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DW3 Products Group has appointed Martin Dickie as Managing Director of Residence Collection and Window Widgets, the DW3 Window Division.

Martin has over 20 years’ experience in PVC windows and doors. Having started as Product Manager with timber door maker Leaderflush & Shapland, he developed large scale, multi-product social housing, PFI and Partnering projects at Heywood Williams Group. As a consultant, over three years, he assisted a successful management buy-in and growth at Dorwin, and for two years he helped Nationwide Windows prepare for a successful buyout.

Putting his deep knowledge of composite doors and the market to good use, he was in at the inception of Door Stop, working closely on various projects until its sale to Masonite Group three years ago. As Business Unit Director Door Stop he successfully ran and integrated the company into Masonite UK, taking sales from £26m to £38m in two years before becoming Business Development Director Masonite UK. Most recently, as General Manager of National Hickman, another Masonite UK company, he transformed supply and systems.

Reporting to CEO Gareth Mobley, Martin will drive Residence Collection through its next stage of development. Martin joins Residence at a time of explosive growth following the launch of three new window and door systems in 2016.

Residence Collection CEO Gareth Mobley says: “Residence Collection is a spectacular success. Demand for R9 and R7 in particular is growing extremely fast, and the DW3 team is working hard to transform systems, stock management, operations and logistics at Residence HQ in Gloucester to meet the demand. We have been developing our relationship with Martin over 18 months and we are delighted he is joining us in this key role.”

Martin Dickie says: “Residence Collection and Window Widgets have great potential. Installers are really excited the Residence Collection systems and their ability to expand their markets and create new ones. If you know the window systems market, you’ll know there is nothing like it. I’m passionate about providing exceptional customer service, and giving customers the innovative products and means to grow fast. So for me this is the perfect challenge!”

“Working with General Manager Sarah Hitchings, and me and the rest of the DW3 team,” Gareth continues, “Martin’s extensive experience of the window and door industry will enable us to achieve great things.”

The post Martin Dickie, MD of Residence Collection & Window Widgets appeared first on Windows Active Magazine.

Mila is launching a fire rated version of its SupaStyle stainless steel letterbox making it an ideal choice for customers fabricating and installing fire doors.

The new letterbox has a high performance intumescent liner around the sleeve which reacts to heat and expands to seal the opening in the event of a fire. It has been successfully fire tested at Exova Warringtonfire Ltd to FD30 rating when fitted in the door core and to FD60 rating when fitted in the timber top rail. The test was carried out to the methodology given in BS476 part 22 (1987).

From the outside, it looks exactly the same as a standard SupaStyle letterbox and has all the smart design features which customers already love, such as a patented concealed flap operating mechanism, an anti-leak weather channel in the frame, and full 180° internal and external opening.

There are two size options in the fire rated version, with telescopic sleeves allowing it to be adjusted from 20/40mm or 40/80mm to fit into any thickness of fire door.

Both these sizes are available in three finishes – polished stainless, polished PVD gold stainless and brushed stainless. These suite perfectly with the rest of Mila’s Supa stainless steel door furniture ranges, and come complete with the same reassuring 25 and 10 year no quibble guarantees on finishes and mechanical performance.

With some manufacturers of fire doors reporting sales up by as much as 25% in 2016, Mila says it is responding to real demand in the market from customers who want a proven and durable stainless steel letterbox solution which they can fit and forget.

Further details are available at www.mila.co.uk

One of the UK’s leading rooflight manufacturers with a strong reputation across the glazing world for quality and innovation, has appointed Purplex as their PR agency.

Leicester-based Roof Maker manufactures an extensive range of roof windows including flat, pitched, opening and lantern rooflights, and is a well-recognised brand in the retail sector.

Roof Maker’s impressive reputation led to their acquisition by Next Wave Partners LLP in the latter stages of 2016. The new owners are looking to take the company to the next level, stepping up activity in every area – including their marketing by appointing Purplex to work alongside their digital and marketing team to develop and implement a multi-channel strategy.

Paul Mildenstein, CEO of Roof Maker commented: “We have grown a strong presence in the retail sector with our stunning rooflights, selling to customers across the UK and internationally. However, we are now looking to grow in the trade and commercial sector, building relationships with architects, specifiers and installers. We appointed Purplex because of their experience in this area, helping businesses within the fenestration industry expand and become a recognised name in the trade and commercial space.”

“We are delighted to be working with Roof Maker,” commented Sam Cross, Account Director at Purplex. “They are the leading rooflight specialists in the fenestration industry with a strong global identity. Purplex will help to develop Roof Maker’s brand in the trade and commercial sectors, establishing connections with professionals within the industry, highlighting the commitment to quality and innovation which has given them such a strong position in the retail market.”

For more information call Purplex on 01934 808132 or visit www.purplexmarketing.com

Oriam, Scotland’s new landmark £33 million national performance centre for sport has it aims set high as it hopes to inspire and develop athletes from ‘grassroots to greatness’.

A number of organisations will use Oriam including the Scottish Football Association, Scottish Rugby, Basketball Scotland, Scottish Handball, Netball Scotland and Scottish Squash and Racquetball.

This project demanded creativity in conception, excellence in construction and exemplary building performance to create this state-of-the-art centre for Scotland’s elite athletes.

Reiach and Hall Architects used Metal Technology System 17 Curtain Walling to complement the lightweight, translucent feel of this structure. The system allowed light to flood into the building externally but was also used extensively internally as glazing partitions to create an open airy feel. These large expanses of internal glazing at ground floor had to be uniquely designed to withstand heavy impact as they were located so close to the playing surfaces.

System 17 was the ideal choice for the Oriam building as it offered the designer the required ascetics together with high performance thermal efficiency and weathering. In line with energy efficiency requirements, the project also featured System 5-20Hi+ Doors, and 4-35Hi+ casement windows, both of which are part of the high performance [THERMAL] suite of systems from Metal Technology.

For more information visit www.metaltechnology.com

I read with interest the latest findings from Palmer and his forecasts for the continued growth of composite doors through to 2020 when he says they’ll represent two thirds of the market. It’s obviously great news for the industry – remember just a few years ago at the height of recession when our sector was staring down the barrel of a gun?

Growth markets present their own challenges and suppliers have the responsibility to ensure that they’ve invested strategically and in advance of market demand to ensure that downstream customers get the service, products, quality and innovation they need to meet the growth. This is precisely what DOORCO has been doing over the last 3 years, achieving a total investment close on to £5million in the UK and Korea. Indeed, the original decision to establish our own production facility in Korea  – which has capacity for  >900 doors per day – is now bearing fruit thanks to the fact it’s completely independent. The brand has no controlling suppliers/investors dictating UK policy, meaning that all elements of the business are decided by DOORCO only.

Thanks to this tight supply chain integration, DOORCO’s focus on prepped door business for the next 12 months is to raise bar on our customer service and delivery on robust operational targets, whilst staying at the forefront of product quality and new innovation. Our recent investment made into a second new paint line and other machinery removes any bottle necks experienced in 2016, and allows us to provide a better level of service whilst welcoming new customers to DOORCO.

DOORCO’s strategy has never been a case of big ‘for the sake of it’. We’ve grown strategically to continue to meet the needs of all our customers – small, medium and large. It’s a journey that started over 4 years ago, and part of a well thought out, considered – and even cautious – overall strategy. To enable customers to continue to grow and for us to accept new customers (from prepped to container) has always been our aim.

The shape of the composite door market has shifted significantly in recent years. Gone are the days of one large supplier with complete control over the sector. Markets with multiple suppliers mean choice and a far healthier market for everyone. It’s a great endorsement to see Palmer’s report underpinning DOORCO’s strategy to support customers through investment, something that will benefit all of us if we get it right.

Dan Sullivan. DOORCO MD

Picture above: Mark Ballard (r) of Beau windows, presenting his customer with a 55” smart TV courtesy of Listers and Elitis.

2017 is already in full swing and with cold winter days and dark mornings greeting us, many of us are counting down the days till the summer kicks in. Lister Trade Frames of Stoke on Trent have made sure however, that the winter months still bring plenty of cheer to their customers by announcing the latest winner of their annual prize draw.

Listers have become synonymous over the last decade for their innovative consumer facing brand, “Elitis”. Designed and built for their trade customers, Elitis allows Listers customers to compete with the large national companies with hundreds of thousands of pounds behind their marketing. And one of the many perks of being an Elitis installer, is the ability to tap into the many initiatives that Elitis offer.

One such initiative is the unique window tags that accompany every installation. Housing an individual number on each tag, the end user is encouraged to register them on the Elitis website which automatically enters them into a prize draw and by proxy, their installer.

This year’s lucky recipient was Mark Ballard of Beau Windows who scooped a brand new purpose built website whilst his lucky customer won a fantastic 55” Smart TV!

“I have bought from Listers for many years and I always make sure that I tell my customers that I’m a proud Elitis installer,” commented Mark, “I find that the brand supports me in my quest to deliver not only a great installation, but a superb product.”

Daniel Shaw, Marketing Manager for Listers had this to say, “Mark typifies what being an Elitis installer is all about. He’s a consummate professional, diligent with his installations and has fully embraced everything that Listers can offer via the Elitis brand. We’re delighted that he and his customer have been randomly selected as this year’s tag winner.”

Listers have always made sure that their customers are looked after and although winning gifts is always a welcome addition, the core of the Listers offering is all about supporting their trade installer with the very best service and products. “We are further developing our marketing support to our customers, making Elitis even more accessible and pivotal to our customers’ strategy,” commented Daniel, “and with installers like Beau Windows on board, it can only strengthen the brand in the eyes of the consumer.”

The final word goes to Mark who simply said, “Working with Listers is already a winning partnership, now I’m even able to get my customer involved which has helped me establish an even stronger relationship with my client. Literally, everyone’s a winner!”

£35 of rewards for every VELUX white polyurethane roof window bought this spring 

VELUX® is offering its customers across the UK and Ireland a raft of rewards, redeemable at a range of top brand partners each time they buy VELUX white polyurethane roof windows this March and April.
 
For every white polyurethane roof window bought during the period installers can claim £35 of rewards, redeemable at retailers including M&S, Argos, Pizza Express, Thomas Cook, Ticketmaster and Currys PC World.

Installers have until 12 May to claim their rewards from VELUX, but can only do so by registering to the scheme online at www.velux.co.uk/rewards.
 
Originally developed for bathrooms, the VELUX white polyurethane roof window has evolved into a vast range of products ideal for contemporary white interiors and ceilings. They comprise a solid core of thermally modified timber encased in moulded polyurethane with a bright white finish.
 
Typically, installers and customers choose this finish for more humid rooms like kitchens and bathrooms as the windows have no visible joints, ensuring a clean and moisture resistant finish.
 
Almost the entire VELUX range is available in white polyurethane, from manual, centre-pivot and top-hung standard roof windows to combination solutions, and remote controlled VELUX INTEGRA® roof windows.
 
Richard McArthur, marketing manager from VELUX said: “The VELUX Rewards scheme is a great way for installers to get something back each time they choose our products. During March and April we will be offering fantastic rewards for every roof window bought with a white polyurethane finish, which is ideal for humid rooms like bathrooms and kitchens.
 

“We know that our customers enjoy rewards that allow them to give themselves and their friends and families a treat, so partnering with some of the country’s best loved retailers and restaurants is a great way to say ‘thank you’ for their continued use of our products and service. Whether you are a frequent installer of VELUX products or use them just a few times a year, it really makes sense to join VELUX Rewards and start earning points with every purchase.”

In July 2016 a new office skyscraper was made available for use in the capital of Poland. The Q22 is a pointing building with glass façades made of PRESS GLASS IGUs. Over 25,000 m² of IGUs were used to complete the project. The façade construction involved a breakthrough technology while innovative photovoltaic systems were used on the roof.

The skyscraper is located in the centre of Warsaw, in the area of the former Fryderyk Chopin hotel. In 2011 the hotel was closed down and then dismantled. It is worth highlighting that all materials were recycled. Construction of the new facility started in June 2013.

A Polish design studio Kuryłowicz & Associates was in charge of the skyscraper design. The acquired concept combines elements typical of constructivism and neomodernism. The Q22 stands out with its pointing construction and a glass façade constructed by means of innovative technologies.

The name of the building, which stands for quality and quartz, best reflects the nature of the skyscraper. The building structure has a very high level of energy efficiency, which was possible owing to the applied glazing and photovoltaic panels. It is confirmed by the BREEAM Interim Excellent certificate granted to the facility.

The construction lasted for three years, with ECHO INVESTMENT being the main investor. The completed building has the height of 195 m and the total area amounts to over 91,000 m². The major part of the space is intended for offices. Moreover, there are 5 underground levels and 320 parking spaces. The skyscraper was made available for use in July 2016.

Glass façade with innovative technology

The glass façade was the key element of completing the building. DEFOR became the main contractor and was implementing the project in close cooperation with PRESS GLASS – a manufacturing company specialising in production of glass for construction industry.

The initial concept included a segmented façade with aluminium strips  visible on the outside and a separated floor strips. But the Investor wanted to get a visual effect resembling a quartz crystal.

“We took the challenge and in cooperation with architects we proposed a solution that has never been used before, anywhere in the world – a segmented structural double-glazed façade with a glass pane to the full height of a storey, with no visual separation of the floor strip. The design required close cooperation with the Construction Engineering Institute as well as suppliers, including glassworks and glass fabricators”, says Piotr Węglewski, DEFOR’s Commercial Director.

Double-glazed units with 0.5 W/m²K factors and the greatest dimensions reaching 4740 x 2540 mm were used to complete the investment. Dariusz Kowalik, PRESS GLASS’ Area Sales Representative involved in the project points out that selective solar control coatings of the 70/41 type and Thermofloat thermal insulation coatings were used with the IGUs. The coatings were applied to the base glass with reduced iron content and then tempered and laminated.

“We supplied different IGUs, varying for construction, dimensions, weight, details of making the IGUs and special quality requirements for the needs of the investment. There was a special demand to produce tempered glass with strictly determined local bow”, Dariusz Kowalik explains.

According to Piotr Węglewski the issue of ensuring efficient and timely deliveries was a great challenge related to the investment. The daily demand covered 200 m² of glass packages containing 4 tempered glass panes with HST certificate, and the largest packages weighed over a ton. However, the assembly took only 9 months.

“The result we managed to achieve in Q22 lived up to 100% of the Investor’s expectations concerning technical and visual parameters. It needs to be emphasised that implementation of such an undertaking entails cooperation with reliable and trustworthy partners so we are very happy to have DEFOR complete the project with PRESS GLASS”, adds DEFOR’s Commercial Director.

It took the total of 25,000 m² of IGUs to make the glass façade of the Q22 skyscraper.

Photovoltaics on a large scale

Special modules from MAYBATT using the Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) technology were installed on the roof. The concept behind the solution is that traditional elements of a building, a part of the roof in this case – are integrated with photovoltaic panels.

“We supplied 70 mm thick glass panes with different dimensions for the investment. Double-glazed IGUs containing laminates with PV elements, composed of tempered glass, which was HST tested, were used in the building construction”, says Wiesław Wojtas, PRESS GLASS’ Area Sales Manager.

Wojtas adds that the Q22 building is the first Polish office skyscraper of such a size and in which photovoltaic glass was applied on such a scale.

The oblique roof has an aluminium framework with a post-and-beam construction. Bartłomiej Zysiński, President of the Management Board in MAYBATT points out that double-layer photovoltaic modules of the “light through” type are embedded in the outer part of the glass construction of the roof. MAYBATT applied the modules to tempered single glass panes supplied by PRESS GLASS, which were then returned to the supplier who made laminated glass panes and combined them into double-glazed IGUs with photovoltaic modules.

“The photovoltaic modules were designed according to the façade architecture design; they come in 45 different types and are based on monocrystalline cells. Each PV module consists of a tempered glass pane in the top and bottom part. Between the glass panes there is PVB foil and PV cells with internal connections and junction boxes”, Bartłomiej Zysiński explains.

The President of the Board at MAYBATT also highlights that photovoltaic systems (total of 303 modules), which are an integral part of the Q22 roof, have several functions. The functions include thermal insulation owing to two argon-filled chambers and two relevant coatings, which help to obtain the heat transfer coefficient of 0.6 W/m²K for glass panes oriented in an oblique manner.

The glass panes also provide protection against solar radiation, which is possible owing to selective solar control coating of 70/41 type, permitting up to 70 per cent of solar radiation and reducing heat radiation penetration up to 41 percent. The systems can also be used to generate electricity for heating the roof.

“The whole project is somehow unique because the modules installed by MAYBATT allow the use of photovoltaics – through PV elements in the outer laminate – as a source of heat. The solution facilitates heating and hence removing of snow in case of heavy snowfall”, Wiesław Wojtas explains.

The total of 800 m² of glass panes were used for completing the photovoltaic systems on the roof of the Q22.

Q22 skyscraper, or glass innovations (video): https://youtu.be/BjOUxhAwSjM

Image Above: Mark Ballard (r) of Beau windows, presenting his customer with a 55” smart TV courtesy of Listers and Elitis.

2017 is already in full swing and with cold winter days and dark mornings greeting us, many of us are counting down the days till the summer kicks in. Lister Trade Frames of Stoke on Trent have made sure however, that the winter months still bring plenty of cheer to their customers by announcing the latest winner of their annual prize draw.

Listers have become synonymous over the last decade for their innovative consumer facing brand, “Elitis”.Designed and built for their trade customers, Elitis allows Listers customers to compete with the large national companies with hundreds of thousands of pounds behind their marketing. And one of the many perks of being an Elitis installer, is the ability to tap into the many initiatives that Elitis offer.

One such initiative is the unique window tags that accompany every installation. Housing an individual number on each tag, the end user is encouraged to register them on the Elitis website which automatically enters them into a prize draw and by proxy, their installer.

This year’s lucky recipient was Mark Ballard of Beau Windows who scooped a brand new purpose built website whilst his lucky customer won a fantastic 55” Smart TV!

“I have bought from Listers for many years and I always make sure that I tell my customers that I’m a proud Elitis installer,” commented Mark, “I find that the brand supports me in my quest to deliver not only a great installation, but a superb product.”

Daniel Shaw, Marketing Manager for Listers had this to say, “Mark typifies what being an Elitis installer is all about. He’s a consummate professional, diligent with his installations and has fully embraced everything that Listers can offer via the Elitis brand. We’re delighted that he and his customer have been randomly selected as this year’s tag winner.”

Listers have always made sure that their customers are looked after and although winning gifts is always a welcome addition, the core of the Listers offering is all about supporting their trade installer with the very best service and products. “We are further developing our marketing support to our customers, making Elitis even more accessible and pivotal to our customers’ strategy,” commented Daniel, “and with installers like Beau Windows on board, it can only strengthen the brand in the eyes of the consumer.”

The final word goes to Mark who simply said, “Working with Listers is already a winning partnership, now I’m even able to get my customer involved which has helped me establish an even stronger relationship with my client. Literally, everyone’s a winner!”

Home improvement and glazing specialist EYG has made significant investment to double production of insulated glass units with the support of Edgetech UK.

EYG has invested £500,000 in a new high-speed Forel insulated glass line at its Hull-based manufacturing facility. It can now produce a double glazed unit made with Super Spacer® every 35 seconds. This has enabled the company to offer ‘A’ energy rated windows as standard on all double glazing installations.

John Waugh, Retail Sales Director at EYG, said: “The support we’ve had from Edgetech has been first class.

“We turned to them because they have been the leaders in developing energy efficient glazing systems over many years, and they helped us every step of the way, from guidance on machinery solutions right through to the first Super Spacer units rolling off the line.

“The team from Edgetech spent a lot of time with us ensuring we got up and running and producing our new improved windows without any issues. Their support and training was invaluable to us as the machinery, and the process of setting the glass in place, was different to what we had done before.”

EYG has seen a clear benefit from being able to advertise ‘A’ energy ratings.

“It makes such a difference to our customers to be able to say we are installing ‘A’ energy rated glass as standard in our windows,” John added.

“We have to be aware that our customers have so many other expenses these days, of which energy bills play a huge part, so it is a big selling factor for us to be able to say our windows can help reduce heating bills.

“Working with Edgetech, and using their industry leading technology in our products, has enabled us to do just that.”

Managing Director at Edgetech UK, Chris Alderson added: “At Edgetech, we are keen to support customers like EYG who are making big investments to future-proof their business.

“That’s why we offer extra support and training to help make it a smooth transition.”

Find out more about EYG at www.eygwindows.co.uk and more about Super Spacer and high-speed IGU production at www.edgetechig.co.uk.