Dates confirmed for Glass Times Race Days

I’ll start this week’s newsletter with some positive news and that is we have confirmed both our Glass Times Race Days for 2023.

The first, as usual, will be our outing at Haydock Park on 6 July, followed by our Epsom Downs event that’s scheduled for 14 September.

Both Race Days are now firmly established as one of the most popular and enjoyable events in the glazing industry calendar and as such I would highly recommend securing a table or two to ensure you don’t miss out.

Feel free to contact Andy Westhead on 07966 468772 for more information.

As for industry news this week, well we saw in the most recent Business Pilot Barometer report that the retail market had suffered a ‘seasonal adjustment’ during December but it would appear that the house building sector also took a hit in December.

According to the monthly purchasing managers’ index (PMI), output in the construction sector fell for the first time since August 2022, recording the most significant reduction in activity and new orders since May 2020.

Market analysts say that building firms are pessimistic for the year ahead, partly because of recession and dropping house prices, but particularly because building companies are so heavily exposed to rising energy costs.

Once again, against a backdrop of gloom, we find ourselves looking for the positives! This week, that falls to Sternfenster’s MD, Mike Parczuk, in an open letter to the industry.

Mike, who acknowledges ‘worrying news’ from the wider construction industry as well as the pressures that have been placed on fenestration firms in recent times, argues that there is no reason to be pessimistic for 2023 and that we’ve been through recessions before.

For Mike, it all boils down to having the right partnerships and – as I highlighted in my comment last week – whether or not you have the right portfolio to take advantage of opportunities that exist, including products that deliver improved energy efficiency.

And here’s some more positive news. Hardware specialist VBH has reported that it enjoyed a record year in 2022 and is looking forward to building on the success this year thanks to a number of new products and services.

You can read the full story here.