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Picture above: Mike Davis, MD (left) and Jerry Webb, Group Chairman (right)

A specialist manufacturing company is celebrating yet another strong period of trading as it looks to end the year as a record-breaker.

In its last fiscal year, CDW Systems put in its best trading performance which saw the group turnover increase by 19%, resulting in it hitting the £10m mark for the first time in its history.

Directors at the group have revealed that they are now on course to surpass last year’s trading figures, with the launch of new products contributing to this.

Mike Davis, who is Managing Director, comments: “The climate remains tough as we have had consumer uncertainty take hold following the General Election, as well as Brexit and other external factors.

“But the world doesn’t stop turning and many consumers are still spending on home improvements and for companies offering the very best products and service, growth is more than possible. We’ve been in business for more than twenty- five years and we’ve always been determined to never stand still. This means innovating, always developing and launching new products.”

Mike explained that the company had added Reynaers aluminium lift and slide patio door sets to its product portfolio this year; and the products had proved popular with installers.

The company has also grown its footprint in the UK, taking market share in both the north and south of the UK.

Jerry Webb, who is Group Chairman, comments: “Under Mike and the team’s leadership, CDW Systems continues to grow, working on a diverse range of projects with both installers and architects. The challenge we’ve set ourselves is to keep growing the business; improving our infrastructure and operations and supporting our customer base to the best of our abilities. We’re excited about the future.”

CDW Systems is also looking to extend its factory to support the continued growth as well as employing new people to work at its headquarters in Gloucester.

CDW Systems has been operating for twenty-five years as an aluminium specialist, manufacturing and supplying a wide range of windows, doors, shop fronts and curtain walling, using some of the leading aluminium profile systems on the market.

For more information call 01452 414853 or visit www.cdwsystems.co.uk

Specialist IGU and conservatory roof supplier, Double R Glass & Roofing Systems is pleased to announce the launch of its new look website. “The new look site now better reflects the business Double R has become,” says Ian Sims, Managing Director of Double R. “It has been brought up to date with a fresher appearance and more information to make it easier for existing and future customers to find what they need.

“Double R is a pioneer – often the first to bring new products to market or implement new manufacturing techniques, so it’s important we have a quick and easy way of keeping the market up to date.

“Visitors to the site can now easily see how we help customers stay one step ahead of the competition with the very best in roofs and glass with a detailed overview of both areas of our business. We have also updated the site with new and more photography to give those that haven’t been to Double R before, an insight into our operation. There is a comprehensive technical information centre as well, for those who want to know more about the credentials of Double R or the products we supply. We hope visitors enjoy visiting the new electronic home of Double R at www.glassandroofs.com”

For more information visit www.glassandroofs.com or call 01933 443658

Deceuninck is pleased to announce that its UK sales have exceeded targets, as reported in its bi-annual global review. Managing Director, Rob McGlennon explains: “Deceuninck UK represents a relatively small proportion of Deceuninck’s overall global sales but with the UK window market flat at best this year, Deceuninck UK’s sales are up 20% in June compared with June 2016 and look set to be 25% up in July. This growth by and large is coming from our customers, as well as new customers switching to Deceuninck.

“Sales can only grow in a flat market when a meaningful point of difference can be achieved. Deceuninck customers have this in abundance. Our Heritage Window Collection and Slider 24 sliding door continue to provide growth for our customers, as does our unique colour offering of 26 colourways in stock on our profile, ancillaries, trims and cills. Customers have switched to us this year because their previous suppliers simply couldn’t deliver colour quickly enough. With Deceuninck they can and are seeing sales grow as a direct result.

“Deceuninck is a business built on relationships. That means we don’t just assume we know what our customers want and what they’re happy with or, as importantly, unhappy with. We employ an independent agency to ask our customers directly what they think and then we listen and act on what we need to change. We’ll be publishing the results of our most recent customer survey in detail soon but the headlines are that satisfaction levels have remained high for another year and have even improved on the year before. Across the board we are performing well with our highest ratings coming in for products that meet industry standards, on time deliveries, customer service support, products’ appearance and features, product quality and electronic ordering.

“We’re not resting on our laurels, it’s still a tough market we’re all operating in, but it’s great to see our customers reaping the rewards of the truly customer focused approach we take. This joint success also means we can continue to reinvest in the business to not only keep our customers ahead of the competition but also to support their growing businesses.”

Contact Rob McGlennon on 07818 383385to find out more.

Image Above: Claire Miller, Customade Group Marketing Director

Customade Group has become Main Event Sponsor at the G17 awards, which will be held at the London Hilton on Park Lane on 17 November.

Claire Miller, Customade Group’s marketing director, says: “The G Awards are the highlight of the year for our industry and we’re very excited indeed to be part of the event.

“I’m incredibly proud to be in an industry that’s so enthusiastic about progression and improvement. We’re making giant strides in new product development, people and service and awards events such as this are key to celebrating the achievements of the companies and individuals who excel.

“These awards are also about inspiring further development and cultivating talent so it’s terrific to gather everyone together to share our collective passion for the industry and its future. And, of course, it’s a chance for the winners to shout about their achievements, which they should be very proud of.

“This event will be the perfect round-off to the biggest year ever in Customade Group’s history. This year, the Group became the largest fabricator in the UK and we now offer the widest range of fenestration products out there. We have some ambitious plans for the future and I have no doubt that our customers and the industry as a whole will benefit from this combined ability.”

Earlier this year, Polyframe merged with the Customade Group to create the UK’s largest fabricator, with revenues of more than £100 million. The group’s product portfolio now spans across PVC-u and aluminium windows and doors, composite doors, aluminium glazed roof products, sealed glass units and specialist glazing. Operating nationwide, the group employs 900 people in multiple manufacturing sites across the UK.

Since the merger, the group has maintained a high concentration of dedicated sales staff. This enables customers to continue working alongside their own regional sales manager, whilst being able to access all the products within the group.

Customade Group now includes Polyframe (PVC-u), REAL Aluminium (aluminium), Atlas Glazed Roof Solutions (glazed roofs), Virtuoso (composite and panelled doors), Hourglass Seal (sealed glass units), and Fineline Aluminium (specialist glazing).

www.customade.co.uk

Picture above: Paul Briggs (R), MD of Watergate Flood Solutions Ltd inspects one of the new composite flood defence doors alongside Martin Porter (L), Head of Production.

Halo customer Watergate Flood Solutions Ltd has been certified with the recently-revised PAS1188 BSI Kitemark for Flood Protection Products for its composite flood door.

Watergate – based in Hebburn, Tyne & Wear – spent 18 months honing its design and subjecting products to rigorous testing in order to achieve the accreditation, with support from VEKA Group. The anti-flood specialist – which fabricates up to 50 doors every week – made the switch to Halo profile in 2015, and has been using its outer frames exclusively ever since. The most recent PAS1188 certificate will be the company’s second, having already received one for its PVC-U door models.

Rachael Radcliffe, Business Development Manager for Watergate at VEKA Group said: “We’ve been working closely with Watergate over the past year-and-a-half in trying to achieve the PAS1188 so we are very proud to have been a part of them obtaining this worthy certification. Ensuring the PVC-U profile system that their new products would be used with is of the best possible quality has been paramount throughout, which is why Halo’s reputation for excellence within the industry – for flood doors especially – seemed to be the perfect fit.

“As the demand from homeowners for safe and effective flood-resistant products increases with every wet weather forecast, it has been become more and more pertinent for companies within the door and window profile industry to really step up to the challenge. Watergate has done just that by providing not just one but two products that offer complete peace of mind when it comes to protecting our most valuable possessions and, of course, family. ”

Watergate’s Sales Manager Gerard Hiscock said: “Having previously gained PAS1188 for our PVC panel doors, to now have the same accreditation for the composite flood door is a testament to the hard work of all involved and commitment to a cause that is incredibly important to an ever-increasing number of homeowners across the UK. During research, we worked extensively with authorities at both a local and national level, to make sure we were bringing something to the market that homeowners, especially those most at risk from rising water levels, could really put their trust in.

“The PAS1188 standard was updated in 2014 with even more stringent guidelines and particular attention being paid to the amount of leakage that would be deemed acceptable for any products requesting the certification, so to hold this official safety standard means our clients can share our absolute confidence in this product and Watergate as a whole. After receiving the official Kitemark certificate in March 2017, we also obtained confirmation from the BSI in June that we were the only company in the UK to have the accreditation for that type of composite flood door at that time, which was even more of a celebration.”

TruFrame have announced an unprecedented £3.2m CAPEX programme at their Melton Mowbray uPVC window and door manufacturing facility, that’s part of a longer-term, ‘Building for the Future’ strategy.  Already one of the Top 5 largest manufacturers of uPVC frames in the UK, this new investment by TruFrame across all aspects of manufacturing, will help streamline processes, bring in new production methodologies and improve their already renowned manufacturing quality even further. As a staunch business based on family values, there’s also an element of succession planning underpinning this significant capital investment.

The first phase of the programme, which is already well underway, has seen the installation and commissioning of three new Urban AKS 1150 single-head butt welders, which offer an impressive weld restriction of just 0.2mm for an improved finish. In addition, a new Rotox EKA 574 CNC corner, transom and crucifix cleaner has been added, which will support the two Rotox SEK 503 crucifix welders due for delivery in the summer, alongside the first brand new cutting and machining centre.

David Firmager, managing director of TruFrame, commented: “This investment programme is a fundamental part of our vision for the future at TruFrame. This substantial outlay has a number of facets to it, including the improvement of manufacturing processes, staying ahead of our peers in terms of product quality and ultimately, putting the resources in place for the future of the business.” He continues: “We’ve also spent some time putting into place a new board of experienced directors, with just one new appointment to conclude, as part of our ‘Building for the Future’ strategy.”

For further information on becoming a TruFrame partner visit www.truframe.co.uk, e-mail sales@truframe.co.uk or call the office directly on 01664 410 140. You can also add to their growing following on Twitter @TruFrame.

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