Pride of Veka

(Left to right) Dave Spikey and Veka MD, Dave Jones, celebrate with the Veka winners.

Veka has been celebrating the achievements of its Burnley-based workforce, with the help of Dave Spikey (of Phoenix Nights fame) for the company’s second annual ‘Pride of Veka’ event.

This year’s awards ceremony was held at Mitton Hall Hotel in Clitheroe, and attended by Veka directors, winners from a variety of departments across the business and their partners.

Veka’s head of HR, Gabriela Hammond, explained: “We are exceptionally proud of our team here at Veka. These awards celebrate those who go ‘above and beyond’ for the business and give us a chance to let them know just how much they are appreciated.

“Everyone, in every department, plays an important part in moving the company forward and maintaining our position at the forefront of our industry. We know that the behaviour of every member of staff has a direct impact on the level of service our customers receive, and that’s why we feel it is so important to give credit where it’s due. The Pride of Veka Awards allow us to give an extra ‘pat on the back’ to those who really set themselves apart.”

Veka MD, Dave Jones, said: “I am very proud to represent an organisation that listens to its staff, values their ideas and constantly offers opportunities for continuous career development.

“We are lucky to have such a wealth of talent in our workforce, from brand new apprentices, to long-standing members of the team, and it is important for us to celebrate their successes – at every chance we get!

“Our people are pivotal to the continued success of the company and I would like to personally congratulate every person who collected a ‘Pride of Veka award, on a hilarious evening that was thoroughly enjoyed by all.”

www.vekauk.com

The Pride of Veka winners were as follows:

• Mark Schofield
  Courage and community spirit (especially with regards to TA service)
• John Ford
  Building Veka links with the community
• Terry McWilliams
  Additional duties and responsibilities
• Reece Gill
  Problem solving and new process development
• Tom Whitehead
  ‘Leading the Veka Way’ Champion
• Paul Ashdown (2 x awards)
  Gaining Manufacturing Institute’s Higher Level Team Leader qualification and excellent team collaboration
• Sean Boothman
  Gaining Manufacturing Institute’s Higher Level Team Leader qualification
• Keiron Preston
  Gaining Manufacturing Institute’s Higher Level Team Leader qualification
• Jono Turner
  Gaining Manufacturing Institute’s Higher Level Team Leader qualification
• Scott Weldon
  Gaining Manufacturing Institute’s Higher Level Team Leader qualification
• Sam Baxter
  Achieved a distinction in every one of his apprenticeship exams this year
• Annabel Hargreaves (Fowler)
  Completed her Chartered Institute of Marketing Professional Diploma
• Paige Thwaite
  Took on two different jobs, to train and develop new skills
• Lee Broomfield
  Excellent team collaboration
• Ben Harter
  Excellent team collaboration
• Dave Holmes
  Excellent team collaboration
• Lee Sharples
  Excellent team collaboration
• Mike Cutt
  Excellent team collaboration
• Martin White
  Nominated by a number of managers for enthusiasm and commitment to ‘going the extra mile’, demonstrating Veka spirit every day.

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Throughout 2017 Made for Trade has expanded its workforce in all aspects of the business to manage growing demand for its products including the Global Conservatory Roof and Bi-folding doors. Following the success and expansion of the Korniche Aluminium Lantern recent strategic appointments include Rebecca Claydon and Thomas Fielding.

Rebecca’s role as Client Account Manager is to support Made for Trade’s client base across all products ensuring high levels of service are maintained and develop strategies for new client relationships.

Thomas is an Engineer with an automotive background working on projects demanding precision and high tolerances. These skills add to the existing design and engineering backgrounds of Bradley Gaunt, Managing Director, Ashley Gaunt, Head of Design and Chris Wann, (pictured centre) Made for Trade’s Business Manager.

Chris says “We are very excited about both appointments, it shows our continued commitment to existing and new clients alongside further investment in product development and lean manufacturing techniques to maintain and enhance operations across our product base”

www.madefortrade.co

Assure Certification, which is said to be the only independently run competent person scheme for the glazing industry in England and Wales, has announced that it has increased its membership ‘dramatically’ since its departure from the Veka UK Group in July.

Assure’s managing director, Austin Greene, said: “As the only independent competent person scheme, our ethos is the personal touch, our team are friendly, helpful and probably some of the most knowledgeable people within the industry.”

According to Assure, it prides itself on problem solving and helping companies fulfil legal requirements for registrations, inspections and MTC’s and much more.

Assure is also reported to be the only competent person scheme which conducts auditing for the Kitemark Installation scheme and can also arrange certification for fabrication businesses to PAS024, SBD and CE marking, includings Energy Ratings and fire door certification.

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According to research published by the FMB (Federation of Master Builders), three in four UK builders are at risk from “cowboy clients”. This is research that should peak the interest of many a window and door installer, as this year seems to have been the worst, according to the comments and messages on here, for home owners deliberately abusing companies.

So I guess this report shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, rather than a confirmation of what we already know to be going on right now. Although this is a report focused on the building sector, it will draw sympathetic feelings from the window industry, and so is worth a read.

To clarify, this report says the word “clients” and not “home owners”. Nor does it make a clear distinction as to whether it is solely company clients or home owner clients. So I would guess that it is a mixture of the two.

Read the article on the FMB website here

The report

Here is the report and what it’s findings were:

Three quarters of construction SMEs say ‘cowboy clients’ are hampering their business, according to the latest research by the Federation of Master Builders (FMB).

Key results from the FMB’s UK-wide research into the impact of ‘cowboy clients’ – clients who delay or withhold payment without good reason or make completely unreasonable demands – on small and medium-sized (SME) construction firms include:

• Nearly three quarters think ‘cowboy clients’ are a serious problem for their businesses;
• Nearly a quarter have had to wait for more than four months for payment from a client or large contractor;
• Fewer than one third are always paid within the standard 30 days.

The negative effects that late payment is having on construction SMEs include:

• 30% have had to delay payment to suppliers;
• 20% say late payment stopped them from having the confidence to grow their business;
• 16% had to borrow additional funds from a bank or other lender;
• 8% almost went out of business;
• 5% had to withhold wages and salaries from staff;
• 4% had to let staff go.

Sarah McMonagle, Director of External Affairs at the FMB, said: “There are so many horror stories of people being duped by cowboy builders. However, our research shows that there’s a flip side to this story with three quarters of small construction firms being hampered by ‘cowboy clients’. Typical cowboy client behaviour can include a demand for the builder to complete tasks not included in the original brief or quote and for no extra payment. The worst type of cowboy client seeks to delay or withhold payment on spurious grounds, for instance by discovering make-believe faults. Nearly a quarter of construction SMEs have had to wait for more than four months for payment from a client or large contractor. Fewer than one third of builders are always paid within the standard period of 30 days and this is completely unacceptable.”

McMonagle concluded: “Late payment is having a direct impact on the ability of construction SMEs to grow and prosper. One in five builders say delayed payments from clients have stopped them from having the confidence to grow their business. Worse still, nearly 10% say that they nearly went out of business because of this. As we edge towards Brexit, we need the construction sector to be firing on all cylinders to shore up the wider economy. The last thing we want to see is thousands of builders going to the wall because of their customers refusing to pay on time. We strongly recommend that builders and clients do everything they can to protect themselves by using a written contract that includes an agreed payment schedule. Clients rightly demand a high level of service from their builder but home owners also need to keep their end of the bargain by paying on time.”

I think one of the most important stats in that menu of bad news is the fact that 20% of companies have been unable to grow because of late payments due to lack of confidence. And it’s understandable. Why would a company risk investing to grow, if they’re worried that their clients are going to withhold funds that are rightfully theirs? They wouldn’t, they would go bust. So some will keep onto their money and plans, restricting their growth and therefore the wider industry’s growth. Sad really.

No protection

That is a depressing set of bullet points in that research. Evidence that when clients go rogue, as some businesses do, it can cause a huge amount of damage and can in some serious cases bring a business to the edge of bankruptcy. All because the end user thinks it’s OK to take advantage of a good, honest business to try and shirk out of paying what they agreed. It’s wrong, it’s immoral and it’s downright dirty.

But, for years now consumer laws have changed so heavily that businesses have little to no protection against such clients. There has been a debate on Twitter for the past few days as to whether it is legal or not for an installer to claim that the windows and doors they have just fitted into someone’s home are still theirs if the final balance has not been paid. A dramatic last resort yes, but what other practical and fruitful avenues do window firms, and builders in the case of this report, have when it comes to taking action against a rogue client? There are so many laws, bodies and institutions out there for home owners, but business seems to have so very little.

If you ask a window and door installer about this issue I can almost guarantee that every single one could tell you a story about how a home owner withheld a large balance due to something insignificant. Or a large snagging list would appear just as it was time to pay up. Or that they have gone on holiday just as you finish their installation and they cannot pay until they return. All tactics and methods that some less than honest home owners would use to avoid paying, or at least ask for compensation. This is not OK. Yet, who can we turn to. I can’t think of a body out there with a specific aim of protecting businesses from bad clients. But why is that? Business of all kinds is what makes an economy work. So why do we not have anything of any quality out there to fight the corner for companies?

I understand that conusmer rights are just important, and we all have to be protected from companies who use bad practice or break the law. But they have moved so heavily to the side of consumers that I believe many are now starting to realise that if they play certain cards and use the law to their advantage, they can unfairly screw over a company and look for freebies or compensation where there is no valid reason. And the worst thing is, the laws are so weighted towards the client, that most businesses feel compelled to roll over and just give in. How have we got to this point? Where has the respect for business gone? Have we all gone so completely anti-business as a society that we think it is OK to treat the people who actually makes business work like this?

If so, then it’s time for companies to start talking tough to clients who think that this is indeed OK. It’s time to start calling out bullsh*t where it is. Running a window company, or any company for that matter is as hard as it has ever been. If there are no institutions with any teeth left to protect the good companies out there, then we need to do it ourselves, even if it means having some pretty fresh conversations with clients.

You know when Gary Morton CEO of Boing Boing Group and GM Fundraising Chairman, gets involved with something, there’s going to be action, so Windows Active spoke to him about his team’s ambitious growth strategy for fabricator CentralRPL

It’s 2 years since Boing Boing Group purchased CentralRPL. What’s been happening since?

We have been working hard to energise the business throughout really. Mainly by aligning our internal operations, customer service, brand and product offering, including many upgrades on hardware and a complete PVC-U system move to Profile 22. Our strategy has become all about finding products for our customers, rather than customers for our products. I am also a firm believer in ‘people buy from people’ so we’ve been investing internally to get the right people, who will look after our customers now and in the future. We’ve also been growing the Group with the addition of CentralASL, the aluminium division, and a dedicated colour spray unit.

There are lots of fabricators out there in the market. What makes your business different?

Seriously, not just paying lip service – it’s service, products and people. It’s also critical to reinvest in the continuous improvement we strive for through our lean manufacturing approach. It’s not rocket science – it’s about great experienced people offering great products with great service. Another key to success is being able to spot trends that will help our customers differentiate themselves including added value sales such as aluminium, colour and business development tools to assist our customers. Fabricators have for some time had to adapt to the changing market, homeowners are demanding more choice and better products day by day. It’s not easy to stay ahead of this fast pace of change, but it helps to have a team of experienced people that truly understand the market and understand their installer customers’ businesses. This is what gives us an edge, allowing us to supply the complete solution our installers need. Every member of the team is dedicated to giving the customer the best possible experience and all staff members from the Board to the shop floor, are encouraged to put forward ideas for improvement. A key philosophy for us all is to future-proof customers alongside providing what they need in the current market. Fabricators, or any other supplier for that matter, will always go a lot further when they break the mould of the straightforward supplier/customer relationship. Offering advice, business, marketing and sales support obviously gives the customer more incentive to remain loyal. Many companies say they offer support over and above the norm, but when the customer really feels the sense of camaraderie and finds it making a difference to their day to day business, you know you’re doing something right. It’s no secret that charitable work is close to my heart and the ethos that comes with it, is something we have ensured is part of Central’s culture.

What are the products you think are doing well at the moment for installers in what we’re hearing is a slow / tough market?

Mainly the added value products – flush sash, vertical sliders, patios, bi-folds, composite doors, colour and the like. Having said that, white PVC-U windows are still the cornerstone of our business and should be treated as such. Our customers work in both residential and commercial markets so it’s imperative that we make a comprehensive range of products. This is the strategy behind the move to Optima. It is a premium product and comes with additional services offered by Profile 22, such as the commercial support programme and marketing support with the Excellence as Standard programme – all of which will further help us excel with our customers. Installers are looking for more choice to offer the homeowner, without compromising on quality or having to source different products from different suppliers. Support is the most important thing, regardless of how that is packaged and presented to the installer. Aluminium is very much a growing sector, and one of the main products we wanted to be able to supply our customers directly to make sure they get the same expertise and service they can rely on from the team at CentralRPL. It is not secret we’ve the usual start-up issues, but we are in full swing now and thanks to the excellent relationships with our existing customer base, we are moving forward.

So, where next?

We will be continuing on the same track to ensure we provide a complete solution for installers. So, more investment in plant and machinery, continuing to review products and possibly a further acquisition. Oh and lots of work for GM Fundraising also. We have some fantastic events coming up in 2018, so watch this space….

Tel: 0121 500 0505

E: info@centralrpl.co.uk

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Mila’s test centre in Daventry has been awarded UKAS accreditation, allowing it to formally assess window and door hardware to both PAS24 2016 for security and BS EN1670 2007 for corrosion resistance.

According to Mila, this is the culmination of many months hard work by the specialist team behind the test centre, where the focus is exclusively on testing of windows and doors. It has reportedly centred around the fine calibration of equipment and the formalisation of procedures to meet the strict UKAS audit requirements.

In recent years, the test centre has been used primarily to test and validate Mila’s own products in development and to provide indicative testing for customers, before their windows and doors were submitted for formal testing elsewhere.

Now though, Mila says it is responding to requests from those same customers to provide a ‘one stop shop facility’, with both indicative and formal testing all available under one roof.

Danny Jones, testing engineer, said: “As well as our specialism in this sector, what sets us apart from other testing centres is the fact that we offer advice and guidance to customers at the indicative stage to make sure that their windows and doors are set up correctly in order to pass the various tests that follow. For security testing in particular, that might mean advising them on the combination of locking system and handle, or even which screws to use. We essentially make sure that customers don’t spend money on formal testing until we can be sure that their products will pass. That’s a huge advantage – not just in terms of money spent but also in time saved.”

Mila says the next stage in the development of its test centre is to achieve UKAS accreditation on its cycle and weather testing to BS6375.

The company then plans to announce a programme of incentives for customers so that they can make maximum use of what Mila believes is the only facility in the UK hardware sector offering this combination of indicative and formal testing together.

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ONS figures published recently show that construction output contracted 0.9% in the third quarter of 2017. This is a downward revision from the preliminary estimate of a 0.7% decline released in October and follows the 0.5% fall in output recorded in Q2.

Rebecca Larkin, senior economist at the Construction Products Association, commented: “At a headline level, today’s data shouts ‘construction recession’, marked by two consecutive quarters of falling output. However, output remains at relatively high levels – 1.1% higher than a year ago and 7.1% higher than 2015 Q3.

“There is also a clear variation in performance by sector, as highlighted in the CPA’s forecasts. Private housing output rose 1.8% to a record high during the quarter, with demand and confidence sustained by the Help to Buy equity loan. The £10 billion extra funding for the policy announced last month will maintain impetus in house building, with greater certainty over affordable rent-setting also supporting building by housing associations.

“Nevertheless, areas of weakness include private commercial, where new orders have fallen for three quarters and signal a lack of offices and retail projects to replace those now coming to an end. This is echoed in the public non-housing sector, which is suffering from lower volumes of work on schools and a dearth of new large hospitals projects.”

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As 2107 draws to a close, the Fenestration industry headed to London’s Park Lane Hilton to celebrate excellence at the G-17 industry awards. An audience of 800 industry professionals, gamely entertained by the energetic Russell Kane, gathered to witness the most anticipated awards ceremony of the year. The organisers paid tribute to the extremely high calibre of entries this year before announcing the category winners. They are:

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 FINALISTS

Danny Barnett, Solidor

COMMERCIAL PROJECT OF THE YEAR

HSSP Architects & Oxted Window Systems: The Baily Building

Derek Bonnard Award

Thermoseal Group

FENSA INSTALLATION OF YEAR

Artisan Conservatories and Windows

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT

Greg O’Donaghue

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Barrier Components popular SABCO frameless balustrade system has passed the rigorous 3kN test with flying colours, confirming it offers the quality and performance for ANY commercial or residential installation. What’s more, this system didn’t need any adaption to pass only requiring additional clamps, proving that this is a market leading design. SABCO can now therefore be specified with confidence for all installations from stadia, airports and railway stations to commercial, residential and domestic developments.

Barrier-SABCO is a balustrade hardware system boasting a hi-tech, sleek and minimal finish and offers the perfect cost effective solution for Frameless glass providing an installation that’s designed to be simple to install and achieve BS EN 6180:2011*.

The system offers some great unique features. It only requires 400mm fixing centres to achieve the 1.5kN performance which is reduced to 200mm for 3Kn. It allows for easy alignment of the glass during installation providing up to +/-15mm adjustment either way. Tightening is achieved using torx screws that can be tightened easily with a cordless screwdriver – speeding up the install time. The system includes removable covers (anodised to Marine grade 20 microns) to allow the installation of the channel without risk of damaging the finish. The natural or Satin stainless anodised covers are then simply fitted at the end of the operation.  The system can also be supplied in either a base mount or side mount and in two finishes – Natural Anodised or Stainless Steel effect Anodised.  Both finishes are 20 microns thick so perfect for coastal or clean room applications.

A popular addition introduced to complement the system is high quality RGBW LED lighting strip.  The strips can be used with either a 12v or 24v power supply and has an impressive 60 LED’s per metre.  The pure white LED’s are incorporated into the colour LED’s and not set alternatively along the string and the strip is Nano coated rather than silicone offering a slimmer alternative that doesn’t discolour.  It is IP68 rated for external use, comes with a 5 year warranty and can be purchased with a range of RF remote controls if required.

Developed by Sadev of France, it is stocked and distributed by Barrier Components Ltd based in Purfleet, Essex in the UK.  Barrier Components is an architectural hardware supplier that for the past 30 years has specialised in the supply of high quality hardware products.  For full specification and video footage of the system and how it works view Barrier Components e-commerce web site at www.barrier-components.co.uk.  The website enables users to order from a vast architectural hardware product range online, providing a one-stop-shop for high quality, great looking and effective architectural hardware products, all backed by adequate stock and an efficient service ethos.

For further information or assistance please contact the Barrier Components Technical Team on 03300 373 334 or sales@barrier-components.co.uk.