Home Editors Comments Page 17
Posted On - 20/09/2017
Glass Times editor Nathan Bushell weighs up confidence and market reports. While Robert Palmer doesn’t win any awards for cheeriness, his predictions for the coming years don’t come as a surprise. Yes, he talks about ‘headwinds’, ‘uncertainty’ and ‘slowdown’, but we’ve seen it coming. Robert also talks about a shift to higher end products by consumers, something that we also...
Posted On - 13/09/2017
Glass Times editor Nathan Bushell writes his comment from Liniar’s open day. Liniar’s new warehouse, showroom (for both machinery and finished product), and training centre stands as a beacon of success in today’s uncertain market. The massive 178,000ft2 building was opened today by Lord Digby Jones, who said it was a “privilege to share in the success” of Liniar. For...
Posted On - 06/09/2017
Glass Times editor Nathan Bushell asks if Lister Trade Frames is he canary in the mine? While its fortunes appear to be better than they were at the end of last week, the fact that the highly regarding Stoke-based Lister Trade Frames was put into administration will have sent shock waves through the industry. Listers is well-known for investing in...
Posted On - 30/08/2017
Glass Times editor Nathan Bushell considers our heritage sector. One of the features in the October issue of Glass Times is heritage, so it was at the front of my mind when I recently visited York for a long weekend. Today, York’s main industry is tourism, thanks to people wanting to witness its rich social, political, cultural and military history,...
Posted On - 23/08/2017
Glass Times editor Nathan Bushell eavesdrops on the online chatter surrounding GM Fundraising’s Paddle2Pedal charity event (from the warmth of his dry office). As I write this (Tuesday evening) 12 ladies from the fenestration industry have just completed day three of mammoth journey involving 100 miles of canoeing down the River Wye (including rapids), abseiling down Symonds Yat, and a...
Posted On - 16/08/2017
Glass Time editor Nathan Bushell asks if the effect of the European vote is starting to bite. I’ve just had a job requoted on my house. For one reason or another we delayed the start of some building work, which meant going back to our chosen builder for a re-quote that turned out to be about 20% higher than it...
Posted On - 08/08/2017
Glass Times editor Nathan Bushell wonders what will be the next big thing. The long-term success of the glass and glazing industry, in my opinion, has a lot to do with trend-spotting, and getting up to speed with new products to meet those trends before the competition has chance to catch up. Colour, flush sashes, composite doors, bi-folding doors, orangeries,...
Posted On - 02/08/2017
The Helix Group – the commercial arm of the GGF – has lost three out of four of its directors in as many months. The news comes as the GGF’s two previous presidents have questioned the actions of the board. Jon Vanstone and Jane McCallion no longer occupy the roles of CEO and COO respectively, and Alan Burgess stepped down...
Posted On - 02/08/2017
Glass Times editor Nathan Bushell looks at how some companies are making the most of opportunities. Confidence is a great thing, and time and time again our industry shows it has bags of the stuff. Despite warnings from the FMB that a third of small building firms say that soaring material prices are squeezing their margins, we have stories this month...
Posted On - 26/07/2017
Glass Times editor Nathan Bushell considers the strengths and weaknesses of the current market. Robert Palmer said that the realities of a hard Brexit are starting to exert an impact on consumer confidence and with it economic growth, which slowed in the first quarter of 2017 to just 0.2% – the weakest in 12 months. “The Office for National Statistics...
Posted On - 19/07/2017
Glass Times editor Nathan Bushell considers how the flames of misinformation can easily get out of control. The smoke following the Grenfell Tower fire lingers in the air long after the flames died away, and the acrid taste will remind everyone involved in the construction industry how poor specification and bad management can result in the loss of life and...
Posted On - 12/07/2017
Glass Times editor Nathan Bushell reflects on an enjoyable day in the sun. The Glass Times Race Day was a fine success at Haydock last week, and it is always a pleasure to spend a day in the company of such esteemed individuals. The way the day is organised – champagne reception, meal, races, late-night bar – means that you...
Posted On - 05/07/2017
Glass Times editor Nathan Bushell looks ahead to this week’s Glass Times Race Day. As I write this, the BBC website is showing either a lightly coloured cloud, or a lightly coloured cloud with a sun peeking out from behind, for tomorrow afternoon at Haydock, which bodes well for the Glass Times Race Day. (I’ll ignore the comment lower down...
Posted On - 28/06/2017
Glass Times editor Nathan Bushell wonders if it’s safe to consider the issue of red tape. In January 2012, the then prime minister David Cameron said he was “waging war against the excessive health and safety culture that has become an albatross around the neck of British businesses”. He also said: “We need to realise, collectively, that we cannot eliminate...
Posted On - 21/06/2017
Glass Times editor Nathan Bushell wonders if the Grenfell Tower fire exposes wider problems in the construction industry. Shock, disbelief and sadness. We all felt these emotions when we woke up to news that a fire had ripped through the Grenfell tower block in west London destroying countless lives in the process. However, these emotions quickly gave way to anger...
Posted On - 14/06/2017
Glass Times editor says promises must not be broken following the general election. SMEs contribute more than half of this country’s GDP, as highlighted by Newview’s Michele Wietscher. Therefore, political uncertainty is the last thing this country needs if we want to maintain any level of market stability and consumer confidence – especially in our industry, where rising inflation and...
Posted On - 07/06/2017
Glass Times editor Nathan Bushell sifts through some of the stories emerging from the FIT Show. There’s a bit of a FIT Show theme to this week’s bulletin. It’s been two weeks since the show took place at the NEC in Birmingham, and the topic still dominates conversations! There’s even a short video for you watch – either to give you...
Posted On - 31/05/2017
Glass Times editor Nathan Bushell looks back at the FIT Show. Last week’s FIT Show was a roaring success, and Glass Times would like to congratulate Matthew Glover, Paul Godwin and the rest of the team for hosting an event that provides a beating heart for the fenestration industry in the UK. I would also like to congratulate them on...
Posted On - 24/05/2017
Glass Times editor Nathan Bushell reflects on the first day of the FIT Show. The first day of the FIT Show 2017 went swimmingly. The quickest route from our hotel was actually through a side door, which meant when I arrived in the morning I walked from the top left (if looking on a floorplan) to the bottom right, where...
Posted On - 17/05/2017
The Glass Times Race Day at Haydock Park is one of the most popular social events in the glass and glazing industry’s hectic social calendar, with tables sold almost a year in advance of the big day, and sponsorship deals hard to come by. Having attended the Race Day for many years, it is clear to me what makes the...
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