Polyframe Group acquired and merged with the Customade Group

Polyframe Group (Polyframe) has announced that it has successfully acquired and merged with Customade Group (Customade), supported by further investment from Cairngorm Capital Partners LLP (Cairngorm Capital). With revenues in excess of £100 million, the enlarged group, will trade as Customade and now has a complete and comprehensive product range across aluminium windows, composite entry doors and PVC-U products. Established in 1980, Customade is a specialist manufacturer of high-quality aluminium and PVC-U windows, doors and conservatory roof products. Best known for its proprietary and market-leading REAL, Atlas and Fineline aluminium brands, the company operates from 100,000 ft2, state-of-the-art facilities near Gloucester, employing 320 people. In 2016 it achieved turnover in excess of £35 million.

During 2016, Polyframe acquired the WB Group composite entry door business in Birtley and a 50,000 ft2 window manufacturing facility in Livingston from Stevenswood. Accordingly, this merger with Customade continues the firm’s strategy to develop the UK’s leading trade fabricator of PVC-U, aluminium and composite windows and doors, addressing all trade customers’ fenestration needs. Customade’s market-leading and proprietary products complement, expand and differentiate Polyframe’s product offering, particularly in the rapidly growing aluminium sector. The group now operates nationwide, with almost 900 employees across 10 manufacturing facilities extending from Scotland to the South West.

The combined industry expertise of the newly enlarged management team, together with support from specialist investment firm Cairngorm Capital, increases the scope for further innovation, growth and service improvements; optimises manufacturing capability and broadens Polyframe’s industry-leading product range, to provide an unmatched customer offering. John Lightowlers, Customade’s MD becomes Group MD of the enlarged firm and continues to hold a significant ownership stake. With over twenty years’ leadership experience in the windows and doors market and having led Customade for the past 12 years, John and his fellow Customade shareholders, Nick Gibbons, Gareth Thomas and John Adams, have been instrumental in Customade’s growth and success. John will be supported initially by Jon Gatfield, Polyframe’s interim MD, who will transition to other Cairngorm Capital operational roles in the near future, and Lance Gillett, Polyframe’s Group Finance Director, who joined Polyframe from Masco UK Window Group in 2016. David Moore, Non-Executive Director of Polyframe and former CEO of Ultraframe, will become Chairman of the enlarged group.

Jon Gatfield, Polyframe’s interim MD, said: “Both Polyframe and Customade pride themselves on offering customers extensive product ranges, along with extremely high levels of reliability, flexibility and customer service. Since July 2016, we at Polyframe have invested heavily to develop a best-in-class offering for our trade customers, strengthen our manufacturing operations and extend our geographic presence. The merger with Customade will accelerate these initiatives and secure our position as the largest trade fabricator of windows and doors to the UK installer market.”

John Naylor-Leyland of Cairngorm Capital commented: “We are delighted to invest further in Polyframe to facilitate this proprietary, off-market merger between Polyframe and Customade and to support the combined group’s growth plans. Customade has an outstanding reputation in the industry for supplying high-quality branded aluminium products, which together with the excellence of its operational capabilities and the calibre of its staff, make it the natural partner to enhance Polyframe’s leading PVC-U window and composite door range.“ John Lightowlers, Group Managing Director of the enlarged group added: “This is the perfect partnership for two businesses with shared values, a market-leading suite of products and a commitment to the highest standards of customer service. There are great opportunities across the sector and as an enlarged group we look forward to meeting all trade customers’ product needs.”

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Sliders UK has reported record sales of its Ultimate Evolution adjustable jamb aluminium bi-fold, which can be fitted in as little as 45-minutes.

The Ultimate Evolution aluminium bi-fold door was launched by Sliders UK at the tail end of last year.

With ultra-slim sightlines plus smooth bottom running system and concealed shoot bolt lock with single point handle, the Ultimate Evolution has been developed to build in increased margin at the retail point of sale.

It also features a highly innovative fully adjustable jamb option, which fitted to both sides of the door, makes squaring and setting faster – cutting installation time to as little as 45 minutes.

Steve Mines, Sales and Marketing Director, Sliders UK, said: “The Ultimate Evolution bi-folding door delivers a great retail sales platform – the sightlines are just so good. It’s also highly competitive and brings aluminium bi-folds to a new strata of the market.

“But it’s the efficiency it delivers in installation with the adjustable jamb option that really sets it apart. This deals with imperfections in brick work, making it much easier to align the door correctly.

“We have customers fitting the Ultimate Evolution in as little as 45 minutes. The benefit is twofold: it saves time on site; but in making it easier to get the door square, it runs better, almost eliminating call backs.”

The Ultimate Evolution bi-fold, is available in multiple panel configurations including open-in or open-out, with a maximum sash height and width of 3000mm x 1200mm.

With colour-matched handles and magnetic door holders, a low threshold option and 30mm polyamide thermal break for increased thermal values, it is also fully tested to PAS 24 and BS6375 Part 1 Weather Testing.

Sliders UK has also done its bit to help installations go smoothly, launching its Technical Support Service last year. This includes an assisted fit service on first time installations.

“It’s not about hand holding but a little help on the first time fit goes a long way, because you learn to fit that particular door right, right form the very start, which allows you to avoid mistakes down the line”, says Mines.

Sliders UK reported 16% growth at the end of last year, product innovation and the expansion of its offering, coupled with lead times of two weeks or less, driving increased sales.

Alongside the Ultimate Evolution, this includes the launch of Duraflex’s new PVC-U bi-fold at the tail end of the year.

A second PVC-U bi-fold system – and launched in addition to the Eurocell Aspect bi-fold door – it’s Part Q approved and delivers u-values as low as 1.1Wm²/K.

Meanwhile, Sliders UK announced earlier this month that it’s launching its own lantern roof, the Ultimate Rooflite.

Capable of spanning openings of up to 5.8m long by 4m wide, offer is based on the tried and tested BBA approved Ultraframe Classic roofing system. Suitable for new build orangery or flat roof retro-fit installations, it’s been designed to offer installers a highly flexible but also competitive product.

Mines conncluded: “Our bi-fold offering, which also includes ALUK products, has like our wider product range and as evidenced by the launch of the Ultimate Evolution, come a really long way.

“We remain a specialist door manufacturer but where we have the opportunity to add value to our customer offer, through the addition of products that offer a logical fit, for example the Ultimate Rooflite, we also intend to pursue them.”

For more information contact sales@sliders-uk.com or visit the website at www.sliders-uk.com.

The LamiPress from Hegla has been designed to provide glass processors with greater output capacity in shorter timescales.

Tailored to the needs of individual glass manufacturers, the LamiPress can be specifically configured to provide the highest quality LSG units that conform to all industry standards.

The idea behind the concept is to enable customers to further develop their product lines. As different materials can be combined in a single batch, such as foil with different glass types of varying thicknesses, this gives customers greater business potential.

Float, toughened or patterned glass can easily be integrated with other materials such as stainless steel or fabric during the lamination process. Other technical advantages enable the use and combination of various film types such as printed PVB, SentryGlass, EVA or TPU during the production process.

With a short cycle time of just 45 minutes, the LamiPress provides a number of energy-saving benefits including an eco-friendly, heating and cooling system. The compact design requires no pre-lamination and saves valuable space on the production floor.

Equally, for processors with limited space, the LamiStore offers an ideal space-saving storage system where both prefabricated and cooled laminated safety glass can be used, all of which sits directly above the LamiPress. Depending on the specific material used, this storage system enables proper cooling of finished units.

The cooling process provided by the LamiStore really saves energy, as less heat is lost and the LamiPress requires less time to heat up for the next laminated glass production run, which helps to speed up the entire manufacturing process.

Steve Goble Managing Director Hegla UK said: “Apart from specialist laminated glass the use of laminated glass is increasing substantially in the UK and will continue to do so. Hegla has substantial experience within this field and a comprehensive range of equipment used extensively in markets such as Germany where technical developments have advanced more as laminated glass is by far the most dominant safety glass used. In order to gain a competitive edge in this industry it is imperative to accurately cut, break and separate glass as fast as possible during the production process.

“With additional options on the range of equipment such as twin soft coat edge deletion, automatic PVB overlap trimming and high speed separation reducing heat in the glass along with automatic off-cut storage and re-use, manufacturers will gain a competitive advantage.”

To learn more about improving production floor efficiency or to discuss lamination glass methods please call Steve Goble on: 01908 261933

Spectus Window Systems is the supplier of choice for so many of the industry’s fabricators. But it isn’t just the wide range of products that makes the company such a reliable choice. It’s also about the commitment to continuous improvement that mean the company – and therefore its customers – remain at the forefront of the industry.

Let’s take Spectus’ range of ancillaries components as an example. The range of over 80 products is designed to enhance the window and door systems and cover colour, specification, style, decorative finishing touches and double and triple glazing options. The range is designed to give the customer as much personalisation and individualisation as they need. Just as importantly, the range suites across all Spectus systems and means every window and door can be glazed and installed quickly, efficiently and cost-effectively, saving fabricators and installers time and money at every stage of the process.

The range is under constant review to ensure it continues to deliver what’s required. Martin Althorpe, Technical Director at Spectus comments: “After the system itself, nearly all of our trade partners say what they want is to be able to supply solutions for every installation challenge efficiently and economically. We’re constantly developing the range of ancillaries components to ensure it delivers what’s required – it’s about evolution not revolution.”

Examples of this approach are in the introduction of a fifth glazing bead option that caters for the growth in triple glazing and a two part cill option that reduces the risk of damage during installation. There’s also Spectus’ unique 100% recycled and 100% recyclable RCM thermal inserts that give around 25% better thermal performance than using steel reinforcements in outerframes in its Elite 70 profiles.

Aside from this impressive versatility in the ancillary products, let’s not forget you can make any style of windows or door with Spectus. The Elite 63 and the Elite 70 systems give you the ability to make casement and tilt and turn windows. The Spectus Vertical Slider provides the market-leading sliding sash window solution while the flush casement window opens up even more of the heritage market. The FRW system provides the reversible option and patio doors, formers and curtain walling complete the portfolio.

All these systems – and the accompanying ancillaries – will be on display at Spectus stand, B34, at the FIT Show. Spectus customers are well-advised to pay a visit to see the latest developments and new opportunities for themselves. And if you’re not already a Spectus customer, why not pay a visit to explore just what the company could offer your business.

www.spectus.co.uk

Anglo European Group and Joe Martoccia have led a consortium in forming Aluminium Developments Group and acquiring Corby-based aluminium extrusion and component manufacturing business, Aluminium Shapes. Employing over 60 people, Aluminium Shapes serves a wide range of industries and offers its customers a complete end-to-end service, from design and prototyping right through to component production.

Leading the acquisition, Joe Martoccia has been appointed Group CEO and will be based at Aluminium Shapes’ head office and production facility in Corby, Joe comments: “Investment from Anglo European Group, existing shareholders and the management team, together with funding from AIB (GB) delivers a well structured, robust platform for growth in what is an exciting and dynamic sector. Collaboration with Anglo European in the fenestration and road transport markets will provide additional opportunities for growth, building on what is an already diverse customer base.

“This is an amazing business with a successful history and strong pedigree. From the moment I set foot in the place, I was overwhelmed by the enthusiasm, support and expertise of the team. There is a genuine ‘can do’ attitude which underpins the company’s superb customer service and quality ethos. Aluminium Shapes is a solid company, with the additional investment and combined expertise of the management team we can significantly accelerate the growth of the business.”

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Leicestershire based Jackloc, creator of the original, award-winning universal window and door cable restrictor has been recognised with The Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Innovation.

Established over five decades ago, the awards have propelled UK businesses onto the world stage with an ‘internationally-renowned symbol of excellence’. Awards are presented by Her Majesty The Queen on the advice of the Prime Minister and an advisory committee, comprised of the head of the Civil Service and representatives from government, the private sector and trade unions.

“We are unbelievably honoured to receive the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the Innovation category,” commented Emma Wells, founder and director at Jackloc. “To be recognised by the highest honour in UK business, renowned across the world is an incredibly proud moment for Jackloc and is the result of our continued commitment to innovation and safety.”

Jackloc was founded in 2003 by Emma and her late sister Deborah, with their other sister Judith Burrows joining as a Director in 2008. The business is built on the pioneering design created by their father Derek Horne, who after speaking with a hotelier who came perilously close to a falling child, created a simple, yet effective window restrictor to dramatically reduce the risk.

“Jackloc has come an awfully long way from working at the dining room table,” added Judith. “We are supplying Jacklocs across the world including seven-star hospitals in Abu Dhabi, five-star hotels in Iraq and we’re working in close partnership with local NHS trusts and leading hotel chains here in the UK. Whilst this award is truly amazing and something we never thought we would receive, our hard work doesn’t stop. We are dedicated to reducing the number of injuries and fatalities across the world caused by falling from windows.”

www.jackloc.com

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It would be fair to say that since the beginning of the year, I have been inundated with conversations, complaints and general conversation about the dire state of fabrication from various installers. I have also been party conversations with fabricators about the problems they are having with their systems companies too.

The rate at which I am having these types of discussions is at a frequency I have never experienced up until now. In short, I have never seen the industry struggle with issues like customer service and product quality like this before.

The skills shortage is here and I fully believe that the industry at most, if not all levels is now in crisis.

Problems coming home to roost

Many moons ago, I felt like I was one of only few who was trying to raise what I thought to be a valid point about the extreme lack of young blood coming into the industry. As the older generation of talent left our industry or retired, I didn’t believe there was much talent waiting in the wings to replace those who had served our industry well.

Then the Great Recession struck. Business levels fell which meant staffing levels at installers, fabricators and systems companies fell too. For the time being, the skills shortage issue was put on the back burner.

And then we recovered. Perhaps quicker than our industry thought it might. Armed with an array of new and innovative products designed to tempt home owners into new home improvement purchases, our sector was on the road to recovery in no time. Problem was, as sales recovered and business grew, the rush to re-hire never came. Instead, businesses at all levels have been trying to do more business on lower staffing levels. Some re-hiring has been done, but the pace of growth has far outrun the pace of hiring.

Companies have been keen to “streamline” their operations, which basically means less people doing more things. Well, that’s all well and good but there is a limit and I think we’re at that limit now. Secondly, even if we all wanted to hire more people and reduce the workload, I don’t think there is a significant enough talent pool for us to go to. The whole of construction in general is so far behind the curve when it comes to recruitment that I don’t actually think we’ll ever recover to normal levels.

To add to the problems, I believe our industry is now over-diversified. During the recession we were all encouraged to branch out into new products to help find new revenue streams. There’s no doubting we’ve done that. But we haven’t taken the foot off the gas. Suppliers have been in a constant race to out-innovate each other, where I think we’re now at a point where installers are now overloaded with products, not enough information to go with those products and fabricators who are split across so many different product ranges that quality is now starting to suffer.

These are problems that have been years in the making and they’re now starting to hit home.

Has it ever been this bad?

I have only been in the industry for 12 years, which in the grand scheme of things isn’t all that long. But during my time in this industry I cannot remember a time where customer service and quality across all areas of the supply chain has been this bad. If it has been worse, please tell me when in the comments section below.

I believe that a combination of under-staffing, over supply of products and a strained workforce have all combined to leave us in the situation we now find ourselves. The sad fact of the matter is I don’t think it’s going to get better any time soon.

Consider this: the general tone of the conversation and the general perception of industry service right now is that it’s in the gutter. We’re only into April, not our busiest period. We’re going to get busier and busier as an industry over the coming months, which is only going to put further strain on our supply chain. It’s going to get worse.

There needs to be some radical changes in many parts of the industry right now. To begin with, those in the systems company and fabricator levels need to start hiring more and better quality people. If what comes out of their doors is poor, then it will be fitted poorly at installer level, leaving the installer with the problem and the home owner unhappy. Get hiring and get hiring now.

Next, scale back the product innovation. In comparison to ten years ago our industry’s product portfolio is massive. But we need to take a minute to consolidate where we’re at. Do we really need every single new product and innovation possible. Is it not time to assess which products are selling and which ones aren’t and cut them from the picture? It would save fabricators time and effort in prep for these products, and it will help installers become that little bit clearer as to what is and what isn’t available to sell to home owners.

Finally, pay some attention to the existing workforce. My bet is many of them are exhausted and stressed due to the increases workload over the past few years. A happy workforce is one that fabricates and installs well. An unhappy workforce, which I believe is what we have right now, is the exact opposite. The guys and girls on the shop floor, on deliveries, on the phones are the most important people in our businesses. They have to feel valued and be paid well if their efforts deserve it.

We really do need to start addressing these problems now. I foresee things only getting worse in our industry if we don’t, and we’re about to head into a busy summer period. I sense that the window industry isn’t that fun to be in right now.

Celebrating 35 years of business is no easy feat in this industry as many system houses and profile systems have found over the last 10 years or so. Selecta Systems go in to the FIT Show celebrating their 35^th year with a very positive feeling about the future, but have never forgotten their roots that got them where they are today. It’s this delicate, but fine mix of past, present and future that see’s Selecta’s position in the market and most importantly the Advance 70 System, flourishing as they embark on a new chapter in their proud history.

Selecta History in Brief

The Selecta journey started in May 1982, in the South of England with the Selecta MK1 profile system shipped in from Germany. This was to be a mechanically jointed window system using a block system and rivets and was the original system that set Selecta on their way.

In 1984, Selecta Window Systems as they were known, moved to their present day home of Birmingham, occupying a small office building and warehouse. I say home, as the owners used to sleep and stay in the upper levels of the office block and work on the ground floor during the day!

Selecta grew throughout the 80’s with new system development and the addition of residential and patio door systems. The first major system breakthrough was the 4000 System which became the kickstart to Selecta’s success. It was an externally beaded system, but with a bit of fabrication knowledge could be turned in to an internally beaded system. The fabricator friendly system, with universal steel reinforcement, meant low stock holding for fabricators, a philosophy that Selecta have taken forward and continue to promote today – the need to ensure fabrication of their systems is as efficient and effective as possible, demonstrated by the current Advance 70.

Up until 1995, all of Selecta’s window and door systems had been extruded firstly in Germany and in the later years in the UK by other extrusion houses / companies. Following many expansions of the Birmingham site, with Selecta now occupying the majority of the warehouses at the top of Winster Grove and staff up to around 60-70, it was clear that Selecta had outgrown the facilities and there was a need to extrude their own systems. A plot of land sat behind the offices, which was purchased and work began on a purpose built state-of-the-art extrusion and distribution centre. By the end of 1995 Selecta moved in to the newly built premises, instantly increasing staff by approximately 20 as they began the process of extruding their own systems for the first time.

During the 90’s and early 00’s Selecta consolidated their position as a specialist in setting up new window and door fabricator businesses, as the industry grew and the demand for uPVC windows and doors blossomed. The industry was certainly booming but also developing. Selecta continued to develop their products and service with a vast emphasis on a personal and flexible service for fabricators – again part of the original ethos that has stayed with the business throughout the years.

The end of 2006 saw two years of research and development come to fruition with the launch of the original Advance 70 System. The all new 70mm system was ahead of its time with the thermal efficiency, robust and fabricator friendly system raising the bar considerably. Originally released as a chamfered system, an integrated sculptured suite was added to the Advance 70 System in 2013 which was quickly followed by the MASTERfold bi-folding door in 2014.

Over the years the Advance 70 System has been modified, improved and developed further, demonstrating the versatility, resourcefulness and ingenuity of the system.

Selecta Today

Today, Selecta Systems remain independently owned and by the same family whom started the business back in 1982. The original ethos and values remain, those that have served the business well over the years. Flexibility, customer care and support combined with a bespoke personal service continue to be key elements of the Selecta philosophy.

This uniqueness ensures that Selecta have a strong and distinctive place within the market when compared with the competition. Now employing over 120, the Selecta ‘family’ has grown steadily over the years and is now undergoing a recruitment drive with expansion within the Marketing, Customer and Sales Support teams.

The Advance 70 System has gone from strength-to-strength with the 2017 launch of the new flush sash section and the 80mm traditional frame. These new ingenious additions to the suite sit within the same principles applied all those years ago – providing a fabricator friendly system, making them more efficient with less stock holding, whilst offering greater product diversity. This includes the inspired design choice to enable the flush sash to be fabricated within the existing 70mm or the new 80mm frame.

Hot on the heels of the flush sash window comes the Advance 70 EASi-FOLD Door with hardware that has been specifically designed to fit the system to ensure smooth, consistent and flawless operation. This innovative and revolutionary alternative to the bi-fold door, demonstrates the versatility and superiority of the Advance 70 System, of which it is fast becoming known for.

It is on the back of the #bepartofthefamily campaign, the unique, flexible and personal service along with the excellent qualities of the Advance 70 System that has seen Selecta convert a record number of fabricators in the first four months of 2017. The business is developing and there is a new found confidence in Selecta and the Advance 70 system as larger fabricators make the change.

The new products, enthusiasm and energy of the Selecta ‘family’ will be there for all to see come 23^rd – 25^th May as they invite you all to visit their stand – C20. Join in the 35^th birthday celebrations on the Tuesday evening between 5-8pm with an 80’s & 90’s disco, beer and bubbly and of course a slice of cake!

Selecta in the Future

It is certainly looking promising for the Advance 70 System and Selecta as they enter their 35^th year. A new found enthusiasm, energy and desire amongst the invigorated long-term staff with the energised zest of the new employees is having a positive impact moving forward. It’s that passion and drive, backed up by a first class window and door system, that ensues what is looking like a very bright and encouraging future for Selecta.

After 35 years of existence it’s strange to refer to Selecta as the new kid on the block, as they’ve predominantly gone about their business quietly, but you cannot fail to see the galvanised spirit and desire of a business with long term ambitions and aspirations. 2017 and beyond see’s Selecta firmly installed as a forward thinking system house with a very proud history, whom is not afraid to forget their roots – that unique ethos and those core values that made them who they are today.

As for the future of Selecta, they will be the first to admit that they are not the largest extruder out there. With the versatility and superiority of the Advance 70 window and door system, supported by the experienced, knowledgeable family behind them, they do however, aspire to be the best… it’s time to #bepartofthefamily

Stoke-on-Trent based fabricator, UK Window Systems, has been acquired by external investors who have introduced a new management team to the business. The company has been trading since 2003 and was originally set-up by partners, Gary Beech and Richard Barlow.

Gary remains in the business as operations director and will oversee the production and manufacturing of the company’s products. Michael Armstrong has been newly appointed as managing director and will take care of the day-to-day running of the organisation. The pair have also been joined by Nick Holloway, previous sales director at Hallmark Panels Doors.

Michael commented on the acquisition: “The new management team took over the company in November 2016. UK Window Systems manufacturers two of the industry’s leading profile systems Rehau and the Residence collection, along with a range of composite doors and the Ultraframe conservatory roofing system. The business has been totally understated for many years, an undiscovered gem and has a vast amount of potential.

“Year-on-year – since it’s setup, the company has grown steadily with little marketing and sales effort, an incredible achievement considering the industry’s austerity over previous years. With a new management structure in place, we are now quite excited with the prospect of developing the business, extending our market offering further by introducing new products and by servicing trade customers nationally,” Michael added.

Nick Holloway commented: “I already had a close relationship with Michael from my previous role as sales director at Hallmark, so when he approached me to join the company it was too good of an opportunity to pass-by.

“The company has already undergone a complete transformation since I arrived in November 2016. It has been restructured to introduction new products, new resources to support the operational functions and seen a redesign of the manufacturing and trade-counter layout to offer more efficient supply for trade customers.

“I’m looking forward to being part of the company’s development and helping to take it to greater heights in the industry. With the current potential and open-mindedness of its investors, it is a great time for customers to get involved.”

www.ukwindowsltd.co.uk

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