A PIONEERING ARCHITECT OF THE BESPOKE AND WELDED PRODUCT MARKET

Mark Tetley, Director of Bison Frames, discusses how ‘BISON’ has become synonymous with exceptional quality and product development and also explains why focus and attention to detail makes the difference.

In an industry that is full of ‘me-too’ products, it is important to have a range of bespoke products in your portfolio that help you stand out. It’s products like these that can attract a premium, help you establish your reputation for offering something a little bit different and create opportunities that aren’t available to other competitors.

At Bison, we understand the importance of this and our comprehensive product range gives installers exactly what they need.

This is perhaps best demonstrated in our Genesis Collection. From the very start our approach to the Collection was that every product that bears its name must meet our company’s high standards: it must be at the very sharp end of innovation, offer exceptional attention to detail and have no compromise on quality.

This focus is what has helped Bison’s Genesis Vertical Slider, launched at the very first FIT Show over 4 years ago, become the best-in-class product for the industry. The fully mechanically jointed construction to both sash and outer frame is perhaps the most noteworthy point, and details such as optional Georgian bars, colour coordinated pile seals, run-through horns, deep bottom rail and quality hardware combine to create a truly standout product. This same focus is what will also make the difference with the soon-to-be-launched Genesis Flush Sash, which uses the quality Deceuninck profile at its heart and will complement the Genesis Vertical Slider.

The Genesis Collection windows not only offer outstanding attention to detail where aesthetics are concerned, there is also a real focus on the things that matter in a 21st century window. Both windows can achieve a Window Energy Rating of A (A+ in the case of the Flush Sash), which means they offer incredible thermal efficiency advantages over the windows they replace. Both windows place a real emphasis on security too. Genesis products are authentic in appearance and also meet and exceed modern day security standards for complete peace of mind and Document Q compliance. The Genesis Flush Sash will be launched with PAS24 accreditation and we have just received the test results that confirm that the security standards are just as high on the Genesis Vertical Slider and it carries the PAS24 accreditation too.

Of course, if you are going to stake your reputation on quality and attention to detail, this needs to be reflected not only with bespoke products but throughout your entire product range and that also includes our welded products.

In early 2016 a huge investment was made in our manufacturing set up to further improve the quality of our welded products. Bison became one of the very first companies in the UK to invest in the latest Graf SL4FF Evo seamless welder, which eliminates the welding seam and moves standard welded product aesthetics into a totally different league. It’s a development that is making an incredible difference to our welded versions of the Vertical Slider, Flush Sash and our new Slider24 patio door. The feedback from our installer network is that the difference in quality of the seamless weld is astonishing and they are also over the moon that we decided to offer this at NO EXTRA COST, putting them head and shoulders above their competitors. It is investments such as these that demonstrate our commitment to technological innovation as well as to the continuous development of our products and guarantee they stay at the forefront of the industry.

Bison have the same commitment to our customer service and support. We recently launched www.genesiscollection.co.uk: a homeowner-focused website designed to drive warm leads to our loyal customers. We also have stunning marketing literature that enhances our installers’ sales efforts and a wealth of other support designed to add value to a business. Bison offer a compelling package of benefits, value for money, reliable deliveries and are a company you can trust.

We’ve made a name for ourselves for quality, technological innovation, customer service and the attention to detail of our bespoke and welded products. Everyone at Bison is proud to be able to say that this means one thing: if you want to have quality bespoke and welded products in your portfolio, you need to talk to Bison.

www.bisonframes.com

Business is booming for long established Smart and Schueco partner Alumen Ltd as the leading aluminium fabricator moves to a larger 15,000 sq ft facility in their home town of Kettering.

“Thanks to our continued success in the retail and trade sectors, and the growth in popularity of aluminium windows and doors, we are busier than ever”, says Alan Robinson, Alumen’s MD. “This demand has enabled us to expand into the new premises that will double our manufacturing capacity, provide additional office space for our growing sales and support team and provide our customers with a larger, purpose built showroom facility.

“The team behind the Alumen brand has been involved in the home improvement market for three decades, with particular expertise in the design, manufacture and installation of aluminium windows and doors. We are long established partners to both Smart and Schueco, but also provide our own range of bi-fold doors, contemporary aluminium entrance doors and rooflights.

“From standard products to bespoke designs, thanks to our own experienced and knowledgeable installation teams, we can work directly with architects and homeowners, but also provide support to trade partners/installation companies. Delivering high quality, well manufactured aluminium products on short lead times, backed-up by advice on design and installation is key to our continued success.

“With customer service at the heart of our business, our expanded facility will enhance our capability and capacity to deliver. We are keen to expand our trade partnerships with proactive installation companies – why not choose Alumen support you on your next aluminium project?”

Call us on 01536 737377 or visit our website www.alumen.co.uk

Day One of the 2017 FIT Show has come to an end, welcome to your official DGB FIT Show 2017 day one review. Lots to talk about, so I’ll try and keep it brief and save the big detail for the major review at the end of the week.

Impressive stand design

Starting on a positive note, one of the clearest things for me on this first day is the standard of the stands for so many exhibitors. I shall save a big review of the stands for my major review of the show at the end of the week, but here is a quick sample of what is about in the halls this year

The quality of the stands, the designs, the colour and the variety is as good as I have ever seen it at the FIT Show. I would go as far to say that this is the best year so far. Exhibitors and stand designers should take great credit from that. Coming off the back of another show just a year ago, it would have been very tempting to just use previous stands. But, it is clear that some companies have really declared a battle of the budget, not wanting to be outdone in the design stakes. If you’re coming to the show in the next couple of days, there is a genuine wow factor to them.

The new home

I’ll warn you now, this place in comparison to the previous venue in Telford is massive. You’ll earn breakfast in the halls by simply walking from the car park to the front door! The weather is good this week though so you probably won’t mind a bit of fresh air.

When you walk into the venue, the three halls are very brightly decorated in FIT Show livery. You cannot miss where our industry is housed for the next three days. Registration was easy for me this morning. Plenty of staff on hand to show you where you need to be. You’ll be handed your lanyards, guide book, free paper and a goodie bag which serves as a bag to hold all the other bags you’ll be given during the rest of the day.

The halls are massive. You might want to plan a route to make sure you get to see everything you want to see. Like I always do, I winged it and just wandered and found where things were. I’ll get the hang of it by Thursday afternoon! One thing you will notice is that you don’t have the same cosy feel in the NEC as you did at Telford. Size is everything here.

Not that things seem any less organised. Exhibitors I have spoken to have said that the logistics have been very good here, everything they have needed has been provided, and from what I can tell, bar the odd last minute hiccup, most stands were ready on time.

Products

There is nothing game changing here. Nothing that is going to shake the roots of UK fenestration. There is a much greater focus on improved quality and an expansion of existing product portfolios.

I will save specific products and companies for further reviews in the coming days and weeks, but companies like Synseal with their WarmCore were a good example of this. They have launched their WarmCore patio slider, which looks very good, alongside some proposed wood grain foils and some improvements to their Stratus roof. Products that are designed to build on the success of their system, rather than trying to reinvent the wheel. Considering we’re drowning in product choice at the moment, this is a wise move.

Something that did catch my eye is that there are a number of companies displaying some big sliding doors. And I mean big! AluK, Arkay and Luxal are all showing off absolutely enormous aluminium sliding patio doors on their stands. They really do catch your attention. You can see one of them in the images above. Definitely aimed at the “hollywood” homes in the UK, I can’t see these taking off in the standard residential market any time soon! Still, they’re amazing to look at and certainly drew the crowds on Tuesday.

It’s also very door heavy. Lots of companies showing lots of doors. There’s a focus on windows obviously, but doors are taking centre stage this year that is for sure.

My stand and product of the day though has to go to Greek company Alumil. The doors on their stand were simply stunning. Easily the best doors on show this year:

You have to see these doors up close to be able to appreciate how stunning they are. The depth of these doors is immense, the finishing, the attention to detail and yes, the price tag, mean these doors won’t be your next bread and butter product, but if you’re an installer who deals with special high end self-builds, you’re going to want to take a look at these!

During my day I managed to see my pals at MACO to show me their latest innovations. Well worth a look if you’re coming down over the next couple of days. I saw the Prefix stand, with a whole menu of new products to get your teeth stuck into. I was given a full demo of the Excellence as Standard installer scheme by Epwin, which was genuinely impressive and I shall be doing a full review on that on DGB in the coming days. I bumped into the team at FUX Austria and had a look at some sexy silver machinery.

Some stands also stayed open until 8pm, with drinks on many. It looks like plenty stayed behind to have a drink or two and unwind at the end of a very long day. I was on the Selecta stand until about 7:40pm and it was busy until I left, so it looks like it was a success for the organisers. Perhaps something that will now be done for future shows.

Odd atmosphere

Obviously a new home for a big exhibition is going to take some getting used to. When the show was at Telford, it took over the whole arena. It gave the show an almost cosy, family feel. A close community aspect to it all. The NEC is a vastly bigger place, where the FIT Show is being run alongside a few others shows at the same time. For me, there isn’t yet that buzz, that close energy that there was at Telford. Perhaps it was just first day gears, where Wednesday, with the Gala Dinner, the buzz might step up a gear or two.

I don’t think the atmosphere was helped with the atrocity that happened in Manchester the night previously. It definitely felt a bit sombre first thing in the morning to me. People still getting over the barbarism of the night before. Personally, I was surprised at how little visible security there was here at the NEC. I understand that the organisers won’t want to alarm guests unnecessarily, but given the severity of what happened, and at the type of venue it happened at, there might have been more. There was a sniffer dog on site. With the terror threat level being raised to maximum, I would not be surprised to see a more visible security presence on Wednesday and Thursday.

There was an odd, flat feeling at the end of the day today. Probably a combination of factors to be fair. And I know that Wednesday will be the day for maximum footfall and energy. I expect all halls to be busier, stands packed and plenty more arriving for the Gala Dinner that evening.

All in all, I would say it was a steady first day. Here’s to a busy day two!

KAT has announced at FIT Show an exclusive partnership deal with global aluminium profile maker, Kawneer (an Arconic Group company), to bolster its product offering to the trade residential sector.  The agreement ensures that KAT will exclusively supply the Kawneer range of products to the trade and residential sector in the UK and Republic of Ireland.

Adding a completely new and comprehensive range of aluminium glazing products to the existing KAT collection and an additional stock colour, KAT will introduce Kawneer’s range to meet growing demand in the trade for state-of-the-art designs and styles of aspirational quality aluminium doors and windows.

Kawneer, which is an established international leader in architectural systems, has a manufacturing facility in Runcorn, Cheshire.  Providing commercial, health, arts and leisure, education and transport sector products, Kawneer has already supplied some of the country’s most significant construction projects in the commercial arena.

Now manufacturing signature Kawneer products at its Cheshire facility, KAT provides tilt turn windows with hidden sash technology, casement windows, bifold doors, in-line sliding patio and lift & slide patio doors. The products are tailor-made to larger measurements up to 2.6 metres high and an impressive 13 metres wide. KAT will also be offering its recently launched aluminium front door made in the Kawneer system; all products can be seen on KAT’s stand C50 in Hall 6.  KAT continues its industry-leading seven stock colour proposition, with the Kawneer range offering an additional black anodized finish that is guaranteed for 20 years.

Already one of the few selected UK manufacturers of Schüco aluminium door and window systems for the trade residential sector, KAT will introduce its Kawneer products as principle range aspirational alternatives for projects throughout the UK and Ireland. As with all KAT’s aluminium products, the Kawneer range is available on a two-week ‘order to delivery’ basis.

Chris Powell, managing director, KAT, spoke about the exclusive partnership with Kawneer: “We are continually evolving to provide the quality and style of products sought by our informed customers and end-users alike.

“With Kawneer’s global knowledge and expertise, we bring a unique and robust offering that fits perfectly with our existing portfolio to add an aspirational collection for new home and renovation projects.

“With predicted further growth of our aluminium glazing products in 2017/18, we intend to lead the demand curve supported by our strong relationships with leading suppliers to offer trade customers the most comprehensive range for all small and large projects.”

For more information about KAT and its aluminium collections, please visit stand C50, Hall 6 at FIT Show or www.katuk.co.uk.

Fenestration reinforcement specialist, Anglo European is asking the question: Are companies taking a risk by switching from steel reinforcement to thermal inserts?

“Most system companies and fabricators test windows to the size dictated by the regulations,” says James Lister, Director at Anglo European. “But those aren’t the sizes that get installed in UK homes. We’re concerned that the trend for bigger windows in the real-world means installers may be fitting windows that don’t have the right level of reinforcement in them.

“It could be a ticking time-bomb for fabricators and installers who may be caught out with failures. It’s easy to think that using a thermal insert is good enough but who has put the windows to the test? We are investing in getting the right answer so fabricators and installers don’t have to leave it to chance.

“We have real-world sized windows being tested right now and we’ll know very soon about exactly what level of reinforcement is needed. Plus, we’ll be able to give complete peace of mind to fabricators with a new warranty based on the results from the tests.

“We work very closely with fabricators to develop the best steel reinforcement solutions. Clever engineering from Anglo European means we can maximise strength of the steel inserts at the same time as keeping prices keen.”

Anglo European will publish the results as soon as they’re available. For more information go to www.angloeuropeangroup.co.uk.

With colour, style and a premium finish becoming increasingly important to discerning homeowners, Mighton Products says that its Exact® colour matching service gives joiners and paint sprayers the capacity to respond to that demand thanks to its ability to match any hue of paint both promptly, and for an affordable price.

Through partnering up with paint specialists Anker Stuy, Mighton technicians now have unlimited access to a library of thousands of colour recipes, enabling them to mix the product in-house and offer next day delivery on any order made before 4pm. In addition, the company make regular use use of Anker Stuy’s state of the art laboratory where previously unmatched colours can be identified from a sample or paint code quickly and accurately.

Mighton Product’s Managing Director, Mark Fortune, said: “Our Exact® colour mixing and matching service is proving popular with joiners. Coming from the Mighton Ultra range, all coatings consistently offer quality and high performance in colours that would normally only be available in other systems – like emulsions.”

“Significant investment in the latest computer controlled technology enables us to offer an accurate match to most existing paint systems, including ‘posh paints’. Customers can give us a colour reference to work to or alternatively send us a sample of the paint they are looking to match. In most cases we will have the colour recipe in our existing library, if not we can have it matched that same day at our partner’s sophisticated laboratory in the Netherlands,” he added.

The experienced laboratory uses high-tech equipment to create new recipes which are then uploaded to the Mighton library back in the UK via the Internet. Thanks to the speed and efficiency of the whole process, in most cases Mighton are able to offer next working day delivery for new colours too.

Mark concluded: “Not only is our Exact® matching service accurate and efficient, it’s also very affordable. We pride ourselves on pricing transparency – while some of our competitors charge for decanting products into smaller cans and have surcharges for colour-matching we have a price per can and that’s all you pay. This means our joiners and sprayers are able to give their customers a quick and accurate quote, straight out of the Mighton catalogue.”

For more information on the Mighton Products Exact® colour matching service, please visit: www.mightonproducts.com or call: 01223 902 455

Image Above: SWISSPACER’s new UK HQ, Bradbourne Drive, Milton Keynes

SWISSPACER announces the opening of its new UK HQ, demonstrating its commitment to building its markets in UK and Ireland.

The modern and spacious building is built for growth and includes offices, meeting facilities and a showroom in one of the best-located industrial estates in Milton Keynes. Agnieszka Wronska, Branch and Operations Manager and Geoff Davies, Sales Manager for the North, Midlands and Ireland have been appointed, in addition to staff who will process customer orders. Both Agnieszka and Geoff join with considerable experience in the fenestration and glass industry.

From mid-June, sealed unit manufacturers and fabricators can collect SWISSPACER’s warm edge spacer bars directly from the new centre. In addition, the new HQ will be a centre for events, such as Passivhaus conferences, CPD training sessions and customer meetings. SWISSPACER’s new Laser Marking Service will also be based in the building.

John Cooper, Head of Marketing and Sales UK & Ireland, says: “SWISSPACER has always led the way in product innovation, and with more and more direct customers joining us, we felt it was the right time to invest in our UK distribution. The new UK HQ means accessible and consistent stock for customers with improved lead times.”

Call SWISSPACER on 01908 335190 for further product information or to discuss the benefits of becoming a direct customer.

SWISSPACER’s new UK HQ is at:

Unit 4 Bradbourne Drive,

Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire,

MK7 8BN

www.swisspacer.com