Defibrillator at LTF

Lancashire Trade Frames, of Woodhill Road, has purchased and installed an automated external defibrillator (AED) available for public use, should it be needed.

The purchase was prompted by an incident that the managing director of the window fabrication business, Mark Rowland, freely admits ‘shook him up’.

An employee suffered a sudden cardiac arrest while on site and according to Mark, it was only due to the quick thinking and first-aid skills of another employee, 21-year old Liam, a trained first-aider, that a tragedy was avoided.

Mark said: “Of course, as an employer, we’ve got trained first-aiders on site, but it was still frightening. Afterwards, we wanted to know if there was anything else we could have done while waiting for the emergency services to arrive.”

After learning that early defibrillation can make a significant difference to survival rates and that only minimal training is required to use an AED, the business has made the purchase. The equipment is lightweight, portable and simple to use, with the device guiding the user throughout. By analysing heart rhythms, administering an electrical charge when necessary and instructing in the use of CPR, these defibrillators can save lives.

Mark said: “I feel happier with this equipment on site, but it’s not just for our staff. This is a community resource. I hope no one ever has need of it, but if they do, it’s here.”

Lancashire Trade Frames are based at Lancashire House on Woodhill Road, Bury and can be contacted on 0161 762 5800.

www.lancashirepvcutradeframes.co.uk

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Emplas has announced restructure of its senior management team as part of three-year strategic growth plan through to 2020.

With significant and continuing growth in Q1 and Q2 this year and following on from increased sales last year, the organisational review sees Emplas bring new and experienced personnel, to its senior leadership team.

This sees Ryan Johnson, continue to head the business as Managing Director. Kush Patel, formerly Emplas’ Operations Director, steps up to a new position as Deputy Managing Director, while Philip Brown continues in his tenure as Financial Director.

Ray Sinclair, assumes a new role of Operations Director, while John Leary, is Emplas’ recently appointed Sales and Marketing Director. Roberto Canassa, is also promoted to board level as IT Director.

Kevin Johnson will continue to offer strategic leadership to the business as Emplas’ Chairman, while its board will also be supported by a newly created management team.

Ryan Johnson, Managing Director, Emplas said: “We have seen some great growth but recognise that we need the right people- not just the right infrastructure – in place to ensure that it continues to be delivered sustainably.

“The appointments that we have made, allows us to bring some exceptionally experienced people into senior roles, which gives us depth and resource as a team to fulfil our ambitions for future growth.

“Importantly this needs to be focussed and deliver for our customers, whether that’s through product innovation or improved customer service and support.”

Emplas added Profile 22’s new Optima suite to its offer last year, launching the new Optima Flush system at the beginning of  this year. It added the UltraRoof 380 from Ultraframe to its offer in Spring, while the G15 Fabricator of the Year has recently upgraded its’ composite door offer to offer Secured by Design specification as Standard.

Emplas also recently announced the expansion of its ex-stock colour range. Cutting lead times and reducing costs, foiled Cream, Anthracite Grey, Anthracite Grey on White, Black Brown, and Black Brown on White are now available as ex-stock standard colours.

Product innovation has been accompanied by major expansion of Emplas’ manufacturing capability, including investment in new machinery and a 18,000 sq ft extension of its factory. This has also included the integration of its manufacturing and IT infrastructures with those of customer services and client software tools, to offer improved transparency and service to its customers.

“We have been very clear that the £3 million plus investment that we’re making in the factory and in our IT infrastructure has to translate directly into an improved service and support offer for our customers”, continued Ryan.

“Transparency and visibility on orders is incredibly important because it means that everyone is ‘singing off the same hymn sheet’ – production, customer services and installers – and that makes for a far better level of customer service.

“We have a cutting-edge system in Optima but it’s the service and support that we can offer to our customers which is key to our growth. That’s about systems and it’s about people – and we’re investing in each.”

For more information on Emplas visit www.emplas.co.uk , email info@emplas.co.uk or call 01933 674880.

Amber Home Improvements, Norwich Showroom, Hellesdon Hall Industrial Estate

Amber Home Improvements, part of the Conservatory Outlet Network of retailers, has unveiled its second ‘state of the art’ Norwich showroom with a ‘record-breaking’ opening weekend.

The opening of the 5,000ft2 retail space was marked in June with an exclusive VIP party evening, followed by more than 50 new customer enquiries from across Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire. Special offers included a free 49in television on all conservatory orders, as well as up to 40% off and a lifetime guarantee.

Situated in a ‘prime position’ opposite Asda on the Hellesdon Hall Industrial Estate in Norwich, the new ‘high-end’ retail space showcases everything from cutting edge windows, conservatories, orangeries and garden rooms, with roof systems including lanterns, glass and solid roofs, and to complete the range, a selection of doors, including bi-folding, French, patio, and of course front and back.

Paul Edwards, Amber Home Improvements sales director, said: “We’ve been really inspired by some of the amazing showrooms that have opened since we became part of the Conservatory Outlet Network five years ago. With the support of the Network behind us, our team have worked incredibly hard to create an amazing new space that brings our products to life – customers can touch, feel, compare and visualise almost everything to complete their home, all under one roof. I can safely say there is not another showroom like this in East Anglia!”

Andy Miller, business development director of the Conservatory Outlet Network, concluded: “The launch of the new showroom from Amber Home Improvements marks the third opening within the Conservatory Outlet Network this year, with a fourth now in progress. We are so pleased to see Amber go from strength to strength in recent years. The new showroom is certainly one the whole network can aspire to.”

www.amberhome.co.uk

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Glow heated glass is the latest innovative technology to take the glazing industry by storm. This pioneering product has be showcased exclusively at this year’s Grand Designs live show, with over 20 years manufacturing experience and continuous research and development within the glass industry Tuff X are able to combine the very latest technology with consumer’s expectation to become the UK’s first company to offer heated glass for Bi-folding doors. Glow heated glass is electrically heated which converts electric power into heat and are thermostatically controlled with a temperatures up 35-40c.

MD Graham Price commented the consumer reaction to the GLOW brand has been overwhelming with a strategic planned growth now being implemented. We are now actively seeking a select number of trade partners to be part of this exciting new product.

The post Glow heated glass showcased by Tuff at Grand Designs show appeared first on Windows Active Magazine.

Edgetech’s Trufit insulation tape played a central role in this year’s Master Fitter Challenge, the two-day test of skill that’s been a FIT Show highlight since the event began.

The popular competition saw six teams of experienced installers battle it out to fit windows, residential and bifold doors and a roof lantern, all under the eagle-eyed gaze of professional GQA assessors and show-goers from throughout the industry.

This year, the competitors were faced with an extra challenge – the window and residential door had to be fitted with Edgetech’s TruFit insulation tape, a product most of them had never used before. But as Edgetech’s head of marketing Charlotte Davies explains, initials nerves were quickly replaced with relief as they got to work.

“To start with, the competitors were a bit sceptical about TruFit, which was understandable – they’d never used it before, they were under a lot of pressure, and were facing the prospect of having to quickly get used to and effectively apply an unfamiliar product while being scrutinised by experts in the field.

“Thankfully, though, it didn’t take them long to realise that TruFit has been designed with ease of use in mind. Where silicone can be messy, expensive and inconsistent, TruFit tape is easy to apply and provides industry-leading weather-tightness, air-tightness, and thermal and acoustic insulation – and by the end, some of the contestants were asking for boxes of TruFit they could take away and use on their day-to-day installations!”

Mick Clayton, GQA CEO commented: “It was great to see TruFit included in the challenge for two reasons. Firstly, it pushed the competitors out of their comfort zone so we could see how they handled an unfamiliar product under pressure, and secondly, it exemplified the kind of outstanding installation work we wanted the contestants to achieve. If it’s not installed or insulated correctly, then even the highest specification window isn’t going to achieve its potential.”

David Keates of DK Windows, the firm that walked away with the top prize of £5,000, commented: “In the beginning, we were wary of TruFit – we’d never used it before, and we were worried that a new product might hold us back. In fact, it’s extremely easy to use, and we’ll definitely be considering using it on future installations!”

TruFit, provided by Edgetech in association with manufacturing partner Tremco Illbruck, is a compressed foam insulating seal. The tape expands to effectively seal all gaps and spaces between the frame and wall to ensure consistent weather protection, air-tightness and eliminate draughts.

www.trufit-it.com

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Image Above: David Oldfield

The stories we hear about Grenfell Tower are concerning and the BWF team has been working tirelessly since the tragedy to provide the necessary support and advice to those involved and ensure that corrective action is timely and efficient. Fire doors are in every building that we live in, work in and sleep in, but they are often overlooked, ignored and allowed to slip into a sorry state.

Many people do not realise that the real job of a fire door is to hold back fire, smoke and toxic gases, delaying the spread around a building and keeping the vital means of escape route clear. They only work properly if they are specified, manufactured, installed and maintained correctly, and of course, closed when a fire breaks out.

Fire Door Safety Week investigations have pointed to an endemic fire safety problem in this type of housing stock and many other residential, recreational, leisure, healthcare and educational buildings. It is sadly not uncommon to see buildings without fire doors, no emergency lighting or signage on doors and escape routes, broken fire rated glass, wedged-open fire doors, poor fire stopping around service hatches that breach compartmentation, no intumescent or smoke seals in fire doors, rubbish and combustible material left in the common areas.

“In the catalogue of issues that the full investigation will reveal, it is clear that there are systemic failures that need to be looked at. We must look for quick wins, but take a holistic approach to active and passive options to ensure that we can all live, recover, work, learn and play in relative safety.

Our hope is not simply that full and comprehensive inspections and risk assessments happen now, but that their recommendations are acted upon quickly, and that the regulatory framework is addressed and policed with suitable resource to ensure we don’t simply create a hiatus and allow matters to drift back to the reprehensible state they are now in.

We also reiterate our call for a Register of Responsible Persons so that the responsible person is not be a mystery person lurking in the shadows, but must be front and centre so that people know where to take their problems.

By identifying the responsible person by name and providing the appropriate contact details, residents and building users are empowered to raise problems. This also ensures that those responsible for keeping them safe are made aware of issues directly. This doesn’t do away with the need for fire risk assessments, but supplements an effective process by harnessing the crowd to stay vigilant.

David Oldfield, Chairman, BWF Fire Door Scheme www.bwfcertifireorg.uk

from left to right: Dr Peter Mrosik (profine Group), Guy Hubble (Regalead) and Stefan Seidel (Profine UK).

Profine Group CEO and owner, Dr Peter Mrosik, took time out to visit the FIT Show and the Kömmerling stand on the Tuesday.

Operating in 70 different countries with 29 sites in 22 different countries, the Profine Group says it has an ‘impressive global reach’ through its KBE, Kömmerling and Trocal brands. As the owner and CEO, Dr Mrosik has placed great importance of the UK market to the Group as he explained: “The UK is fundamentally important to the profine Group and despite the looming Brexit issues, we are fully committed to building our long-term vision in this strategic market.

“We’ve got important new product developments in place, specific to the UK market and the 76mm platform, that will help realise further ambitions for us of better levels of product performance, energy efficiency and the introduction of new technologies. In the medium term, we also haven’t dismissed the opportunity to build a dedicated, world class extrusion facility.”

www.profine-group.com

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The brand new Envirotile Natural Slate Tile is available now from Icotherm Solid Roof. It’s backed by an impressive 25-year 8Fix storm-proof manufacturer’s guarantee which runs alongside the 10-year guarantee from Icotherm.

Offering a stunning natural slate finish, the new Envirotile is fast to fit on site with a unique interlocking system and is cost-effective because more square metres can be covered with fewer tiles.

Dave Jackson, the brains behind Icotherm Solid Roof says: “We designed the Icotherm roof to be quick and easy to fit so installers could be on and off-site as quickly as possible and fit in more jobs. Adding Envirotile and Enviroslate to our range of roof finishes will make the process even faster.

“It’s a fantastic product. Envirotile is really lightweight, so it’s the ideal tile for completing solid roof conservatory refurbishments. It’s got a unique interlocking, dry-fix system so there’s no need for any cement. And it has guaranteed performance – it has been weather tested in up to 147mph wind loads.

“The 25-year 8Fix storm-proof guarantee proves the reliability of Envirotile. It runs alongside the existing Icotherm 10-year guarantee for extra peace of mind that installers can offer to homeowners.

“It takes just 11.9 tiles to cover a square metre so it’s a cost-effective finish. Plus, the tile looks great. It really does give a natural slate effect, which is exactly what we need from a lightweight, high-performance roof tile for Icotherm Solid Roof.”

Envirotile is BBA Certified, manufactured from recycled plastic and has a Greenspec award.

Icotherm Solid Roof is the fully insulated, lightweight solid roof conservatory constructed from unique structural timber modular pods. It has a cross ventilation system to eliminate condensation.

www.icotherm.co.uk

Endurance^® Doors have just brought The Finishing Touches to print, which is a new 20-page brochure detailing impressive hardware and glazing options for their range of high performance, solid and secure composite doors.

This extension of the marketing programme has come in response to the new #YouAskedEnduranceListened initiative, which will in time be expanded from marketing deliverables, to include other elements influencing the whole customer experience at Endurance^® Doors. But highest ranked request in the recent surveys, was this dedicated brochure for hardware and glass.

The Finishing Touches is carefully sectioned with door hardware split into the separate categories of classic, heritage, architectural and urban. There are also details on the latest Yale Conexis L1 keyless smart door lock, which has just been launched, while the glass section is split into simple and stylish, decorative and eye catching.

Throughout all the brochures, including the newly re-printed main 92-page brochure, consumers and the trade and being encouraged to use the Door Designer facility. This has constantly evolved over the last 6 months offering a better user interface and importantly, designed to deliver more sales leads for Preferred Installers.

Stephen Nadin, managing director of Endurance^® Doors commented: ‘The Finishing Touches is an excellent addition to our marketing support programme, as we look to continue to be the fastest growing composite door manufacturer in the UK. Existing customers are experiencing strong growth, while new customers are coming aboard in droves, thanks to our unrivalled product specification and impressive marketing.’

For a free copy of The Finishing Touches or for further information on Endurance^® Doors, including complete door sets or slab only manufacturing, please visit www.endurancedoors.co.uk, e-mail sales@endurancedoors.co.uk or call the sales office on 01652 462042. You can also follow them on Twitter @EnduranceDoors.

Brian Berry

The government’s Immigration Bill must ensure that British business has access to sufficient levels of EU workers or major construction projects will grind to a halt, the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) has said in response to the Queen’s Speech.

Brian Berry, chief executive of the FMB, said: “In terms of the Queen’s Speech and the focus of British business, all eyes are on the Immigration Bill. As suspected, we now know that the Bill will end the free movement of people but that begs the question: what will replace it? The government has not set out what our post-Brexit immigration system will look like but it is crucial that key strategic industries, such as construction, are able to draw upon sufficient numbers of EU workers. EU tradespeople have come to play a crucial part in plugging the industry’s chronic skills gap and if the ability to employ non-UK workers is curtailed, the government’s housing and infrastructure plans will be no more than a pipe dream.”

Berry continued: “Already, we’re starting to see a dramatic drop off in immigration from the kinds of countries that have typically supplied the construction sector with skilled talent. Statistics released today by Oxford University’s Migration Observatory show a 35% fall in the number of national insurance numbers being issued to nationals from the ‘EU8’ countries that joined the EU in 2004. A lack of certainty over what rights EU citizens will have in the country post-Brexit will undoubtedly be a factor behind this decline. Given the ongoing need to recruit from abroad, we need a clear message from the government that non-UK skilled workers are welcome now, and will be welcome come what May.”

Berry concluded: “The sector stands ready to work with MPs to shape the Immigration Bill into something that serves the economy and provides vital human resource to British business. The construction industry is also ready to significantly upscale the training and recruitment of UK construction workers so we welcome the recommitment to a proper industrial strategy and high skilled learning. In the longer term, being able to train more of our own workforce is without question part of the solution to our enduring skills deficit. Nevertheless, the government must be pragmatic and introduce an immigration flexible system that allows skilled EU nationals to work in the UK with relative ease.”

www.fmb.org.uk

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