New Tax Act

With a stunning win for ‘New Product of the Year’ at the G17 Awards 2017, the Heritage Flush Sash Window from Deceuninck has proven itself to be a fantastic new addition to the market. It’s obvious that impressive products need the right marketing, which is why Deceuninck approached ICAAL, a creative digital marketing agency, to help them to promote this product via a brand new website: www.heritagewindowcollection.co.uk.

By combining their wealth of experience in the home improvement industry, with the understanding that a bespoke design is imperative for perfectly capturing a brand, ICAAL were able to deliver a website that ticked all of the boxes. This included working closely with Deceuninck and their print design team to create tailored sections of the website, utilising Deceuninck’s beautiful photography. The website was required to serve as a retail facing platform, which meant ICAAL worked meticulously to brand guidelines to ensure the Deceuninck approach was communicated effectively to consumers. ICAAL then undertook the build of the website by handling every line of code with an attention to detail that guaranteed nothing was missed. To ensure the new website fired on all cylinders when it launched, all of the bases were covered. This included integrating a beautiful image-based design, contemporary media hub, full product details USPs, a customised content management system (CMS) and an easy to use fabricator search functionality.

With user experience (UX) also in mind, ICAAL created a custom built, password protected media hub which was filled with product images, marketing material, technical documents and brochures. This was all placed in an easy to operate, user-friendly CMS to ensure these features could be accessed with complete ease.  To complement UX further, this website also featured an online product brochure that was i-framed into the website to allow users to flip through the book without having to leave the website. This allowed Deceuninck to promote their award-winning Heritage Flush Sash Window range in a stylish, effective and modern way that was not a chore for potential customers.

Not only did ICAAL create a fully-fledged customer-facing website, they also created a section for trade customers. The unique fabricator search engine allows prospective installers to find their nearest Deceuninck fabricator, complete with map-based orientation and enquiry forms tailored for lead generation.  After being handed the finished product, Carol Hearn of Deceuninck offered her thoughts “Worthy of all 5 stars. Very professional experience from start to finish. Kept in the loop all the way. Updates done very, very quickly, The team are very knowledgeable and work together brilliantly. Well done to Chris and his team.. and thank you for everything.”

The post Marketing the award-winning range with a brand new website appeared first on Windows Active Magazine.

The Corgi Fenestration installer scheme has been approached by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to ask the fenestration industry to participate in its Approved Documents user survey. The closing date for the survey, which should take around 20 minutes to complete, is midnight tonight (6 March).

The department is reported to be looking for comment on all Approved Documents as it wants to understand how industry uses the guidance provided to discern the functional requirements of the Building Regulations. All information provided will be confidential.

According to Corgi Fenestration, this work is in response to a recommendation Dame Judith Hackitt has made in her recent review of the Building Regulations and Fire Safety. She has recommended that the government consider how the suite of Approved Documents could be structured and ordered to provide a more streamlined, holistic view while retaining the right level of relevant technical detail.

For more information and to complete the survey, please click on the following link:

http://corgifenestration.co.uk/trade/installer-service/

The post Last chance to complete Approved Documents survey appeared first on Glass & Glazing Products Magazine (GGP).

The Council for Aluminium in Building (CAB) is to host its first regional member’s meeting and mini-conference of 2018 this Thursday, 8 March, at The Carriageworks Theatre in Leeds City Centre, followed by a drinks reception and dinner at Aspire.

The meeting will be preceded by a series of CAB update presentations, while the mini-conference will consider the theme of ‘New Era for Specification?’. The format will be two 45-minute panel discussions and will broadly look at the following topics:

• The issues surrounding changes in specifier attitudes, following a recent review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety. There will be a focus on issues such as competency, as well as raising the point of avoiding a culture of ‘construction to the legal minimum’.
• Exploring whether the above might lead to architects and engineers spending more time developing product specifications.
• The implications for construction product manufacturers, especially CAB member companies.

Chair of the panel will be Chris Ashworth, of Competitive Advantage. Joining him will be John Beaumont, quality manager at Bowmer & Kirkland, who previously worked for a specialist aluminium contractor, and Jason Clarke, director of DLA Architecture. One of Jason’s recent projects is Central Square in Leeds.

The format for the afternoon/evening will be as follows:

4pm Registration and tea/coffee in the Millennium Room

4.30pm CAB presentations followed by mini-conference session one in the main auditorium

5.45pm Tea/coffee break in the Millennium room

6.05pm Mini-conference sessions two and three in the main auditorium

7pm Transport to Aspire for drinks reception on the Mezzanine

8.30pm Dinner in the Banking Hall

Aspire is approximately six minutes’ walk from The Carriageworks. Transport between the two venues will be provided by way of a double decker bus, courtesy of Yorkshire Heritage Bus Company.

To book or for more information, call: 01453 828851 or email Julie Harley at: julie.harley@c-a-b.org.uk

The post CAB members’ meeting appeared first on Glass & Glazing Products Magazine (GGP).

Veka has announced plans to invest £5m in facilities, plant and technology at its Burnley-based site in 2018.

Veka Group MD, Dave Jones, explained: “We have an exciting programme of developments planned for 2018, in order to continue providing our customers with the very highest levels of service.

“The main focus of investment will be our lamination department. This is an area of the business that we have seen continue to grow year on year, in response to consumer demand. Currently, over 33% of Veka Group sales are foiled product, and we are focussed on preparing for continued expansion in this area.

“We’re in the process of acquiring a building adjacent to the existing Veka HQ which would allow the current 380,000ft² site to expand by a further 40,000ft² and will enable us to potentially increase lamination capacity by a further 50%.

“As well as the new building, we are investing in a new, flexible lamination line, allowing us to offer the most efficient service on the inevitable small runs and quirkier colour choices. Not only that, but the department will see the addition of another standard lamination line, a new colour changing head and a heat tunnel, alongside all our existing high spec foiling equipment.

“The aim with this investment – as always – is to ensure that our customers are best placed to meet the demands of a challenging market. In such a competitive industry, we strive to ensure that our client base has access to all the ‘tools’ they need to set themselves apart from the competition. It’s not only about increasing the potential volume of our output, but supporting customers with flexibility and efficient service. This, of course, will reflect on their own business and the level of service they are able to offer to their customers, whether that be homeowners or commercial specifiers etc.

“2018 will also see Veka Group planning improvements to our specialist maintenance and tooling department. Expanding our in-house maintenance department means that we can respond immediately and capably to any possible problems with our machinery (however unlikely) to ensure there is no disruption to the supply chain.

“2018’s planned spend of £5m continues a pattern of investment, including – for example – £400k last year allocated to energy efficiency upgrades for the plant.

“Improved lighting, heating and high bay racking meant that our warehouse facility achieved a 25% reduction in electricity consumption in 2017.

“While we’re busy with our investment plans here in Burnley, our sister company, Veka Recycling, has also announced the fantastic news that it will be investing £8m into constructing one of the most advanced PVC-U recycling plants in Europe, right here in the UK!

“In the face of a relatively flat market, I am very proud to be part of a group that will continue to invest in order to see our partners succeed. Customer feedback has always, and will always, directly influence product and service development here at Veka.”

www.vekauk.com

The post Future is bright appeared first on Glass & Glazing Products Magazine (GGP).

The Glazing Summit, the new conference for business owners and leaders from across the industry, has announced revolutionary aluminium lantern brand Korniche as the newest sponsor of this year’s landmark event.

Launched at The FIT Show 2016, Korniche quickly rose to prominence through its innovative construction, providing installers with a highly-durable lantern solution that is faster and easier to install. Designed and developed by Managing Director Bradley Gaunt and his brother Ashley, Korniche joins a number of leading brands from across the industry in supporting the event.

“We’re thrilled to be sponsoring this year’s Glazing Summit,” comments Bradley. “The event presents a great opportunity for us to further promote the Korniche brand to the industry’s biggest and most respected names, as well join the conversation on what we are seeing in the aluminium lantern market and more broadly across the industry.”

Taking place on May 22^nd at St. John’s Exhibition Centre in Solihull, The Glazing Summit will bring together directors, founders and senior management from the industry’s biggest and best system houses, fabricators, installers and suppliers. The event which is hosted by industry data specialists Insight Data and sister company Purplex Marketing, features a full day of talks and debates on the hot topics of the industry, as well as an exclusive Leaders Dinner in the evening.

Event Organiser and Insight Data Managing Director, Andrew Scott adds: “We’re absolutely delighted to welcome Korniche as a sponsor of The Glazing Summit. Korniche is a fantastic example of a disruptor brand, bringing a pioneering new product to market which has changed the expectations of the industry and reimagined an entire product area.”

“The success of brands like Korniche will be one of the many topics of discussion during the one-day summit, as we dissect the current industry landscape, investigate the increasing trend of growth by acquisition and look ahead to the future challenges and opportunities for the industry. The support of brands like Korniche only further legitimises the relevance and importance of this must-attend industry conference.”

To find out more about The Glazing Summit or to book tickets visit www.glazingsummit.co.uk.

Windows Etc has become the latest Solidor trade partner to be awarded with the Showroom of the Month accolade, this time for February, by offering an unrivalled composite door environment in Colchester, Essex.

The company is approaching a 9-year anniversary with Solidor and their impressive new brand-laden showroom features 19 different Solidor door designs, reflecting various styles, colours and hardware options. Windows Etc also boast an impressive website at www.windowsetc.co.uk, which not only carries a number of professional photographs of Solidor composite doors, but there’s also integration into the proven Design A Door engine.

Joe Solomons, managing director of Windows Etc commented: ‘We’re delighted to receive the Showroom of the Month award for February as we’ve spent considerable time and effort in developing what we believe is the best composite door showroom in Essex. We’re a long-standing customer of Solidor and they’ve proven to be our ideal composite door partner in many ways.’

Gareth Busson, head of sales and marketing at Solidor concluded: ‘It’s a great Solidor environment that Joe and the team have created at Windows Etc. They are yet another example of how to create a wonderful retail experience for prospective customers and we look forward to building our great relationship with them further.’

For information on Windows Etc visit windowsetc.co.uk. For further information about the benefits of becoming a Solidor partner, call 01782 847300 or e-mail enquiries@solidor.co.uk. You can also find out further information at www.solidor.co.uk and add to their considerable following on Twitter @solidor.

With the changes and increase in home improvement trends, Sash UK – the clear and open window people has launched a new brochure to help trade customers offer a perfect and simple solution when selling composite doors.

The Barnsley-based manufacturer, who has been manufacturing windows and doors for over 50-years, developed the brochure after recognising a change in consumers purchasing behaviours for choosing composite doors.

Darren Woolf, trade sales director at Sash UK, commented: “We have gained a vast amount of knowledge working with our trade customers over the years, gathering feedback about what their customers would like to see. This information has enabled us to create a new Composite Door brochure which we believe will gain them a competitive advantage. The brochure has been designed to include our entire range of standard and specialised composite doors, giving the consumer a simple and easy to understand guide to the options available to them.”

The layout of the brochure includes a clear and uncomplicated introduction to the entire range, with each page elegantly arranged to show glass, colour and hardware options available for each style of composite door.

Darren continues: “We recognise the importance of supplying our trade customers with support materials, helping them to cater for today’s changing consumer demands, and part of our thinking in introducing the brochure is to ensure we eliminate any obstacles which might prevent them from making a sale.”

The brochure incorporates a matrix to the rear, showcasing the vast amount of door options available and giving our trade customers the opportunity to offer consumers more choice.

For more information visit www.sashuk.com or call 01226 715619

As part of a large scale renovation programme, The Glazerite UK Group Limited and its Stockport-based customer, Arctic Seal MCR Ltd, have supplied and installed 1000 windows for a state-of-the-art 260,000 square foot business community.

Universal Square is a unique office campus based on the Piccadilly fringe of Manchester City Centre, offering a professional service to more than 50 companies. As part of the demanding refurbishment project, five new interlinked buildings are all congregated around an impressive courtyard, with 24-hour security, car parking facilities, a restaurant, fitness centre and more.

The old building has been completely transformed and, as well as external cladding to the complete building, 1000 VEKA M70 windows were supplied to Arctic Seal for installation. The new structurally coupled windows are finished in Anthracite to replicate aluminium in alignment with the modern, 21^st century look and feel of the building. All ground floor windows are Secured By Design accredited and all glazing is grey tinted.

Arctic Seal’s Director Shahzad Ashraf commented: “Having visited The Glazerite UK Group stand at the 2017 FIT Show, we were very impressed with the quality of their windows, and in addition to that their windows met our requirements in terms of what size frame they could supply. Since then we have worked with them on the Universal Square project, as well as two office-to-flat conversions in both Derby and Cannock, totalling around 1000 windows. Each of these were standard frames but with different levels of glass spec due to soundproofing and depending on elevation. All projects have run to schedule thanks to great communication from Glazerite and all deliveries arriving as planned.”

Glazerite’s Sales Manager Pete Smith said: “This project is one of three across the country that we have worked on together with Arctic Seal within the last year after meeting at last year’s FIT Show. The 2017 Show was a platform for Glazerite to showcase further new products and support services, and we are pleased this has led to working with Arctic Seal on such projects.”

Pete added: “Now almost complete, the Universal Square project no longer bears any resemblance at all to the building that was historically built to house Great Universal Stores. Arctic Seal have achieved a fantastic result with an inviting and modern space for businesses of all sectors, from SMEs to some major blue chip companies. This was a great project to be involved with and the newly transformed building will play an iconic role in the Manchester commuter belt, with its location on the main rail track into the city.”

The Glazerite UK Group is one of VEKA’s leading trade fabricators in the UK and a long-standing Network VEKA and Independent Network member. It offers a fully nationwide service based on manufacturing units in Northants, Peterborough and Greater Manchester.   South Wales and the West of England are served through the South West distribution hub in Bristol. Visit www.glazeritewindows.co.uk or call 01933 443222.