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Mark Mitchell, director, Mackenzie Glass

Mackenzie Glass, part of the Cornwall Glass group of businesses has agreed contracts on the acquisition of Pilkington Bristol from NSG.

The sale, which is expected to complete at the end of November, will see the transfer of Pilkington Bristol assets to Mackenzie Glass. This is also expected to include employees, following the completion of a statutory consultation period.

Mark Mitchell, director, Mackenzie Glass said that the acquisition represented a significant opportunity for growth.

“This is a very large – and what has been a very successful business – with a turnover in excess of £5m”, he said.

“But we believe it can do more with future investment and by realising the additional potential of the networks that we can access across the South West”

Mitchell added: “We will continue to work very closely with Pilkington going forward as a new Regional Partner”.

Pilkington opened its 37,000ft2 purpose built Bristol site on the southern side of the city in 2003, supplying a comprehensive range of glass products and currently employs 46 people.

This is the latest in a series of recent acquisitions by Cornwall Glass, including the acquisition of LW Architectural Glass in March this year.

“Our continuing association with Pilkington and the creation of a new standalone business in Mackenzie Glass gives us a great opportunity to bring new energy to operations,” said Mitchell.

He concluded: “For us it’s about building on a solid core product offer but investing in and invigorating it, as a new regional partner to Pilkington to deliver ever higher levels of service to its existing and new customers.”

Matt Buckley, managing director UK&I Architectural at Pilkington United Kingdom, added: “The proposed sale of our Bristol operation and our new partnership with Mackenzie Glass allows it to continue improving its offer to both existing and new customers across the South West.”

www.mackenzieglass.co.uk

The post Cornwall Glass acquires Pilkington merchant glass business appeared first on Glass & Glazing Products Magazine (GGP).

Hybrid Window Systems returned from 100% Design, which was held at Olympia London, 20-23rd September 2017, with a number of high quality enquiries from architects, building specifiers and those planning a self-build project.

With a manufacturing base just outside Worcester, Hybrid Window Systems are one of just a handful of companies in the UK that can manufacture such window systems as their name suggests, with the impressive and Passivhaus capable System 76 from KÖMMERLING. These windows and doors benefit from the architectural feel of aluminium to the outside with the unrivalled acoustic, energy efficient and price point credentials of PVCu.

100% Design was the first exhibition in which they engaged with the architectural and building specifier market and the response was impressive, with many individuals and companies convinced that hybrid products have the potential to make in roads into the UK glazing market. With their first contract for over 100 windows already in place and several enquiries from potential Hybrid Design Partners, alongside interest from other KOMMELING fabricators, it’s been an impressive start for the new company.

The company has also become one of the first KÖMMERLING fabrocators in the UK to start manufacturing PremiDoor 76, a lift and slide door system capable of spanning 6.5m wide and 2.6m high with just two sashes and a standard Uf value of 1.4 W/(m²K). There’s also the option of slimlime Lux fixed lights and an AluClip exterior, with an impressive range of grained and flat foiled options.

Jim Kerr, managing director of Hybrid Window Systems commented: ‘100% Design was the perfect platform for our product launch. With interest across several market segments, we’re in a great position to service the commercial market, while seeking to develop a network of Hybrid Design Partners.

He continued: ‘We’ve got full technical support packages and a range of marketing materials that are currently being expanded to support the needs of our new product partners.’

For further information on Hybrid Window Systems visit www.hybridwindowsystems.com, e-mail enquiries@hybridwindowsystems.com or call the sales office on 01905 620688.

Eurocell has launched a pioneering industry initiative in Select – the sector’s first comprehensive solid conservatory roof approved installer scheme. Designed to give scheme members a competitive edge and boost business, Eurocell Select will seek to address homeowners’ fears about product and workmanship quality, encouraging them to engage approved companies to carry out work. Built upon the company’s leading Equinox solid conservatory roof range, Eurocell Select is being operated in partnership with certification body, CERTASS, and is the first independently audited and accredited scheme for solid roof installations. The scheme features a two-year workmanship (installation) warranty, an alternative dispute resolution service (ADR) with no annual fees and low per case fee (from £35 per party) and a comprehensive marketing support package.

Membership will be limited to 150 companies during the introductory period, so it will be a race against time for professional installers seeking to grow sales and profit to sign up on a ‘first come, first served’ basis. Those ‘early adopters’ will get free entry to the scheme, discounted CERTASS accreditation and a significant Eurocell contribution to the first year’s subscriptions. Entrance to the scheme includes typical ‘professionalism criteria’, such as meeting the terms set out in competent persons and quality assured installer schemes; and installing Equinox, in compliance with Eurocell specifications.

Head of Marketing, Chris Coxon, believes Eurocell Select will prove attractive for both the trade and the consumer: “Traditionally finding suppliers for home improvements has always been a headache for homeowners. Concerns over reliability, quality of work and cowboys all add to the stress.  Eurocell Select will give them greater confidence in their choice. For the participating installer, the scheme provides a competitive edge over rivals and, crucially, more sales and profit opportunities. For example, last year we referred over 2000 leads to our Equinox installers and for Eurocell Select we are targeting a £100,000 investment in lead generation”. He continues, “The conservatory market has changed. Once homeowners were prepared to invest five figure sums in a garden room for occasional use. Now they want to maximise their plots with a room they can use 24/7, 365 days a year. The result? A burgeoning conservatory roof replacement market. With around four million conservatories already covering Britain, this means plenty of opportunity for Eurocell Select members”.

Jason Clemmit, Managing Director of Certass, added ‘We are delighted to be working with a top industry player in Eurocell. Our new solid conservatory roof warranty is the first of its kind, which will help raise standards in this new, fast growing sector’.

The post Solid conservatory roof improved installer scheme from Eurocell appeared first on Windows Active Magazine.

GM Fundraising Christmas cards are now on sale! The children at Hope House Children’s Hospices have been working very hard to create a pair of very special and unique cards which are sold in packs of 20 and can be personalised with company logos and messages.

“This year Callie and Lily have produced the very special Christmas drawings that we used to create the cards this year,” explains GM Fundraising team member, Alan Sadler. “These cards have become a tradition for us and every year the designs from the children get more and more special. Last year we sold more than 5,000 cards, many personalised with messages and logo’s. Every penny we raise from these cards goes straight to supporting the children and families at Hope House.

“Each pack contains 20 cards – 10 of each design – costing £20 plus £2.50 P&P. Orders over 60 packs can be personalised for a small additional charge.

“With Christmas just around the corners, why not be traditional and send a Christmas card to your customers, friends and family, and support this amazing cause at the same time?”

Packs can be purchased directly from the GM Fundraising website www.gmfundraising.co.uk/cards or from Alan Sadler, by email alan@gmfundraising.co.uk, or phone 0845 302 1966.

More information on GM Fundraising can be found at www.gmfundraising.co.uk

Image Above: Chris Jones presenting on Best in Class products

Deceuninck UK recently opened its doors to Editors of the industry’s trade and commercial media to give them a behind the scenes tour of its impressive manufacturing plant and mammoth warehouse, as well as offer a sneak preview of its up and coming innovations.

Rob McGlennon, Managing Director of Deceuninck explains: “We’ve worked with the industry’s magazines for a long time now, but many of them haven’t visited Deceuninck. We know from experience that it’s one thing to read about people or companies, or come across them at industry events for example, but it’s quite another to visit their premises and meet the people that work there, in all areas of the business. It shows people who you really are. I’m proud to say that visitors to Deceuninck have always said they’ve found us to be a friendly, down to earth, approachable team of people and are impressed by the size and scale of our operation. From the feedback we had from our press day, the Editors of our industry magazines seemed to agree.

“We gave our visitors insight into what’s important to Deceuninck, including building long standing relationships and developing new products for the good of the market, as well as giving both sectors of the market an overview of the complete Deceuninck picture. The commercial press we work with for example weren’t aware of the over and above support we offer our trade fabricators, just as the trade media weren’t aware of the comprehensive list of commercial case studies we have worked on with our commercial fabricators, including Hinkley Point, Fairview Homes. Abbey Road and Kennedy Gardens.

“Without giving anything away, we also gave the Editors a sneak preview of some of the new products they can expect to hear about in 2018, in addition to the Heritage Window Collection and more recently Grey Substrate product launches of this year.

“Our visitors were also shown our impressive warehouse that allows us to deliver our 26 colourways from stock, for both profile and ancillaries. We performed a fun exercise before we started the tour whereby one of our visitors chose a specific product and a specific colour combination, which we then challenged ourselves to find quickly and easily in our warehouse. Considering our warehouse has been likened to Amazon or T5, you can imagine how much of a challenge this could be without the right systems in place. Thanks to our advanced set-up however, we were able to demonstrate precisely how efficient an operation it is.

“On the topic of colour, we also announced that we have now hit the 50% colour milestone – in fact 51% of our products are now supplied in colour, because we can do it so easily. Two of our largest customers are also now doing 50% colour. The demand is there, as an industry we just need to meet it, which means delivering quality colour products, without extended delivery times.

“At Deceuninck, we are always keen for people to come and visit us in Calne, customers and prospects alike, but it was nice to take a day out to build further on the relationships we have with the industry’s press, for our benefit and of course the benefit of our customers.”

Contact Deceuninck today for more information on 01249 816 969 or visit www.deceuninck.co.uk