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Austin Barcley, managing director of Improveasy

A survey of glass and glazing installers has revealed how the industry is reacting to the current economic and political climate.

Improveasy commissioned market research company, Insight Data, to survey over 11,000 installers, asking them their views on many issues related to the industry and the wider economy.

The survey began by focusing on issues directly related to the respondent’s businesses and showed that more respondents (64%) reported that leads in 2017 had increased – compared to the year previous – than those who said these figures had stayed the same or decreased.

Similarly, 41.17% of installers said they have seen the number of domestic project completions increase in the past year.

Most (over 60%) respondents also stated that their cash flow and employee numbers had remained steady.

Regarding the wider economy, 70.6% of respondents claimed that recent political developments had had an impact on their business.

However, installers may define this effect as either negative or positive and, indeed, the statistics suggest that 2017 has been a reasonably positive year for many in the construction and home improvement industries.

With Brexit on the horizon – the UK is due to leave the EU no later than March 2019 – the survey also raised questions regarding the future of the UK economy.

Most installers responded saying that they believe GDP, exports, and unemployment will remain at their current levels rather than increasing or decreasing, perhaps indicating respondents’ uncertainty about the current climate. By contrast, a huge 67.64% agreed that inflation will go up.

Looking forward into the year ahead, just over half (52%) said they expect their business to perform better in 2018 than it has in 2017.

Austin Barcley, Improveasy’s, managing director, commented: “Frankly, we’re all probably fed up of hearing about ‘Brexit’ but it is an unavoidable issue that is impacting many sectors and supply chains in the UK. Overwhelmingly though, our industry is looking robust and installers appear to be confident about the future of their businesses.”

The post Survey reveals positive industry appeared first on Glass & Glazing Products Magazine (GGP).

The window, door and conservatory industry celebrated in style at the G-17 Awards in London last Friday.

Held once again at the prestigious Hilton Hotel on Park Lane, the glazing industry ‘Oscars’ were hosted this year by comedian Russell Kane, who proved to be a big hit with the hundreds of guests who had gathered for glamorous black-tie event.

Two of the most hotly contested prizes, for Fabricator of the Year and Installer of the Year, were won by the Glazerite UK Group and SEH BAC, respectively. The latter also picked up a second award for Promotional Campaign of the Year (Retail).

Other highlights included Solidor’s Danny Barnett winning the Unsung Hero Award and the Thermoseal Group – a company that’s no stranger to G-Award success – claiming the Derek Bonnard Award for Excellence.

This year, the G-Awards also featured the Fensa Installation of the Year – which was won by Artisan Conservatories & Windows, Clwyd – and the GGF Lifetime Achievement Award, which was picked up by Greg O’Donoghue.

See below for the full list of winners:

• Component Supplier of the Year – Mila
• Conservatory Installer of the Year – Thistle Windows & Conservatories
• Customer Care Initiative of the Year – Glassolutions
• Fabricator of the Year – Glazerite UK Group
• Glass Company of the Year – Global Glass
• Installer of the Year – SEH BAC
• New Product of the Year – Heritage Flush Sash by Deceuninck
• Promotional Campaign of the Year (Retail) – SEH BAC
• Promotional Campaign of the Year (Trade) – Real Aluminium
• Training & Development Initiative of the Year – Epwin Windows Group
• G17 Unsung Hero Award – Danny Barnett, Solidor
• Commercial Project of the Year – HSSP Architects & Oxted Window Systems for the Baily Building
• Fensa Installation of the Year – Artisan Conservatories & Windows, Clwyd
• GGF Lifetime Achievement Award – Greg O’Donoghue
• Derek Bonnard Award of Excellence – Thermoseal Group

The post And the winners are… appeared first on Glass & Glazing Products Magazine (GGP).

3,000 homes in Fife built to Secured by Design standards have 87% fewer crimes, say Police Scotland. Windows Active takes a closer look

A Police Scotland study has found that 3,000 homes built to nationally recognised police crime prevention standards in more than 150 Kingdom Housing Association (KHA) developments in Fife experienced 87% fewer reported crimes compared to properties not similarly designed and protected. The homes were all built to standards set by Secured by Design (SBD), the national police crime prevention initiative, which has 200 officers and staff attached to police forces around the UK to ‘design out crime’ by working with architects, developers and local authority planners at the planning stage. SBD’s proven crime prevention techniques include incorporating natural surveillance and limiting through movement into the layout and landscaping, and increasing the physical security of buildings, such as attack-resistant doors, windows and locks to deter opportunist burglars.

The study’s findings were recently announced at KHA’s annual meeting to celebrate the association’s building of 3,000 terraced, semi-detached and detached villas as well as flats and bungalows spread over 153 developments – all to SBD standards. Crimes included in the study were housebreaking, attempted housebreaking, (the Scottish equivalent of burglary and attempted burglary in England), sneak-in thefts (access through an insecure door to steal) and opening of lockfast places (usually vehicles, sheds or outbuildings/garages where the locking mechanisms are overcome to gain entry for theft).

The study found that only 1.8% of all of the 3,000 SBD homes were subject to these crimes compared to 14.2% of the non-SBD properties. Statistics were gathered from crimes from 2007 to 2016 within Fife, and laterally P Division (Fife) and compared with 3,000 non-SBD properties over the same period at developments completed between 1997-2015 in Kirkcaldy, Glenrothes, St Andrews, Dunfermline, Cowdenbeath, Levenmouth and South West Fife. One of the speakers at the annual meeting, Police Scotland Divisional Commander, Colin Gall, presented a certificate to recognise the KHA and SBD achievements to KHA’s Chair, Freya Lees. Stuart Ward, SBD National Designing Out Crime Manager, who is responsible for implementing SBD and general crime reduction in all 13 Divisions of Police Scotland, said: “These results highlight the benefits of building to SBD security standards. Evidence suggests that SBD homes achieve significant reductions in crime and can continue to do so year-on-year.” Stuart, who was the first full-time Force Architectural Liaison Officer in Fife, added: “This is especially important as most SBD developments are in social housing, many of them in deprived areas.”

Kenny McHugh, SBD Development Officer for Scotland, said: ”This is a remarkable milestone for KHA and SBD in Scotland. For police, falling crime reduces demands on services and enables us to focus on other priorities. With more robust products, SBD also frees up budgets by reducing repair and maintenance costs as well as providing a long-term legacy of safer, more cohesive and desirable communities, where people choose to put down roots.” Bill Banks, Group Chief Executive, Kingdom Housing Association, explained that KHA’s first regeneration project to include SBD’s standards of security and crime prevention into new homes and the surrounding environment was in 1997 in Buckhaven, Fife, following relatively high levels of crime and anti-social behaviour in the area. “We found that this first partnership with SBD resulted in a safer environment for our tenants and led us to deciding to incorporate SBD standards to all our new housing projects going forward.” Bill said that KHA was extremely impressed by the police research that showed SBD homes were 87% less likely to be targeted by criminals – a statistic that endorses KHA’s strategic decision 20 years ago to embrace SBD security into all their new home developments. Bill added: “I feel all developers, and providers of new housing projects, should be adopting the SBD standards of enhanced safety and security to enhance the well-being of residents in their respective developments.”

The post 87% fewer crimes with SBD standards appeared first on Windows Active Magazine.

VBH has been nominated for Best Hardware Company in the National Fenestration Awards (NFAs). Established in the UK for over 35 years, VBH is a leading distributor of window and door hardware products. It supplies well known hardware brands such as Yale, Maco and Roto as well as its own branded suite, greenteQ.

With a newly updated online ordering portal, VBH offers a full solution to fabricators, installers and locksmiths searching for high quality window and door hardware. In addition, fabricator and installer customers also benefit from VBH’s new Q-secure guarantee, helping them to sell to homeowners. Once the installation is registered with VBH, homeowners are issued with a guarantee certificate and information pack. If their home is broken into as a result of hardware failure during the 10-year guarantee, VBH will pay towards replacing the window or door and make additional payments to the homeowner.

VBH Marketing Manager Gary Gleeson, comments: “We offer industry-leading window and door hardware brands and continue to grow our own greenteQ brand which includes the unique Invisifold slide and fold system, Securifold ‘foldaway’ handles and our stainless-steel Coastline range with a 25-year guarantee. We’re delighted to be nominated as an NFA finalist in a year of continuing growth and success. We look forward to sharing more about our latest innovations and product ranges in 2018.”

To vote for VBH go to: www.fenestrationawards.co.uk/hardware-company-2017.  For more information, visit www.vbhgb.com.

Epwin Window Systems has just announced that Natalie Tellis-James has joined their team in a Customer Marketing Support role. Natalie, whose background is in marketing, project management and customer service, said: “I am delighted to be joining Epwin Window Systems. The company has an exceptional reputation for the quality of the support it gives to its customers and I’m thrilled to be part of such a proactive team.” Gerald Allen, Epwin Window Systems’ Marketing Manager, said: “Natalie has lots of valuable experience and we’re delighted to have her on board.” Natalie will be part of the marketing support team that works directly with Epwin Window Systems’ customer accounts, helping them take advantage of the bespoke marketing Epwin offers. The team is one of the largest in the industry and this is reflected in the reputation Epwin Window Systems has for its proactiveness when it comes to working with its customers and the level of marketing support it provides.

The post Natalie Tellis-James, Customer Marketing Support at Epwin Window Systems appeared first on Windows Active Magazine.

The Icotherm Roof Systems’ team donned fluffy, yellow onesies on Thursday 16 November, to become Team Pudsey and raise money for Children in Need. Overall, the team raised £491.00 with donations from customers, suppliers, friends and family.

Jenny Jackson, Director at Icotherm said: “As soon as I saw the Pudsey outfits in the supermarket, I knew that I needed to get the team involved in Children in Need, so we ordered 18 suits! All of the team, including our delivery drivers, office-based team and factory floor team wore their Pudsey outfits all day and brought a smile to customers and our neighbours!

“I’d like to say a big thank you to everyone who donated money to our team fundraising page to support the fantastic cause that is Children in Need.”

Friday’s live Children in Need show saw a record on-the-night total of £50 million and donations can still be made online. Icotherm’s fundraising page is still open – if you would like to contribute, please visit www.justgiving.com/companyteams/icotherm.

The Swish Flush Casement Window offers quintessentially British style. It has the trademark aesthetics of the traditional nineteenth window, but, as Gerald Allen, Swish’s Marketing Manager, points out, it isn’t only period homes that benefit from its charming aesthetics.

“Thanks to its understated simplicity, the Flush Casement Window is a design that has stood the test of time. For that reason, it’s just as at home in a contemporary modern home as it is a heritage setting.”

As Gerald says, the Flush Casement Window offers impressive versatility. Projects in contemporary settings benefit from its simple, clean lines while projects in heritage locations benefit from features such as the elegant glazing bars. And wherever the window is used the project will benefit from the quality and attention to detail of a Swish window.

The common Swish platform means installers can use beads from other systems to enable 24,28 and 32mm glazing for greater flexibility.

Security is assured because the window meets Secured by Design standards.

The Impressions colour range includes timeless and traditional shades and woodgrain effects as well as accent colours and on-trend shades. Dual colour options are available. Ten of the most popular shades (covering 88% of colour sales) are stock colours and there is no minimum order quantity on its non-stock colours, making colour accessible and appealing.

The window may have classic looks but it has 21^st century thermal efficiency. It can easily achieve A+ ratings. And, where exceptional levels of insulation are required, triple glazed frames can deliver a U-value of just 1.2.

When an installer works with Swish, he also benefits from the credentials that come with a brand that’s recognised by 7 out of 10 consumers. Added to which there’s the advantage of exceptional support and Excellence as Standard, Swish’s new membership programme, which aims to drive and promote excellence at every level of member businesses.

So if you’re hungry to achieve, the Flush Casement Window is only the start of what Swish has to offer.

www.swishwindows.co.uk