… And other daft promotions that never took place! Apex Double Glazing outlines a winning formula for being one of the longest established window companies on the Romford High Road, despite not doing any gimmicky marketing promotions.

Driving along the section of the A118 that makes up High Road in Romford, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the window industry is booming and there is plenty of work around.

“Every second shop is either a fried chicken outlet, or is selling double glazing,” half joked Gaurav Singh, owner of Apex Double Glazing, which has been operating in the area for more than 15 years now. “We’ve seen them come, and we’ve seen them go, but it is our longevity and stability which has given us a steady stream of customers through good times and bad, without needing to spend a penny on marketing!

“The cowboys who have come and quickly gone over the years have done us a real favour – their intransigence has only emphasised our longevity and position within the community,” continued Gaurav. “In turn this has contributed to a robust and consistent pipeline of customers who have contributed to the word of mouth recommendations that have spread our name across the streets of Romford and beyond.”

Gaurav is a true professional when it comes to windows and doors, and looks back on his quarter of a century in the industry with pride in what he has learnt and achieved over the years. Having honed his trade at the Romford Crystal Windows, he worked his way through every aspect of the trade, from the factory floor to the site visits, applying the same sense of meticulous care and the desire to perform the best job ever for the customer.

He has continued to craft this same approach into Apex, which he has been running since 2002.

It is this attention to detail which initially bought Gerda Doors to his attention. While fitting a healthy quantity of composite doors, Gaurav identified a growing interest in sourcing a front door product that offered that little bit extra in terms of security and thermal performance. Customers, he says, were getting more informed on the U-value features of the doors, driven by increasing energy costs and a growing awareness of energy inefficiencies being highlighted in the home.

The Gerda brand was originally founded in Poland in 1987, and has brought a range of quality steel and aluminium doors to the UK market – Optima, Thermo Premium, Thermo Prime and Altus.

With energy efficiency performance from as low as 0.74 W/m²K, the Gerda range is one of the most thermally efficient entrance doors of any type available on the market.

“When compared side by side, the differences between the composites and the Gerda doors are stark, even to the untrained eye. Homeowners can immediately see the upgrades in terms of security, durability and overall aesthetics,” continues Gaurav.

“There is a price differentiation that also sets it apart, but many of our customers are pleasantly surprised when they hear that differentiation is actually lower than they might have imagined.”

Apex Double Glazing is a company that stands proudly on its own two feet, and is well placed to ride out whatever the coming years might bring. Having dedicated years of long working days and often seven day weeks into building the business, Gaurav and Usha feel they can sit back and enjoy the aspects of the industry that they love without the need to hustle every day.

In many ways the Gerda door represents where we have reached in our professional lives,” concluded Gaurav. “Superbly engineered, will never twist or warp no matter what the climate, and you can rely on its performance and integrity. We’ve earned the ability to enjoy what we love most about the industry, and we know that Gerda will allow us to continue in that comfort.”