We talk to Gareth Jones, managing director at Solar Calibre Doors, who gives us his outlook for the coming year.

Q: What will the year ahead bring – where will the demand be?

Gareth Jones (GJ): We are living in very unpredictable and volatile times, so any attempt to forecast demand is difficult. We know disposable income will be squeezed, through a combination of increased taxation and interest rates, as well as the huge increase in energy costs. It is only logical then that consumer confidence, followed by demand, will fall.

I believe the impact will be quite sharp, given the heights of demand we have seen over the past 18 months but hopefully it will be short lived and the economy will fall back into a more settled rhythm.

Q: Has the volume gone out of the market, is it cooling down?

GJ: As always there are mixed messages. Some are commenting that they have been witnessing a slow down since early December, whereas others are suggesting their order books are full, looking ahead past Easter. However, I have noticed that lead times have generally fallen which is probably a combination of demand levelling off and the supply chain stabilising.

Q: Will the market for high end products remain?

GJ: Both the high end and entry level will see a reduction in demand, which is inevitable due to the economic factors previously mentioned. However, as we know, the demographic that would be targeted for the sale of high-end products is less likely to be impacted.

Another important factor is that, over a number of years, the high-end sector has grown, as consumers have become more discerning over their home improvement choices, strengthening further this end of the market.

Q: Do you think the supply chain will remain problematic?

GJ: I expect it to improve through the softening of demand and counter measures to improve the supply chain. However certain factors are still prevalent, such as rising costs, scarcity of skilled labour and international trading conditions. It is therefore important to set clear objectives and provide accurate forecasts – working closely with key suppliers has never been so critical.

Q: What are your aims for this year?

GJ: The three companies that operate out of the Huthwaite site are diverse, which is ideal in an uncertain market as we do not have all our eggs in one basket. We are also still emerging from the acquisition of Aperture Trading.

Although this was 18 months ago, it was obviously a challenge, firstly to stabilise a business, secondly to create a new approach and thirdly, to look to expand.

On the Solar Calibre side of the business, we are looking to grow market share. We have an excellent range of products which enables us to meet the market requirements, however they should change over the coming year.

Solar Norvik is a very sound business, building on the back of excellent customer service which is recognised by our new build developer customers. Again, whatever happens with the market conditions, we know that the housing shortage will keep the new build market buoyant. That said, I would expect cost pressures to come in to play if the wider economy starts to falter.

Our remaining business is Taylor Manufacturing which carries out all the subcontract work for Profine’s (Kömmerling) fabricated product offer – the Evolve VS and patio as well as Warmcore. We do expect to see continued growth in volume, particularly on the Warmcore product, spurred by the forthcoming changes in the building regulations.

You manufacture timber, aluminium and PVC products – which would you say is the most sustainable?

GJ: People have different views on the sustainability of products. In my view timber is a completely sustainable product but with the huge advance in technology we can also promote the recyclability credentials of PVC.

In addition, the products we manufacture are all aimed at improving the energy efficiency of the home, so not only are we supporting environmental change in reducing energy consumption but we are doing so on the back of sustainable products.

Q: What products are you showing at the FIT Show?

GJ: We will exhibiting under the Solar Calibre name and therefore the focus will be on our composite door offer. We manufacture GRP and timber and produce and supply fire rated doors. We may also showcase some exceptional products to gain reaction and feedback from the market. We have undertaken certain product developments and invested in our customer ordering portal so these will feature too.