Hardware & Security Articles
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Hardware stocks are finally returning to normal says Richard Gyde, managing director at Mila. You don’t need to be MD of a UK hardware business to know that this sector of the market has faced immense challenges to keep up with demand since the return to work last May. In fact, the entire supply chain has been creaking under the...
By Giovanni Laporta, Smart Ready. The fenestration industry has seen an enormous increase in sales over the last nine months and I believe this puts it in a strong position to welcome and embrace change as we continue into 2021. For that change to benefit the industry as a whole, we must widen our consideration to include the other businesses...
Throughout one of the most challenging years for UK manufacturing in living memory, Yale explains how it has continually adapted to the changing climate by innovating in both its operations and its product range. 2020 has seen the company further invest in automation at both its Willenhall and Cheltenham sites, and also adapt to the fresh reality by opening up...
Carl F Groupco’s managing director John Crittenden, explains how the company maintained supply despite the difficulties presented by the pandemic during 2020, and pays tribute to the company’s workforce for their exceptional service and ability to find creative solutions. We have always had pride in being considerably more than box shifters, and everyone who works at Carl F Groupco has...
Reflecting on a year that has been dominated by the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic, Carl F Groupco’s managing director John Crittenden highlights its commitment to otif deliveries and customer support. I feel this has been the most difficult period experienced by the industry, primarily because of coronavirus but also because we have the shadow of Brexit hanging over us....
By Richard Gyde, managing director of Mila. Even without the coronavirus pandemic, this is peak season when it comes to importing freight from Asia. Black Friday, Thanksgiving and Christmas combine to drive huge spikes in demand, and logistics businesses across the west also ramp up their orders to cover Chinese new year shutdowns. However, this year there’s something of a...
Manufacturing in the UK reached a record low in April this year due of course to the global pandemic. However, lack of investment and four years of Brexit uncertainty has also taken its toll on the market. Yale explains how it is bucking the trend by sticking to its roots and committing to UK manufacturing in a rapidly evolving industry....
Is it really too much to expect locks to lock and keep out intruders, and door hardware not to pit, peel, discolour or corrode? Brisant CEO Nick Dutton weighs up the options. It’s been said that a front door has two main functions: to invite people in and keep people out. Therefore, its specification should include both the aesthetics to...
Giovanni Laporta, inventor and innovator of Smart Ready, explains why respecting trademarks is vital for businesses’ success. It’s fantastic to see more and more fabricators and installers beginning to promote their Smart offering as they realise its potential as our industry’s next big opportunity. But in light of some recent trademark confusion, I have a word of warning and some...
Richard Gyde, managing director of Mila, explains why suppliers need to do more to help customers cope with demand. I write a regular blog on the Mila website (www.mila.co.uk/blog/). Over the years, it’s become one of the most visited pages on the site, largely I think because I always try to give honest insight and straightforward updates on the business...
By Rapierstar. We’re constantly being told to get used to the ‘new normal’ as we emerge from the Covid-19 lockdown, and in many ways as an industry we have so much to gain from the new ways of working that we have quickly had to adopt. The value of online services, resources and support really came to the fore during...
Simon Monks, managing director at VBH, gives an insight into the company’s decision to stay open for business during the Covid crisis and how product development has benefited as a result Much has been written about how companies have dealt with the issues facing all of us over the last few months. The Covid crisis effectively caused the UK, and...
By Rapierstar. With so many people spending so much more time at home than usual as a result of the coronavirus lockdown, it was inevitable that we’d see a surge in DIY home improvement activity. All those jobs that have been put off for years have finally been started, and some even finished. But what about the things that need...
Sam Nuckey, managing director of Window Ware, outlines the steps the company taking to keep staff safe at work, and gives her thoughts on how the sector has responded to the partial lifting of the lockdown. Thanks to the hard work and dedication of our brilliant team, Window Ware is officially open for business. It’s been a challenging few months,...
Nick Dutton, CEO of Brisant-Secure talks about the true definition of suited when it comes to door furniture ranges. There is also an underlying demand for better, as he goes on to highlight. Brisant-Secure offers a suited hardware system alongside our high security lock, Ultion. When Ultion, the three-star plus, Sold Secure Diamond lock, is fitted with a suited Lock...
Mila’s finance director James Kiernan offers some guidance on one of the biggest concerns following lockdown: finances. The main thing for customers at this stage is to make sure that they have accessed all of the government support available, from the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to business interruption loans and business rate relief grants. These can preserve much-needed working capital...
Eric Collins of Jackloc explains how window restrictors are faring in the current situation. Luckily the team at Jackloc are well at present and safe at home, although we have placed some of our team on furlough leave due to a number of our markets closing under government guidelines. We have set up a WhatsApp group to keep everyone engaged...
By Andy Holland, technical and marketing manager at Rapierstar. Designing and manufacturing fit-for-purpose fasteners that deliver on their promise is a complicated business; from a fastener’s pull-out strength and driveability to its corrosion resistance and structural strength, its design has to tick multiple boxes in terms of performance, otherwise it could be the cause of a door or window failure,...
Glass Times editor Nathan Bushell visited Maco’s head office in Sittingbourne to discover why the company is investing heavily in its UK operations. Maco celebrates its 20-year anniversary in its Sittingbourne-based site this year, which underpins a solid commitment to the UK by the family-owned firm. While Maco boasts a manufacturing heritage that goes back to 1947, when its first...
By Sarah Gyde, marketing director at Mila. When it comes to marketing in our industry, I would argue that nothing beats getting hands-on with our products; fundamentally, most of us are selling ‘stuff’ which customers want to be able to see and feel for themselves before they part with their hard-earned money. Whether that’s trade, retail or commercial customers, even...