The word ‘innovation’ is a popular one in the glazing industry press. But how often is it used to describe products and services that are genuinely innovative or game changing, when they are really just ‘new’?

Our lead story this week raises the topic of innovation – or rather the lack of it – in the UK industry. In an open letter, Ryan Breslin, the managing director of installation company, Cherwell Windows, has said that he often struggles to supply his customers with the products they want, from the UK.

Ryan refers to his own ‘Grand Designs’ project which is packed full of windows and doors from Germany and Austria. And according to Ryan, the absence of innovation is not just at the premium end of the market, it’s a problem in the mid-markets too.

Whether you agree with Ryan or not, I would be very interested to hear your thoughts – you can email me at [email protected]

In other news, to mark National Apprenticeship Week, today’s newsletter includes comment from Wayne Hunter, operations manager at Emmegi, on the company’s commitment to apprenticeships as a way out of the skills crisis impacting the machinery sector – plus we have a story from the Glazerite UK Group, highlighting the success of two employees that have been through the fabricator’s apprentice programme.