GGF INCREASES UK PRESENCE FOR FENSTERBAU 2018

The UK Pavilion at FENSTERBAU FRONTALE 2018, hosted by the Glass and Glazing Federation (GGF) will be bigger and better as some of the UK glazing industry’s highest profile organisations have signed up to co-exhibit at the world’s largest international trade fair for the window industry.

In 2016, the GGF set up and organised the UK Pavilion within the FENSTERBAU FRONTALE exhibition. For 2018, the GGF has more than doubled the size of the Pavilion with 200m² reserved to provide a designated area for 12 British companies to co-exhibit and reach a huge international market in excess of 100,000 trade visitors.

FENSTERBAU FRONTALE 2018 takes place in Nuremberg on 21-24 March and reflects the worldwide innovations in windows, doors and facades. Architects, carpenters, window and facade manufacturers, and the specialist trade will update on the latest profile systems, glass in architecture, fixing equipment, hardware, safety equipment, machines, installations and many more products.

All six organisations who co-exhibited in 2016 have once again signed up once to be part of the UK Pavilion.

As well as hosts, the GGF, the co-exhibitors who have re-booked include:

• Clearview – the UK leading trade magazine for the glazing sector
• GGF – the glass and glazing industry’s main trade body
• Glazpart – the leader in plastic glazing accessories and ventilation
• GQA Qualifications – the Glazing Industry’s Specialist Awarding Body
• RITEC International – developer and manufacturer of the only complete system for glass renovation, ‘non-stick’ protection and maintenance
• The FIT Show – the UK’s award-winning glass and glazing industry trade show

James Lee, GGF Director of Group Marketing commented on the increased size of the UK Pavilion:

“Following the success at the UK Pavilion at Fensterbau in 2016 and the interest we received after the event, we were keen to return in 2018, bigger and better than before. We will now be going from six co-exhibitors to twelve covering a broader spectrum of the industry. As a result, we have more than doubled the stand space and this will considerably increase the UK’s presence.”    

Paul Godwin, Managing Director of The FIT Show added:

“We are pleased to be part of the UK Pavilion once again because we acknowledge the strength of the event as an international showcase. Fensterbau is a powerful international event but for any company specifically targeting the highly buoyant UK window, door market The FIT Show will reach many thousands more visitors. The FIT Show therefore provides an excellent gateway into the UK market.”

Mick Clayton, GQA Chief Executive commented:

“We very much look forward to once again co-exhibiting with like-minded companies at Fensterbau on the UK Pavilion. It promises to be an exciting show where we can discuss GQA’s approach to skills development and recognition with international companies.”

Steve Sidebottom, Managing Director of Clearview magazine added:

“The UK Pavilion worked well for us in 2016 so we had no hesitation in booking our place for 2018. The Clearview Group has already built strong business relationships with European companies who are aiming to market their business and products in the UK. The UK Pavilion at Fensterbau provides a great platform for reaching more international customers.”

Derek Brown, International Sales and Market Development Manager, RITEC International Ltd commented:

“The British Pavilion at Fensterbau 2016 was a big success for RITEC and we generated a variety of quality leads from all over the world. Therefore we had no hesitation in signing up for 2018 because the show allows us to access prospective customers that would be difficult to reach through other marketing channels.”

On the UK Pavilion, participating companies will hold sales promotions, product demonstrations, video screenings and presentations as well as taking advantage of multiple networking opportunities. The GGF also has plans for a special party held on the Pavilion during the show in the form of a British Reception.

The GGF is pleased with the progress in the planning for next year’s FENSTERBAU FRONTALE and will soon be revealing the names of the new companies who have signed up to join the UK Pavilion as co-exhibitors. James Lee explained:

“We’re delighted that the five co-exhibitors from 2016 have signed up for next year and our plans are well underway. A further five companies are also in the pipeline to be part of the UK Pavilion and we’ll be releasing more details soon.”

If you are interested in co-exhibiting or visiting the UK Pavilion at Fensterbau Frontale in 2018, then please contact the GGF at marketing@ggf.org.uk

www.ggf.org.uk

Image Above: Winning project by Gelder Joinery Limited

An 18 year-old apprentice who helped land a six-figure business deal, a trainee cabinet maker with a mayoral bench to his name, an innovative mass-market fire door and a previously unsung health and safety hero have all been recognised in this year’s British Woodworking Federation awards ceremony, which took place on Friday 24th November and celebrated the passion and expertise that lies at the heart of the UK’s £3.8bn woodworking sector.

One of the highlights of the night was the Project of the Year award, which went to an ambitious and beautiful Edwardian home restoration in Oxfordshire, masterminded by Gelder Joinery’s team of just ten people (picture of Gelder Joinery Limited at the awards with Guest Speaker Graham Poll (l) and BWF CEO Iain McIlwee (r))

The event took place in the grand setting of London’s Drapers’ Hall, where attendees from all over the UK came together to celebrate the woodworking sector’s success and look forward to a jam-packed 2018. Graham Poll, one of the most successful English football referees of all time, provided an entertaining after-dinner speech, referencing the infamous moment he issued three yellow cards at the World Cup final in 2006.

“In a landscape of economic and business uncertainty, there was a real sense of energy and positivity during the evening,” said Iain McIlwee, Chief Executive of the British Woodworking Federation. “People are genuinely proud to be in the woodworking sector and love what they do. From the many entries we had for the apprentice and trainee awards in particular, there is a sense that we are attracting some great new talent into the industry and offering rewarding career opportunities – something that needs to continue.”

The award winners were as follows:

Apprentice of the Year (sponsored by CITB)

The shortlist for the Apprentice and Trainee Awards with Guest Speaker Graham Poll (l) and BWF CEO Iain McIlwee (r)

Oliver Walker, 18 years old, of Gowercroft Joinery in Derbyshire, who was praised for his workmanship and eye for detail. Oliver’s work on a bespoke window sample for a property in Mayfair led to an order for windows and doors totalling over six figures (picture of shortlisted apprentices and trainees with Graham and Iain).

Trainee of the Year (sponsored by CITB)

Matt Brown from Warwickshire College was nominated by his tutor for his initiative and ambition. During his City and Guilds training course, Matt gained a commission to make a Mayoral bench for the grounds of Kenilworth Castle, which was highly praised.

Product Design in Wood (Sponsored by Teknos)

The team at Morland, based in Powys, Wales, were recognised for the design, innovation and technical excellence on their ABS Edge Banded Melamine Faced FD30 Fire Doors, beating two other hopefuls shortlisted in the category. The fire door was praised by judges for combining high-end quality with mass market budgets.

Process Efficiency (sponsored by W18)

AJB Group were recognised for their clear thinking and commitment to finding a solution to help drive their business performance and outputs forward. The company has invested heavily in its infrastructure over the past two years – over £2million has gone into new Plant machinery, a new factory and various processes, to ensure the business kept ahead in the marketplace.

Health & Safety Hero (sponsored by Didac)

Kevin Claughton, of Cotswold Manufacturing Ltd in Stockton-on-Tees, was recognised for his focus and commitment. By reviewing the COSHH arrangements and changes to the way hazardous waste was contained and stored at his business, Kevin was able to make a cost saving of £18k per year. Kevin was instrumental in Cotswold Manufacturing’s move to a new 89,000 sq ft factory, and has now trained 96 colleagues on health and safety matters – including the company directors.

Woodworking Project of the Year (sponsored by Accoya)

The Gelder Joinery Limited team at the awards with Guest Speaker Graham Poll (l) and BWF CEO Iain McIlwee (r))

Gelder Joinery’s restoration of an Edwardian house in Oxfordshire (pictured) was praised by judges for the project’s beautiful restoration, unparalleled detail and design excellence. In total, Gelder Joinery Limited supplied 32 windows, 12 door sets, three large garage door sets, a summer house with decorative roof structure, a stable block and numerous other items, all from its business of just ten employees.

Iain McIlwee continued: “We proudly represent the woodworking and joinery industry; our craft puts us at the heart of UK manufacturing.  We had a record number of entries for this year’s awards and it has reminded us again how outstanding and innovative the talent in the UK is; across both businesses and individuals. It’s fantastic to celebrate the fact that this great industry is continuing to thrive.”

Northamptonshire-based aluminium window, door and roof specialist, Alumen, ran its first ever open house event in November. Having recently moved to new premises with an impressive new showroom – and with a range of new products to launch – the manufacturer celebrated by opening its doors to the press, trade and public.

Running across four days, the open house event started with a press preview, followed by a trade-only day for Alumen’s trade customers. Alumen’s MD, Alan Robinson, took visitors through the company’s rise from a bi-fold door manufacturer working out of a shed 10 years ago, to the multi-range, multi-million pound aluminium specialist it is today. The presentation also drew on the company’s experience and insight to provide a positive analysis of the aluminium market and Alumen’s position within it. Finally, Alan went through the highlights of Alumen’s product offerings, including the exciting new range of Cortizo windows and doors they are launching into the UK market.

Visitors were then given the opportunity to inspect and discuss the manufacturer’s Schueco, Cortizo and Smart windows, doors and roofs up-close – including its new Cor-Vision Plus sliding door – followed by a tour of its new 15,000ft2 factory facility.

Commenting on the open house, Alumen MD, Alan Robinson said: “It was a pleasure to invite people to our new factory and showroom and show them what Alumen is all about. We may not be the most well-known name in the industry, but we’re very proud of what we do, how we’ve grown, and the products we’ve launched into the UK market. I think our visitors could see that and were impressed by it.”

Ken McMichael, Alumen’s technical director, commented: “We put a lot of hard work into building our new showroom, so it was good to see our visitors respond so well. They were very interested in the complete Cortizo package we’re launching, including our new Cor 70 casement and hidden sash tilt and turn windows, the Millennium Plus entrance door, the Alumen bi-fold and the incredible Cor-Vision Plus sliding door. Everything in the range is innovative and stylish, and yet surprisingly inexpensive. It’s refreshing to see well-priced products of such clever design being introduced to the UK market. Our visitors certainly seemed to be like what they saw.”

www.alumen.co.uk

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Following the recent purchase of the DecraLed range of stock and assets, UK insulated glass (IG) component manufacturer and supplier to the window industry, Thermoseal Group, has re-launched the www.decraled.co.uk website with a simple interim site to showcase its core decorative product ranges.

DECRA Led® adhesive lead strip and wide range of DECRA Glow® Films; DECRA Bevels®; as well as infused tiles and a multitude of decorative accessories are all part of the DecraLed range which has been manufactured to highest quality standards and developed with skills honed over 60 years in the industry before being further developed in Thermoseal Group’s multiple award-winning business.

The Group’s Sales Director Mark Hickox tells us:  “Having taken over the DecraLed brand and full product ranges, we felt that the websites on offer didn’t do them justice, so we have quickly launched a temporary site.  This website is reflective of the design we are currently working on for a new comprehensive website which will fully showcase the entire range of decorative products we have on offer.  It is also an online shop which will enable 24-hour purchasing worldwide. Look out for this in the early part of next year which should fall in line with our plans to expand the decorative range.

“Since the purchase of DecraLed, we have integrated its 2,000-plus product range into our extensive range of IG components on offer.  We have also made significant investments in enhancing the decorative manufacturing machinery and now have our own state-of-the-art design studio in Wigan. This studio will enable us to produce bespoke designs for our customers to incorporate into their own insulated glass products. This is the first in our planned developments to strengthen the DecraLed brand and provide new and innovative solutions to customers’ decorative requirements.”

To purchase any DecraLed products, please contact Thermoseal Group on 0845 331 3950 or Alternatively, e-mail your order requests to: sales@thermosealgroup.com.    

For further information on the full range of products available from Thermoseal Group, visit: www.thermosealgroup.com.

Image Above: Martin Harris of Qualitere and Alex Dutton of Brisant with the Lock Lock security handle

Qualitere Windows is the latest installation company to fit Lock Lock security handles as standard. After on-site testing and both employee and customer surveys, Joint Owner Martin Harris announced the move, fitting all 20 showroom doors with Brisant Secure’s Lock Lock. 

“Lock Lock’s performance and security are first-class but it’s also the clear market leader in anti-corrosion,” says Martin. “Pitting and tarnishing is an issue in the hardware industry, but we’ve never bought cheap products as we have a reputation to protect. We did have issues with three handles recently though (despite being 64 miles from the coast!) and that was three too many. This just can’t happen: customers come to us for top-of-the-range quality so we needed a secure handle that would stay looking good. After trialling and feedback from customers on the functionality and looks, I was so impressed I made Lock Lock the standard option rather than an upgrade.”

Qualitere Windows is a family-run business in the East Midlands. “We’d been looking to improve our premium security handle offer for a while,” continues Martin. “We got a fantastic reception when we started fitting Brisant’s Ultion cylinders as standard over a year ago, and I knew Lock Lock could be another game changer for us. Handle and cylinder lock manufacturers approach me regularly with cheaper alternatives. But I’m not interested in cheap, and neither are my customers. I need to be 100% sure on quality and security, and with Lock Lock, I am.”

For more information on Qualitere visit www.qualiterewindows.co.uk; for details on Lock Lock’s anti-corrosion performance go to www.lock-lock.co.uk/tested. 

Picture above: Winner of Lifetime Achievement Award, Greg ODonoghue

It was a memorable evening at the G17 Awards on 17^th November at Park Lane Hilton as Greg O’Donoghue received The GGF Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding contribution to the industry.

As well as being major sponsors for the event the GGF decided to mark its 40^th Anniversary year with this special “Lifetime Achievement Award” and received nominations from numerous sectors of the industry.

Given his exceptional list of achievements for the industry such as being a co-founder of FENSA – the competent persons’ scheme and ensuring glazing was included in the TrustMark scheme, Greg deservedly won the award after 35 years in the industry during which he has become one of the most influential individuals in the domestic glazing sector.

In 2000, Greg was elected GGF President and then in 2002 as Chairman of FENSA he negotiated with Government to bring about legislative change which has proved to be for the benefit of the entire industry and consumers.

Since then Greg has been a consistent industry champion on many fronts including, increasing consumer protection, improving the installation industry standards and campaigning to overcome barriers for glazing in the conservation areas.

On winning the award Greg commented, “I am truly stunned but delighted to have won this award. I can only thank my colleagues at Just Windows and Doors and all those connected to the GGF, who have helped me throughout my time in the industry.”

Greg’s longevity and gravitas in the industry, clearly highlights his passion, industry knowledge and commitment to constantly create a better trading environment for companies large and small.

James Lee, GGF Director of Group Marketing presented the award and commented, “Greg is always accessible to offer advice and promote the industry. His work for the GGF and FENSA has constantly been for the greater good and not for his own personal gain. He is most deserving of the GGF Lifetime Achievement Award.”

Greg concluded, “It’s been a fantastic evening and one I’ll never forget. This is an award that I never expected, but I am pleased my many years of work for the industry have been recognized in this way.”

www.ggf.org.uk

Stagflation

Bowater by Birtley is pleased to welcome Kevin Taylor to its management team to further improve the entire customer experience from order placement to receipt of product. Joining as Operations Manager, Kevin has a long history in the window and door industry having worked his way up from the factory floor to various management positions in operations, production and is perhaps most well-known for his position as Warmseal MD for 9 years.

Graeme Miller of Bowater by Birtley says: “Kevin brings a wealth of experience to Bowater by Birtley and will fulfil a critical role at this stage of our development. We supply the market with a wide range of products so they can choose the best door for each individual project, but to deliver such a vast offering is complicated and requires an efficient operation, from start to finish. Kevin’s expertise will complement our existing set-up to improve the customer experience.”

Kevin Taylor adds: “As soon as I heard about the position available at Bowater by Birtley, I knew it was something I’d love to be involved with. The position gives me something to get my teeth into and is in an industry I have worked in since leaving school. I’ll be involved with many aspects of the business including order placement, customer service, procurement and sales, as well as production. My role will be to work closely with the rest of the management team, including the continuous improvement manager, to further improve efficiencies and build on existing systems to ensure our high-quality products arrive with customers on time, every time. I’ll be implementing the 5s system derived from lean manufacturing principles – a philosophy already employed at Bowater – which broadly translated in English means to Sort, Set in Order, Shine, Standardise and Sustain. In short, the outcome of this is to continuously improve quality, efficiencies and morale.”

Graeme Miller concludes: “Merging Bowater with Birtley was always going to be a huge undertaking but we have really hit the ground running this year and with the addition of Kevin to further strengthen our team, we believe we are in a strong position to deliver everything the market needs in 2018.”

The post Kevin Taylor, Operations Manager at Bowater by Birtley appeared first on Windows Active Magazine.

Mark Jones has been announced as the new Managing Director of County Durham based, bespoke glass and solar PV manufacturer, Romag.

The move has come as part of a long-term investment strategy to drive the business towards its £50m potential. Supported by a new management team, he will be responsible for the day to day operations of the business, as well as overseeing production processes.

Ryan Green, CEO of Romag commented “I am delighted to welcome Mark as Managing Director. I am a firm believer in recognising talent within our workforce. With years of senior management experience under his belt and a passion for the high-quality products we manufacture and markets we operate in, Mark is well placed to drive Romag forward, as we strive to become the UK’s most successful independent bespoke glass manufacturer.”

Mark added: “As a Romag employee of more than three years I have seen first-hand the potential of this business and with the support of a highly specialised management team, we are poised to drive Romag to the next level, by delivering great products and great customer service.”

Romag is a UK pioneer with more than 70 years of glass laminating experience and expertise. Established in 1943, the firm has built a strong reputation around the globe for manufacturing high quality specialist security glass products in a range of shapes and sizes, to meet individual client needs.

The Wood Window Alliance (WWA) has published the second chapter of its 2017 trends report, Windows on the World: The Downton Effect, and says that emerging trends suggest that homeowners are looking to the past for property – preferring period styles to contemporary builds.

The report highlights that period properties are experiencing a resurgence in sales as a result of increased consumer interest in British heritage and history. According to the WWA, historic houses are now some of the most sought-after on the market, with their increasing scarcity enhancing their appeal and bankability.

71% of homeowners agree that it is important to retain British heritage, whilst 80% say that period buildings are important to maintaining heritage in the UK. Many homeowners are embracing the concept of ‘Heritage Gain’, and are restoring the history and heritage of a property when it had previously been removed.

Just over half would prefer to live in a period property, with Victorian and Georgian winning the battle of the historical styles. But, perhaps contrary to expectations, 74% of Millennials also say it’s important to retain British heritage and more than half (58%) of Millennials find period properties the most desirable.

The desire for heritage means that people are willing to pay an average 11% more for a house with well-maintained period features. According to the WWA’s report, wood trumps plastic when it comes to character, yet almost half of those living in period properties have installed PVCU window frames in their homes thanks to ‘outdated preconceptions’ in the ‘aesthetics versus functionality’ debate.

More than half (56%) of homeowners are said to prefer wooden window frames when it comes to character, with just 8% preferring PVC-U frames.

Tony Pell, chairman of the Wood Window Alliance, said: “Whilst this trend is undoubtedly positive, it brings to the fore the challenge that we have faced as an organisation for many years – how to rectify the misconception that you must compromise aesthetics or historical accuracy for practical functionality when it comes to older properties. Nowhere is this more relevant than with windows. But too often, a misplaced and outdated fear of draughty wood windows, soaring energy bills and high maintenance requirements has left elegant period properties scarred with starkly out of place PVC-U windows.

“Huge technological strides in the wood window manufacturing process mean there is no longer the need to trade beauty for performance durability or efficiency. Today’s fully-finished wood window frames have an average service life of 60 years and simply require a new coat of paint every eight years or so. Well-maintained, there is evidence to suggest good quality timber windows could last at least a hundred years. What’s more, timber windows are particularly suited to triple glazing, making them incredibly efficient.”

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