GAP celebrates 30 years

General All-purpose Plastics, known as GAP, is celebrating 30 years in business.

The company was formed in 1993 by a close-knit team of friends, led by Simon Bird and Charles Greensmith, and set up its first depot in Accrington, Lancashire, selling PVC-U trims, silicones and fixings to local window and door installers.

The company is said to have flourished in the following years thanks to the double-glazing ‘boom and a growing PVC-U roofline replacement market. Over 85 depots are now operated by the business from Inverness to Southampton.

In addition to a large depot network, the team at GAP has also created some well-known industry brands such as Rockdoor and HomeLine. GAP also manufactured a range of door panels under the Cosmopolitan brand.

Today, even more products are manufactured in-house including a range of aluminium bi-folds, GRP composite doors and PVC-U windows.

Reflecting on the last 30 years, Joint MD’s Simon Bird and Charles Greensmith, have attributed their success to the fantastic team created over the years and to their customers: “When we started GAP we loved the industry, our customers and our fantastic team. 30 years on, those same things we loved, still inspire us when heading to work every morning.

“Of course, a lot has changed in 30 years, as any business operating during these times can testify. We’ve experienced the fantastic highs of natural expansion, acquisitions and new product developments, through to the more difficult periods of recessions, credit crunches and the recent pandemic.

“So, to be able to mark our 30 years, makes us very proud for what our fantastic team has achieved. We’ve learnt a lot along our journey, through good and bad, which has afforded us the insight to make better decisions along the way.

“The company business model might have changed over the last three decades, however the core values that GAP has achieved such success on, will continue to be instilled over the next 30 years.

“We look forward to working with our dedicated team and to encourage our customers to keep coming back to us time after time, through service, innovation and support.”