Home Editors Comments
Posted On - 27/03/2024
The GGF, FENSA and the FIT Show have launched a new, two-day industry conference – called Glass Conference – that is scheduled to debut on the same day as the 2024 Glazing Summit. Taking place on Wednesday 16th and Thursday 17th October, at Telford International Centre (the Glazing Summit is currently booked for 17th October at its usual Edgbaston venue...
Posted On - 20/03/2024
It might seem like a long way off, but I have a feeling that next year’s FIT Show could be a standout event. Scheduled for 29 April – 1 May 2025, reverting back to the usual two-year gap between outings, it should be better timed to coincide with new product development within the industry, meaning more companies taking stand space...
Posted On - 13/03/2024
Attracting talented, young people to the industry to fill a widening skills gap continues to be a challenging and pressing issue, so it was encouraging to see such a positive response to the Building Our Skills career ‘festivals’ held last week. Held over two days, the festivals started at Barnsley FC’s Oakwell Stadium and concluded at Manchester City’s Etihad stadium....
Posted On - 06/03/2024
I enjoyed a trip to Aylesbury based JCL Glass last week, a family run glass processing company that has spent the last few years investing heavily in automation. When I last visited, back in 2022, JCL had just installed an IGIS IGU line and that has since been followed up by a £750k spend on a new Cooltemper toughening plant,...
Posted On - 27/02/2024
As the industry continues to adjust to more challenging economic conditions, it’s more important than ever that businesses can access accurate data as well as utilise modern, efficient systems to streamline workloads. There are lots of user-friendly software tools to aid installers these days, with the likes of Tommy Trinder and Hurst Doors developing more exciting and engaging ways to...
Posted On - 21/02/2024
I always like to promote a positive message on this weekly newsletter and in Glass Times magazine, but recent industry feedback has made me question whether I should adopt a more ‘glass half empty’ approach… There had been some encouraging signs in January and February, including a strong start to the year for the housing sector – which typically translates...
Posted On - 13/02/2024
I was given a tour last week of Kömmerling’s manufacturing facilities at Huthwaite and it was impressive to see how the site has been transformed since the last time I visited, when it was the home of Synseal. A considerable amount of investment has been poured into the factory floor by Profine, evidenced by a wealth of new machinery and...
Posted On - 06/02/2024
Last week I commented on how the housing market defied expectations in January with Zoopla reporting that sales were up 13% year on year, in the first three weeks of 2024. Inflation and the cost of living may still be relatively high, but it seems that homeowners and prospective home buyers have been encouraged by more attractive lending rates. The...
Posted On - 31/01/2024
There’s encouraging news for the home improvement sector this week as the latest Zoopla house price index revealed that house sales were 13% up year on year in the first three weeks of January. The upturn has been attributed to falling mortgage costs, which is helping buyers back onto the market but also encouraging sellers to list their properties. The...
Posted On - 24/01/2024
A new insolvency report from Insight Data has revealed a significant uptake of fenestration industry companies facing insolvency in 2024. According to Insight Data, 66 installers and fabricators faced insolvency – a sharp increase on recent months – and an indicator of intensified competition, pricing pressures and broader economic uncertainties. We will be introducing a regular monthly column from Insight...
Posted On - 17/01/2024
It was Autumn 2023 when Safestyle announced that it was going into administration, making around 680 of its workers redundant. The official line was that the company had failed after facing a number of pressures, including runaway inflation and poor consumer confidence. ‘Unseasonably’ warm weather in September was also singled out as a reason for a reduction in demand for...
Posted On - 10/01/2024
In this week’s newsletter I will endeavour to offer up some market insights. Usually, I would have some expert advice to rely on from the likes of Business Pilot or Tommy Trinder, both of which supply glazing industry data on a monthly basis. But not this time. Instead, I have been playing around with Google Trends, and while the statistics...
Posted On - 03/01/2024
It might be wet and miserable outside but I’m going to do my best to shake off the traditional January blues and start 2024 on a positive note – so here goes! There are two stories that caught my eye in the newspapers this week, and the first one is to do with interest rates. As inflation is said to...
Posted On - 20/12/2023
When the consultation on the Future Homes Standard was finally published last week, the expectation was that it would include a requirement for stricter U values to be introduced on new build homes. The understanding – for quite some time now – was that the uplift in the 2022 revisions to Part L was just a stepping stone to U...
Posted On - 13/12/2023
While there are lots of industry success stories at the moment – with some organisations enjoying a particularly strong end to 2023 – there are still many companies who are navigating much more challenging conditions, including installers who have been impacted by the loss of Safestyle. FENSA has now launched a new suite of support services to help installers who...
Posted On - 06/12/2023
Are you an installer that’s struggling to find new fitters? The skills shortage continues to be one of the most pressing issues for our industry – and for others – but there are solutions available for companies who are willing to invest in the next generation of talent. A good example is Nationwide Windows, which I visited recently. Nationwide, which...
Posted On - 29/11/2023
Over 700 people attended the G Awards on Friday last week, which returned to the Hilton on Park Lane. It was another superb evening, demonstrating once again why the G-Awards are regarded as the industry’s premier awards event – not just for the glitz and glamour of the venue, but for the calibre of the finalists and also that the...
Posted On - 22/11/2023
The G Awards, now in its 19th year and firmly established as the industry’s premier awards event, returns to the Hilton on Park Lane this Friday. After a challenging 12 months, the G23s will once again provide the perfect platform to recognise the very best of our industry – from the most talented individuals and the leading businesses, to the...
Posted On - 15/11/2023
I’ve lost count of the number of press releases I’ve read over the years that are littered with words such as ‘innovative’ and ‘game changing’ when describing the launch of a product or service – when quite often, ‘new’ or perhaps ‘upgraded’ are more accurate adjectives. So, you’re going to have to trust me when I say that the new...
Posted On - 08/11/2023
The latest figures from Halifax have revealed a rise in house prices of 1.1% in October, despite ongoing pressure from higher interest rates and contrary to the predictions of economists. According to Halifax, average UK prices increased to £281,974, an increase of around £3,000. That means they are still down, marginally, year on year, but remain roughly £40,000 higher than...
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