Let the good times roll
It has been a great start to 2023 for aluminium specialist, TWR Group. Glass Times talks to the company’s director, Laura Richardson, about how things are going and what the future holds.
Glass Times (GT): Laura, how has the start to the year been for TWR Group?
Laura Richardson (LR): It has been fantastic. Despite the slight drop off due to things slowing down a little, we are still seeing our enquiry levels fluctuating between the same level when compared to pre-Covid or slightly higher.
Investing in a new IGU line to make our own glass units with Planitherm glass and Thermoseal warm edge has helped too, giving us a greater control over our supply chain and quality and we are currently making around 450 units a week.
It has allowed us to fabricate the whole window on-site and manufacture faster, making things much quicker and easier for customers.
AluSpace has also had a strong start to the year. We introduced it to our range toward the end of 2022 and the interior steel-look door and screening system is proving popular with our customers.
GT: Why do you think AluSpace has proved so popular?
LR: Despite being an exterior system, many of our existing customers have been using Smart’s Aliterm Heritage products internally and AluSpace is the perfect internal alternative.
Its traditional industrial steel style is very sought after and on trend with consumers and it is perfect for commercial environments, offices, homes and old industrial buildings that are being converted into apartments.
AluSpace also delivers fantastic value and perfectly complements our aluminium window and door ranges, which is also another tick in the box for customers. Being able to now offer AluSpace and Heritage means we can offer customers the best solution for internal and exterior. It has proved a great decision and has really helped to meet an increasing demand.
GT: TWR group is best known for bi-folds. Are aluminium bi-fold doors still proving popular?
LR: Aluminium bi-fold doors have always been an aspirational product for homeowners and they are increasingly looking at them as a sure-fire way to improve their home.
Our range, including the Smarts Visofold 1000 bi-fold and an aluminium bi-fold made with the Cortizo system, continues to be popular with installers as homeowners want bi-fold doors that offer durability, low maintenance and slim sightlines, as well as energy efficiency and our bi-folds are among the best-insulated products on the market.
While lower income homeowners may look to stop spending on home improvements due to the economy, higher earners will continue to invest in their homes and bi-fold doors will continue to be a product they turn to.
GT: How do you see the rest of 2023 panning out for TWR Group?
LR: Homeowners currently want products that offer a stylish and contemporary look, so we are expecting aspirational products such as bi-fold doors and AluSpace to continue to prove popular with our customers for the rest of the year.
On the one hand, while lower-income households might be put off spending due to the cost of living, with mortgage rates showing no signs of lowering, then more homeowners may invest in their homes rather than move.
With these products providing bigger profit margins for installers, we could see more installers turning to aluminium bi-folds and AluSpace so they are not missing out.
Thanks to our high levels of service and technical support when it comes to bi-folds, we are perfectly placed to help installers move into aluminium and remain competitive.
We will continue to invest in our capability across the business to make sure we are quicker and more efficient for customers and their ever-changing needs.