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Claire Perry MP, centre, with Jane Embury and Tim Kempster, both with high vis jackets

Wrightstyle, the Devizes based supplier of advanced glazing systems, says it has ‘raised concerns’ with the government on the ‘detrimental impact’ of insurance tax and on the possible consequences of Brexit on supplies of raw materials.

The company, which is a supplier of glazed systems to mitigate against fire or ballistic and bomb attack, raised its worries during a visit by Claire Perry MP for Devizes and Minister for Climate Change & Industry in the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Department.

Her visit to Wrightstyle was prompted by the company’s concern about recent increases in Insurance Premium Tax which has increased considerably over the last couple of years, and which impacts significantly on overheads.

Claire Perry MP met the company’s managing director, Tim Kempster, and finance director, Jane Embury, before touring the warehouse and fabrication areas and meeting other members of the Wrightstyle team.

“Claire Perry hadn’t fully realised the high impact of this tax on SMEs and was interested to hear about it from our prospective. We also raised issues about Brexit, advising her of our concerns regarding the supply of raw materials from Europe,” said Jane Embury.

“We also made her aware that the type of high quality architectural steel that we use in our advanced systems is not available in the UK and certainly not in the Far East, where we have a significant export market,” she said.

Jane Embury added: “We also discussed R&D on new systems we are currently developing and the difficulties financing this type of work, especially the testing costs. Claire Perry will advise us on possible R&D funding and tax relief.”

During her tour, Claire Perry was delighted to see an order being packed for shipment for the Harvard Business School, where she obtained a Masters in Business Administration in 1990.

“It was a genuinely interesting discussion and I think we both gained some useful insights,” said Jane Embury.

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Image Above: Dempsey Dyer uPVC mock horn sash

Having already strengthened its extensive uPVC portfolio by offering both the Deceuninck flush sash and the Slider 24 sliding door, respected fabricator Dempsey Dyer has now expanded customer choice even further, introducing premium-quality uPVC mock sash horns designed to make casements look like sash windows.

Produced using the firm’s new state-of-the-art CNC machine, the new sash horn accessory provides installers with an excellent way of capitalising on the continuing popularity of vintage-look products and sash windows more generally, offering end-users a simple and relatively inexpensive route to much-sought after traditional aesthetics without the greater expense associated with sash windows.

“At Dempsey Dyer, the watchword is always choice,” commented company MD Peter Dyer. “Some people like sash windows, and will accept nothing less. Others love the vintage appeal of sash windows, but would rather stick with casement windows, whether that’s through wanting to avoid the cost and disruption of having existing windows replaced, or just personal preference – and for these consumers, our new mock sash horns are perfect.”

The sash horn product is just the latest in a string of new offerings from fast-growing Dempsey Dyer. Revealed at last year’s FIT Show, the Heritage Flush Sash is one of the newest additions to the company’s catalogue – a vintage-look uPVC sash window balancing A+-rated thermal efficiency with PAS24-compliant security, exceptional weather performance and convincing traditional aesthetics. The firm now also offers Deceuninck’s Slider 24 – the new best-in-class door solution offering weather resistance performance, including achieving Class E8A water permeability with a rating of 450Pa, Class A3 wind resistance of 1200Pa and Class A4 air permeability with a rating of 600Pa.

For more information call 01977 649641 or visit www.dempseydyer.co.uk

Window and door hardware specialist, Coastal Group, has completed a ‘significant’ six-month investment programme, expanding its headquarters, systems and infrastructure.

Designed to further increase the level of customer service the company offers, in what is reportedly the biggest investment in its history, Coastal has just completed works on ‘major’ new office and warehouse development.

In addition to several thousand square feet of new operational space including significant new warehouse space, greatly improving stockholding, the investment has also seen the creation of new packing lines and a state of the art Enterprise Resource Planning system creating greater cohesion between front and back office operations.

The result means a quicker, more efficient and seamless service for Coastal customers – from point of contact at initial enquiry, through to speedier picking and dispatch of order.

The new office and warehouse expansion follows on from the recent launch of Coastal’s new website and publication of its new Product Ordering Guide (POG).

“As a company, Coastal has been built on delivering great customer service by our experienced and friendly team. Our goal is to become the leading name in door and window hardware in the UK and this investment is a major step towards this,” said Coastal MD Loren Jenner.

“The new warehouse facility really is fantastic, giving us the space to hold much greater stock levels across our product range. That, combined with the new packing lines and ERP system, means customers can source, order and receive the products they need quicker and easier than ever before,” he added.

To find out more and to watch a ‘fly through’ of the new warehouse visit www.coastal-group.com/blog/Major-investment-means-even-greater-Customer-Service-at-Coastal.html

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Epwin Window Systems is working with Fensa as its preferred partner to deliver self-certification for installers that are part of its Excellence as Standard (EAS) programme.

Sharn Samra, Epwin Window Systems marketing director, said: “EAS is about delivering the best service from manufacturing to installation. EAS wanted to align with an accreditation body that also strives for excellence within the glazing industry. Working with Fensa will ensure that all EAS members will be able to instil consumer confidence.”

Jon Vanstone, Fensa director of Registered Business, said: “We are delighted to be working in collaboration with the Epwin Group. Fensa is continually looking for ways to enhance its service offering on the compliance front to make things simple for installers. This new partnership represents a fantastic strategic opportunity for our leading brands to leverage value for the benefit of our members and clients. Fensa will be keen to say that if a business is under the Excellence as Standard banner, they’re OK.”

Members of the EAS programme will receive a card branded with both Fensa and Excellence as Standard, as well as access to Fensa training and priority information on new Fensa products.

Excellence as Standard advocates ‘excellence at every stage of a project’ – from manufacturing through to the physical installation in a consumer’s home. Homeowners will benefit from the reassurance that all aspects meet a high quality industry standard and in turn, help the installer gain a competitive advantage while delivering the best possible service across the customer journey.

When an installer signs the Excellence as Standard charter, they are making a pledge to commit to striving for excellence in fenestration in a culture that permeates every level of a member’s business.

In return, they will have access to a ‘wealth of support and tangible benefits’ designed to drive quality and sales. These can be divided into six areas: effective lead generation, quality products, the EAS Academy, marketing support, partner benefits and the support team.

www.epwin.co.uk

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Social housing residents who phone The Window Company (Contracts) to arrange surveys or appointments for their window and door replacement are now greeted personally by name, thanks to the company’s investment in a new phone system.

The bespoke phone solution is fully integrated with the company’s CRM database so that the administration department not only knows the name of the caller, but can pull up all the information about their property and installation instantly.

The Window Company (Contracts) says that this give residents an added layer of confidence and reassurance about the company who will be coming to work in their home, and presents an efficient and professional image.

What is particularly special about the new system is that the information is accessed via a pop up window on the screen of the person taking the call. This means it doesn’t interfere with the work they are already doing and enables them to pick up exactly where they left off as soon as the call is completed.

This, says Director of Compliance and Administration Katie Thornton, is enabling the team to respond more quickly to customer calls and at the same time improve overall operational efficiency. She adds: “We are always looking for ways to become ever more efficient and this is a perfect example of that. The few seconds we save on accessing every caller’s records and switching between screens all add up when you remember that we have 10,000 residents on our database.”

Chelmsford based The Window Company (Contracts) works on behalf of some of the south’s biggest main contractors and social housing providers and consistently benchmarks its processes and systems against leading UK businesses.

The new phone system is very much in line with that used by Blue Chip consumer facing organisations and was provided by Oak, who work with the likes of the BBC, Samsung and British Airways.

Further information is available at: www.thewinco.co.uk

Devoted to Progress, Everglade’s 2017 customer conference is said to have proved a ‘massive success’ at its London HQ and showroom on Friday 7 July.

Everglade customers and prospects gathered for the annual event, to hear about the latest trends in glazing from architect, Emily Osler, of London based Granit Architects; what Brexit could mean for business from PwC’s Anna Wallace and the benefits of being a part of the GGF from James Lee.

Sales and marketing director, Jay Patel, also launched three brand new products: Ecotherm 70HI, high insulation aluminium windows; aïr MOD-Series, new generation entrance doors and aïr 20SL, minimal frame sliding doors.

Jay said: “The Everglade trade customer conference has become a real highlight of our year and we love inviting customers and prospects to get the first-look at new products, learn about what’s going on in the wider industry and join us for our legendary hospitality.

“This year, we’ve gone the extra mile with some fantastic guest speakers. Emily gave us a great insight into what architects and homeowners are looking for in glazing. Most trends she identified overlapped with an Everglade product so our customers know that they can go out there and win that business right now.

“Anna from PwC talked to guests about Brexit. It’s the word on everyone’s lips at the moment and I think her talk has provided some much-needed information and reassurance for all of us. We also heard from GGF’s James Lee, who talked to our customers about how they could make the most of a GGF membership and its consumer schemes.”

Jay added: “It’s our customers who join us year after year that make these events really special, so we always want to make sure that they get a lot out of joining us for the afternoon.”

As well as all of the information from the conference presentations, guests were treated to lunch, dinner and signature aïr cocktails from a professional mixologist at the event.

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The Vocational College (TVC) is the first assessment centre to become registered as a Corgi Fenestration audit centre.

TVC will be the first to issue Corgi Fenestration qualification cards and to place candidates on the Corgi Fenestration Skills Register.

Chris Mayne, CEO of Corgi Fenestration commented: “TVC is a perfect fit for us and shares our values of trust, reliability, expertise and quality. TVC is GQA approved and operates throughout the UK, employing qualified assessors with industry experience who we are glad to welcome to the Corgi Fenestration extended team.”

TVC will also be carrying out audits of fenestration sector companies on behalf of Corgi Fenestration against the stringent scheme requirements.

John McCollah, TVC’s operations director, commented: “We are delighted to be partnering with Corgi Fenestration and excited by the opportunity that it presents for both us and our clients.”

McCollah added: “The Vocational College is the largest national provider of glass related apprenticeships and qualifications in the UK. We enable businesses to develop and grow by using the principles of ‘Quality Through Qualifications’. With over 20 years of experience we are an established learning provider accredited with City & Guilds of London, Oxford, Cambridge and RSA Examinations, with strong affiliations to the Glass industry through GQA Qualifications. Our success rates are consistently above the national average and amongst the best in the country. Graded ‘Good’ by Ofsted in June 2015, The Vocational College’s courses are designed to help meet the economic challenges of the 21st century and offer high quality vocational training, both on and off the job.”

www.corgifenestration.co.uk
http://www.vcoll.ac.uk

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