Record-breaking fabricator anticipates busy trading period

The TWR Group announced late last year that it would roll-out ‘never seen before’ lead times to give installers dual-coloured bi-folding doors within fifteen working days.

This new initiative went live at the end of February (2018) and the group’s managing director Terry Richardson said that they have been inundated with enquiries, with the forward order book showing the business is on course for its busiest ever quarter of trading.

The lead times are said to have been made possible thanks to sustained investment in the required machinery and personnel. The colour plant is housed at TWR’s most recently acquired 17,000sq. ft. factory, which is next to its 25,000sq. ft. headquarters in Peterlee.

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Image Above: Bioclimatic Pergolas

Outdoor living specialists the Milwood Group have strengthened their range of aluminium verandas, canopies and carports. The Kent-based firm has become the UK distributor of premium, bioclimatic pergolas from renowned French manufacturer Solisysteme.

Combining contemporary style and dependable durability, the Solisysteme range features the original bioclimatic pergola – a unique shelter solution which uses adjustable louvres to accommodate all weather conditions.

“We’re really pleased to partner with Solisysteme and offer both fabricators and installers their fantastic range of deluxe pergola solutions,” comments Mark Wood, Managing Director at the Milwood Group. “Their solutions make a fantastic addition to our product line, providing tradespeople with intelligent, well-made and easy to install solutions that can support the demand for both premium home improvements as well as luxury outdoor living products.”

“Pergolas, as well as verandas and canopies are well-placed to complement large-span bifold or patio doors to create an outdoor living space that’s useable all-year-round. They provide a fantastic upselling opportunity for installers and a profitable route to market as renovations extend outside the home to include gardens and outside spaces.”

Available in a full range of sizes, pitches and colours to match any size or style of property, a Solisysteme pergola can be fully customised to include zip screens and adjustable lateral louvres. Depending on the application or budget, the system can be customised further with integrated lighting, infrared wall-mounted heaters and glass panels to create a fully-enclosed luxury glass room.

The new range of pergolas joins Milwood’s full collection of aluminium verandas, canopies, carports and glass rooms. Manufactured in the UK using Milwood’s bespoke aluminium extrusions, the range is available with fast turnarounds thanks to the firm’s centrally located distribution centre in Leicestershire.

For more information call the Milwood Group on 0330 404 9086 or visit www.milwoodgroup.com

Trade and commercial fabricator Astraseal and spacer bar specialists Technoform Glass Insulation (TGI®) are celebrating a remarkable manufacturing achievement.

In less than five years, TGI has supplied Astraseal with over one million metres of warm edge spacer bar. If laid out flat in a straight line, the 1.2 million metres would equate to approximately 750 miles in length – or from Astraseal’s HQ in Wellingborough, all the way to Venice.

Astraseal’s continued success has meant their orders of TGI®-Spacer have grown every single year, with an average year-on-year increase of 11%. The firm, which specialises in a full range of glazing products across uPVC and aluminium, currently produces over 3,000 sealed units every week.

“Our sealed unit manufacture makes up a vital and successful part of our business, allowing us to ensure a quality product and control our entire supply chain, delivering turnarounds that exceed customer expectations,” comments Colin Stanley, Operations Director at Astraseal.

“Reaching this milestone with our order quantities increasing year-on-year, shows not only how fast our IGU manufacture has grown but also the high regard our products and services are held in. We achieve this through constantly investing in our business to deliver a greater overall service for our customers. That includes investing in new machinery, greater facilities and high-specification components from incredible brands like TGI.”

In recent months, Astraseal has made several high-profile investments to bolster its sealed unit production. The firm purchased a brand-new bar bender which can bend aluminium, steel or warm edge spacer every 28 seconds. This means Astraseal can bend an impressive 1,000 bars on a single nine-hour shift. They have also purchased an intelligent desiccant filler which brings ultimate precision to Astraseal’s operation.

David Kimberley, Product Manager at TGI comments: “We would like to congratulate Astraseal on this fantastic achievement. It’s great to see our products helping one of the industry’s most proactive and respected fabricators grow from strength to strength. We anticipate further success in our partnership together, as we rapidly approach two million metres.”

For more information call Astraseal on 01933 227233or visit www.astraseal.co.uk

Masonite International Corporation have completed the acquisition of DW3 Products Group and its subsidiaries or an undisclosed sum. DW3 Products Group is one of the most exciting businesses in the UK fenestration sector, boasting highly respected door brands including Solidor, Residor and Nicedor, with a manufacturing facility based in Stoke-On-Trent. The well-regarded window division is represented by The Residence Collection and Window Widgets which operate from Gloucester.

Masonite International have a number of business interests in the UK with Door-Stop International, Hickman Industries, Performance Door Set Solutions and Premdor. The introduction of DW3 Products Group fits exceptionally well with Masonite’s vision to be the best provider of building products in the eyes of all stakeholders including customers, employees, shareholders, suppliers and communities. The existing DW3 Products Group management team are all staying in their current roles and are looking to share operational knowledge and expertise collectively, to create improved and growing UK business interests for Masonite International, who are a public company, traded on the New York Stock Exchange.

Gareth Mobley, CEO of DW3 Products Group commented: “The acquisition of DW3 by Masonite International is good news for all. They have a proven track record with companies such as Door-Stop International who have grown strongly post-acquisition and without question, are the perfect fit for the group.” He continued: “Little will change across the group whether you are a customer of Solidor, Residor, Nicedor, The Residence Collection and Window Widgets. With the resources of Masonite behind us and opportunities to share knowledge and ideas, it will make for a very strong, stable and successful future.”

The post DW3 Products Group acquired by Masonite International Corporation appeared first on Windows Active Magazine.

FIT Events, organiser of the FIT Show, has announced changes in its shareholding structure. Angus Montgomery, which has been organising events globally since 1895, has become the majority shareholder. Co-founders Matthew Glover and Paul Godwin remain shareholders and directors of the company with Matthew as Chairman, as does Event Director Nickie West. John Beaty, an investor in the business since 2015, has relinquished his shareholding and left the business. In most other respects the business remains unchanged. Matthew Glover explained the decision: “The FIT Show has gone from strength to strength thanks to tremendous support from the industry, whose loyalty we hope we have returned by producing a show that connects the whole of the window, door and related glass and glazing industry. With growth of the FIT Show in such a relatively short time, coupled with ambitious plans for its future development, it became clear that we would benefit from expertise and investment. One of our shareholders expressed a desire to leave the business and that left us with the opportunity to seek other partners and Angus Montgomery, a well established, highly experienced international organiser of a large portfolio of events, expressed a keen interest to become involved. Paul, Nickie and I have looked closely at what Angus Montgomery can bring to the FIT Show and Visit Glass and we are unanimous in our decision to join with them.

“Other than the ownership structure of the company there will be few discernible changes: The FIT Show will continue not just as it has done in the past but with the sales, marketing, operations and administration team all remaining in place. However, we are now strengthened through more robust internal systems and structures and through the expertise that will come through working with one of the world’s longest established exhibition organisers.”

Angus Montgomery is a fifth generation family business. It is responsible for events within the building and construction sector including ‘W’, the UK national show for the joinery and furniture industries, Surface Design Show, Interbuild Africa and Glass Expo Africa, the latter of which take place in Johannesburg biennially. The company has events in a wide range of other sectors including Art and Photography, Food and Drink, Hospitality, Security and many others, operating a total of 55 events worldwide. Angus Montgomery’s MD Damion Angus said: “We have been very aware of the FIT Show and the tremendous success that the event has become since its first show in 2013; it is greatly admired in the exhibition industry. Becoming involved with the event and the people behind it will greatly enhance our activities in the sector specifically and our events overall and we believe we can offer a great deal of experience to the FIT Show and its exhibitors – this is very much a two-way arrangement. We are very excited to be working with Matthew, Paul and Nickie and the rest of the team.”

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Visit the UK Pavilion at Fensterbau Frontale 2018 

The GGF is all set for an extremely busy week (21-24 March) at Fensterbau Frontale, the world’s largest window exhibition held every two years in Nuremberg, Germany.

With 200 square metres showcasing the best of British, the GGF is hosting the UK Pavilion, taking the theme “Britain Means Business” to the international industry and bringing together 12 prominent UK brands who will be presenting and demonstrating their latest products and services.

One of the key features of the UK Pavilion is the British Reception which is sponsored by RegaLead, Europe’s leading colour experts and paint manufacturers for the glass and glazing industry. RegaLead is one of 12 co-exhibitors on the UK Pavilion and will be showcasing their cutting edge ColorSpray Aqua glass and PVC-U paint technology.

The 12 co-exhibitors on the UK Pavilion are:

Clearview Magazine  www.clearview-uk.com  www.lockex.org.uk 

FIT Events www.fitshow.co.uk

Glazpart www.glazpart.com

GQA Qualifications www.gqaqualifications.com

HOPPE UK www.hoppe.com

The Jackloc Company www.jackloc.com

Made forTrade www.madefortrade.co

Reddiplex www.reddiplex.com

RegaLead www.regalead.co.uk

RITEC International www.ritec.co.uk

Roseview Windows www.roseview.co.uk

Window Ware www.windowware.co.uk  

Have “An Afternoon G&T” at Fensterbau Frontale

All UK visitors are cordially invited to visit the UK Pavilion Stand for a very British afternoon of G&T with nibbles and to network with the Best of British!

British Reception – Sponsored by RegaLead, Hosted by GGF

Thursday 22^nd March, 2.00pm – 6.00pGGF UK Pavilion Stand 305, Hall 4a

We look forward to seeing you at the British Reception on the GGF UK Pavilion Stand!

GGF UK Pavilion, Stand 305, Hall 4a

FENSTERBAU FRONTALE, Exhibition Centre, 90471 Nürnberg, Germany

Show Times
Wednesday 21^st March, 10am – 6pm

Thursday 22^nd March, 10am – 6pm

Friday 23^rd March, 10am – 6pm

Saturday 24^th March, 10am – 5pm

ABOUT FENSTERBAU FRONTALE

Fensterbau Frontale in Nuremberg is one of the world’s leading trade fair for windows, doors and facades, their associated technologies, components and assemblies as well as associated equipment and services program. Together with the Holz-Handwerk, there are more than 12,000 exhibitors representing more than 40 countries and 110,000 are key decision making visitors from the Fenestration industry.

XtremeDoor, the composite door from award-winning manufacturers Vista, is helping to refurbish Liverpool’s historic Victorian Welsh Streets of Toxteth. Now, thanks to award winning developers Placefirst, the Welsh Streets are seeing a remarkable revival as the properties are turned in to high-quality homes for working families to rent.

Vista’s signature door is the door of choice for fellow Merseyside firm Warwick Development (North West). The Eurocell fabricator has installed XtremeDoors in a range of colours during the first phase of redevelopment. Warwick has also fittingly installed Eurocell profile Slate Grey windows to the properties originally built by the migrant Welsh developers and Welsh labour.

The next stage will see a total of 299 homes refurbished including number 9 Madryn Street, the home and birth place of the former Beatle Ringo Star.

“We are absolutely thrilled to be involved in such a fantastic project and a worthwhile scheme which is revitalising an iconic area of Liverpool, and providing great, high-quality homes to rent,” comments Ian Smith, Vista’s Marketing and Business Development Manager.

“As a Merseyside firm, we are incredibly proud to be supporting this local project, working with the fantastic guys at Warwick and the dedicated team at Placefirst. This major redevelopment will ensure this important part of Liverpool’s heritage will continue for generations to come. It’s great to see XtremeDoor play a part in that.”

In 2015 plans were made for the major regeneration project with award-winning property specialists Placefirst. Their business strategy is to build great quality homes for rent at rates that are accessible to nurses, care workers, teachers and others that are usually priced out of good-quality housing.

Placefirst have recombined the traditional houses to make homes of two, three and four bedrooms. Backyards, alleys and rear extensions have all been cleared to make fantastic communal gardens.

Once again the Welsh Streets were in the public eye recently as Powis Street was closed off and painted soot black to provide the backdrop to the hit BBC drama Peaky Blinders. Hollywood stars Tom Hardy and Cillian Murphy walked the cobbles as it became Watery Lane, the Shelby family’s headquarters in Small Heath.

You can learn more about this project by visiting www.xtremedoor.co.uk.