Securing a competitive colour advantage

Stocked colours on a five-day lead time and an in-house powder coating plant are just two examples of how Stellar Aluminium gives fabricators a competitive advantage. Jon Foulds, key account manager for Stellar Aluminium Systems explains more.

In a market where lead times are tightening and customer expectations are rising, the ability to offer speed without compromising on quality is a powerful differentiator. At Stellar, we’ve built our aluminium window and door system around this very principle. Every element has been carefully developed to help fabricators streamline production, reduce friction in the supply chain and stand out from the competition.

Colour is a standout example. Unlike many aluminium system houses, we operate our own in-house powder coating plant, giving us complete control over product quality and turnaround times. Our stocked colours including anthracite grey matt, signal white matt and jet black matt are available on a five-day lead time.

In 2024, these three finishes alone accounted for over 80% of our aluminium colour sales, meaning Stellar customers benefit from fast lead times comparable to those in the PVC-U sector. It’s a shift in aluminium window and door profile supply that’s transforming expectations across the industry.

Stellar fabricator, Tempo Aluminium, has seen the benefit firsthand. “Operational efficiency is critical in any business,” says office manager, Andrew Curtis. “Thanks to Stellar’s quick and reliable turnaround, including coloured profiles, we’ve been able to reduce our service times to a highly competitive two to three weeks. That’s a real game-changer for our customers, especially in today’s fast-paced construction environment.”

Beyond our stocked range, we also offer a full suite of RAL colours and textured finishes on highly competitive lead times. Because our powder coating plant is fully integrated into our Telford facility, we’re able to meet bespoke design specifications while still maintaining consistent production timelines.

Furthermore, our looped track powder coating system ensures maximum throughput and flawless consistency. Every profile is finished to marine-grade quality, with a 60-micron minimum thickness that meets the enhanced Qualicoat Seaside standard, an accreditation held by fewer than 20 UK companies. That level of specification adds real, visible value to every installation.

Importantly, we coat every profile before rolling. This eliminates the risk of overspray on the polyamide that can often occur when profiles are coated by third-party suppliers. The result is a consistently high-quality finish that defines Stellar Aluminium and sets it apart in the market.

But colour is just one part of the Stellar advantage. We’ve taken the same approach to streamlining fabrication and installation. Stellar profiles are supplied pre-gasketed, cutting fabrication times by up to 20%. The gaskets themselves are designed for durability with no shrinkage or overstretching over time, giving installers confidence during fitting and delivering a consistently high-end finish.

Glazing is equally straightforward. As the first aluminium systems house to introduce knock-in beads across the full window and door range, this makes the glazing process faster, easier and more reliable. Stellar’s design intelligence continues through to installation, where features including vertical and horizontal adjustment on the Stellar Slimline bi-fold door help installers deliver a better finish in less time.

Our hardware offering is another standout. From the Premium Stellar bi-fold door handle to the Contemporary inline sliding door handle, every component has been designed with style and performance in mind. And thanks to Safeware, our inhouse division, all hardware is available on next-day delivery, backed by an On Time in Full rate of over 98%.

Additionally, we also have the industry-first combination of the Stellar Heritage Aluminium Window and Yale SensCheck, a combination that fuses traditional aesthetics and the latest in smart home technology. It’s a powerful upselling opportunity for our customers, adding real value without compromising on style or performance.

These innovations are underpinned by a fully accredited system. Stellar is a complete whole-house aluminium window and door solution that meets PAS24:2022 and Part L requirements as standard. This makes it ideally suited to everything from fast-paced new build developments to high-specified refurbishment projects, offering reassurance and compliance for trade installers, contract managers and consumers.

For fabricators looking to stay ahead, protect their margins and deliver excellence as standard, partnering with Stellar Aluminium is a smarter, more efficient way to do business.