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The UK industry body for wood window manufacturers, the Wood Window Alliance (WWA), says it is ‘calling out’ companies ‘dressing up misleading statements as facts in order to sell more plastic windows’.

To help homeowners and industry stakeholders ‘distinguish the facts from the fiction’, the WWA is launching #woodyoubelieveit?, a campaign designed to ‘encourage consumers to think carefully about competing sales messages and about the impact of their choices on their health, homes and the planet’.

Tony Pell, chairman of the WWA, explained: “At a time when transparency is arguably in short supply, it seems that fake facts are not restricted to the world of politics, but are creeping into all manner of communications. We want to distinguish the ‘window dressing’ and ‘plastic promises’ put about by some PVC-U companies from the truth – that wood is good. In short, it’s time for true transparency in the world of windows.”

Today’s factory-finished wood windows are just as energy efficient as PVC-U, but the frames will last around twice as long. They only need repainting every 8-10 years and can be easily repaired if necessary. They are far kinder to the planet, and will add value to your home.

Pell continued: “The British public has been, and continues to be, misled about double glazing. We cannot stand by and watch people installing PVC-U lookalikes in the belief that wood is a poor alternative to PVC-U. It is not. It is the only environmentally friendly choice, one that will deliver a lifetime of beauty and energy efficiency whilst also caring for the health of people and planet.”

The WWA says its #woodyoubelieveit? campaign will present answers to the ‘fake facts’ and plastic promises to consumers through social media, media engagement, video and visual content, hoping to encourage ‘a reappraisal of the truth behind the statements made by PVC-U businesses’.

www.woodwindowalliance.com

The post Wood Window Alliance calls time on ‘plastic promises’ appeared first on Glass & Glazing Products Magazine (GGP).

Image Above:  Robert Palmer

With the impact of Brexit now starting to bite, understanding long-term industry drivers is now more important than ever, according to Palmer.

The window and door industry is ‘not immune from the impact of Brexit and faces strong economic headwinds’ – that’s the warning from Robert Palmer. According to the head of the research specialist, the UK window industry faces dual challenges of a tougher second-time replacement market and wider economic uncertainty as the UK exits from Brussels.

“The post-Brexit phoney war is coming to an end and the realities of what will result in the case of a hard Brexit are now beginning to dawn”, he says.

This, he argues, is already exerting an impact on consumer confidence and with it economic growth. This slowed in the first quarter of 2017 to just 0.2% – the weakest in 12 months. “The Office for National Statistics attribute this slowing to the decline in growth to consumer facing industries and a slowdown in household spending”, Palmer says.

He adds that this has also evidenced in figures from payments provider Visa, which reported the steepest fall in consumer spending for four years this summer.   Visa also highlights a cut back in spending on big ticket items.

“This is also noted by researchers GfK which recorded a major dip in the number of consumers considering now to be the right time to make big-ticket purchases”, says Palmer.

He continues: “Consumer credit is not inexhaustible. According to the Bank of England consumer credit grew by 10.3% in the 12 months to May, higher than expected. Some economists say that consumers are confident enough to increase their borrowing.

“But the financial regulatory bodies have signalled their concerns about difficulties some consumers will have in making repayments. With inflation rising and wages static the reality is that consumers’ disposable incomes will continue to fall.”

Trends in housing are another area, which Palmer suggests may curb growth in the window and door sector in the coming year. He says: “The housing market has slowed, partly as a result of increases in stamp duty and changes in tax on second homes and investment properties and partly because of the availability of property.

“From strong double digit growth in 2013 and 2014 housing transactions barely moved in 2015 and 2016 and look set to actually decline in 2017 particularly in London, where issues surrounding affordability are most acute.

“This isn’t necessarily all bad news – some rebalancing and cooling of house price inflation is perhaps inevitable and to be welcomed, especially if more new homes can be built to ease issues of supply. The negative for the window and door industry is that there is a direct link to house moves and investment in home improvements.”

Palmer returns, however, to the argument that it is uncertainty surrounding Brexit which is the greatest threat to UK economic growth.

“The ill-fated general election is seen by some as an opportunity to soften the Brexit terms or even, though much less likely, abandon the whole process altogether. That is debatable but what it did do is to increase uncertainty. For instance how long will May remain as PM with her hard Brexit agenda? Are the soft Brexiters now in the ascendancy? And for that expected, unexpected event, who is actually in charge?”, he asks.

With a new study due for publication at the end of the summer, Palmer refused to be drawn on a detailed analysis of the window and door. He suggested, however, that tougher second-time replacement sells and the shift away from home ownership, are driving long-term changes of their own.

According to figures published by Palmer in its last report: The Window, Door and Conservatory Markets in Housing in Great Britain (Oct 2016), first time window and door replacements have dropped from 80% in 2000 to less than 30% in 2015, with ‘replacement of replacement’ installations now accounting for 70% of all installations.

He argued that this was driving increased focus on aesthetics, “Homeowners want something that is tangibly different and the appearance of windows is increasingly important in the market”, he said.

“That in turn is driving innovation in the industry and the shift to premium finishes and foils in retail markets. While there will always be a place for standard budget white PVC-U, there has been definite shift in consumer expectation.”

He added that this shift to higher end-offers was also driving growth for aluminium and significant growth in sales of aluminium bi-fold doors. He also forecasts ‘exponential growth’ in the solid roof conservatory market as a second key area of opportunity.

“This is to a degree the point”, continues Palmer, “Things are in our view going to be tougher but that does not necessarily mean that all parts of the industry will struggle. If the economy slows, as we are expecting, then, as always, high end and innovative products are more likely to weather the storm, while cheaper commodity products will become more vulnerable.”

*The new edition of the The Window, Door and Conservatory Markets in Housing in Great Britain, will be published by Palmer Market Research at the end of August.

For more information log on at www.palmermarketresearch.co.uk email info@palmermarketresearch.co.uk or call 020 83908131.

Centre front row: Ken Blackman (previous owner), Roy Frost (MD), Gary Bristow (sales director) and Mike Wolstenholme (operations director) outside the GJB factory

Roy Frost is back in the industry having bought prominent Eurocell fabricator GJB from previous owners Ken Blackman and Gary Bristow. Roy will assume the position of managing director, spearheading a new era of growth for the £12m turnover Essex based fabricator, while Ken Blackman will retire and Gary Bristow will continue in his role as sales director. Mike Wolstenholme also joins the company as operations director, having previously spent his career in window fabrication with Epwin Group, Everest and Jeld-Wen.

Commenting on the acquisition Roy said: “GJB is a fantastic business with a loyal customer base and I am absolutely delighted to take the reins. Operationally the business is very strong and I’m looking forward to applying some of my own ideas to take the company to the next level. Ken put his heart and soul into the business for the last 27 years and I wish him all the best in his very well-earned retirement. We’ve renewed the leases on the factory units and already have exciting plans for growth.”

Previous owner, Ken Blackman, commented: “GJB has been a big part of my life for so long it was very important to me that I left the company in the right hands. When Roy expressed an interest I immediately knew it was the perfect fit – he has the experience and ability to drive the company forward and I’m delighted we were able to strike a deal.”

Ken started GJB back in 1990 with his friend and business partner Gary Bristow, from humble beginnings in farm buildings in Stebbing they developed rapidly and moved to factory units in Rayleigh where they subsequently invested in automation to supply high-quality PVC-U windows and doors to trade clients in the South East and beyond. GJB’s firm commitment to quality and service saw the business grow into one of Eurocell’s largest fabricators, producing in excess of 1,200 frames per week.

Sales director and company founder, Gary Bristow, commented: “Ken has been instrumental in our journey from a small start-up into one of the UK’s leading trade fabricators and I would like to take this opportunity to thank him personally for his fantastic support. The acquisition is good news for GJB staff, because it gives them job security, but it’s also good news for GJB customers. Roy understands the challenges of installation and retailing in a competitive market and will bring an abundance of experience, fresh ideas plus bags of energy to the business.”

Roy Frost cut his teeth in the window industry with Everest, first as manufacturing director and then business development director, where for over a decade they created significant growth. In 2012 Roy joined PVC-U systems company, Deceuninck, as its managing director, overseeing a huge and positive transformation of the UK business and 80% growth.

Roy hinted that this acquisition of GJB could be the first of many: “There are lots of well-run businesses in this industry with owners coming up to retirement age and I am keen to explore other opportunities,” Roy concluded.

If you want to get in touch call Roy Frost on 07808 365234

www.gjbdevelopments.co.uk

The post Roy Frost acquires Essex based fabricator GJB appeared first on Glass & Glazing Products Magazine (GGP).

Robert Palmer

The window and door industry is ‘not immune from the impact of Brexit and faces strong economic headwinds’ – that’s the warning from Robert Palmer. According to the head of the research specialist, the UK window industry faces dual challenges of a tougher second-time replacement market and wider economic uncertainty as the UK exits from Brussels.

Palmer said: “The post-Brexit phoney war is coming to an end and the realities of what will result in the case of a hard Brexit are now beginning to dawn.”

This, Palmer argues, is already exerting an impact on consumer confidence and with it economic growth. This slowed in the first quarter of 2017 to just 0.2% – the weakest in 12 months. Palmer says that the Office for National Statistics attributes this slowing to the decline in growth to consumer facing industries and a slowdown in household spending.

He added that this has also evidenced in figures from payments provider Visa, which reported the steepest fall in consumer spending for four years this summer. Visa also highlights a cut back in spending on ‘big ticket’ items.

Palmer continued: “Consumer credit is not inexhaustible. According to the Bank of England consumer credit grew by 10.3% in the 12 months to May, higher than expected. Some economists say that consumers are confident enough to increase their borrowing.

“But the financial regulatory bodies have signalled their concerns about difficulties some consumers will have in making repayments. With inflation rising and wages static the reality is that consumers’ disposable incomes will continue to fall.”

Trends in housing are another area, which Palmer suggests may curb growth in the window and door sector in the coming year. He says: “The housing market has slowed, partly as a result of increases in stamp duty and changes in tax on second homes and investment properties and partly because of the availability of property.

“From strong double digit growth in 2013 and 2014 housing transactions barely moved in 2015 and 2016 and look set to actually decline in 2017 particularly in London, where issues surrounding affordability are most acute.

“This isn’t necessarily all bad news – some rebalancing and cooling of house price inflation is perhaps inevitable and to be welcomed, especially if more new homes can be built to ease issues of supply. The negative for the window and door industry is that there is a direct link to house moves and investment in home improvements.”

Palmer returns, however, to the argument that it is uncertainty surrounding Brexit which is the greatest threat to UK economic growth.

“The ill-fated general election is seen by some as an opportunity to soften the Brexit terms or even, though much less likely, abandon the whole process altogether. That is debatable but what it did do is to increase uncertainty. For instance how long will May remain as PM with her hard Brexit agenda? Are the soft Brexiters now in the ascendancy? And for that expected, unexpected event, who is actually in charge?”

With a new study due for publication at the end of the summer, Palmer refused to be drawn on a detailed analysis of the window and door. He suggested, however, that tougher second-time replacement sells and the shift away from home ownership, are driving long-term changes of their own.

According to figures published by Palmer in his last report: The Window, Door and Conservatory Markets in Housing in Great Britain (Oct 2016), first time window and door replacements have dropped from 80% in 2000 to less than 30% in 2015, with ‘replacement of replacement’ installations now accounting for 70% of all installations.

He argued that this was driving increased focus on aesthetics: “Homeowners want something that is tangibly different and the appearance of windows is increasingly important in the market”, he said. “That in turn is driving innovation in the industry and the shift to premium finishes and foils in retail markets. While there will always be a place for standard budget white PVC-U, there has been definite shift in consumer expectation.”

He added that this shift to higher end-offers was also driving growth for aluminium and significant growth in sales of aluminium bi-fold doors. He also forecasts ‘exponential growth’ in the solid roof conservatory market as a second key area of opportunity.

“This is, to a degree the point,” continued Palmer. “Things are in our view going to be tougher but that does not necessarily mean that all parts of the industry will struggle. If the economy slows, as we are expecting, then, as always, high end and innovative products are more likely to weather the storm, while cheaper commodity products will become more vulnerable.”

www.palmermarketresearch.co.uk

The post Window and door industry ‘not immune from the impact of Brexit’ says Palmer appeared first on Glass & Glazing Products Magazine (GGP).

After a torrid month in May for construction, figures began to move in the right direction across June, with contract awards increasing by twelve per-cent, as a number of high profile projects were given the green light.

The latest edition of the Economic & Construction Market Review from industry analysts Barbour ABI, highlights the levels of construction contract values awarded in June across all regions of Great Britain, which totalled £5.5 billion based on a three-month rolling average, an increase on the £4.9 billion from May.

London led all regions with 26 per cent of the total construction contract value for June. This was greatly helped by the North Quay Poplar development contract award, worth £800 million, the largest project across all of construction on the month.

Across the various construction sectors, it was Residential building that produced the highest value on the month, reaching £2.5 billion, bouncing back admirably after a dip in May when it decreased to £1.7 billion. Furthermore, four of the top ten biggest projects in June came from the Residential sector. There were also monthly increases in Industrial, Commercial & Retail and Medical & Healthcare. The largest decrease came from Infrastructure, which lacked a high value project on the month to help increase its figures.

Looking at construction in June across the UK regions outside of London, the dominance continued across southern England with the South East in second place for construction contract value with £713 million awarded, followed by the South West in joint third place with the North West, each tied at £627 million.

Commenting on the figures, Michael Dall, Lead Economist at Barbour ABI, said: “The construction sector bounced back after an election-focused month in May, as the residential sector once again performed strongly, continuing the trend of it holding the construction sector steady. However with declines in value from Hotel, Leisure & Sport and in particular Infrastructure, there is continuous pressure on Residential to achieve high values every month.”

“With the Government’s increasing focus on raising the levels of major infrastructure projects, it’s surprising to see a lack of development in this sector across June. The anticipation however, is that we will see larger public sector contracts come to the forefront, such as offshore wind farms, energy plants and motorway upgrades as we continue into 2017.”

www.barbour-abi.com

Synseal Group reports that it has launched a new online ordering portal for the Masterdor GRP and engineered timber door ranges as part of a £175,000 investment in digital ‘customer solutions’.

Over the past six months the systems company has released a series of new digital platforms to support its customers, including an all-inclusive trade website covering the whole Synseal Group product range, a ‘streamlined’ customer service platform and an app for the Masterdor Craftsman range which uses augmented reality to help homeowners ‘design and visualise their perfect door’.

The new Masterdor portal enables customers to complete their orders online 24/7 with the ability to design both Benchmark GRP and Craftsman timber doors from scratch, including style, colour, glazing and hardware. This incorporates the whole range of 19 Benchmark and 28 Craftsman styles.

Andy Jones, group sales and marketing director at Synseal Group, said: “We’re investing in digital solutions which respond to our customers’ needs to access information quickly, easily and on-the-go. Now customers can track their queries with us online, browse our full product range in one place, and create bespoke door orders online at a time that suits them.

“The new Masterdor portal which has just gone live will make it much easier for our customers to order doors to exact specifications and to see what they look like online before completing their purchase. With the Craftsman range, we now have 28 styles in 21 colours, all available with a choice of 44mm or 54mm thicknesses with an optional thermal core – so it’s important that our customers can specify exactly what they need online in just a few clicks.

“Some of our customers make regular orders of the same products so we have designed the portal to be easy to make repeat orders; but for customers who are responding to bespoke orders from homeowners it gives them the flexibility to design online with the customer on hand if they wish, and to visibly see their final product. This is a big step forward in modernising the Masterdor brand since we acquired it two years ago, and will make a huge difference to customers who have been limited to making orders over the telephone during office hours.

“On top of this, our Craftsman AR app which we launched just a couple of months ago enables installers and homeowners to design their Craftsman doors on their mobile or tablet device, and superimpose this directly onto a customer’s home or an existing door in the showroom, making it the perfect tool for installers on the go.

“We’ve received excellent feedback from customers on our most recent digital investments and are confident they will help our customers to reduce their admin time and to improve their conversion rates.”

The new Masterdor online ordering portal is available for existing customers. To sign up, visit www.masterdorbuilder.co.uk/register. You can download the Craftsman AR app for free via the Apple Store or Google Play, or browse the full range of Synseal Group products and services at www.synseal.com.

The post £175K investment in digital at Synseal appeared first on Glass & Glazing Products Magazine (GGP).

They have issues for joiners. They can be the cause of excessive material waste and time. Post installation maintenance is also a regular problem.

It is well known that the problems of soft-wood timber window beads and bars are that they are not always straight; they can twist, and invariably contain knots. Time must be spent inspecting the profiles for defects before fabrication. Some waste is inevitable, even before a cut is made. Surface preparation prior to painting is also very time consuming.

Lead times for supplies can be lengthy, putting pressure on cash tied up in stocks. Post installation site maintenance visits for rotting, shrinking or weathered beads are very common. These are costly and can decimate contract profits for a joiner.

A solution to these issues has been found through the development of wood composite materials. Extruded profiles in the exact shape of traditional window beads and bars are now available to joiners on a nationwide basis.

When delivered to joiners these composite profiles are straight. They are not twisted and do not contain knots. They are cut and fixed just like ordinary timber, and they are ready for painting without the need for any surface preparation.

Both large and small joiners can save money when using wood composite profiles. Less material waste and reduced labour time means extra bottom line profit.

An Oldham based company has lead the development of wood composites. Its Qwood profiles are made using LEAN manufacturing processes that ensure products are available within days of when they are needed. Less stock also means better value.

The company believes that its Qwood profiles don’t just help joiners save time and money in the workshop. They do not rot, shrink or weather on site. Therefore, post installation maintenance is not an issue.

In short, using wood composite window beads and bars overcomes all the issues associated with soft-wood timber profiles.

www.quantumprofilesystems.com/en/brands/qwood

To celebrate the launch of the new, enhanced Residor range, the company is offering a special promotion throughout July: buy 10 standard-colour Residors over 5 orders, and get one free!

With a 3.6mm GRP skin, PAS 24:2016 and the Ultion 3* cylinder as standard, Residor is available in any RAL colour, with new, additional frame colours, door styles and glass designs.

“It’s a fantastic package and a fantastic offer that installers need to try”, comments Gareth Busson, Head of Sales and Marketing at Solidor. “And there are no hidden costs. Residor is competitively priced so getting a free door is a great bonus. With more choice and unbeatable performance, there’s nothing to lose – and a lot to gain!”

To find out more, call 0808 252 3733, visit www.residor.co.uk, or tweet @ResidorDoors using the hashtag #MostSecureGRPDoor.

Prefix Systems have just launched a new 56-page product directory, that’s packed with information on glazed and solid roofs, aluminium systems, URBANroom, OPUS Hybrid systems, related ancillaries and new generation products for the emerging outdoor living sector.

The impressive, perfect bound publication, showcases the number of products and systems that home improvement companies can now embrace, as they look for better product performance, new revenue streams and a partnership with one of the glazing and fenestrations industry’s most trusted companies. Prefix can offer the entire range listed in the new brochure, from four regional branches, with the added benefit of localised technical support and assistance.

The development of this new single source directory is an important publication for Prefix, detailing every product within their range, including many of the latest innovations launched at the FIT Show. The brochure has also been carefully sectioned into glazed roofs, solid and tiled roofs, Orangeries, skylights and rooflights, doors and windows, outdoor living, other products and customer support for ease of navigation.

Hannah Gilrane, marketing co-ordinator of Prefix Systems commented: ‘This brochure encapsulates everything about Prefix Systems from our unrivalled product range to the impressive levels of customer support from all four branches. It’s already been well received by existing customers, who’ve viewed it very much as a product bible for the extended living space and outdoor living markets.

She continued: ‘We’ve now got an impressive range of marketing materials, with brochures for almost all systems and product categories, with the additional option of personalisation and bespoke covers. We are now looking to expand this further with our Orangery & Lanterns brochure and URBANroom brochure.’

For further information, on Prefix Systems and a free marketing pack, including the product directory, contact the head office on 01254 871800, visit www.prefixsystems.co.uk, e-mail marketing@prefixsystems.co.uk or add to their considerable following on Twitter @prefixsystems.

Picture above:  From left to right – Nic Rossana (Epwin Window Systems), Martin Halford (Mercury Glazing), Paul Lindsay (Epwin Windows Systems), Steve Cross (Mercury Glazing).

Mercury is one of the UK’s largest fabricators of Spectus’ market-leading Vertical Slider and enjoys a close continuous partnership with the systems house. The partnership looks set to grow even stronger as Mercury plans to grow its business by 35% in the next three years. Paul commented: “Mercury is a progressive business that offers a good quality and service and we value the strength of the relationship we have with them.”

Mercury has succeeded for the past 15 years because it is a company dedicated to exceeding customer expectations. In the Spectus Vertical Slider it has got a product that does just that.

Attention to detail and precision crafting make it one of the best PVC-U alternatives to traditional timber box sash windows on the market. Equal sash widths, traditional ovolo styling on all planes, flush gaskets, a deep bottom rail and a 128mm frame all ensure beautifully authentic aesthetics. Dedicated end caps and cills plus optional features such as a weather bar or Georgian bars give the ability to add bespoke features. And with the latest addition of a mechanically jointed option, the authentic aesthetics of the window go to the next level when needed.

While the aesthetics are beautifully authentic, the Spectus VS is a 21^st century window at heart. It’s available in the 28 colours of Spectus’ Spectrum range (including 10 colours from stock). It is easy to open thanks to the spiral balance mechanism while travel stops ensure child safety. It can achieve a Window Energy Rating of A+ and a U value of 1.3W/m²K. It is PAS24 compliant and designed to achieve Secured by Design status. It is practical for installers too: it has 150mm and 210mm cills and 10mm/20mm/50mm frame packers for maximum flexibility in the installation.

A company committed to excellence supplying a product that leads the market for good reason. It’s hardly surprising that Mercury and Spectus have enjoyed such a productive 15 years!

www.spectus.co.uk