Posted On - 08/02/2023
By Ben Brocklesby, director at Origin The fenestration industry has faced its fair share of challenges over the last year. From material shortages and supply chain issues to the introduction of more stringent building regulations, we have all had to adapt quickly to meet new demands and overcome issues. In this volatile political and economic climate, there is no doubt...
Posted On - 08/02/2023
Established 25 years ago in Derby by Paul Brighouse, Frame Fast is now said to be one of the largest trade manufacturers in the East Midlands. Glass Times sits down with managing director, Nigel Leivers. Q: How did you get into the glazing industry? Nigel Leivers (NL): When I left school I was all set for a career as a...
Posted On - 08/02/2023
By Gary Dean, managing director of strategic consultancy, The Truffle Pig Consulting Co. My last article of 2022 suggested some ways that might help in developing a strategy for success for your business. In that December article I posed the question, ‘do you know where the profit in your business truly comes from?’ If you did this exercise, you might...
Posted On - 08/02/2023
Jeremy Phillips, group chairman of CDW Systems, says that with a focus on the Future Homes Standard in 2025, and the journey to net zero-carbon by 2050, aluminium will have an even bigger part to play in the fenestration sector. There’s absolutely no doubt we are seeing a shift towards greener, more thermally efficient commercial products. It was bound to...
Posted On - 08/02/2023
Allan Brothers, thought to be the UK’s oldest timber window and door manufacturer, located in Berwick upon Tweed, has scooped ‘Joinery Product Supplier of the Year’ in the 2022 Timber Trades Journal Awards. Glass Times catches up with managing director, Morten Bach Valsted. For a company that has been manufacturing timber products for more than two centuries, winning Joinery Product...
Posted On - 31/01/2023
By Ben Brocklesby, director at Origin Over the last year, global events have led to a rapid increase in wholesale energy prices. Despite initially being protected from any knock-on effect, UK homeowners experienced a 12% rise in the cost of gas and electricity in October 2021. This was followed by an even bigger increase of 54% in April 2022. Despite...
Posted On - 31/01/2023
Steve Winscott, director at Nine Zero, a UK manufacturer of bespoke timber windows and doors, talks about why timber is the most sustainable choice to decarbonise our supply chain. The Government’s Net Zero strategy aims to decarbonise all sectors of the UK economy by 2050. Its ten-point plan for a ‘Green Industrial Revolution’ was set out in 2020 and Point...
Posted On - 31/01/2023
Energy efficiency now underpins most purchasing decisions says Listers MD, Roy Frost. Consumers’ concerns over the energy and cost of living crisis have led to a shift in buying patterns, say commentators, pointing to sales of smart thermostats up by a quarter at retailer John Lewis as an example, along with the growing popularity of onesies, thermals and slippers. Sales...
Posted On - 31/01/2023
The end of the Part L transitional period is looming fast on the horizon with big ramifications for installers who work with housebuilders. New build is competitive. Orders frequently go to the lowest tender. The net result is that lower cost PVC-U and aluminium systems have historically had greatest reach. But five months on from regulatory changes, the realities of...
Posted On - 31/01/2023
Glass Times talks to TWR Group’s MD, Terry Richardson, who explains how the company has stayed ahead of the competition for over two decades. TWR Group has been supplying installers across the UK since 2001. The company started life as a PVC-U fabricator before teaming up with Smarts in 2012 and introducing aluminium bi-folding doors to its product offering, producing...
Posted On - 31/01/2023
Sternfenster’s MD, Mike Parczuk, explains a Gold Investors in People award is a thrilling achievement – but says that there’s more to do. Investors in people is an organisation that encourages businesses to value their people above all else. Typically, they carry out rigorous assessments every three years, accrediting those organisations that can show they are actively making their workplace...
Posted On - 31/01/2023
By Danny Williams, managing director, Pioneer Trading. Along with around 500 other souls from the glazing industry I attended the Glazing Summit. And, overall, what a splendid effort it was. OK, some of the sessions might have been a little predictable, one or two of the guests might have had more to say for themselves and the audience, though given...
Posted On - 31/01/2023
By Ben Brocklesby, director at Origin The phrase ‘it’s a marathon, not a sprint’ rings true in the glazing industry. In fact, for many, it is perhaps more accurate to describe the last few years as somewhat of an obstacle course. A global pandemic, supply shortages and changes to building regulations have all brought new challenges that installers, fabricators and...
Posted On - 31/01/2023
As Inagas celebrates 30 years in the fenestration industry, sales director Chris Kemp looks back with Glass Times at how changing market demands over those years has helped shape the gas filling technology used today. As 2022 draws to a close, we can be forgiven for thinking it was a tough year for business. The changes in Government, the War...
Posted On - 31/01/2023
By Gary Dean, managing director of strategic consultancy, The Truffle Pig Consulting Co. I am guessing that, as the end of 2022 approaches, even the most successful of businesses are thinking about the year ahead with justifiable apprehension – you don’t need me to tell you about the rollercoaster so I won’t, I will try and move your mind on...
Posted On - 31/01/2023
Faisal Hussain, chief executive of the Double Glazing & Conservatory Ombudsman Scheme (DGCOS) calls on manufacturers to stop hiding behind installers when things go wrong. As a leading consumer protection organisation, DGCOS often has the responsibility to tackle the difficult issues that some want to sweep under the carpet. Sadly, a theme that continues to raise its head is that...
Posted On - 30/01/2023
Jon Vanstone talks about the industry’s need to change attitudes towards regulations and accept that best practice is promoted to protect us all, not intended as a headache. There is a lot of bad news around right now – the war in Ukraine continues, political turmoil, and many UK families are facing a crisis over rising energy costs and our...
Posted On - 29/11/2022
The GJB Group acquired Listers five years ago and has since become a text-book example of a successful merger between trade fabricators. Part of this success is a mutual ambition to learn from each other, according to sales director, Rob Waller. Established by Ken Blackman and Gary Bristow, Essex-based GJB Developments & Newbuild was a well-loved local fabricator with a...
Posted On - 29/11/2022
Glass Times catches up with WinRem director, Jake Stephens, who reflects on his experience of forming a partnership with Liniar and becoming a Liniar approved fabricator. The fenestration industry has a complex supply chain, so providing verifiable quality assurances can play a vital role in securing business, both new and repeat. WinRem is a highly versatile fabricator-installer of PVC-U and...
Posted On - 29/11/2022
A year has passed since HWL Windows decided to only manufacture a high-value Residence window, moving away from standard casement windows in the process. This required faith in the company’s skill set, according to director, Graham Howatson. Residence Collection products have always targeted the top end of the market, often positioned as the ‘best’ in a typical ‘good, better, best’ lineup. While manufacturing Residence windows offers a lot of potential, volume...
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