Jade keeps moving on

Jade, the window and door industry’s de facto tool supplier, has moved to larger premises. The new 30,00ft² factory headquarters may be only 500m down the road from the previous locations on the same Coventry industrial estate, but it represents one giant leap for the company.

“Moving our operations any distance at all was never exactly going to be just one small step,” said co-owner Sean Mackey. “But while we remain in the same postcode geographically, the move is a culmination of our recent £4m investment, which has included a company restructure, hiring drive and a re-evaluation of our brand and mission as part of our commitment to put significant growth plans into place. Our core ethos however, remains the same: working closely with our fabricator partners to deliver practical, bespoke solutions to their production and machining challenges.”

Alongside the move, one of the biggest changes at Jade has been the recruitment of new managing director Gareth Davies. Sean and Adam (Jones), while still very involved owners, are stepping back from the day-to-day running of Jade’s operations.

“We’re still very much involved but our focus will be on building relationships with customers, deepening our expertise of both the full PVC-U and aluminium fabrication processes so we can better understand our clients’ needs and develop long-lasting solutions,” explained Sean. “As all our clients know, we love nothing more than a challenge, so we can’t wait.”

Gareth took over the helm as MD a few months ago, tasked with driving the business to the next level to take Jade from being an owner managed small business to a more process driven SME geared for significant growth. For Gareth, the move is a career pivot into a new industry, but one that he sees as coming at the right time for both himself and Jade:.

“My background may not be doors and windows, but I do specialise in complex systems,” he said. “This skill came into its own when one of my first jobs was to oversee our move into the new premises, shifting our entire production 500m down the road.

“I’ve also been quickly getting to grips with the technicalities of the industry, which has been far less daunting than it could have been thanks to the wealth of expertise I have on tap in the team. Plus, there’s nothing like seeing a Star Sx-38 sliding head lathe you’ve commissioned being delivered and put into action to make you feel like one of the gang!”

Gareth is referring to Jade’s recent purchase of one of the highest specification models in the Star machine range, which is already in operation at the new premises, enhancing productivity while freeing up capacity on several other machines, as well as enabling the company to explore new opportunities.

Gareth said: “Jade is of course so well established in the fenestration industry, particularly in PVC-U. It blew my mind to realise that the vast majority of PVC-U window and door frames manufactured and installed in the UK in the past 10 years will have been produced using tooling manufactured and supplied by Jade, along with most of the aluminium systems, too.

“But there is also much more potential, where our own meticulous brand of engineering creativity can make a significant impact. So, we want to make sure manufacturers have a clear understanding of our tooling and machinery solutions, and that our delivery matches the messaging.”

Jade’s divisions include tooling, machines and Jade Consult, which is the fastest-growing part of the company.

Gareth explained: “Our clients come to us because they know we have the expertise and experience to resolve window fabrication issues, and as part of that we’re frequently asked to evaluate, specify and commission whole integrated production lines for fabricators as well as advise on specifics such as bottle necks and other problems.

“Jade Consult helps fabricators make the most of their capital investments and gives them the benefit of Jade’s expertise from the off, so we can offer advice before the purchase of new equipment rather than clients calling us with problems after the event.”

For the year ahead and beyond, Jade’s vision is clear: to provide fabricators with solutions to manufacturing issues and improvements along the whole product life cycle, helping them develop a greater competitive advantage through improved quality and efficiencies using bespoke solutions that integrate tech and product developments, and so future-proof their business.

“We’re so much more than a simple service provider,” said Gareth. “To our partners, we’re an integral part of their supply chain. So it’s only right that we continue to measure our success by that of our partners.”