‘ALUTRADE – THE RECYCLERS’

Alutrade is one of the UK’s largest aluminium recyclers of aluminium.  The company currently works with many of the UK’s top systems companies and fabricators, offering good market prices for their waste profile.  So, nothing new there you must be thinking, just another ‘scrap dealer’, but you would be wrong, Alutrade take a much more high-tech approach to the recycling of this valuable material.

Lots of materials are claiming to be ‘fully recyclable’ today, but few, if any, come close to the 100% recyclability mark than metals. Other materials such as plastics find themselves either burnt or sent to landfill, with some more specialist materials being recycled back into products, often of a lower grade.

Next to steel, aluminium is the most abundant recycled metal, and, the most valuable. It has been recycled for many years, in fact 75% of all aluminium ever produced since its first commercial production in 1880 is still ‘in-use’ today.  A very modern metal, in terms of age, and one that has helped us achieve advances in a wide range of technologies over the last century..

In construction, the vast majority of our commercial buildings contain aluminium framed glazing and structures made from aluminium.  Always used as an alloy, which means it is mixed with other elements to change is characteristics to suit the application, the material can simply be melted and sold for production into a wide range of products, but by mixing the alloys, it is difficult to use the material again in its specific alloy grade.

Alutrade take a more high-tech approach by first identifying the exact alloy that is being recycled using sophisticated X-ray equipment and then employing state-of-the-art equipment which effectively strips all thermal breaks and other materials from the profile.  What is left is the prime material, the alloy in its original state which can go back into the same product it came from without any loss of characteristics and vitally at a 100% recyclability rate.  This is known as ‘closed-loop’ recycling and as a result the recycled material has a higher value, consequently, Alutrade can generally offer higher prices for any aluminium requiring recycling.

Alutrade are based in the midlands and cover the whole of the UK supplying skips for the recycling of aluminium profile waste, both new profile and profile from building decommissioning or refurbishment. For more information, visit their website at www.alutrade.co.uk or contact their offices on 0121 552 0330.

www.alutrade.co.uk

Picture above: Deceuninck fabricator, Mr Window, has seen a 28% jump in sales

Increased colour capability drove a 28% jump in sales in 2017, according to long-time Deceuninck fabricator Mr Window.

The Essex fabricator, whose customer base is split 38% commercial, 31% retail and 31% trade, reported that the range and availability of colour in stock from Deceuninck drove sales which rocketed past general market growth.

Deceuninck offers 26 colourways with colour matched ancillaries and trims from stock at its warehouse in Calne. From stock means availability is certain on next delivery.

Glen Cain, Managing Director of Mr Window, says: “Colour is the future. People don’t want white PVC-U anymore. Colours, particularly soft greens, are growing in popularity at an unbelievable pace simply because end-customers want more from their windows than the bog standard.

“We listen to them and give them what they want; if our customers want a pink window we’ll give it to them. That attitude plus Deceuninck’s quick turnaround guaranteed availability – a service no one else seems to be able to match, is what’s setting us apart from the competition. Our competitors offer colour but they can’t get it to customers as fast or as reliably as us.”

Mr Window has been working with Deceuninck for over 20 years and fabricates the 2800 series, Heritage Flush Sash, Tilt & Turn and Slider24 for installers, builders and homeowners based in and around Essex.

For Mr Window call 01702 555 550. For more information about Deceuninck products and colour capabilities, visit www.deceuninck.com.

In what is a major coup for the home improvement industry, Pavani Konduru has left her role at Zoopla to join Leads2trade.

Pavani has joined the home improvement world to head up Leads2trade’s search marketing and was tempted by the move due to the continued success of the business.

Pavani, who has a B.Tech Bioinformatics, takes up the role of Head of Search Marketing and has already had a positive impression.

Previously at Zoopla Pavani built her reputation by overseeing the search engine marketing strategy around the well renowned Zoopla house prices, New Homes, Commercial and Overseas Channel.

Andy Royle, Managing Director at Leads2trade, comments: “Pavani played a leading role in Zoopla’s search engine reputation. We have noticed a real shift towards homeowners wanting more information online before committing to getting quotes. With the experience of Pavani we are well positioned to develop a number of home improvement pricing tools to help homeowners make even more informed decisions before purchasing their desired home improvement”

Pavani will be responsible for Leads2trade’s search engine marketing strategy, ensuring that its network of Trusted Local Supplier websites (which is where consumer’s register their interest before the team double qualify the leads) rank organically, as well as ensuring the current Leads2trade website is best in class.

Pavani comments: “Leads2trade is a very impressive business that now owns the home improvement lead generation space. My role is to ensure the impressive growth continues and we also continue to give our customers the very best service and their user experience is first-rate. I will also be working to boost lead volumes and ensure we stay at the forefront of any advances in online technology.”

By the end of 2017, Leads2Trade had achieved a sales revenue growth of 11% and, since 2006, its members have written £200m worth of business.

At present, Leads2Trade’s network of trusted suppliers enjoys a lead to a conversion rate of 78%.

For more information on Leads2Trade or to become a member of its network, visit www.leads2trade.co.uk or call 0800 021 3211

Image above: Morley’s 49,000sq ft factory and office space in Leeds, where it relocated in 2016.

Morley Glass & Glazing, the UK’s market leader in the manufacture of Uni-Blinds® integral blind units, has been shortlisted in the Medium Sized Business category at the 2018 Yorkshire Business Masters Awards.

Organised by business news website TheBusinessDesk.com, the annual awards are one of the key events in the region’s business calendar, honouring everyone from major innovators, to excellent SMEs, overperforming exporters and upstanding professional services businesses.

Now in its twentieth year, Morley Glass & Glazing’s shortlisting in the Medium Sized Business category confirms its position as a valuable part of Yorkshire’s business community.

Ian Short, Morley’s managing director, said: “We’re very proud of our Yorkshire roots and being involved in a lot of local initiatives, so it’s a great feeling to be shortlisted in the Yorkshire Business Masters Awards. We’ve had such a fantastic twelve months leading up to our twentieth anniversary this year.

“Last year we were named IGU Manufacturer of the Year at the National Fenestration Awards, and I was also awarded a Fellowship from The Rotary Foundation. Now that we’re in our twentieth year we have no plans for slowing down and I think our award entry reflected our ambitions for the future and what we plan to achieve. Best of luck to everyone who has been shortlisted!”

The business awards offer a great opportunity to recognise and showcase the achievements and success of businesses in the region. Award categories include Newcomer, Business Turnaround and Ambassador of the year, with five businesses shortlisted in each.
The winners of all 12 categories will be announced and presented with a trophy at an awards evening on Thursday 26 April at the Queens hotel in Leeds.

Trade fabricator Garrard Windows has become the latest company to start manufacturing the new ‘heritage styled’ mechanically jointed version of the best-selling Spectus Vertical Slider. Lucy Griffith of Garrard Windows commented: “Manufacturing the mechanically jointed Spectus Vertical Slider will open up new opportunities for us and our customers because feature-rich mechanically jointed products are very much on trend.”

Lucy has been impressed with what the mechanically jointed Vertical Slider has to offer. She said: “It raises the bar in authenticity, especially when it comes to the foil options because the foils really showcase the mechanical joint. The window really is a match for the timber alternatives in terms of cost, superior performance, overall aesthetics and all the signs are that it’s going to be a popular addition to our range.”

Garrard Windows is a long-standing Spectus fabricator and has been manufacturing the standard Spectus Vertical Slider for 14 years. Lucy says: “We originally bought in the Vertical Slider, but because demand was growing it made good sense to start to manufacture it ourselves. We’ve never looked back because the product was – and is – an incredibly popular part of our portfolio. That’s especially true at the moment as our installers tap into homeowner interest in heritage-style products.”

Garrard Windows supplies trade customers nationwide with high quality windows, doors and conservatories. The company prides itself on being reliable, efficient and easy to deal with and is an ideal choice for fabricators looking to buy in specialist products as well as installers looking for a proactive fabrication partner. Vertical Sliders from Garrard are available on an extremely competitive two to three week lead time and are available in a full choice of colours and foils.

The Spectus Vertical Slider is renowned in the industry for its authentic aesthetics and its impressive credentials mean that interest in the mechanically jointed version has been extremely high. Garrard Windows is one of the first fabricators to be up and running with the manufacture of the mechanically jointed version, which will give its customers a big advantage in a competitive and growing market.

www.spectus.co.uk

Lisec is said to have delivered the first laminated glass line, developed and built in-house.

Since September 2017, the Lisec group’s competence centre for laminating has been located as a business unit in Austria.

An internal acceptance procedure was carried out prior to shipping. This comprised multiple steps and covered all basic functions of each individual machine in the line function.

Marco Bügler, head of Business Unit Laminated Glass, at Lisec, said: “This glass laminating line, which was completely constructed in Austria, provides the starting signal for the next chapter in the business segment laminating. I am delighted and proud that the team here on the site have integrated this complex technology into the overall range in such a short time.”

The laminated glass line, sold to the customer Al Hadi in Kuwait, is a U-shape solution for a maximum glass size of 2600mm x 5000mm incl. pre-lamination and full convection. The customer is said to have chosen Lisec due to the new technology which is tailored to their needs, and particularly due to the pre-lamination system with high-precision pressing force and full convection system.

The post Delivering the goods appeared first on Glass & Glazing Products Magazine (GGP).

Checkatrade has announced a new membership structure that allows new and existing members to pay monthly instalments for the first time.

Now in its 20th year, Checkatrade has over 28,000 members with more than 1.2million visitors to the website each month leading to almost 3.5 million consumer reviews.

Previously, trade membership was only available as a one-off fee or secured via an upfront deposit but from this March, new members will be able to split their membership over 12 equal payments from just £69.99 a month and existing members will be offered the monthly payment option upon renewal.

Gavin Dutton, managing director of Checkatrade, said: “Providing options and flexibility for our members has always been a priority for the business. Joining the HomeServe family has provided the financial backing to make monthly payments a possibility and helped us grow to an average of 1,200 new trade members per month.

“In the 20 years Checkatrade has been in business, we have continuously looked at ways to adapt and ensure our business model moves with the times. We know cashflow is vital for any business and hopefully we can help by giving this flexibility to both new and existing members.”

The post Checkatrade introduces monthly payment option appeared first on Glass & Glazing Products Magazine (GGP).

CSI Aluminium has chosen a Tekna TKE 944-7 four axis heavy duty machining centre for its Hull factory, supplied and installed by Emmegi (UK).

CSI Aluminium is a specialist glazing and cladding fabricator which has developed its own bespoke unitised curtain walling system for installing on sites with limited access for installation. This system, which uses large 7m sections of Aluprof profile, has huge advantages for city centre sites because it can be installed from a tower crane.

In order to maximise the commercial benefits of this system, CSI approached Emmegi (UK) for a machine which could achieve the technical and performance levels required with a dedicated machine set-up, but which crucially still represented good value.

The team at Emmegi proposed the Tekna TKE 944 machine as the perfect solution for CSI, because it has the large machining capacity required at the right price point and can link easily to the rest of the Emmegi machines in the factory.

It is a 4 axis machining centre with a mobile gantry and 8kW high torque electro spindle suitable for heavy duty machining of the large sections of aluminium which CSI are using. The spindle moves along the A axis, allowing machining through a full 180° around each section. A clamp unit ensures the correct positioning of the sections every time, and counterblocks can be mounted quickly and accurately.

A 12 piece tool magazine mounted on the gantry gives customers maximum flexibility and reduces tool change times to optimise the productivity and efficiency of the machine.

Steve Bird, Production Manager at CSI, is pleased with the company’s investment in new Tekna 944. He said: “The machine is doing all that Emmegi (UK) promised and is already helping us to deliver on a new £3.5m contract for our unitised curtain walling system in central Manchester.

“As well as the purchasing advice we got from Emmegi (UK), we’re also benefiting from really good after sales service from their technical and installations team and the payback for us looks very positive.”

All of the machines under the Emmegi group banner can work seamlessly together and all are compatible with the LogiKal software which CSI use for their processing and machine links.

The Tekna 944 and a selection of Emmegi saws will be on display on the Emmegi (UK) stand at MACH at the NEC in April (stand H7-350).

www.emmegi.com

Contech Conservatories, a K2 conservatory roof manufacturer has recently made substantial investment in a new Iveco van. This supports logistics at the Stoke on Trent based firm and reflects the continued focus placed on customer support.

With a steady increase in orders the purchase of a more modern delivery vehicle will support the fabricator’s growth potential as orders increase.

The ‘Iveco’ has been the transport companion of choice for Contech since the company was launched, with prompt and reliable deliveries an essential part of customer service for the company.

As a practical workhorse that needs to deliver in and around a number of regions in the Midlands and surrounding areas, offers maximum reliability, providing complete reassurances for customers, in relation to delivery times.

Orders at Contech continue to increase and the reliability of the delivery vehicles, in terms of handling and carrying capacity need to have increased capabilities particularly in relation to loadspace.

Gareth Jones, Director comments “We are focused on adding value and delivering a market leading service. The new vehicle ensures our customers have access to the most efficient and safe supply chains.

The new vehicle includes advanced safety features and will also help us reduce carbon emissions when our drivers are on the road.”

With a broad selection of products in the Contech Conservatories portfolio, the company has a 5 – 10 day average turnaround. The company supplies high quality conservatories, windows, doors, roofing and other products throughout Staffordshire, Cheshire, Derbyshire, Shropshire and surrounding areas.

For more information on the product range please visit the website www.contechconservatories.co.uk or call the team who can discuss your project requirements.

A fast-growing Midlands fabricator is aiming to become one of the country’s leading Residence Collection suppliers, after purchasing a further £45k of machinery.

Since 2010, Stedek has made its name manufacturing Epwin’s Swish and Profile 22 systems. Now, the firm has acquired a bank of twelve Jade end millers to accommodate DW3’s much-celebrated timber-alternative Residence Collection, with the aim of tapping into demand at the higher end of the market.

Managing Director Alex Page comments: “At Stedek, we’re obsessed with quality, and we’ve built our business on offering our customers flawless products backed with outstanding service.

“This latest investment is designed to help us bring that same level of quality to the Residence Collection, allowing more installers to benefit from the sort of outstanding service that only Stedek can provide.”

Sales Director Richard Hammond added: “We wanted to offer the whole collection so that we can serve a “whole market”. R7 meets the needs of the replacement window market. R9 has an established timber alternative niche -but R² is quite unique in its ability to either look like aluminium or timber.

“With that outstanding product range and Stedek’s trademark commitment to quality on our side, we’re confident we can become known throughout the industry as purveyors of Residence excellence.”

For more information visit www.stedek.co.uk or call 01922 724724.