Window News June 2020

Emplas Reinstates Standard Delivery Days 6

Change Of Management At SWISSPACER 32

COVID-19 Guidelines ‘Checker’ 48

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WINDOWNEWS

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NEWS W INDOW INDUSTRY DIRECTORY

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Cover picture: Kingfisher Windows To Fabricate Stellar Aluminium System, read more on page 5

WINDOW NEWS JUNE 2020 3

TRADE NEWS

Profine Makes Strategic

Following on from the acquisition of essential assets from the administrators of Aperture Trading Ltd, which includes the Evolve, Legend and WarmCore brands, profine Group have sold the finished window and door manufacturing facilities to Solar Norvik Ltd & Solar Calibre Doors Ltd for an undisclosed sum.

from left to right: Gareth Jones with Carl Lewis.

Solar Norvik Ltd and Solar Calibre Ltd are newly formed companies by the same owner / management team behind the well-established Solar Windows Ltd and Interframe (SW) Ltd businesses, which are highly regarded and successful in the commercial and trade sectors respectively.

Onward Sale

Given the fact that profine Group are a large, global systems house, the manufacturing facilities that were bought as part of the deal have been deemed non-core and so the challenge during the lockdown period was to find a suitable partner to take on these important manufacturing units. There’s now a partnership deal for growth in place between profine and the new Solar businesses, and importantly, Solar Norvik Ltd and Solar 4 WINDOW NEWS JUNE 2020

Calibre Doors Ltd will continue to operate at the Huthwaite site.

Gareth Jones, managing director of profine UK commented: ‘It made commercial sense to buy all of the remaining assets from KPMG, the administrators of Aperture Trading, but given our group mantra of excelling in our core competences, we’ve found a reputable partner for the manufacturing facilities. I have known Carl Lewis for nearly 20 years, and I do believe that we have the perfect partner in place to take these businesses and brands forward.’

Carl Lewis, managing director of Solar Norvik Ltd and Solar Calibre Doors Ltd concluded: ‘Both the Norvik and Calibre Doors assets will fit perfectly into our current business model and we’re genuinely thrilled with the deal and partnership programme that we have in place with profine. It’s also good news for both businesses, the local labour market, for the supply chain and ultimately the customers of both brands.’

For further information please visit www.profine-uk.com

TRADE NEWS

Two Metre Rule

Ripe For Review, Say Small Firms, As More

Get Go Ahead To Re-Open

Kingfisher

Windows To

Fabricate

Stellar

Aluminium System

FSB responds to the latest on re-opening rules.

Responding to reports that outdoor zoos, safari parks and drivein cinemas will be able to re-open from Monday, Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) National Chairman Mike Cherry said: “It’s a huge relief to see more and more small businesses reopening their doors each week. The Government’s guidance on doing so safely is fair, proportionate and has thankfully been compiled with input from the business community.

“As we increasingly look to recovery – and hopefully the return of outdoor restaurant, pub and café spaces as early as next month – we need to see social distancing guidelines kept under constant review. Many in the hospitality and leisure sectors simply won’t be able to turn a profit if the blanket two metre rule remains in place.

“Small businesses across some European countries have benefitted from a shortening of this distancing benchmark as part

of unlocking processes. If the UK experts say a similar move is possible here, then we need to see that change enacted. Time is of the essence during these critical summer months. In lieu of a shortening, policymakers need to look at wider risk-based approaches.

“It must be recognised that reopening safely comes at a cost to small businesses. That’s why we’re calling for the introduction of back to work vouchers for small and micro firms to help cover these additional outgoings after months of little or no revenue.

“The raft of emergency government measures brought in to support the small business community have protected millions of livelihoods. Now we need to look to the longer-term, and the reduction in employment costs, investment in infrastructure and skills, and tax reform that will be needed to bring us out of this recession. We look forward to engaging with government to outline the interventions that will be most impactful.” www.fsb.org.uk

Longstanding Profile 22 fabricator Kingfisher Windows is manufacturing Stellar, the double award-winning aluminium window and door system from Epwin Window Systems.

Deborah Beeley, Sales and Marketing Manager at Kingfisher Windows, said: “We are delighted to be adding Stellar to our portfolio because it has outstanding features that will give our customers a competitive advantage.”

She continued: “It’s a very impressive system. The fully flush option is exceptional – it allows the system to stand out because there’s nothing else like it on the market. We also value the innovative Reverse Butt Joint – it means no dummy sashes or reverse adaptor profiles are needed, which uses approximately 30% less aluminium and minimises waste. It also increases the glazed area, which adds even more to the products’ aesthetics.”

Mark Austin, Sales Director (Aluminium) at Epwin Window Systems, said: “We are very pleased to welcome Kingfisher Windows to Stellar. They are a proactive, ambitious fabricator and we are looking forward working with them to make the most of what Stellar has to offer.” www.stellaraluminium.co.uk WINDOW NEWS JUNE 2020 5

TRADE NEWS hands. They’re adjusting to new ways of winning business and fulfilling orders, if they can get their glass, their windows, entrance and bi-fold doors on a single delivery – and know it’s going to be there – it takes away something to think about”, Ryan said.

Emplas has created a series of new controls to support safe deliveries. This includes the issue of PPE, face shields, gloves, sanitiser and disinfectant spray.

Emplas Reinstates Standard Delivery Days Emplas has said that with effect from this Monday (8th June) it has reinstated pre-lockdown standard delivery day(s) across its ranges.

Introduced as part of its strategy for a safe and phased return to work post-COVID19 lockdown, Ryan Johnson, Managing Director Emplas, said the trade fabricator was also pulling forward its plans for the reinstatement of pre-shutdown lead times of 10 days glazed and 5-days unglazed.

“The demand we’re seeing has now moved significantly beyond our early projections.

Starting the return when we did, has given us the time and space to adapt our processes, train our teams and build capacity in a controlled, sustainable – and most importantly, safe manner.

“We’re now in a position to resume standard delivery days across core products – and critically, to do so while maintaining service levels and 6 WINDOW NEWS JUNE 2020

product quality so orders are delivered not only on-time but in full.

“We also continue to build capacity and expect to be able to reinstate our pre-Covid lead times later this month.”

The trade specialist has been amongst a vanguard of window industry companies to restart its operations following temporary closure in response to COVID-19, at the end of March.

This included the restart of limited production on April 20th, driven by demand from the commercial sector here in the UK and its Australian retail business, Ecostar, which has remained open throughout the global pandemic.

Ryan added that the control of IGU supply through its own glass business, Padiham Glass, meant that Emplas was also able to bring reliability to glass supply.

“Installers have a lot on their

Drivers will also go through daily health checks, including body temperature monitoring, developed in-line with the latest government guidelines for the return to work.

Having launched it barcoded dispatch and unloading system last year, orders are recorded digitally and in full as they’re unloaded. This forms the basis of a ‘safe digital signature’ and will be stored against customer accounts, eliminating any physical requirement to sign against orders. These are also available to review or retrieve at a later date.

Ryan continued: “We’re very clear. Everything we need to do needs to be safe and also sustainable. We’re now confident we have the capacity within our business to manufacture and meet growing demand – but also the processes in place to safeguard our team, our customers and suppliers.

“We’re not quite there yet but we are a long way down the road and close to getting back to our pre-Covid service levels.

I would like to thank each and every one of our customers, for their support and patience while we have done it.”

For more information on Emplas visit www.emplas.co.uk

TRADE NEWS

Driving Forward

As market demand starts to return for composite doors, DOORCO is starting the phased reinstatement of their transport department with 70% of the company’s fleet due back on the road by 19th June. This is part of DOORCO’s return to work strategy which aims to focus on staff welfare while monitoring customer demand.

Dan Sullivan, DOORCO’s MD comments: “Since starting a phased return to operations on May 4th, we’ve been carefully considering our position daily, centering on the welfare of our staff with being able to meet customer demand. Business is far from ‘back to normal’, but there have been some really positive signs over the last week or so, and we feel that it is the right time to reinstate our transport department and recommence UK deliveries. DOORCO originally invested in our own fleet to ensure our doors were delivered with the personal touch, so it is imperative that this level of service is available to our customers as soon as is safe and viable to do so.

“We’ve seen a rise in orders over the last couple of weeks. In fact, numbers of prepped doors are currently exceeding pre-COVID levels, which is really encouraging. Close relationships with our external transport partners

have been maintained and they have supported us throughout the re-opening of our business.

But bringing down lead times and fulfilling our normal delivery promises is reliant on our inhouse transport team. They have worked hard on the logistics of a phased return, as well as ensuring our drivers are fully equipped with the personal safety equipment and procedures. These include hand sanitisers in every cab, stringent and regular cleans, as well as new ways of delivering: our drivers will not exit the van when they make a drop off but call the delivery in and wait for the van to be unloaded. No paperwork will change hands, it will all be dealt with electronically, so we all have a record of safe delivery.

“Our plan is to have 70% of our fleet back by 19th with the intention of having the full fleet back in the near future to cover our usual delivery network. This remains fluid as we continue to monitor health & safety and sales, but we are delighted to be able to make this announcement as it’s another step towards our business, and indeed industry, recovering from the Coronavirus Pandemic.”

For more information about DOORCO’s products and service, call 01625 428955 or visit: www.door-co.com

Record Level Of Interest In Home Improvements

Online search traffic for home improvements is continuing to rise rapidly – with interest from consumers at an all-time high in many cases.

Leading full-service marketing agency Purplex tracks Google search data and, despite the impact of COVID-19, is reporting a surge in consumer interest.

‘Double Glazing’ has bounced back to pre-Coronavirus levels, while other search terms, such as ‘Conservatory’ and ‘Patio Doors’ are at their highest level since 2004.

Several factors may be at play here. After weeks of lockdown, homeowners are perhaps gaining a new appreciation of their home with a renewed desire to make improvements and increase living space.

However, to coincide with the lockdown, Britain has enjoyed a particularly good spell of weather, which may have contributed to an increased demand. www.purplexmarketing.com WINDOW NEWS JUNE 2020 7

TRADE NEWS

Changes In The Way That VAT Is Collected In The Construction Industry Should Be

Epwin Window Welcomed – Despite Another Delay Systems Ramps Up Their Controlled

Re-Opening

Epwin Window Systems began a controlled reopening of their Telford operation on 4th May, 2020 and have continued to scale up their operation in line with increasing customer demand.

Clare O’Hara, Managing Director of Epwin Window Systems, said: “Since our re-opening, we have continued to scale up the teams across all key business functions as demand increases. I am delighted that many of our customers have reported a brisk pick-up and we have a strong level of immediate enquiries that we are actively working on.”

She added: “Of course, while it is encouraging that we are seeing increasing demand, the health and safety of our workforce remains paramount. Before we re-opened, we undertook extensive risk management assessments and developed new protocols to protect everyone. These are constantly being reviewed and updated as necessary to ensure our measures are maintained as more people return to the workplace.”

Measures put in place include ‘one way in, one way out’ systems at all sites, sanitation stations at all entrance points and PPE for employees working in roles where social distancing can be challenging. Every member of staff is taken through a thorough sign-off process when they return to work and clear signage across the company’s multiple sites. www.epwinwindowsystems.co.uk 8 WINDOW NEWS JUNE 2020

Changes in the way that VAT is collected in the construction industry have been delayed again but should be welcomed say leading tax and advisory firm, Blick Rothenberg.

Heather Powell, Head of Property & Construction at the firm said: This great news despite the fact that the changes were announced over two years ago, and some members of the VAT community have expressed frustration at this second delay and have suggested that construction companies have had plenty of time to prepare for this change which make main contractors responsible for paying the VAT on services supplied by subcontractors Heather said “This is very welcome news and HMRC should be congratulated for supporting the industry at this challenging time. The construction industry, which is key to the UK economy, has been badly hit by the Coronovirusshutdown. The cash

flow impact on businesses has been huge, and addressing the challenges of opening sites and funding the additional operational costs due to the new conditions under which we are all working are critical issues for the finance teams in main contractors– not implementing a new VAT regime.”

She added: “ For subcontractors the relief is even greater – the new VAT regime will tighten cash flow for these businesses as they will not be paid the VAT on their invoices (it is retained by the main contractors as “collection agents” for HMRC) – a 20% reduction in their cash receipts.

The cash payments these subcontractors remain the same – to employees and for suppliers of materials. Whilst the VAT receipts are paid to HMRC quarterly they provide working capital for the intervening months – a resource that is in short supply at the moment”. www.blickrothenberg.com

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COVID-19 Advice And Information From FENSA As Its Approved Installers Return To Work As home improvement window and door businesses return to work in response to the gradual lifting of lockdown restrictions FENSA, the UK’s government-authorised competent person scheme for replacement windows and doors, has issued a number of documents designed to assist FENSA Approved Installers as once again they prepare to enter homes and commercial premises to replace and install windows, doors, conservatories and related products.

Having maintained services for FENSA Approved Installers and homeowners throughout the Covid-19 lockdown, with key FENSA advisors operating in isolation from their homes, the publications now provide timely support for installers and, through them, for homeowners seeking guidance about engaging with installers as they 10 WINDOW NEWS JUNE 2020

undertake home improvements.

These include Practical safety precautions when installing windows & doors during the COVID-19 pandemic; Guidance on completing a risk assessment; and a guide specifically for homeowners Having windows and doors installed during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Practical safety precautions‌.

In the first of these, with the lengthy if unequivocal title Practical safety precautions when installing windows & doors during the COVID-19 pandemic, the information will often be regarded as common sense for skilled FENSA installers. However, as well as offering practical tips the guide serves as an excellent check list and one that may easily be circulated to every member of

the team, to ensure consensus.

The document is organised into 11 easy to follow sections and that order, in itself, is useful to provide structure to the installation process. These are: Materials; Travelling to site; Communication with the occupant; Personal Protective Equipment (PPE); Arriving at site / pre-installation; Social distancing & minimising contact; Access equipment; Refreshment breaks; Packing up at the end of the day; Disposal of waste products; Returning home. Each section is concise and written in clear, jargon-free language.

Risk Assessments Again, whilst many installers may have experience of producing Risk Assessments or indeed, have trained personnel to carry out such tasks, for many the FENSA Guidance on completing a risk assessment, including a template form, provides a check to ensure that such assessments are carried out and, actually, fulfilled. In fact, as well as providing guidance on correct procedures the

TRADE NEWS completion of a Risk Assessment for each job is essential to protect the company and individuals in the case of any potential claims arising from work carried out on site.

Advice for homeowners The guide for homeowners provides similar information as provided in the Practical safety precautions….’ document but of course, as its title suggests, from the perspective of the homeowner. FENSA Approved Installers are now encouraged to pass a copy to their customers in advance of an installation to ensure that both sides are fully engaged in all processes, to ensure swift and safe installations.

All documents, which are written by experienced former installers, are available free of charge to FENSA Approved Installers, in addition to other benefits such as fast and efficient installation certification from the UK’s leading compliance body and TV, radio and social media promotion for the FENSA brand and its Approved Installer network.

Chris Beedel, FENSA Director of Membership, says it is important that FENSA Approved Installers operate to agreed and shared standards: “There are a number of documents around offering advice about how installers may return to people’s homes and all offer relevant if slightly differing information.

Our publications, written by highly skilled former installers, bring all effective advice together for FENSA Approved companies so there is consistency throughout the FENSA network, with all operating to the same high standards.”

For more information on FENSA, including details of how to join, please visit: www.fensa.org.uk

Continued Investment

For Liniar Despite

Uncertain Times of life, older extruders to ensure that the efficiency of our operations remains excellent whilst also providing our customers with consistently high quality profiles.

The world, and our industry, are navigating uncharted waters as we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic – but even whilst we’re in a period of uncertainty, one systems company remains firmly focused on the future.

Known for its ongoing commitment to quality and innovation, together with pressing the importance of continued investment, Liniar has announced it has made £ millions of further investment into its PVCu extrusion facility. Not only is this positive news during a time of uncertainty, Liniar customers can rest assured the ongoing high quality of products remains safeguarded for the future.

New Arrivals

“The upgrades in our extrusion hall include a twin strand extruder and a single strand extruder, and these are just part of the ongoing investment we receive from our parent company, Quanex Building Products. Whilst there is currently a period of economic turmoil because of the instability caused from COVID-19, we remain committed to providing the highest of standards. These standards require us to continue to invest across the business, ensuring our success for years to come.”

What does this mean for customers?

Liniar’s new extrusion machinery is good news for its ever-growing customer base.

New machinery equates to no down time, more efficient operations and Liniar’s exceptional delivery standards continually beating 99% on time in full. It will also help to ensure that the products customers receive are of consistently excellent quality.

Liniar’s Production Director Eddy Webb provides details about the company’s new arrivals:

“When it comes to investing across our business, we’re putting customers at the heart of everything we do,” comments Eddy.

“This week, we received delivery of two new extruders. Both will be taking the place of end

For more information about Liniar’s programme of investment, https://bit.ly/2YzSAba WINDOW NEWS JUNE 2020 11

TRADE NEWS

C

M

Cornwall Glass Manufacturing’s joint-Managing Director, Mark Norcliffe

The Impact Of Covid-19

On IGU Manufacture Lockdown has contributed to a significant jump in demand for higher-value IGUs and processed glass according to Cornwall Glass Manufacturing.

The IGU and glass specialist which supplies customers throughout the South of England and South Wales, said that its order books were ‘strong’, driven by the release of pre-lockdown orders and new business.

“Aluminium remains a growth area and we’re seeing sustained demand, including that for oversized units. It’s meant that we are also supplying a lot of higher-value products, particular solar control.

“PVC-U residential markets have been slightly slower to come back but that relates to the ability to work in people’s homes during lockdown.”

This, says the company’s joint-Managing Director, Mark Norcliffe, was being driven by sustained demand from higher-end and aluminium residential, as well as light commercial markets.

At the cutting edge of glass manufacturing technology, Cornwall Glass is fully geared to high volume IGU fabrication, with three manufacturing facilities in St Austell, Highbridge and Plymouth.

He said: “We speak to our customers daily and they are exceptionally busy. That includes a pre-Covid-19 order book but also new business.

In common with much of the industry, it however, shut its doors with the start of lockdown in March. returning to a limited restart at the end of April, build-

12 WINDOW NEWS JUNE 2020

Y

ing capacity in line with demand throughout May.

CM

MY

CY

Its Plymouth operation is geared towards the manufacture of oversized IGUs with its Bystronic line capable of handling units of up to 2.7m X 5m.

According to Cornwall Glass Manufacturing there has also been an uplift in demand for processed glass, which it attributes to growing demand from retail and hospitality sectors.

“Everyone clearly needs to remain focussed on cost control over the coming months – ourselves included. The conversations I’m having with our customers on a daily basis combined with the demand that we’re already seeing gives me a high degree of confidence.

“We’re not out of the woods and I’m sure there are still challenges ahead but there are also significant opportunities.”

Watch the interview with Mark here www.cornwallglass.co.uk

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Slick Video Shows Installers How AdminBase Will Help Re-Launch Their Businesses Out Of Lockdown Window, door and conservatory installers emerging from lockdown will be faced with enormous challenges as they re-launch their businesses, in a world in which nothing is as it was when the UK was formally shutdown on 23rd March.

Social distancing will be the way of the world for many months, perhaps even years. Faced with the new logistical complexities of running an installation business, the people at Ab Initio Software, developers of one of the UK’s most popular window installer management systems, have a simple message: Use AdminBase to manage your business as you come out of lockdown and ensure you make the most of every opportunity.

And to allow installers to under14 WINDOW NEWS JUNE 2020

stand just how AdminBase will do that, they have produced a short and highly effective explainer video.

Just 2 minutes long, the video shows how AdminBase, which has been a go-to window and door installer management software for more than 20 years with more than 3,000 users, can make every stage of the installation process – including canvassing, sales, survey, installation, service calls and warranty records – slick, accurate and, crucially, easier to manage.

The video shows how sales enquiries may quickly be turned into accurate quotations with everything kept securely in the same place, eradicating scrawled notes on scraps of

paper, duplication, handwritten contracts, surveys and fitter notes – and errors. Available on a range of devices including mobile tablets such as iPads and with apps for sales, survey, installation and service calls, data is stored centrally with a range of features that include emailed quotes and contracts, ordering from suppliers, installation notes and through to final sign off and invoicing.

Rhonda Ridge, who realised the need for an integrated project management system when managing the finances for a window installation company, says watching the video could be the most profitable 2 minutes spent: “We set out to produce a video that quickly shows what AdminBase can do for installers – whilst being mindful that there appears to be a lot to take in. I am delighted with the result – for many installers it could be the most important 2 minutes they could spend, maybe over a coffee.”

The AdminBase Video can be seen here: https://bit.ly/2UNCee2

TRADE NEWS

Anticipated Drop In Contract Awards Confirmed In April Figures 2020.

The latest edition of the Economic & Construction Market Review from industry analysts Barbour ABI, highlights levels of construction contract values awarded across Great Britain.

The Infrastructure sector dominated the share of contract awards with a total of 31.2%.

The two largest infrastructure contract awards were the A30 Chiverton to Carland Cross and the Bridgwater Resource Recovery facility and were also the two largest overall contracts awarded in April 2020.

Since reporting on contract awards in April, 33 of those projects have now confirmed to be on hold, at a total value of £178 million.

The total value of construction contract awards in April 2020 was £4.4 billion based on a three-month rolling average.

This is a decrease of 36.4% on March and is also 16.1% Lower than April 2019. It is

also the lowest monthly value recorded since June 2018.

Contract awards numbers in April decreased by 45.5% to 314, approximately 68.7% below the recent high point of 1,003 recorded for February

Commenting on the figures, Tom Hall, Chief Economist at Barbour ABI and AMA Research said, “We expected a large fall in contract awards for April, however we are seeing increasing on-site activity as large of projects re-open.

The Infrastructure Sector has been the less impacted than other sectors, leading to hopes of an Infrastructure-led recovery towards the end of the year. We will continue to monitor closely the impact the current situation will have on the future pipeline of contract awards. Nonetheless we expect to see a continued decline in contract awards in the short term.”

Download the full report here: ubm.io/2FRLrwm WINDOW NEWS JUNE 2020 15

TRADE NEWS

Apeer Rolls Out ‘Pop Culture’ Videos As Viewing Rates Rocket Apeer Composite Doors has followed the success of the avant-garde ‘rock’ style video it released in March to promote its Silka Door, by bringing forward the launch of six more ‘Pop Culture’ lifestyle videos to take advantage of dramatically increased viewing figures being received during the lockdown.

The videos cover the company’s all new online Doorbuilder, plus others promoting various aspects of the weather and comfort performance; sustainability; colour choice and matching; and security performance. These add to the original range-specific Silka video launched in March that focuses on the product’s smooth, ali-matching skin, with the series now being viewed on channels such as Facebook, YouTube and other social media, backed by intensive SEO. 16 WINDOW NEWS JUNE 2020

Apeer’s MD Asa McGillian explains the company’s approach: “The Silka video was designed to lift the traditional main entrance door into the realms of being a lifestyle purchase, to create the mindset of choosing home furnishings rather than improvements,” says Asa. “And whilst the Silka video is more extreme than the rest of the series, wanting to drive home how radical the style is compared to conventional doors, the rest of the series is gentler, more family orientated.

We have a superb production team: our videos use great photography and editing and music that suits the young, family demographic that we have in mind.”

Apeer is tapping into the growth in video as a promotional tool. Even before the lockdown research showed that video produced 66% more qualified sales leads per year, whilst increasing purchas-

es by 144%. Crucially, amongst consumers, 62% of people polled said they were more interested in a product after seeing it in a Facebook story.

“When we wrote our marketing plans for 2020 through 2021, we anticipated what should be a modest increase of 25% in the sales leads that we send to our Apeer retail dealers. But we also want to break new ground with our campaign, to plant ideas in homeowners’ heads that didn’t exist previously, not least to trigger buying instincts for their resi doors as items of furniture, more than home improvements. And then we want them to buy an Apeer door of course,” said Asa. The videos are part of a thorough overhaul of Apeer marketing that includes digital and hard copy literature as well as a new website. “We’ve released the videos to take advantage of the continuing increase in social media engagement during the lockdown,” Asa added, “and we are receiving significant numbers of enquiries that of course we are banking, in anticipation of a relaxation in restrictions, during the coming weeks.”

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Alan Wilson

CICV Forum Welcomes

Announcement From Scottish Government Confirming Return To Domestic Work The Construction Industry Coronavirus (CICV) Forum has warmly welcomed the announcement on 11 June by the Scottish Government that domestic work will be included amongst the scope of construction work now permitted.

The news has been eagerly awaited by all parts of the industry for whom domestic work makes up a major part of their business, and follows recent restart discussions between the Forum and Kevin Stewart, MSP, the Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning.

CICV Forum Chair Alan Wilson, who is also Managing Director of 18 WINDOW NEWS JUNE 2020

SELECT, said: “The announcement about a return to work and the inclusion of domestic work in the lockdown easing will be a huge relief to the lots of businesses across the whole sector which provide essential services to homeowners all over Scotland.

“However, as always in construction, safety is the overriding consideration and firms must prepare to carry out work in a wholly changed working environment, which will produce its own new challenges.”

Shortly before the announcement was made, Mr Stewart had responded to a letter from Mr

Wilson, confirming that the move to Phase 2 of the construction sector restart plan would include work in domestic properties.

He also stressed that the restart would have to be undertaken with a new set of safe working practices in mind, including physical distancing, face coverings and enhanced hygiene provision, in order to continue to control the virus.

Gordon Nelson, Scotland Director of Forum member the Federation of Master Builders, said: “Health and safety, for employees and customers alike, will be critical as we work to bring the construction industry back to some semblance of normality.

“While this is good news, everyone concerned must recognise the importance of continuing to follow the guidance and ensuring that the only job that will be undertaken will be a safe job.”

TRADE NEWS Fiona Hodgson, Chief Executive of Forum member the Scottish and Northern Ireland Plumbing Employers’ Federation (SNIPEF), said: “The response from the construction industry across Scotland during this crisis has been impressive, coming together to take positive action for mutual benefit.

Fiona Hodgson

“While the announcement is welcome, we are not out of the woods yet and every company and employee involved in getting back to work needs to abide by the new restrictions under which we all must now operate.”

The CICV Forum has been at the forefront of information dissemination to the sector throughout the COVID-19 crisis and has become for many enterprises the first port of call for clarity of advice.

Made up of trade associations, professional services bodies, companies and individuals, it went into action immediately in March with advice on how to operate safely while carrying out emergency or essential work.

It has since then been drawing on the collective expertise of its members to maintain a steady supply of information and practical advice to the sector as well as carrying out surveys, producing animations and posters, hosting webinars and making appeals to Government Ministers.

CORGI Fenestration Publishes Further Free

COVID-19 Support Documents

CORGI Fenestration has added to its suite of support documents for Covid-19 with the introduction of a completed example of a COVID-19 Risk Assessment (For Installers Working in Domestic Properties) form and produced new guidance for those carrying out remedial works. They are free and available to all as downloadable documents on the CORGI Fenestration website – www.corgifenestration.co.uk/trade/installer-service-2/

works following installation.

“We have written our Covid-19 support documents to help our companies prepare for a return to work. Government requires a COVID-19 specific risk assessment to be carried out and we felt it would be right to provide an example of what that might look like. We also realised that guidance was needed for those carrying out remedial work. Hopefully these will allow operatives to work in homes on non-essential installations using comThe COVID-19 Risk Assessmon sense measures to social ment (For Installers Working distance wherever possible in Domestic Properties) exam- and use practical hygiene ple covers the measures that procedures to minimise risks should to be considered by of cross contamination,” companies to protect themcommented Jacqui Crawford, selves and their customers CORGI Fenestration Chief Opwhilst working in occupied erating Officer, and the author dwellings. Companies can of the documents. “As these adopt the example and cuscontinue to be unprecedented tomise it to reflect their identi- times, we are continuing to fied risks. make our support documents available free of charge to all The COVID-19 Remedial companies.”

Works Guide carries on from the Installer Guide to identify For further information on the specific actions required CORGI Fenestration go to: of those carrying out remedial www.corgifenestration.co.uk WINDOW NEWS JUNE 2020 19

TRADE NEWS advised not to car share to work.

Once on site, REHAU UK has implemented the following safety measures for all employees: 1/ A full risk assessment has been conducted throughout the site 2/ Safe Site working guidance and procedures have been issued to all colleagues 3/ Visible signage at all entrances to remind employees of restrictions on the site

Martin Hitchin

REHAU UK To Resume Manufacturing

At Its Blaenau Site REHAU UK has confirmed that it has begun a phased return to work at its Blaenau Ffestiniog windows profile manufacturing site.

The facility ceased production on 26th March as a result of the UK Government’s lockdown, with only essential employees, such as security, on the site.

In the initial stages, the returnto-work will involve a reduced number of employees on site to meet the current customer demand. At the same time as ensuring the continuation of social distancing measures and maximum employee safety.

Martin Hitchin, Chief Executive of REHAU UK Ltd, commented: “The first tranche of employees returned to work on Monday 20 WINDOW NEWS JUNE 2020

1st June. This decision was taken after extensive consultation between the UK management team, health and safety experts and our employees – and only after a full risk assessment and ‘return-to-work’ plan was devised and implemented.”

He continued: “Our over-riding priority is the safety of everyone on the site. We believe, with our Safe Site plan in place, it will be safe to begin a phased return-to-work, but we intend to closely monitor the health and well-being of our employees during this process.”

Specifically, REHAU UK is providing a return-to-work policy for every employee along with a Safe Site working booklet. In addition, employees are being

4/ Temperature recording of each employee upon arrival each day 5/ A Safe Site induction on the first day for each returning employee 6/ One-way system into and around the building 7/ Limits on the numbers of people in any specific area at any one time 8/ Two-metre physical distancing within the plant and face masks to be worn at all times.

9/ Handwashing and sanitising to be encouraged throughout the day 10/ Cleaning operatives on duty all day for the continual cleaning of surfaces and facilities 11/ All machinery and equipment cleaned and sanitised after use Mr Hitchin concluded: “We’ve had a very good response to our plans from customers, suppliers and, most importantly, employees who are, in the main, keen to get back to work and resume their normal working lives.”

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TRADE NEWS

Everglade

Windows

Rated Strong

By Plimsoll AB Glass unit Access Control A new industry report has rated Everglade Windows as ‘STRONG’.

This has come after the company was already named as a ‘BEST TRADING PARTNER’, Plimsoll’s highest accolade, saying that ‘companies with the strongest balance sheets are in the greatest position to survive the COVID-19 crisis’.

The latest edition of the Plimsoll analysis assessed the financial fundamentals of the UK’s top 1,869 window & door companies to indicate which are most stable and likely to survive the pandemic, and go on to thrive in the recovery.

Jay Patel, Director at Everglade Windows says: “There are tough times ahead for the industry but we know that being named in this report will reassure customers that Everglade Windows is in the strongest possible position to support them through the aftermath of COVID-19.

“2020 marks our 40th year in business. In that time, we have survived 3 major recessions and countless other bumps in the market. When times are good, we strengthen our position so that when bad times hit, we have the solid foundations needed to come out the other side even stronger. www.evergladetrade.co.uk 22 WINDOW NEWS JUNE 2020

Rolls Out Facial Recognition/Temperature

Check Integrated Workplace Solution AB Access Control, the access control unit of aluminium manufacturing and installation company AB Glass, has rolled out an innovative solution that will help companies get their workforces up and running again as the COVID-19 lockdown ends – safely.

The company is offering the installation of a cutting-edge access control system for premises that incorporates facial recognition software with the ability to assess the body temperature of the individual seeking access to a building or premises.

The system means a company will be able to assess the health status of employees or visitors and their potential for being infected with COVID-19. The device could be used at any type of workplace including commercial offices, factories or apartments.

The equipment has a temperature accuracy of plus or minus 0.3 degrees Celsius as long as

the person is standing between 0.3 and 0.7 metres away. It can be wall-mounted or free standing and programmed to set off an alarm if the temperature indicates a person might be ill.

Alan Brayley, Managing Director of AB Glass, said: “We have worked through the pandemic, helping our customers in every way we can. But as a lot more companies start to return to the workplace, they will be keen to implement all precautions and safety measures they can to ensure the safety and peace of mind of their employees.

“This new offering from AB Access Control is extremely innovative as it allows companies to monitor the health of their employees and the chance of infection on an ongoing basis, making it much easier to avoid further infection. It allows people to return to work knowing that every precaution is being taken to ensure their safety.”

TRADE NEWS

Capital

important factor. Peter said: “We have been buying in Profile 22’s Optima products for some time and know first-hand the quality and flexibility that their product range delivers.”

Windows Sign Up To

Stellar Specialist fabricator, Capital Windows is fabricating Stellar, the double-award winning aluminium window and door system from Epwin Window Systems. Marketed under their branding ‘Evoke’, Peter Adams, General Manager at Capital Windows said: “We have manufactured aluminium products for many years and we were very impressed by the true flush aesthetics of Stellar. We are marketing it under the brand name ‘Evoke’ which we felt was appropriate as it’s a window and door system that is extremely memorable.”

Peter continued: “What stood out for us is other systems on the market use ‘plant ons’ or adaptors to achieve flush aesthetics which is a popular trend in window design. But Stellar was designed from scratch as a true flush system and along with its slim sightlines and the benefit of its knock-in beads, normally only seen on PVC-U windows, it’s a very appealing system for our customers. Furthermore, the system has been superbly designed to use fewer profiles which helps with our stockholding too.”

Apart from the system itself, the fact that Stellar is an Epwin Window Systems product was an

Nationwide Makes It Easy To Understand

The New COVID-19 Safety Measures “The safety of our team, customers, residents and the public are of paramount importance to us,” says John Whalley, Nationwide Managing Director. “Because we work so closely in social housing and with local authorities, it was particularly important that we provide easy access to as much information to residents to give them clear reassurance. That’s why we have created a raft of materials on multiple channels to provide easy-tofollow guidance over the COVID-19 measures we have taken.”

As well as the videos, Nationwide has created a range of safety posters, risk assessment and site procedure forms, along with general guidelines and information sheets – all designed to be easy to read and simple to understand.

John adds: “We produced the Nationwide has produced two vid- two videos to further illustrate the eos, one directed at staff to further measures we’ve taken. Residents underline safe practice at work, can clearly see the strict guidelines and a second for the benefit of res- we have put in place when working idents showing the stringent steps in their homes and this should give in place to protect them during them additional peace of mind. installation and maintenance.

“The other video is for the bene-

During the set-up process, Capital Windows worked closely with various Epwin Window Systems’ personnel including their award-winning in-house marketing team. As such, a comprehensive marketing plan was developed to cover all marketing touchpoints and included a bespoke 28-page Evoke brochure which beautifully showcases the window and door credentials and helps drive the message to the consumer. Peter said: “We worked closely with Epwin Window Systems’ marketing team who proactively developed a range of marketing assets for us to use in the launch of Evoke to our customer base. The marketing support delivered was impressive and we are delighted with the high-quality results the team produced.” www.evokealuminium.co.uk fit of our team, to assist them in adapting to the new way of working that we have implemented in line with government guidelines. As well as social distancing measures in all our facilities, including temperature checks, staggered entry to the building and shift times, dedicated walkways and portable wash stations, we have also issued each member of the team with a COVID-19 Combat Kit. Each kit contains a high vis vest, hand sanitiser, antibacterial spray, paper towels and cotton face covering masks, as well as an information guide and FAQs sheet.

“Nationwide Windows has also put together a CPD course for our workforce based on the government guidelines. We believe that we’re the only installer/fabricator able to deliver CPD accredited training, putting us in a unique position to train site-based staff to cover all key guidance..” https://bit.ly/2C9nJe5 WINDOW NEWS JUNE 2020 23

TRADE NEWS made in the UK. “Then third, they get that they can make savings. They’ve used lockdown to look at costs and their overheads and when they can take them out, without impacting on quality, they are.”

In buying reinforcement direct from Anglo, the company claims fabricators can cut the price they paid for steel reinforcement by 30-40%.

The figures, which are based on buying-in cut-to-size reinforcement, represent the culmination of labour and employment costs, reduced wastage and the lower unit price achieved through direct supply.

Anglo Adds New Clients And Half-A-Million In New

Business In ‘Lockdown’ Anglo European has said it added more than half a million pounds in new business during lockdown and into the first week of June.

Returning to work from start of May following temporary closure in response to Government guidance on Covid-19, Anglo said it had seen demand exceed its forecasts.

This included the signing of five new accounts in May, plus, four in the first week of June, with a further four expected to agree terms before the middle of the month, representing new business win of half-a-million pounds.

Lee Marriott, Group Business Development Director, Anglo European, said this would mean volume would be back at 60% of its pre-Covid level by 24 WINDOW NEWS JUNE 2020

the month’s end.

He said: “The demand we have seen has been significantly over and above what we projected – and we spent a lot of time projecting. It’s being driven by three things.

“The first of these is that the demand for product has been high and money is flowing throughout the supply chain.

“The second, is that a lot of companies are looking to sureup their supply chain. A number of reinforcement suppliers didn’t come back last month – and in fact still haven’t come back.

“People are shifting supply to where they can get product, but I think they’re also looking to buy from UK suppliers. We manufacture in the UK in steel

Modelling by Anglo reveals significant savings for even smaller fabricators, with those manufacturing only 100 units a week achieving average savings of £235 a week or £12,220 a year. The potential savings for those manufacturers producing around 1,000 fpw runs as high as £2,354 a week or £122,408 a year.

Savings for larger fabricators are, according to Anglo, even more impressive – up to £184,000 per year for manufacturers doing 1,500 fpw and £240,000 a year or more for those making 2,000 fpw.

“It’s not just reinforcements, we’ve seen increased demand for aluminium bi-fold cleats and bay couplers”, Lee added.

“Anglo has been around for a long time, we’re a British business, sourcing raw materials and manufacturing product in the UK. People don’t want to miss out on orders because they’re waiting on their steel reinforcement order. Things are moving too fast.” www.angloeuropeangroup.co.uk

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Our Rio flush fit offers inspiration and creativity using a beautiful array of on-trend colours that add a quality finish to your home.

Windows. Reinvented for modern life. www.rehau.uk/rio

TRADE NEWS

eyrise® facility in Veldhoven, the Netherlands. (Photo Courtesy Of Merck)

Merck’s Liquid Crystal Windows

Business And Guardian Glass

Announce Strategic Partnership The strategic partnership aims to expand the customer base of Merck’s Liquid Crystal Windows business and to broaden the package of architectural solutions offered by Guardian Glass.

Merck, a leading science and technology company, today announced a strategic partnership with Guardian Glass to commission sales of eyrise® dynamic liquid crystal windows. With this partnership, Merck aims to expand the customer base of its Liquid Crystal Windows business by leveraging additional distribution channels.

“This partnership will allow us to offer a complete range of solutions for structural facades”, says Guus Boekhoudt, Vice President and General Manager of Guardian Glass for Europe, Russia and APAC. “eyrise complements our extensive range of high-performance coated glass products 26 WINDOW NEWS JUNE 2020

with innovative features such as dynamic solar control and variety of colors, shapes and sizes. Combined with our expertise in commercial projects, this strategic addition will allow us to further enable tailor-made solutions for our customers.”

“The successful completion of the first eyrise projects proves we have conquered the application of our liquid crystal technology in innovative architecture”, says Michael Heckmeier, Head of the Display Solutions business unit at the Performance Materials business sector of Merck. “Our goal now is to expand the reach of our eyrise products to new markets and regions. With this strategic partnership with Guardian Glass, we will be able to leverage their know-how and network in the architecture industry as well as their expert salesforce to penetrate new market segments.”

Use of liquid crystal for dynamic glass in modern architecture eyrise offers unparalleled balance between aesthetics and functional needs of modern architecture with dynamic switchable glass. eyrise dynamic liquid crystal windows offers immediate shading comfort by cutting solar glare on-demand without compromising on natural daylight. The privacy window variant also offers an instant switch from transparent to translucent that provides confidentiality as required.

In 2020, Merck has successfully completed the installation phase of two architectural lighthouse projects: one with crane manufacturer Kirow in Leipzig, Germany; and another project with consulting, controlling and planning company FC Group in Karlsruhe, Germany. Ramp-up of Merck’s commercial manufacturing site in Veldhoven site was completed last year with the integration of a new lamination unit that is further optimizing overall production yield.

TRADE NEWS

VinylPlus : Steering The ®

PVC Industry Towards The Circular Economy

VinylPlus, the Voluntary Commitment to sustainable development of the European PVC industry, recycled 771,313 tonnes of PVC in 2019 – more than 96% of the programme’s 2020 target. The PVC industry is well on track to meet VinylPlus’ ever more challenging recycling targets for 2025, in line with the Circular Economy and the ambition of the Circular Plastics Alliance and EU policy initiatives to encourage recovering, recycling and reusing plastics. VinylPlus’ results are presented in its 2020 Progress Report launched today.

“Over the last 20 years, VinylPlus has worked tirelessly to tackle the challenges of circularity. We continuously aim to improve our sustainability performance embracing the European Green Deal, the Circular Economy Action Plan and other policy initiatives impacting the plastics sector,” stated Brigitte Dero, Managing Director of VinylPlus.

PVC has become a plastic material

of choice for medium- and long-life applications, primarily in building and construction products such as window frames, pipes, flooring, and cables, but also for lifesaving medical devices. PVC is reusable and can be recycled multiple times without losing its essential properties. Recycling this valuable material is a key part of VinylPlus’ voluntary commitment to sustainability and to the Circular Economy.

This recycling effort is reinforced by traceability and certification schemes that ensure the safety and quality of recycled materials and processes.

Through its Voluntary Commitment, the European PVC industry has recycled 5.7 million tonnes of PVC since 2000, preventing the release of 11.4 million tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere. In 2019 alone, 771,313 tonnes of PVC were recycled – more than 96% of the programme’s 2020 target. Following the European Commission’s pledging call for the entire plastics industry to boost recycling, Vi-

nylPlus has committed to recycling at least 900,000 tonnes of PVC per year into new products by 2025 – securing further its place in achieving Europe’s Circular Economy strategy and the aspirations of the cross-industry European Commission’s Circular Plastics Alliance, set up in 2019 for the cooperation on the uptake of recycled plastic.

Continuous recycling of valuable PVC material is in the best interest of a sustainable society. The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has confirmed recently that the recycling of end-of-life PVC products is the best waste management option from both an environmental and human health point of view[1].

Recycling of PVC significantly reduces potential greenhouse gas emissions as for each kilo of PVC recycled, two kilos of CO2 are saved. The alternative scenarios would result in wasting material that would otherwise be recycled and reused.

VinylPlus’ 2020 Progress Report confirms that the voluntary programme is achieving its targeted objectives. To guarantee maximum transparency, participation and accountability, a Monitoring Committee, composed of representatives of the EU Parliament, the EU Commission, trade unions, consumer organisations and academia, suWINDOW NEWS JUNE 2020 27

TRADE NEWS pervises VinylPlus’ achievements and progress. Jo Dewulf, professor at Ghent University and Chair of the Monitoring Committee, said: “Industry initiatives, like VinylPlus, that look beyond recycling and put sustainability along value chains in focus are increasingly essential when developing strategies for a circular economy.”

VinylPlus goes further than the Circular Economy, addressing other sustainability topics such as energy and climate change, sustainable material sourcing and production and the responsible use of additives. Such key issues have been integrated into the VinylPlus® Product Label, the sustainability certification scheme for PVC products in the building and construction sector delivering the highest sustainability performance and contribution to the Circular Economy. To date, ten companies have received the VinylPlus® Product Label for more than 100 PVC products manufactured at 18 European sites.

Workers’ health and education are also an integral part of the programme. VinylPlus cooperates with the European Chemical Sectoral Social Partners (made of European Chemical Employers Group and industriAll Europe) to implement action plans for workers’ safety and for the digitalisation of SMEs that were defined in the framework of the renewed Cooperation Agreement signed in 2017.

Brigitte Dero commented that “each progress report is a timely opportunity for the industry to reflect not only on its past achievements, but also on future challenges and opportunities. With the culmination of VinylPlus in sight, we are engaging further with our partners and stakeholders in a dialogue to build the new VinylPlus programme towards 2030 that will be launched in May 2021.”

[1] ECHA’s Annex XV report www.vinylplus.eu 28 WINDOW NEWS JUNE 2020

Noisy, Violent And Expensive: VEKA Recycling Completes Key Phase 2 Of

Plant Development On Schedule

VEKA Recycling Ltd has completed the installation of plant at its new Wellingborough PVC-U recycling facility, the crucial ‘Phase 2’ of a two-year site development programme. The new installation, costing £2.5 million, is the crucial initial stage of the recycling process that accepts post-consumer frames collected from installers around the country, removes metals and hammers the old frames into manageable fragments before further refinement.

cient when completed.

The result of a continued commitment to the UK by VEKA Group, the Wellingborough plant has been built from the ground up after a long search for an appropriate site and in a process that will have taken two years to complete. Simon Scholes, Managing Director of VEKA Recycling Ltd and who has managed the project throughout, says this has been a most exciting period: “Despite the Coronavirus lockdown we reduced to minimal The installation, that includes site staff for a month, opening for more preparation, a purpose-built hous- regular business from May 1st. Deing, silo, heavy-duty conveyors and spite this our engineers have manthe machinery that breaks down aged to complete the construction the frames, has been completed work and plant installation on time. on schedule despite the CoroWhen we lifted the first frames on navirus lockdown and in time to to the conveyor in what is a very receive the first batch of frames as noisy and violent process, it was the company’s gates reopen again. music to our ears,” he said.

Due for completion later this year, the facility, which will have cost Despite the nature of the processmore than £10 million in total, will es involved the VEKA Recycling become one of the most advanced plant is highly sophisticated and of its type when it becomes fulwill be linked to the Group’s other sites in Germany – which was the ly operational. The company is first of its type to be built in Europe already supplying high-grade in 1994 – France and the Sendenrecycled polymer for remanufacture into window frames, electrical horst head office, in order to closeaccessories and building compoly monitor and balance operations. nents but will be totally self-suffi-

VIEWPOINT

Mila Says It’s Good To Talk

“We’ve also reduced our minimum order value directly in response to customers who asked for our help in completing orders from before the lockdown, and we’ve switched to 48-hour deliveries because that is what customers have told is the most appropriate option for now.

“As things move forward though, we are planning new digital solutions across sales and marketing, and we want customers to tell us how useful they would be so that we can tailor our approach.”

She adds: “The Coronavirus crisis has shown us all just how interdependent we are in this industry and the mantra throughout has been that ‘we are all in this together’. The vast majority of suppliers really do want to help, and I think if fabricators talk openly and share their experiences and expectations with us, then they will undoubtedly see the benefits.”

Julie Holmes, Mila’s National Sales Manager

As the return to work gathers pace, Mila’s National Sales Manager, Julie Holmes, is appealing to fabricators to talk to their suppliers as much as they can so that they can deliver the kind of support which will make the biggest difference.

She says: “Mila has been phoning and emailing customers regularly to find out exactly what they need from us in terms of stock, lead times, deliveries and sales and marketing support to help them through the crisis.

30 WINDOW NEWS JUNE 2020

“The feedback we are getting is helping us to manage our resource in house so that we can make sure we have the right number of staff available and can work out where to focus our efforts. We’ve been encouraged at how quickly the demand has increased from such a standing start and we’re grateful to customers for keeping us up to date, because it’s meant we’ve been able to get people back in our sales office quickly to keep orders on track.

Mila plans to survey customers over the coming weeks to gauge the level of demand across the whole market so that it can ensure optimum stock availability moving forward, and will be sharing those results with customers so that they can gear up their own businesses to match the shape of the likely recovery.

Julie adds: “Customers rightly have very high expectations of Mila and I’d like to think we’ve lived up to those throughout this crisis so far. We’ve done all we can in terms of offering useful advice and practical support and we’ve been praised for that, but we know the most challenging times are still to come. We are determined to continue delivering market leading product availability and customer service and I hope our customers will help us to do that.” www.mila.co.uk

VIEWPOINT

Fulfilling Consumers’ Needs Will Be More Important Than Ever Bison Frames, home to the Genesis Collection of windows and doors has seen a strong pipeline of orders since reopening the business in May, 2020. Marcus O’Boyle, Business Development & Marketing Manager at Bison Frames believes this immediate upturn is down to the changing needs of the consumer during the lockdown. He said:” Spikes on Google searches have shown a surge in interest for home improvement products during the lockdown as many consumers have noticed where their home needs to be improved. They will have had time to research the options and while by no means all consumers will be in a position to invest in changes, those who can will want to invest in products that will a difference to the

home.”

He continued: “My guess is that this means we are going to see a surge in interest in the feature-rich, highly crafted products that were already gaining traction before the lockdown. The standard white casement, sold on price, is really not going to cut it when it comes to enticing the consumer who is now actively seeking outlets that can offer niche window and door products.”

As Marcus points out, feature-rich, highly crafted products were proving popular before the lockdown and it’s something the Yorkshire-based company has witnessed in the growing interest for their Genesis Collection of

windows and doors.

The Genesis Collection offers a PVC-U selection which includes the Genesis Vertical Slider and the Genesis Flush Sash Windows. Both have the option of mechanical joints or seamless Graf welds and features such as low sheen finishes so they look more authentic than standard PVC-U feature-rich windows. The windows offer outstanding levels of security and thermal efficiency and the Genesis Bifold Door and Genesis 24 Patio Door completes the collection offering similarly impressive features.

The aluminium selection includes the Genesis WarmCore Flush Sash Window, the Genesis WarmCore Bifold Door and the Genesis Warmcore Patio Door.

All products offer the stunning aesthetics that only aluminium can deliver. And all benefit from WarmCore technology that means they are 25% more thermally efficient than standard aluminium systems, claims the company. bisonframes.co.uk WINDOW NEWS JUNE 2020 31

PEOPLE

Change Of Management At

SWISSPACER

for the excellent cooperation.

For over 28 years, he advanced and developed many areas with total dedication in a range of management positions at Saint-Gobain. We wish him all the best for the future,” says Reto Cometta, General Manger Business Unit Windows, about the successful work done by Andreas Geith.

“I hugely enjoyed the entrepreneurial work with our highly motivated and pleasant team, right to my very last day. We managed to make an impact on many new and international markets through proverbial Swiss quality, service and performance. If nothing else, that is why SWISSPACER is synonymous with the warm edge in a number of markets nowadays,” says Geith.

Victoria Renz-Kiefel, new Managing Director of SWISSPACER. (Image © SWISSPACER)

Andreas Geith is leaving the Swiss premium manufacturer of warm edge spacer bars on 31 May 2020 at his own request to enjoy his retirement. Victoria Renz-Kiefel, former director of Strategy at Saint-Gobain High Performance Solutions to take over the management of SWISSPACER. Since the beginning of 2011, Andreas Geith has constantly moved the company and the warm edge forwards and ensured the international estab32 WINDOW NEWS JUNE 2020

To allow sufficient time for a smooth handover, Victoria Renz-Kiefel took over the management of SWISSPACER on 1 April. Having studied business management with stints in Shanghai, London and Paris, she subsequently worked as a project leader at BCG (The Boston Consulting Group). In the last two years, Renz-Kiefel was responsible for the strategy applied in the area of HPS (High Performance Solutions) at Saint-Gobain.

lishment of SWISSPACER as a market and innovation leader. His team-based approach always focused on finding the right talents for the growth-orientated strategy, both in Sales and Marketing as well as in the area of Technology and Innovation.

“We have found Ms Renz-Kiefel to be an extremely competent management personality and in particular consider her experience working on international, strategic projects to be of great added value for SWISSPACER. We are very confident that she will continue to move SWISSPACER forwards in the future,” adds Cometta.

After more than nine years at the top of SWISSPACER, he is now handing over the reins to the next generation. “We respect Andreas Geith’s decision and thank him wholeheartedly

As in her career to date, RenzKiefel will continue to pay attention to internationality, diversity and customer focus at SWISSPACER: “In this sense, I’d like to develop the

PEOPLE

New Appointment

At Haffner Murat

The present Managing Director Andreas Geith is leaving the company on 31 May 2020. (Image © SWISSPACER)

international expansion of the company further so that the warm edge from SWISSPACER sets global standards. To ensure this happens, we must constantly expand and improve our products and services so that we have a solution for all our customers’ challenges. In the short term, however, what matters is protecting the health of our employees and being a reliable partner to our customers.”

The warm edge is not yet standard and less energy-efficient spacer bars are often chosen in favour of faster processes. “SWISSPACER has greatly advanced the warm edge, and increasing numbers of imitators are appearing on the market. Which makes it all the more important for us to ensure excellent technical support and to actively shape the way the market is developed together with our customers,” adds Renz-Kiefel.

Further information is available at www.swisspacer.com

Machinery supplier Haffner Murat Ltd has further strengthened its sales management team with the appointment of Paul Yeo in the position of Technical Sales Manager from 1st June, 2020.

Paul joins an eight-strong technical sales team as demand for Haffner Murat’s cutting-edge fabrication machinery continues to gather pace.

Speaking on Paul’s appointment, Dave Thomas, Managing Director of Haffner Murat, said: “Paul has extensive knowledge of PVC-U and aluminium profiles along with fabrication machinery from his many years working in the window industry. His knowledge, focus and enthusiasm will be a great asset to our growing team and will further support the needs of our customers.”

Commenting on his appointment, Paul said: “This is a great oppor-

tunity to work with a company whose product range is superb and their ambition and plans for future market growth is exciting.

I am looking forward to working with Haffner Murat’s customers and demonstrating the benefits that the Haffner, Italmac and FOM machinery ranges can add to their businesses.”

Haffner Murat began the phased reopening of their business on 18th May, 2020, with the full technical sales team in place to start supporting their customers once more.

The company has recently expanded its headquarters and has doubled the footprint of its Staffordshire premises. It has also commissioned a new 37,000 sqm purpose-built factory in Istanbul, Turkey, to support the company’s continued growth. www.haffnermurat.com WINDOW NEWS JUNE 2020 33

PRODUCT NEWS

Innovative Forearm Shield Converts Push/Pull Doors To Hands-Free For COVID-19 Prevention An innovative new device designed and manufactured by leading German hardware company FSB allows doors with standard pull handles to be converted quickly and easily for hands-free operation and help in the battle to reduce COVID-19 transmission.

The FSB forearm shield for door pulls is fitted quickly to existing standard push/pull handles with the aid of four stainless-steel screws and threaded metal bushes. This enables external doors to be conveniently and safely opened and closed again with the aid of the user’s forearm – thus avoiding hands coming into direct contact with the door handle surface. Made of glass-fibre-reinforced polyamide, which is notable for being extremely rugged and is also easy to clean and disinfect.

34 WINDOW NEWS JUNE 2020

Available to buy direct from FSB, the forearm shield is particularly suited to areas that are subject to high levels of footfall – in healthcare establishments, offices, professional premises or public buildings. Here, any object that users come into contact with regularly is particularly likely to be contaminated and thus act as a host for the transmission of viruses, bacteria and multi-resistant germs.

Nazia Uddin, Architectural Consultant at FSB said: “Our new forearm shield is a practical solution for building owners and managers which is designed for easy retrofitting to existing handles, a simple but effective addition to assist in the fight to minimise the transmission of COVID-19 on shared surfaces. As with all FSB products, the forearm

shield is made in Germany to the highest quality standards and demonstrates our ability to respond to customer requests for the option of no-hands operation, without the need to replace existing fittings.”

The FSB forearm shield for door pulls is suitable for use with all standard tubular push/ pull handles 19–35 mm in diameter and it can be fitted to handles of angular and oval cross-section. It is securely fastened using four stainless-steel screws, with variable fixing options for vertical/horizontal, top-to-bottom, right-to-left, at any angle.

This latest dedicated solution sees FSB underscore its standing as a purveyor of dependable and innovative products, even in times as challenging as those we are currently going through. Design always shapes the way people think and act in FSB’s view, which drives its upto-the-minute product developments that have a direct bearing on contemporary trends and requirements. www.fsb.de/care

PRODUCT NEWS

Antimicrobial Handle Helps

Boost Active Protection

Methods Against Bacteria

Specifiers can now help to reduce the spread of bacteria by choosing an antimicrobial surface for door hardware.

HOPPE has developed SecuSan®, an antibacterial and antimicrobial surface for door and window handles, to help ensure high hygiene

standards wherever people are present in large numbers.

SecuSan® immediately suppresses the growth of pathogens on the handle on a lasting basis.

Independent tests have proved that SecuSan® reduces microbial growth by more than 99%, says

the company.

Andy Matthews, head of sales at HOPPE (UK), said: “SecuSan® is ideal for facilities managers trying to take care of high traffic buildings. In these types of buildings where there is so much to monitor and keep clean, SecuSan® helps to maintain high hygiene standards and requires minimal maintenance.

It actively fights bacteria and fungi from the moment it is installed and is wear-free on a long term basis.

This is particularly important in care homes and hospitals where residents are much more vulnerable.”

The surface can be applied to a wide range of popular HOPPE handle designs including the Amsterdam and Paris series, all available in aluminium silver and stainless steel. It is also covered

by HOPPE’s 10-year operational guarantee that applies to all HOPPE door and window handles. www.hoppe.com

Surface Protection Set To Be

Launched By MACO

April 2020 was set to see MACO exhibit at the world’s biggest window and door exhibition, Fensterbau Frontale in Nuremberg.

Fensterbau Frontale is a hive of innovations and product launches from across the industry and MACO was set to be showing and launching a range of new products and release the next updates in their concept creations.

One of the biggest launches from the array of innovations from MACO was to present the next evolution of surface protection.

Silverlook Evo the new and exclusive surface hardware protection technologies with self-healing properties – “tribologically sealed”. The new Evo surface protection has a self-lubricating surface that reduces friction and

corrosion ensuring that the fittings remain protected for longer.

As with human skin, which heals itself when minor injuries occur, the nano-capsules within the top layer act as a reservoir for both lubricants and corrosion protective substances. If the surface becomes damaged, the substances contained within the nano-capsules are released and fill the damaged area. “this sealant is unique within the industry” says MACO, and adds: “this technology reduces friction and increases the functional life and ease of use by a significant amount.”

Silverlook-Evo is the evolution formed through decades of experience within MACO’s expert

knowledge and internal electro galvanising surface protection processes. From this expertise Silverlook Evo was born paired with the tribological sealing.

Fittings made of steel or zamak are galvanized, passivated and sealed with the layer of nano-capsules. This offers protection and an elegant appearance in equal measure, abrasion and wear have no chance. The optimally coordinated layer structure increases the service life and corrosion resistance.

MACO is working on introducing the new Evo surface technologies across all of its manufacturing and surface technology sites, replacing the existing surface coatings.

WINDOW NEWS JUNE 2020 35

PRODUCT NEWS lifts, latch knobs, travel restrictors, sash locks and keeps – suitable for both timber and PVCu applications.

Available in a variety of traditional colour options such as champagne gold and chrome, as well as contemporary variations such as satin black and silver; colours can be mixed and matched with other Yale decorative door and window hardware to suite a whole property.

Yale Launches All New Vertex Window

Hardware For Sash Windows Yale has launched a brand new range of decorative hardware for vertical sliding windows. The Vertex range has been designed specifically for sash windows incorporating classical ironmongery.

Hardware experts at Yale have teamed up with specialists in vertical sliding and sash windows, to establish this new direction for the brand. After months of intensive research and development, the Vertex range has been launched in the UK market.

seen on sash windows, a framework that is most commonly found in British period style homes.

The new range has been notably designed to complement and maintain the traditional aesthetics

Using product designs as classical as the windows themselves, the range includes pole rings, sash

The Vertex range is designed, developed and tested in the UK. While the Vertex sash lock is PAS24 compliant as standard, the whole range has been beta tested with a number of fabricators to assure homeowners of the enhanced quality.

As a suite of Yale window hardware, the Vertex range is covered under the well-established Yale Lifetime Security Guarantee. This includes up to £3,250 towards repairs or replacements, insurance excess and securing the property, all in the event of a break-in – as well as discounts on the Yale store.

Grant Stratford, Technical Director for Window Hardware at Yale comments: “We worked with a team of internal and independent experts from beginning to end on this project, ensuring every aspect of the range was of the highest quality.

The aesthetics, functionality and durability of the range was at the forefront of our minds at all times.”

Paul Atkinson, Sales and Commercial Director, adds: “The Vertex range marks a brand new venture for Yale, and it’s one we’re all extremely proud and excited about.

“The technical team are now working long and hard to develop a functional hardware range for sash windows, so keep your eyes peeled for what’s to come.”

To find out more about the Yale Vertex range or the Lifetime Security Guarantee, please visit www.yaledws.co.uk

36 WINDOW NEWS JUNE 2020

Co So min on g one cassette, six door styles

0345 2000 816 distinctiondoors.co.uk

PRODUCT NEWS

Modern Metallics:

New Hardwearing Finishes Specifiers can now choose from a sleek range of hardware finishes to complement their designs without compromising on quality.

Resista® is a durable finish created by HOPPE to withstand frequent use associated with commercial buildings without losing its distinct appearance.

popular contemporary handle designs. The Amsterdam, Dallas and Los Angeles series all offer choices for interior door and window handles as well as slide-and-tilt and lift-and-slide French and patio doors. Slimline handles for pocket doors are also are available.

Developed with current interior design trends in mind, natural brass-coloured, copper-coloured, black and anthracite finishes have been added to the range. All colours are available in either a polished or satin effect, allowing specifiers to co-ordinate door and window hardware with other fixtures and furniture in the room.

The door handles use HOPPE’s Quick-Fit and Quick-FitPlus connection which allows the handle to be installed much more quickly than standard handles, says the company.

The integrated blocking mechanism in the receiver handle ensures that the handle does not come loose over time resulting in long-lasting door handles that require minimal maintenance.

These finishes can be paired with some of HOPPE’s most

The window handles also benefit from HOPPE’s original

38 WINDOW NEWS JUNE 2020

Secustik technology. Secustik is a jamming-device that provides integrated security, making it more difficult to move the window fitting from the outside while allowing normal use from the inside.

Patented Variofit® technology also allows for easy adjustments to be made to the length of the spindle to fit different window profile sizes and materials. This is enabled by means of a pressure spring fitted on the spindle in the inside of the window handle.

As part of HOPPE’s commitment to high quality products, Resista® handles have a 10year surface guarantee. This is in addition to the 10-year mechanical operation guarantee that applies to all HOPPE door and window handles.

Download the new finishes with Resista® contemporary colours brochure bit.ly/Resista-Finishes www.hoppe.co.uk

PRODUCT NEWS

Deceuninck Aluminium

Announces Full

Integration With Logikal

ple of months, and it’s come online at exactly the right time, as the market moves forward from lockdown and as fabricators review their supply chains.

“Pre-inserted gaskets, manufacturing efficiencies, dual colour, new panel door options – Decalu is now a very comprehensive and credible system – and our partnership with Logikal, now rapidly accelerates our ability to deliver it.”

Deceuninck Aluminium introduced Decalu at the beginning of this year. It’s lift-and-slide option, Decalu163 and the Decalu88 Bi-folding door are both heavy hitters, the former able to accommodate individual sash weights of up to 400kg; while the Decalu88 accommodates individual sash weights of up to 200kg.

In addition to its lift-and-slide and bi-folding options, it includes Decalu 88 Steel and New Steel, designed to replicate steel commercial windows; plus a hidden sash and retro option. There’s also a turn-andtilt option and the ultra-energy efficient, Decalu101 Scand, plus a complete range of panel doors with dedicated frame.

Deceuninck Aluminium has completed full integration with BM Aluminium’s Logikal database, creating a turn-key solution for the manufacture of its Decalu aluminium window and door system.

The industry-leading software means fabricators can now set up on Decalu quickly and easily, including full integration with Logikal’s estimation, quotation, CAD design, CNC and production management systems.

This includes the new Decalu163 Lift-and-Slide and Decalu88 aluminium bi-folding door, plus Deceuninck Aluminium’s comprehensive range of casement and tilt-and-turn aluminium windows, which combine ultra-low u-values with dual-colour as standard, as well as manufacturing efficiencies of up to 40%, claims the company.

Nigel Headford, Deceuninck Aluminium’s Business Development Director, said: “As part of the Logikal database everything

Nigel Headford, Deceuninck Aluminium’s Business Development Director

“The selling point for Decalu is that it has been designed to simplify manufacture. We’ve reduced window component parts from the eight plus on most systems to only three, gaskets and thermal breaking technology are pre-inserted. In short, Decalu is designed to take process and complexity out of the manufacture of aluminium”, said Nigel.

that they need to start fabrication is at the finger-tips of fabricators. It’s an instant win, they can move onto Decalu seamlessly, from pricing to manufacture.

“You still, however, need integration with processes. Through Logikal fabricators can integrate process from estimation to manufacture. Having it on board transforms our offer to them.”

“It’s something we’ve been working on during the last cou-

For more information visit www.deceuninck.co.uk WINDOW NEWS JUNE 2020 39

PRODUCT NEWS

VetroScreen: New COVID-19 Screen System From Bohle Bohle has launched a highly flexible dedicated COVID-19 cough and sneeze-guard desk mounted office screen system.

Available either as a clamped or free-standing option, VetroScreen, has been developed by the glass consumables and hardware specialist as a solution to screen adjacent desks in openplan offices.

Able to accommodate glass thicknesses of 4mm to 10mm and to a maximum height of 1000 mm, the easy-to-fit system, maximises glass pull-through.

A weighted desktop version manufactured in high quality powder coated aluminium and steel pro40 WINDOW NEWS JUNE 2020

vides a solid foundation for glass screens of up to 800mm high.

An alternative clamped system, simply slides over the edges of a desk or table and can be tightened with a knurled screw, providing a secure, safe and unobtrusive fix for screens of up to 1000mm high. There is no requirement to screw into the desk so preventing permanent damage.

Dave Broxton, Managing Director Bohle said: “The clamp system offers a particularly high degree of flexibility, able to form a safe screen between desks facing each other and to the sides, protecting workers while still allowing them to see and com-

municate with each other as they would in a ‘normal’ office environment. The length of the screen is typically 1000mm but can be easily extended simply by adding additional clamps.

“Supplied at a highly accessible price point, they form a very simple yet highly innovative solution for creating a safer working environment at a time when protection of workers remains key.”

PRODUCT NEWS This includes its right-angled fixings, BO5218435 in chrome and BO5218435B black and accompanying fixings and cover plates.

These can be designed to accommodate glass thickness of between 8-10mm and weights of up to 40kg and maximum widths and heights of 1200mm X 800mm.

“Standard fixings can be applied to the delivery of a highly flexible and more permanent solution but not everyone is going to want to drill into their desks”, said Dave.

“VetroScreen, provides a less disruptive and easier to fit solution, requiring fewer processes on site, while delivering the same level of protection as permanently fixed solutions.”

In addition to VetroScreen, Bohle has also developed how to guides to show how its pre-exist-

ing hardware offer can be used to make a sneeze-guard.

For more about Bohle’s product and service offer visit www.bohle.com

WINDOW NEWS JUNE 2020 41

PRODUCT NEWS

Epwin Window Systems

Launches New Colour Offering can give our customers a market advantage both now and into the future.”

The new colour offering features up to 16 Fast Track foil finishes which includes on-trend colour choices including Anthracite Grey Smooth, Cream on White, Sage, Claystone and Pebble Grey. Furthermore, Epwin Window Systems has worked closely with its sister companies within Group to offer a range of matching trims and roofline products to help customers provide a seamless finish across an entire building envelope.

Epwin Window Systems has launched its new colour offering across its PVC-U system brands. Clare O’Hara, Managing Director of Epwin Window Systems, said: “Our new colour offering has been designed to deliver what our customers need – making the most popular colour profiles available on their next delivery schedule as well as introducing new shades that look set to be the next trends in colour. It’s the latest in a series of major investments in colour so we

The new offer also includes 30 Made to Order options that reflect modern trends in colour selection. Clare said: “We’ve listened to our customers and looked at the market research so we could develop a range that suits all sectors and all tastes. We have also witnessed a growing trend towards both solid colours and smooth finishes which has been reflected in our new offering. The Made to Order range includes an expanded selection of attractive heritage tones, more of the popular contemporary greys and a new Ultimatt black finish, as well as new metallics to capitalise on the growing demand for aluminium alternatives.” www.epwinwindowsystems.co.uk

Apeer Increases Cut-Through Security With Steel Reinforcement And

Aluminium Mesh Core On All Doors Apeer has significantly improved the security across the entire range of its Apeer-branded residential composite doors, with the addition of steel reinforcement to the hinge stile together with strengthened aluminium mesh embedded in the core of every door that it manufactures at its Ballymena, County Antrim factory. Included as part of the standard specification across the board and at no increased cost, the reinforcements will be screwed and bonded into the high-density polyurethane core of each hand-made door. The result is a composite door that offers the highest levels of thermal insulation and security, with no risk of 42 WINDOW NEWS JUNE 2020

water absorption.

The decision to make the upgrade has been taken as part of an overall product review, within which it was decided to make the fundamental change simply for the purpose of increasing the competitive appeal of all Apeer composite doors, through performance enhancements and other improvements. “The composite door market is highly competitive, and we want to continue making the gains in sales volumes and market share that we have enjoyed, especially in the last four years,” explained Asa McGillian, Apeer’s Managing Director. www.apeer.co.uk

Shelforce Launches Compliant Fireshel Fire Doors Shelforce has launched the new Fireshel 30-minute fire resistant door – and the specialist Local Authority window and door manufacturer already has several hundred orders in the pipe-line.

The low maintenance Fireshel solid 30-minute fire-rated door set complete with fanlight glazing panel achieved 49 minutes fire resistance when EN1634-1 tested, allowing peace of mind when specifying a fire door solution for any local authority or housing association replacement project.

The Fireshel composite fire door utilises the FireFrame® dual fire, smoke and security compliant fire door set solution from Winkhaus, which includes the FD30 / FD60 FireFrame® outerframe, and the Winkhaus AV2 auto-locking multi-point door lock with optional access control. Fireshel tested to resist security and fire include TS008 compliant letter plates, numerals, eye viewers, door knockers

proved against the new 2020 Q Mark Fire and Security Composite door Set requirements.

Howard Trotter, Business Manager at Shelforce, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have had our field of application rubber stamped to manufacture fire doors.

“We have been working on this for two years and it’s been wonderful working with the likes of Winkhaus to make it happen.

“Safety and security in any building should never be compromised and our fire door has been designed and tested to meet the highest standards to ensure that it exceeds current safety regulations.”

The Birmingham-based company specialises in providing quality products for local authority building projects and its fire door solution will be perfect for local authorities who need fully EN tested 3rd Party, replacement fire door sets, that are compliant with the latest 2020 MHCLG Annex A recommendations.

All Fireshel fire doors have been fire and smoke tested from both the inside and outside and PAS 024 Security tested.

PRODUCT NEWS

Shelforce is planning on offering a comprehensive fire door package with its Fireshel system, ranging from fabrication through to installation, maintenance and repair. and security chains.

The multi tested Fireshel fire and security door set solution manufactured by Shelforce has achieved all the new stringent recommendations set by the MHCLG and has proven fire resistance consistency, fire tested many times to the EN1634 -1. When applicable Shelforce could provide a fully CE marked solution which is required for all external fire doors.

The Shelforce Fireshel fire door has also been tested to achieve PAS24 security. Q Mark 3rd Party independent audits inspect the Fireshel for both fire and security compliance.

Using the Shelforce Fireshel system offers the end-user assurance that all the components used in the manufacture of the doors have been tested and ap-

“The latest Government advice suggests that building owners must replace existing fire doors if they don’t meet current fire or smoke resistance performance and those new fire doors will then need to be routinely inspected and maintained by a suitably qualified professional,” said Howard.

“Our fire doors will help local authorities to ensure that all their tenants are living in a safe and secure environment. And we will also be able to provide the peace of mind that they will be inspected, maintained and repaired afterwards too.

“Having worked with local authorities for many years, we understand what they need, and we want to provide the complete fire door package to make it as easy for them as possible.” www.shelforce.com WINDOW NEWS JUNE 2020 43

PRODUCT NEWS slabs continued, and in turn deliveries kept on schedule, even though we had shut down our manufacturing facilities in the UK. The Senior Management Team remained on hand (whilst adhering to strict Health & Safety of course) to receive delivery which has resulted in bolstered levels of stock.

DOORCO

“Here To Help”

One of the key priorities for leading composite door supplier DOORCO is stock and even throughout lockdown, the company continued to receive shipments from DOORCO Korea resulting in bumper levels of composite door slabs ready for distribution or manufacturing today.

“As a privately owned company with a dedicated overseas partner, DOORCO is in control of stock levels and it has always been our key priority to make sure we are well stocked to meet our customer demands”, says Dan Sullivan DOORCO’s MD. “It was also fortunate that DOORCO Korea was largely unaffected by the Coronavirus pandemic. This meant that manufacturing of our door 44 WINDOW NEWS JUNE 2020

“DOORCO has been operating on a Just In Time service basis for some time, meaning we also hold good levels of accessories, glass and glazing cassettes too. We offer fast lead times on stock items, such as next day delivery on slabs, prepped slabs from three days and painted slabs or prepped doors from five days. We’ve been back in business since 4th May and thanks to the hard work of our team, we are settled in to the “new normal” of social distancing and strict Health & Safety measures to ensure our employees remain safe and well and ready to deliver. We are closely monitoring staff levels against orders to ensure we can meet demand, and as demand grows our full team are on standby to return to work.

“DOORCO offers one of the widest ranges of door designs and colours in the UK, from traditional woodgrain slabs such as our 6/4 panel Combi (that creates seven styles from one blank), to a modern Monza II with its contemporary linear etched detailing, to the perfect aluminium/flush casement partner LINKS.

Dan Sullivan

“We want to get the industry moving and are prepared to help everyone to get back to work. So, if you are experiencing any issues with supplies of slab or prepped doors, get in touch with DOORCO today to discuss your requirements: info@door-co.com or call 01625 428955.”

PRODUCT NEWS

Bifolds Made Easy –

Ezifold From 6 Day Doors

sive, and stressful to install.

“But thanks to Ezifold, those days are over. Ezifold offers the stunning looks and state-of-the-art performance the market has come to expect from bifolds – without the headaches.”

The company says that with its sleek aluminium aesthetics, Ezifold is a sure-fire winner with any homeowner looking for stylish, modern design.

Available in a wide range of configurations, its slim sightlines offer high-end aluminium aesthetics, while its bottom frame can be hidden in the floor to achieve flat thresholds.

6 Day Doors is strengthening its range with the addition of what it describes as an outstanding bifold door product, Ezifold.

Ezifold seeks to offer an affordable

and easy to fit entry into the lucrative bifold door market, as Director Sunny Singh explains.

It also comes with a 25-year colour guarantee, and 10-year hardware guarantee, too.

“Bifold doors used to be a challenge. They were complex, expen-

For more information visit www.6daydoors.co.uk strength in colour comes from a strong partnership with Deceuninck which lets them supply colour on short, reliable lead times.

Dekko Sales Director Kurt Greatrex explains: “Other fabricators might offer a handful of colours, but they can’t match our 30 colourways from stock across a full suite of products including windows, flush doors, tilt and turn windows and patio doors. That’s why installers choose Dekko over other fabricators.

Dekko Colour Sales Skyrocket

With Deceuninck

Trade fabricator Dekko says demand for colour has skyrocketed, growing from 20% of sales to over 55% in the past 5-6 years.

According to Dekko, a shift in con46 WINDOW NEWS JUNE 2020

sumer preferences and spending habits is behind this trend, with homeowners choosing coloured windows and doors to enhance and add value to their homes.

The Lancashire fabricator says its

“Deceuninck’s support is critical.

Their investment in warehousing, logistics and foiling lets us sell colour with confidence. Deceuninck holds £4.5m of foiled products in the warehouse so we know anything we order – from a single length of profile to a stillage – will be on our next delivery.

Everything is foiled in-house so quality is always first-rate too.” www.dekkowindows.com www.deceuninck.co.uk

SOFTWARE & TECHNOLOGY face-to-face with customers, the Network’s sales teams have been coached in the benefits of sharing their screens via apps like Zoom and Microsoft Teams to adapt their approach – helping home-owners plan their new windows & doors ‘virtually’ in the comfort of their own homes.

Lockdown Accelerates Launch Of Professional

Design Service

High-end retail fabricator Conservatory Outlet Ltd has continued its commitment to customer excellence by revealing an innovative new digital design package to support its customers’ lockdown sales efforts.

The state-of-the-art software, dubbed the Professional Design Service, was due to be officially unveiled to the Conservatory Outlet Network of retail installers in late Spring 2020, but the extraordinary circumstances presented by the COVID-19 pandemic prompted priority final programming and testing to allow for an accelerated launch.

The system allows customers the freedom to select and design windows & doors in real-time which are truly in keeping with their own style.

Supported by the guidance of an industry sales professional, homeowners can choose from literally hundreds of colours,

Greg Kane, CEO at Conservatory Outlet, explains: “The launch of our Professional Design Service (PDS) has always been a top priority for us, but there was never a more crucial time for us to accelerate our efforts to deliver an essential sales tool for our teams.

“Home improvements are all about visualisation. Making a significant investment like windows & doors, you need to really connect emotionally with the product and explore the huge range of options before you commit, which is exactly what PDS is designed to do.

Now we’ve proved it can be used successfully online, this only heightens its huge sales potential for the future.”

The design package has already proved a fantastic success for the Network, having been met with overwhelming praise from homeowners and ultimately supporting lockdown sales efforts of more than £4m since its launch on 30th March.

styles, designs and performance features and instantly see their vision come to life in front of their eyes. The tool also offers customers clear and on-the-spot pricing based on the designs they choose, which means an honest, transparent price every time.

Originally conceived to be used

Edward Westbury, Sales Director at Network member 5 Star Home Improvements, concludes: “We’re very grateful to Conservatory Outlet for prioritising the launch of PDS in the midst of the most challenging business conditions most of us have ever experienced. Their unwavering positivity has been a huge support to us over the past few weeks, and we have nothing but praise for the new PDS system which has helped us to secure a large number of contracts during lockdown.”

WINDOW NEWS JUNE 2020 47

SOFTWARE & TECHNOLOGY Business Pilot app on their phone, tablet or laptop.

This is pulled through the system automatically and assigned to the specific job, alongside all other records, providing a clear audit trail and providing the evidence that the Government is looking for, to prove that risks have been considered and where they can be, managed.

COVID-19 Guidelines

‘Checker’

Business Pilot, the cloud-based business management system, has launched a new COVID-19 digital risk assessment tool, which the company says simplifies compliance with Government guidelines for working in other people’s homes.

Described as quick and easy to use, the Business Pilot COVID-19 risk assessment tool supports installers in scheduling works safely and automatically provides an audit trail against each job to evidence compliance.

This includes pre-planning and on-site checks carried out by surveying or fitting teams on arrival at site.

Elton Boocock, Managing Director, Business Pilot, said: “The Government published guidance for safe working in other people’s homes on 11th May, but it is just that – guidance. There is very little that is explicit other than not working in the homes of those who are ‘shielding’ or anyone who is exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms.

48 WINDOW NEWS JUNE 2020

“The guidance as it stands right now is much more about best practice, putting in measures to social distance, communicating with the customer to minimise risk, equipping teams with hand sanitizing or washing kits, social distancing where you can and avoiding sharing tools.

“The term that’s used by government time and time again in the guidance is, ‘as far as is practicable’. It’s leaving how this is achieved to the individual company, but wants to see, – and it is absolutely explicit in this – that installers are thinking about risk ahead of time and doing what they can ‘as far as is practicable’ to mitigate risk.

“They also want to see evidence of that in the form of a risk assessment – and that’s where the new risk assessment tool comes in.”

The new Business Pilot risk assessment draws down on current government guidance to create a series of simple tick box checks that can be completed by surveyors and installers through the

Elton continued: “The risk assessment tool isn’t prescriptive.

It doesn’t tell you that you should wash your hands as an installer on arrival at site, or clean down surfaces more frequently in the home of someone who is say 70 plus and therefore falls into the ‘vulnerable category’.

“Government is leaving those decisions to individual companies and the guidelines being issued by individual industry trade associations. These will also no doubt also evolve over time.

“It’s instead about evidencing your processes, the communications you are putting in place with your team and your customers and being able to show it, through a very short and simple compliance process – we’re talking minutes.”

Its new risk assessment tool was created by Business Pilot after a webinar, held two days after the Government issued its new guidance for working in people’s homes at the beginning of May revealed concern about managing installations safely was a key obstacle to getting back to work.

Attended by more than 150 installers, the forum found that installers who have gone back to work were seeing high levels of homeowner demand but remained unclear about how to evidence compliance.

“The coming months are no doubt going to present more challenges for installers but the Business Pilot Risk Assessment Tool at the very

SOFTWARE & TECHNOLOGY least takes something off their plate, providing a quick and easy route to demonstrate compliance with government guidance for working in people’s homes during COVID-19.

“The insight and the tools that Business Pilot delivers to support you in running your business more effectively – from anywhere – can take away a whole lot more, allowing you to maximise your profita-

bility, providing a foundation your business’ continuity whatever lies ahead.” Elton concluded.

Watch the webinar here www.businesspilot.co.uk

Software Incentive From Business Micros

To Help Installers Through Crisis designs, colours, hardware and pricing. Homeowners will be able to use the configurators to create their own windows and doors, submit an enquiry and even see interactive visualisations of their creations on images of their own home.

The new interface for TOUCH Vendor has been created by the team at The Consultancy, which is now part of the Business Micros Group, using all of their retail sales experience. They have made it easy to customise, so that installers can add their own colours and logo to integrate it with the rest of their website, and very easy to use by consumers.

The Business Micros Group is putting its money where its mouth is when it comes to supporting the industry as it emerges from the Coronavirus crisis, by offering installers a free trial of its brand-new TOUCH Vendor lead generation software.

Installers can download the plug-in software direct from the TOUCH website (www.bm-touch.co.uk) and create their own online door and window configurators, complete with functions for homeowners to submit enquiries direct.

Business Micros Group MD Graeme Bailey said: “We’re effectively giving installers this simple, new lead generation tool which will enable them to capture more warm leads direct from consumers – just at the point when they will

need them most. TOUCH Vendor software will go online in July and installers can download it and enjoy a free trial to help them get back on their feet.

“Over the coming months, the TOUCH products will build into a complete end to end solution from retail enquiry all the way through online ordering, manufacturing and delivery. Installers who download TOUCH Vendor now can be part of that right from the beginning.”

TOUCH Vendor will include many of the features of the Infinity Capture software which Business Micros demonstrated at the FIT Show last year. It will allow installers to access the relevant datasets direct from Business Micros for all of the doors and windows they sell and add their own specific

Graeme Bailey added: “As we emerge from the Coronavirus crisis, online sales will obviously be more vital to installers than ever. Inevitably, I think there will be fewer face to face sales opportunities and perhaps even an initial reluctance to visit showrooms, but TOUCH Vendor can help to fill that gap and give installers a real headstart in generating new leads.”

TOUCH Vendor is part of the brand-new suite of TOUCH products from the Business Micros Group, which all utilise a powerful new software engine and the same continually updated data platform.

It works alongside TOUCH Portal – the new online quoting and ordering tool for fabricators, which installers can use to place the orders generated via Vendor. www.bm-touch.co.uk WINDOW NEWS JUNE 2020 49

ON SITE

Mountain Resort Feuerberg Offers

Energy Efficiency And A High Degree Of Comfort Thanks To

SWISSPACER ULTIMATE Sparkling lakes, enchanted forests and impressive mountain landscapes adorn Austria’s southern province of Carinthia. Just below the summit of Gerlitze Alpe at 1,769 metres above sea level lies the exclusive Mountain Resort Feuerberg. To enable the resort’s guests to relax and feel good 50 WINDOW NEWS JUNE 2020

all around, it was down to the architect Ronacher to consider everything down to the tiniest detail – including in the building constructed in 2019, a light-drenched bathing house.

Choosing the right window structure played a decisive role when it came to comfort in the new wellness temple: It had

already been decided during the planning stage to go for the triple-glazed unit CLIMATOP XN – fitted with the warm edge spacer bar SWISSPACER ULTIMATE, which has a very positive impact on energy efficiency and indoor comfort.

Since its opening in 2007,

ON SITE construction, energy efficiency and specifically for building with wood. When it comes to energy-efficient construction, the company has implemented numerous structures and completed two research projects, one of which focused on energy-efficient swimming pools made from wood.

“Building in an energy-efficient manner is very important for indoor pools. The basic shape of the ellipse and the wooden dome meet this need, as they give the building a very favourable ratio of volume to surface area,” explains Ronacher.

Mountain Resort Feuerberg has received numerous awards and excellence certificates. It was recently voted one of the Top 10 wellness hotels in Austria by the Relax Guide 2020, and rightly so: The premium location within striking distance of hiking trails and ski slopes, the culinary offering and the extensive wellness programme make Mountain Resort Feuerberg one of the top destinations for wellness and indulgence in Austria. The resort’s impressive alpine spa covers an area of 4,500 square metres. There are twelve pools and a solar-heated alpine meadow lake, sixteen relaxation rooms, eleven saunas and a water slide.

Relaxation room and view of the alpine meadow The central design element

of the new bathing house is an elliptically shaped swimming pool with a circular dome structure made from wood.

Together with the therapy facility, it connects to the resort’s existing buildings. The entire architecture thus becomes a semicircle that nestles back into the slope. At the front it traps the sun and opens up the panoramic view of the mountains. At the same time, this shape ensures sufficient protection against wind and weather in the courtyard.

“In each of the 15 construction phases that we have been able to realise for the Hotel Feuerberg in recent years, wood plays a supporting role in the truest sense of the word,” says the architect Dr Herwig Ronacher. He and his architecture firm stand for ecological

Mountain Resort Feuerberg was one of the most challenging projects to have been designed and implemented by the architecture firm. That was mainly because of the extraordinarily high standards specified for it. The aim was therefore to go for maximum quality in every detail. A good example of this are the warm edge spacer bars from SWISSPACER, which were used in the insulating glass elements from Saint-Gobain Glassolutions Nitrasklo in the most recent phase of construction.

SWISSPACER spacer bars consist of a highly insulating plastic composite material which minimises the loss of heat. They therefore prevent cold bridges and heat loss in the area around the edge of the panes of insulating glass – which prevents heat entering the building’s interior in summer and keeps the cold out in winter. Condensation, mould and the health problems these cause don’t stand a chance.

Although at first glance they represent a barely perceptible detail in the overall planning, the spacer bars are essential for saving energy as well as for pleasant temperatures inside Mountain Resort Feuerberg.

Further information is available at www.swisspacer.com WINDOW NEWS JUNE 2020 51

ON SITE

Senior On Board At New Transport Hub Senior Architectural Systems’ slimline SF52 aluminium curtain walling system proved just the ticket to create the bright and modern façade of the new-look bus station in Rawtenstall, Lancashire.

Built to replace the town’s dilapidated bus station which dated back to the 1970s, the new £3.5m transport hub has been designed by Day Architects to provide passengers with a more pleasant travelling experience. Senior’s SF52 aluminium curtain wall system was installed by UK Curtain Walling for RTB Projects and has been used throughout the new station to open up the main entrance and stand 52 WINDOW NEWS JUNE 2020

performance and robust construction of Senior’s SF52 aluminium curtain wall system has helped create a more comfortable and energy-efficient interior environment, which is a far cry from the original cold and leaky bus station. The durability and minimal mainCommenting, Duncan Hague, tenance requirements offered managing director of UK Curby Senior’s SF52 aluminium tain Walling Ltd said: “The system make it a cost-effective creation of the new bus stachoice for such high-traffic ention in Rawtenstall presented numerous technical and logis- vironments and thanks to the cradle-to-cradle recyclability tical challenges which were of aluminium, it is also a sussuccessfully overcome by all those involved and we are both tainable solution. proud and delighted to have To find out more, please visitplayed a part.” seniorarchitecturalsystems.co.uk As well as offering aesthetic value, the enhanced thermal areas. Maximising the flow of natural light during the day, the extensive use of glazed curtain walling also transforms the facility at dusk to create an eye-catching addition to the town’s urban landscape.

ON SITE

Fentrade Delivers

For Specialists Haverfordwest Showroom

Senior’s

On A Mission

High performance aluminium curtain walling, doors and windows from Senior Architectural Systems have helped transform a derelict Victorian school into a bright and modern place of worship in the heart of Sheffield.

Award-winning trade fabricator, Fentrade Aluminium recently manufactured and supplied a commercial shopfront system with high-security doors for the refurbishment of a specialist mobility aid showroom in Haverfordwest, Wales.

Working with Fentrade’s trade customer, Gardinia (West Wales), the original showroom had been fitted with standard entrance doors which were no longer fit for purpose. The commercial shopfront and new doors were specified to meet the specialist needs of the retailer. This included a low-level ramped threshold to facilitate ease of access, ‘hold open’ concealed door closers to minimise user effort when entering and existing the premises and hook-lock deadlocks for additional door security.

The shopfront and commercial doors were manufactured in their

non-thermal shopfront system in white aluminium which maximises the glazed area and offers a powerful combination of design flexibility and cost efficiency.

Chris Reeks, Director of Fentrade, said: “Replacing the shopfront in white aluminium gave the showroom a more stable and solid entrance whilst not looking out of place with the existing white PVC-U windows which were being retained in the property.”

The expertise of the Fentrade team meant that they were able to manufacture the products quickly and efficiently. Chris said: “This project was a great opportunity to demonstrate our ability to manufacture commercial shopfronts to exacting demands and we were delighted with the results.” www.fentradealuminium.co.uk

The Mission Hub is a part of the Catholic Diocese of Hallam and the old school building has been reimagined by Jump Architects to provide a flexible and functional space that comprises places to socialise, study and reflect. Senior has supplied the full fenestration package for the new church, with the fabrication and installation undertaken by supply chain partner Allied Glazing Systems for main contractor T & C Williams.

The original building, which dates back to 1863, has been renovated throughout and features Senior’s SPW600 aluminium windows and robust SPW501 aluminium commercial doors. The striking arched windows of the former school have been given a new lease of life, with Senior’s slim-profile window system adapted to replicate the look of a traditional steel window.

To provide the users of the church with additional space and to flood the interior with natural light, Senior’s thermally-enhanced SF52 aluminium curtain wall system has been used to create a striking link between the old building and the new purpose-built extension. www.seniorarchitectural.co.uk WINDOW NEWS JUNE 2020 53

MARKETING

VELUX Partners With Sky Media To Launch TV Ad Campaign Promoting Extensions Roof window manufacturer VELUX has partnered with Sky Media to launch a TV campaign to highlight the benefits of using VELUX roof windows to maximise daylight in a single-storey extension and transform it into the perfect living space.

The three month campaign, which launches today (Monday 8 June), is aimed at young couples and families and will show viewers how installing roof windows can make a huge difference to an extension and help them create the perfect space for an evening in.

There are three different adverts which will be shown on Sky One, Sky Witness and Sky Atlantic. As part of the partnership, VELUX have also created a dedicated online hub, hosted by Sky Media, where homeowners can get lots more information around how to 54 WINDOW NEWS JUNE 2020

make the most of an extension to their property.

VELUX ACTIVE with NETATMO, and the company’s range of blinds, will be promoted as part of the campaign. VELUX ACTIVE is compatible with VELUX INTEGRA® electric and solar roof windows and has smart sensors, which continuously monitor the temperature, humidity and CO2levels in the home and open and close your roof windows accordingly to create a healthier indoor climate.

VELUX INTEGRA is available with blinds and shutters and VELUX blinds come in a variety of different styles and colours. Whether you are looking for efficient darkening or daylight and heat control, there is a stylish solution in the VELUX blinds range to suit every individual’s taste.

Andrew Lumsden, Senior Marketing Manager at VELUX, said: “We’re really excited to launch our new campaign together with Sky across its entertainment channels.

“We know how important it is for people to maximise the amount of daylight in their homes and working with Sky allows us to deliver a message that will help people to extend their family time in a space filled with natural daylight using our world leading roof windows, blinds and smart home technology.”

If you are planning a home extension and need advice or inspiration to help you transform your living space for the whole family to enjoy, you can contact VELUX’s team of daylight specialists by visiting the online hub at www.sky.com/velux

MARKETING

Between Glass Blinds Unveils New Look Website

BetweenGlassBlinds, a leading manufacturer of fully integrated blinds, is proud to announce the launch of their newly redesigned website at www.betweenglassblinds.co.uk.

The new site features a streamlined, modern design, improved functionality, and easy access to essential information to help residential and commercial customers in the selection of their products.

Director Mark Nash said, “The last few months have been a challenging time for everyone. We made the decision to look inward and see what we could do to make our customer experience better. We felt our customers would benefit from substantial improvements to our website, and we feel we have now provided a much more user friendly and engaging solution. “ BetweenGlassBlinds’ new website will be updated on a regular basis with company news, case studies, product launches, and essential information.

Complete Marketing Support Resource

For Abcell Customers

uct range, giving customers what they need to win business.

Already a fabricator of Guardian™ Warm Roofs and Warmcore Doors, Abcell has added the complete Ultraframe collection as well as AluK aluminium windows & doors, offering installers the biggest choice of leading brands for glazed extensions, conservatories and glazing.

As the industry comes out of lockdown, installers are quickly discovering that the way they sell home improvements

has changed. That’s why fabricator Abcell has launched its brand-new marketing support alongside its expanded prod-

Abcell’s new customer support portals bring together exciting marketing from its brand partners, with practical tools to help installers carry out more online sales and limit the amount of home visits. https://bit.ly/37JHjt7 WINDOW NEWS JUNE 2020 55

MARKETING We knew production would be slow using the 3D printer, but the front line staff we sent samples to were extremely complimentary, and initial demand was high.

We continued looking for ways to produce bigger quantities more quickly – we wanted to help as many people as possible.

Swift decisions

Sue Davenport

How A Truly

Marketing-Focused

Business Can Make A Difference Sue Davenport, Group Marketing Director at Liniar, explores the true meaning of marketing.

At the time of writing, I’m sitting in my makeshift office (the dining room) where I’ve been based for the last few weeks, thanks to the worldwide COVID19 pandemic.

After closing our main facilities in order to protect our workforce, we continued to work from home – focusing on internal communication and trying to help our customers as their operations also ground to a halt, along with most others in our industry. We’re now slowly getting back to ‘normal’ and it’s good to reflect on one of the positives to emerge from this worldwide crisis.

56 WINDOW NEWS JUNE 2020

Helping front line workers After bringing operations to a standstill, the Liniar team’s attention turned to what we could do to help the efforts of the key workers on the ‘front line’, including NHS staff, care workers and many others. Social media told us these groups were crying out for PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) which was in short supply; and with a dynamic Design team and a 3D printer to hand, it was a quick leap to trialling a sample protective visor. We chose an ergonomic design that would be comfortable for the user to wear, and would allow a full range of movement whilst fitting over the top of masks and glasses.

From there, and over a matter of days (including the Easter weekend), Liniar ordered a new injection moulding tool, explored a new supply chain, established communication with deserving recipients for the visors, ordered stocks of acetate sheets and packaging, created assembly instructions and designed a flyer, created safe working practices in an assembly area, contacted volunteers to count, pack and assemble boxes of visors, and put in place a logistics solution to get them to the people who needed them. We continued sending out 3D-printed masks in smaller numbers, but once the tool arrived we were able to quickly increase production to more than 3,000 per day!

So how does this apply to marketing?

People often talk about the ‘Four Ps of Marketing’ – textbooks define them as Product, Place, Price and Promotion. All too often, only one ‘P’ is focused on by marketers– and that’s Promotion.

When a business fully embraces the Four Ps, however, starting at the beginning and truly understanding customers’ needs, something magical happens.

Product The first ‘P’ asks: “Does the product meet customers’ needs?”

In this unprecedented time, when Liniar customers were closing their own facilities and our main focus was to protect our work-

MARKETING the internal process to handle the new supply chain.

force of 500+, our usual product range was of little relevance.

Instead, the need for PPE was far greater, its absence hampering the efforts of many communities and individuals.

Once we’d determined output speed and our capacity, we started to drip-feed social media channels and contacted customers to let them know what we were doing. Many customers in turn offered to distribute the masks within their own local communities too.

Knowing we may be able to help this cause was a great incentive for us, and our flexibility and dynamic structure enabled us to pivot quickly into this new focus.

Initially, the Design team took turns to work in 4-hour shifts, 24/7, going into the office to man the 3D printer whilst it slowly churned out the visors. This led to further product development with the investment of £20k in an injection mould tool, supported by the Liniar senior management team and its parent company Quanex. We were able to refine the design and produce the visors in our own ‘Liniar green’ colour, even adding a positive message on each visor!

Place The second ‘P’ asks: “Where will customers find the product?”

– for Liniar, this meant finding whole new supply chains and contacts very quickly.

We used social media to get the message out to the marketplace and start to identify our new key worker ‘customers’. Our proud team, customers and contacts shared posts in order to reach the maximum audience possible.

At the same time, staff hit telephones, contacting local GP surgeries, hospitals and care homes to ask if they needed visors.

Orders were initially managed on a huge spreadsheet, but it soon became clear a more automated system was needed. Our IT and marketing teams worked together to set up a site for orders, whilst the visors were also added to Liniar customers’ online ordering portal, LiniarConnect.

Price The third P asks: “How much are people willing to pay for the product?”

We’ve all seen prices of key items increase considerably during this pandemic – it’s the law of Supply and Demand, as any economist will tell you – but Liniar wasn’t doing this to make money. When your motivation is to help, it’s amazing how easily pricing decisions are made.

Our willing volunteers gave up their own time to help whilst furloughed, making it a true team effort and keeping costs low. Suppliers helped by not charging over the odds for packaging or acetate sheets.

Liniar’s main focus is to provide the visors free of charge to anyone in the ‘key worker’ categories we’ve defined. Any business also needing visors to protect their own teams as they return to work can purchase the visors at a small cost. These contributions help to keep the visors free of charge for front line workers, and customers have been very happy to help with this.

Promotion The 4th P, usually the first consideration to a marketer, in this case came last. Apart from the initial social posts in gauging demand and gathering contacts, the majority of time was spent setting up

Our engagement statistics and analytics are interesting to view.

Take a look at our Facebook graph for Organic Post Reach – spot the date of our initial post about the visors?

Lessons learned The experience has been a rapid learning curve for the Liniar team, and also extremely rewarding.

Many businesses talk about being ‘marketing-led’ or ‘marketing-focused’ but in many cases that means they’ve come up with a great campaign idea – which may not necessarily be sustainable in the long term.

At Liniar, marketing starts at the top with an agile, responsive senior management team that is focused on doing the right thing.

The speed at which departments were able to work together and change our business model in order to provide help where it was needed will always be a source of great pride in my fellow teammates and colleagues.

It also demonstrates that ‘marketing’ in the true sense of the word should not be restricted to the marketing team – it has to be embraced by the entire business in order for it to succeed.

The beneficiaries in this case are our NHS heroes and front line workers – and that’s exactly as it should be.

To order Liniar visors for your own business, visit www.liniar.co.uk/PPE WINDOW NEWS JUNE 2020 57

CHARITY

P C Henderson Donates Hardware

To Assist School Rebuild In Nepal “The Securefold system works beautifully for our requirements.

We opted to install the doors in five sets of two – meaning they can be moved around in pairs to create gaps for fresh air, light and easy access. The doors can also be stacked completely clear of the opening – creating a huge, open, covered atrium – a perfect space for performances, and for hosting all kinds of village events.

Sliding and folding door hardware manufacturer, P C Henderson, has recently donated materials to help with the rebuild of a primary school in Nepal after it was left devastated by an earthquake in 2015.

Situated on a picturesque mountainside, the village of San Bhorle was left in ruins when the 7.8Mw earthquake hit, levelling every one of its 43 houses and primary school. All but one resident survived, but the community was left to rebuild their lives with no materials, tools or machinery.

Learning Planet, a charity which helps remote communities design, finance and construct new schools, stepped in to help. As the only communal building in the village – and the only one which would have permanent power and internet access – the local community required a school building which could also be used for other events such as village meetings and celebrations.

In order to achieve this level of flexibility, large bi-folding doors were needed in the centre of the 58 WINDOW NEWS JUNE 2020

building. This would allow the area to be used as a classroom when closed off or put to other uses when opened up. A folding partition wall was also to be installed in one of the classrooms, allowing teachers to create a private office space when necessary.

Justin Wickham, Co-Founder and Executive Director at Learning Planet, commented “I was looking for a really solid system which would work faultlessly in a very remote location, for years, with minimal maintenance. After some research, I got in touch with the team at P C Henderson. I was really moved when they offered to donate all of the hardware free of charge. It was extremely heartening to get such a positive response”.

P C Henderson’s Securefold system was identified as the best solution for the project. Carrying ten solid hardwood doors measuring 225cm high x 50cm wide – it was important that the system could comfortably cope with a heavy load – whilst still allowing for effortless and safe opening by adults and children.

“The installation went smoothly except for a snag when we realised the Securefold bolts were a centimetre too long. We couldn’t shorten the bolts, or make/buy other ones to fit. It looked like a deal breaker until our carpenter appeared with some washers he’d made from a flip flop!

It worked a dream. In remote locations, we often rely on that kind of ingenuity, as standard materials just aren’t available”, continued Justin.

P C Henderson’s Husky Folding door hardware was also specified for the internal partition wall required in the classroom.

With only a few small pieces of building work required to get the project completely finished, the school should hopefully be in full use in the near future.

Stephanie Lee, Marketing Manager at P C Henderson, commented “Each year P C Henderson commits to supporting charities on a local, national and international scale. We were delighted to support such a fantastic cause, it’s great to see how our hardware can be used to create flexible solutions which have a huge impact for local communities”. www.pchenderson.com

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