FRONT PAGE STORY
Christina Shaw
The UK’s Leading Glass & Glazing Newspaper
Justin Lazenby
Chris Champion
Kate Carnall
met Justin 8 years ago and we work together in a purpose-built office from our home in Tickhill. Justin has been invaluable and is now a Director of all three of our companies. Between us we have three children, Sophie, Chloe and Olly, so it’s been a challenge during lockdown!”
Continued from page 1... “I saw an opportunity,” said Christina, “to launch a magazine that was published nationally but also had specific regional coverage that gave the choice to customers of areas into which they wished to promote their products. A choice of local or national advertising.” Christina owned and ran that company very successfully for 12 years. “In launching Glass News,” said Christina, “I wanted to do something different. With so many glossy trade mags out there how could I differentiate myself from them? My background in publishing newspapers gave me the answer and I felt that a newspaper for the industry would be, well – more newsworthy.” It turns out that Christina was right and Glass News soon found a niche within the trade publications, supported from the start by regular advertisers from her former publication who rallied around the new title.
nowhere to live (my parents offered but with a four year old son it wasn’t ideal). I was lucky enough to have a cousin who had a house for rent, so I took it, got moved in and started my business plans for Glass News - all from my kitchen table. I did the sales, the editorial, dealt with the PR's and the accounts for at least the first year, to keep costs to a minimum.” She continued: “I still manage some sales, but I now have a right-hand woman to help me, the very lovely Emma Champion. Justin Lazenby handles the PR’s which also free’s me up to work across all of our titles. It’s a relief to know there are other people to hand to help produce our expanding portfolio. I
With 2 years of Glass News under her belt, Christina looked for help to continue the newspaper’s expansion. “I commandeered Chris Champion to join as Editor of Glass News,” said Christina, ”Chris was ready to retire from Distinction Doors at the grand old age of 65 but, over a lunch to finalise some advertising, I floated the idea of joining Glass News as Editor-in-Chief. Little did he know at that lunch that I had the ulterior motive of asking him to come and work with me!” Since that time Christina and Chris have travelled the country visiting customers, conducting interviews and factory visits and generally helping companies market themselves and their products. Christina comments: “It’s been a bit of a double act and we have had a lot of fun and, if you know Chris, lots and lots of laughs!” Christina extended her publishing empire, adding Fenestra Build (established in 2015); Improve Magazine (established in 2020)
“I can’t thank those regular advertisers enough,” commented Christina. “Their support got Glass News up and running and the support from the trade in general allowed us to grow very rapidly. To be fair, life at that time was very hard. I had
"My background in publishing newspapers gave me the answer and I felt that a newspaper for the industry would be, well – more newsworthy.” 4
Chris Champion of Glass News presenting guests at The Glazing Summit
Emma Champion
and A Window Into Aluminium (launched in Feb this year) to the portfolio. The latter two were developed during lockdown while the glass and glazing industry was shut down last year. The print circulation of Glass News has always been in the order of 10,000 copies. However, during lockdown, the company looked at how circulation could be improved and reach people via a digital audience. Our Editor, Chris Champion, was conducting more and more interviews via Zoom and what better way to get these in front of people, than a digital publication? So, the Glass News model changed during the 2020 lockdowns, but changed for the better as there is now a print edition which is back in circulation, plus the added advantage of a 20,000 email database, covering fabricators, installers, builders and trade counters. Now two versions of each edition of Glass News are produced - the interactive digital version, with the live interviews, and the print edition. A You Tube channel has also been set up that carries a wide variety of videos and interviews. Lockdown gave Glass News the opportunity to work a lot harder with social media. Justin works on the Twitter account for Glass News and this seems to be the best
March 2021 | www.glassnews.co.uk
