Frame Fast will be hosting an open day for customers on Friday, 25 October, an event that’s designed to highlight the company’s status as a leading one-stop-shop for high quality PVC and aluminium products, and to introduce its new Kubu smart offer. Glass Times editor, Luke Wood, visits the Derby based fabricator, to find out more.

Frame Fast, which was established in 1997, has grown significantly over the years to the point where it is now said to be the region’s largest trade manufacturer.

That status is due to a considerable investment into the business, consistently high standards in quality control and service, the ability to produce glass in-house and a dedicated aluminium production line to support its Eurocell PVC range.

It has also built up a strong reputation as a supplier into the new build market to support its trade offer, an area of the business that Nigel Leivers, managing director, is keen to develop further.

“We started out as retail business, but new build now accounts for around 40% of our work,” he says. “We’d like to see that increase in the future and the big investments that we’ve made in production capacity in recent years, means that we can accommodate greater volume of frames in the factory, while maintaining the high levels of quality that we’re known for.”

Frame Fast has invested more than £1.5million in the past two years alone on machinery, but Nigel is also keen to point out that its people are still at the heart of the business.

“Automation and technology is a vital part of modern manufacturing of course, but we still value our highly skilled team to operate that machinery, and to thoroughly check the quality of the product before it is allowed to leave the factory doors,” he says.

“And that doesn’t just apply to the people on the factory floor, we have a wealth of experience throughout the business, staff that have collectively amassed countless years of experience in the industry,” continues Nigel.

“That includes the team in the office and trade counter staff who can advise on products for specific projects, help create CAD drawings and provide fast quotations – it’s this level of helpful and friendly support that is one of the key reasons that our customers keep on coming back to us.”

One of the other big attractions for Frame Fast’s customer base is the fact that they can get everything they need from one place. That helps to save valuable time, reduces admin and vastly reduces the potential for costly mistakes when ordering from multiple suppliers.

In addition to improved operational efficiencies, customers can also benefit from a reduction in costs, on deliveries and collections but also on product price once you apply an economy of scale.

It’s a bundle of benefits that can add up to a significant competitive advantage, giving customers a keen edge during a period where they might need additional support to win sales and grow their business.

“We’re a long term Eurocell fabricator, that gives us access to a comprehensive range of high performance PVC windows, doors, conservatory roofs and lanterns, and our Smart aluminium portfolio means we can also cater for growing demand for aluminium – including the increasingly popular heritage steel style products,” says Nigel.

“We’ll be looking forward to demonstrating all our product ranges at our forthcoming customer day, how they come together in the factory and how they look in situ thanks to our two, fully kitted out showrooms.

“And we’ll also be introducing our latest investment with our new Kubu smart security offer, which means that – going forward – all our frames will be manufactured to accept Kubu smart technology,” he adds. “Smart security is a growing market, and we believe we have invested in the very best solution to help our customers take full advantage of it.”