Quarter century

February 2016 marks the 25th anniversary of Westbury Windows & Joinery (WWJ), British-based manufacturer of premium timber windows, doors and roof lanterns.

The company, which was established by Jonathan Hey following the success of Westbury Garden Rooms, has seen steady growth over the last two decades, and the appointment of John Mumford as co-director in 2011 has resulted in further success, the company claimed.

Managing director Jonathan Hey said: “Around the time that WWJ was founded, timber windows had a particularly poor reputation. This was due to the fact that during the post war era, douglas fir stocks sourced from Canada had diminished, and cheaper, more readily available softwoods, had been used instead.

“By the 1970s and 80s these softwood windows were pretty rotten. PVCU was on the rise at that time and part of its success was due to the fact that wood was mistrusted and the belief that timber was high maintenance and not fit for purpose.

“These days, wood is back in vogue but it has become an extremely competitive market and we have different challenges, such as explaining to customers that not all timber windows are created equal.

“We’ve seen many companies do away with what we’d consider to be important British architectural details – such as flush joints, sharp edges, traditional mouldings – in order to save money on manufacture, or due to having their products made abroad.”

John Mumford helped steer the company towards a new range of products that combines the technical and energy-saving features of proven continental design but with a traditional British architectural heritage appearance. Additionally, building sustainable, eco-friendly products was an added objective.

“We spent two years researching the latest in manufacturing technologies and sustainable materials before designing our latest range, which we believe is the best available today,” Jonathan said. “We find that many of our customers are the discerning type; either architects or developers looking to build a property to a certain standard, or self-builders for whom the long term quality, detail and sustainability of their ‘forever home’ really matters.”