INSIGHT DATA EMAIL CAMPAIGN GENERATES INCREDIBLE RESULTS FOR IGU SPECIALISTS SLENDERLINE GLASS

One of the UK’s foremost manufacturers of slimline heritage sealed units, Slenderline Glass has seen a fantastic performance from their email marketing strategy – designed and implemented by Insight Data.

Slenderline Glass; which is part of the Kent-based E.J. Cocker Group, specialises in advanced sealed units for all heritage and sash windows. The firm joined forces with Insight Data to promote their full range of sealed units for all traditional rebates through dynamic and powerful email campaigns.

“We partnered with Insight Data looking to take our slimline units to a wider, nationwide audience and we can’t believe the success,” comments Andy Cocker, Director at Slenderline Glass. “Email marketing has generated unbelievable interest in our product range and really helped raise awareness of the Slenderline brand, which is exactly what we wanted. The response has been so impressive we’ve had to change the way we operate to answer the deluge of leads.”

“It’s great to work with a company that fully understands our business, the market and the businesses we’d love to connect with. Slenderline is really flying with sales up on last year and as a Director, I can’t spend time writing email campaigns or teaching our provider what our product is. So, it’s great to work with Insight Data and their team of writers and designers who not only have that industry knowledge but can manage and send the campaigns for me. We’re delighted to be working with Insight Data and we are excited to see what this relationship brings in 2018.”

Insight Data are the industry’s leading provider of market intelligence and prospect data specifically for the fenestration and construction industries. Boasting a database of over 60,000 potential customers, Insight’s in-house marketing team works with businesses across the industry to manage email campaigns, telesales campaigns and direct mail campaigns including newsletters, flyers and advertisements.

Jade Greenhow, Insight Data’s General Manager comments: “We work with a wide range of businesses from systems companies to fabricators, component suppliers and sealed unit manufacturers to help them raise their profile and win new business. We do this through our dynamic marketing solutions and through Salestracker, our pioneering software which combines an online prospect database, CRM system and an integrated email marketing platform.”

“It’s really great to see Slenderline Glass receive such fantastic results from their email marketing campaign. At Insight Data, we pride ourselves on the strength of our data – updated in real-time using a seven-stage verification process, which ensures we can deliver high-impact campaigns to achieve lead-generation, boosted brand awareness or both!”

For more information contact Insight Data on 01934 808293 or via email at hello@insightdata.co.uk

Following GAP’s announcement in August of the acquisition of SIG Building Plastics & Windows, the company has been working non-stop to welcome all their new team members and customers on board. No sooner had the ink dried on the dotted line that the GAP Directors were hitting the road visiting all 66 new depots and team members, from Inverness to Isle of Wight and everywhere in-between. The team at GAP prides itself on ensuring all staff feel part of the family and the information gained will help shape the integration strategy.

Simon Bird, GAP’s Joint Founder commented: “We’ve been hugely impressed so far by the knowledge and talent of our new team, together with their desire to grasp this unique chance. We’ve also been taken aback by the size of opportunity this deal has presented GAP. The quality of the team that has joined, together with the strategic locations of the new depots, has provided GAP a game changing opportunity to become the number one manufacturer and distributor of PVC-U building products for quality, service and choice.”

Whilst planning and preparation started well in advance of the deal, further investment has continued in logistics and manufacturing to ensure the new combined network of 112 depots can provide customers with what they need when they need it, from small traders to national house builders. Phase one of the integration involves the new depots benefitting from a mini make-over, new signage and team workwear. The scale of the change is illustrated by the huge workwear order placed by GAP for 805 T-Shirts, 805 Polo Shirts, 270 Jackets, 532 Jumpers, 330 Hoodies, 810 Pairs of Trousers and 390 Pairs of Shorts. Stock is also being switched at the depots to offer customers the wide range of colours and styles available through GAP’s own brand of roofline products; Homeline.

Charles Greensmith, GAP’s Joint Founder added “This continues to be a very busy yet exciting time for all involved. We’ve got big challenges ahead, but we’re making great strides together. Over the coming months we’ll do everything we can to make our new team members and customers feel part of GAP.” 

The post GAP takes big strides forward following acquisition of SIG appeared first on Windows Active Magazine.

Right market conditions

Polyframe Livingston teamed up with its local fire crew to deliver some potentially life-saving training on identifying door locks that can be breached quickly. The Green Watch crew from Livingston Fire Station visited Polyframe’s 50,000-square foot site in Livingston where the Polyframe team was on hand to share its expert knowledge on the three most common door locks that the firefighters would face during a call-out and how they could tackle them in an emergency. Green Watch then set about breaking into the locks and found that they could only break one of them with the readily available tools.

Martin Linden, managing director of Polyframe, Livingston, explains: “We all know that seconds count in a fire, literally making the difference between life and death, so this was an important exercise for the crew. We examined the different locks and talked about the common techniques used to snap the cylinder. The crew could not break some of the higher security locks.  If they were to face those locks in an emergency, they would eventually have to cut through the door or break it down to gain entry – all of which obviously costs valuable time. Thanks to this training, the team now knows which locks they can’t break quickly and, if they encounter them in a real-life situation, they can break the door without wasting time working on the lock.”

John McKenna, watch manager at Livingston Fire Station, said: “This was an extremely valuable training session for our people – the best they have done this year. We now have a greater understanding of modern door construction and the steps we would need to take when attempting entry. We were all impressed with the Polyframe door, which was fitted with high security hardware – we think it would be easier for us to gain access through the building wall if we came across one of those doors! 

“We are a large employer in the region and it’s important for us to develop strong links with our local community, so we were delighted to welcome Green Watch to our site for this training. It’s rewarding to have contributed towards protecting the lives of the 55,000 people who live in Livingston,” added Martin Linden.

Polyframe operates nationally and has four PVCu production sites in Norwich (fabricating Rehau), Halifax (fabricating Halo and Eurocell), Gloucestershire (fabricating Duraflex) and Livingston (fabricating VEKA) which will collectively fabricate more than 13,000 frames a week when the expansion is completed at Livingston.  Polyframe delivers first class support to help customers achieve greater efficiencies and enhance their businesses.Since its merger with Polyframe, the enlarged, full-service Customade Group is now the biggest fabricator in the UK with revenues of more than £100 million. The group brings together an enviable range of products and some industry-leading brands, which include Polyframe (PVCu), REAL Aluminium (aluminium), Atlas Glazed Roof Solutions (glazed roofs), Virtuoso Doors (composite doors and PVCu panels), Hourglass (sealed glass units), and Fineline Aluminium (specialist glazing).

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Promac Group is highlighting three low cost, high yield machinery platforms, which it says have the potential to transform fabrication businesses.

Starting from £40K to just a little over £70K, each generates new opportunities for manufacturers, either by giving them capacity to manufacture new products or increase volume and efficiency, while lowering overheads.

“There’s a perception out there that you need to be spending hundreds of thousands of pounds to move your business forward, when in reality there are machines out there which are far more affordable and which can deliver real changes”, says Lee Marriott, Promac Group.

He continues: “Aluminium is forecast to see substantial growth, while PVC-U ‘timber-type’ joints are defining a new generation of windows. You need to be able to access the opportunities that that growth creates and can do for what are really very low costs.”

Promac offers two low-cost platforms for PVC-U timber-effect welds. Timberweld® exploits four and two-head welding technology developed by Urban, to simultaneously deliver a twin-sided 90°butt weld.

A new platform from ProfteQ, part of the FOM-GS Group, delivers the same aesthetic but this time with the flexibility to deliver a 90° weld externally or internally – or a standard 45° joint.

It also utilizes a highly flexible milling module with the capacity to switch between profiles without changing tooling and twin or quad welding options.

Coming in at a price tag of less than £70K the FOM ADIR C is the third platform identified by Promac. A high precision 3+1 axis CNC, it introduces massive production efficiencies in PVC-U manufacture but also supports affordable entry to aluminium manufacture.

It features a pneumatic three axes worktable with -90°, 0° and +90° positioning; 4 pneumatic vices with manual positioning and double pressure, with safety valves and manually adjustable profile reference stops on the right and the left of the worktable; plus perimetric guard and front receding guard.

“These are all low cost high impact machinery platforms”, continued Lee. “There’s also a lot of finance out there, with high levels of competition pushing three-year true cost lending deals to as little as 4% interest or five years at 5%. The capital investment allowance also means that purchases of up to £200,000 are tax deductible.”

Offering buy-back deals on new machinery, Promac Group can also offer manufacturers access to the UK’s largest range of refurbished, reconditioned and overhauled machinery.

“We can replace a single machine in a line or combine new platforms with used machinery in hybrid deals, significantly cutting the cost of investment”, said Lee.

“For us it’s not necessarily about the big-ticket items or even new machinery sales. It’s much more about long-term partnership and the right solution”, he concluded.

For more information log on at www.promac.co.uk  email sales@promac.co.uk or call 01788 577 577.

A new report from Palmer Market Research suggests the composite door sector will see significant growth through to 2021.

According to The Market for Domestic Entrance Doors, composite doors now account for 54% of the market, the share rising to 56% by installed value with the inclusion of PVC/ABS faced doors.

This follows an above market forecast, 9% increase in volume last year to 758,000 doors.

This contributed to 7.9% increase in installed value for the total entrance door market, the move to composites from PVC-U panels inflating installed prices.

Taken in its entirety, the market for entrance doors, however, remained relatively flat last year at 1.4million door sets, with growth of just 0.9%.  This compares to the 2.2% seen last year.

“The longer-term trends in the market have been more muted than those for windows. For instance the market is now only 5% above the low point in 2012 but 20% below the peak year of 2007”, writes the author of the 2017 Palmer entrance door report.

Despite the growth of composites, PVC-U panels remained the second biggest material, accounting for 25% of the market in volume terms and 24% in installed value. This included modest growth in volume last year of 0.7% to 351,000 door sets.

Timber accounted for 16% in volume and 15% in installed value. This included a 25% decline in volume to 228,000 doors – the continuation of a 20-year downward trend.

Steel faced door sets fell 12% in 2016 to 40,000 doors – supplied almost exclusively into new build.

Aluminium, again supplied primarily into new build by contrast, as in other areas of the window and door industry recorded growth.

“Going forward, there are a number of factors, which we expect to mute total market growth in coming years” explained Robert Palmer, Palmer Market Research.

He continued: “Despite significant demand for new homes, a general slowing of the housing market, is having a corresponding impact on new build completions. Consumer confidence has also weakened – something that is very difficult to disconnect from the continuing uncertainty that has accompanied Brexit.

“We expect the coming two years to be fairly tough but as in previous years and other areas of the window and door industry, some products will fare far better than others, with innovation and the shift to higher value installations, key drivers of growth.”

The Market for Domestic Entrance Doors 2017 edition is available from Palmer Market Research now.

For more information log on at www.palmermarketresearch.co.uk email info@palmermarketresearch.co.uk or call 020 83908131.

Security expert, ERA, has launched its new Total Security guarantee, which it says will enable fabricators and installers to offer home security with ‘real confidence’.

According to ERA, the Total Security guarantee, which is supported by the Neighbourhood Watch, is the most comprehensive on the market and provides fabricators and installers with a valuable tool with which to differentiate themselves from competitors, at no extra cost.

ERA’s marketing manager, Jemma Booker, commented: “The ERA Total Security guarantee is straightforward. Once the property is protected by our high security hardware, we guarantee to replace the homeowner’s damaged window or door and pay out a cheque for £5,000, in the event that their security is compromised. What’s more, if an ERA Invincible alarm system is fitted at the same time as door or window security, the compensation payout is increased to £10,000. As the only guarantee to be recognised by the Neighbourhood Watch, our Total Security guarantee creates maximum appeal for ERA hardware and home security systems.”

The post ‘Complete confidence’ for customers appeared first on Glass & Glazing Products Magazine (GGP).

VBH (GB) has announced that it has added Yale’s Conexis L1 smart lock to its range of hardware. According to VBH, Yale’s TV advertising campaign across ITV, Sky and Channel 4, has opened up new selling opportunities for fabricators and installers, as well as locksmiths for retrofit installations.

Yale’s Conexis L1 smart lock is a keyless product, operated via a key card, key tag, phone tag or a secure smartphone app. Homeowners can monitor who is entering and leaving the home, from wherever they are.

The app also has the functionality to send temporary access ‘mobile keys’ to anyone with a smartphone. The mobile key can be programmed to give access from a few hours to a number of weeks and can also revoke access at any time.

Dan Powell, maintenance and locksmiths product manager at VBH said: “With the new Yale Conexis L1, homeowners can upgrade their lock easily and with no fiddly wiring. The smart lock uses four AA batteries that give the homeowner plenty of warning when they’re running low. And even if the batteries run flat, a standard 9V battery can be connected temporarily into a concealed port. If the lock is tampered with, an anti-intruder alarm is triggered via either the app or mobile key.

“The TV campaign on prime channels is sure to boost awareness and interest,” continued Dan. “We’re anticipating strong demand and have ensured we have plenty in stock!”

www.vbhgb.com

The post VBH (GB) range gets smarter appeared first on Glass & Glazing Products Magazine (GGP).

The latest ONS figures have shown that construction output in October fell by 1.7% and was 0.2% lower compared with one year earlier. New orders in Q3 rose 37.4% over the quarter and 25.5% on an annual basis.

Rebecca Larkin, senior economist at the Construction Products Association, commented: “Today’s data confirm that previous falls in new orders over the last 12 months are beginning to translate into lower construction activity in the commercial and public non-housing sectors. In addition, output in private housing RM&I, the third-largest sector, has now fallen for two consecutive months and taken in conjunction with the recent decline in new car registrations, suggests consumer willingness to spend on big-ticket purchases is being constrained by the fall in real wages.

“With regards to new orders in Q3, the strong headline growth rate was driven by infrastructure, reflecting the award of phase one contracts for HS2, a project worth £55.7 billion overall. As the ONS points out, new orders growth rates this high were only previously recorded when contracts for the Channel Tunnel were awarded in 1987. This aligns with the CPA’s forecast of infrastructure as the primary driver of output growth over the next two years.

“Excluding infrastructure, new orders rose 4.1%, including a 35.4% increase in public housing, to the highest in three years as work accelerates under the Shared Ownership and Affordable Homes Programme. However, the data for new orders signals that the weakness in the commercial and public non-housing sectors is likely to continue.”

The post Construction output continues to fall appeared first on Glass & Glazing Products Magazine (GGP).

The new 2018 Composite Door Brochure from Force 8 is full of new and exclusive innovations, some of which are only available from Force 8. The new brochure has solutions for every aspect of domestic door systems, from traditional to contemporary. Whether you are looking a stable door, a unique arched door or our revolutionary new Smooth Door, the new Force 8 brochure has the door you are looking for.

Force 8 has been manufacturing window and doors for over 25 years, so they understand the industry and the market needs. Along with new door styles Force 8 has a new Smooth Finish on its contemporary door range rather than the normal wood-grain effect. The new finish combines the look of an aluminium door with the thermal advantages of a composite door. If a customer were to purchase the same style of door in aluminium, it could cost five times more than a Force 8 composite smooth door.

The Exclusive Decadence range of doors is also available in the new smooth finish and is the ideal choice of door for a cutting edge entrance. This effect has the look of a highly engineered aluminium door, and is enhanced with the addition of Force 8’s new range of stainless steel hardware.

The 64-page brochure is filled with stunning photography covering the full range of doors, colours and glazing available from Force 8, giving the reader an unparalleled variety of options. The brochure has been laid out in a clear and concise format with precise illustrations and simple, but informative descriptions. “We wanted to create a brochure that was easy on the eye, simple and uncluttered”, comments Dennis Sumner, Managing Director of Force 8. “With such a wide variety of door products and options available it was difficult to compact everything into just 64 pages. The addition of the new smooth doors has increased the amount of variations you can have, giving customers a bewildering choice, and for the first time with the new smooth finish, you can really feel the difference. ”

Included within the brochure are additions to the contemporary range, with many being exclusive to Force 8, The new designs are available with the new Urban Glazed cassettes in aluminium or colour-matched finish. All doors are fitted with the Force 8 high standard security locking systems and are available with traditional or contemporary hardware.

As you would expect from one of the UK’s leading profile bending companies, there are many examples of the unique Force 8 one-piece bend frames. Combined with their exclusive arched composite door system, makes an unparalleled product package only available from Force 8. “We never produce a brochure unless we have new and exclusive products to promote”’ comments Dennis. “Our new 2018 door brochure is no exception to the rule and will revolutionize the way people choose a door”.

To get your copy of the Force 8 Door Brochure, just log onto:  force8.uk/2018-brochure-subscription/