By Ian Selby, managing director and co-founder, Timbawood.

The future has been looking quite buoyant for timber window manufacturers. The sector has certainly grown over the past few years and continues to benefit from the industry move from PVC back to timber.

Improvements in manufacturing processes, from tooling systems and processes to adhesives and paints, have all contributed to today’s modern day timber windows being more like high performance engineered products, and this has been recognised by architects, developers and homeowners alike.

Developments in timber such as the use of Accoya have meant that timber windows can now provide impressive performance in terms of both energy efficiency and longevity.

Any dark clouds that are appearing are a result of national and international economic pressures, and we expect a slowing in the sector during the next 12-18 months.

The combination of Covid, Brexit, the Ukraine War and now the cost of living crisis have resulted in all raw materials – from timber and glass to paint and sealant – increasing in price, and an unreliable supply chain has meant very extended lead times in some cases. This has led to challenges in both delivery times and the efficiency of our production lines.

Supply issues also haven’t just affected raw materials – as we have experienced a significant reduction in the availability of skilled labour and have found it difficult to replace lost staff or add new skilled workers.

However, Covid has provided us an opportunity. Throughout the pandemic, we saw an increase in demand for our bespoke timber windows and doors, particularly during the lockdowns, presumably because people being at home meant their focus turned to interior décor and renovation.

So, we are optimistic as we look to the future, with enquiries and sales still strong, while staying alert to potential challenges and making investments in areas such staff training, with four new apprentices on the team.

As a British manufacturer of high value, premium products, we have kept our focus on our specialist area of windows and doors for the listed and conservation sector, where the market is still relatively buoyant.

With the erosion of skilled tradesmen and influx of cheaper products from the continent, there seems to be a lack of other good quality British manufacturers who are able to provide what we do – a complete service for both repair and replacement of heritage windows and doors.

We add value not only through a high-quality product, but also by taking the pressure off our clients with expert technical advice on often very complex projects, and by covering every aspect of the service, from survey and CAD design through to installation.

While our core market and focus is in the listed and conservation sector, we have also experienced increases in demand in the new build market. The trend in both the heritage and new build sectors for improving energy efficiency without compromising on elegant design has helped our business.

As a result of this, we have made some changes and invested in the business over the last few months to capitalise on the increased demand of the last few years. We have expanded our factory space by an additional 2,300ft² manufacturing space, which represents a 20% increase in capacity.

We have also appointed a new production director, Daniel Mehlberg, who brings with him more than 20 years’ experience in the manufacture of bespoke timber windows and doors, with expertise in technical design, process management and quality control.

The appointment of Daniel and the expansion of the factory will allow for smoother production flow, faster delivery times, better quality control and enhanced customer satisfaction.

Although we are optimistic about the future, we can’t afford to be complacent. There are strong signals that the market could be slowing, as we are seeing for example in the last few weeks, with more people getting in touch about the possibility of job vacancies.

And if the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that you never can be quite sure what’s round the corner.