WILL CHINA’S NEW ENVIRONMENTAL POLICIES CREATE UPHEAVAL TO THE ALUMINIUM MARKET?

Picture above: Mike Davis, CDW Managing Director

China has spent decades building its industrial capacity but is now turning its attention to pollution as the priority policy.

The recently introduced Air Pollution Control regulation has been imposed to eliminate coal usage and reduce the emissions of almost every other pollutant across 28 cities.

As part of this, the government has imposed targets to cut industrial metals production including aluminium.

Although aluminium is considered a ‘green’ building material, many older and smaller production facilities in the cities source their power from coal, the main target of China’s anti-pollution initiative.

As a result, China is forcing aluminium smelters to cut outputs by 30 per cent over the winter heating season (November – March), with estimates that the cuts will mean the loss of 2.71 million tonnes of aluminium.

China is the world’s largest producer of aluminium and it is anticipated the new environmental regulations will impact supply-demand dynamics, sending shockwaves through the global supply chain.

The news has already seen a hike in global aluminium prices. On the London Metal Exchange, aluminium hit a near two-year high of $1,957 per tonne.

Mike Davis, Managing Director of aluminium specialist CDW Systems, comments: “The aluminium market’s main problem for many years has been over-supply, primarily in China so a cut in output will help to reduce the vast inventory overhang and hopefully work towards a long-term reduction in output from China.

“There is no denying the new regulations will have an impact on the global supply chain, driving up supplier prices and putting pressure on manufacturers to do the same. But the years of excess production should provide a cushion against drastic disruption.”

For more information call 01452 414853 or visit www.cdwsystems.co.uk

Duncan Wietscher, director of Newview Windows & Conservatories

A new report from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has reportedly revealed that the UK construction industry could lose almost 200,000 EU workers post-Brexit.

The report warns that failure to secure access to the single market could place the UK’s predicted £500 billion infrastructure pipeline under threat.

Duncan Wietscher, director of Newview Windows & Conservatories, commented: “It is in our best interests to make a success of Brexit and secure the best trade deals we can, but a loss of access to the single market has the potential to impact in the short term, making it harder for our cities to compete on a global stage and negatively impacting the economy.

“We desperately need to secure access to the single market or put alternative plans in place to safeguard the future of construction and our country.”

Much of the industry is dependent on EU workers, with 30% of construction professionals surveyed by RICS reportedly stating that hiring non-UK workers was important to the success of their businesses.

Duncan stresses that more importance should be placed on technical construction skills. He commented: “A simple first step would be to ensure that construction professions feature on the ‘UK Shortage Occupations List’. You can forge a good career in construction and we need to ensure the next generation is aware of this and prepare our own young people to enter a profession with a proven career path.”

Chancellor Philip Hammond briefly addressed the construction skills shortage in the March Budget, with the confirmation of the launch of new T-Level qualifications.

More than £500m a year is to be spent on new-style technical courses that offer an alternative route than A-levels into many careers, with construction prominent among them.

“While it is good to see, the skills shortage recognised as a priority issue, the new technical education reforms will be a drop in the ocean compared to the numbers we need to meet the demands created by our infrastructure programme. The industry needs to act now. We have to be relentless in securing a stable pipeline of nationally significant projects that will fuel economic growth,” concluded Duncan.

www.newview-homes.co.uk

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Leading glass manufacturer TuffX is always exceeding expectations when it comes to their ambience roof glass range. They take the initiative by having an extensive, impressive and broad range of colours and specifications for conservatory roof glass. This allows their clients to give their customers exactly what they want without any hassle.

Recently one of their clients based in Denby Dale, Huddersfield ordered 14 panels of their Ambi-Aqua Self-Cleaning glass. The client explained that they needed the most efficient glass they stock. This had to be not too strong in colour, yet had the properties to reflect the suns heat in the summer and keep it warmer in the winter. Graham Price, Director at TuffX said “Our Ambi-Aqua glass is the perfect choice for conservatory roof glass. It is a superior glass roof product in the Ambience range with exceptional heat reflection capabilities. In respect of innovation and style, Ambi-aqua is the most modern and reliable glass roof option that can offer year round surroundings to live in.”

The clients are extremely pleased with their new glass roof, having said, “We are very happy with the outcome of the roof. We had never thought to convert the roof into glass until our friend had theirs done and we saw the benefits. The colour of the glass is a perfect slight aqua tint which is what we wanted. We are so pleased to be able to use our conservatory all year round.”

The Ambi-Aqua glass is a high performing glass which reflects 82% of the sun’s heat, reducing the internal temperature of a conservatory, particularly with a south facing aspect, by up to 9°C during the hottest summer months. It has a U-Value as low as 1.0 and comes with self-cleaning properties. It also provides greater glare reduction, thanks to its visually stunning aqua tint. TuffX offer a nationwide delivery service on any given day and can be delivered to factory or site.

The Ambience range is now well established as a market leading brand that provides customers with the broadest choice of high performance glass, in a wide variety of colours to suit both domestic and commercial applications. The Ambi Aqua is available now up to 4000mm in length. Find out more information at www.tuffxglass.co.uk or alternatively call 0845 3400 200 to discuss any project requirements.

High-flying Roseview need to extend their trophy cabinet after the latest in a string of award wins, which saw the fabricator named Company of the Year at the SME Buckinghamshire Business Awards 2017.

“We’re thrilled to be named Company of the Year, especially in our home county of Buckinghamshire,” comments Mike Bygrave, Marketing Manager at Roseview. “To be recognised as one of Buckinghamshire’s best businesses is a massive honour and we couldn’t be more proud.”

Winning the over-50 employees category, Roseview received their award at a glitzy black-tie gala dinner in Milton Keynes. The sash window specialists impressed judges with their industry-leading product range and commitment to innovation.

“After years of dedicated product development, we’re now a highly profitable, multi-million pound business with a nationwide reputation. We’ve changed perceptions of what uPVC is capable of, and created high-quality timber-alternative sash windows that are indistinguishable from original timber, and the most authentic on the market.”

Roseview claimed the highly-coveted Customer Care Initiative of the Year prize at the G16 Awards, recognition for their extensive customer support strategy and innovative sash window school initiative. Designed to empower installers, the school offers guidance and support to help them succeed in the buoyant vertical slider market.

For more information visit www.roseview.co.uk or call 01234 712657

Mat Gibson, Managing Director of Chase Taylor Recruitment, is heading to the FIT Show with a number of exciting recruitment related initiatives  

It is widely acknowledged that one of the main reasons the glazing industry is so innovative and responsive to market trends is the dynamic nature of its workforce. Right from the fitting teams to the management of the industry’s leading manufacturers, the people within these organisations are often the lifeblood of the business. With this onus on people it is important to manage human resources correctly, especially when it come to recruiting staff and looking for new job opportunities. Chase Taylor Recruitment is at the forefront of this process and offers professional recruitment services to both candidates and employers tailored specifically for the glazing, construction and fenestration industries.

The fast moving and dynamic nature of the fenestration industry affords ample employment opportunities across all layers of the sector. It can however be a daunting task that could benefit from the intervention and guidance delivered by a trained professional. Calling on the services of a professional has become the norm in so many aspects of life. We would use the services of a solicitor for legal issues and an accountant for financial matters, but when it comes to our own employment we often go it alone by simply updating our previous curriculum vitae. Mat Gibson, Managing Director of Chase Taylor Recruitment, believes that for your employment prospects it is of paramount importance to engage with a human resources expert to maximise your own potential. As part of Chase Taylor Recruitment’s drive to support the fenestration industry with added value human resource management, Mat and his team are offering a career health check service to individuals. Mat believes this will help develop the sector further in its efforts to deliver excellence in terms of service and products: “The fenestration and glazing industry is heavily reliant on the personnel that work within it. Career progression is a natural requirement for any industry, and without it, you run the risk of it escaping from the talent pool and jumping into another industry. At Chase Taylor we work closely with candidates offering them career advice and help them to reach their full potential.”

The free career health check service is an ideal way for individuals to perform an audit on their careers: “It is always important to assess the opportunities that exist to further enhance an individuals career. This doesn’t have to necessarily mean a change of employer, it could relate to ensuring they are maximising their talent and capabilities at their current employer. We are here to help and advise, and offering to perform a career MOT for candidates. The health checks are comprehensive and cover a range of areas including: financial benchmarks – how candidates’ pay compares with that of their industry peers; advice on CV creation and interview techniques.” explains Mat.

A key focus for Chase Taylor is to target workers who may have become rather institutionalised over the years working for a single organisation, as Mat explains: “Sometimes workers may find it a bit daunting to make the break from a relative comfort zone; we are there to help them achieve their full potential. At the FIT Show we will be offering our free bespoke advice service. These no-obligation consultations we have been offering candidates are proving extremely popular and this is something we want to build on. The FIT Show offers us the ideal platform on which to do this. A good example is someone who has reached their early- to mid-50s and wants a career push but has no idea where to start as they have been working for a single organisation for the majority of their working lives.”

Chase Taylor is gearing up for its appearance at this year’s FIT Show at the NEC in Birmingham, and is looking to further support candidates with the appointment of a new contact manager. Coupled with the free career health check service and a new, fresh website, its exciting times at Chase Taylor. Emma’s appointment signifies the start of a new period of growth at the company. Her role with be to engage with candidates and organisations to ensure their needs are being met. She comes from a very customer-focused recruitment background and has invaluable experience in dealing with clients. In addition to the appointment of Emma, Chase Taylor is embarking on a number of initiatives that are centring on its attendance at the FIT Show in May, the aim being to drive candidates to a newly updated website and the stand at the exhibition. As Managing Director Mat Gibson explains: “We are updating our website with a completely new fresh skin, to include new features that will enhance greatly the user experience. Emphasis is also being placed on the career health checks we are offering candidates.”

Chase Taylor prides itself on its approachability. It offers a service that is geared towards the needs of its candidates and clients and is much more than simply a place to find jobs. As experts in recruitment within the fenestration industry, Chase Taylor offers a truly bespoke consultancy service. For further information please call Mat Gibson on 01543 897800 or email: mat@chasetaylor.co.uk. To view current vacancies please visit: www.chasetaylor.co.uk. Chase Taylor with be exhibiting on stand G21 at the FIT Show from the 23-25th May 2017.

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A Wakefield manufacturer has announced the acquisition of one of its largest retail customers for an undisclosed sum.

The move will see Conservatory Outlet and Newcastle based Pennine Home Improvements under the same ownership. Funding to support the deal has been structured by Allied Irish Bank (GB).

As one of the top 2% of fabricators in the UK by volume, Conservatory Outlet manufactures window, door and conservatory products from its 60,000ft2 facility, supplying to a retail network of 24 installation companies that operate across the UK. This latest strategic acquisition is set to take the Group’s turnover to £25m – a reported five-fold growth achieved in the past seven years.

Greg Kane, CEO of the Conservatory Outlet Group, said: “We’re delighted to announce that Pennine Home Improvements and Conservatory Outlet have joined forces, bringing the manufacturing hub of our business closer to the customer than ever before.

“Pennine has been part of our network of retailers for just over three years, and has experienced an impressive 30% growth in that time, largely due to its highly committed management team and excellent internal processes. I’m certain our new vertical partnership will facilitate a level of knowledge-sharing never before seen in this market which will further support the growth and development of both businesses.”

Pennine Home Improvements will continue to operate as a separate retail business from its existing showrooms in Benton, Gosforth Park, Birtley and Ponteland. Graham Auld, the previous owner and managing director will exit the business. Mark Tinnion, the former brand director will become managing director and work alongside his fellow management team which includes Derek McLaren, sales director.

The combined ownership of the two businesses will allow further development of the group’s innovative product offer, processes and service features around the needs of the ultimate end-user.
Greg added: “The deal can only be of benefit to our wider network of independent retailers, of whom we’re extremely proud and equally as committed to supporting as ever – if they grow, we grow.”

Mark Tinnion, managing director of Pennine Home Improvements, concluded: “We’re really excited about joining forces with Conservatory Outlet and the opportunities for growth that it presents.
Our customers are at the heart of everything we do, and being closer to the manufacturing process can only enhance that.”

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