Preparing for change

Glass Times editor reports on the latest news to come from the GGF.

Two stories landed in my inbox this week, both of which concern the GGF.

The first was about a £50,000 government fund that the federation had received to help companies in the glass, glazing and fenestration industries tackle the effects of Brexit.

It is part of £10.1 million fund set up to help 124 business organisations prepare the firms they represent for the UK’s departure from the European Union. At the time of writing, this was due to be October, 31, but that may have been delayed.

The funding will include issuing GGF members, Fensa and BFRC companies with an information brochure with key information on across many of the areas that could be affected as the UK withdraws from the European Union.

My first thought was that £50,000 doesn’t sound like a great deal, and with this news breaking on October 22, just nine days until Brexit day, it feels a bit last minute.

The second news story was about how GGFi, the specialist insurance provider to the UK glass and glazing industry, which was created by the Glass and Glazing Federation in 2005, will now be known as Installsure.

Although Installsure will maintain close links with the GGF and Fensa, the rebrand is designed to further enhance its position as an insurance-backed guarantee (IBG) market leader and facilitate the development of a range of new insurance products for installation companies of all sizes serving both domestic and commercial markets. The repositioning is also expected to extend the reach of the company.

Installsure will continue to offer the established range of domestic and commercial IBGs, performance bonds, and a range of corporate policies including employer, public and contract works liability, professional indemnity and non-domestic property insurance. All policies issued through GGFi will remain in place and unaltered.

It was felt that a new brand was needed to reflect the “large strides” the company had made.

Since GGFi is part of the commercial arm of the GGF, and is therefore able to extend its reach beyond the narrow confines of the GGF membership, it makes sense for it to drop the GGF-related moniker. In fact, one wonders why it hasn’t been done before now.

More news on both of these developments will no doubt follow in the coming weeks and months.