Strength in numbers

We talk to aluplast’s director of sales and marketing, Ian Cocken, about the company’s new state of the art manufacturing hub. A facility so large it has the potential to house 100 new extrusion lines.

“The pandemic has been a hugely challenging period for the industry but we should be clear that we have some way to go before we return to anything that resembles normal market conditions,” says Ian Cocken, Director of Sales and Marketing, aluplast.

“Raw material prices are still increasing, PVC resin supply is still precarious and energy surcharges are creating further disruption. Demand for home improvements remains relatively strong, but the boom cannot last forever with enquiry levels already starting to cool in the latter half of 2021.

“If we can expect tougher trading conditions in 2022, then quality of product, service and supply will be more important than ever. Our new production facility, which is due to come online in the summer of 2022, will further enhance our ability to deliver on all those fronts.”

aluplast has significantly expanded its market share over the last two years. The introduction of its flush casement and its Smart-Slide patio door offer have meant that customers have been well placed to cater for increasing consumer appetite for higher value products, while the strength of its manufacturing resource has been key in maintaining supply of its core offer.

Significant investment in foiling lines and in advanced foiling technology means aluplast can process over 90,000m of foiled profile every day. It’s colour offer extends to 40 different finishes, including the next generation woodec and aludec options and it has also been able to sustain high levels of stock options throughout the pandemic – giving its customers a big advantage in servicing growing demand for colour.

“We have not been immune, we’ve been exposed to the same problems as everyone else during the pandemic, it’s just that the scale of our operations means that we have been better equipped to deal with them,” explains Cocken.

“We’ve been able to continue our lines of supply, despite the shortages of raw materials in the marketplace, we’ve kept surcharges to an absolute minimum in comparison to other system houses, and while we’ve introduced longer lead times on bespoke foils, our standard options have remained available ‘off the shelf’.

“We’ve invested massively in production facilities and in foiling technology over the years – and we’ve committed to further expanding this capacity with the introduction of a new factory, that is due to come online later this year,” he continues.

aluplast’s new factory, which will service its growing UK and Ireland customer base as well as Europe, is currently under construction on an expansive 15-hectare site in Nagradowice, Poland.

Representing an investment of around £26m, it will include a state-of-the-art production hall, a raw material mixing plant, technical facilities and a dedicated R&D department.

The new site already features a 183,000ft² warehouse, which was completed at the end of 2019 and has been in use for over a year. When fully commissioned, aluplast’s new factory will be large enough to house up to 100 extrusion lines, doubling its already extensive manufacturing capacity.

“We are a global company, we extrude profile on five continents – the sheer size of our new factory is a reflection of the strength of our resources,” says Cocken. “But while the scale of our operations is undoubtedly an advantage, so too is the fact that we remain a family-owned company.

“That means that, unlike some of our competitors, we don’t answer to investors, we are in control of our destiny and we have a long term outlook.

“Fabricators in the UK and Ireland have had a tough time over the last couple of years, and that’s with the ‘benefit’ of high demand,” he concludes. “If that demand starts to slow in 2022, it will put added pressure on suppliers that are already sensitive to volume and price.

“Our customers can look ahead to the coming year, to potential new challenges and they know that we have the strength in supply and product to support them. Does your supplier give you the same level of confidence…?”