Deceuninck North America Celebrates Manufacturing Month

The Window Company (Contracts) has continued its commitment to training its team with the appointment of James McGuire as its newest young apprentice.

Shortlisted at the G-16 Awards for the Training and Development Initiative of the Year and the proud holder of the coveted Kitemark for window installation, the specialist commercial installer works tirelessly to set the very highest standards in training and staff development.

James will therefore benefit from a structured training programme leading initially to an NVQ Level 2 in fenestration, with the aim of becoming a fully qualified fitter within 5 years.

Managing Director Rob Petre said: “We have spotted great potential in James so we’re supporting him to establish a worthwhile career with us, learning every aspect of the job from yard to site.

“As everyone in the construction industry knows, it’s increasingly difficult to recruit skilled labour so the obvious route is to increase the number of apprenticeships on offer and train our own teams.”

20 year old James is working initially in The Window Company (Contracts)’ yard at its headquarters in Chelmsford, with additional time spent with his mentor and out on site.

The company is growing fast and is continuing to look for capable, committed people to join its team in a variety of roles. Further details are at: www.thewinco.co.uk

The British Fenestration Ratings Council (BFRC) has welcomed the news that three directors from Cheshire and Liverpool were sentenced for their fraudulent business under the trading name of ‘Green’ that falsely offered funding grants for ‘A’ energy rated and/or Pilkington windows and doors.

The prosecution in May 2017 was the successful result of a lengthy and complex investigation of a sophisticated fraud case carried out by Chartered Trading Standards Institute officers with the help of BFRC and the Glass and Glazing Federation (GGF) acting as expert witnesses on the case.

Between January 2010 and August 2014, the company sought to mimic and take advantage of the government’s Green Deal for consumers on insulation and heating by offering non-existent grants for replacement PVC-U windows and doors.

Consumers were told they were receiving either Local Authority or government grants, when in reality they were simply getting a discount on inferior non-energy efficient products.

The company claimed to be Fensa registered and that the window/door products complied with applicable quality/safety standards. All the claims were false.

Two of the directors (Susan Greer, 55, and Terrence Greer, 76, of Willaston, Cheshire) were both sentenced to two years custody suspended for two years, one with an order of 100 hours unpaid work and the other ordered with a curfew tag until September 2017. A third director, Gary Parle, 45, of Calderstones, Liverpool and director of Arena Windows NW, was ordered to pay £30,000 compensation to the victims of their crimes and £10,000 costs to Denbighshire County Council.

Lis Clarke, operations manager, BFRC, said: “We welcome the robust enforcement action taken by Denbighshire County Council Trading Standards officers. This prosecution sends a clear strong message to rogue traders that they must get their accreditations and energy ratings correct or they will face the consequences.”

The BFRC, FENSA and the GGF will continue to work with the Chartered Trading Standards Institute to deal with any breaches of false energy ratings and other claims that harm consumers and the integrity of the glass and glazing industry.

The post BFRC welcomes fraud prosecution appeared first on Glass & Glazing Products Magazine (GGP).

Insight Data’s Andrew Scott says there are still opportunities in the window industry despite current business ‘challenges’

Insight Data has published its latest industry report, giving a comprehensive overview of the UK window, door and conservatory industry along with the top performing companies.

The report follows research carried out on more than 15,000 companies and includes analysis, trends and opinion on the current state of the industry, including detailed information on fabricators, installers, trade counters and the growth of ‘builder installers’ as well as developments in products and materials.

According to the report, the industry has experienced an ‘unpredictable’ year with more companies reporting a slowdown in sales, some by as much as 15%. However, others are recording strong performance, particularly in premium products and commercial/new build sectors.

The report states that there are 15,099 window, door, IGU and conservatory companies in the UK, an increase of 328 since 2014.

In 2008, there were 2,370 PVC-U fabricators, but this number has declined year on year and by 2014 had dropped to 1,534 companies.

However, over the last five years, aluminium is said to have enjoyed a ‘considerable resurgence’ within the residential window and door market, with the main driver said to be aluminium bi-fold doors, as consumers ‘demand greater space and light within living areas’.

Meanwhile, composite doors, were found to have moved from ‘a niche product into the mainstream’, single storey extensions and tiled roof conservatories are said to be ‘creating new opportunities’ and trade counters were found to be ‘expanding rapidly, potentially disrupting the market’. There was also found to be a significant rise in ‘premium’ products, such as vertical sliders
Despite what is described as a ‘tumultuous period’ including the Brexit vote, and ‘huge political upheaval on both sides of the Atlantic’, many companies are said to have made significant investments in the last 12 months.

While, says the report, ‘we don’t yet know the full extent of Brexit, imported raw materials prices have risen due to the value of the pound against the Euro, while skills shortages are affecting the entire construction industry’. According to Insight Data, this is likely to worsen if tighter immigration controls are enforced.

However, on a more positive not, the report states that interest rates remain low, unemployment is at a record low and consumers are spending, ‘albeit more cautiously’. Furthermore, recent government stimulus to increase house-building will ensure the new-build market will remain buoyant while a continued drive towards lower carbon, energy efficient homes will help bolster the replacement market.

Product diversification and economies of scale are said to have become ‘major drivers’ in the fenestration industry and this has created a new round of mergers and acquisitions. This, says the report, is likely to continue as banks and private equity/venture capital firms take ‘renewed interest in the UK manufacturing sector.

Insight Data’s managing director, Andrew Scott, commented: “The industry is currently facing some challenges with more companies now reporting a slowdown in business, some by as much as 15%. However, there are still plenty of opportunities and a number of companies are bucking the trend. The increase in mergers and acquisitions over the last year also points to a realignment of the industry. Market intelligence is the key to informed, strategic decisions.”

The Insight Report gives a full snapshot of the industry, analysing fabricators and installers by region, sectors, products, financial performance and more. It also includes a ‘Top 100’ list showcasing the top 100 companies by turnover and the top 100 companies by net worth.

The full report is available free, for a limited period, at www.insightdata.co.uk/reports

The post Insight Data publishes latest window industry report appeared first on Glass & Glazing Products Magazine (GGP).

Image Above:  Inside AluK’s factory

September 2017 marked the official opening of AluK’s new 350,000 sq ft South Wales headquarters and the launch of its hugely impressive new design studio, Academy and R&D facility.

Russell Yates, Managing Director of AluK

The company has now completed what has been a multi-million pound investment in the purchase and transformation of the site of the former wind turbine tower factory in Chepstow, and created the ideal platform for its ambitious expansion plans in the UK.

Following on from record breaking growth over the past three years, AluK now has the capacity to produce 12,000 tonnes of aluminium profile per annum at Chepstow. With more thermal break assembly lines, more stockholding, and a brand new state of the art Polyester Powder Coat Vertical line paint line, which is a first by any systems company globally encompassing an online pre-anodising system, it is equipped to provide market leading service alongside its innovative, precision quality product range.

Speaking at the press opening of the facility, Managing Director Russell Yates said: “The investment here in Chepstow represents a giant leap for the company in the UK – we’re immensely proud of the new facility and now want to welcome as many customers as possible to see the size and scale of our commitment to the region and to the market.”

Academy

Alongside the new factory, AluK revealed its new, dedicated training Academy providing a range of design, installation and software courses for customers and specifiers. Fully equipped with the very latest aluminium machinery from Emmegi (UK), the Academy enables customers to get practical training on every aspect of fabrication as well as product installation.

Technical Director Nick Cooper, who is responsible for the Academy, said: “We believe this is the most advanced facility of its kind in the UK for fabricators and installers of aluminium fenestration products. Whether customers are new to aluminium or are experienced manufacturers wanting to learn about any of our new products, we have a range of very worthwhile courses on offer – and all free of charge of course.”

There are full details on the AluK Academy and the courses available to book at: www.alukacademy.co.uk

Design Studio

AluK has also invested in its second UK Design Studio at Chepstow. This is an impressive 300m²space showcasing its complete range of products, with many full size installations in place, and providing a venue for presentations and events.

AluK opened its first Design Studio in London’s Worship Street last year, and that has proved so popular that the company has repeated the formula in Chepstow, creating a venue suitable for use by customers, clients and architects.

Product strategy

Coinciding with the official opening, AluK set out its product strategy for the trade and residential market, creating three clearly defined tiers to enable customers to identify the right products for their target sectors and to differentiate their offerings.

AluK’s mainstream products are now all being marketed under the Optio brand, its premium products are branded Luminia and its high end retail products are Infinium. It has already appointed select partners for the Infinium range and will be announcing details of a similar select partner scheme for Luminia shortly.

Reception at AluK’s Chepstow HQ

The company previewed a whole raft of exciting new product innovations in each of those tiers at the FIT Show in May, and has already released both the innovative Luminia Veranda system and the stunning Infinium panoramic sliding door to customers.

Marketing Director Sioned Webb announced at the factory opening that the Luminia F82 bi-fold, which AluK says will set a new benchmark in the bi-fold sector, will be officially launched to customers in October, with the show stopping Luminia SC156 sliding door following shortly.

Sioned said: “Our priority is to enable customers to use these products to target the premium sector of the market where we know there is still very robust demand. We want to partner with them to ensure that they get the sales and marketing support they need to promote the products effectively and to create strong and sustainable margins for themselves.”

Future plans

AluK is not standing still. It will announce details of its new paint facility in 2018 and is busy developing a strategy to increase awareness of its brand in the consumer market.

Russell Yates added: “AluK is on a very exciting journey here in the UK. We have a fantastic facility, an exciting new product range, and an experienced and highly motivated team geared and ready to take us forward. We know that there is still huge potential in the aluminium sector and we have shown that we have the confidence and, most importantly, the resources to be able to make the most of that.”

www.aluk.co.uk

The Glass and Glazing Federation (GGF) has released its Annual Report for the year ending 31st December 2016.

The GGF Annual Report 2017 highlights the Federation’s outstanding financial performance in 2016 which was significantly boosted by the sale of the GGF’s offices in London Bridge and the subsequent relocation to Rushworth St, Southwark in October 2016.

Phil Pluck, GGF Group Chief Executive, commented: “The GGF now has considerable financial stability that will allow the Federation to continue to invest in the infrastructure and resources to improve our services for the benefit of the Membership.”

The GGF’s greatly improved support for consumer facing Members is also featured within the Report. In February 2016, the GGF gained approval from the Chartered Trading Standards Institute for its Consumer Code of Practice. On the back of this approval the GGF revamped its consumer support package with increased consumer protection, an improved conciliation service to help resolves disputes between GGF Members and consumers, plus the development of the award-winning consumer advice website MyGlazing.com.

The Report also underlines an outstanding year for the GGF Technical and Marketing departments. Throughout 2016 the GGF launched or revised over one third (45) of all its Technical publications. On the Marketing and PR front, GGF brand awareness levels reached new heights of over 33 million readership across print and online media.

Phil Pluck added: “The GGF is now in its strongest ever position, but we will not rest on our laurels as there’s always room for improvement. The Federation will continue to promote the highest standards to the industry, in the political arena and to consumers.”

John Agnew, GGF President concluded, “2016 was a year of transition for the GGF, but all the changes were made in the best interests of GGF Members. The Federation is now best placed to serve Members better than ever, to ensure they cope with the many challenges ahead.”

You can download the GGF Annual Report from GGF Publications: GGF Annual Report 2017

It’s been a funny year, in all sorts of senses. A busy one yes. We have a family run installations business and sales have been pretty good in a year that threatened all sorts of bumps in the road. So far it looks like we’re going to exceed the sales of 2016. And if we do, my oh my will it have been hard work.

In my 12 years in sales in this industry, I can confidently say that this is the single worst year for home owners looking for their pound of flesh. It has been stressful, depressing, demoralising and infuriating.

Right now, as a business we feel about as open and vulnerable to abuse from rogue home owners as we ever have been. And I bet there are others who feel the same.

Little protection for business

Almost two years to the day, the Consumer Rights Act was updated. It’s purpose was to simplify and strengthen rights and consumer law for the general public. A commendable idea. There are some terrible businesses out there, including in the window industry, that consumers need protecting from.

The problem is however, business can be abused from both sides of the fence. There is little to no press about rogue customers looking to take advantage of a good, honest business where they see an opportunity. Whilst these laws are here for a reason, they have also left the door very wide open for businesses to be abused.

I said at the time that these new laws would lead some customer’s to seek to take advantage of certain situations, and I sit here writing this having been proved right. We have had quite frankly some ridiculous situations with certain home owners this year, clearly looking to take a pound where they have been given an inch.

Before I go on, if you haven’t already got yourself up to scratch with the 2015 Consumer Rights Act, check out this Which? guide to it all: http://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/regulation/consumer-rights-act

I hope you’ve read that installers. The implications of even a small fault that takes a little bit of time to rectify could leave you wide open to compensation in frankly unfair circumstances.

These rules are massively open to interpretation and opinion, and can be ammo for a rogue customer who if smart enough and with a letter worded in just the right way might be able to coerce compensation from an installer. Where’s the protection for business? Where are the conditions for customers to have to comply to in order to get their compensation fairly? There ain’t much there if you ask me.

I have forgotten the number of times this year where the line “not fit for purpose” has been reeled off by home owners who make it less than veiled as to what their intentions are. From where I sit, certain types of rogue customers have latched onto the “not fit for purpose” line of the Consumer Rights Act and build up their case for their money back from there, often forgetting that the installer has a chance to put right whatever is wrong first. It often gets aggressive, unreasonable and downright rude.

The more I deal with the general public these days, the more I truly believe that they think businesses, not just window companies but all sorts of businesses, are there for the taking. They see them as a chance to get something for nothing. Free money.

With the complexities of our industry right now, and the various problems we face, the 2015 Consumer Rights Act is something all installers absolutely have to know. We’re vulnerable as an industry, and we all have a part to play to make sure that rogue customer’s don’t get the chance to take us for a ride, and to make sure genuine and honest customers get window and door products that are up to standard.

Fabricators have to be up to scratch

More and more fabricators are delving into the realms of the home owner. It used to be that installers would be the only point of call for the home owner when it came to the window and door sector. In the past few years however a number of fabricators and manufacturers have decided to go straight to the home owners themselves in an attempt to build up brand recognition and create leads. All well and good, but getting involved with home owners and striking that relationship up is a very different beast than dealing business to business. And it comes with a lot more risk too.

Given the nature of dealing with customers right now, and the stringent and fairly vague 2015 laws, fabricators have a duty more than ever to ensure that their products are delivered right on time, properly quality control checked and in good condition. If suppliers are going to start having direct relationships with both home owner and installer, they have as much responsibility at that point as the installer does. That’s where it gets tricky.

As I see it, the 2015 laws give very little chance for an installer to come back from a mistake, whether it is their fault or the fabricator’s. Say a fabricator delivers a house full of windows and doors to an installer, which are then installed into the home. What the installer doesn’t know until the protective tapes are off is that there are a number of faults on the frames that are beyond a simple repair. That then requires the installer to go back to the fabricator, negotiate remake frames, get them delivered as quickly as possible and then re-schedule a time to re-fit the frames that were damaged. A scenario most installers have been familiar with at one point or another.

The problem then however, as I understand the laws, is if the installer cannot either do the repairs or replace the frames in the above scenario in 30 days or less, the home owner can declare those products not fit for purpose and is eligible for some or all of their money back. Consider that it will take time for new frames in the above scenario to be made and delivered, and the installer may not be able to just drop everything and go and re-fit the new frames. That will take time. Now add into the mix the possibility that the home owner knows these 2015 laws and decides that they suddenly not available for the installer to come round and replace said damaged frames until a much later date, perhaps even surpassing the 30 day threshold. See how easily the laws can be manipulated? And of course most installers won’t dare challenge the home owner and accuse them of bending the laws to suit an agenda.

Product quality appears to have been a universal problem throughout the industry this year. But now, more than ever, with the laws so heavily weighted in favour of consumers leaving business with little to no protection, installers have to be able to rely on their fabricators to make sure the products they have delivered are almost perfect. I understand how daft that sounds, as nothing in this world is ever perfect. But I believe home owners are so finely tuned into the compensation culture, that if we as an industry fail to push up standards, installers are going to find themselves at the thick end of a lot of abuse.

Picture above: from left to right, Paul Mcnamee , Brenden Mcnamee  and John Mcnamee

In-line sliding Patio Door specialists PatioMaster has just expanded its growing network by opening its latest fabrication centre in Scotland. PatioMaster Scotland, based in Glasgow, will cater for the growing number of customers operating throughout the central belt of Scotland.

Commenting on the latest PatioMaster addition Carmen Velilla, PatioMaster’s Brand Manager said, “We are delighted to welcome on board PatioMaster Scotland. The team have been working with Epwin for over two decades so it made good sense for them to join the PatioMaster network. Their commitment to quality is superb and we are looking forward to working with them as we continue to develop this market leading brand.”

PatioMaster’s inline sliding doors offer some of the best features in the business and the company’s expertise is evident in every detail. The doors are perfect for design-conscious homeowners because of their elegant aesthetics and superb quality. They have low profile frames and are available in a wide range of configurations, colours and finishes. They are complemented with impressive security features such as a six point locking system and a wide range of accessories and their network of now 10 fabricating partners allow customers to enjoy the benefits of a local business with the backing and recognition of a national brand.

The decision to become a PatioMaster fabricating partner was straightforward for Paul McNamee Director of PatioMaster Scotland. He said: “We have worked with Epwin for some years and have been delighted with what we have seen. The PatioMaster brand and product offer is extremely impressive. Having heavily invested in new Stuga manufacturing machinery over the last two years we know we have the capability, commitment and passion to drive the PatioMaster brand in our local area. Sales of patio doors are continuing to grow, even against other types of sliding doors, so it makes sense to have a strong product in your portfolio to meet demand. We are delighted to have joined the network.” Every PatioMaster door is unique, precision made to exacting standards and is usually delivered within just five working days.

PatioMaster Scotland opened its doors on 1^st September from its site in Dykehead Street, Glasgow.

www.patiomaster.co.uk