Experts in aluminium
By John Park-Davies, group managing director of Allumette.
As group MD of Allumette I have privileged insight into the architectural aluminium industry – from the price of raw material to the demands of global construction companies, manufacturers, developers and architects. No two days are the same.
This insight is backed by more than 85 years’ experience. Vertik-Al will celebrate 60 years in the metal finishings business, while Ikon Aluminium Systems will soon mark its 25th anniversary. I too celebrate 40 years in the construction industry, this year – all valuable experience in a rapidly evolving sector.
The aluminium market has gained new entrants in recent years, and, as result, price has become one of the main drivers for securing sales. Historically, PVC-U has been priced at the lower end, while aluminium commanded premium rates and it was revered for quality, sustainability, and versatility, etc.
With a growing market and the migration from PVC-U to aluminium, some may be losing sight of what’s important when it comes to procuring aluminium products, especially those manufactured and coated in Britain.
There are customers who greatly value experience and expertise, but for those new to the area, we’re always promoting our USPs: quality, value, and speed, all attributable to both Vertik-Al and Ikon.
We are often asked how can you create exceptional products that demonstrate market leading quality, value, and lead times? The answer is flexibility; we design, extrude, fabricate and coat everything here in the UK.
Ikon has one of the widest ranges of fixed ventilation louvre products in the UK. With five standard outer frames and numerous custom modifications available, the Ikon range offers hundreds of variants and is a BSI registered firm.
The IKL33 click and fit products are not complex, they’re rapid to make, quick to coat, and simple to mesh with the added advantage of being able to replace any site damaged blades, if required.
Ikon is also the only UK manufacturer to offer a suite of aluminium PAS 24:2016 certified products to include outward-opening single and double aluminium louvre doorsets and a very robust fully welded aluminium enhanced security louvre system, our IKL50 PAS 24.
Ikon’s unique market leading position with its capability to manufacture, coat and dispatch standard louvres in standard RAL colours, in around one to two weeks, makes it the louvre manufacturer of choice for those requiring a seasoned and professional supply chain partner.
Leading the way
Vertik-Al’s history can be traced back to 1966 as the pioneer in aluminium powder coating. We were the first UK company to apply powder to aluminium, and we are home to the country’s first vertical powder coating line.
Today, we have many contemporaries, we retain market share by delivering quality, value and speed. We do this through experience, knowledge and strategic investment – in recent years, we’ve added a new vertical powder coating booth, installed two Magic Compact horizontal powder coating plants and upgraded an existing horizontal line; we maintain our position as both a Qualicoat-certified and GSB International-assured coating applicator through regular audits, and, above all else, we exceed expectations.
In a 24-hour period, we receive or collect circa10,000 items for powder coating. Each item is planned scheduled, offloaded, pre-treated, hung, coated, rolled, quality checked, packed, and dispatched. That happens every day, on-time, in full, and every coating complies with BS EN 12206-1. Vertik-Al is also a BSI registered firm.
Get in touch to benefit from our experience and build your business on our ability.
