Help is at hand

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 may have been affected by the closer of Safestyle or other suppliers, including a guide on how to become a sole trader – which covers things such as tax, insurance and taking on staff – as well as practical help with Safestyle insurance claims and assistance with updating MTC cards.

Both the GGF and FENSA are also hosting a dedicated industry jobs board on their websites.

This is designed to help connect those searching for work with business that are looking for new people. Applicants can create profiles on the system and notifications can be sent to those advertising a position as well as those looking for new work, when suitable jobs are posted.

In other news, Cornwall Group has acquired Birmingham based Forward Glass, said to be the region’s largest independent toughened glass manufacturer and stock holder with a turnover in excess of £10m a year.

Cornwall, which has invested heavily in its predominantly South West based facilities in recent years, has purchased 100% of Forward Glass – with its former owner and MD, Mark Weston Smith, now retiring – giving the group a new, significant foothold to expand operations into the Midlands.

Click here for more details.