiles in any RAL colour within seven days, delivered in halves and quarters to support fabricators like Mercury Glazing Supplies Ltd in reducing wasted aluminium.

“The result is an aluminium commercial door that looks great, is a pleasure to fabricate and performs brilliantly across a range of security conscious environments.  All of this is backed by the quality of technical advice and reliable delivery we receive from Jack Aluminium.”

As well as the TD68 Jack Door, Mercury Glazing Supplies Ltd fabricates Jack Aluminium’s non-thermal shopfront and Curtain Walling systems.

www.jackaluminium.co.uk – 02476 467449
www.mercuryglazing.co.uk – 01452 383344

Distinction Doors has just announced that doorsets manufactured featuring its Signature range of door blanks will be Document Q compliant at no extra cost. Chantel Roach, Distinction’s Sales and Marketing Director, said: “Document Q of Building Regulations has helped the industry raise its game when it comes to security. By making our Signature door blank Document Q compliant at no extra cost we are in effect saying that the new higher standard is now the new normal standard. We are delighted to be making this statement of intent as to the quality and standards in our industry.”

Distinction’s Signature door leaf and glazing system are major components when part of a doorset and have a proven ability to achieve PAS24:2016, industry’s enhanced security standard, a pre-requisite in attaining certification to Secured by Design, a police initiative to protect against unlawful intrusion.

The high security credentials of Distinction’s Signature door blank are thanks to a rigid polymer sub-frame, high density insulated core and high impact resistant GRP skin.

www.distinctiondoors.co.uk

Only months after MRA Marketing was shortlisted for a record number of categories at the Construction Marketing Awards (CMA), the full service PR and marketing agency is a finalist in four categories at the prestigious, national Chartered Institute of Marketing’s (CIM) ‘Marketing Excellence Awards’.

The CIM Awards identify and celebrate outstanding marketing by organisations, individuals and teams nationally. They recognise and reward high standards of quality and integrity in the field of marketing, celebrating the finest minds within the profession, and showcasing the successes of B2C and B2B marketing campaigns.

MRA has reached the finals for ‘Best Use of Digital Marketing’ with Brisant Secure ‘Ultion, the lock that sells doors’; ‘Best Use of Social Media’ for its work with IKO PLC on their #NoMorePotholes campaign; ‘Best Use of Data and Insight – Large’, for its ‘Builders Merchant Building Index’ with the Builders Merchants Federation and GfK, the leading international data and insights company; and Agency of the Year for its consistent track record and outstanding results with strategic marketing campaigns that help companies grow.

MD Lucia Di Stazio says: “We’re delighted to be a finalist in these four categories at the CIM Marketing Excellence Awards, and immensely proud to be competing with high profile brands like the BBC, Tesco and Salesforce. The judges include Google, LinkedIn, Mondelez and similar high profile organisations.

“2016 was an incredible year for MRA after winning two Construction Marketing Awards in December and regaining the No.1 spot in the CMA Agency League of over 60 agencies that specialise in construction,” continues Lucia. “We look forward to what I’m sure will be an enjoyable evening at the ceremony in April, and are keeping our fingers crossed!”

Visit www.mra-marketing.com or follow @MRAMarketing on Twitter.

Brouha Marketing, the glazing industry’s communication specialists, has announced it has been shortlisted for B2B PR Agency of the Year category at the national PR Moment Awards.

“The 2017 PR Moment Awards report to have seen a record level of entries of a particularly high standard so we are especially pleased to be among the finalists,” says Brouha’s Helen Savage. “Although we specialise in the window, door and glass industries, it’s always nice to receive recognition from our peers in the PR world. We were shortlisted for our fun but professional approach to getting real results and for the unique and successful business model we have employed for the last 10 years. With a collective 48 years’ experience of writing PR, producing marketing materials and organising events, specifically in the glazing industry, we remain committed to getting it right for our customers.”

The PR Moment Awards have continued to increase in popularity with companies putting themselves forward for consideration in over 850 entries each year. The brand is associated with insight and original content and recognises companies in two separate award ceremonies held in London and Manchester for agencies and in-house professionals working in the South of the country and the North respectively.

Helen concludes: “We’re up against some stiff competition to take home first prize in the Best B2B PR Agency category but we are proud to be sitting alongside fellow best practice agencies that work across all sectors in both consumer and business to business public relations.”

For more information, call us on 01672 514947 or visit www.brouhamarketing.com.

Yale will be taking centre stage at this year’s FIT Show to discuss upcoming trends and opportunities affecting the door and window industry. This is part of the show’s seminar programme, which calls on a variety of industry experts to talk to attendees and provide information and advice about a range of relevant topics.

Tabitha Morton, Head of Integration for Yale, will be hosting a seminar session on ‘Future Trends in Home Automation’, taking place on the second day of the show, (24th May) at 14:30pm. This session will be exploring how the trend for smart homes is increasing consumer demands for smart security products, and the ways in which fabricators and installers can benefit from this.

With over 15 years experience in the security industry, Tabitha has a wealth of expertise and previously launched APERIO, part of the ASSA ABLOY Group. Having specialised in integration for the commercial sector, Tabitha has successfully transferred her experience and technical skill set to the residential market, working for Yale for the past eight years.

Most recently her work has focused on the development of the Yale Smart Living range, integrating Yale’s product offering with leading smart home partners including Samsung SmartThings, O2 and Control4.

Tabitha Morton commented: “I’m very much looking forward to presenting at the FIT Show this spring. The show give us the opportunity to discuss the changing security landscape with our fabricator and installer customers, informing them of the important role smart security will play in the future and how they can maximise opportunities for their business.”

Yale Door and Window Solutions will be exhibiting on stand C8 at this year’s FIT Show (NEC, Birmingham from 23rd – 25th May 2017).

For further information about Yale’s Smart Living range, please visit www.yale.co.uk/smart-living. For more information about FIT Show 2017, please visit www.fitshow.co.uk

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) welcomed Theresa May’s confirmation at Prime Minister’s Questions yesterday that that she has asked the Chancellor, Philip Hammond and Communities Secretary, Sajid Javid, to provide additional help for those firms worst affected by the upcoming changes to business rates.

Speaking in the Commons, the Prime Minister acknowledged that some businesses would be “particularly adversely affected” by the changes and said that the Chancellor and Business Secretary had been tasked by her to make sure there was “appropriate relief” for them.

FSB is urging the Government to act in next month’s Budget on precisely these lines, following last year’s commitment to provide £6.7bn of assistance for smaller businesses, taking many out of the system altogether.

FSB National Chairman Mike Cherry, said: “I am reassured to hear that the Prime Minister has personally intervened in this extremely worrying situation for many small businesses.

“Many of our members have contacted us to say that they are facing completely unfair and disproportionate increases in their tax bills, with some considering whether to close or scale back their business. That would clearly be in no one’s interest.

“Previous interventions by the Government, backed by FSB, have resulted in 600,000 small businesses receiving 100% relief and therefore protected from the current business rate changes. But the extent of loss faced by some small businesses who are still in scope has created an unacceptable situation and I look forward to hearing the Chancellor’s proposals at the Spring Budget in two weeks’ time.”

www.fsb.org.uk

Image Above: Tony Basile (left, Liniar) and Chris Dawson (right, Brett Martin) shake on the deal.

Innovative PVCu systems house Liniar and drainage giant Brett Martin yesterday announced a partnership arrangement that will see each company supplying the other’s range to its own customer base.

The joint venture brings together two companies with a similar philosophy, as Liniar’s Business Development Director Tony Basile explains:

“We’re delighted to be working with Brett Martin, who will be supplying Liniar with high quality rainwater systems to run alongside our own building product ranges. This means any Liniar fabricator or trade counter stocking fascias, soffits and foam trims will also be able to supply Brett Martin gutter and downpipe systems as part of their range.

“In addition, all Liniar conservatory roof kits will be supplied with Brett Martin guttering included and cut to length.”

Tony continues: “We chose Brett Martin as an independent rainwater system house with a fantastic pedigree within the plumbing and drainage industry – very similar to Liniar’s own reputation in the fenestration marketplace. Its manufacturing facility and primary distribution centre is also Derbyshire-based, which helps to keep our carbon footprint low.

“And having no roofline range of its own, Brett Martin is ideally placed to be able to offer Liniar fascias and soffits to its customers nationwide through its existing channels.”

Chris Dawson, Brett Martin’s Sales Director comments:

”This partnership is an extremely exciting development for both companies. Brett Martin’s rainwater systems and Liniar fascias and soffits perfectly complement each other and provide each business with a quality rainwater and roofline offering for our respective markets.”

Chris adds “Our wide selection of gutter and downpipe profiles in a choice colours are now available to Liniar’s customers and we are particularly excited that our new Anthracite Grey colour option, which is proving a very popular choice, is also part of the package.”

“And we are delighted to now be in a position to also offer our merchant stockists the Liniar range of fascia and soffit, a welcome addition to our range.”

For more information about the Liniar range of building products, visit www.liniar.co.uk/supplies.

For more information about the Brett Martin rainwater range, visit www.brettmartin.com.

Image Above: Roof Maker CEO Paul Mildenstein

Building a UK-wide reputation over more than 15, Leicester-based Roof Maker has firmly established itself as a supplier of high quality roof lights. After its £30m acquisition by private finance group Next Wave Partners LLP, the fast-growing firm plans to significantly ramp up its activities – and now, the traditionally consumer-facing business is seeking to expand the trade side of its operation.

Roof Maker’s extensive product offering boasts exceptional thermal performance, robustness, user-friendliness and style, consisting of bespoke roof lights engineered to be best-in-class. As consumer tastes have shifted, and demand for premium, high-performance glazing products has grown, the fast-growing firm has successfully positioned itself as the leading roof light supplier to the booming higher end of the market – which, as CEO Paul Mildenstein explains, presents huge opportunities for experienced, conscientious installers.

“At Roof Maker, our ethos is clear. We want to challenge the idea that all roof light products are the same – that a roof window is essentially just a roof window. Over years of intensive investment and product development, we’ve built a portfolio of best-in-class natural light solutions with minimalistic design, energy efficiency and all-round performance that stand them out from the crowd.

With thousands of aspirational consumers looking for bespoke, stylish home improvement solutions, our products are perfectly positioned to help installers capitalise at the high end of the market. That’s why we’re now looking for experienced, established, conscientious installation firms who share our commitment to excellence, and our belief that premium roofline products should be prized just as highly as high end windows and doors.”

Roof Maker supply a selection of high-performance rooflight products. The LuxLite roof window is a sleek, stylishly contemporary aluminium roof light. The company’s fixed flat roof lights offer minimalist elegance and fantastic thermal performance. Roof Maker also offer chain-actuated, electric hinged opening flat roof lights, and pyramid-shaped roof lights featuring ultra-thin glazing connectors that maximise the intake of natural light.

Paul concluded: “If you’re an ambitious installation firm with an uncompromising commitment to quality, we’d love to hear from you. Don’t hesitate to get in touch to learn more about who we are, what we do, and how our best-in-class products can help you grow your business.”

For more information visit www.roof-maker.co.uk or call 0116 214 7112

Comar Architectural Aluminium Systems has announced Comar 10 – a Passivhaus Certified “B” product with U-values as low as 0.66 coupled with processes that are claimed to cut manufacturing costs by up to 70%.

The Comar 10 window range includes inward opening, tilt & turn and fixed lights and is internally beaded and glazed.

The company says additional benefits include high thermal insulation, 90mm deep outer frames and minimal care & maintenance.

For further information about Comar Architectural Aluminium Systems, please visit www.comar-alu.co.uk

call 020 8685 9685 or email projects@parksidegroup.co.uk

The British Woodworking Federation’s Joinery State of Trade Survey has indicated that the benefits of increased joinery sales are being balanced out by inflationary pressures such as wages and the impact of exchange rates on raw material costs. With business rates changes set to hit many joinery companies from April, the balance of respondents reported that rates for their current property would increase as a result of the recent revaluations, with almost one third expecting an increase of over 5%.

BWF Policy & Communications Executive Matt Mahony commented: “With the cost of doing business a concern for many in our sector, we surveyed what the consequences of the Business Rates Revaluations would be and were concerned to find that almost a third of respondents indicated an incoming business rates increase of over 5 percent. The high street may have been a major focus of the ‘business rates revolt’, but further cost rises for our industry are unpalatable. There are undoubtedly companies that will benefit from the changes, but on balance our industry looks to be getting a bad deal from the revaluations – this is especially galling as we have long campaigned for low energy manufacturers to be incentivised and it makes no sense to include plant and machinery in rateable value when trying to drive investment and job creation.

“Looking at the rest of the survey, on the whole we saw a stable, although by no means easy quarter for the woodworking industry. Sales volumes had increased for 26% on balance and were anticipated to grow again for the next quarter (Q1 2017), but at a lower growth rate than before. Further depreciations in the Sterling also raised the cost of imported materials, meaning that raw materials continue to be the main driver of input price inflation, with wages & salaries also having a big impact on costs.

“Realistically it’s not a bad picture at this point of time, although uncertainty over the impact of Brexit continues to linger in the background as it has been for the last couple of quarters. You can see the impact on costs, but thankfully this doesn’t seem to have hit the investment intentions of joinery businesses or their plans to take on more staff.

“In the longer term the big questions are whether government and industry can work effectively to deliver new plans for housing and manufacturing and also to what extent the market will be able to capitalise on Brexit. First the sector will have to get to grips with the major changes in training which could help address the availability of skilled labour and the issue of joiners having to provide a broader spread of services to fill main contractor skills gaps on site.

Key points from the BWF Joinery State of Trade Survey Q4 2016 include:

– A balance of 20% of respondents reported that business rates for their current property would increase as a result of recent Business Rates Revaluations in England & Wales with 32% of respondents indicating that their rates would increase by over 5%.

– A balance of 26% of joinery companies reported an increase in sales volumes for Q4 2016 from the previous quarter. This follows on from 55% of joinery companies reporting an increase in sales volumes in Q3 2016 from Q2 2016.

– Manufacturers felt that sales volumes would improve in the next quarter, with a balance of 34% predicting an increase for Q1 2017, and a balance of 22% predicting an increase over the next year.

– 19% of companies reported a current order book of future work extending beyond 3 months – down 9% from the previous quarter – with 58% now saying that their order book extended from between 1 and 3 months.

– Demand was listed as the most likely constraint on output over the next year by 45% of respondents. Capacity and labour availability came next, with 21% and 18% of respondents feeling that they were most likely to constrain output. Raw material prices had become the main factor for 13%.

– 39% of respondents on balance reported increasing their labour force in the last year, with 57% of respondents anticipating an increase labour force over the next year.

– Raw material costs were noted as the main inflationary factor for unit costs for 87% of respondents, with wages/salaries increases pushing up unit costs for 81% of respondents on balance.

– Exchange rates were a factor in inflating unit costs for 57% of respondents – having risen from 5% a year previously.

– 67% of respondents on balance reported an inflationary impact in unit costs through fuel costs.

– Investment in product improvement had been increased by 50% of companies on balance over the past year, with a balance of 51% to boost investment over the next year.

– Investment in manufacturing equipment spending had been increased by 53% of companies on balance over the past year, with a balance of 66% to boost investment over the next year.

As a benefit of membership, British Woodworking Federation members can view the full BWF State of Trade Survey plus the latest economic reports produced by the Construction Product Association industry forecasting team.

www.bwf.org.uk