Double R showcases quickest IGU line at open house

She handles glass, she’s innovative, she’s brand new and she’s automatic… it’s Gina!

Double R Glass & Roofing Systems has opened its doors to showcase what it claims is the fastest vertical IGU Super Spacer Automatic Hot Melt line in the world and the first of its kind to be installed in the UK.

The open house event, held at the company’s premises in Wellingborough, offered customers and prospects the opportunity to see the new machine, dubbed ‘Gina’ (because it handles glass, it’s innovative, it’s brand new and it’s automatic’), in action.

Designed and installed in collaboration with the Promac Group and its Italian partner, For.El, to Double R’s exact specifications, the made to measure machine has reportedly increased Double R’s production from around 600 units per shift, to approximately 1,200, with room for a further increase in capacity.

Managing director of Double R, Ian Sims, said: “We’re extremely proud of the circa £1m investment we made into this For.El machine and the amount of quality units it allows us to produce on a daily basis, so we had no qualms in opening our doors to anyone who wanted to come and see it in action. It really is a sight to behold with high quality IGUs being produced at record speed. We believe this is the future of Double R but also the future of IGU production.

“Visitors to our factory also received a tour of the rest of our premises including our impressive and experienced decorative department and the extensive range of glass and solid roofs produced in our dedicated roof unit. They also had the chance to chat with our suppliers, with whom we work extremely closely to ensure we deliver on customers’ expectations on a consistent basis. The suppliers supporting us on the day were Edgetech, Bostik, Promac, CENSolutions, ER Certification and Clear Thinking Software.

“Congratulations to Three Shires and CRK Windows who won the two prize draws held across the event.

“Although our Open House ran for two days, we are so proud of Double R and our offering that we are happy to welcome fabricators and installers to our premises at any time. Anyone that wants to arrange a time to visit can call us on 01933 443658 to make an appointment.”

www.glassandroofs.com

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Image Above: Epwin Window Systems is celebrating the launch of its Excellence as Standard installer scheme at the FIT Show by sponsoring this years Master Fitter Challenge

Epwin Window Systems is celebrating the launch of the company’s Installer Support Scheme being rolled out at FIT Show by throwing its weight behind the event’s Master Fitter Challenge. The company is demonstrating its focus on working closer with installers by committing itself to sponsoring the Window Competition of the popular Master Fitter Challenge, in which 6 teams compete during the FIT Show to show their prowess at fitting fenestration products in front of a live audience.

With competitors working to install a bi-folding door, a residential door, a lantern roof and windows provided by Epwin Window Systems, pressure is compounded by the lure of total prize money of £10,000 but even more so, the desire to be the best.

“Putting our weight behind the Master Fitter Challenge and having our windows installed was the natural thing to do as we unveil our own plans at the FIT Show to support the people in the front line,” explained Gerald Allen, Epwin Window Systems marketing manager. “We place a great deal of emphasis on the quality of our windows and doors but actually so much depends upon the skills shown by installers. So this is our way of showing our commitment to raising standards at the sharp end. The Master Fitter Challenge is, in our view, a tremendous demonstration of the skills that can now be expected daily in our industry.”

Epwin Window Systems will be launching its own highly developed Installer Scheme at the FIT Show, with full details to be announced at the event.

www.epwin.co.uk

According to the latest sales figures from Deceuninck almost half of the company’s products are now foiled, due largely to the fact it holds 26 colourways in stock at all times.

“Colour is such a massive opportunity for fabricators and installers,” says Deceuninck’s Rob McGlennon, “but they’re often held back by systems companies at the top of the chain who are still struggling to get the supply of coloured products right. In 2016, 44% of the profile we sold – including matching foiled trims, ancillaries and cills – was foiled. We could deliver this because we’ve been supplying colour on a big scale for a long time and have invested heavily to ensure we continue to meet the increasing demand.

“We keep 26 colourways in stock to go on our fabricators’ next delivery. We understand that storage is an issue for a lot of fabricators which is why our products are available off the shelf as bar length. To ensure we can deliver on our colour-from-stock promise, we’ve recently invested more into our dedicated fully automated Foiling Hall. This gives us the extra capacity that we’re forecasting will be required over 2017 and allows us to keep feeding into our 140,000 ft2 purpose built warehouse, stocking over 2,500 colour units plus ancillaries, cills and trims.

“To offer further peace of mind to fabricators who may have been let down with the supply of colour in the past, we also have a dedicated online ordering system, Deceuninck-Online, which allows fabricators remote, real time access to the Calne warehouse. This means our fabricators can put their name on products we have in stock and know all these products will arrive in full on their next delivery. Once the online system has allocated the products to a customer, our fabricators know they can trust us to do the rest and deliver on time. This means our fabricators and their installer customers have the confidence to sell colour in a market that is crying out for just that.

“We see it as our responsibility as a systems supplier to give our fabricators everything they need to run a successful and profitable business. That means delivering on market demands, no matter what.”

Contact Carol Hearn on 01249 816969 to find out more about Deceuninck’s colour-from-stock promise.

Picture above: Mark Barsby, Accreditation Manager, The VEKA UK Group

Industry-leading PVC-U systems supplier, The VEKA UK Group, has been awarded membership once again of the national crime prevention initiative, Secured by Design (SBD), for both its VEKA and Halo brands.

The VEKA UK Group partnered with Secured by Design several years ago and has maintained its strong relationship with the team, thanks to a shared ethos of designing out crime at the product development stage.

Secured by Design was established in 1989 and works to reduce crime by bringing Police Forces, developers and planners together at the design stage to include security into the built environment, such as natural surveillance and landscaping, and by encouraging manufacturers of products, such as doors and windows, to attain SBD’s coveted ‘Police Preferred Specification’.

Mark Barsby, Accreditation Manager of The VEKA UK Group, explains: “’Designing out crime’ means that security features are incorporated within products during the design and development stage, rather than being an ‘add on’ to the finished product.

“VEKA and Halo have always taken this approach, with security, style and energy efficiency being primary concerns at the concept stage of a new product development. Our SBD ‘licence’ and display of the SBD logo helps us to illustrate to customers and specifiers our commitment to this initiative.

“Since Part Q of the Building Regulations came into effect in England in October 2015, we are seeing increasing relevance for enhanced security standards, particularly PAS 24. SBD plays a significant part in marking out those companies, like The VEKA UK Group, that go above and beyond when it comes to security.”

The SBD initiative cites some impressive results:

– SBD developments (those using products and materials that meet SBD Standards) are up to 75% less likely to be burgled and show a reduction of 25% in criminal damage compared to non-SBD sites.

– The additional cost of using SBD standards in the average home is only around £170.

– The Association of British Insurers has estimated that the introduction of SBD standards across the UK would bring more than £3.2 billion worth of savings to the economy over 20 years.

Mark added: “With Government White Papers on the housing market coming to the fore, and potential incentives emerging for the new build sector, we are very likely to see new housing developments in the near future – which will likely list an SBD requirement as part of the specification process.

“Security is a concern in any part of the country, but is perhaps at the forefront of more people’s minds in built-up and inner city areas. With government proposals encouraging ‘brownfield’ development sites, companies that carry the SBD licence are well placed to tender for such work. Here at The VEKA UK Group, we’re proud to demonstrate our continuing commitment to raising quality and improving security across the building, development and home improvement industries.”

SBD Development Officer Alfie Hosker was pleased to provide The VEKA UK Group with its renewed SBD licence: “They are a nationally recognised systems company and play a significant role in encouraging and working with fabricators to manufacture doors and windows to meet Police Preferred Specification standards in order to reduce crime and keep residents safe. I am delighted that they are continuing to work with us.”

www.vekauk.com

Goliath Homeworld – a founder member of pioneering installer support organisation, Network VEKA – is celebrating more than £5m in sales registered directly through the two organisations’ partnership.

Cannock-based Goliath, which celebrates its 30th anniversary in May, helped form Network VEKA in 1996. At that time, the home improvement industry was suffering from a stigma of unscrupulousness; the result of fly-by-night salespeople whose low standards, high prices and nonexistent after-sales support had particularly affected the double glazing trade.

Stephen Hancox, Managing Director at Goliath explains: “Network VEKA was conceived to help installers demonstrate that they uphold the highest standards; not just in using industry-leading systems from The VEKA UK Group, but also in their levels of service, installation and aftercare. That unbroken chain of quality – from extrusion to certification – is a USP in our industry that homeowners understand and value.

“I’ve sat on the Network VEKA steering group since day one, and when I see sales figures like these, not just for Goliath, but any member company achieving such results, I feel immensely proud of what we’ve accomplished over the last two decades.”

Of the more than £5m Goliath has registered in Network VEKA sales, an amazing £922k was posted in 2016 alone, with the company averaging customer satisfaction ratings of 99.2% over the course of the year.

“To qualify for the Network’s ten-year insurance-backed guarantee, customers must first complete a satisfaction form”, Stephen continues. “It gives the Network and its members a really clear picture of how they’re performing, alerting both parties to any issues. Only businesses that maintain the high standards required to become members are allowed to continue in the organisation.

“Throughout my years with Network VEKA, the organisation’s core values have always remained the same: to uphold professional integrity and credibility, and encourage members’ success through the customer confidence this creates. It’s the Network’s developments though, that have served to keep it at the cutting edge – both for current and prospective member companies, and homeowners. Recently the Network has focussed on raising awareness and winning trade directly from consumers, and I’ve no doubt this has contributed to Goliath’s remarkable sales figures.”

Karen Lund, Head of Partner Programmes for The VEKA UK Group commented: “Stephen and the Goliath team have been instrumental in the development of Network VEKA from the start. These figures further cement them as brilliant ambassadors for the organisation, and we congratulate them on this fantastic achievement, and thank them for their ongoing efforts. Well done!”

www.networkveka.co.uk

Opportunities for window and door companies to increase their product portfolio and boost their revenue streams are being offered by balustrade specialists Balconette.

The company, which manufactures and supplies glass-walled balconies, is expanding its National Registered Partners programme throughout the UK and Ireland in response to the rising popularity of these types of products that open up interior light and space.

In particular, Balconette points to increasing demand for frameless glass Juliet balconies, which provide a secure barrier without obstructing views. They provide the elegant – and affordable – balustrading solution for the growing use of first-floor bi-fold doors and French Doors combining maximum ingress of light with minimum maintenance.

Balconette’s approach is to develop long-term partnerships with trade customers who sign up to its growing programme, which stretches from Scotland to Cornwall and includes Northern Ireland and Jersey.

Installers benefit from a comprehensive support package that includes training, product discounts, referral of enquiries and dedicated literature to help close sales, as well as installation advice.

“We are always looking for professionals that we can collaborate with and recommend as potential local installers of our products to clients in their areas,” says Effi Wolff, Balconette Managing Director.

He highlights current trends that show more and more homeowners are keen to improve their properties, rather than move. “We believe this represents a great opportunity for installers to offer innovative and cost-effective products, such as frameless glass Juliet balconies, that can transform homes, as well as generate extra valuable revenue for their businesses,” he continues.

“Our expanding network has helped to open up new sales opportunities for window, door and home improvement companies as well as installers and builders involved in all types of fenestration, refurbishment and improvement projects,” adds Effi.

Balconette Registered Partners offer clients a full balustrading service, from initial site surveys, design and drawings through to final installation, ensuring complete customer satisfaction from start to finish.

For Aberdeenshire-based joiner Simon Elms, becoming a Balconette Registered Partner has added sales and given his business a new dimension with mutual benefits. He signed up having been impressed with the Balconette glass and aluminium balustrading system he installed for a client.

“I’ve used a number of balustrading systems and the Balconette one is certainly a good quality product that sells – and at a very competitive price. As well as conventional balconies, decking systems frequently need a secure barrier and adding the Balconette system has given me another ‘string to my bow’,” says Simon, who is Balconette’s most northerly installer.

“It has opened up opportunities for more work; for example, architects are asking me to quote for installation projects having been referred to me through Balconette. In turn, I’m introducing more people to them so there are definitely reciprocal benefits,” he adds.

For more details on how you can become a Balconette Registered Partner, visit www.balconette.co.uk, call 01342 410411 or email enquiries@balconette.co.uk.

The FIT Show has revealed its most comprehensive seminar programme yet for this year’s exhibition at Birmingham’s NEC, with a host of industry experts covering a full spectrum of key topics for the window, door and conservatory industry. With 19 sessions scheduled over three days, the seminars are designed to provide delegates with guidance on everything from market conditions, regulations and finance, to the latest sales, business and installation advice – and more besides.

Widely regarded as one of the industry’s most successful window salesmen and business development consultants, Paul Clifton will be hosting a series of ’20-minute Expert’ sessions on each day of the show. With advice on how to double profits in three simple moves, as well as a ‘magic formula’ to overcome any customer objection – plus the ‘seven golden rules for low pressure selling’ – Paul’s presentations are a must for anyone looking to optimise their business and sales strategies.

In addition to contributions from ‘sales guru’ Paul Clifton, day one of the seminar programme will include Paul Neck, from Business Doctors South West, who will offer friendly and practical advice for business owners on how to increase the value of their company, and the GGF’s Director of Home Improvement, Brian Smith, who will discuss the most efficient methods of dealing with disputes with consumers. FIT Show Director and FIT Talk host, Paul Godwin, will host a ‘Lunch ‘n Learn’ session with Robert Palmer of Palmer Market Research, while the afternoon sessions will start with a ‘Tool Tech Showcase’ from Tibby Singh. Promising to be a real highlight of the seminars, Tibby, who is a BBC Carpenter of the Year and multi-award winning carpentry and joinery expert, will demonstrate the latest tech for window installers, before handing over to social media expert, David Glenwright, who will present the best ways to promote your business through platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Day two will feature invaluable business advice from a number of prominent industry speakers, such as Andy Mee from Business Doctors Oxfordshire with a seminar entitled ‘Running your business? Or is it running you?’ which will cover topics such as funding solutions and how to improve on efficiency without compromising quality – as well as guidance on glazing in conservation areas from Russell Day, Technical Officer at the GGF.

After another ‘Lunch ‘n Learn’ with Paul Godwin and more demonstrations from Tibby Singh, Tabitha Morton, Head of Integration at Yale, will offer insight into how fabricators and installers can benefit from increasing consumer demand for smart door and window security.

In addition, Geoff Cooney, Business Finance Manager at Genie Lending Limited, will offer an overview of the increasing range of non-bank funding solutions available to SMEs, followed by Grahame Wackett and David Lilley of the BSI, who will host a session called ‘Building a Resilient Business’.

Paul Clifton will once again present two more of his ’20 minute expert’ session on day three, followed by the GGF’s Health & Safety Expert, Phil Pinnington – who will highlight how some company directors are being fined, and even imprisoned, for negligence on H&S – and another ‘Lunch ‘n Learn’ with Paul Godwin, who will be joined by Peter Searle, of Business Doctors Maidstone.

All seminars, which take place on stand B70, are free to attend to FIT Show visitors. For more details on the full programme, visit: www.fitshow.co.uk/seminars

Taking place 23-25th May 2017, to book a stand at FIT Show 2017 please contact Freya Humphries on: 07572 623457, or email: freya@fitshow.co.uk. To register as a visitor for FIT Show 2017 visit: www.livebuzzreg.co.uk/2017/fit17

Aluminium doors, windows and curtain walling from fenestration designer and manufacturer Senior Architectural Systems have been specified for use on a new commercial development in the heart of Leeds, West Yorkshire.

The new Concordia Works scheme on Sovereign Street has been created through the innovative refurbishment of an old 5-storey yarn and cord warehouse dating back to the early twentieth century.  Designed by architects Gpad London, the building combines an attractive mix of original features and modern elements to create a high-specification office space that is ideally situated close to the city’s transport links.

Owing to the scheme’s prominent city centre location, the exterior of the building has been given a stylish and sympathetic makeover with Senior’s dark coloured slim framed SPW 300 aluminium windows and SF52 aluminium curtain walling paying homage to the former warehouse’s industrial heritage.

Senior’s thermally efficient SF52 curtain walling has been used to create the feature glazed arches to the entrance level, with the design continuing with the window arches  that have been installed to the floors above. Completing the fenestration package are Senior’s SPW 500 doors which are ideally suited for use in high-traffic commercial applications.

The Concordia Works scheme was delivered by main contractor Firecrest Construction for client Boultbee Brooks Real Estate.

For more information about Senior, visit www.seniorarchitectural.co.uk