How to add value to glass

As continued price increases and energy surcharges threaten to squeeze profit margins, we ask joint managing director of Mackenzie Glass, Matt Prowse, the lengths they go to help customers add value.

Joint managing director of Mackenzie Glass, Matt Prowse, typically spends most of his time with customers discussing new products and opportunities.

But since he is increasingly dedicating time to making sure his containers of glass pass through the sea ports as swiftly as possible, does the job title ‘glass importer’ suit him?

“I’ve never really considered it,” Matt laughs. “It’s just one of the many hoops we jump through to make sure that we supply exactly what our customers ask for.

“We buy the bulk of our glass products from UK suppliers where we can, but trends are changing all the time, and sometimes we literally have to go a bit further to get what our customers need. At the moment, I’ve got orders coming in from Turkey, China and Italy.”

Matt says that glass processors in the UK are increasingly demanding products that make them stand apart from their competitors. As the margins in glass are being squeezed throughout the supply chain, companies are looking to develop product ranges that help add value to the bottom line.

“Our response has never been to say no if people ask for something we haven’t got,” Matt says. “For example, one customer approached us for 6mm low-iron double-satin glass. It was for a specific furniture project, and the customer knew exactly what they wanted. But they had been turned down by everyone else. In fact, it actually took us multiple attempts to find the right product.

“But this is typical now: people want value-added products, not mainstream.”

Mackenzie Glass’s mirror glass range in particular has new lines being added to it almost constantly.

“We’ve got six different types of antique glass now,” Matt says. “These sit alongside our coloured mirrored glass, including our new purple offering.

“We recently took an order for 400m² of 6mm pink mirror glass, and 400m² of blue mirror glass for a high-end hotel project. So, it’s clearly a growing trend, and we are one of the very few merchants who stock it.

“In fact, we get customers driving to see us in Bristol from Newcastle, Manchester and Liverpool to pick up products they can’t source from elsewhere.”

Pilkington’s first Regional Partner, merchant Mackenzie Glass stocks over 130,000m² of stock, which consists of approximately 200 glass types that help customers add value within their businesses. It adds further value by cutting to size, drilling, bevelling, and even toughening on request.

Recently, Mackenzie Glass installed a new cutting line, which will enhance storage options, improve cutting times, and future-proof the business for the next decade.

“Representing a six-figure investment, the new Bottero cutting line, which is capable of processing float glass from 3mm through to 19mm, will reduce the lead time on all specialist products and smaller orders, while improving accuracy,” Matt says.

The cutting line includes: a 630CBM-R automatic loading machine; a 343BCS-R automatic float glass cutting table; and a 103BBM-R air floatation breakout table.

Other recent investment includes a second fire-glass saw, to be installed in October, which reflects the growing demand for cut-to-size fire glass for specific projects, and a new beveller and flat-bed washer.

“Glass companies are looking to diversify, and suppliers need to be agile to meet their needs,” Matt says. “That’s why we will go out of our way to source the products our customers ask for.

“And if there is one thing I love about this company, it is the product range. Yes, we make it easy for smaller glass processing companies access a broad and exciting range, but the glass available at Mackenzie Glass is there because we know it is exactly what our customers want, and we’ve gone out to find it – sometimes to the other side of the world!”