Trade counteraction
Brian Webb, business development manager at Fenster Fabrications, discusses the company’s support package and why the southwest-based fabricator can help installers take the next step for their business.
There’s been a lot of change in the industry over the years. Perhaps one of the biggest in recent times has been the growth of trade counters. Super popular with one-van fitting companies, local builders and small, one team installers, they’ve opened doors of opportunity for installers.
A larger variety of products, convenience and a good level of technical support has given these small businesses a brilliant opportunity to take advantage of different markets to grow.
The buoyant aluminium market has helped this too. In the busy home improvement market, more trade counters have added aluminium windows and doors to their range. In turn, more installers have added aluminium to their offering to get their piece of the bifold door, sliding door and heritage-style glazing trends.
The result? Lots of small installers growing their businesses and getting to the point where they need to add new fitting teams.
It works fantastically, up until installers start to outgrow their trade counter suppliers. More teams and more vans mean more jobs and more products. It often means that trade counter depots are bulging with windows and doors yet to be collected by installers. Installers know that they need to take the next step for their business but can’t quite make the leap, simply because they don’t know where their support will come from.
That’s where the real value of commitment, service and support from direct suppliers starts to become really important to installation businesses.
It’s easy enough for fabricators to talk about installer support, but the real magic comes from talking to installers direct to find out exactly what they need to be able to take that step.
Product range is important, because they are used to offering real variety to end-users. As they grow, and take on more jobs, quality becomes even more important. Fewer call backs for small installers means better profits for them.
Installers also want access to plenty of collateral, sales, marketing support and samples. It’s especially important if they don’t have premises or a showroom. It means that they’re selling in the home and that’s where fantastic literature and impressive samples can really make the difference for consumers.
Essentially, they need to buy direct from a fabricator that gives them all the benefits of their existing supplier, with the added extras of dedicated support, technical know-how and a good, honest, reliable fabricator.
At our state-of-the-art factory in Devon, we manufacture superb aluminium products to help installers win some incredible projects that really boost profit margins. It’s the perfect opportunity for installers who are just outgrowing their local trade counter. We have worked hard to build honest, reliable service and support that gives installers just what they need to take the leap to buying direct.
Our sales and marketing support pack gives them just what they need to show customers all of their options, and our customer support team in the office is dedicated to helping installers choose the right product for the project. Add to that the technical knowledge that’s freely available and the Fenster service, and you’ve got yourself a great package for any growing installation company.
It’s all about making life that bit easier for installation companies. We understand that growing a business comes with hurdles and that’s why we’re here to make the next jump as easy as possible.