GLASS CORNWALL GLASS MOVES TO REASSURE CUSTOMERS ON LAMINATE SUPPLY Cornwall Glass has said it expects to be able to guarantee IGU supply to its established customer base in face of global shortages in the supply of laminates.
PYROGUARD INTRODUCES EXPANSION PROGRAMME NEW RIBA CPD ON FIRE SAFETY GLASS
PYROGUARD ACCELERATES INTERNATIONAL
Pyroguard, the global provider of fire safety glass solutions and part of the Technical Fire Safety Group, is pleased to introduce its latest RIBA approved CPD for the fire safety sector: ‘Fire safety glazing – a system not a product!’
With two of the UK’s three float glass manufactures already limiting supply of laminated products, Mark Norcliffe, Joint-Managing Director, Cornwall Glass Manufacturing, said that the IGU sector faced a summer of uncertainty. “We’ve seen massive demand for laminate glass from our own sector, which has placed pressure on supply. At the same time supply has been disrupted by reduced manufacture of PVB resins, particularly by a single US manufacturer and the supply that has existed has been swallowed up a resurgent automotive industry. This created significant pressure on supply at the end of this month [April], which we expect to continue for the next three months at least”, he said. “We have been working closely with Saint Gobain, our main supplier and we are confident that we will have enough product to continue to meet reasonable customer demand, but it is tight and for much of the industry, I believe it’s going to be very bumpy in the months ahead.” Processing glass and manufacturing IGUs across all three sites in St Austell, Plymouth and Highbridge, Cornwall Glass Manufacturing is a division of Cornwall Group. In addition to the supply of standard IGUs, its Plymouth operation is specifically geared towards the manufacture of oversized products with its Bystronic line capable of handling units of up to 2.7m X 5m. It announced plans to further expand its operational capability in March with a pledge to commit £6m to its Highbridge operation. This will include the ability to manufacture over-sized units at a second facility, heat soak capability and specialist glass processing operations. Mark continued: “The challenge that we and everyone else has, is that laminates have become an almost default specification in home improvement and new build since Part Q. Lower availability of PVB means that those products which are reliant on it, security glass but also acoustic laminates, are going to be in short-supply. For more information please call 01726 66325 email info@cornwallglass.co.uk or log on at www.cornwallglass.co.uk.
Pyroguard, part of the Technical Fire Safety Group and the world’s leading independent provider of fire safety glass, has accelerated its international expansion programme, with the appointment of Kevin Frisone as the new Sales Director for North America in the latest series of investments. Pyroguard has invested strongly in international markets in recent years, as part of a rapid international expansion programme which has delivered significant revenue growth. Working with local certification bodies to understand regulations and develop essential localised test evidence, the company now holds market leadership across several European territories and has an increased presence in many others, including Iberia, Germany, The Nordics, Belgium, Middle East and India. As the new Sales Director for the North American region, based in the mid-West, Kevin will be responsible for promoting Pyroguard’s fire safety glass solutions in the US and Canadian markets, creating strong customer relationships and working closely with local testing laboratories. An established and experienced sales leader, Kevin brings with him a wealth of knowledge of the architectural and fire safety glass market sectors. Speaking about the appointment, Jason Walker, Pyroguard’s Group Sales Director, commented: “2021 is another exciting and challenging year for us, as we continue to grow and expand on an international level. The United States offers a great new market opportunity for Pyroguard, aligning perfectly with the Group’s high growth strategy and bringing with it real potential. With the help of Kevin in his new role, we will establish strong foundations in North America.” The world-leading manufacturer and provider of fire safety glass, Pyroguard now has revenue in over 30 countries, as well as several international customer support offices, with a strong market share across Europe. In addition to the US market, Pyroguard is also currently expanding into Italy, part of a wider plan to further strengthen the Group’s European presence.
Aimed at architects and specifiers, Pyroguard’s new CPD has been developed to help raise awareness of the role of and types of fire safety glass available, while educating the industry on the various factors to consider when specifying a suitable fire safety glass system. As well as explaining more about the role of fire safety glass and the part it can play in a building’s passive fire protection strategy, the CPD provides information on the three different classifications (E, EW and EI), with real fire test videos to demonstrate these varying performance levels. It also provides an overview of the current testing standards, the different framing systems and discusses how the multi-functionality of fire safety glass can facilitate innovations in architectural design, with reference to recent project examples. Speaking about the CPD, Andy Lake, Sales Director UK & IRE at Pyroguard said: “People walk past fire safety glass all the time without realising it. That’s because it’s an ideal way to preserve the aesthetics and architectural design of a building, while still providing a form of high-performance passive fire protection. “There still remains some confusion within the industry about how fire safety glass works, the classifications and applications and its use within a building. Our CPD serves to both educate and raise awareness, providing architects and specifiers with the knowledge needed to confidently specify a fire-rated glazed system on their next project.” The ‘Fire safety glazing – a system not a product!’ CPD will be delivered as part of RIBA’s 2021 Digital CPD Roadshow under the following core curriculum subjects: ‘Health, safety and wellbeing’ and ‘Design, construction and technology’. To learn more about Pyroguard, please visit: www.pyroguard.eu or for more information on the RIBA CPD Roadshow, please visit: www.ribacpd.com/cpdroadshow/.
“People walk past fire safety glass all the time without realising it. That’s because it’s an ideal way to preserve the aesthetics and architectural design of a building, while still providing a form of high-performance passive fire protection.”
For more information about Pyroguard, please visit: www.pyroguard.eu.
"The United States offers a great new market opportunity for Pyroguard, aligning perfectly with the Group’s high growth strategy and bringing with it real potential. With the help of Kevin in his new role, we will establish strong foundations in North America.” 78
May 2021 | www.glassnews.co.uk
