Guardian Glass Products Enable Complex Curved Façade On Hamburg’s New Stunning Concert Hall

Solidor, the most secure timber core composite door, reports sales up 20% in the first seven months to July on the same period last year and ahead of forecasts. This strong activity is reflected in its online traffic too, with 65,000 hits on Solidor’s website in July and 220,000 page views.

Solidor has experienced fast growth over the last few years. CEO Gareth Mobley credits this to the company’s strong focus on helping customers sell and its continual improvement in product, processes, operations and people. Gareth comments: “We’re really excited about our positive growth and the ongoing progress of the business. Our website is pivotal in generating leads for our installers so seeing those high traffic figures and page views is extremely reassuring.

“If our customers keep growing, we grow. So it’s important we do all we can to help them sell more. That starts by investing in product development so we continue to give them an edge in the market with a premium, high-quality product that leads in security,” continues Gareth. “Solidor is already known for being the most secure composite door on the market with PAS24:2016, Approved Document Q and Secured By Design as standard. Earlier this year, we were the first to launch the new security handle, Lock Lock, across our timber core range as standard too. The innovative lock passed the TS007 2* security test with ease and is designed to be used with the 3* Ultion cylinder. All of this gives us an unbeatable combination we’re calling 5 Star Security.

“But a great product is not enough. We need great service too”, confirms Gareth. “So over the last two years we have made fundamental changes to systems and procedures, invested in additional machinery, factory and warehouse space, and streamlined workflow for efficient, high quality production and ‘world-class’ manufacturing. In June, July and August (up to the time of writing) we achieved 100% OTIF (On Time, In Full) deliveries. The future is bright and we’re ready to embrace it!”

For more information on the most secure timber core composite door call 01782 950 941. Visit www.solidor.co.uk or follow on twitter @SolidorLtd.

The man running a ‘hothouse’ programme to skill the nation is warning young people not to ‘stumble zombie-like towards higher education’ – but consider an apprenticeship for a ‘rewarding career’.

The message – from Dr Neil Bentley, CEO of WorldSkills UK – is aimed at stimulating parents and pupils to consider all the options before making crucial decisions about their future education and employment.

WorldSkills UK and its Team UK, comprising what are described as ‘the 34 most talented skilled young people in the country’, are heading to Abu Dhabi in October to compete in the WorldSkills Finals, (described as the ‘skills Olympics’), against their peers from 76 other nations.

Dr Neil Bentley, chief executive of WorldSkills UK, (who is former deputy director general of the CBI) said: “We need to act now to get anywhere near the UK’s requirements for skilled young people once freedom of movement comes to an end.

“With UK industry and services crying out for skills – and the end of freedom of movement due to Brexit, recruitment has to be on a military scale.

“There are thousands of terrific careers on offer with entry points for people of all different abilities.”

“The culture of our country, ill-informed prejudices and poor careers advice means that the system is still failing many young people – and British business.

“Parents and pupils must be able to make informed decisions at such a crucial time.

“Apprentices are the new achievers of Generation Z – they are not encumbered with debt and are in a position to earn a wage premium throughout a rewarding and stable career.”

Tens of thousands of training and apprenticeship openings will be unveiled at The Skills Show at the NEC in November (16-18), which is powered by WorldSkills UK to inspire the next generation – and link young people directly to industry and training providers.

The WorldSkills International Finals take place October 14-19 in Abu Dhabi. Follow Team UK on @worldskillsuk

The post Beware the higher education ‘zombie’ appeared first on Glass & Glazing Products Magazine (GGP).

Residor, the most secure GRP composite door on the market, has launched a new retail brochure to help customers promote its new range and sell more doors. Investment in product development means Residor is now available in an extended choice of colours, styles and designs.

Head of Sales & Marketing, Gareth Busson, explains: “We put security first because 85% of homeowners do. So from the very start, Residor has led the market with the Ultion 3* cylinder, PAS24:2016 cut test pass and a 3.6mm GRP skin that’s twice as thick as most doors – all as standard. This gives our customers a strong head start in the market. But we recognise that installers also need to be able to offer choice in looks and designs, and be reassured that they won’t be let down on quality or deliveries.

“Continual improvement of our products and delivering first-class service is integral to our business,” continues Gareth. “Residor is now available in any RAL colour, providing 2,328 shade options for delivery in just 10 days. We have also added nine new glass styles, and additional door frame colours with Rosewood and foiled Anthracite Grey. Customers can order online via our new Cloud 2.0 system, with a 5 day lead time on standard colours, and 100% OTIF (On Time, In Full) deliveries. A great price is the cherry on top of the cake!

“To sum it up, our customers get a top performing product, when they need it, with greater choice in colours and designs, at a price that helps them sell more – it’s an unbeatable package!”

For more information on the door that comes with more, call 0808 252 3733, visit www.residor.co.uk, or tweet @ResidorDoors using the hashtag #MostSecureGRPdoor.

DW3 Products Group has appointed Chris Follows as the new Warehouse & Transport Logistics Manager for Residence Collection and Window Widgets to support the businesses’ strong growth and expansion plans.

Chris brings strong experience working in logistics for 25 years, most recently for the Epwin Group. Prior to Ewpin, Chris worked for Excell Logistics on multi-site contracts, of which Rehau was a major contract. In addition to his extensive transport knowledge, Chris’ key skills include managing large teams over a 24 hour operation, restructuring warehouses and introducing new systems to meet KPIs and improve efficiencies.

Reporting to DW3’s Operations Director Mike Price, Chris is responsible for achieving consistently strong On Time, In Full (OTIF) delivery rates, and implementing a new racking and storage system so stock can be found quicker. Chris comments: “It’s exciting to be joining two businesses that are experiencing fantastic growth in the market. It’s also timely to review existing systems and processes and see what can be improved to make our service better, quicker and more efficient.

“In just three months of joining I’m pleased to see that some of my initiatives are paying off and we’re getting great feedback from our customers,” continues Chris. “KPI forms are now filled in weekly and reviewed monthly, and OTIF has vastly improved. For the first time ever in June and July, Window Widgets achieved zero ‘no picks’!

“Working with Mike is a bonus too. He has very high standards and is hands on. He walks around every time he visits and takes photos so he can see and track the improvements – there is no getting away! DW3 is committed and focused on growth and constant improvement, and it’s brilliant to be part of an organisation that has such drive and ambition. Teams are motivated to achieve and see results, and it’s a great atmosphere to work in,” concludes Chris.

For more information on DW3 Products Group and its market leading brands visit www.dw3group.co.uk. Follow on twitter at @dw3products.

The development of a brand new college campus in the North-east has seen a leading fabricator for the Technal brand – part of the Sapa Group – design, manufacture and install a major glazing package, which included a double-storey façade featuring the use of the MX SG structural glazing system.

The flagship campus for Sunderland College was completed by BAM Construction in time for the start of the current academic year, with locally based Glasshus Ltd being the specialist fabricator involved. Such has been the success of the relationship established during the project that Glasshus Ltd has gone on to be awarded three further contracts with BAM, involving other education sector schemes.

Simon Tuckwell of Glasshus commented: “This was our first project for BAM Construction, won in competitive tender, based on the use of Technal systems for which we are a dedicated dealer covering the whole of the country. Not only was the site a restricted access one in a tight urban location, but also involved a demanding programme. It has, though been a real success and led to other significant contracts.

“There were a number of Technal FY Top Hung Open Out windows produced for the link bridge, as well as a variety of PY door types supplied, but the main part of the package involved use of the MX structural glazing for the curtain wall; all designed in house by ourselves to meet the aesthetic challenges of the original design. It is in effect a dual height, three-sided shaped screen, some 40 metres in width.”

Based at its Gateshead office, BAM’s Design Manager, Mark Farnell, confirmed the growing interaction with Glasshus and its Technal system solutions. He said: “This was the first time that Glasshus had worked for us, though since the successful completion of the Sunderland College contract, they have won three more jobs including a student accommodation building in Newcastle and a school in Sheffield.”

With the design for the building targeting the higher levels of BREEAM, energy performance was a key issue in the specification of the MX SG screen, involving the selection of special IG units. These featured an argon filled 18 mm cavity, with a 12.8mm laminated inner leaf and a 6mm toughened outer: offering a centre pane U-value of 1.1 W/m² K.

The PY 55 doors produced for the project included both automatic sliders and side hung sets for access compliant with the equality act, as well as some manual opening doorsets. In common with the top hung FY 65 windows, the frame elements were all finished in a RAL 7036 light grey polyester powder coat.

The new £29 million City Campus has been constructed on land opposite Park Lane Interchange and provides space for 2,000 students to undertake a range of courses including engineering, manufacturing and construction, as well as having facilities open to the public such as a restaurant, hairdressers, barbers, spa and a travel agency.

Funding for the high-tech campus came from the Skills Funding Agency (SFA), Sunderland City Council and college reserves, while land was secured from the HCA, which worked with all the partners to ensure delivery of the new campus.

“The new City Campus building houses state- of-the-art teaching and learning spaces and is playing a pivotal role in the regeneration of the city centre. We’re therefore delighted to have worked with Sunderland College again on this exciting new development,” Andrew Warwick, Construction Director for BAM concluded.

Technal is part of the Sapa Group, a world leader in aluminium solutions that also encompasses sister brands Sapa Building System and Wicona. Through its globally renowned Sapa Technology Hubs, the Group is shaping a sustainable future, with innovative products that satisfy and surpass customer expectations, in line with demands of CSR and increasing environmental regulations.

The installation of a beautiful bespoke door from Apeer was recently completed by experienced installers Joe Roche Glass & Glazing at a property local to their showroom in Dungarvan, Co. Waterford, Ireland.

The family run company, who have been in business with Apeer and installing their products for over 15 years, said that this was the most personalised Apeer design that they have ever worked with, as Director Joe Roche explained:

‘The development process took around 6 weeks in total with much discussion taking place on each aspect of the design to help get every detail just right. Apeer have an in-house spraying facility so were able to offer a beautiful bespoke RAL colour which really complemented the door’s orchid themed glass design. The glass was also a tailor-made feature created by Apeer’s in-house glass team at the client’s request.

‘The customer was over the moon with the final result, telling us that for the first time in their life they had been able to get exactly what they wanted! As all of our business is generated by word of mouth it was lovely to receive such a positive response and know that we have another happy customer spreading our word. It goes to show that even the largest manufacturers focused on mass production can still be just as capable of producing high quality bespoke designs.’

Joe added: ‘Apeer already offer an impressive number of off the shelf designs – we have over 20 of them here in our showroom – but still equally accommodate those customers who want something more personalised. This coupled with the outstanding insulation values provided by their solid foam core design is what makes them so popular, in my opinion.’

Joe Roche Glass & Glazing is a well-established company operating in and around Dungarvan, Co.Waterford with 35 years of experience in the window and door industry. For more information visit: www.joeroche.ie

Local taxpayers will be forced to spend £1 billion covering the cost of planning applications by 2022, the Local Government Association warns today.

Planning fees are set nationally, which means councils are prevented from recovering the full cost of processing the 486,500 planning applications they receive on average each year.

Since 2012 – the last time the national fees were increased – communities have footed the bill for as much as a third of all planning applications. This represents desperately-needed resources being diverted away from other vital local services.

Analysis by the LGA reveals the bill for local taxpayers to cover the cost of planning applications is growing at a rate of around £200 million a year and will reach £1 billion by 2022. This is the equivalent of:

·         Repairing 4.35 million potholes – potholes cost £46 to repair, on average.

·         Providing grant funding to help councils and housing associations provide 8,507 new affordable homes. The Homes and Communities Agency, on the last round of funding allocation through the Affordable Homes Programme, issued an average grant per home of £23,510.

·         Creating more than 828 miles of public pavements, almost 4 times the length of the M6 – footways are estimated to cost around £150 per meter.

The LGA is warning this ongoing fees shortfall is hampering planning departments’ ability to stimulate housing growth in communities.

With councils facing an overall £5.8 billion funding gap by 2020, the LGA is calling on government to urgently bring forward its Housing White Paper commitment, to allow councils to increase planning fees, and also commit to testing a fair and transparent scheme of local fee setting, to allow councils to recover actual costs.

Cllr Martin Tett, LGA Housing spokesman, said:

“It is wrong for communities to keep being forced to spend hundreds of millions each year to cover the cost of all planning applications.

“Councils are working flat-out to approve almost nine in ten planning applications, with the majority processed quickly.

“But the shortfall in the amount of fees councils can charge and the cost of processing applications is heaping further pressure on the stretched planning departments which are so crucial to building the homes and roads that local communities need.

“Councils need to be able to recover the actual cost of applications and end such a needless waste of taxpayers’ money.

“Locally-set fees would also allow councils to prevent increased costs being passed on to residents, while developers could contribute more to maintain high-quality planning decisions, and improve the ability of councils to speed up the planning process.”

From rolling up his sleeves to providing marketing advice, Matt Janicki, the Area Sales Manager for the North West for REHAU Windows Solutions, is always on hand to offer his help to customers.

Although still relatively new to the sales team at REHAU, Matt has been part of the wider REHAU team for many years – and this experience in a multitude of roles is still paying dividends and staying true to the company‘s promise to keep it all in hand.

“I first joined the industry as a REHAU PVC fabricator back in 2005, ” says Matt, “and from that position I’ve worked as an order processor, in accounts, on the factory floor, in marketing before moving onto sales.

“This experience has helped me in many ways – not only do I know the products inside out, but I also understand the day to day issues faced by my customers. The everyday things that businesses are dealing with, machinery faults, staff shortages, all of this was what I dealt with in the past and that really helps. On top of that I also know how to speak to the end user and what they need to know about the product, which is an additional help.”

And since joining the sales team at REHAU, a key part of the company’s total support package provided to customers, Matt has had to often put some of these practical skills to the test.

“The first time my experience really came to help was within the first few weeks on the job, when a customer expressed some concern about a profile, ” said Matt. “I suspected it to be a problem with the machine so I took my tie off and within half an hour it was working much better. I recommended a full service with one of my contacts and since then there has been no problem at all.“

Further to the hands on experience Matt has also been able to add value to his customers marketing approach by suggesting ways to target potential customers.

“Sometime it’s looking at things from a different angle, or with different experience,” Matt added.

But all in all it’s this willingness to go the extra mile that drew Matt to the REHAU team.

“I really enjoy the family feeling that REHAU offers to both its customers and employees. We not only invest in gaining knowledge within the team but we share that with our customers. This push to always expand our knowledge and continually innovate is a huge motivation for me as part of the team here. ”

For more information about REHAU please visit www.rehau.com/gb-en