PERFECT BLEND OF EXPERIENCE IN EUROGLAZE’S CUSTOMER SERVICE TEAM

Leading REHAU trade fabricator Euroglaze is living up to its claim of offering an unrivalled support network by investing yet again in its customer service team.

Katrina Stone is the latest Customer Service Advisor to join the already strong team, bringing with her what is arguably the perfect blend of experience.

For the past 12 months, Katrina has worked on the shop floor at Euroglaze’s Barnsley factory as a window fabricator, and prior to that worked in a call centre for one of the UK’s leading mobile phone operators, so she has both the technical and communication skills which customers need.

Katrina is processing quotations and orders, providing marketing support materials, and giving advice on Euroglaze’s vast range of REHAU products which includes fire rated windows and doors, Heritage vertical sliders and sliding patios as well as standard casements in REHAU TOTAL70.

A key part of her focus will be on growing Euroglaze’s local customer base. She says: “We supply customers right across the UK who love our friendly, reliable service and our exceptional product quality. Up until now though, we haven’t really targeted customers in our own area so I’m making it my mission to get our message across in Barnsley and South Yorkshire.”

Working alongside Rosie Micheli, Nicky Park and Janet Walker in the Customer Service team, Katrina will continue to benefit from Euroglaze’s continuous staff training programme and the empowerment initiatives which allow every individual to make a positive difference to the way the business operates.

www.euroglaze.co.uk

London attracted a full sty of PIGS to party in the capital on 11 May at The Slug and Lettuce in Leicester Square. After a bit of a slow start to the evening, by 7pm the private room was buzzing.

The second 2017 event drew in people from across the entire glazing industry for drinks and networking.

PIGS organiser and Client Strategy Director at Balls2 Marketing, Sarah Ball said: “With FIT Show only around the corner we were really pleased to have so many PIGS join us on the night.

“There were a lot of first time PIGS and it was fab to see new faces alongside our regulars.

“I’d like to say a huge thank you to our fantastic sponsors – without you, PIGS wouldn’t be possible!”

PIGS received fantastic support from the industry, with 34 companies and organisations dipping their hands in their pockets to sponsor the event. As usual, all of the money went behind the bar to start the PIGS party.

The London PIGS sponsors were:

• aïr
• AluK
• Avantis International
• Build Show
• Business Micros
• Central RPL
• Danvac
• Dempsey Dyer
• DW3 Products Group
• Edgetech UK
• Emplas
• ERA
• Everglade Windows
• Extrudaseal
• FIT Show
• Frame Fast
• Georgian Bar Company
• GGF
• Glazpart
• Network VEKA
• Regalead
• Selecta Systems
• Stuga Machinery
• Synseal
• The VEKA UK Group
• Thermoseal Group
• Titon
• Ultraframe
• Universal Arches
• Victorian Sliders
• Whizzle
• Window Ware
• Yale
• Yes Glazing

There are two more PIGS events planned for 2017. The next is in Glasgow on 7 September and the final one of 2017 will be in Birmingham on 26 October.

Sarah added: “I would like to say thank you to everyone who supports and attends PIGS and I’d also like to thank the Balls2 Marketing team for helping me with the organisation and promotion of PIGS.”

If you would like to sponsor a 2017 PIGS event, please email Sarah at sarah@balls2marketing.com. Sign-up for the latest event updates at www.balls2marketing.co.uk/pigs.

The first ever installation of SMARTGLASS® Dynamic has resulted in overwhelming praise from the homeowner of the newly refurbished conservatory, that has benefitted from this revolutionary, wireless, self-tinting glass technology.

Phil Stow approached Clayton Glass in February 2017, before the commencement of his conservatory refurbishment project in Houghton on the Hill, Leicester, about the performance characteristics of specialist conservatory glass on dull days. He had already specified SMARTGLASS Ultimate, one of the best performing conservatory roof glass types in the sector.

Jason McCabe, commercial and site director of Clayton Glass, suggested that SMARTGLASS® Dynamic would outperform any other conservatory roof glass on hot sunny days, yet provide light transmission, very close to that of a standard IGU on duller days. The quote below is taken directly from an e-mail received on 3rd May from Phil Stow.

He commented: ‘My conservatory refit by Mike Jarvis of Custom Conservatories is nearly complete, and I currently have a couple of Ultimate panes which will be replaced next week. This has allowed me to compare and contrast the products literally side by side.

He continued: ‘The Ultimate glass, which was my initial choice, is a pretty glass which performs well and I’m sure I would have been very happy with it. The Dynamic glass however, is in a completely different league in my opinion. In a clear state like your literature states it performs similar to standard glass, giving true colours of the outside world. Furthermore, on dull days, the light transmitted is clearly noticeable as greater than the Ultimate. So far, I cannot comment on hot day performance, but when the sun did briefly emerge and the outside temperature was around 14 Celsius the Dynamic magically tinted to the colour of Ultimate.’

And finally, he added: ‘SMARTGLASS® Dynamic is a fantastic product and I hope it produces the success for Clayton Glass you deserve for developing it. Thank you once again for letting me be one of the first customers to appreciate it.’

Jason McCabe, commercial and site director enthused: ‘That’s an incredible testimonial from a homeowner who is already embracing dynamic living, thanks to SMARTGLASS® Dynamic. Without question this is the future for domestic glazing, particularly in the roofing plane and we look forward to building further sales and working with key partners to bring this technology to the mass market.’

For a free SMARTGLASS® Dynamic sample kit and a 2017 Product Guide, e-mail enquiries@smart-glass.co.uk or call the sales office on 01207 288200. You can also add to their growing Twitter following @ClaytonGlass and find further product information at www.smart-glass.co.uk.

Darlington-based National Window Systems, part of the HWL Windows Group, have installed a beautiful OPUS hybrid lantern roof, exclusively manufactured by Prefix Systems, on their newly extended conservatory village and renovated showroom.

OPUS is a new genre of hybrid glazing, combining the proven performance and adaptability of aluminium with the sheer richness and luxury of hardwood. This installation at National Window Systems, is part of a traditional brick Orangery in a showroom environment that includes two other Orangeries, a Prefix solid, insulated and tiled WARMroof and other modern living environments.

Now celebrating their 30^th anniversary, this investment by National Window Systems in premium, extended living space solutions shows a shift in emphasis from the basic cost effective conservatories, to the more premium environments that discerning consumers are now demanding. The OPUS lantern roof is a perfect example of this offering, with a PVCu or aluminium exterior and with the trademark OPUS timber internal finish, which is further emphasised on the showsite Orangery, with an oak trim around the lantern opening.

John McComb, sales manager of National Window Systems commented, ‘OPUS is the epitome of premium glazing solutions and it’s generated considerable interest already, following our opening day event. There’s a new type of consumer emerging that seeks premium brands and products that provide luxury appeal, something our newly expanded showsite is perfectly designed to cater for.’

Geoff Williams, national sales manager of Prefix Systems concluded: ‘We’ve generated considerable interest in the OPUS system since its launch at the FIT Show in 2016 and it will again be featured on our stand at this year’s show, as a lantern roof and also as a set of stunning, bi-folding doors. With further developments, we’re looking to further open up a new niche for high performance hybrid products, with proactive partners such as National Window Systems eager to be early adopters.’

For information on National Window Systems visit http: www.nationalwindowsystems.co.uk. For further information, on Prefix Systems contact the head office on 01254 871800, visit www.prefixsystems.co.uk, e-mail enquiries@prefixsystems.co.uk or add to their considerable following on Twitter @prefixsystems.

Funded by the government’s Condition Improvement Fund, The Window Company (Contracts) has just completed an impressive window replacement project at Hatcham College in South East London, part of the prestigious Haberdasher’s Askes’ Schools Federation.

The award winning commercial installer was appointed as the principle contractor by Arcadis Consulting, working on behalf of the school for 3-18 year olds.

Parts of the historic Hatcham College date back to 1890, so the challenge for The Window Company (Contracts) was to supply and install windows which were in keeping with the age and character building but still represented best value.

Because they are entirely independent, they were able to successfully identify a range of different products from a number of different suppliers which perfectly matched the different elements of the specification.

This included six 4600(h) x 2000(w) bespoke sapele hardwood double glazed sash windows for the school hall from NJL Joinery in Essex, painted white on the exterior but left varnished in the natural wood on the interior to match the hall’s existing panelling. These were fitted with Guardian SunGuard SuperNeutral glass to minimise solar gain and even feature the original openers which The Window Company (Contracts) expertly restored and refitted.

In other parts of the building, they installed a mix of arched head vertical sliders and tilt and slide windows with Astragal bars, fabricated by Glazerite in Veka’s Matrix profile which matched the external appearance of the timber they were replacing. They also created a new opening in the dining hall and fitted a new set of Comar Commercial aluminium double doors.

The Window Company (Contracts) has extensive experience in the education sector and its team are all CRB checked and fully trained to work on school sites. It has the flexibility to be able to deploy fitters at short notice to work during school closure times and is renowned for its commitment to always delighting clients.

Mary Williams, Business Manager at the school, was impressed with their approach: “What we liked was that The Window Company (Contracts) did exactly what we wanted on the project and not just what suited them best. We are delighted with the products they recommended, particularly the new timber sash windows, and with the attention to detail they showed on every aspect of the project.

“We knew that we could trust everyone on the team and, with one project manager responsible for everything on site, they were very easy to work with. Nothing was too much trouble and we would definitely work with them again.”

Further information is at www.thewinco.co.uk