Want to save money on your window manufacturing costs? We talk to Anglo’s managing director, Paul Sullivan, who explains how fabricators could be saving as much as 50% on steel reinforcement prices.

The war in Iran is now having a direct impact on UK fabricators, with many now facing surcharges on PVC-U supply as a consequence of rising oil prices, and at a time when manufacturing costs are already at an all-time high.

That includes additional price increases to glass supply and hardware, not to mention higher operational costs for staff payroll and energy bills – all while consumer confidence is being eroded even further and borrowing becomes more expensive.

While little can be done to alter geopolitical events, it is clear that fabricators must look at ways to further increase efficiencies if they are to successfully navigate this latest series of challenges and ensure they are in the best possible position to take advantage when conditions improve.

According to Paul Sullivan, managing director at Anglo, one of the most effective ways of doing this is to look at how much they are paying for steel reinforcement.

“Despite what their system supplier might say, fabricators do have a choice about where they get their steel from,” says Paul. “They can purchase it from their system’s house, where they will be charged a premium, or they can opt to buy it from an independent supplier such as Anglo.

“If they do the latter, then they will be looking at a minimum saving of 25% compared to their profile supplier, but it could be as much as 50%,” he continues. “As for other independent steel reinforcement suppliers, we’re confident that we can offer between 17-37% in savings.

“Either way, those are significant numbers and for larger manufacturers, who are operating at greater volume, the difference to their bottom line at the end of the month by switching to Anglo, could be substantial.”

For fabricators who may be thinking that paying less for steel reinforcement will inevitably impact on quality or invalidate product warranties on their windows and doors, Paul is quick to point out that in 36 years of business, Anglo has never had to deal with a warranty claim.

“We have 450 customers on our books currently, and many of those have been with us for years,” he says. “Not a single one has ever made a warranty claim, and that’s because the steel we supply is the exact same material, the same grade and with the same coating, that you will receive from a systems company.

“The only difference is that we are a steel specialist, so we have the contacts, know-how and resources to constantly secure the best solutions for our customers. That means they get their steel cheaper and faster. We will even cut it to length for free!”

Paul adds that since returning to the helm of Anglo around 10 months ago he has worked hard to remotivate his friends and colleagues at the business – which he felt had temporarily lost its way during his absence – and to invest heavily to get things ‘back on track’.

That investment has included increasing capacity by 25% with new machinery and roll forming equipment as well as an upgraded fleet.

Staff training has also been earmarked to further enhance customer service and to help improve sales.

“I jumped at the opportunity to get back behind the wheel at Anglo, because honestly, nothing motivates me more than this business,” says Paul. “It’s tough out there for fabricators at the moment, and for the industry as a whole, but I want to offer some reassurance that we are doing everything we can to fight their corner.

“Thanks to our established global networks, we will always be in a position to offer the best price on steel reinforcement, regardless of events that our outside of our control.

“We’re committed to fighting for every penny for our customers because when it comes to steel supply, that’s all we do – and we do it well.”