Becoming part of the family
Somerset based trade window and door supplier, Trade Frames, have started fabricating the Advance 70 Window and Door System and become part of the Selecta ‘family’. Managing director Keith Matthews, and general manager Paul French, explain the reasons behind the move.
With 30 years of trading under our belt, Trade Frames has grown to become one of the south west’s leading trade window and door suppliers. Our reputation has been built on providing a range of quality products, complemented by a fast and reliable delivery system and good customer service.
To be able to continue to provide our high level of service and quality, we required a window and door profile system and systems supplier. Our previous system supplier of 16 years had been failing on all accounts – from product quality through to service – and this was having a damaging effect on the business; it felt like we were just a number to them, passed from pillar to post with no personal touch to their approach. In the end we could not see a future with them.
With many issues not being resolved, we decided to look for an alternative window and door systems company, and we were quite intrigued by what Selecta and the Advance 70 System had to offer. We were invited by Andy Green, director at Selecta, to visit the Birmingham extrusion and distribution centre, meet the team, and see the whole operation that would be serving us. Selecta opened its doors to us from day one and we were impressed with the warm welcome we received, and the site tour was impressive.
When you’ve been with a supplier for over 16 years, you are very apprehensive about change, but it’s been a revelation and breath of fresh air. So much so, it’s now something we wish we had done earlier.
The transition was smooth and well organised, with little or no disruption to our fabrication, something that we feared at first, but it was handled so well by all involved at Selecta and fitted in nicely with our own operations.
Our fabricators have been impressed with the ease of fabricating the Advance 70 System, with our trade customers very complimentary in regards to the quality of the window and door solutions provided.
What has impressed us most is the personal relationships we have already been able to build with Selecta and the team, the proactive and down to earth approach to building up those relationships, and the promptness of those responses.
We get to speak directly to those who make the decisions, and not wait days or weeks for a reply. The longest I’ve waited is an hour, whereas I was lucky at times to get a response from my previous supplier.
It’s very straightforward with Selecta. They will bend over backwards when they can, but be honest and upfront if they can’t. We like the honest approach – at least you can plan around that.
The whole ethos of Selecta fits perfectly with Trade Frames’ ethos and values. We are really looking forward to a bright and promising future with Selecta, the Advance 70 System and the range of window and door solutions we can offer our trade customers.
The addition of flush sash windows is an exciting prospect in itself, as our previous supplier did not have them as part of its suite of profiles. Our fully fabricated and glazed frames will also benefit from Selecta’s new Link70 Pre-Glazed Frame Connector System, which will provide a fast fix frame connection solution for installers when on site.
We see the partnership with Selecta as one that can go from strength to strength, with expansion plans already well underway.
We are expanding our 23,000ft2 premises, with the addition of new machinery, to set-up a composite and patio door fabrication shop, solely concentrating on manufacturing Selecta’s new composite door kits and Masterslide patio doors. The composite door kits will provide greater opportunities with our trade customers and allow us to have full control over the product leaving our factory, maintain our high standards, while remaining competitive within the market.
All new products will be added to our Trade Frames 24/7 online ordering system, which allows registered trade users to log in, browse through our extensive range of products on offer, choose the style, size and quantity they want – even if it’s a bespoke design – and then retrieve a quote and place an order.
The system offers access to a quick quote and ordering system, anytime of the day or night, on site or in the office. The new window and door solutions will only improve the system further.
The guys at Selecta have delivered on everything they have promised: we now have a relationship with our supplier, something we lost with our previous profile system supplier; we now have a window and door profile system and supplier that meets ours – and our trade customers’ – expectations; and we are so pleased to have made the decision to ‘be part of the family’.
