As the industry winds down for a well-earned break, many will agree that it has been a particularly challenging year for the fenestration sector, with businesses burdened by increased tax, frustrated by additional regulation and held back by lacklustre consumer confidence.
Comment in this week’s newsletter by Neil Evans, managing director of Veka, highlights how the company has been squeezed by the chancellor, with even a 1% rise in employment costs adding around £200,000 to the annual wage bill.
The government’s pledge to build 1.5 million homes, in theory a welcome boost to the industry, has also been stifled by a huge backlog of Gateway 2 applications waiting for approval from the Building Safety Regulator.
Neil adds that improved consumer confidence is vital for private sector companies such as Veka in order to invest and drive growth.
This year has also seen a number of high-profile acquisitions, consolidation that has helped to ensure the long term future of those organisations involved but also a sign of the stresses and strains across an industry that is adapting to tough economic conditions.
But we should remember that 2025 also had its fair share of positive highlights. The FIT Show demonstrated once again the depth of product innovation across all sectors and there have been countless examples of forward thinking, businesses taking the initiative and building for the future.
A particular highlight for me has been the emergence of new technologies from Regency Glass and Forel, introducing a next generation of thin, light weight triple glazing that has the potential to turbocharge the fortunes of the entire supply chain once it comes online.
And it’s not just triple glazing that we should be excited about. High margin aluminium and premium PVC product offers continue to demonstrate the potential at the top end of the market and increasingly sophisticated business management systems, marketing tools, market intelligence reports – and yes artificial intelligence – are all there to help proactive companies win sales, survive and thrive as we head into the new year.
As Andrew Scott, MD of Purplex says in his comment this week, ‘we have to stop hesitating, stop listening to the bad news, and we need to put our foot on the gas, invest in growth and have the courage and belief to go for it’.
On behalf of all the team at Glass Times, we hope you enjoy the festive break and here’s to bigger and better things for 2026.
Bring on 2026…
As the industry winds down for a well-earned break, many will agree that it has been a particularly challenging year for the fenestration sector, with businesses burdened by increased tax, frustrated by additional regulation and held back by lacklustre consumer confidence.
Comment in this week’s newsletter by Neil Evans, managing director of Veka, highlights how the company has been squeezed by the chancellor, with even a 1% rise in employment costs adding around £200,000 to the annual wage bill.
The government’s pledge to build 1.5 million homes, in theory a welcome boost to the industry, has also been stifled by a huge backlog of Gateway 2 applications waiting for approval from the Building Safety Regulator.
Neil adds that improved consumer confidence is vital for private sector companies such as Veka in order to invest and drive growth.
This year has also seen a number of high-profile acquisitions, consolidation that has helped to ensure the long term future of those organisations involved but also a sign of the stresses and strains across an industry that is adapting to tough economic conditions.
But we should remember that 2025 also had its fair share of positive highlights. The FIT Show demonstrated once again the depth of product innovation across all sectors and there have been countless examples of forward thinking, businesses taking the initiative and building for the future.
A particular highlight for me has been the emergence of new technologies from Regency Glass and Forel, introducing a next generation of thin, light weight triple glazing that has the potential to turbocharge the fortunes of the entire supply chain once it comes online.
And it’s not just triple glazing that we should be excited about. High margin aluminium and premium PVC product offers continue to demonstrate the potential at the top end of the market and increasingly sophisticated business management systems, marketing tools, market intelligence reports – and yes artificial intelligence – are all there to help proactive companies win sales, survive and thrive as we head into the new year.
As Andrew Scott, MD of Purplex says in his comment this week, ‘we have to stop hesitating, stop listening to the bad news, and we need to put our foot on the gas, invest in growth and have the courage and belief to go for it’.
On behalf of all the team at Glass Times, we hope you enjoy the festive break and here’s to bigger and better things for 2026.
Glass Times
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