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The benefits of full factory finishing of architectural timber, combined with the use of translucent coatings to bring out the lustre of natural wood, are ideally highlighted in the construction of a new-build fire and rescue station in Lymm, Cheshire.

While factory finishing is becoming more prevalent, it is still far from the norm, despite the many distinct advantages shown in this project, as Graham Avery, Technical Coatings Manager with specialist paint supplier Mighton, explained:

“It not only means the process can be carried out in a completely controlled environment but also of course the entire piece is coated, not just the outside surfaces. In other words, the work can be done 365 days a year, whatever the weather – and the result is significantly more weather-resistant.

“More specifiers and coaters are beginning to look to full factory finishing and, to anyone who is not, we recommend they give it some consideration in an application such as this.”

Similarly, translucent wood coatings are a less common choice than opaque finishes though, as the Lymm contract shows, they can show off the timber grain to its best effect while retaining all the weather-proofing and preservative qualities of a technically advanced exterior coating.

In this case, Mighton Woodstain TP transparent top coat was specially mixed to the colour TR4131 to complement the natural colour of the Siberian Larch specified for the exterior cladding, while the translucency of the coating brought out the timber’s grain to best effect.

The timber was vacuum-coated by Lancashire-based James Hatch & Son for International Timber of Manchester, with main contractor ISG for the Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service.

The low-build, high-solids Mighton Woodstain TP is a one-pot solution so the single product is not only applied as primer, base coat and finish – so requires no washing out of machinery between coats – but is also used for repair and maintenance, ensuring absolute consistency of colour and gloss level. The impregnation achieved by vacuum-coating also gives improved adhesion so the surface will not flake, peel or crack. The product has the added environmental benefit of being water-based.

Graham Avery concluded: “Such a radical choice of natural wood cladding in this context rightly deserves to be shown off to its full potential and the specification of the Woodstain TP, combined with the benefits of full factory finishing give it a performance and ease of use to match.”

www.mightonproducts.com

Picture above: At FIT Show, SIG Building Plastics will be running a daily draw to win a £100 voucher redeemable against FIT-R – the company’s range of professional range of roofline and fixing solutions that delivers reliability, consistency and value.

SIG Building Plastics is excited to be making its debut at this year’s FIT Show. In addition to displaying a line-up of market-leading products, visitors have the opportunity to take advantage of a daily competition and other special offers to help boost their business.

A daily draw to win a £100 voucher redeemable against FIT-R – the company’s range of professional range of roofline and fixing solutions that delivers reliability, consistency and value – is being offered. The FIT-R range now includes roofline, window and cladding, and rainwater products sourced from FloPlast and offers a complete maintenance-free solution to both roofline and windows systems construction.
Also, for roofers, builders and window contractors looking to extend their skills, there will be a special offer when joining OSCAR; the company’s exclusive certification scheme for roofline products and installation.

Throughout the show, the company will be promoting its comprehensive support to home improvement contractors for any type of roofline, rainwater, cladding, ventilation and building plastics materials project.
Sarah McCartney, Marketing Manager at SIG Building Plastics explains: “Being part of FIT Show will enable us to raise our brand awareness and help customers to gain a better understanding of our offering. We are looking forward to being part of the only trade show for our sector and meeting both new and existing customers.

“On BIG Tuesday, customers are invited to join us on the stand up until 8pm to enjoy a drink and catch-up,” adds Sarah.

Alongside its impressive range of products, SIG Building Plastics prides itself on its outstanding customer service, expertise and advice. Quality products, flexible lead times, fast and convenient ordering, and outstanding after sales service all help set this brand apart. All products and services are available via a nationwide network of branches.
www.sigbuildingplastics.co.uk

Deceuninck is delighted to announce that it has been awarded a Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) Gold Medal for its commitment to health and safety for the 6^th consecutive year.

“We’re focused on consistently delivering innovation and market leading products,” says Deceuninck’s Rob McGlennon. “We also take the safety of our employees seriously across the organisation and this award is testament to that. With Merits, Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards available, we’re thrilled to be walking away with a Gold Medal for achieving the gold award for the 6^th consecutive time.”

Through the RoSPA Awards scheme, which is open to businesses and organisations of all types and sizes from across the UK and overseas, judges consider entrants’ overarching occupational health and safety management systems, including practices such as leadership and workforce involvement. The awards are now in their 61^st year.

Julia Small, RoSPA’s head of awards and events, says: “The RoSPA Awards are the most prestigious in the world of occupational health and safety, and held in high regard around the world, as winning one demonstrates an organisation’s commitment to maintaining an excellent health and safety record. Achieving the standard required is no mean feat.”

Rob concludes: “A special thank you goes to Lew Harvey, Deceuninck’s Health & Safety co-ordinator, who’s worked hard overseeing the Health & Safety policy and entry submission.”

The cocktails will be flowing on stand K45 at the FiTShow this May with a very special guest courtesy of the Georgian Bar Company who will be partying with the Lambs Navy Rum Girl, Bond Girl, Hammer Horror & former model Caroline Munro on hand to meet with fans, autograph, pose for pictures and show us all her favourite Rum cocktails.

Caroline was the face of the famous drinks brand for over a decade and starred in many Hammer horror films also with an extensive body of work in fantasy movies alongside such names as Christopher Lee, David Niven, David Hasselhoff, Peter Cushing and Roger Moore – she’s sure to make an impression at our biggest industry event.

The team at The Georgian Bar Company have what looks set to be a great evening planned, with music, cocktails, canapés, models, an 80’s theme and now celebrity special guests. Surely sounds worth a visit!

Commercial Director Phil Dewhurst Jr. Comments

“Caroline is one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet and I am so honoured she will be celebrating with us all – Hollywood stories and one night only Lambs Navy Rum Cocktails to offer whilst we party. Caroline joined an elite group when she played a Bond girl in The Spy Who Loved ME, once you’ve all had a chance to meet her you will definitely agree – NOBODY DOES IT BETTER”

www.geofast.co.uk

Stevenswood has announced the acquisition of Truemans Holdings (Truemans), supported by a further investment from Cairngorm Capital Partners LLP (Cairngorm Capital). The purchase of Truemans supports Stevenswood’s ambition, to develop a national network of trade counters and become the leading trade counter distributor in the UK. A wholly owned family business established in 1997, Truemans is a rapidly growing trade counter group, operating four trade counters in Burnley, Doncaster, Sheffield and Crewe, with another scheduled to open in Reading in spring 2017. The company employs 41 people and is forecast to achieve revenue of £10m in 2017.

Strategically, this acquisition presented the perfect opportunity for further expansion, as the Truemans stores complete important gaps in Stevenswood’s presence in England. Truemans’ MD, Joe Trueman, will join the Stevenswood senior management team as Commercial Director filling an important role to drive Stevenswood’s continued growth strategy. The new combined group will continue to be headquartered in Livingston and will have over 30 branches across the UK, generating revenues of over £40m and employing over 165 people.

The completion of this acquisition also marks the decision by Ron Hepburn, Stevenswood’s founder, to retire. Having successfully built the Stevenswood business from a small window fabricator to become one of the UK’s leading window and door distributors, with revenues of over £30m from 25 trade counters nationwide, Ron considers this to be the ideal time to step back from the business. He commented: “The acquisition of Polyframe’s trade centres in November was the culmination of a 20-year ambition to grow my young business into the successful enterprise that it is today. To have achieved so much and with the support of a great team fills me with pride. At the time of the deal, I committed to stay for a limited period to ensure that the merger transitioned well, to give my management team the support that they required during a period of intense change and to prepare the company to fulfil its potential. This acquisition signals the next stage in the company’s future and the logical point for me to step aside.”

John Declerck, a Stevenswood non-executive director, will join the business full time as Group Chief Executive. He brings over 15 years global executive experience in procurement, merchandising, brand strategy and digital marketing for building materials and home improvement firms such as Kingfisher and Home Depot. Jim Faulds, Stevenswood’s Chairman, said: “On behalf of all at Stevenswood, I would like to thank Ron Hepburn for his unstinting support and commitment over the last few months. That we are in a position to complete this acquisition with Truemans and pursue our strategy for growth, is testament to the great company and great team that he built. We wish him the very best for the future.”

The post Stevenswood acquires Truemans Holdings appeared first on Windows Active Magazine.

Fensa, the government authorised self-certification scheme for windows and doors installers, has launched the ‘Installation of the Year’ award, a new competition to celebrate and promote best practice in the industry. The competition is free to enter and will run annually, with all entries for this year valid until 5pm on September 29 2017.

Once entries are in, 10 companies with the highest customer care scores will become longlisted nominees. This longlist will be scrutinised by a panel of judges who will identify five shortlisted finalists. From this shortlist, the ‘Installation of the Year’ winner will be selected in November 2017.

Whilst all entries must be Fensa registered and have passed a RISA inspection at the first time of asking, to be considered as a top entry, companies will need to score highly on quality standards whilst earning excellent customer feedback on the following measures:

Was the sales process positive for the customer?
Do the product(s) installed match customer expectations?
How did the installer treat the customer’s home?
Was the work completed to the customer’s satisfaction?
Would the customer recommend the company to friends & family?

The customer satisfaction survey, which will narrow down the final 10 nominees, will be undertaken by RISA inspectors as part of the post installation process.
The winner will receive the Fensa trophy and the first ever Fensa Installation of the Year title.

Commenting, Dave Mechem, inspection manager at Fensa, said: “I am regularly struck by the high standards and professionalism of the work our members produce. I’m glad that Fensa, as the largest self-certification body in the industry, is now providing a meaningful award for recognising top industry talent.

“I want to use the Installation of the Year Award to showcase and promote the talented installers who are busy defining what best practice looks like in our industry. Their examples will hopefully inspire others to strive for excellence and drive up standards across the board.”

Danelle Kaukau, product manager at Fensa, said:“Our Installation of the Year Award will give our members much-deserved recognition amongst their peers and colleagues for the high quality work they produce. The winner is also set to benefit from recognition by the most visible certification brand in the eyes of consumers.”

The post Fensa launches ‘Installation of the Year’ appeared first on Glass & Glazing Products Magazine (GGP).

UK manufacturer and supplier of insulated glass components, Thermoseal Group, has won The Queen’s Award for Enterprise: International Trade 2017.

According to Thermoseal the Queen’s Awards are designed to ‘celebrate and encourage business excellence in the UK’. Winners are permitted to fly The Queen’s Awards flag across their UK sites and are invited to ‘offer input into the development and delivery of policies across Whitehall’. They are also invited to a Palace Reception later in the year, where they will be presented with a trophy.

Gwain Paterson, managing director at Thermoseal Group, said: “I’m honoured to accept such a great compliment to the business and recognition for all of the efforts of my colleagues over the past few years.

“It is of course, with thanks to our customers for their continued support that we have achieved such an esteemed accolade. It has been an excellent year for us with awards coming in thick and fast. We are therefore looking to host a party for customers and staff who will be invited to join us in celebrating on the day that our award is presented when we will display our trophy and fly The Queen’s Awards flag with pride.”

www.thermosealgroup.com

The post A Royal accolade for Thermoseal appeared first on Glass & Glazing Products Magazine (GGP).

Polyframe Group (Polyframe) has announced that it has successfully acquired and merged with Customade Group (Customade), supported by further investment from Cairngorm Capital Partners LLP (Cairngorm Capital). With revenues in excess of £100 million, the enlarged group, will trade as Customade and now has a complete and comprehensive product range across aluminium windows, composite entry doors and PVC-U products. Established in 1980, Customade is a specialist manufacturer of high-quality aluminium and PVC-U windows, doors and conservatory roof products. Best known for its proprietary and market-leading REAL, Atlas and Fineline aluminium brands, the company operates from 100,000 ft2, state-of-the-art facilities near Gloucester, employing 320 people. In 2016 it achieved turnover in excess of £35 million.

During 2016, Polyframe acquired the WB Group composite entry door business in Birtley and a 50,000 ft2 window manufacturing facility in Livingston from Stevenswood. Accordingly, this merger with Customade continues the firm’s strategy to develop the UK’s leading trade fabricator of PVC-U, aluminium and composite windows and doors, addressing all trade customers’ fenestration needs. Customade’s market-leading and proprietary products complement, expand and differentiate Polyframe’s product offering, particularly in the rapidly growing aluminium sector. The group now operates nationwide, with almost 900 employees across 10 manufacturing facilities extending from Scotland to the South West.

The combined industry expertise of the newly enlarged management team, together with support from specialist investment firm Cairngorm Capital, increases the scope for further innovation, growth and service improvements; optimises manufacturing capability and broadens Polyframe’s industry-leading product range, to provide an unmatched customer offering. John Lightowlers, Customade’s MD becomes Group MD of the enlarged firm and continues to hold a significant ownership stake. With over twenty years’ leadership experience in the windows and doors market and having led Customade for the past 12 years, John and his fellow Customade shareholders, Nick Gibbons, Gareth Thomas and John Adams, have been instrumental in Customade’s growth and success. John will be supported initially by Jon Gatfield, Polyframe’s interim MD, who will transition to other Cairngorm Capital operational roles in the near future, and Lance Gillett, Polyframe’s Group Finance Director, who joined Polyframe from Masco UK Window Group in 2016. David Moore, Non-Executive Director of Polyframe and former CEO of Ultraframe, will become Chairman of the enlarged group.

Jon Gatfield, Polyframe’s interim MD, said: “Both Polyframe and Customade pride themselves on offering customers extensive product ranges, along with extremely high levels of reliability, flexibility and customer service. Since July 2016, we at Polyframe have invested heavily to develop a best-in-class offering for our trade customers, strengthen our manufacturing operations and extend our geographic presence. The merger with Customade will accelerate these initiatives and secure our position as the largest trade fabricator of windows and doors to the UK installer market.”

John Naylor-Leyland of Cairngorm Capital commented: “We are delighted to invest further in Polyframe to facilitate this proprietary, off-market merger between Polyframe and Customade and to support the combined group’s growth plans. Customade has an outstanding reputation in the industry for supplying high-quality branded aluminium products, which together with the excellence of its operational capabilities and the calibre of its staff, make it the natural partner to enhance Polyframe’s leading PVC-U window and composite door range.“ John Lightowlers, Group Managing Director of the enlarged group added: “This is the perfect partnership for two businesses with shared values, a market-leading suite of products and a commitment to the highest standards of customer service. There are great opportunities across the sector and as an enlarged group we look forward to meeting all trade customers’ product needs.”

The post Polyframe Group acquired and merged with the Customade Group appeared first on Windows Active Magazine.

Sliders UK has reported record sales of its Ultimate Evolution adjustable jamb aluminium bi-fold, which can be fitted in as little as 45-minutes.

The Ultimate Evolution aluminium bi-fold door was launched by Sliders UK at the tail end of last year.

With ultra-slim sightlines plus smooth bottom running system and concealed shoot bolt lock with single point handle, the Ultimate Evolution has been developed to build in increased margin at the retail point of sale.

It also features a highly innovative fully adjustable jamb option, which fitted to both sides of the door, makes squaring and setting faster – cutting installation time to as little as 45 minutes.

Steve Mines, Sales and Marketing Director, Sliders UK, said: “The Ultimate Evolution bi-folding door delivers a great retail sales platform – the sightlines are just so good. It’s also highly competitive and brings aluminium bi-folds to a new strata of the market.

“But it’s the efficiency it delivers in installation with the adjustable jamb option that really sets it apart. This deals with imperfections in brick work, making it much easier to align the door correctly.

“We have customers fitting the Ultimate Evolution in as little as 45 minutes. The benefit is twofold: it saves time on site; but in making it easier to get the door square, it runs better, almost eliminating call backs.”

The Ultimate Evolution bi-fold, is available in multiple panel configurations including open-in or open-out, with a maximum sash height and width of 3000mm x 1200mm.

With colour-matched handles and magnetic door holders, a low threshold option and 30mm polyamide thermal break for increased thermal values, it is also fully tested to PAS 24 and BS6375 Part 1 Weather Testing.

Sliders UK has also done its bit to help installations go smoothly, launching its Technical Support Service last year. This includes an assisted fit service on first time installations.

“It’s not about hand holding but a little help on the first time fit goes a long way, because you learn to fit that particular door right, right form the very start, which allows you to avoid mistakes down the line”, says Mines.

Sliders UK reported 16% growth at the end of last year, product innovation and the expansion of its offering, coupled with lead times of two weeks or less, driving increased sales.

Alongside the Ultimate Evolution, this includes the launch of Duraflex’s new PVC-U bi-fold at the tail end of the year.

A second PVC-U bi-fold system – and launched in addition to the Eurocell Aspect bi-fold door – it’s Part Q approved and delivers u-values as low as 1.1Wm²/K.

Meanwhile, Sliders UK announced earlier this month that it’s launching its own lantern roof, the Ultimate Rooflite.

Capable of spanning openings of up to 5.8m long by 4m wide, offer is based on the tried and tested BBA approved Ultraframe Classic roofing system. Suitable for new build orangery or flat roof retro-fit installations, it’s been designed to offer installers a highly flexible but also competitive product.

Mines conncluded: “Our bi-fold offering, which also includes ALUK products, has like our wider product range and as evidenced by the launch of the Ultimate Evolution, come a really long way.

“We remain a specialist door manufacturer but where we have the opportunity to add value to our customer offer, through the addition of products that offer a logical fit, for example the Ultimate Rooflite, we also intend to pursue them.”

For more information contact sales@sliders-uk.com or visit the website at www.sliders-uk.com.