SAS LIFTS THE CURTAIN ON ITS NEW PARTNERSHIP WITH BEVAN

The UK’s largest privately-owned fenestrations systems company turned to the industry’s leading manufacturer of specialist transport solutions, for the curtainside bodies fitted to its new distribution fleet.

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has reminded companies making direct marketing calls that people registered with the Telephone Preference Service are “off limits”.

The warning comes as the ICO issues fines totalling £150,000 to two firms based in Bradford that, between them, sparked hundreds of complaints.

HPAS Ltd (trading as Safestyle UK) and Laura Anderson Ltd (trading as Virgo Home Improvements) broke the law when they called people who were registered with TPS.

HPAS Ltd has been fined £70,000 after the TPS and ICO received 264 complaints in 20 months. The company was repeatedly warned and placed on formal monitoring three times – but the complaints continued.

Laura Anderson Ltd has been fined £80,000 following 440 complaints in 19 months.

As well as the fines, the ICO has issued enforcement notices to both HPAS Ltd and Laura Anderson Ltd, compelling them to stop making nuisance calls or face court action.

The ICO found that neither company had subscribed to the TPS register in order to check whether the people they were contacting had opted out of receiving direct marketing. Both companies also contacted people after being explicitly told not to call again. This is against the law.

Steve Eckersley, ICO Head of Enforcement, said:

“Companies have no excuse – if people are registered with the Telephone Preference Service they are off limits.

“The law is clear and if companies fall foul of it with illegal and overly aggressive telesales tactics, we will take action on behalf of the people who suffer the nuisance.”

The ICO has had statutory responsibility for the TPS since December 2016 and received complaints about both Safestyle and Virgo from people who said that they received repeated unsolicited calls and that their opt out requests were being ignored.

Complaints about Safestyle included:

“This harassment has been going on for over five years now. I want it to stop.”

“I am disabled and pretty much housebound and he kept saying persistently that he was sending a rep around the next day. Makes me anxious as I kept saying no.”

Complaints about Virgo included:

“Angry. This is the 3rd call in two months. I have previously requested they delete our number, we are with TPS.”

“Unwanted and unneeded as we are currently dealing with a bereavement of my wife’s father, who died yesterday.”

“I was upset because the man was very disrespectful and impatient. I am retired and live on my own and it made me feel vulnerable.”

www.ico.org.uk 

The Glass and Glazing Federation (GGF) says it is looking forward to ‘a very positive future’, despite some ‘media speculation’ of internal disruption as the organisation undergoes a transitional period.

John Agnew, GGF president issued the following statement to reassure GGF members and related stakeholders that the GGF and its group of subsidiary companies are on a ‘progressive path’ to grow and serve the industry:

GGF President’s Statement:

As president and chairman of the board of directors of the Glass and Glazing Federation, I would like to highlight the positive changes at the GGF in the last 12 months.

The changes to the management structure and the organisation’s direction were unanimously agreed by the GGF board. It is worth noting that the GGF board is made up of representatives from across the main sectors of the glass and glazing industry.

GGF board directors are democratically elected by GGF members and the positions are entirely voluntarily and unpaid. In the past, some board directors have resigned due to the non-declaration of conflicts of interest. The GGF has always had firm rules in place to declare any conflicts of interest and all board members must sign this agreement before being ratified as GGF board members and at every board meeting, the chair remind all in attendance of the rules regarding conflicts of interest.

The board decisions taken and resultant changes in the past year are to be applauded as they were strong decisions made in the best interests of GGF members and the wider industry. The changes have also been accepted and welcomed by the GGF Group staff.

With the appointment of Phil Pluck as the new GGF chief executive in May this year, along with the subsequent management restructure aligned to the new additions to the GGF board, I can confidently state that the GGF and its group of subsidiary companies are now in a better position than ever before to serve GGF members and the industry.

As with most businesses during a transition period, there will inevitably be some more changes along the way, but rest assured none will be to the detriment of the GGF and its members.

With record numbers of companies joining the Federation this year, we are now looking forward to our annual members’ day next month when we will unveil the GGF’s long term strategy to help GGF members and the industry cope with the many challenges ahead.

I am pleased that all connected to the GGF and its group of subsidiary companies have so much to look forward to as the restructure takes shape to enhance all the benefits and services the GGF Group provides to the industry.

The GGF has come a very long way since its foundation in 1977 and as we mark our 40th Anniversary and reflect on the GGF’s great achievements, we also must focus on our future. The changes that have occurred in the past 12 months, will ensure our members and other stakeholders in the subsidiary companies will continue to get the best service from the industry’s main trade body.

Following some recent departures from the GGF’s parent company, the Helix Group, the interim replacements for each role have also been announced:

• Phil Pluck, GGF CEO has now been appointed interim GGF Group CEO.
• Brian Baker, former GGF CEO has been appointed short term interim CEO of GGF parent company, Helix Group. (This will probably be the case until early to mid-September.)
• Kevin Buckley has been appointed longer term interim CEO of Helix Group. This will be for a period of approximately six months.
• Tony Morgan has been appointed interim finance director.

All of the above senior managers are said to ‘bring decades of experience of running membership, commercial and not-for-profit organisations’.

Phil Pluck, GGF Group CEO commented, “The GGF Group is an important part of the Federation and the industry, I am therefore delighted that we now have a strong team in place to maintain the high levels of service our subsidiary companies provide and to build for the future.”

www.ggf.org.uk

The post GGF looking forward to a ‘positive future’ appeared first on Glass & Glazing Products Magazine (GGP).

When the creators of Lumi, billed as ‘the industry’s most radical new window and door system’ heard that a substantial ‘ultra-contemporary house’ was being planned not far from its head office, the opportunity seemed too good to miss. Fortunately, the owner of the property agreed, plans were drawn up and the result was not only a ‘stunning private residence’ but also ‘one of the best showpiece installations any manufacturer could wish for’.

“When we began creating the Lumi concept, our mind’s eye put it in a high-value, bespoke contemporary setting,” said Apeer MD, Asa McGillian.

“Then, when we saw that the architect’s drawings were so much like that mental picture, we could not let the opportunity pass. The result is not only a superb piece of architecture in its own right but also an absolutely ideal setting to bring out the best in the Lumi system.”

He added: “Many have been surprised since that Lumi has been chosen as a feature in classical and traditional settings as well as contemporary because it has a simplicity that makes it at home anywhere. But that same simplicity is brought to the fore in such a setting as this.”
The installation makes extensive use of Lumi windows, residential doors and sliding doors, placing them among a variety of exterior materials including white render, grey random stone and shiplap timber cladding.

Anthracite grey was chosen throughout for the Lumi exteriors, with the window interiors in signal grey. Many of the ground floor windows are single-pane floor-to-ceiling panels, calling on the high technical spec and energy efficiency that lie behind Lumi’s unique good looks. In the case of the large panes, however, the proximity of the site did also prove to be an additional bonus, as Asa explained: “At the time, these were some of the biggest panes we had produced in the system so, in some ways, it was a learning experience for us as well. Being such a short distance away however, we were able to supervise both transportation and installation very closely and at the same time gain many valuable insights that have now been integrated into our standard procedures.”

The Lumi system is as radical in its construction as in its looks, with its triple glazing bonded to an internal core of foam-filled reinforced glass fibre profiles. To the exterior, it shows uninterrupted ‘frameless’ panes of glass while the interior has a more recognisable window profile appearance with a variety of colour and grain options to match any interior.

Asa McGillian concluded: “The Lumi system has featured in projects and refurbs of many styles and sizes all around Britain and Ireland in the two years since its launch but this one still stands out as one of the best examples of everything that the Lumi system can achieve. We are all very proud of it and it almost goes without saying that the owner is as thrilled with it as we are.”

www.apeer.co.uk

The post The ideal showpiece for Lumi appeared first on Glass & Glazing Products Magazine (GGP).