SYNSEAL GROUP ANNOUNCES BOARD APPOINTMENTS FOR NEXT STAGE OF GROWTH

Image above: Mark Warren.

There have been some incredible partnerships in the world that are synonymous with success and longevity. Ferguson and United, Lennon and McCartney, Keegan and Toshack. But as with every good thing, there has to be an end, the passing on of the baton and this month our industry is going to be saying goodbye to a stalwart of the Fenestration world.

Mark Warren, MD of Lister Trade Frames, has decided to step away from his role and hand over the reins to his two fellow Directors, Darren Pusey and Phil Warren with immediate effect. This follows a stellar career at the helm of Listers for nigh on 30 years as well as taking on the roles of President of the GGF and Chairman of FENSA.

Mark is a well-respected name within the industry, often being lauded as a businessman who can combine great business sense with good old fashioned morals and ethics. Under his stewardship, Listers became a dominant force in the industry scooping three times Fabricator the Year at the heralded G awards as well as being the first recipients of the Derek Bonnard award. But it was his relationship with his staff and the Stoke on Trent community that truly stood Mark apart from his contemporaries.

He firmly believed that a company is only as good as its staff, that it can only succeed if there is a team motivated and capable of supporting the ides of the Management. When you consider that the vast majority of the workforce have over 15 years’ service under their belt, it’s safe to say that he garnered total respect and dedication from his staff.

“And that is the magic of Mark,” commented Phil Warren, Sales Director, “people wanted to work for him. Whether you were on the shop floor, working on the skips or manning the sales office, Mark knew everyone and had time for us all. Being the boss and a friend, is a tightrope not many men can walk, but Mark seemed to manage it effortlessly.”

In his time as MD, Mark oversaw key moments in the growth of Listers that helped grow the business from operating in a shed at the foot of the garden to a £12m company with over 120 staff. With that growth, Mark had to adopt an inclusive style of leadership to ensure that all staff were feeling part of the vision. Speaking to his long-time friend and Co-Director, Darren Pusey, it is apparent that Mark created an environment where everyone felt part of a family. “Mark was absolutely key to building team spirit as well as ensuring the business remained ahead of the curve,” remarked Darren, “and working with him, he kept all of us motivated to succeed…and I do mean all of us!”

We all know that the company is going through a transition as it’s looking for a new buyer, but the striking difference between Listers and many other companies that have faced this critical milestone is that Listers has a reputation second to none and a loyal customer base who are working with the company that makes it a incredibly viable opportunity. And that actually may be the strongest commendation that we can possibly bestow on Mark, Listers is a successful business built on good solid morals and excellent business acumen and one that we understand is attracting bidders from all over the country. Mark was at the forefront of building that reputation and has, we have no doubt, developed a business that the new buyers will be able to move forward with and complete the Listers journey.

So although we do have to wave goodbye to Mark as he bows gracefully and without fanfare from the industry, many people still involved with Listers will benefit from a legacy that he has built and that will continue to remind us of the all the amazing work that he has done over the last 30+ years.

We’re sure that you will join us in wishing Mark well in his retirement and we hope to see him pop up every now and then on social media with insights and observations and, yes, no doubt many cat related tweets over the coming months!

A striking new Lumi pod design has been installed at one of Scotland’s largest showrooms, owned by well-established fabricator and installer Andrew Wright Windows.

Celebrating their 80^th year of trading and showing no signs of losing pace, the experienced window and door specialist has further expanded their extensive range to now include both Lumi windows and doors as part of their offering.

Director, Charlie Berry said: ‘We began talking to manufacturer Apeer earlier this year about adding Lumi to our range and after being a reputable carrier of their Apeer composite doors for almost a decade it seemed to be the next logical step.’

The modern style pod, finished in matt grey, has been developed to hold the Lumi casement window, an AMD2 model Lumi entrance door and also the bold, all-glass Lumi entrance door which was added to the range earlier this year.

Charlie continued: ‘The pod’s design is certainly eye catching and is getting plenty of attention from the customers visiting our showroom. We have managed to sell two of the Lumi AMD2 doors already and that was before the Apeer team were finished with the installation! We want to keep this momentum going and expect these doors, and the rest of the Lumi range, to do very well with the high end domestic market here in Scotland.’

Established in 1937, Andrew Wright is an experienced installer and fabricator employing over 80 staff. The company caters for domestic, commercial and trade customers throughout Scotland, including several national home builders.

www.apeer.co.uk

Image Above: Phil Warren (centre left) Roy Frost (centre) and Darren Pusey (centre right) outside the factory with the Lister Trade Frames team

The 150,000 sq ft manufacturing facility in Stoke-on-Trent, of leading trade fabricator, Lister Trade Frames, has been acquired by well-known industry figure Roy Frost and his group GJB Holdings. Backed by North West-based entrepreneur Alan Rothwell, the deal will secure around 70 jobs in Stoke-on-Trent. VEKA/HALO will continue to be the main strategic partner, together with the premium Residence Collection, Solidor, and the full range of ALUK Aluminium.

The £12m turnover company made a number of investment decisions that failed to deliver expected results and it was placed into administration on the 29th August. The administrators received over 25 enquiries from interested parties. GJB Holdings, with the assistance Kevin Philbin of Beyond Corporate, are delighted to be the successful new owners. The new structure sees two existing directors, Phil Warren and Darren Pusey, continuing in the new management team.

Roy commented:

“Listers have been a great business for 40 years. Their reputation was built on supplying innovative products with great levels of service backed up by superb marketing support, and we will develop and improve on this. We will keep it simple and get back to basics, focusing on our core products and remove any distractions. We will be concentrating on delivering excellent levels of customer service to our 900+ customers, giving them the competitive edge they need. I’m really looking forward to working with Phil and Darren to bring some fresh new ideas and new energy into the business. This acquisition fits perfectly with our long-term strategy for GJB Holdings. Onwards & Upwards!”

Image Above: From left to right Tony Marsden – Absolute Windows (3rd place), James Casby – Supalite, Jonathan Thomas – Supalite South Wales (winner), Alan Watters -Supalite, Mick Bowden – Premier Frames (2^nd place), Dave Watters – Supalite

Supalite, the premium manufacturer and supplier of solid roof tiled systems, held its 3^rd Annual Fabricator Conference in September and awarded three of its fabricators for their incredible growth over the last 12 months.

The all-day conference took place at Jurys Inn, Derby with different representatives from Supalite’s growing number of fabricator network. Proceedings kicked-off with Managing Director, Dave Watters welcoming the group and introducing members of Supalite’s sales, operations and technical team.

With a packed agenda of information to go through, the Supalite team advised on the many key issues its manufacturers wanted to be address, including; the launch of new and alternative products, the development of its Approved Installer Scheme, marketing support and the inclusion of the newly launched CORGI Fenestration Scheme.

Dave Watters commented: “We have been working hard over the last 12 months, since we met to gain the confidence of our fabricators, offering a full package of products, service and competitive pricing. Holding the conference, helps us to catch-up and share thoughts with our manufacturers, it is also a good time to recognise those individual businesses who have contributed to making Supalite a success over the last 12 months.”

On conclusion of the event, Dave and his team awarded three of the attending fabricators for their astounding performance on sales growth – achieved compared to the previous financial year. Absolute Windows, Manchester, came in 3^rd place with over 79%, Premier Frames, Leicester achieved 2^nd place with 101% and the overall winner was Supalite South Wales, who has seen a whopping 187% growth.

“We are proud of the work all our fabricators do, but these three companies were worthy winners,” Dave continued, “this is the first time we have handed out awards at the conference, but we wanted to show our appreciation to our manufacturers, and prove to others contemplating using the Supalite range of roofing systems just how successful they could be by joining our network of fabricators.

For more information regarding Supalite’s solid roof system or how to become and an Approved Supalite Supplier, call 01772 828060 or go to www.supaliteroof.co.uk

UK manufacturer and supplier of insulated glass components, the Thermoseal Group, was recently joined by around 70 guests at its northern manufacturing and distribution centre in Wigan, for the presentation of a prestigious Royal accolade.

The Queen’s Award for Enterprise, which recognises exceptional business performance, was officially presented to Thermoseal Group MD, Gwain Paterson, by Lord-Lieutenant of Greater Manchester, Mr Warren Smith, at a special event attended by around 70 guests.

Following a congratulatory reception at Buckingham Palace, hosted by the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, earlier this year, the award presentation, in the category of International Trade 2017, was an opportunity for the Thermoseal Group to celebrate the achievement with its staff and customers, on home turf.

Emphasising the company’s achievement, the Lord-Lieutenant said: “These awards are not easily earned.

“This year, only 102 awards for International Trade have been made nationally, and yours is one of eight in the West Midlands.”

Acknowledging the efforts of the whole Thermoseal team, he said: “The award is not to an individual, not to the management but to the whole workforce…If one word encapsulates it; it is ‘teamwork’.

“May I, on behalf of Her Majesty, congratulate you all for this remarkable achievement and give to you Her good wishes for your continuing success.”

Paying tribute to his parents, who founded the company in 1979, Gwain Paterson said: “I am very pleased to say that my parents, Jim and Margaret, are here today. I think we should all give them a round of applause because without them, this would never have happened.

“Thermoseal now sell over 50 million metres of spacer bar per year. We are the market leaders in the UK, and supply products to 22 countries around the world.

Paying tribute to “the boys and girls who work for Thermoseal in Wigan”, describing them as ‘team players’, who are ‘loyal, true’ and ‘forward thinking’, he said: “Without you all, Thermoseal would not be the same. You built up everything around us. Your hard work and ‘can-do’ attitude has contributed to our success… it is often humbling to see the efforts my colleagues go to, to achieve the right results.”

After the presentations, tours of the Wigan facility were followed by a celebratory evening meal to mark the achievement in true Thermoseal style.

Said to ‘celebrate and encourage business excellence in the UK’, the Queen’s Awards are made each year by the Queen on the advice of the Prime Minister who is assisted by an advisory committee that includes representatives of government, industry, commerce and the trade unions.

The post A celebration fit for a queen appeared first on Glass & Glazing Products Magazine (GGP).

Sliders UK has continued its support for a pioneering programme to promote educational achievement by bringing rugby to some of India’s most deprived cities and districts.

The Delhi Hurricanes School Rugby Development Programme is built on a model first pioneered in the UK by the Atlas Foundation.

This promotes discipline and team working through the sport and has been shown to increase academic achievement in areas of social and economic deprivation here in the UK by 12 per cent.

Sliders UK has continued its support for the programme this year through the sponsorship of the 2017 Tour and Festival of Rugby, which took place over the summer.

Alex Murphy, Sliders UK’s Managing Director and former London Irish loose-head prop, coaches as part of the scheme.

He explained: “The Delhi Hurricanes School Rugby Development Programme gives children from some of the most deprived neighbourhoods of Delhi, Chennai and Calcutta the opportunity to take part in organized team sport – often for the very first time.

“In leaving that poverty behind them, even for just a few days, and focusing on a team sport, you see these kids grow in confidence, understand that they can achieve and that through longer term mentoring, translates into a better performance in their school work.”

Murphy first formed links with the Delhi Hurricanes during his time as Business Head of Fenesta Building Systems. India’s largest PVC-U window manufacturer the company is part of the chemicals giant, DCM Shriram.

Sliders UK’s continuing sponsorship of the scheme helps to finance three full-time coaching posts in Delhi, funded by the Atlas Foundation.

The Atlas foundation was set up by 114 England Cap loose-head prop Jason Leonard, to provide a link between businesses looking to make a contribution as part of their CSR strategies and grassroots rugby worldwide as a funding organization.

It’s also developed a network of ‘Champions’ who work with projects around the world, providing leadership and support to development programmes.

The scheme in India involves more than 800 regular players, a 50/50 mix of boys and girls under the age of 16 including an all-girls school

“The programme makes a really big difference to a lot people’s lives for not a lot of money. It’s an absolute privilege and genuinely humbling to be able to support these children and I’d like to thank the industry for the continuing support its shown for them”, continued Murphy.

For more information on the Atlas Foundation please visit www.theatlasfoundation.org.uk.

For more information on Sliders UK please email sales@sliders-uk.com or visit www.sliders-uk.com

Following the Grenfell Tower tragedy and in support of this year’s Fire Door Safety Week (25 September – 1 October 2017), a new free online training tool has been launched to boost the basic understanding of fire doors needed by those with responsibilities for fire safety.

The course has been developed by the Fire Door Inspection Scheme (FDIS), Europe’s first competency framework for fire door inspectors. It is delivered virtually through an online interactive learning portal and is open to anyone who is responsible for specifying, selling, installing or maintaining fire doors and their components.

The service builds on the highly popular half-day ‘Bite size fire door training course’ launched earlier this year in response to the increasing demand for training to increase knowledge about the legal and practical issues relating to fire doors. It also provides an introduction to the FDIS Diploma in Fire Doors.

Kevin Hulin, FDIS manager, said:  “The lack of basic knowledge about fire doors is a real challenge to all parts of the industry, and we felt this was something simple that we could do to help.

“There are now 30 inspectors operating throughout the UK accredited through the FDIS process and we have had more than 1,100 people sign up to study the diploma.

“This new course is an introduction to the diploma, tailored for the generalist who needs to know the basics and also needs to be able to recognise when to bring in an expert. I hope it will also encourage them to continue their studies further, and support the challenge laid down by the Fire Door Safety Week team to make our building stock that bit safer.”

The free online training tool is available at trial.fdis.co.uk

FDIS is Europe’s first fire door inspection scheme. It was launched in 2012 as a joint venture between the BWF-Certifire Scheme and the Guild of Architectural Ironmongers. It aims to transform people’s knowledge about how and why fire doors work and the potential dangers of getting it wrong.

FDIS provides an online learning centre leading to a Diploma in Fire Doors, and a route for diploma holders to become Certificated Fire Door Inspectors through independent assessment by Exova Warringtonfire.

www.fdis.co.uk

Sash window experts Roseview have topped off a phenomenal fortieth year with a nomination for Fabricator of the Year at the prestigious G17 Awards.

In the last year, Roseview has grown to turnover of £8.5m, while investing £300k in improvements to infrastructure and its Rose Collection range.

Now, all three Rose Collection windows can boast a strengthened astragal bar, while the G Award-winning Ultimate Rose has been further enhanced with a specially extruded mid-section and the slimmest meeting stile on the market.

It has also continued to provide hundreds of leads a month to installers around the country via its consumer-facing website.

“A G17 nomination – for one of the most competitive categories, no less – is a fantastic way to round off our fortieth birthday celebrations,” commented Roseview Sales Director Richard Burrells.

“It’s been an action-packed twelve months, but despite all the celebrations, our focus hasn’t wavered – we’re in business to give our customers the best, most authentic uPVC sash windows in the world, and we’ll continue to make whatever investments and innovations we deem necessary to achieve that.”

Roseview’s Rose Collection are one of the UK’s leading range of uPVC sash windows. Competitively priced and highly versatile, the Eurocell-based Charisma Rose is the perfect fit for everything from upgrading existing windows on older properties to installing on modern new-builds.

The superbly authentic Heritage Rose, based on the REHAU system, has been accepted for use in conservation areas as discerning as the London Boroughs of Chelsea and Kensington, Lincoln, Worcester, and Cambridge – while the G Award-winning Ultimate Rose is the pinnacle of timber-effect uPVC, boasting features as detailed as run-through horns, full mechanical joints and the new 35mm meeting rail.

For more information visit www.roseview.co.uk or call 01234 712657