Opportunity in diversification

Robert Thiroff, managing director of Profine UK and its profile brand Kömmerling, explores the need to seek out new opportunities and explains why it’s all in the preparation.

Market highs and lows are always expected in business, but that does not make them easy to navigate. While each downturn has its own unique set of circumstances, it’s useful to learn from companies that fared well in previous slumps, and from those that did not fare so well.

In a study of almost 3,900 businesses that suffered the Great Recession in the early 2000’s, Bain & Company noted a marked difference between those that had prepared, and those that had not. The businesses that had adapted to the new market outlook continued to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17% during the downturn, while other companies sat at 0%.

What’s more, after the downturn the more successful companies continued to grow at an average of 13% CAGR, while their less fortunate counterparts struggled to get more than 1%. The more successful companies in this study identified new opportunities early and invested in diversifying into these areas before the market started to recover to increase growth potential.

The Profine Group and Kömmerling are already supporting customers with investment and diversification in a growing portfolio of PVC-U, aluminium and hybrid window and door systems as well as a range of building products.

As a global supplier with a long history, we understand the importance of looking ahead and preparing for new trends before they arise. The market is undeniably difficult, but we believe there are still pockets of opportunities for growth and our 2025 UK Vision cements our commitment to delivering solutions for the future today.

Opportunities for growth

Aluminium windows, doors and building products are expected to buck the trend in 2025 which is why we have already invested to acquire experts in this field. EFP International B.V (EFP) specialises in the design, development and production of aluminium systems including windows, doors, sliding windows and doors, skylights, and curtain walling, as well as specialised systems for cladding substructures.

This comprehensive aluminium portfolio perfectly complements our existing range of products, allowing us to expand our offer for existing and new customers. Kömmerling Aluminium will be launching this year with a range of thermally broken window and door systems, alongside several curtain walling solutions.

We also appreciate the increasing importance for customers to stand out in a crowded marketplace, which is why we will also continue to invest in our WarmCore range of aluminium hybrid windows and doors.

We are upping the ante with more sales and marketing support to ensure we are helping customers to raise awareness and continue to build on the brand’s success and popularity. This year also sees the launch of WarmCore 76, a tilt and turn variant for the commercial sector, boasting a recycled core and certified U-value of 1.2/W(m²K) as standard.

Building products and innovations within this sector are also likely to gather interest this year, and Profine UK and Kömmerling are once again prepared to deliver on behalf of our customers. We already have a strong reputation for product excellence in this area with our various sheet solutions but our new premium exterior cladding solution, KömaPan, has just been launched to further expand our offering.

The new KömaPod concept also perfectly demonstrates the extent of our building products portfolio with Kömmerling products making up the entirety of the pod, including flooring, walls, decking, panelling, shower splashback, kitchen cabinets, fence panels and WarmCore glazing. Customers can also look forward to winning sales with our new sustainable decking solution, KömaDek, that also encompasses various balustrading options.

It is easy to hit the pause button on investing in the future when market conditions are difficult, and of course sometimes this is the only course of action available. But cutting back in the wrong places and not preparing for the new landscape can leave you and your customers playing catch up. We are proud to be in such a strong position to support new and existing customers with our significant investment programme and strategic diversification.