Blog

Sunbell, an Italian designer and manufacturer of interstitial blinds for glazing has launched an innovative new solution for residential and commercial windows and doors.

Powered by a 24v low-voltage motor the system features a slim control switch positioned on the glass that allows for individual movement or alternatively for group activation up to 12 blinds, using a hand held remote device.

The ‘All in one’ system is hard-wired to a central power source and connected to a 13amp mains supply with each blind linked together using a simple ‘sprung’ electrical connector positioned in the frame.

The system is designed for commercial, public and residential applications offering a flexible solution for internal partitions, screens, bi-folding doors and windows.

The blinds are supplied in kit form, custom made on a three-week lead time, complete with a choice of spacer bars, styles, materials and colours including a new Charcoal Grey (similar to RAL 7016) for final assembly and sealing into a glazed unit.

Sunbell blinds offer a unique combination of Italian design, superb quality and engineering excellence providing a modern and stylish energy efficient response to solar-shading.

For further information call Richard at Tel 01245 422489 or email info@sunbell.co.uk

When looking for new windows and doors, customers are taking the inside colours into consideration as much as the outside. You may be aware of colour being a major consideration when ordering windows and doors. Colours such as charcoal grey were the biggest trend of 2017 for external frames and 2018 isn’t any different. As well as colours being a focus on current trends on the outside of homes, customers are growing increasingly conscious of colour on inside frames. It has become common for internal windows to be just as colourful as the external frames. Although there is a wide range of colours available, the most popular combination is black external and cream internal, to create warmth within the room. Colours are added to Camden’s Inliten profile through our in-house foiling system. The bespoke technologies allow the standard frames to be foiled in a wide range of colours; whitegrain, oak, cream, black, red, mahogany, rosewood, blue, green and charcoal grey.

The foiling process is headed by Mark Lavery and a dedicated team fulfil tailored foiling orders on a daily basis. “The increase in orders for foiled profile we have seen grow incredibly over the past few years and we expect for this trend to continue well into 2018 for both internal and external frames.”

Thinking of making a change and not sure what colours to go for? Here are a few Camden tips…think:

• Long term – Trends can come and go but your windows and doors will be with you for years to come. Blacks, greys and creams are more likely to stay modern compared to blues and greens for example which may age faster.

• What matches your internal décor. Coloured frames inside your home can look great, but always consider what the frames will look like if you decide to redecorate and what gives warmth to your rooms.

• About your properties’ style. A more modern home can blend with brighter colours, where a period house will lend itself to more neutral tones.

If you would like to view all colour options download our brochures at www.camdengroup.co.uk

The post Working from the inside out with the in-house foiling team at Camden appeared first on Windows Active Magazine.

Image above: Ben Brocklesby, Sales and Marketing Director

British manufacturer and home brand, Origin, is experiencing exponential business growth thanks to its revolutionary online quoting and ordering system – Origin Sale Safe (OSS). Not only has it increased the number of orders, but it has also dramatically reduced the time partners spend on each order, allowing projects to be completed faster and more precisely than ever before.

Introduced at the end of 2016, OSS was designed specifically to help Origin partners easily quote and order products from the ‘Origin Home Range’, increasing accuracy and efficiency in the process. Built and developed in-house, OSS is the only system of its kind that allows users to build and save whole customer projects, rather than quoting on individual products, claims the company. This means each customer’s information is stored in one place, removing the need for multiple quotes for one customer and allowing installers to edit orders right up to delivery. By simplifying the ordering process, Origin’s partners are saving time on admin and turning orders around in record time, leading to improved productivity and sales.

In order to highlight the impact that OSS has had on business growth, Origin analysed the final six months of orders placed before the implementation of OSS, cross-referencing them against the first six months of sales on the new system. Sales of the Origin Bi-fold Door increased by 18% in the six months after OSS was introduced. This trend continues across the entire Origin Home Range, with sales of the Origin Window and the Origin Residential Door increasing by 88% and 122% respectively over the same period.

Ben Brocklesby, Sales and Marketing Director at Origin, comments: “By introducing OSS to our offering, we simplified the ordering process for our partners, making it faster and more accurate for them. This means that they spend less time placing orders and more on generating new leads and taking on new business. It is therefore no wonder that we have seen such a dramatic increase in activity from partners ordering Origin products. Not only are they able to push harder on a new business front, but they are also recommending Origin products to more consumers than ever before, in part because of the hassle free ordering process. We expect to see this trend increase as more partners use OSS and as we welcome new partners into the Origin family.”

With over 35 percent of Origin partners now using OSS for ordering purposes and with this number set to rise as the final customers make the transition across to the new system, it is clear to see the positive impact that OSS is already having on facilitating new business growth and the potential it has for future development. As partners move over to OSS, they receive a detailed training session and have a dedicated point of contact to make the changeover as smooth and fruitful as possible, allowing partners to hit the ground running.

David Leng recently took over the mantle as group chief executive at Customade Group and is spearheading the next era of growth for the £100 million manufacturing business. He speaks to Windows Active about his ambitions for the group and what it intends to deliver

I’m delighted to take up this role at a pivotal time for Customade Group. In the last year, Customade Group has benefitted from substantial investment, developed an impressive product range, achieved a wide geographical reach and built a terrific team of people. It is now one of the UK’s foremost suppliers of fenestration solutions with some well-respected brands in its portfolio, including REAL Aluminium, Atlas Glazed Roof Solutions, Polyframe and Virtuoso Doors. There’s been a lot going on behind the scenes to bring these established and newly acquired businesses together. Each of them was operationally strong in its own right and the Customade team has worked hard to align them and prepare them for the future. We’re now ready for the next stage in our development and I’m looking forward to building on the scale and strength of the group to help it fulfil its potential.

Customade Group has an enormous capacity for further growth and an appetite for improvement and I believe it will double in size to become a £200 million business within the next few years. In my eight years as chief executive officer at Synseal Group, I helped it achieve strong revenue and customer growth through the strategic acquisition of seven specialist companies. During my tenure, Synseal grew from a £70 million to £160 million business and successfully launched many market-leading products including WarmCore, Masterdor and Global. There is a science to managing growth on this scale and an art to getting the best out of each specialist business and I‘m excited to now bring my experience to Customade Group to drive through some ambitious plans in the next phase of its growth. Customade Group has many unique strengths and our ongoing development programme will be underpinned by a focus on quality and customer service. The market has historically been poorly served and customers now rightly expect much greater quality, service, value and logistical support. Our strategy is about becoming a leader in the broadest sense and providing customers with what they need to help them thrive in a changing marketplace. Our aim is to become the natural first choice supplier for customers by delivering the best possible customer experience for them.

We want to be the best in the eyes of our stakeholders – customers, employees, suppliers and investors – and further innovation will be fundamental in helping us achieve this goal. You can certainly expect to see an increased pace of product development from the group this year with some exciting announcements coming soon. What has been achieved in the last year is phenomenal. We have doubled our production output with expansion at three of our nine manufacturing sites and we have merged a team of experienced people who really understand the market and their installer customers’ businesses. There will be strategic recruitment at a senior level in the very near future to drive further improvements through our operations and enhance our performance. Customade Group is already a very strong business that’s well-structured for the future and I’m delighted to be part of the journey ahead. With a 15-year track record for year on year growth and a passion to deliver, I am motivated to capitalise on the numerous growth opportunities out there and achieve our ambitious plans. We’re all ready at Customade Group to re-define the industry and to be the best.

www.customade.co.uk

The post Looking after customers’ core needs appeared first on Windows Active Magazine.

Consort, one of the UK’s largest and most respected PVCu fabricators has bolstered its sales and marketing strategies by partnering with industry data specialists Insight Data.

The Nottinghamshire-firm, which has been supplying trade customers nationwide for well over four decades, will be taking advantage of Insight Data’s full UK fenestration and glazing database. As part of this, Consort has become the latest big-name brand to sign-up to Salestracker, Insight Data’s combined online prospect database, CRM system and integrated email marketing platform.

“I don’t think I need to say how excited we are to join forces with the fantastic team at Consort,” comments Kirsty Winter, Insight Data’s Business Development Manager. “For almost 40 years, Consort has led the way in uPVC fabrication and has been a trusted supplier to customers across the country. We’re delighted to support them in their ambitions to expand further, through our unrivalled industry-specific prospect data and market intelligence.”

By appointing Insight Data and adopting Salestracker, Consort now has 24/7 access to over 60,000 potential customers. The fenestration database is just one of five key databases offered by Insight Data and provides up-to-date information on fabricators and installers including suppliers, materials, volumes and even financial information such as credit ratings.

“We’re really pleased to announce our partnership with Insight Data,” adds Jeff Dunn, Sales and Marketing Director at Consort. “Even in the early stages of our relationship and our early interactions with Salestracker, we know this will be a fantastic tool to help us continue to grow and highlight to prospective customers the difference we can deliver to their business.”

“Through Salestracker, we can ensure we are targeting the right type of customer for our business before we even set foot on their premises. Not only does this encourage our sales team, it means that we don’t waste time on businesses that are either not quite the right fit for us or are a potential financial risk. We are now always one step ahead.”

To ensure Salestracker users always have access to the most accurate industry data, Insight pioneered ‘real-time data’. This is achieved using a thorough seven-stage process which includes over 20,000 research calls every month and a direct line to a leading credit reference agency – identifying businesses that have folded, moved or changed owners.

For more information, contact Insight Data on 01934 808293or via email at hello@insightdata.co.uk.

TruFrame has announced the launch of a lead generation tool for its customers – QuoteBuilder.

The purpose of this free tool is to create new sales opportunities for TruFrame customers by providing homeowners with a quick, enjoyable way to obtain accurate prices and realistic visual representations, in a way that conforms to expectations set by the automotive and furniture industries.

Customers can use QuoteBuilder to design their perfect windows or doors via mobile, tablet, PC or Mac and receive an instant quotation.

QuoteBuilder uses a detailed 3D modelling to produce Computer Generated Imagery that accurately represents every type of product TruFrame manufacture.

Patrick Firmager, projects director of TruFrame commented: “QuoteBuilder is a genuine game-changer that marks a new direction for TruFrame. We believe that QuoteBuilder has the ability to fundamentally change the general perception of double-glazing by providing complete transparency when it comes to pricing. This is just the beginning; we have many more developments to come in the near future.”

The post Build your own quote appeared first on Glass & Glazing Products Magazine (GGP).

110,000 industry folk headed to the recent Fensterbau exhibition in Germany. The show was dominated by grand style entrance doors. This was one of the rather unusual versions on show – a interesting mix of timber appearance from a metal faced door.

The post Entrance doors are the main event at the international Fensterbau exhibition appeared first on Windows Active Magazine.

With a year left on the Brexit clock, small businesses are urging the Government to inject much needed momentum into agreeing the future economic partnership with the EU.

According to FSB research, the EU single market is a priority trading bloc with 63% of small firms wanting to see a trade deal prioritised with the EU post Brexit. However at an individual country level the US is the country that the highest percentage of exporting small businesses would want to see a trade deal done with post Brexit (49%) –with 29% wanting to see a trade deal with Australia and 28% with China.

Mike Cherry, National Chairman at the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), said: “The landmark agreement on the terms of a transition period should provide the much needed certainty for the UK’s small business community. Attention must now turn swiftly towards hammering out new trade arrangements and pressing ahead with designing our future immigration system, post the implementation period.

“The freedom to ratify new trade agreements during this time will ensure that small businesses benefit from existing trade agreements while enabling them to make progress on trade deals with new partners across the world. It is vital that the right balance is struck between ensuring as frictionless trade as possible with the EU while exploiting new, exciting trading opportunities with growth markets across the world.”

It is important that small businesses are given every chance to seize the opportunities presented by any new trade arrangements. To achieve this, FSB is calling on Government to include a dedicated small business chapter recognising the bespoke support small firms will need to realise their exporting and wider trade ambitions. Coupled with this, the Department for International Trade’s Global Growth Programme must be rolled out to small and micro businesses, as well as mid-sized businesses to allow these firms to access financial support to assist them with for example translation or intermediary costs.

Mike Cherry said: “It is clear that small firms trade with countries based on ease, cost and value. It is vital that any future trade deal, irrespective of whether with the EU or non-EU markets, must deliver these key priorities. A small business chapter, as part of all new trade arrangements, will help allow small firms to fully realise the benefits of international trade.

“Small businesses up and down the UK are excited about the prospect of opening new avenues of trade across the globe. To maximise these opportunities, small firms must be given the tools to do so. Tailored trade support, like financial incentives to support costs attached to international trade including small business trade missions, whether in their own right or as part of supply chains, will empower many to reach out and connect with new markets.”

It is not just about trade, skilled labour is just as important to the success of UK small businesses and it is essential that the Government delivers an easy, cost effective future immigration system, post the implementation period

One fifth (21%) of small employers currently have EU staff and over half 59% of small businesses are concerned about accessing the skills they need post-Brexit.

With such a strong need for skills and talent from the EU, it is critical that the design of any future immigration system is easy, cost-effective and does not add additional red tape for small employers.

FSB is calling for an employer driven immigration system to ensure that businesses can meet their skills and labour needs and allow easy transfer of EU workers between UK employers. This system must not replicate the complexity of the current non EEA, UK points based immigration system which 95% of small businesses have no experience of using.

The new system must  also work for the self-employed and small business owners looking to come and set up in the UK, as well as those in the UK looking to carry out assignment and contracts in the EU.

Mike Cherry said: “As the UK wrestles with its productivity challenge and the skills shortage grows, having access to the people that they need is critical for small business success. Without easy and cost effective access to EU workers, firms will be faced with medium term chronic, unresolvable skills gaps, particularly in the mid skilled area. This will impact growth and even the survival of many small businesses.

“It doesn’t matter if you are hiring a packer, mechanic, fruit picker or engineer, small employers need to be able to hire the right people, for the right job, at the right time.

“The Home Office must work hard to deliver an immigration system that that is affordable and easy to navigate. Small businesses should not be put off hiring the right talent or losing staff because the new processes take too long, add too much paperwork or has become too expensive.”

www.fsb.org.uk