Showcasing the showroom

Windows Etc has become the latest Solidor trade partner to be awarded with the Showroom of the Month accolade, this time for February.

The Colchester-based company is approaching a nine-year anniversary with Solidor and its new brand-laden showroom features 19 different Solidor door designs, reflecting various styles, colours and hardware options.

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.”

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Tables are still available for Circus Beserkus – the 19th GM Fundraising Gala Dinner, which is taking place on 9th June 2018 at the Crowne Plaza in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Gary Morton, founder of GM Fundraising, said: “The Gala Dinner is one of our signature events and one which has been with us from the start and we are delighted to see it return to the calendar for the 19th time. Our last dinner, the Witches & Wizards Halloween themed affair which took place in October 2016 was the most successful dinner yet, raising £41,550. It will be a tough act to follow, but we are excited about the plans for the evening and have some fantastic prizes for the raffle and auction.

“Around 300 guests will be entertained by the thrills and spills of the traditional circus that plans to be anarchic and outrageous, with some sinister glamour thrown in.”

For more information about attending the event, visit the GM Fundraising website.

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Pamela Wilson, an experienced Regional Sales Manager for Carl F Groupco who has represented the hardware distributor in Scotland since 2001, has an extended sales remit which includes Ireland. Pamela will continue to support Carl F Groupco’s customers in Scotland.

The development of Pam’s role is set to increase the presence of Carl F Groupco in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The company’s full catalogue of over 7,000 product lines is available to the Irish market where FUHR door locks and Roto PN reversible window gearing are established as flagship lines. The SmartSecure range of electronic door locking and Smart access control solutions, plus the Carl F direct range of tools for the window and door industries, are also supplied to Ireland.

Carl F Groupco’s distribution facilities are based in Peterborough and Cumbernauld in Scotland. Full technical and operational support is provided to Ireland.

Carl F Groupco Limited Tel: 01733 393330

www.carlfgroupco.co.uk   

Follow Carl F Groupco on Twitter using the handles @Carl_F_Groupco and @_SmartSecure

WITH bi-folding doors as popular as ever with the nation’s homeowners, a new finance initiative is making it even easier for installers to sell this premium product.

Improveasy is the industry’s leading provider of finance packages and its Managing Director Austin Barcley says that he has seen a huge increase in the number of installers using their products to finance bi-folding door purchases.

He explains: “A bi-folding door is an aspirational investment but typically cost around £6,000, which for many is a substantial amount to pay up-front.

“Thanks to our finance options Mr & Mrs Jones can now pay an affordable monthly fee and benefit from having this transformational product in their home.”

Austin says that he has also seen a shift in the conversation around finance for windows and doors.

He explains: “It has long been a widespread practice for people to pay for phones and cars with finance but not some home improvements. This is changing now, and it represents a fantastic opportunity for installers to win more profitable new business; and, cross-sell and upsell better with part-finance options.

“Offering finance to your customers can also increase order values as property owners will have the option to spend more on their dream product; rather than settling for their least favourite option.”

Improveasy’s finance package means that homeowners can have their doors installed immediately and pay just £55 a month for them, rather than being resigned to save for potentially years at a time.

By offering customers financial solutions packages, installers also help them to feel supported in their decision and increase the chances of their customers returning to them in the future.

Improveasy don’t just offer finance solutions too. Companies that partner with them can also access sales training seminars, alongside a host of innovative finance options.

Furthermore, before signing up with Improveasy, companies or installers do not need to be FCA regulated. Once registered with Improveasy, installers become an Appointed Representative (AR) and can then begin offering finance options under either the Improveasy brand or their own company’s brand.

To find out more about how Improveasy call 0800 024 8505 or visit www.improveasy.com

Oakland Glass, the IGU supplier dedicated to offering a wide range of sealed units alongside outstanding customer service, is pleased to announce a 15% increase in sales in 2017 and a strong start to 2018.

Managing Director of Oakland Glass, Tina Moorhouse explains where the growth is coming from in the context of a relatively flat market: “We work with a wide range of customers across the trade, new build and commercial markets and have seen growth across the board from existing customers as well as new companies switching to Oakland.

“We put a lot of this down to the range of products we supply, the investment we make into the business to ensure continuous improvement and of course the excellent service we offer. Whether customers are dealing with our sales department, customer services or our delivery drivers, they get the same high level of service. During Oakland’s 32 years of trading, we’ve realised that this personal touch goes a long way. Fabricators, installers and specifiers need a supplier they know they can rely on and through building strong partnerships with all our customers, we can deliver precisely what they need. This not only helps existing customers grow their businesses, it also means we’re an attractive supply proposition to potential customers.

“We build long lasting relationships with our customers because we offer the complete package – quality products delivered in full and on time. We recognise every customer is an individual and establish open and honest regular communication with all of them to make sure we continue to deliver what they need as their requirements inevitably change over time. We’re proud of the Oakland Glass reputation and the fact we have grown the business through supporting our ambitious and forward-thinking customers. We look forward to building on these relationships even further in the future.”

For more information visit www.oaklandglass.co.uk or call 01924 463198

As the Machinery range from Mighton Products continues to gain momentum following its 2016 launch, it has earned the company high praise from a number of skilled joinery firms across the country, with the latest review coming from Swift Joinery Manufacturers.

The Castleford-based joinery specialist was quick to commend the speed and quality of Mighton’s X-Cut Glazing Bead Jointing Machine.

The range of machines is designed to make joinery production quicker, easier and more efficient for both the small or large-scale operator. The semi-automatic Mighton X-Cut machine is said to produce perfect cross-joints on glazing beads, coming complete with tooling to suit the timber profile of the user’s choosing. Accurate and consistent, it reportedly allows for simple tool changes and no lengthy manuals mean it’s quick to set up and easy to operate.

Mike Derham, chairman of Mighton said: “We are pleased to hear that the X-Cut machine has contributed to the speed and accuracy of their production, as one of the foundations our machinery range was built on was saving our joinery customers both time and money by simplifying and speeding up the manufacturing process. “

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Having made the national news again last week, the importance of fire doors is currently at the forefront of everyone’s mind. The latest information on the enquiry into the disaster at Grenfell is that tests on a salvaged door from the Grenfell site failed after 15 minutes, exactly half the minimum performance time for a 30-minute fire door.

To protect the public and themselves, companies manufacturing and installing fire doors should have third party certification. Currently third party certification is only recommended, but after last week’s news, businesses should look again.

It’s so easy for a fire door to fail if it’s manufactured, installed or maintained incorrectly. During a fire door training day recently held by Bluesky Certification at Cambridge Fire Research, more than 20 delegates witnessed a fire test which demonstrated exactly what is likely to happen if a fire doorset has been incorrectly manufactured or installed.

The timber doorset being tested during the training day wasn’t expected to pass. To demonstrate early failure, it had some components purposely fitted incorrectly. This included the intumescent specification fitted between the bead and the glass, the fixings used to hold the beads in place, and the timber used for the lippings around the door leaf. Despite only seemingly minor changes being made to the doorset, failure occurred at only 15 minutes.

Many people involved in manufacturing, fitting or maintaining fire doors have never witnessed a fire resistance test, but seeing it drives home the importance fire doors play in passive fire protection. While the demonstration door didn’t achieve 30 minutes, once the test was completed and the door had cooled down, it was impressive to see how well the correctly manufactured parts of the door had resisted the intensity of the fire. Especially when you consider that the fire resistance test is based on the fire’s flashover point, meaning that the fire door is subjected to temperatures of around 1000 degrees Celsius during the test.

Bluesky Certification has considerable experience in fire doors. We offer third party schemes for both manufacturers and installers, giving peace of mind to our customers and the people who live or work in buildings where fire doors are installed under our certification. I believe that third party certification should be mandatory for fire doors, but until that happens, if we join together in a voluntary code, we can immediately help to raise the standard for manufacturers, installers and the public.

Yours sincerely,

Simon Beer

Managing Director

Bluesky Certification