New opportunities
Aluplast’s director of sales and marketing, Ian Cocken, explains why attention to detail matters, and why we shouldn’t rule ourselves out of lucrative new opportunities.
As homeowners’ expectations of the window and door industry develops, and they expect more authentic detailing in their products, the role of systems supplier becomes ever more crucial.
First, fabricators need access to systems that meet the demand for on-trend styles and detailing, but they also need the support to meet that expectation. For example, they need to work with reasonably priced systems that aren’t difficult to fabricate.
Traditional features
The volume market for windows and doors is showing little sign of significant growth before the year end, which is driving many more companies to target the higher value market. This includes the heritage sector, or properties that demand traditional features – ie, not PVC-U windows (typically white) with a 45-degree weld.
While the margins in this sector are clearly attractive, they can come at something of a cost.
Since this is not a volume sector, homeowners expect detail that elevates their home improvement project above that of similar renovations, especially if their home is in an area with design restrictions.
Some profile designs are expensive, and others require methods of fabrication that use specialist machinery or patented techniques. Should window fabricators invest heavily in a market sector they have no experience in, with the aim of either bringing their customers with them or targeting new retail outlets?
Companies are definitely investing in this sector, but they don’t need to sacrifice their hard-won profits to do so.
I predict that even when the volume market picks up again, demand for windows with traditional features will remain strong, especially as more window retail companies include traditional-looking products in their ranges, and recognition grows.
Which means now is a good time to invest in this sector, and you can do it without breaking the bank.
For example, we recently unveiled our new mechanically joined flush window, which targets the market for authentic timber window replacements.
The unique mechanical join is the result of a significant period of product development, and it allows fabricators to create a realistic finish without investing in specialist tools or machinery.
Coupled with the deep bottom rail and Woodec (the next generation timber-effect foil), the new mechanically joined flush window gives homeowners the opportunity to confidently replace timber windows while benefiting from improved thermal performance and a lifetime of low maintenance.
Features like these are obvious when homeowners realise they are missing from alternatives. This means they are key features to sell on. I defy anyone to compare a Woodec-foiled window with one foiled with an alternative product, and then choose the latter.
Modern at heart
On the flip-side, Aluplast’s new mechanically joined window is ultra-modern, in that it can achieve a WER of A, allowing it to comfortably achieve Building Regulation compliance for refurbishment projects, and is manufactured using Ecotech, which optimises recycled content in a profile’s design, without affecting performance or appearance.
And since the window is available in both our Ideal70 and Ideal4000 systems, and doesn’t require specialist machinery or patented designs, we are opening-up this market to more fabricators without significant investment.
The flush window can also be coupled with Aluplast’s flush door to create a uniform appearance across the whole of the house. We see the demand for a flush appearance across the whole elevation – including the doors – increasing steadily, and we are one of a very small group of systems companies that can offer both flush windows and flush doors in matching foils.
The new mechanically joined flush window is part of a significant period of product development at Aluplast, and we’ll be sharing details of this and more with visitors to the FIT Show next May. Or, talk to us before then to find out how we can open up lucrative new markets for you without breaking the bank.