Window News January 2017

A Progressive Step Forward To Bridge Too Far 6

Mila Extends Heritage Range 41

TuffX Cheers To Glass!

67

HERITAGE Traditional Black & Pewter Finishes

WINDOWNEWS

CONTENTS WINDOW NEWS

W INDOWNEWS THE LATEST INDUSTRY NEWS

TRADE NEWS 4 DEAR GERALD 26

NEWS W INDOW INDUSTRY DIRECTORY

PEOPLE 27

KORNICHE FEATURE 34

WINDOW

WINDOW SYSTEMS 36 PRODUCT NEWS 41

W INDOWNEWS

MACHINERY 58 THE LATEST INDUSTRY NEWS FIT SHOW NEWS 62

ON-SITE 66

W INDOWNEWS THE LATEST INDUSTRY NEWS

W INDOWNEW W INDOWNEW W INDOWNEW

THE LATEST INDUSTRY N

THE LATEST INDUSTRY N

THE LATEST INDUSTRY N

MARKETING 70 TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT

74

EXHIBITION NEWS 76

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Cover picture: Climatec WindowsINDUSTRY has added Residence THE LATEST NEWS Collection

WINDOW NEWS JANUARY 2017 3

TRADE NEWS

Martin Dickie Is New MD Of Residence Collection & Window Widgets DW3 Products Group has appointed Martin Dickie as Managing Director of Residence Collection and Window Widgets, the DW3 Window Division.

Martin has over 20 years’ experience in PVC windows and doors.

Having started as Product Manager with timber door maker Leaderflush & Shapland, he developed large scale, multi-product social housing, PFI and Partnering projects at Heywood Williams Group.

As a consultant, over three years, he assisted a successful management buy-in and growth at Dorwin, and for two years he helped Nationwide Windows prepare for a successful buyout.

Putting his deep knowledge of composite doors and the market to good use, he was in at the inception of Door Stop, working closely on various projects until its sale to Masonite Group three years ago. As Business Unit Director Door Stop he successfully ran and 4 WINDOW NEWS JANUARY 2017

integrated the company into Masonite UK, taking sales from £26m to £38m in two years before becoming Business Development Director Masonite UK. Most recently, as General Manager of National Hickman, another Masonite UK company, he transformed supply and systems.

Reporting to CEO Gareth Mobley, Martin will drive Residence Collection through its next stage of development. Martin joins Residence at a time of explosive growth following the launch of three new window and door systems in 2016.

Residence Collection CEO Gareth Mobley says: “Demand for R9, R7 and R2 – is growing extremely fast, and the DW3 team is working hard to transform systems, stock management, operations and logistics at Residence HQ in Gloucester to meet the demand. We have been developing our relationship with Martin over 18 months and we are delighted he is joining us in this

key role.”

Martin Dickie says: “Residence Collection and Window Widgets have great potential. Installers are really excited by R9, R7 and R2 and their ability to expand their markets and create new ones. If you know the window systems market, you’ll know there is nothing like it. I’m passionate about providing exceptional customer service, and giving customers the innovative products and means to grow fast. So for me this is the perfect challenge!”

“Working with General Manager Sarah Hitchings, and me and the rest of the DW3 team,” Gareth continues, “Martin’s extensive experience of the window and door industry will enable us to achieve great things.”

To find out more about Residence Collection visit www.residencecollection.co.uk call 01452 300912

TRADE NEWS

70% Of Builders Modplan

Report Material Accreditation

Price Hikes 70% of UK builders have seen an increase in material prices due to the depreciation of the pound, new research from the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) has revealed.

Sarah McMonagle, Director of External Affairs at the FMB, said: “Thousands of smaller building firms are grappling with the rising cost of materials caused by the depreciation of sterling since the EU referendum. More than 70% of smaller building firms have experienced increased costs as a result of the weakened currency, with additional increases of 10 to 15% expected as the new year unfolds. Anecdotally, construction SMEs are already reporting an increase of 22% in Spanish slate and 20% increase in timber. A quarter of all materials used by the UK construction industry are imported – this is significant and underlines the vulnerability of the industry to sudden fluctuations in the strength of our currency. The combined pressure of higher material prices and the rising cost of skilled labour represents a serious challenge to builders.”

McMonagle concluded: “What this means is that home owners could start to see the cost of their building projects increase.

It also means that consumer choice may be reduced as some home owners face having to compromise on aspects of their project due to the fact

that certain materials have become too expensive. There is also an added headache for the builder, as material price rises can come at short notice and if they are mid-project, the original costing is no longer accurate. This makes pricing jobs problematic and leads to construction SMEs having to cover themselves against sudden price swings. Some builders are attempting to mitigate this by introducing larger contingency funds when pricing for a job, or by stipulating in the contract that the overall contract price will change in the case of material price hikes, making client budgeting more tricky.” www.fmb.org.uk

Gains SDB On VEKA VS

Modplan is the only VEKA fabricator to have Secured by Design accreditation on its VEKA vertical sliding windows, says the company. Modplan’s Managing Director, Heidi Sachs, said, “Secured by Design accreditation is important because it proves a product can meet the requirements of Document Q. It also gives homeowners peace of mind that the products are secure. Having this accreditation helps our customers to close more vertical sliding window sales, giving them a competitor quality advantage.”

Established in 1989, Secured

by Design (SBD) is the title for a group of national police projects focusing on the design and security for new and refurbished homes, commercial premises and car parks as well as the acknowledgement of quality security products and crime prevention projects. It supports the principles of ‘designing out crime’ through physical security and processes.

The Secured by Design accreditation is a quality initiative that Modplan continually support.

This is evident as the company has achieved SBD status on a number of their products which include the VEKA Imagine bifolding door, the VEKA Imagine patio door, the VEKA Matrix 70mm door, the VEKA Matrix Fully Sculptured 70mm door, the VEKA Matrix 70mm window, the VEKA Matrix 58mm casement window, the VEKA 70mm Fully Sculptured casement and tilt / turn window, the VEKA Matrix 58mm tilt / turn window and the VEKA Matrix 70mm tilt / turn window. www.modplan.co.uk WINDOW NEWS JANUARY 2017 5

TRADE NEWS

Prefix Acquire Pavilion Systems

Prefix Systems Holdings Ltd have acquired Sussex-based conservatory roof and aluminium systems fabricator Pavilion Systems Ltd, in a move that will increase the manufacturing capabilities to five sites across the Group.

This strategic investment by Prefix provides an important geographical location to further develop the South East, with daily deliveries and a more localised level of technical expertise and support, as is the Prefix way. As the fifth manufacturing site in the Group, it will also allow Prefix to introduce further premium products into their portfolio as they look to build on their reputation as the market leaders in extended living space and aluminium glazed solutions.

Pavilion Systems was established in 1998 and has built an impressive reputation for product quality and customer service under Philip Derbyshire, who will remain in the business. Both Ultraframe and Quantal conservatory roofs will continue to be manufactured from the existing site, with new products carefully introduced over the coming months and years ahead, allowing Prefix to accelerate their growth plans for the short and medium term in this important geographical location. www.prefixsystems.co.uk

A Progressive Step Forward To Bridge Too Far For ‘Over-Taxed’ Businesses How will the national living wage impact firms in the construction industry The director of a fast-growing SME home improvement firm has said that a cacophony of upcoming business changes could strangle economic growth.

Michele Wietscher, who is the joint founder of Newview Windows & Conservatories, says that although the introduction of the National Living Wage is the right thing to do, it comes at a time when businesses are facing rising rates, energy costs and the introduction of auto-enrolment.

On April 1st 2017, the National Living Wage is set to increase to £7.50 per hour for workers aged 25 and over in the UK. The decision has been lauded as a step towards financial equality in the UK as the government plans a shift from a low wage, high tax, high welfare society to a higher wage, 6 WINDOW NEWS JANUARY 2017

lower tax, lower welfare society.

But Michele says that we need to be careful not to put barriers in place for businesses to grow.

She comments: “It’s an emotive subject and it’s easy to look at national stories such as Sports Direct and make a reaction but to get to the nub of the issue it’s important to look at how it is being received in the ‘real economy’ – amongst shop keepers, entrepreneurs and those running privately owned firms.

“With the increasing cost of energy and the introduction of Auto-Enrolment, it may have an adverse impact on SMEs. What tends to happen in a small business is that pay goes up and hours get cut to

balance the budget, or they have an employment hiatus. If you have a minimum wage that is above inflation, then you may be storing problems for the future and some businesses won’t have resilience.”

Michele says that at the bottom end, UK construction labourers earn, on average, £7.70 per hour – meaning the National Living Wage increase outside London will not represent a substantial pay boost for these workers.

This shows that the impact to the construction industry will be less, than the retail sector for example and Michele also says that a bit of perspective is needed when people talk about the dire consequences of the introduction.

She comments: “When the minimum wage was introduced in 1999 Armageddon was predicted, when the actual result was sustained growth in the economy.

It’s also worth considering how Scandinavian and other European economies manage to run their economies, with higher pay rates.

But on the flipside again it’s worth noting how much a cup of coffee costs in some of these countries!”

TRADE NEWS

‘Mixed Fortunes’ –

Conservatory Market Hits New Low

But Second-Time Replacements Up

Robert Palmer, Managing Director, Palmer Market Research

Figures from Palmer show that PVC-U remains the dominant material type across sectors. The Market for Domestic Conservatories report also suggests that, the fortunes for manufacturers are very much defined by conservatory style.

New findings from Palmer Market Research reveal that the conservatory market contracted in 2015 by 6% – hitting an all-time low of just 78,800 units.

With all but 600 units supplied into the home improvement sector, the number of first-time installations also dropped by 9% to 57,000 units.

The new report, however, shows that while the conservatory sector’s share of the new build market and first time installations declined, the home improvement second-time replacement market saw significant growth.

The new report The Market for Domestic Conservatories, published this month [Jan], shows that in contrast to the fortunes of the industry as a whole, the market for second time replacements saw 13% growth in 2015 to 21,200 units.

More significantly, the market for replacement roofs saw growth of 62% to 11,200 units during the same period.

Robert Palmer, Managing Director, Palmer Market Research, said: “Having seen growth of around 3% in 2014, the conservatory market, as a whole, declined by 6% in 2015. “What is, however, very notable, is the growth that we have seen in the second-time replacement market and the emerging market for replacement roofs in the home improvement sector, with the latter seeing particularly significant growth.”

Although some products, for example Orangeries (26%), saw significant growth in 2015, this was not enough to offset a 4% fall in the home improvement sector overall. This was accompanied by a 1% fall in installed value.

Going forward Palmer suggests that demand for family-style rooms will play a key role in shaping the market as home-owners demand more versatile living spaces.

The findings follow Palmer’s publication of The Window, Door and Conservatory Markets in Housing in Great Britain, last autumn.

This argues that a flattening of the market in 2015 saw total volume fall by 0.7%. This was, however, offset by a shift towards higher-end products and higher value installations, which delivered a 2% increase in installed value to £4.20 billion.

Palmer continued: “Consistent with other areas of the window and door industry, some products are seeing growth, others are going into decline.

“We would suggest that a generation of conservatory-buyers are moving on to their second conservatory purchase are increasingly discerning and expectations and applications are changing as a consequence.”

Palmer concludes: “In what is overall a slowing market this we forecast that this will continue to deliver pockets of significant growth through to 2020.”

For more information log on at www.palmermarketresearch.co.uk WINDOW NEWS JANUARY 2017 7

TRADE NEWS

Audasi Holdings

Acquires Welglaze:

Group Reach Extends South

Audasi Holdings, which includes award-winning VS manufacturer Quickslide in its portfolio, has announced its acquisition of one the SouthEast of England’s longest established and most respected trade window fabricators, Hertfordshire-based Welglaze.

Adrian Barraclough, AudaThe business was si Chairman

founded in 1970, during that time Welglaze built a strong reputation for close attention to detail and product quality, specialising in the fabrication of high-quality PVCu and more recently aluminium windows for the trade, together with a full range of residential and sliding doors and complementary products.

Apeer’s

Audasi has already proved its intentions for the business by moving the Welglaze operation and staff to a brand new, purpose-built state-of-the-art factory in Letchworth, just 10 miles from its previous base. From this new facility Welglaze will continue to fabricate the increasingly popular Deceuninck suite of products in addition to residential and sliding doors, aluminium windows and doors and a portfolio of commercial aluminium products and services. Further investment will see an increase in capacity and improved customer service and support systems the latter of which will include detailed quotation-to-delivery order tracking together with enhanced service and technical support for fabricators.

Audasi Chairman Adrian Barraclough commented that the group has been searching for some time to find an ideal operation in the South East of England: “The Welglaze acquisition is an ideal fit with the investment from the group re-energising one of the area’s longest established and most popular window and door makers,” said Adrian. “We have a reputation through Quickslide for continuous innovation in our products and customer support and these core strengths will build upon the excellent local reputation already enjoyed by Welglaze.

“The acquisition reinforces the group’s plan to continue evolving and innovating improved and exciting ways of serving this fascinating industry through products, systems and people,” added Adrian.

Welglaze Windows Ltd: www.welglaze.co.uk new-build – and increasingly asked about on everything down to one-off domestic retrofits – so of course we need to be able to show the piece of paper.”

A Cut Above

With PAS24

Cut-Test Pass Apeer has been officially granted certification on the latest PAS24 accreditation with cut test, in accordance with Approved Document Q requirements – without having to do a thing to the spec of its existing doors.

Every door in its Apeer, Modo, Double Diamond and Lumi Composite ranges was put through the full physical testing process but, as Marketing Manager Linda 8 WINDOW NEWS JANUARY 2017

Tomb explained, the test was only a formality: “All of those doors were already well within the specification to pass the revised test. No one doubted they would sail through but certification is now a standard requisite in sectors such as

Like many other door ranges, Apeer products have held PAS24 since the standard was introduced in 2007, as well as its subsequent updates. The latest of these requires a door to withstand a specific attack using chisels and a Stanley-type knife for a minimum of three minutes.

Linda continued: “At Apeer, we have always taken security seriously from the construction of the doors themselves to additional features such as use of Kitemarked cylinders and two hinge bolts as standard. www.apeer.co.uk

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TRADE NEWS

‘Breaking New Ground’

Emplas Factory

Expansion

Work has begun on a major expansion of Emplas’ state-of-theart manufacturing facility as the fabricator gears up for continuing growth.

we continue to deliver the highest levels of customer service but also investing in our manufacturing and distribution facilities and we need space to do it.

At 50,000 sq ft, Emplas already operates from one of the UK’s largest window and door manufacturing facilities.

“Increasing our factory space by a third allows us to continue to grow but importantly plan for far longer term growth going forward.”

As part of its new development programme, it will add new factory floor space, loading bays and offices – increasing its size by a third again.

The expansion of the factory floor follows the investment that Emplas has already delivered on it.

This includes the purchase of new welders, digital measurement systems and the centre-piece of the six-figure spend – its’ new Schirmer saw centre.

Kush Patel, Operations Director, Emplas said: “As a business, we are very much looking to the future. We have seen some solid growth but recognise that if we want to keep growing into the future, we need to invest in our products, services and our manufacturing capability to support it.

“This includes bringing more people into our business to ensure that 10 WINDOW NEWS JANUARY 2017

The new dispatch facility is a key element of the extension. Already operating a barcode system across its manufacturing workflows, Emplas has extended its order tracking capability right up to the point of delivery.

This includes tracking of IGU

orders through a ground-breaking tie-in with the barcode tracking system offered by its glass supplier, Pilkington in addition to order tracking through its own production process.

It means that Emplas customers can track orders through its digital portal and the Emplas Virtual Assistant, right through from the point of order to delivery.

“The new dispatch facility will allow us to work smarter. It’s a critical check point – each order is scanned as its prepared in the loading bays and then re-scanned onto the lorry”, said Kush.

“In identifying or eliminating any delays at this point of the supply chain, we give ourselves time to take corrective action before it has any impact on the customer.

“A little more space, including space for wrapping and protection of products, will be a real asset to us and most importantly, our customers – supporting us in continually improving product service and quality.”

Emplas’ complete and on-time deliveries currently run at 99.3% compared to an 84.6% industry average. It also has a product quality rating of good or excellent by 98.7% of its customers compared to an industry average of 79.2%. www.emplas.co.uk

TRADE NEWS

Addison Saws Appointed As

Official UK Distributor For Simonds Kevin Warner

Kommerling’s

Boosted By Record

Sales Quarter Kömmerling have recorded record sales in each of the last three months of 2016, making it their best quarter ever, as the German systems giant continues to build market share, thanks to an unrivalled product range and impressive operational capabilities.

Sales of the core 5-chambered C70 and O70 Gold® systems continue to grow as do the AluClip variants, while door system sales have been bolstered by the patent protected, Secured

by Design certified, PremiLine PRO patio door. Sales of the lift and slide PremiDoor have also increased as consumers look towards a greater passage of light.

With plans for several product launches kept carefully under wraps for the FIT Show, the prospects for 2017 look particu-

larly strong given the unrivalled product range and their customers are again expected to excel and grow profitably.

Kevin Warner, head of sales and marketing of Kömmerling commented: ‘It’s been an impressive performance this year in terms of sales, with a record-breaking end to the year, representing our biggest trading months since the business began. With impressive new product launches planned at the FIT Show, we’re looking to further build our brand reputation as one of the leading product innovators in the PVCu systems sector.’

For further information on the latest Kömmerling systems, call 01543 444900, e-mail enquiries@profine-group.com visit www.kommerling.co.uk

Addison Saws, the West Midlands-based cutting and sawing technologies specialist, has been appointed as the sole UK distributor for Simonds International’s bandsaw blades.

“Having sold Simonds’ woodworking and metalworking blades for more than thirty years, we are delighted to have been appointed as their official UK agent,” comments Addison Saws’ managing director, Gary Knight.

“As the oldest cutting tool manufacturer in North America, Simonds enjoys an enviable reputation for the quality of its products,” continues Gary Knight. “Thanks to our many years spent working with the brand, we have an unrivalled knowledge of the Simonds product range – including its Bi-Metal, TCT, Carbon and ‘Red Streak’ wood-cutting blades.”

The appointment of Addison Saws

by Simonds occurred after the bandsaw blade manufacturer’s previous UK distributor ceased trading.

“We are proud to be working with Simonds to ensure that UK woodworking and metalworking companies can continue to buy their superior quality bandsaw blades – blades which are manufactured to the most stringent quality standards,” adds Gary Knight. “We have invested in significant levels of stock to ensure continuity of supply.” sales@addisonsaws.co.uk WINDOW NEWS JANUARY 2017 11

TRADE NEWS Even though the internet continues to eat into the share of retail spending (15% market share in October 2016), this has not detracted the industry from building in 2016, albeit showing a widespread trend towards smaller project contracts.

According to the ‘Does retail offer real opportunity?’ report from construction industry analysts Barbour ABI, the key change in work coming from the sector is that construction projects are smaller, fitting in with the emphasis that is being placed, especially by larger retailers, towards an increase in smaller, more local retail units.

Retail construction accounts for £4.7 billion pounds a year, down from the £8 billion pre-recession peak. The report also describes how physical stores are still pivotal to the strategies of most retailers, as major opportunities look to be available over the next few years, particularly for architects who can rethink retail space and develop nexus between the physical and digital shopping experience.

Across 2016, the twenty largest retail projects accounted for a value of more than £570 million, with £421 million coming from the South of England which is 74 per cent of the total. However, interestingly it was the North West of England that led all regions with the highest overall number of contracts in the retail sector over the 12 months to September.

Retail Construction

Sees A Decline In Value But Contract Numbers

Hold Steady

The two largest projects by value in retail construction last year were the Charter Place shopping Arcade in Watford valued at £178 million and the £75 million O2 retail village outlet in London.

they occupy, which has ultimately resulted in smaller, more frequent projects, making up for the declining overall value of retail work over the past five years for the construction sector.”

Commenting on the figures, Michael Dall, Lead Economist at Barbour ABI, said: “Ultimately today’s retailer is looking to improve the experience of their customers.

That has been reflected in how they design and use the buildings

“The value of work may have shrunk, but the number of projects being let by retail clients is holding steady, providing similar numbers of opportunities to impress clients.”

40 Years In Business For Sash Window Specialists Roseview Long respected as a UK leading light in uPVC sash windows, Roseview has developed an enviable reputation for quality, reliability and exceptional service over decades – and now the Buckinghamshire-based firm is celebrating its 40th birthday.

12 WINDOW NEWS JANUARY 2017

Founded in 1977 as a window and door fabricator, Roseview was at the forefront of window industry innovation when, in 1985, it was the first company to start manufacturing uPVC sash windows.

In the years since, Roseview has

invested immense amounts of time, energy and resources into perfecting its suite of premium sash window products, the Rose Collection. The G Award-winning Ultimate Rose is virtually indistinguishable from a classic timber original.

Roseview intends to celebrate its landmark anniversary across a number of events throughout 2017 – most notably at May’s FIT Show. www.roseview.co.uk

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TRADE NEWS After a year of unpredictability for the economy as a whole, overall contract value figures for the construction sector reached £70 billion, decreasing by 5 per cent compared to 2015.

However, according to the latest edition of the Economic & Construction Market Review from industry analysts Barbour ABI, Housebuilding continued to grow across the majority of the year, with total value of contracts at £23.6 billion, a year-on-year increase of 11 per cent. Furthermore from the Housebuilding sector, the planning activity also increased in 2016 with the total value of projects reaching an advanced planning stage of £49.8 billion, an increase of 19.2% from the value in 2015.

Another sector that saw an increase in yearly contract value was Infrastructure with a 1.9 per cent increase, reaching £19.3 billion.

Infrastructure also had nine of the top ten highest value construction contracts in 2016 (see figure 1.1).

Four construction sectors saw a decrease in contract value across 2016; Industrial, Medical & Health, Education and Commercial & Retail, which saw the biggest drop over the year, decreasing by

Housing & Infrastructure

Prosper In 2016 As The Rest

Of Construction Struggles 32.6% compared to 2015 figures.

Commenting on the figures, Michael Dall, lead economist at Barbour ABI, said: “It is clear from our yearly figures that the Housebuilding sector was the main component of growth across 2016. Even after the initial shock of the Brexit vote, where many housebuilders share prices fell in excess of 20 per cent, this did not hamper activity with both the current and future pipelines of work remaining strong.”

“However Infrastructure cannot

be overlooked, with nine out of ten of the biggest projects across all of construction coming from this sector. Overall for Construction in 2016, output remained healthy but contract award values did decline.”

“With important political decisions likely to come in 2017 that could have implications on construction activity, particularly in the commercial sector, it would seem that the future will be difficult to predict, as Britain’s trading position remains unclear for now.”

CDW Systems Launches Reynaers Aluminium

Aluminium specialist CDW Systems Limited has added Reynaers Aluminium to its product range.

CDW is now manufacturing Reynaers aluminium lift and slide patio door sets – premium systems, which are aimed at the high-end residential and commercial aluminium markets.

Jerry Webb, Group Chairman, commented: “Our customers are 14 WINDOW NEWS JANUARY 2017

taking on more high-end projects such as installations in restaurants and blocks of flats, and as a result, we have seen rising demand for premium products such as sliding doors, bi-folds and VS windows.

“Our decision to introduce Reynaers to the range strengthens our aluminium offering and gives our customers an additional competitive advantage.”

Justin Hunter, Managing Director of Reynaers, comments on the partnership: “Jerry Webb and his team at CDW are hugely experienced and highly respected throughout the industry.

Jerry has been impressed by our ability to offer a combination of premium quality products, first-class customer service and excellent technical support and we are delighted to add CDW to our valued network of fabricator partners.”

TRADE NEWS

Universal’s Record Breaking Shaped Sales

Hat-Trick

of PAS 24 Certifications For

Warwick North West Respected Liverpool based fabricator Warwick North West has received PAS 24 accreditation on their Innolux casement window, made using Eurocell’s Modus system. The casement window joins the Innolux vertical sliders and standard Eurologik casement window, other Warwick products which have also achieved PAS 24 certification.

Universal Arches have enjoyed their greatest calendar year to date, with sales up 10.3% for the year of 2016 vs 2015, thanks to several exceptional months and record order intake weeks.

Post-Brexit referendum sales showed no signs of a slow down with orders for 350 shaped frames in just 3 days received, during the course of September. Thanks to efficient production planning and robust ISO9001:2008 certified processes, deliveries were made well within the 5-7 day standard, to the delight of their customer base.

With over 50% of employees boasting over 10 years experience within the business, Universal Arches is clearly a great place to work and each year new recruits are fully trained up the ‘Universal way’. This is to help support continued growth in the shaped frame sector, with

further growth still yet to be realised in full.

Leon Day, managing director, of Universal Arches enthused: ‘I’m hugely proud of what we have achieved in this business, which is down to the commitment and hard work of everybody. We have a true thirst for customer service excellence, which starts with the way in which we treat our valued employees, who in turn produce a production of outstanding quality.

He continued: ‘I fully expect us to enjoy a further period of growth in 2017 and beyond, as the opportunities for shaped frames continue to be fulfilled and as customers look to identify new sales prospects.’

For further information on Universal Arches visit www.universalarches.com call the sales office on 01744 612844

PAS 24 is the UK’s most respected security standard for windows and doors. Products are put through a series of robust manual and mechanical tests, aimed at breaking the locking mechanisms and hardware and removing the glazing. Products must achieve a bronze and silver licence before applying for a gold one, upon which a PAS24 certificate is awarded.

The Innolux casement is part of the wider Innolux range of premium uPVC windows and doors.

Based on Eurocell’s hugely versatile Modus system, the Innolux casement combines robustness, stylish looks and exceptional thermal performance. The Modus profile lends the Innolux casement a sleek frame and slim sightlines, maximising the intake of natural light. Homeowners can enjoy all the benefits of high-performance modern uPVC, with looks that could easily be mistaken for aluminium or timber. www.warwicknorthwest.co.uk WINDOW NEWS JANUARY 2017 15

TRADE NEWS

Made For Trade To Build On 2016 Success

Bradley continued: “We are all very excited about the new Korniche lantern and the introduction in the last few weeks has seen an influx of orders and a great deal of interest. We introduced the game changing Korniche at the FIT Show earlier this year and were blown away with the way it was received.”

The Korniche has been designed from scratch by Made For Trade with every component being new and not used in other roofs, unlike other current systems available on the market which are generally contrived conservatory profiles.

A leading trade manufacturer of SMART Visofold 1000 bi-folding doors and Synseal Global conservatory roofs, Made for Trade are consolidating their strong position in the industry with year-on-year growth of in excess of 40%.

With the anticipated introduction of the brand new Korniche aluminium lantern roof, the nationwide manufacturer will enter 2017 with more exciting plans and aim to continue to go from strength-to-strength.

Due to rapid growth, Made For Trade have expanded factory floor space by a further 25000 sq ft, increased employee numbers to over 80, and have added two 7.5 ton lorries to their fleet of delivery vehicles, with one more on order.

Fabrication demand has led to more high specification CNC door routers from Emmegi being added to facilitate the growth in orders that are now being received. The investment has been crucial to maintain the highly efficient manufacturing process and nationwide delivery service.

Made for Trade’s Managing Director, Bradley Gaunt, explained: “The industry has changed, leading to buyers shopping around for high quality products at the best possible prices. Our aim has always been to fulfil this criteria and as a result, we have acquired a loyal customer base of over 900 companies.”

The company has seen further demand and an increase in enquiries after launching the Korniche aluminium lantern roof in November.

16 WINDOW NEWS JANUARY 2017

It features fixings that are all hidden to allow for very slim unbroken sightlines. In addition, no trimming or cutting to size any profile is required on site, allowing for quick and easy installation, with every part connecting together effortlessly.

Bradley added: “The Korniche has been developed by ourselves and it has taken us 2 years to design and bring to market with its ground-breaking features and boasting of what we think are the fastest installation times on the market.”

Made For Trade have also ensured the lantern requires no silicone sealant in the roof structure itself, with the only silicone required being between the base of the eaves beam and the existing structure. The Korniche is fully thermally broken to give the lowest U-values, giving it excellent insulation properties and also features an innovative all-in-one glass lock and retainer to ensure the locating and locking of the glass is easy and secure.

Bradley concluded: “We think we have the strongest lantern roof on the market, with sizes of up 6m x 4m.

The roof is undergoing BBA testing as we speak. The engineered attributes make Korniche the very best aluminium lantern on the market.”

With continued investment and enthusiasm, plus the latest innovation of the Korniche, 2017 is set to be another year of considerable growth for Made for Trade.

Find out more about Made For Trade’s range of products at www.madefortrade.co For more on the New Korniche Lantern Roof, visit www.korniche.co.uk

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* Discount limited to first order for a single roof, offer excludes glass.

Offer ends on the 31st January 2017 ** Except between roof upstand and eaves beam.

Tel: 01642 610799 Fax: 01642 615854

www.korniche.co.uk

TRADE NEWS

New Year, New Lead

Times At The Window Outlet

High-flying Bristol fabricator, The Window Outlet is welcoming in the new year by offering even faster lead times on several products in its industry-leading aluminium range. It’s just the latest in a series of initiatives that have seen the two-year-old firm establish a reputation for exceptional customer service.

Windows, doors, bifolds and patio doors from leading manufacturers Reynaers and AluK are now available with five-day lead times unglazed and ten days glazed.

These include Reynaers CF68 bifold and CP130 lift and slide patio doors, designed to provide stylish and practical ways to bring the outside in and create expansive views and a seamless transition to an outside space.

Also now on offer with shorter lead times are AluK’s 58BW windows and 58BD doors, high performance yet cost-effective solutions for residential or commercial properties, as well as the BSF70 bifold, which offers excellent, Secured by Design-accredited security without compromising on a premium and versatile design. www.the-window-outlet.co.uk 18 WINDOW NEWS JANUARY 2017

Brisant Gets 12 Times More

Warehouse Space To Continue Fast Growth Brisant Secure has moved to a new building with over 12 times more warehouse space than its old premises. The creator of Ultion, the high security cylinder door lock, has acquired a new building to increase its capacity and continue its fast growth.

Brisant Secure launched Ultion in May 2015. The secure cylinder lock passes even the most aggressive tests. It is BSI Kitemarked TS007 3*, has achieved the Master Locksmiths Association’s Sold Secure Diamond, and is Secured By Design. Ultion has driven Brisant’s fast growth since its launch, and there’s no sign of it slowing down.

Brisant CEO Nick Dutton says: “Ultion has created an avalanche in the door market. Most large and medium door manufacturers switched quickly to Ultion security as standard. Some buy doors,

throw away the cylinder, and replace it with Ultion because homeowners want real security, and Ultion, the most secure cylinder door lock you can buy, sells doors.”

Brisant’s national homeowner survey found that 85% of homeowners say security is what they want when buying a new door.

So Ultion, claims the company, sells doors for installers across the country.

“We’ve moved just down the road, and with the space we have now we can continue to grow very fast,” adds Nick.

“We’ve spent the last few months developing the space and building new office facilities. Now we’re in, we’re keen to make the most of it and fill it quickly!”

Call 01924 490 200, visit www.ultion-lock.co.uk

TRADE NEWS

Euroglaze Aiming For Zero Errors

With New Despatch System

Obviously, this is helping us to give an even better service to our trade customers and we’ve seen a 90% drop in call backs.

Because every item in the delivery is so clearly labelled and all of the bags of ancillaries are heat sealed, things just can’t get lost or muddled up. And, now that Euroglaze are videoing the whole packing process, any queries which do arise can be sorted straightaway.”

Euroglaze’s Managing Director Martin Nettleton adds: “Every member of staff at Euroglaze is trained to ensure that we get deliveries right first time, but this new system gives us a failsafe and fool proof back up which goes beyond the individuals who are working here.

Just a single item missing from one delivery in the whole of last month might be judged a success by some medium sized trade fabricators, but for Barnsley based Euroglaze it remains one item too many.

The REHAU fabricator, renowned for its commitment to continuous improvement, is aiming for zero items missing this month as it completes the first phase of its new barcoded despatch system.

Customers ordering from Euroglaze can now be assured that all frames, ancillaries and cut items in every order have been checked, packed, barcoded and labelled, and that every step in that process has been recorded on camera so that any queries can be resolved almost instantly.

What sets the system apart is that all the items are clearly labelled with the customer’s own reference and job number and not just the Euroglaze barcode, so that they can easily keep track of what has been received.

“It’s part of a much larger programme which will see us moving more towards barcode driven production over the coming year and a more efficient paperless order processing system designed to reduce the time we spend on admin.

Implemented by Euroglaze’s newly appointed despatch manager Wayne Elkin, the new loading system is designed to ensure that no van can leave Euroglaze without every order being complete and in full.

“Fundamentally, we are always looking to become more efficient, but only in a way which benefits the distributors and installers who buy from us.

We are currently, for instance, trialling the next phase of our barcode unloading system with some of our largest resellers so that we can be certain that it works just as well for them as it does for us before we roll it out across the whole of the UK.”

Pete Weston, of trade counter outlet AAC Weston in Western Super Mare, which has been a Euroglaze customer for several years, says that his business has already benefited from the new system: “We’ve got complete reassurance now that every order is complete.

More details are available at www.euroglaze.co.uk WINDOW NEWS JANUARY 2017 19

TRADE NEWS

Graf Synergy SL4FF which has revolutionized PVC-U manufacture

FOM And Graf Synergy

Form Machinery Powerhouse Global leaders in aluminium and PVC-U cutting and machining technology, FOM Industrie and Graf Synergy, have announced the formation of a new partnership, as part of a major strategic growth plan.

The formation of the new FOMGS Group commits Graf and FOM to the joint development of existing and new markets, plus the development of shared technologies and software solutions.

This sits as part of an ambitious three-year strategy through to 2020, which seeks to exploit the leadership position occupied by each within their respective and each other’s markets.

A joint statement issued by FOM and Graf said both companies offered ‘a comprehensive range of products, which once integrat20 WINDOW NEWS JANUARY 2017

ed’ would ‘compliment and complete’ the other’s. The statement said that the shared ‘ownership of intellectual properties, patents and software’ would help drive future development’.

It added that although forming a new group, both brands will remain intact, ‘whilst promoting and developing each other’s extensive product range and commercial strategy’.

Promac Group, the partner for both companies in the UK, said that the new commercial agreement would support each machinery manufacturer in growing market share. aging Director, Promac Group, said: “The formation of the FOM-GS Group, pools incredible resource and expertise in cutting edge innovation in PVC-U and

aluminium machining technologies.

“This includes giving both access to a comprehensive range of machines and tools for the manufacture of aluminium and PVC-U systems and opportunities for their shared development.

“It’s a strong indicator of the investment that both companies are making in their operations and offers globally and here in the UK. We expect to be able to announce some significant innovations shortly.”

The formation of the new FOMGS Group, creates a combined turnover of more than €110million, employing more than 500 staff.

Graf Synergy revolutionized

TRADE NEWS Joe concluded: “This agreement is the logical next step for the machinery sector. In FOM you have a cutting-edge aluminium machinery manufacturer, which is also rapidly establishing itself in the PVC-U market. Graf is in a league of its own in the development of high-end PVC-U machinery and tooling, with significant scope to grow into new and expanding markets.

“In establishing a new strategic partnership, both gain access to global leading technologies,

infrastructure and networks. The new partnership also paves the way to the accelerated delivery of future innovation from two of the world’s leading machinery manufacturers.

“We very much look forward to supporting the new FOM-GS Group in bringing this continuing innovation to the UK.” For more information log on at www.promac.co.uk email sales@promac.co.uk or call 01788 577 577.

Joe Hague, Managing Director, Promac Group

PVC-U fabrication with the launch of the SL4FF seamless corner welder in 2014.

Pre-cleaning to exacting tolerances then zip welding the corner joint whilst controlling the flow of sprue, the SL4FF has revolutionised the manufacture of foiled PVC-U products, delivering not only a seamless corner joint but also incredibly strong one.

Showcased by the Promac Group for the first time at last year’s FIT Show, the SL4FF EVO further refines this process by introducing a single, rather than two individual counter-shims.

This provides hold at the window corner joint during manufacture, accommodating greater tolerances and maintaining an exacting finish, regardless of variances in profile.

FOM has built a reputation as a global leader in machining and sawing technologies for PVC-U but most significantly, aluminum. This includes working and cutting lines, CNC machines and thermal bridging systems.

WINDOW NEWS JANUARY 2017 21

TRADE NEWS

SWISSPACER

Advent

Calendar Competition

Winners Announced

David Firmer, Managing Director, TruFrame

TruFrame Deliver SWISSPACER has announced the winners of its festive-themed advent calendar competition. Running from 1st-24th December, entrants answered a multiple-choice question to be entered into daily competitions in addition to the grand prize draw.

First place was awarded to Ralf Blanke of Flachglas Sachsen, Germany, who won a luxury Rimowa suitcase. Miroslav Vomastek of ISOSKLO, Czech Republic, came second, receiving a Polar fitness tracker.

UK winners for the daily competitions included Claire Ginn, Laura Ford, Gordon Riley and Charmian Filewood.

Jan Hiersemenzel, Head of Marketing at SWISSPACER comments: “We had the highest level of web visitors ever throughout December – the campaign was a great success for us.”

Follow @Ultimate_Spacer for further news and updates, or visit www.swisspacer.com to learn more about SWISSPACER 22 WINDOW NEWS JANUARY 2017

Double Digit Growth

One of the UK’s largest, independent uPVC frame manufacturers, TruFrame, have returned a 12.7% growth in 2016, as demand for their hand finished frames continues to rise.

‘It’s been a special year for TruFrame, with frame count exceeding 4,000 during several spikes at the latter end of the year’, explained David Firmager, managing director of TruFrame.

He continued: ‘The business has grown on the back of sustainable new business and strong organic growth, thanks to a proactive programme of marketing campaigns, designed to deliver increased sales. In 2017 we will also undertake the biggest investment programme this business has ever seen, as we look to put in place the capabilities and resources to grow further.’

TruFrame has been one of the leading companies encouraging smaller fabricators to unplug their equipment and buy in, with multi-channelled marketing campaigns targeting selected

businesses, based on size and location. The company has also invested in their embryonic TruFrame Direct business model, which involves the opening of premium trade counters in selected locations where they have little local representation.

David Firmager concluded: ‘We have achieved impressive returns across a number of sales channels and our plans are to build on the considerable success of 2016 in 2017 and beyond. Our exemplary levels of customer care, the unique hand finishing process to all of our frames and results driven customer marketing campaigns are stand out features of our unique proposition.’

See the ‘Complete Package’ video on TruFrame’s YouTube channel to find out why so many companies are changing to TruFrame. For marketing information call 01664 410 140 or email the team directly on marketing@truframe.co.uk You can also add to their growing following on Twitter @TruFrame.

TRADE NEWS

Wilson Doubles …Then Doubles Again With Glazerite ble through Glazerite.

Wilson Windows, had been manufacturing its own frames since it was founded by Dale’s father Mick in 1989. Now, it is one of a string of growing installers that have shut the factory and gone over to Glazerite and like the others, the Wilsons have never looked back.

Wilson Windows isn’t worrying what to do with its old factory since getting out of fabricating – the fast-growing family business has already used the space to double the size of its showroom twice over in just two years and, says Dale Wilson: “We need even more space already!”

The Loughborough installer has seen sales and profits grow steadily since it started buying in Veka frames from Glazerite, but the ever-growing range of popular products in the Glazerite portfolio has meant more and more opportunities to show them off at their best, as Dale explained: “There are so many great-looking products from Glazerite and they have been really supportive in providing all the display

pieces we needed. So at first, we took a corner of the factory and doubled our 500sq ft showroom to show them off at their best. But we soon outgrew even that so now we have taken most of what’s left of the factory and doubled the showroom again. And now, to be honest, we could already use even more space.”

A stroll round the newly expanded showroom shows how the Wilsons have really made the most of Glazerite’s offering, with eye-catching features including the Halo Rustique casement window with its VSstyle run-through horns, the Halo Flush sash – displayed alongside its premium counterpart, the R9 Heritage window; the Solidor composite door range and the Veka Imagine bi-folds, along with the new range of vertical blinds availa-

The company isn’t just making good use of Glazerite’s customer support and the Veka products; it joined the Veka Approved Installer Scheme as soon as making the change, then stepped up to join the elite Network Veka and was very soon rewarded with the Best Newcomer trophy in the organisation’s annual awards.

The Glazerite UK Group Ltd Director Jason Thompson said: “We have supported many customers in shutting their factories – and would encourage many other fabricator/installers to think about doing the same – so it’s especially rewarding to see a company not only benefitting from the decision but making very good use of the redundant factory space in the bargain.”

The Glazerite UK Group Ltd is VEKA’s largest trade fabricator in the UK and a long-standing Network Veka member. It offers a fully nationwide service based on manufacturing units in Northants, Peterborough and Greater Manchester as well as its South West distribution hub in Bristol serving South Wales and The West of England.

WINDOW NEWS JANUARY 2017 23

TRADE NEWS

Which?

Firms To Trust In The Glazing Industry industry.

“Network VEKA simply provides the tools and training to allow these smaller, local companies to compete on a level playing field with the big firms. We offer them marketing support to help them reach potential customers more effectively and a host of technical and business support services. Because members must undergo such strict vetting before being allowed to join Network VEKA and also during the course of their membership, we are able to vouch for their high standards and allow them to offer a fantastic Ten Year Insurance-Backed Guarantee to safeguard the homeowner’s investment.

Dawn Stockell, Marketing Director

A recent Which? survey has confirmed what the Network VEKA team has maintained for 20 years; that homeowners prefer to work with independent, local companies, rather than major, national firms.

The article, published in November’s Which? Magazine opens: “The UK’s major double-glazing firms have been thoroughly trounced by independent brands in our latest survey. …Customers rated the independents in our survey as excellent, giving them five stars for the majority of sales and installation factors, 24 WINDOW NEWS JANUARY 2017

such as quality of products, staff knowledge and the quality of the installation. By contrast, none of the major brands achieved five stars on any measure.”

The VEKA UK Group’s new Marketing Director, Dawn Stockell, commented: “It’s very important to us that people understand that Network VEKA is not a franchise. It is a not-for-profit organisation, and all our local member companies keep their own unique identity. These are knowledgeable, local, completely independent firms, committed to raising standards across the

“Member companies are held to a strict code of conduct, and in this way, people know ‘at a glance’ that they can trust a company that carries the Network VEKA logo.”

Network VEKA celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2016 and reached a cumulative sales milestone of £1bn this year, while still upholding the principles it was founded on two decades ago. It was launched to give homeowners a hassle-free way to choose home improvements that come with peace of mind built in. Collectively, members share a customer satisfaction rating of 97% compared to the industry average of 83%. www.networkveka.co.uk

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www.morleyglass.co.uk from

DEAR GERALD

Dear

Gerald Dear Gerald In the spirit of transparency, back in Autumn DOORCO publicly set out our pricing strategy post-Brexit. While others took immediate action to hike prices, we pledged to keep an eye on the currency markets to see how things played out. With no signs of recovery however, this unfortunately resulted in us being forced to introduce a price surcharge. But unlike those suppliers who imposed a blanket price increase – some as high as 20% - we introduced a flexible surcharge index that we promised we’d keep under review and revise quarterly. We have now done just this and are pleased to announce we are in a position to reduce our surcharge on door blanks. From February 1st the currency surcharge will be 2% lower at 6.5%.

We are able to do this because we took time to construct and negotiate with suppliers a fair agreement to minimise the % increase we had to pass on. We hope this latest news demonstrates DOORCO’s ongoing commitment to transparency and fairness in what are challenging times for our industry.

Jayne Sullivan, Operations Director DOORCO Dear Gerald TSee talk of heritage and conservation in the trade press, and more often than not the conversation’s dominated by timber – how it’s the quintessential vintage glazing material, and how manufacturers and fabricators have striven to produce something that has all its charm and elegance but with the exceptional performance and easy maintenance of uPVC. In a sense, that’s not surprising – the majority of conservation jobs require timber-for-timber replacement, or timber-look uPVC products. But it also forgets the big role aluminium is increasingly playing in the heritage glazing sector.

26 WINDOW NEWS JANUARY 2017

There’s a widespread misconception that ‘traditional’ automatically means timber. But metal windows have been widespread since medieval times, when blacksmiths made frames out of lead or wrought iron. By the mid-1700s, the accuracy of metal castings meant metal windows could be mass produced in factories instead – and the invention of modern steel in 1855 meant it was possible to produce much larger windows than brittle iron had previously allowed. The Victorians made extensive use of steel windows for office buildings, school, factories and hospitals because of its formal look and fire resistance. Throughout the early twentieth century, advances in manufacturing and technology as well as shifting architectural trends saw steelframed windows become increasingly common in domestic contexts too.

What all this means in practice is that there are now increasing numbers of historic buildings with metal-framed windows that need replacing – and, fantastically, there are an extensive range of easy, cost-effective, low maintenance alternatives. Foremost among them is aluminium. Affordable, aesthetically very similar and not subject to rust and corrosion, aluminium doesn’t need any coating or painting. Since the development of the polyamide thermal break, aluminium has become one of the most thermally efficient materials around.

At Fenster Fabrications, we use the Alitherm Heritage system from Smarts. It’s been specifically designed for renovations of existing buildings and large-scale refurbishment projects. Approved for use by local authorities including the London Boroughs of Islington, Camden, Tower Hamlets, Watford Borough Council and Essex County Council, the Alitherm Heritage’s slim, traditional steellike profiles and sightlines make it ideal for use on Victorian and Art Deco properties. What’s more, it’s hugely versatile – it’s available in fixed pane, sash, top hung and side hung casement, and comes in a range of finishes including metallic and dual colours.

It’s a fantastic testament to how far the window industry has come – that we’ve reached a stage where we can offer replacement heritage windows that deliver the aesthetics of historic materials, whether that be timber or steel, but with the allround exceptional performance of modern uPVC and aluminium.

Yours sincerely, Tony Drake Managing Director of Fenster Fabrications

PEOPLE Trevor added: “I can’t wait to get behind the company’s new Korniche lantern roof – it is a fabulous, innovative creation and just what the market is looking for right now. It benefits both homeowners and installers with its aesthetically pleasing appearance, expertly engineered design, and quick installation.”

He continued: “I am looking forward to getting out in the field, meeting customers and demonstrating this new and unique product to them. Anyone involved in the Lantern Roof market really owes it to themselves to see what all the excitement is about!”

L-R) New trade sales manager, Trevor hopper and Made For Trade managing director, Bradley Gaunt.

Made For Trade Newcomer Celebrates 40th Year In The Industry Experienced home improvements and glazing professional Trevor Hopper, is the latest addition to the growing team at Made For Trade.

Having served the industry for almost 40 years, Trevor stated he is ‘immensely proud’ to join the flourishing bi-folding door, lantern roof, and conservatory roof manufacturer as a Trade Sales Manager.

In particular, he will be championing and demonstrating the company’s self-designed, Korniche lantern roof to installers and trade customers across the UK. Trevor explained: “Having known Made For Trade’s directors, Bradley and Richard Gaunt, for a while now, I have always appreciated their innovation and attention to detail. Their focus on product quality, good customer service and competitive pricing has always impressed me so I am absolutely

delighted to be joining the company at such an exciting time.”

Having been designed from scratch by Made For Trade, the Korniche lantern roof features components that have never been used in other roofs and fixings that are all hidden to allow for very slim unbroken sightlines. In addition, no trimming or cutting to size of any profile is required on site, with every part connecting together for a quick and easy installation.

The lantern requires no silicone sealant in the roof structure itself, with the only silicone required being between the base of the eaves beam and the existing structure.

The Korniche is also fully thermally broken to give the lowest U-values and features an innovative allin-one glass lock and retainer to ensure the locating and locking of the glass is easy and secure.

Managing Director, Bradley Gaunt, said: “I’m delighted to welcome Trevor into the Made For Trade family. His vast experience in the sector will be a great advantage for us as we continue to expand the company and increase production on all of our products“.

Trevor’s appointment comes as the company celebrate another successful year, having expanded factory space significantly for the third year running, increased employee numbers to over 80, added more vehicles to their delivery fleet, and ordered extra CNC machines to help aid production.

In addition, Made For Trade made their debut as an exhibitor at the FIT Show in April, where they unveiled the Korniche to an overwhelming positive response. They are due to attend the event again with a larger stand in 2017, when the show moves to the Birmingham NEC. For more information on the Korniche lantern roof, contact Made For Trade on 01642 610799 or visit www.korniche.co.uk If you would like to see a demonstration of the Korniche at your premises, please call Trevor Hopper, Korniche Trade Sales Manager, on 07712 674982.

WINDOW NEWS JANUARY 2017 27

PEOPLE

Friendly New Voice At

Business

Micros

VEKA Celebrates Nearly Two

Centuries Of Loyal Service Sophie Whytock has joined the team at Business Micros’ Penpont office, providing admin support to the programming and support teams.

She is already becoming a familiar, friendly voice to Business Micros’ customers, logging support calls and processing software licence renewals.

Sophie is the latest recruit to the team run by Jude Knowles, who was named the industry’s Unsung Hero at last year’s G-Awards. Jude said: “Sophie has already shown that she’s got the right positive attitude and lots of enthusiasm so she’s fitting in perfectly here.”

After a record year in 2016, Business Micros now has 37 full time and part time staff based both at Penpont and at Newton Le Willows. The company has shown a real willingness to invest in recruitment and training and now has what it believes is the biggest and best resourced team in the industry.

Further details are at: www.businessmicros.co.uk 28 WINDOW NEWS JANUARY 2017

23 employees of PVC-U window systems market leader, The VEKA UK Group have been recognised for their enduring loyalty to the company, with a combined 185 years of service between them.

A lunch at The VEKA UK Group’s Lancashire headquarters saw prizes including meal vouchers, weekends away, and extra holidays presented to the hard-working winners, whose careers with the company range from five years all the way to thirty.

Gary Powell received particular recognition. The Material Test Technician, responsible for assessing both incoming additives and finished compound, has worked at The VEKA UK Group’s Burnley base for 30 years, with no signs of slowing down!

Dave Jones, The VEKA UK Group’s Managing Director thanked all the awardees for their ongoing service and loyalty to the Group. “VEKA has flourished since coming to the UK in 1986”, he commented, “and Gary Powell, for example,

has been with us since those early days, when just 30 employees worked from our comparably humble 30,000 sq ft factory.

“We’re thrilled that staff stay with us for such long periods of their careers; gain promotion through the Group; and advance themselves and VEKA in the process. It’s thanks to the quality of their work and the motivation of the whole workforce that we remain the UK’s leading PVC-U systems manufacturer, and I sincerely thank them for all their efforts.”

The VEKA UK Group proactively values its staff, having continuously maintained Investors in People status since 1994, with its last review in 2014 noting a strong commitment to people and the part they play in the Group’s success. The VEKA UK Group’s headquarters in Burnley is one of the town’s major employers.

To find out more about working at The VEKA UK Group, visit: www.vekauk.com

A LANTERN REVOLUTION

FASTER, SLIMMER, STRONGER...

quicker to fit The Korniche Aluminium Roof Lantern is delivered as a kit, all parts securely wrapped and boxed accompanied with an easy to follow, step by step installation guide to allow for a quick and efficient fitting of the lantern roof. Precision fabrication and manufacturing processes means the Korniche requires few tools and less time..

Tel: 01642 610799 Fax: 01642 615854

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PEOPLE

New Head

Of Group Marketing

For DW3 Paul Adlington, Business Development Manager

Katrina Earl, Northern Regional Sales Manager

New Appointments Strengthen DW3 Products Group has appointed Gareth Busson to the new position of Head of Group Marketing.

Gareth will oversee and integrate the marketing for DW3 Products Group, Solidor, Residor, Residence Collection, and Window Widgets.

Gareth joins DW3 with over 20 years strategic marketing experience at companies including Winkhaus, Assa Abloy, Vax, and most recently Metsä Wood.

DW3 Products Group specialises in premium and super-premium quality products that are designed to be the best in their market, standard setters in innovation, quality, and design. Solidor, Residor, Residence Collection and Window Widgets are all growing fast and transforming their markets.

DW3 Products Group CEO Gareth Mobley says: “Gareth joins us at a key point in our development.

Solidor’s world-class operation is growing fast, and Residor is flying following its launch last year. Residence Collection is stepping up from R9, a beautiful super-premium niche, ‘Windows the way they’re meant to be’, to widespread take up of the new systems, and mainstream systems company status. www.DW3Group.co.uk 30 WINDOW NEWS JANUARY 2017

Epwin Sales Team Epwin Window Systems has further strengthened its sales team in the North of England with the promotion of Katrina Earl to the position of Northern Regional Sales Manager and the addition of Paul Adlington as Business Development Manager.

With her 22 years industry experience, after joining Epwin just 18 months ago Katrina’s experience, passion and commitment will be utilised in a new role heading a team of four Business Development Managers. The position encompasses all of Epwin Window Systems’ brands including Profile 22, Swish, Spectus, PatioMaster and Safeware, working with customers throughout Northern England and Scotland.

Paul is one of the team of managers who will be working alongside Katrina. One of the industry’s most experienced technical minds with a 27-year track record with the group, variously serving as Quality Engineer and Manager, Compliance Manager and Accreditation Engineer, Paul is now completing the next step of his glazing industry career with his appointment.

Katrina said: “So much has been

going on at Epwin from the launch of the technically advanced Profile 22 Optima system and the massive investment in our new state-ofthe-art extrusion hall to many other product developments and marketing initiatives among all of the brands. I’m really looking forward to taking all of these developments and working with my team to show our customers how they can make the very most of them to the benefit of their businesses.”

Paul added: “I believe the Epwin systems are the finest on the market, and I am really excited about taking that message out to fabricators and installers. I have worked so closely with these systems for so long, it seems a very natural step for me to share my enthusiasm with our existing and potential customers who can benefit so much from them.”

“This is a great opportunity to strengthen our working relationships with fabricators and installers, both existing and future Epwin customers,” said Katrina, “I have already been able to establish a great rapport with many in the trade in my Key Account role and now we are building on that even further.” www.epwin.co.uk

PEOPLE

Fast-Growing Fabricator Snaps

Up Smarts Sales Manager He was previously Area Sales Manager at Smarts for two years; and before that worked at Stevenswood and Systems Aluminium.

An industry stalwart, Jason has 28 years’ experience in sales and manufacturing roles and has previously been a Factory and Production Manager at various fabricators.

A fast growing aluminium and PVC-u manufacturer has added an experienced sales manager to its team.

In a move that will be seen as a coup within the industry, Jason Loftus, 44, has become Area Sales Manager for Scotland at the TWR Group.

He comments: “I’m looking forward to joining TWR. Over the last few years I’ve been very impressed by their operation. The growth and investment they’ve achieved has been phenomenal and I can’t wait to get started.”

Terry Richardson, who is the group’s founder and Managing Director, comments: “The group

continues to grow, bringing on new products and creating new opportunities for our customers.

Jason will work alongside Jacky and Gillian in the business development team, to ensure we continue to deliver nothing but the best for our current and future customers.

“He is clearly industry savvy and will add a wealth of knowledge and experience to our group.”

The family run business has been trading for fifteen years and in 2016 opened a second factory in Peterlee – which is 25,000 sq ft – in addition to its headquarters in Sunderland.

The group currently manufacture and supply Smarts aluminium bi-folding doors, Warmcore and REHAU Calibre and Total 70 PVC-u systems; alongside many other products. www.twrbifolds.co.uk

Experienced Industry Names Add Clout

To Caldwell Hardware specialist Caldwell UK has made several key appointments as it rolls out its ambitious growth plans for the year ahead.

Alistair Wheeler and Steve Muryani join the Caldwell sales team as National Sales Managers. Both Alistair and Steve have vast experience in the industry. Alistair previously worked at Siegenia and Steve at GU Hardware.

Caldwell’s strategy has also seen two senior members of the team step into new roles.

Alan Hartley, who has been at the company for over ten years’, takes on a new role as Strategic Accounts Manager

and Luz Seminario becomes Export Sales Manager.

Leigh Bosley will continue is his role of Sales Executive as the business looks to scale up its UK operations.

David Walker, Managing Director of Caldwell, comments: “I’m delighted to welcome Alistair and Steve to the team. Their

previous experience will be invaluable as we look to target new customers both locally and nationally.

“It is also encouraging to see existing members of the team progress into new roles and these developments will ensure everything is in place to begin the next chapter of our growth.”

WINDOW NEWS JANUARY 2017 31

PEOPLE

GGF Appoints Interim

Chief Executive

lected for interview, of which three were shortlisted and asked to present to the GGF Board. Unfortunately the GGF Board could not arrive at a consensus to appoint any of the three exceptional candidates and will now go through the full recruitment process again in the first quarter of 2017.

In September this year, Nigel Rees announced his retirement after 14 years as Chief Executive of the Glass and Glazing Federation and the GGF began the recruitment process for his successor. Seven outstanding applicants were se-

Due to these unforeseen circumstances, the GGF Board has unanimously agreed to appoint Brian Baker, former GGF President and current Chairman of the Board to act as interim Chief Executive until a new permanent Chief Executive is appointed.

Alan Burgess, GGF President-elect commented, “Finding the perfect replacement for Nigel is perhaps

Two New Directors Welcomed

At The VEKA UK Group

As an industry-leading PVC-U systems supplier, The VEKA UK Group has always been proud to employ the best technical and business minds. The Burnley-based company is now 32 WINDOW NEWS JANUARY 2017

delighted to introduce two new members of the team; Dawn Stockell, Marketing Director and Neil Evans, Sales Director.

New to the fenestration industry,

the single most important appointment we as directors are likely to make. Being a significant appointment, all directors were focussed upon finding the right candidate, but equally, not at any cost. It was agreed early on that if agreement could not be reached, then the harder decision to rerun the process had to be made.”

Alan continued, “In anticipation of a large leadership vacuum at the GGF, I am delighted that our retiring President, Brian Baker, has most kindly agreed to step into this role until the arrival of the new CEO. As President for the past 3 years and vice President for two years prior, Brian couldn’t be more passionate about the GGF, its staff and Members. He has invested much personal time and overseen many challenging issues, particularly over the last year. He is the ideal interim replacement.

He has also been active both with the GGF and Helix Group on their actions from the governance and structure review. www.ggf.org.uk Dawn comes from the electronics sector bringing a wealth of experience in product & proposition management, partnership programmes & marketing communications, most recently holding the position of Head of Brand – Northern Europe at LG Electronics. Neil joins The VEKA UK Group from within the fenestration industry, having been Sales Director at VELUX for the past decade. Neil’s previous experience will stand him in particularly good stead for his position within The VEKA UK Group: “I’ve been involved in quite a few things including procurement, project management, running a large call centre, developing sales strategies, defining standards, working with lean in sales and customer service and developing an industry-leading sales team. I’m sure that most of that should come in handy! www.vekauk.com

34 WINDOW NEWS JANUARY 2017

WINDOW NEWS JANUARY 2017 35

WINDOW SYSTEMS

Emplas Cuts The Cost Of Colour Emplas has announced the expansion of its ex-stock colour range, cutting lead times and reducing costs as it builds a new offer, designed to support installers in tapping into growing end-user demand for premium foiled finishes.

It means that foiled Cream, Anthracite Grey, Anthracite Grey on White, Black Brown, and Black Brown on White are now available as ex-stock standard colours.

Sitting alongside existing exstock foil colours including White, Golden Oak and Rosewood, Emplas’ most popular foils are now available in lead times of 10 days or less.

John Leary, Sales and Marketing Director, Emplas, said: “There’s a definite shift within the market towards foils and the volumes we’re now doing means that we’re now able to bring more colours into our ex-stock ranges and in turn build upon the service that we offer to our customers.

36 WINDOW NEWS JANUARY 2017

“This includes delivering reduced lead times but also rationalise our pricing structure to reflect increasing volumes, which has allowed us to reduce the cost to our customers.”

Emplas began manufacture of Profile 22’s Optima last summer.

With fully sculptured, chamfered and flush options available, the system has been developed to tap into increasingly discerning end user demand for enhanced aesthetics.

A six chamber outer-frame and five chamber sash, mean the 70mm system achieves U-values as low as 0.8W/m2K and an A++ WER. With 24-44mm beading.

Improved sealing with a 10mm cover, a 35 per-cent increase in hardware retention through local thickening, plus a wider colour and foil offer, mean that the system also puts lots of ticks, in lots of boxes in retail but also commercial environments.

Leary continued: “Optima is a great looking system, it delivers

really strong sightlines in either its chamfered or fully sculptured formats, alongside exceptional weather tightness and energy efficiency.

“The increased flexibility that we’re now able to offer our customers through our expanded exstock foil offer increases its reach in retail sectors still further.”

According to The Window, Door and Conservatory Markets in Housing in Great Britain, by Palmer Market Research, foils and colour are taking a growing share of the PVC-U market. This argues that where as in 2013 standard white finishes accounted for 88% of PVC-U windows sold, in 2015 this had dropped to 81%.

The report suggests sales of woodgrain finishes increased from 3% to 6% and sales of colour finishes from 9% to 12% over the same period.

For more information on Emplas visit www.emplas.co.uk , email info@emplas.co.uk or call 01933 674880.

WINDOW SYSTEMS

Lifetime Homes Accreditation Adds Another String To Roseview’s Bow Homes to the long list of industry standards its products can meet.

Buckinghamshire-based Roseview prides itself on its go-theextra-mile, now G Award-winning customer service, and constant efforts to makes its market-leading Rose Collection suitable for as many contexts and customers as possible – and now the respected fabricator has added Lifetime

For 25 years, the Lifetime Homes initiative has been ensuring that new-build properties are accessible for people throughout their lifetimes, from youth to old age. To achieve the accreditation, handles on the windows must be no-more than 1200mm above the floor level so disabled homeowners and wheelchair users can operate them with ease. On a casement window this may not be a problem, but achieving the same on a sash window has traditionally been trickier, largely due to its classic vertical-sliding design.

Now, though, Roseview has come up with a series of creative solutions that allow its windows to comply fully with Lifetime Homes requirements – including magnetic catches fitted to the foot of the

bottom sash that allow users to unlock the window without having to use a key.

“Property developers, housing associations and other organisations are increasingly seeking to specify Lifetime Homes windows for major projects,” said Roseview marketing manager Mike Bygrave.

“So there’s an obvious business case for fabricators to start producing Lifetime Homes-compliant windows, and for installers to start offering them.”

“But for us, it’s about a lot more than that – we want every one of our products to be accessible as possible, for all users regardless of age or ability. As such, we’re delighted to be able to offer that option on our Rose Collection windows – and will always go the extra mile to produce a product that fits any standard or achieves any accreditation that our customers want them to. www.roseview.co.uk

Deceuninck Flush Sash Now

Available With Dekko’s Exclusive

Infinity Finish Dekko is now able to offer Deceuninck’s new flush sash window in its exclusive Infinity finish, continuing to expand an extensive timber-alternative offering that already includes the phenomenally successful Residence Collection.

Deceuninck’s big reveal at the FIT Show in April, the Heritage flush sash has been designed to deliver A+-rated energy efficiency, PAS24-accredited security and outstanding weather performance, while offering convincing vintage aesthetics and suiting with the company’s existing Heritage range.

Now, thanks to revolutionary graf welding technology, Dekko is able to push that authenticity even further, providing the product with seamless, timber-style Infinity corner welds. The resulting Infinity flush sash offers all the durability, efficiency and functionality of modern uPVC, while even more closely replicating the look of a nineteenth century timber flush sash window.

“At Dekko, we’re always looking for ways to give our customers more options to break into lucrative areas of the market,” commented Kurt Greatrex, Dekko Sales Director. “Starting with Residence 9, and now with the expanded Residence Collection,

Kurt Greatrex – Dekko Window Systems

we’ve been able to develop a comprehensive timber-alternative offering – but this year, we wanted to extend that even further. We were hugely impressed with the Heritage Flush Sash when Deceuninck unveiled it at the FIT Show – and we’re delighted to become among the few UK fabricators able to offer it with smooth, seamless corners.” www.dekkowindows.com WINDOW NEWS JANUARY 2017 37

WINDOW SYSTEMS

T & K Home Improvements Uses TruFit To Boost Ecoplus Range

maintains the high energy ratings of our windows.

“It also offers customers a more cost-effective alternative to triple glazing. Our Ecoplus range, installed with TruFit, offers a premium installation to homeowners, with the levels of thermal performance they are looking for, without the added cost of triple glazed units.”

As part of Edgetech’s service, installation training using TruFit was provided to the fitting teams at T & K Home Improvements.

“At T & K Home Improvements, we like to be innovators in the market,” says Chief Operations Officer, Paul Woods, “and TruFit® fits the bill for us.”

The Northamptonshire-based installation company is the sister company of well-known PVCu fabricator Emplas and offers energy efficient windows, doors and conservatories to homeowners across the region.

Earlier this year, T & K Home Improvements introduced TruFit,

expanding foam edge tape from Edgetech UK, to its installations.

Paul explains: “We needed an installation system that offered clean lines and dependable reliability that would outlast the guarantee on our Ecoplus range which has been developed using our own profile.

T&K Home Improvements’ Ecoplus Installation using TruFit“Traditional ‘wet’ sealants like expanding foam and silicone can fail after a period, but TruFit offers a completely dependable, energy efficient seal that

“Edgetech was very helpful during the initial set-up for our installation teams,” continues Paul. “They did a full training session for our fitters and they even came to site on a few of our first installations, to check that the teams were happy with using the product.

The revision of the BS8213-4:2016 standards saw foam fitting tapes, like TruFit added to the code of practice for the survey and installation of windows and external doorsets. visit www.tkhi.co.uk www.trufit-it.com

Deceuninck’s Flush Sash Window Now Available

With Mechanical Joints From Dempsey Dyer Respected Yorkshire fabricator Dempsey Dyer has announced it’s now able to offer Deceuninck’s Heritage Flush Sash window with mechanically jointed transoms, mullions and frames, adding it to an existing range of high-end timber alternative products that includes its patented Beaumont window.

The Heritage Flush Sash is a uPVC sash window that balances modern performance with traditional design, boasting A+-rated thermal efficiency and PAS24-compliant security alongside excellent weather performance.

In providing the product with convincing timber-style mechanical joints, Dempsey Dyer demonstrates the industry-renowned expertise in both uPVC and traditional joinery that’s seen it rise to become one of the UK’s most respected fabricators.

38 WINDOW NEWS JANUARY 2017

“We’re thrilled to be able to offer the Heritage Flush Sash window with mechanical joints on the frames, mullions and transoms,” commented Dempsey Dyer MD, Peter Dyer. “In the past decade, we’ve seen a dramatic rise in the number of end-users looking for windows and doors that deliver both the timeless aesthetics of timber and the exceptional modern performance of uPVC. It’s something we’ve obviously already tapped into with our own Beaumont window – but the mechanically-jointed Heritage Flush Sash offers our trade clients another high-quality timber-alternative option.”

Unveiled at this year’s FIT show, The Heritage Flush Sash comes available in a choice of 26 colour ways from stock including matching cills, trims and ancillaries. Unusually for a flush sash window, it also comes with night vent functionality. www.dempseydyer.co.uk

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Call Neil Parsonson now on 01453 845717 for your FREE trial. e: info@windowbase.info w: www.windowbase.info

WINDOW SYSTEMS

Elephant Makes Seventeen

By adding Elephant Grey and Slate Grey to its in-stock colour range, Shepley customers now have seventeen colour options for REHAU 5 chamber windows and doors to choose from, all on standard delivery.

Shepley, the UK’s largest fabricator using exclusively REHAU PVCu frames offers one of the biggest in-stock foiled colour ranges available. “Homeowners want more colour options to suit their tastes, but installers still need to turn jobs around quickly,” says Ian Griffiths, Sales Director, Shepley. “We listen to our customers and track colour trends to make sure we keep more frame colours on the shelf and installers ahead of the curve.”

“Our complete foiled range of REHAU sculptured or bevelled frames are made from five chamber profile which achieve WER A ratings with cost-effective glass,” adds Ian, “so there’s no compromise on energy performance with our coloured windows.”

Shepley’s large range of frame colours includes woodgrain or smooth foil finishes to create seventeen options in colour on white or coloured both sides. This offers more possibilities for both domestic and commercial installations.

As grey continues to be a popular choice for homeowners and architects, the addition of Elephant Grey and Slate Grey reinforce Shepley’s commitment to provide customers with the flexibility to offer more options. www.shepley.com 40 WINDOW NEWS JANUARY 2017

The Heritage Window Collection By Deceuninck It’s not often that something truly innovative comes to market that offers fabricators and installers a brand new sales opportunity, but that’s exactly what the new Heritage Window Collection by Deceuninck has been designed to do.

Drawing on market research and in collaboration with some of the UK’s top installers, the collection represents the pinnacle of stunning product design and a premium marketing support package to help fabricators and installers sell the concept and the brand.

Deceuninck’s Rob McGlennon comments: “We believe The Heritage Collection will be the most talked about brand in 2017. We say that for good reason. Customers who have already had a sneak preview of the collection which comprises heritage flush, sculptured and chamfered sash windows and doors, have been blown away. We all know that selling in the retail arena is about creating desire and demand so that’s why we’ve invested as much time and energy into the marketing support for Heritage as we have into the technical aspects and styling of the doors and windows themselves. With Deceuninck, #bestinclass product quality is a given, and the rest comes down to igniting the imagination and vision of homeowners. Our innovative

marketing has been designed to do just this.

“Heritage Collection customers will have access to a dedicated website (www.heritagewindowcollection.co.uk), a luxury 44-page colour lifestyle brochure in both print and PDF format, a comprehensive image library, technical documentation for those more savvy consumers, bespoke showroom display stands and roll up banners, personalised mailers and drop cards, colour swatch books and finally, registered installer packages including logos, weatherproof stickers, banners, presenter, easy peel window/ glass labels and bone china Heritage Collection mugs. As well as helping Deceuninck fabricators to support their installers with regional consumer lead generation programmes, we will also be embarking on a high energy marketing campaign for trade.

We believe this collection is one of the most exciting and innovative ranges to hit the market for many years, and we want to share it with customers and non-customers alike. If you’re keen to find out more or to see for yourself how the Heritage Collection could help transform your sales, we’d be delighted to arrange a visit for you to our Calne head-quarters.

PRODUCT NEWS

Mila Extends Heritage Range For Traditional Style Doors And Windows Mila has extended its stylish new Heritage finish across a much broader range of hardware so that customers can now mix and match to achieve a really authentic looking result on any traditional style window or door.

The Heritage finish comes in a choice of Black or Pewter and fits perfectly with all the most popular cottage style composite doors and chamfered, sculptured and flush fitting window frames.

MILA306 Mila’s Heritage finish is available on oval and ponytail design knockersFor doors, it is now available across a range of Mila’s door furniture including ProStyle door handles with swept, round or oval levers, the ProStyle letterbox, and on oval and ponytail design door knockers, as well as numerals. For windows, customers can choose

the finish on the standard ProLinea espag handle.

Product Design Manager Paul Pearson said: “This finish might look traditional but it’s actually anything but. It’s the result of lots of advanced design and development work to make sure it matches the outstanding performance of all the other finishes in our ProStyle and ProLinea ranges. That’s the reason why can offer a straightforward ten-year surface finish guarantee.”

Mila has produced an online ‘Lookbook’ for products with the Heritage finish which customers can use to show buyers a preview of how the hardware will look on their finished windows and doors. Bespoke display boards are also available via Mila’s sales team.

The complete range of products

in the new Heritage finish are already in stock at Mila’s Daventry warehouse ready for next day delivery.

Further details are available at www.mila.co.uk WINDOW NEWS JANUARY 2017 41

PRODUCT NEWS working on a range of products specifically for PWG incorporating its full product portfolio.

“One of the things that really sets bluTM and their team apart is their interest and willingness to listen to feedback and ideas, take them, run with them and develop them to create new solutions.

Dedication To Quality Seals It For PWG And Blu As one of the UK’s leading names in high quality timber windows and doors, PWG with its Timber Windows and Dale brands continues to build an enviable reputation for the quality of its products. blu - LP400 Letter Plate (1)So when the company was looking to offer its customers an enhanced range of Marine Grade 316 stainless steel hardware for its range of windows and doors, it scoured the market looking for a supplier that matched its own high standards and found that in bluTM. PWG Product Development Manager Dion Panting said growing customer demand for high performance, design-led Marine Grade 316 stainless steel hardware was the starting point for its increasingly positive and collaborative relationship with bluTM. 42 WINDOW NEWS JANUARY 2017

“We have a lot of customers that live on or near the coast and in exposed locations so were increasingly getting requests for Marine Grade stainless steel hardware. Demand for stainless steel has grown significantly but the hardware we had seen in the market really wasn’t up to the quality we were looking for.

HAB6 Round Bar Handle 600mm 1 - Copy“We were introduced to bluTM and instantly everyone round the table could see and feel that the quality of the bluTM products were significantly better than we had seen anywhere else,” said Dion.

Offering the full range of bluTM window and door hardware across its contemporary products, the relationship between bluTM and PWG has developed and is now taking on a more collaborative approach. The bluTM development team are now

KMO70-Multipoint-Door-Handle-3Qtr-800x800“Not only have we helped feed into their own product designs such as the LP400 Letter plate but we are really excited to be working on a number of new products together which we will be offering our customers. The feedback from customers and dealers so far has been really positive. The moment they are introduced to it, they instantly see the quality of the bluTM range, and its great to think we will soon add our own PWG bluTM range to that offer,” said Dion.

BluTM MD Loren Jenner said he was delighted that such a renowned name in the industry as PWG has embraced the bluTM approach.

“When you have such positive feedback from a renowned name in the timber windows and door sector like PWG it’s testament to the focus on quality that goes into every element of the bluTM range.

“It’s fantastic to be working with PWG and to be collaborating on a range of products for their own customers is great.

We place a great emphasis on customer service in addition to product quality and to work with PWG to help shape and improve our ranges further is invaluable,” said Loren.

To find out more about the bluTM range of products visit www.blu-performance.com

PRODUCT NEWS

Ultion’s

Bright Idea Makes Keys

Glow In The Dark Two glow-in-the-dark Night Bright colours have been added to Brisant Secure’s Keycap and Keyring range for Ultion keys.

Ultion is the high security cylinder door lock from Brisant Secure that is proving to be a tool that helps customers sell doors.

Homeowners can personalise their Ultion key with Keycap, choosing from one of 10 bright colours so they can easily identify the keys by door or person.

With Keyring, homeowners can also track their keys using their smartphone, making them ring when they can’t find them.

Brisant Secure CEO Nick Dutton says: “The two Night Bright colours make Keycap and Keyring even more visible. They glow in the dark, so homeowners won’t be fumbling for their keys anymore. And even though they have this extra benefit, the Night Bright colours are the same price as the other eight colours.

“Homeowners love that they can personalise their key with Keycap,” continues Nick. “And they

love Keyring because when they can’t find their key, they can track it. It’s smart technology for your keys.”

Keyring is fitted with TrackR technology, which links via Bluetooth to a smartphone app.

The app shows the user where their key was the last time it was in range of the phone. Homeowners can use the app to make the key ring so it’s even easier to find. They can use the key to make their smartphone ring if it’s lost and on silent.

“Keys are the one thing we take everywhere,” adds Nick, “so having an app that means we’ll never lose them again is priceless. And why wouldn’t we want them in our favourite colours too? Homeowners love the whole concept. And customers are finding it’s yet another way Ultion helps them sell doors.”

To find out how Ultion can help grow your business call 01924 410 200, visit www.ultion-lock.co.uk or follow @UltionLock on Twitter.

Former Corrie

Star Sean Wilson

Becomes The Face Of UAP’s Consumer

Home Security Brand Max6mum Security, the consumer focused, home security brand from door hardware supplier UAP Limited, has a brand new face endorsing all of their products.

Once an actor on the nation’s favourite street, ex-corrie star Sean Wilson, better known as Martin Platt from the soap, is now securing the streets of the nation as he becomes the face of Greater Manchester home security brand, Max6mum Security.

He played the role of Martin, ex-husband of Gail and father of David Platt for 20 years; and since leaving the soap in 2005 Sean has appeared on the likes of Celebrity Master Chef, Dancing on Ice and was the star of the Food Networks Great Northern Cookbook, as well as opening his own business, The Saddleworth Cheese Company. But now it would seem Sean has turned his attention to home security.

The actor, chef and proud Northerner has put his knowledge of quality goods and his skills in front of the camera to use promoting the ‘Max6’ door and window security range.

WINDOW NEWS JANUARY 2017 43

PRODUCT NEWS for fully reversible hinges, which are ideal for multi-storey developments where safe access to the outside of windows for cleaning is vital.

Supplied by independent UK hardware distributor Sealco – who worked with Yale to develop the product – the new Yale Revolution Hinge brings maximum versatility in installation thanks to its unique patented dual function restrictor.

This means the hinge can be switched between anti-blowback and easy close functions. That gives housing associations, property developers or commercial owners the ability to select their preferred option at the point of installation, and to change it easily in the future without refitting the window.

Norscot has successfully trialled the Yale Revolution Hinge on timber windows for a local authority in Scotland.

Fabricator

Gives Thumbs Up to Yale & Sealco’s

Fully Reversible

Hinge Timber and PVCu window fabricator Norscot is hugely impressed at the ease of fitting and enhanced function of the new, fully reversible Yale Revolution Hinge, available exclusively from Sealco.

With long-term manufacturing relationships with many local authorities, Norscot has a big need 44 WINDOW NEWS JANUARY 2017

“We’re really happy with Sealco’s new Yale Revolution Hinge. We’ve used fully reversible hinges from Yale in the past and this is a real advance in terms of its convenience,” says Callum Grant, Commercial Director at Norscot.

“The movement of the hinge works like a dream, with full rotation so it can be easily cleaned from inside the building. The integral locking makes it really secure, and switching between the two functions is a simple matter of removing or replacing the restrictor, which can be done in seconds.

“It fits really well, our fabricators are happy with the installation and feedback from the customer is that the hinge easily meets the specification.

“The new hinge easier to specify – rather than us needing separate supplies of anti-blowback or easy close hinges, we’ll only to order the hinge size to suit the installation. Sealco stocks 27 different sizes, so there’s plenty of choice.

“We’ve also had great support from Sealco in terms of installation advice to make sure we’re getting the best from the hinge.”

Sealco offers next day UK delivery for the Yale Revolution Hinge – one of more than 4,000 product lines it has big stock levels for, from the best names in hardware. www.sealco-scotland.co.uk

PRODUCT NEWS

Sliders UK To Offer 10-Year

Handle Surface Finish Guarantee – As Standard returned lever offering ultra-smooth operation and ease of use.

In addition to prohesion testing, Fab&Fix HardexPLUS protected products have also been proven to outperform other handles and hardware against all key performance indicators.

Sliders UK is rolling out a 10-year surface finish guarantee across its inline sliding, composite door, plus selected bi-folding door handle ranges – as standard.

Developed for Sliders UK as part of a new partnership with ERA, HardexPLUS offers exceptional handle and hardware surface finish stability.

This builds on the hardware company’s Fab&Fix Hardex surface coating technology, which has been independently tested far beyond industry standard performance tests.

This includes prohesion testing which, unlike standard neutral salt spray testing, replicates the more aggressive effects of ‘real world’ exposure.

Steve Mines, Sales and Marketing Director, Sliders UK, said: “Pot marked handles generate call backs – as simple as.

“Increasing levels of traffic pol-

lution or exposure to salt spray in coastal environments, can have a significant impact on hardware surface stability.

“HardexPLUS has been developed to withstand these challenges protecting the surface and mechanism inside, which means that we and our customers are able to offer a comprehensive, industry leading 10-year guarantee.”

This new 10-year surface finish and mechanical guarantee is offered by Sliders UK as standard across all new Fab & Fix, composite door and patio door handles. It also extends to Sliders UK’s new Duraflex and Veka Imagine bi-folding doors.

Fab&Fix HardexPLUS patio door handles from Sliders UK feature feature a heavy-weight zinc construction, with ergonomically designed ‘D’ ring shape and integral latch leaver.

Composite and bi-fold door handles feature the same solid zinc construct and extended

This includes 500 hours UV light resistance testing compared to an industry standard 120 hours; abrasion testing to 18 litres of sand, compared to an industry standard 5 litres and pencil hardness of 4N-5N compared to 2N-3N. “A meaningful 10-year surface hardware guarantee offers installers a real USP, particularly installers who operate in coastal areas”, said Mines.

The Sliders HardexPLUS guarantee also extends to all Sliders other Fab&Fix decorative hardware. As well as patio and composite door handles, letter plates, knockers and numerals in a choice of chrome, satin, bronze, gold, graphite, antique black, which are also covered for 10 years.

He continued: “It’s a very powerful retail sales message.

Offered as standard on our composite door and patio door ranges, plus selected bi-folds, we believe it gives our customers a very tangible commercial advantage.”

For more information contact sales@sliders-uk.com or visit the website at www.sliders-uk.com WINDOW NEWS JANUARY 2017 45

PRODUCT NEWS

Lumi Style And Elegance Now

In A Sliding Door As the Lumi window and door system gains wider recognition for its ground-breaking aesthetics and style, the company behind the system has further expanded the range with the introduction of a Lift & Slide Sliding door. Introduced following interest from customers and specifiers of the existing window and door products the Lumi Lift & Slide door, with its rigid aluminium frame and triple glazed units allows the installation of openings up to 9 metres with minimal frame interruptions.

Produced in Anthracite Grey inside and out, the Lumi Sliding Door glides on a standard 2 or 3 track system to allow effortless, silent opening and closing despite its reassuring weight and solidity. Excellent sound-reduction and burglar resistance up to RC2 (WK2) EN1627 is also assured whilst the advanced modular profile insulation contributes towards U-values as low as 1.1 W/(m2K).

46 WINDOW NEWS JANUARY 2017

However, for all of the build and performance attributes offered by Lumi the essence of the Lumi Lift & Slide Door is its superb aesthetics and in particular the unique seamless glazing.

This characteristic sets Lumi apart from all other sliding doors and a feature that was crucial in the system winning the New Product of the Year category at the 2015 G Awards.

Lumi Marketing Manager Linda Tomb says the Lumi Lift & Slide Door offers a step up from conventional sliding doors: “This door enjoys aesthetics and engineered quality that really are a cut above mass market offerings and it is therefore ideal for installers looking for a flagship product. The triple-glazed seamless glazing brings with it a feel and appearance that cannot be matched by any anything else on the market yet it will appeal to a wide range of customers that value style and tactile quality.�

PRODUCT NEWS

Distinction Doors Launches The Retail

Cottage Door And The

Rustic Renown Collection

BI-FOLD

BY ALUMEN Distinction Doors has just launched five door designs that all reflect traditional cottage charm: the solid Retail Cottage Door slab and four glazed door designs in the Rustic Renown Collection. Chantel Roach, Distinction’s Marketing Director, said: “Our Retail Cottage Door and the doors in the Rustic Renown Collection have all the beauty and quality you’ve come to expect from Distinction Doors. I think fabricators will particularly value the prepainted glazing cassette that comes as standard in the Rustic Renown Collection doors. It means the door and the glazing cassette match perfectly for a seamless finish that’s a first for the market.”

As Chantel suggests, it is usual for composite door slabs and glazing cassettes to be painted separately, which according to the company inevitably leads to a difference in colour that detracts from the overall kerb appeal of a door. Having a prepainted cassette as the doors in the Rustic Renown Collection do helps to create a much more sophisticated end result.

As well as the prepainted glazing cassette, the Retail Cottage Door slab and Rustic Renown doors have a wealth of other features that will make them popular additions to the Distinction range. Available in three trimmable sizes, they are manufactured from Thermoset GRP (Glass Reinforced Polyester) and have stiles and rails composed of water-resistant polymer which is bonded to the skin and filled with an insulating core of 100% CFC-free polyurethane for exceptional weatherfastness. And of course, they feature Distinction’s signature oak woodgrain effect finish. www.distinctiondoors.co.uk WINDOW NEWS JANUARY 2017 47

The Bi-fold by Alumen sets the benchmark for high quality aluminium folding doors at an industry beating price.

• Slimline 120mm sight line

• Max sash width = 1200mm

• Generous size limitations

• Max sash height = 3000mm

• Flush and standard threshold options • Outstanding thermal performance • Optional adjustable jambs for ease of fitting

• Available in a range of popular colours • Choice of hardware • After sales support • Supply only or with installation service

• Ultra smooth running

OM PRICES FR +VAT PER LEAF

£360

HIGH QUALI T Y DOORS, COMP ET I T IVELY PRICED!

www.alumen.co.uk

Tel: 01536 737377

Fax: 01536 410800 Email: info@alumen.co.uk Unit 13 Henson Way, Telford Way Industrial Estate, Kettering, Northants NN16 8PX

PRODUCT NEWS

Best Year

Yet For Hurst

Composite

Fire Door Hurst Plastics has toasted to its best year ever for composite fire doors. The Kingston-upon-Hull based firm has ramped up production of composite fire doors by 41% and significantly increased its share of the commercial sector.

Howard Wilson, Hurst Plastics’ Composite Manager, explains: “2016 was a tremendous year for our composite fire door, particularly the first half of the year when we secured some very sizeable commercial contracts. During the year, we made a number of investments into new plant and machinery. This helped us to boost our production capabilities so that we could satisfy the increased demand for fire doors.

“We’re proud of this performance which is underlined by our commitment to best practice. We work closely with specifiers to guide them through their specification and help them to choose the most appropriate products for individual applications.”

The range of Hurst composite fire doors includes FD30, FD30S and FDSBD. Each door has been audited and certified by Warrington Exova BM Trada – an independent third party which assures the quality, performance and traceability of every component of the fire door.

The fire door range has been fire and smoke tested for up to 30 minutes by Warrington Exova and each door conforms to BS476: Part 22: 1987. An FD60 door is also available for more demanding applications. www.hurst-plastics.co.uk 48 WINDOW NEWS JANUARY 2017

Spitfire

Doors Launches Exclusive

Timber Fusion Collection Luxury residential entrance door supplier, Spitfire Doors, has launched a new timber fusion collection in response to growing market demand in the UK and Ireland for a high end alternative.

The S-400 range, which is constructed from West Canadian red cedar, will sit alongside Spitfire’s S-500 exclusive aluminium range to provide luxury quality, high specification entrance doors.

Made from natural red cedar, the door’s elegant finish is complimented by modern stainless steel hardware and organic glass inlay options, as well as state-of-the-art security features including biometric and keyless entry, automatic key fob opening and fingerprint recognition (storing up to 100 impressions). Each door comes with a physical key for manual override too.

At a standard 94mm thick, each door leaf is complete with a security barrel and five-key multipoint lock, creating doors of optimum security.

Surpassing Passiv Haus standards, this thermally efficient door system features substantial layers of industrial foam and noise reducing fibre board insulation, meaning less environmental impact and lower household running costs.

Bespoke care and maintenance kits are also available for easy after sales care.

David Richards, chairman, Spitfire Doors, said: “As with our successful S-500 Series aluminium range, we have found a timber offering that is unrivalled in the UK and Ireland market for its sheer beauty, luxury, security and value.

“There is continuing demand for contemporary timber doors that provide durability with finishes that are not commonly available.

We now have that product in our S-400 range and know we have brought to market a leading product, that is built to the standard of leading European doors.” www.spitfiredoors.co.uk

PRODUCT NEWS

Strong Sales Boost Endurance Plus Launch

Endurance® Doors is now one of the fastest growing composite door companies in the sector and the launch of a premium product proposition will facilitate further growth and enhance their reputation is an innovative and influential player. Endurance® PLUS is the first in a new breed of composite door solutions in the 70+mm frame category, boasting several enhanced features, that help to make it the thickest, strongest and most secure composite door offering in the sector.

Just a matter of months after launching Endurance® PLUS, the company has already enjoyed a strong sales start with a number of new customers coming on board for this new premium composite door offering, with existing customers also reporting a remarkable performance with consumers eager to make the upgrade.

Endurance® PLUS benefits from a 75mm, 6-chambered Eurocell Modus outer frame with a triple seal and incorporates a newly developed 56mm slab that harnesses the industry’s only BBA certified core, using Kerto LVL timber.

There’s also the incorporation of a unique Moisture Barrier System (MBS) to the base of the slab to

eliminate any risk of water ingress and subsequent slab delamination.

Door security is bolstered by a new 5-point multi locking system from ERA, along with the proven Avocet ATK 3 Star Diamond cylinder, which is offered with a unique ATK £1,000 security guarantee and combined, this new premium door comes with Secured by Design as standard. Four SFS Dynamic 2D hinges are also specified for lasting performance and triple glazed units are incorporated in all door styles.

Stephen Nadin, managing director of Endurance® Doors commented: ‘The interest in Endurance® PLUS has already exceeded expectations, with a very strong sales start. Customers know the inherent quality of our products and now with the marketing collateral to support this, we believe that 2017 will be another year of incredible growth for our standard and premium solid and secure composite door offerings.’ www.endurancedoors.co.uk

Residor Gives GAP Home Improvements’

Customers Exactly What They Want Residor is helping GAP Home Improvements sell more doors by providing the security homeowners want.

Eighty five percent of homeowners say security is top priority when they’re buying a new door, and Residor passes all the current security tests. Bedfordshire based GAP has established its reputation for premium service by listening to its customers’ needs, and Residor fits their needs perfectly.

GAP Sales Manager Jon Goodchild explains: “We were keen to add Residor to the range. We’ve sold Solidor for five years and we’ve been impressed with its quality and service. So when Residor was launched we knew it would live up to the standard we’d expect. We’ve not been disappointed. Residor GRP composite doors offer our customers the security and style they want – premium quality without the premium price tag.

“We’ve installed over 20 Solidor and Residor doors at

our showsite so customers can see all their quality composite door options in one place,” adds Jon. At 3.8mm Residor’s GRP skins are more than double the thickness of 7 out of 10 composite doors on the market. Each Residor passes the new PAS24:2016 cut test. Not all composites do: many fail in under 90 seconds. And every Residor door comes with an Ultion cylinder door lock, guaranteed against burglary by lock-snapping and proven to provide homes with real-life security.

“Residor is the most secure GRP composite door you can buy,” says Residor CEO Gareth Mobley. “Its double-thickness GRP skins meet all current regulations, and it’s locked with Ultion, the most secure cylinder lock. Sales have taken off, and our customers say their customers love their Residor doors.” www.gaphomeimprovements.co.uk WINDOW NEWS JANUARY 2017 49

PRODUCT NEWS

Saint-Gobain Building Glass Launches

Advanced Solar Control Glass Saint-Gobain Building Glass has announced the launch of its most recent product innovation for the commercial glazing market with a new addition to its popular SGG COOL-LITE XTREME solar control range.

SGG COOL-LITE XTREME 50/22 II is a high-quality solar control glass, with the unique positioning of being the most selective triple silver product available on the market. With a selectivity of 2.24 – claimed to be the best available in Europe – SGG COOL-LITE XTREME 50/22 II enables designers and specifiers to create comfortable working environments with high levels of natural daylight but without the overbearing heat of the sun. It also reduces the need for costly and energy-hungry air conditioning systems and can therefore reduce a building’s carbon footprint.

The product delivers a high light transmittance (47%) to allow a good amount of natural daylight to illuminate a room, combined with an extremely low solar factor of only 0.21, which blocks 79% of the sun’s heat. It also delivers a low centre pane thermal 50 WINDOW NEWS JANUARY 2017

insulation of 1.0W/m2K, maximising heat retention within the building.

Incorporating SGG COOL-LITE XTREME 50/22 II in a commercial building can contribute towards a building’s BREEAM points and boost the overall BREEAM rating.

Exhibition Centre Liverpool is the first UK project to fully utilise the high-performance coating and features the product across the full length of its glass façade.

Saint-Gobain Building Glass Commercial Market Manager, Adrian Adams said: ‘’SGG COOL-LITE XTREME 50/22 II is a fantastic addition to our range of solar control products. The coating has a good level of neutrality and low external reflectance, giving the glass excellent aesthetics. This new product provides architects with another tool in their design armoury to produce striking facades for their clients without compromising on high performance solar control protection.

“We believe that we have pushed the boundaries again with the product’s market leading selectivity and are sure it will have a substantial impact on the architectural concept and design of the façade due to the fact that architects may not have to work with external shading devices.” www.saint-gobain-glass.com

PRODUCT NEWS

TuffX Are Stepping It Up Homeowners are often looking for new ways to modernise their home and make it different from others. Tuff X Processed Glass have unique ways of doing this and have recently given one homeowner’s house a contemporary twist by supplying a glass stair case for their home.

The installer explained that their customer wanted a modern glass staircase that was safe and practical for a family home. TuffX recommended their triple-laminated, toughened glass, which would be ideal for a staircase. It can take weight, pressure and in the unlikely case of a breakage, it breaks into small particles that are held into place with an interlayer between its two other layers of glass. The client agreed and ordered 10m² of the triple laminated glass in 33mm, which is made up of 3 x 10mm Clear

approx. 15m² of 21.5mm Clear Toughened laminate which is made up of 2 x 10mm Clear Toughened with a 1.5mm cast in place interlayer.

The Homeowners are delighted with the outcome of the finished staircase. It gives the modern look to their home that they had hoped for; it is safe with the curved edges, yet also looks appealing.

Tuff X manufactures their toughened laminated and laminated heat strengthened glass in-house on state-of-the-art machinery to meet all current industry standards.

They produce glass from 4mm to 19mm and up to a maximum size of 4000mm x 2200mm.

Toughened glass with 2 x 1.5mm interlayer. For the landing and the stair case banister they have used

For further information on the range of products from Tuff X please visit www.tuffxglass.co.uk or alternatively call 0845 3 400 200 to discuss project requirements. www.tuffxglass.co.uk

Bi-Folds Get The SMARTGLASS Treatment The SMARTGLASS® brand from Clayton Glass is synonymous with cutting edge performance of glass in conservatories and now the same technology has been bought to the bi-folding and patio door markets, with SMARTGLASS®-W. Typically, the glass used in ‘A’ rated and above windows is designed with an element of solar heat gain within the calculations. This is all well and good in typical domestic properties for replacement windows, but where there are large areas of glass, this is the exact opposite of what is required from a technical standpoint, when there is on average 5m2 of glass in a typical bi-folding door that is 2100mm high x 3000mm wide, assuming 80% glass coverage.

SMARTGLASS®-W has been designed to minimise solar heat gain in bi-folding and patio doors, along with all conservatory side frames and there are three variants in the range. All boast warm edge technology, argon filling and a U-value of 1.0W/m2K, with enhanced versions offering anti-fade properties, true self-cleaning properties, along with enhanced acoustics and security.

The cost differential between the entry level SMARTGLASS®-W and the typical glass used in ‘A’ rated

windows is marginal, yet the performance differential is considerable. There’s also the benefit of deliveries direct to site to any UK mainland postcode within the Clayton Glass fleet of vehicles, 5 days a week and with am delivery option.

WINDOW NEWS JANUARY 2017 51

PRODUCT NEWS

Halsall Glass

Cashes In On ‘Waste Water’ Savings

True Self Clean Ultra-Grey Is The Way

Conservatory roof glass manufacturer TuffX always take the initiative by having an impressive and broad range of solar tinted glass for conservatory roofs. The use and style of conservatories has altered greatly with more people wanting to use them as a general all purpose room in their homes and not just a room which can be used when the weather is pleasant. Since the launch of the Ambience Ultra- Grey glass last year, TuffX have noticed an increase in sales for the contemporary tinted conservatory roof glass and the hype for the product keeps on growing.

TuffX now offer the Ultra-Grey glass in True Self Clean. The Self Cleaning properties uses UV rays to break down and loosen organic dirt, such as bird droppings or dirt and then it uses rain to wash the dirt away. It also spreads water evenly over its surface so that it dries off faster leaving the glass clean and with reduced streaks.

There are various benefits of the True Self Clean, which include; a 10 year guarantee, Minimal self-maintenance, works on cloudy days and during the night. The self-cleaning is available in all of the TuffX Ambience conservatory roof glass range. Allowing whatever tinted glass from the Ambience range the customer requires to come with the true self clean properties. The Ambience glass range is manufactured in house with state of the art machinery to ensure that all glass products are produced to industry standards. All glass is toughened to BSEN 12150.

52 WINDOW NEWS JANUARY 2017

Rob Halsall, founder of Halsall Glass

alsall Glass has said that it has added a day’s production per week to its schedule through efficiency savings delivered by its new water cleaning system.

Purchasing a new straight-line edger and sedimentor from Bohle in the autumn, Halsall Glass has cut downtime for cleaning of machinery, water and tanks contaminated by glass particles, by six to eight hours each week – the equivalent of a full day’s production.

“It gives us back around one day per week in time we would have otherwise been losing cleaning out machinery”, said Rob Halsall, Managing Director, Halsall Glass.

He continued: “Time to clean equipment, clean tanks and then skip the waste soon adds up if you’re doing any sort of volume.

You don’t necessarily see it until you realise the time savings and efficiencies you can make.

“It allows us to keep running. We don’t have to stop and that gives us a lot more flexibility production and schedule planning – it eliminates a potential log jam.”

Suitable for elementary to chainlinked, double-sided straight line

edgers, Bohle manufactures and supplies three different sedimentors, the 2.4, which has a filling quantity of 2100 litres, the 1.0, (1,000 litres) and the 0.3, which has a filling capacity of 320 litres.

The fully automated system uses a sophisticated multi-stage process to pump water, first into a settling tank, removing around 70 per cent of heavier glass particles from coolant.

Powdered flocculant is added, and mixed using a programme of currents, which then bonds to the remaining glass particles, making them sink.

At the end of the cleaning process, a valve at the floor of the tank opens and the accumulated sludge is flushed into a filter bag by the water pressure. This leaves the cleaned cooling water ready to be returned back into the cooling circuit.

According to its own analysis, Bohle argues that sedimentors will support most glass processors in trimming around 10 per cent off the costs of machinery cleaning and associated downtime – paying back against purchase costs in as little as a year.

PRODUCT NEWS

Romag Tinted Glass Specified For Norse Rainbow Bridge

Steve Pardue of Differentia Design said: “The Rainbow Bridge is a space of remembrance and quiet reflection which is also intended to be used as a place for creative writing, poetry and art.

High performance, coloured, laminated glass from Romag forms the epicentre of the new memorial space at Raystede Centre for Animal Welfare, an established charity and sanctuary well known for its dedication to the care of animals.

He continued: From the inception of the concept Romag helped us with all aspects of using their products and we are delighted with the finish of the glass and were impressed with the technical knowledge and skill from the staff at Romag. The finished bridge is a spectacular vision of light and colour that cascades coloured light on the wood and surrounding water. A wonderful space for visitors to remember their animal friends.”

The bridge features 51 individual sections of 13.5mm toughened glass which were laminated using vibrant coloured Vanceva interlayers. Each section of glass has been laminated, precision cut to size, polished and drilled by Romag using its state-of-the-art computer-controlled waterjet cutting tables, drills, grinders and CNC polishers at its HQ in Consett, County Durham.

Paul Cruddace, Romag’s sales and marketing director, concluded: “The Rainbow Bridge is a very special project that we are delighted to be involved in. The glass panels reflect our technical expertise and skills in architectural glass, which we have honed for over 70 years. It is a pleasure to see our glass used in such a striking, innovative and harmonious design.”

Designed by Northumberland based Landscape Interpretation Designer, Steve Pardue at Differentia and built by Robin Watson Signs, the Rainbow Bridge takes inspiration from Norse Folklore where it was believed the Rainbow Bridge (or the Bifröst) connected the Earth to Asgard – the realm of the Gods.

Romag has a strong reputation around the globe for manufacturing high quality specialist glass products in a range of shapes and sizes to meet individual client aspirations and design requirements.

Romag glass is stringently tested to ensure manufacturing processes meet and exceeds industry regulations and expectations.

WINDOW NEWS JANUARY 2017 53

PRODUCT NEWS

Installer Leaps Ahead

With Aluminium

Convinced that it could overcome their aluminium supply issues, the company switched to Customade for the sole supply of aluminium. Since the move to Customade, aluminium has grown rapidly for Monmouthshire and now accounts for around 50% of its business.

Chris Atwell, Owner at Monmouthshire Conservatory Company, says: “We immediately invested in Customade’s pricing and quoting software and this gave us complete control

Chris Atwell, Owner at Monmouthshire Conservatory Company

Claire Miller, Customade Group’s Marketing Manager

Despite a sharp, and well documented, rise in demand for aluminium within the domestic market, many installers are still cautious about entering the world of aluminium.

In the last 18 months, Customade has increased aluminium output by 80% and is taking on new members to its REAL Aluminium Installer Network every single week.

Since launching its REAL Aluminium solution earlier this year, Customade has been steadily educating installers about the wealth of resources that are available to help them move into aluminium with confidence.

One installer who is reaping the benefits of the new aluminium supply model is Ross-on-Wye installer Monmouthshire Conservatory Company. Exclusively, a PVC-u installer when it was established in 2003, Monmouthshire made tentative steps into aluminium four years ago. Although Monmouthshire had a good rapport with its aluminium supplier, the firm found that it was waiting several days for quotes and many weeks for deliveries. With unpredictable lead times, the firm couldn’t plan installations and sometimes ran over on projects.

Claire Miller, Customade Group’s Marketing Manager, explains: “Many installers are hesitant about aluminium because, historically, it was difficult and complex to price and the lead times were painfully long. We wanted to help those installers to unlock the enormous potential of aluminium and benefit from the higher profit margins that it can bring. Our complete ‘REAL Aluminium’ solution delivers all the tools an installer needs to take their first steps from PVC-u into aluminium.”

54 WINDOW NEWS JANUARY 2017

Monmouthshire began installing aluminium glazed roofing systems from Customade’s sister company Atlas Glazed Roof Solutions and heard about REAL Aluminium soon afterwards.

over our quoting for the first time. We went from outsourced pricing taking several days to being able to produce quotes instantly in-house. This had an enormous impact on how quickly we could win business. Our product lead times were previously up to nine weeks, but they have been cut down to just 14 days on standard stock colours.

This leap helped us to complete jobs far faster than ever before.”

Customade provides all REAL Aluminium installers with a comprehensive showroom and marketing support package.

It includes the 36-page luxury REAL Aluminium brochure, which is the UK’s only retail brochure dedicated to the full range of aluminium fenestration products. Monmouthshire has every brochure personalised with their logo and company details. Every customer that makes an enquiry or visits Monmouthshire’s showroom at Pengethley Garden Centre in Peterstow, receives a complete suite of literature on REAL and Atlas products.

Among Monmouthshire’s showroom displays are an Atlas conservatory and an Atlas Skyroom, which are equipped with a selection of REAL Aluminium windows, doors and bi-folding doors. www.real-aluminium.co.uk

PRODUCT NEWS

Aluminium

Capacity Quintuples

As Astraseal Invests In The Future Citing booming demand for high-quality aluminium doors, windows and conservatories, fast-growing fabricator Astraseal has shifted aluminium production from its main factory to a separate 25k square foot facility. Previously allocated only 5k square feet of factory space, the move increases the fabricator’s aluminium capacity by five times.

This development comes as Astraseal continues to invest in expanding its impressive aluminium portfolio. The firm has recently added the Stratus thermal lantern roof and the Smarts Ultraglide inline slider system to an already extensive selection of products from Smarts, Reynaers and Synseal.

“Demand for aluminium has exploded in the last few years,” commented Zac Nedimovic, Astraseal marketing manager. “Partly, that’s down to advances in technology.

Once, aluminium windows weren’t great – offering poor thermal efficiency, for example. Since the development of the polyamide thermal break, that’s completely changed. Another major factor has been the ability to provide aluminium in a huge range of colours, making it a fashionable, high status material frequently used in Grand Designs-style home improvement projects.” www.astraseal.co.uk

Senior Responds As Trade Customers Ask For Ali Senior Architectural Systems is making itself at home in the residential sector as demand for the manufacturer’s new range of Ali FOLD aluminium doors continues to soar and more and more trade customers ‘Ask for Ali’.

Launched in 2016, the development of the new aluminium door range has been supported by Senior’s established manufacturing expertise and long standing commitment to exceptional levels of customer service.

Competitively priced and easy to fabricate using existing tooling, the new Ali FOLD aluminium door range is available in a range of styles, including folding sliding, single swing and double swing options. Featuring slim sightlines to create light and airy interiors, Senior’s new range of high performance aluminium doors can safely accommodate maximum leaf sizes of up to 1000mm by 2616mm and a weight of 100kg.

a choice of configurations and sizes, as well as offering impressive design flexibility, the new Ali FOLD doors also feature a polyamide thermal break to give impressive thermal efficiency.

Commenting, Mark Wadsworth, Senior Architectural Systems’ managing director said: “Although no stranger to the retail market thanks to the success of our popular Hybrid system, we are delighted that our new Ali FOLD patio door range has been positively received by both our existing fabricator base as well as helping to establish relationships with new trade customers.

Our commitment to product innovation and maintaining high levels of customer service is in line with our ethos of giving customers what they want when they want it, and we feel we have a great offering with the Ali FOLD range.” www.seniorarchitectural.co.uk

Available in a range of colours and WINDOW NEWS JANUARY 2017 55

PRODUCT NEWS

Lumen Provides

An Environmentally

Friendly Option

the light entering the room.

Trevor Hince explains: “At first we were worried about the levels of light entering the property, as the original windows were quite small and the old lounge area was fairly dark. However, we need not have worried as the windows and glazed door to the rear of the extension provide plenty of light, while the large rooflight now floods the room with light from above.

“Even on a dark day the space feels light and airy and has become the new focal point in our home – it’s now where we spend most of our time.”

Situated in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (ANOB), the Hince family home is located in the heart of the stunning East Sussex countryside. In 2016 the couple decided to expand their property to the rear with a single story extension, which would open up the magnificent views of the surrounding countryside.

long life.

After a 4-month renovation project, involving Architect Carlos Elsesser, from AAC Studio and the builder W.Smithers & Sons, the flat roof extension has created a bright new living space, which incorporates a new lounge, dining and kitchen area.

IMG_4457Sarah Hince said: “The rooflight was specified by Carlos, who initially provided us the option between the Lumen product and one other less sustainable alternative. Lumen was able to build us a rooflight to the exact size and specification that we wanted, while Carlos was impressed by the thermal qualities of Lumen’s product. Not only did we and Carelos decide that the Accoya rooflight provided a better quality option, but it was also reasonably priced in relation to the alternative.”

The crowning glory of the new living space is a large bespoke Planus Accoya™ rooflight (designed for use on a flat or low pitch roof) and hand crafted by Lumen to the exact specifications of the client. The 2864mm wide by 1469mm high rooflight is constructed from Accoya timber and benefits from excellent stability, durability, UV resistance and a very 56 WINDOW NEWS JANUARY 2017

Due to the large size of the rooflight, the Accoya™ provided a lighter framing structure which allowed the introduction of a high specification triple glazed, self cleaning, Pilkington unit with a 6mm toughened Pilkington Activ Sunshade neutral outer.

The architect was also keen to find a product without a glazing bar, with a single pane of glass and a minimal frame size to maximize

Lumen also supplied an insulated kerb upstand, which made life easier for the builder and offered an exact fit of the bespoke rooflight design. As part of Lumen’s bespoke design Trevor and Sarah were also able to specify differing internal and external colours rather than just a single option. They opted for an RAL.7024 Graphite Grey external, with an RAL.9010 white finish on the inside. Lumen also supplied a custom made, remotely operated electric blind, to match the colour scheme chosen.

The Lumen Planus Accoya™ is manufactured to the highest standards in the UK and is hand finished to the exacting requirements of each customer. Lumen also prides itself on its customer service, which was something that the Hince family were particularly impressed with.

Sarah said: “The Lumen team were on hand throughout and were a pleasure to deal with. They took care of everything from the initial drawings and design suggestions, through to the ongoing liaison with the architect and builders.

“Lumen absolutely met the brief and we are delighted with the end product.” www.lumenrooflight.com

PRODUCT NEWS

Strong Sales Boost Endurance Plus Launch A solid roof watertight in less than two hours is exactly what installers get with Icotherm Solid Roofs, claim the company. The pre-fabricated modular roof construction is quick and easy to install. The clever pod system includes all insulation, and is ready to fit together with items found in every installers toolbox.

Dave Jackson is the brains behind the highly successful, simple to install, Icotherm Solid Roof.

“Replacing a glass or polycarbonate conservatory roof couldn’t be easier with Icotherm. From the moment customers order a roof we offer straightforward schematic drawings which make easy reading for anyone used to fitting conservatories.

“The structural timber modular pods, manufactured in our factory in Bolton, have very few components. The insulation is pre-fitted just like structural insulated panels proven on timber framed buildings.

Once made, we number them to make it easier for customers to put them together perfectly on site.

“Many Icotherm roofs are replacing aluminium conservatory roofs and butt up to a house wall. We know that few house walls are perfectly square or true, so we have made a system that is easy to adjust during the installation process.

“The lightweight roof can easily be retrofit in a day including removing the old roof. Typically, the roof can

be watertight in an hour or two or even less. The quickest installation time we have recorded so far is just 40 minutes. Icotherm Solid Roofs are also superb for new build extensions.”

Over the last two years Icotherm has built an expert team, that’s worked to perfect the easy to install, fully ventilated, lightweight, tiled solid conservatory roof.

Email: sales@icotherm.co.uk

How An Icotherm Fully Ventilated Solid

Roof Works Conservatory roof expert Dave Jackson says the most important thing to consider in a solid roof is ventilation.

Dave is the brains behind the highly successful, easy to install, Icotherm Solid Roof. Over the last two years he’s put together an expert team, that’s worked to perfect the fully ventilated, lightweight, tiled solid roof.

The roof has a cross ventilation system. It’s designed so the air flows in over the eaves and flows out through the ridge. This reduces any chance of condensation.

“Most new homes have roofs built with eaves and ridge ventilation, that’s because it’s the most efficient system,” says Dave. “We could see that replicating this method would work well for building new extensions and retrofitting onto conservatories. We have proven the system to be highly effective in preventing condensation. Installers and builders using the Icotherm Solid Roof tell us how impressed they are.”

The roof design also allows Icotherm to add 150mm of insulation keeping the heat inside in the winter and

outside in the summer to maintain even temperatures throughout the year.

“My background in glass roofs has given me a good perspective on what’s needed in solid roofs. That’s why the Icotherm Solid Roof is lightweight and fits comfortably onto conservatory walls for an easy retro-fit.”

Dave Jackson has more than 16 years’ experience in the industry working with Quantal, Synseal and K2 as well as in fabrication. The insight into what installers want comes from Icotherm’s joint director Jenny Jackson who ran a conservatory retail business for 9 years.

Email: sales@icotherm.co.uk WINDOW NEWS JANUARY 2017 57

MACHINERY

Cantifix Sold On Kombimatec’s

Cnc Machine Centre

Rotating Axis Bed

The internet can sometimes be looked at as a gift and a curse but in the case of Cantifix and Kombimatec it definitely proved to be the former. After exhaustive research both off and online as part of a long-term plan whether or not to purchase a CNC machine, Cantifix came across Kombimatec and its website. So impressed with the Luton-based window machinery company’s knowledge and product range it decided to purchase an AMC602 3+1 Axis CNC Machining Centre.

“While price always has some part to play in the decision of whether or not to go ahead with a purchase we were seriously impressed with the overall build quality and, in particular, the fact that the bed rotated on the axis of the Kombimatec machine rather than the tool head,” said William Sharman, Cantifix’s Director. “It allows greater flexibility for what we need to do and it saves time when dealing with the complex processes we often need to perform.”

58 WINDOW NEWS JANUARY 2017

Founded in 1986, North London-based Cantifix has always taken on groundbreaking innovative projects that have attracted the attention of many an eminent architect or engineer. Refusing to accept that the “impossible” exists, they have proved this to be true time and time again both within the UK and with international projects. With a determined commitment to new technologies the company’s passion for excellence is evident whilst selling, designing, manufacturing and installing its glass structures.

“Everything we do is non-standard and often better suited to detailed manual attention during manufacture,” continued Sharman. “However, Kombimatec’s CNC Machining Centre certainly allows us to undertake some of our more repetitive tasks whilst maintaining the desired high standards that our clients expect.”

Kombimatec’s AMC602 Machining Centre has been designed to process extruded aluminium and utilises advanced CNC control combined with CAD software to position the electro spindle and selected tool to work on the selected profile. It includes four controlled axes, four adjustable pneumatic clamps and comes with an industrial control unit for accurate positional control and a PC interface with CADCAM software. It also has an automatic tool changer to accommodate up to seven different tools. As a result the machine can drill, rout, tap and mill without operator interference. www.kombimatec.com

MACHINERY

KAT Makes Statement With Investment In Flagship Quadra Machine KAT has just placed an order for one of Emmegi’s flagship Quadra sawing and machine centres as it continues to invest to keep pace with its record breaking growth.

The Macclesfield based fabricator saw sales of aluminium products increase by 64% in 2016 and is predicting a further increase of 40% this year, so its priority was to choose a machine which could guarantee to increase both volumes and efficiency.

KAT’s team estimates that, with the Quadra, they will be able to fabricate an additional 200 windows and 80 doors per week, without any increase in manpower.

The Quadra is the Rolls Royce of

Emmegi’s range and carries out sawing, notching and 360º machining in one continuous processing operation. It is completely flexible, with little or no profile related tooling, freely programmable software and even the capability to process bars of different profiles in the same loading and machining operation.

Chris Powell, KAT’s Commercial Director, said: “We looked at various high volume machines but felt that the Quadra had the edge when it came to performance and reliability. We’ve had an Emmegi saw here for several years and we added an Emmegi Phantomatic X4 machining centre last year; and have been impressed with the robustness and durability of both.

“The whole Emmegi team have been responsive and efficient throughout the buying process and we’re definitely looking forward to getting the machine installed and commissioned at our new Macclesfield factory in just a few months.”

KAT has joined an elite group of UK fabricators who are now using the Emmegi Quadra, which includes Express Bi-Folds, Duggans and Unique Window Systems. www.katuk.co.uk

Investing in a new Kombimatec automatic routing machine de-skills the fabrication of doors and windows and improves efficiency.

Finding new skilled staff can prove difficult and installing a Kombimatec machine to assist the existing workforce could be the best solution to increasing output and profits.

The new AMC308 (Left) and AMC602 (Above) can take care of all the routing, drilling, milling and slotting of extruded aluminium and PVC profiles completely automatically without the constant operator supervision. The profile can be machined on all 4 sides using various tools automatically changed via the in-built magazine. You can start with a base model and add features like connection to the office computer and bar code ID reading.

There are several sites where these cost effective machines can be seen in action or visit our website to watch video clips.

Call David today on 01582-562218 or email sales@kombimatec.com for more information WINDOW NEWS JANUARY 2017 59

MACHINERY systems”, he continued.

“The SL4FF gives us Warmcore at volume – but also just as importantly, the high quality finish that we need with it.”

The SL4FF employs an onboard control system and CAD Scan software, which maps the profile chamber configuration directly from a standard photocopier scanner. This allows the operator to work with actual dimensions rather than profile related drawings bringing a new level of accuracy and finish perfection.

Unique Gears Up For Warmcore With The Graf SL4FF Unique Window Systems has invested in the cutting-edge Graf Synergy SL4FF seamless corner welder from the Promac Group, as part of its continuing growth strategy.

Fabricating more than 1,000 windows per week, the Leicester-based trade and commercial fabricator has seen exponential growth committing to significant investment in its state-of-the-art manufacturing capability.

This has included the purchase of a new Graf Synergy SL4FF seamless corner welder, supplied by the Promac Group at the end of last year.

Atul Patel, Director of Unique Window Systems said: “We’re a volume business. We’re doing 1,000 PVC-U windows and doors a week – you can’t do that and sustain quality, without a high level of automation.

60 WINDOW NEWS JANUARY 2017

“The investment we have made in machinery has allowed us to keep down costs but more importantly, it allows us to guarantee consistent quality”.

Supplied exclusively in the UK by the Promac Group, having pre-cleaned to exacting tolerances, the SL4FF, zip welds the corner joint whilst controlling the flow of sprue, delivering a seamless but incredibly strong corner joint.

Atul said: “We fabricate Modus and as a flush system, the SL4FF gives us a very high quality weld, which allows us to pitch it against other premium R9-type flush systems.

“The real reason why we have got it is because we’re also fabricating Synseal’s Warmcore. It’s a key product for us and we see a lot of potential in areas traditionally dominated by aluminium

This has been employed

by Unique to provide an ultra-strong weld of Warmcore’s underlying PVC-U profile and perfect alignment of its aluminium ‘skin’. “We ran it for a couple of months before we started production because we wanted it to be completely optimised before we took on any contracts. The quality we have got on the joints is just incredible”, said Atul.

According to Promac, the SL4FF not only delivers a better quality product but can also deliver a twofold increase in productivity compared to other traditional manufacturing processes. This is in part because the SL4 FF eliminates any requirement for cooling tables and corner cleaning, also giving it a space-saving footprint of just 25 sq metres.

The machinery platform is self-contained with installed extraction and automatic heater plate cleaning, reducing downtime for any manual intervention. For maintenance and service the SL4 FF is also equipped with on board self-diagnostic software and can be accessed via remote support. www.promac.co.uk

MACHINERY

Addison Brings PBT’s

High-Performance Profile Benders To The UK

Climatec Invests In A

New Machine Addison Tube Division, the specialist tube bending technologies arm of Addison Saws, has been appointed as the sole UK distributor of PBT AG’s CNC profile bending machines.

supported by the highest levels of customer service. PBT’s machines will dovetail perfectly with our tube bending and end forming technologies from leading Taiwanese manufacturer, CSM.”

Swiss-based PBT is a leading name in high-performance profile bending technologies for aluminium, stainless steel and steel profiles. Its machines are used across a large number of sectors, including automotive manufacturing, construction, aerospace, the window industry and furniture making.

Employing high levels of functionality and triple-roller bending technology, PBT machines coldform both aluminium and steel profiles in a highly energy efficient manner. PBT profile bending technologies range from the Arkus 12® – a compact, exceptionally powerful machine that bends even the smallest aluminium and steel profiles to extremely tight radii – to larger, heavy duty machines such as the PBT35® and HELIX® models, which are suited to more challenging applications, including profiles for use in plant and vehicle manufacturing, materials handling, construction and architectural needs. PBT also builds bespoke profile bending machines to meet the most demanding of manufacturing requirements.

“Identifying closely with our ethos” “We are extremely pleased to have secured the UK distributor rights for PBT’s internationally recognised profile bending technologies,” comments Addison Group managing director, Gary Knight. “In appointing us, PBT identified closely with our ethos of helping customers find the very best solutions to their manufacturing challenges, through technologies sourced from the global market place, and all

www.addisonsaws.co.uk

Centre

Climatec Windows took ownership of a new Stuga Autoflow 2 Sawing and Machining Centre this week, nicely timed for production in the New Year. Following an investment programme set by the ever expanding company, this machining centre is the first of two to arrive at Climatec’s PVCu factory in Southend, Essex; the second is expected by March 2017.

The Stuga Autoflow 2 is a fully automated sawing and machining centre using the latest technology and will undoubtedly enable Climatec to provide a sleeker, more productive output for their casement windows, tilt and turns, vertical sliders and the range of doors currently being fabricated by them.

The 13.5 metre long machine has an unlimited number of prep capabilities including drainage, espags, trickle vents, ‘V’ notches and door preps as well as providing an effective saw cutting facility climatec-windows.co.uk

WINDOW NEWS JANUARY 2017 61

FIT SHOW NEWS

Nordic Installations Takes Home December’s Installation Of The Year Prize With the new year in full swing, December’s FIT Show Installation of the Year winner has now been announced and won by south west-based aluminium specialists Nordic Installations.

Following up Origin’s November win for its Prime Windows installation in Bradworthy, the decision to select Nordic’s bespoke new build in Dunsford, Devon as December’s overall winner wasn’t easy. With stiff competition from Sherborne Windows and Vista Panels Ltd, who were both voted as runners up, it was the photography of the installation that sealed the deal for Nordic.

CAB’s Adrian Toon, the compe62 WINDOW NEWS JANUARY 2017

tition’s judge, said of Nordic’s entry: “It’s a great balanced image with flowers in the foreground and a distant blue sky, plus great sunshine on the project. It’s a well exposed picture with vertical elements well aligned with the frame of the picture.”

Earning themselves some serious bragging rights for the month, Nordic have won themselves a FIT Show goodie bag and a pair of tickets to the show’s popular gala dinner on 24th May. They’ve also been added to the shortlist of monthly winners who have the opportunity to be crowned overall Installation of the Year winner, which will be announced at the

FIT Show gala dinner.

Winning installations to date can be seen on the FIT Show website: www.fitshow.co.uk/ installation-of-the-year.

Think you’ve got what it takes to enter and win? Photographic entries can be submitted via Twitter for the Installation of the Year competition using the hashtag #FITInstallation including a short description of the installation and product used.

Taking place 23-25th May 2017, to book a stand at FIT Show 2017 please contact Freya Humphries on: 07572 623457, or email: freya@fitshow.co.uk

FIT SHOW NEWS

Carl F Groupco’s FIT Show Focus

Carl F Groupco staff prepare to showcase a wide range of hardware products at FIT Show 2017. Sales Office Manager Carlia Corras (centre, seated) proudly displays the company’s 2016 award for the show’s most successful visitor campaign.

FIT Show forerunner, and winner of the 2016 most successful visitor campaign, Carl F Groupco will return to the 2017 industry exhibition with another impressive, purpose built display. Focus on the 96 sq metre stand will be on practical installations which will showcase

premier window and door industry fittings from major manufacturers.

Products shown will confirm the company’s position as a leading UK hardware supplier offering solutions to meet all fitting requirements.

SmartSecure, Carl F Groupco’s

CAB’s Adrian Toon Named FIT Show Installation Of The

Year Judge Whether it’s a commercial or domestic project, doors, windows, orangeries or conservatories, the FIT Show is on the hunt for the best installations from around the globe for its Installation of the Year Twitter competition.

Adrian Toon, Immediate Past President for the Council for Aluminium in Building (CAB), has been named the competition’s judge and will on a monthly basis examine all entries and carefully consider which he feels are the best before the public decide on

an overall winner chosen from the shortlist of monthly winners.

Earning themselves some serious bragging rights and also a 2017 winners trophy, the winner will be

pioneering brand launched at the FIT Show 2016, will take pride of place. Working demonstrations will enable visitors to trial the easy-touse, innovative variants for the new generation electronic locking and smart access control systems. Options displayed will include SmartConnect easy – access control that opens doors with a smart phone or tablet. SmartTouch comfort will also be shown which, with pioneering active transponder technology, enables entry by simply touching a sensor when the active transponder is in range.

Other high profile hardware lines and leading edge industry innovations that will be displayed on the Carl F Groupco stand will include products from Cotswold, FUHR, Greenwood, Hoppe, Ingenious, Kenrick, MACO, Roto/PN, Siegenia and Trojan.

Carl F Groupco can be seen on stand E40 at the FIT Show www.carlfgroupco.co.uk www.smartsecure.co.uk

announced at the FIT Show’s popular gala dinner on 24th May. Active in the construction industry since 1980, Adrian Toon is also the Immediate Past President of the Federation of European Window and Curtain Walling Manufacturers’ Associations (FAECF), a federation that represents the façade industry across Europe.

Setting up his own façade consultancy firm in 2004, a2n offers its clients marketing services such as architectural photography and media services.

Photographic entries can be submitted via Twitter for the Installation of the Year competition using the hashtag #FITInstallation including a short description of the installation and product used.

WINDOW NEWS JANUARY 2017 63

FIT SHOW NEWS dyMount Fix, the Vario, delivers variable glass adjustment via a moveable base shoe. Also fully adjustable from the balcony side, the EasyMount Vario can cut installation time by as much as 30 per cent over traditional systems.

Bohle will also be showcasing the new Frametec office partitioning system at May’s expo. Developed to support glass processors in accessing the growing commercial sector, it also potential applications in residential markets.

Bohle Highlights Installer Opportunities

In Glass At The FIT Show Bohle will highlight the opportunities offered to installers by easyfit architectural glazing systems including balustrading, glass partitioning and internal doors, at this year’s FIT Show 23-25 May.

The third year that Bohle has attended the glass and glazing expo, its stand – number L25 – will also be packed with the latest innovations in glass processing technologies and consumables.

Dave Broxton, Managing Director, Bohle said: “We saw a dramatic increase in demand for our easyfit balustrading systems last year, something which has continued into this year.

“It’s being driven by growth in the commercial property sector but also significant demand in resi64 WINDOW NEWS JANUARY 2017

dential and retail.

“The transition from fitting windows and doors to installing a fully integrated balustrading system is minimal. Margins are also high, so the addition of residential or commercial balustrading to your offer as an installation business is a logical step.”

FrametecBohle’s innovatively engineered EasyMount base rail system is available in two formats, the modular EasyMount Fix and flexible EasyMount Vario.

Each system is suitable for floor or lateral mounting, supporting fast and easy installation, with the EasyMount Fix accommodating loads of up to 3kN. Using the same profile as the Eas-

The flexible solution is configurable as partial or full partitioning applications, also delivering a high level of sound-proofing when used as a floor-to-ceiling system.

Bohle will also profile its internal sliding door hardware system SlideTec Optima 80. The easy-install system supports weights of up to 80kg, while eliminating pre-drilling of glass, using smart clamping technology.

The stand will also include Bohle Veribor suction lifters, Silberschnitt cutting wheels, Verifix UV-bonding ranges, glass cleaners and more.

“Frametec, SlideTec Optima and the EasyMount balustrading ranges, have been developed first and foremost to deliver opportunities to glass processors, delivering a high pull through of core product”, added Broxton.

He concluded: “It doesn’t, however, require much of a leap to access these growth areas as a window and door installation business, by partnering with glass processors to enter new markets.”

For more visit the Bohle website www.bohle-group.com email info@bohle.ltd.uk or call the customer services team free on 0800 616151 for more information.

FIT SHOW NEWS

Yale

To Exhibit At FIT

SHOW 2017!

Sealco Brings The Best

In Window And Door Hardware

To FIT Show 2017 Visitors to FIT Show 2017 looking for the best selection of window and door hardware should visit the stand of independent UK hardware distributor Sealco, on M60 in Hall 8.

Celebrating 20 years in business in 2017, Sealco specialises in the distribution of hardware for windows and doors. It keeps massive stock levels on more than 4,000 different product lines, all of which are available for next day delivery.

Sealco has built a comprehensive range of hardware for aluminium, PVCu, timber and composite doors and windows.

It stocks products from the best names in hardware, including Yale, UAP, Trojan, GU, AGB and Endurance.

Sealco’s expert team will be on hand to discuss visitors’ specific needs. It will select the best hardware for each customer’s system to create cost-effective packages that reduce the cost of

fabrication, save time on installation or improve long-term performance of windows or doors.

This includes exclusive products such as the Yale fully reversible Revolution Hinge. Sealco worked with Yale to develop the unique restrictor that means the hinge can easily be changed between anti-blowback and easy close options.

“2016 was our first FIT Show and was really successful. In 2017, we’re taking a much bigger space at the show so we can develop relationships with customers across the UK. We’ll be bringing some of the latest innovations in our range to give a taste of what is available from our 4,000 product lines,” says Alan Malcolm, Sales Director at Sealco.

The Sealco stand at FIT Show 2017 can be found at M60, in Hall 8 near the bar and refreshment areas. www.sealco-scotland.co.uk

Yale Door and Window Solutions will be exhibiting on stand C8 at this year’s FIT Show (NEC, Birmingham from 23rd – 25th May 2017). The three-day event is the UK’s only trade show for the window, door, conservatory and double-glazing industry.

Yale will be exhibiting its innovative range of Smart Living products at the show, alongside a limited selection of traditional hardware. This includes the brand new Conexis™ L1 smart door lock that operates from a smart phone.

Paul Atkinson, Sales Director for Yale DWS, commented: “The FIT Show is always an important date in the calendar.

It provides a great opportunity to network with our customers and potential new stockists, as well meeting face-to-face with key press contacts.

“The move to the NEC is a clear reflection of the growth that both the show itself, and industry as a whole, has experienced in recent years. We’re excited to be a part of the upcoming event and look forward to showcasing our exciting range of connected security products and particularly the connected door lock.”

For further information about Yale Door and Window Solutions, please visit www.yaledws.co.uk or alternatively call 01902 366800. For more information about FIT Show 2017, please visit www.fitshow.co.uk WINDOW NEWS JANUARY 2017 65

ON SITE

1,500 Windows Installed In £2.2M

Buckinghamshire County

The rare bird is subject to the strictest legal safeguards under the Wildlife and Countryside Protection Act of 1981, and damaging, destroying or even attempting to move one of its nests can result in fines of up to £5,000, or a six-month prison sentence.

Council Renovation Hazlemere are one of the region’s most experienced architectural glazing specialists, excelling at complex commercial developments for over thirty years.

Hazlemere Sales Director Tony Beale commented: “Refurbishment jobs can often be more challenging than new builds – but that also makes them some of the most rewarding. There’s something very satisfying about completely refitting a twelve-storey building in a way that still allows everyday work to continue.”

Now, the respected firm has successfully completed a challenging refurbishment project for Buckinghamshire County Council – installing thousands of replacement windows at the authority’s 12-storey Aylesbury headquarters.

“On a tower block of this sort, safety is paramount.

That’s why we installed windows that could be cleaned from the inside – but only by authorised users, preventing accidents that, particularly from the upper floors, could be deadly.”

The £2.2m development saw Hazlemere fit 1,500 Sapa Dualslide vertical sliders, replacing dilapidated ‘60s originals with modern, thermally broken window products equipped with high performance solar glass to cut heat gain and deflect glare.

“We were also particularly pleased that the improved thermal efficiency and reduced solar gain that’s resulted from the new windows is projected to cut the council’s costs by 15% – especially important at a time when it’s looking to make savings as funding from central government is reduced.”

The project wasn’t without its complications. Not only did work have to be carried out at evenings and weekends to minimise disruption for what remained a fully occupied, bustling workplace – commencement was also delayed for six months to allow local peregrine falcons to complete their mating season.

66 WINDOW NEWS JANUARY 2017

“The initial delays were obviously frustrating – there’s no way you can plan for finding a rare bird nesting on site. But we persevered – and the result has been an installation job that both we and the council are extremely pleased with.” www.hazlemere.co.uk

ON SITE

Senior’s PURe® Delights

At Darlington’s Latest Leisure Spot

paying homage to Darlington’s railway heritage and providing the perfect contrast to the glazed areas above that feature doors, windows and curtain walling from Senior’s extensive product range.

Installed by fabricator Neu Glas Ltd, Senior’s innovative PURe® aluminium windows have been installed to the scheme’s new Premier Inn hotel, with the systems’ exceptionally low U-values and excellent acoustic performance contributing to creating a comfortable interior environment for guests.

A range of aluminium glazing solutions from manufacturer Senior Architectural Systems has been specified for use at the new Feethams leisure development in Darlington, including the patented PURe® aluminium window system that offers some of the lowest U-values available on the UK market.

The new development sees the regeneration of a former bus depot in the centre of town and is set to

play a vital role in helping to boost the economy and employment in the area with the creation of a new cinema, hotel and several new restaurants. Developed by Urban + Civic, the BIM project has been delivered by main contractor McLaughlin & Harvey and designed

by Niven Architects.

The overall design scheme has been heavily influenced by the local landscape, with the traditional style red brick arches of the lower levels

A key focal point of the development is the piazza level that evokes the traditional atmosphere of a town market square and provides a vital community space. To create a light and modern feel, the restaurant and retail buildings incorporate Senior’s slim line curtain walling and SPW500 doors, with the curved curtain walling of the new cinema complex adding further interest. Another feature is the attractive curved glazed head screens around the perimeter by the roadside which were fabricated and installed by Frostree Ltd. www.seniorarchitectural.co.uk

TuffX – Cheers To Glass!

TuffX often receive glass requests for weird and wonderful creations, but their latest job was a first even for them. They was called by a client asking for some glass which will create a glass floor door leading to a wine cellar.

The customer lives in a large country home in Hampshire and desired to have their very own wine cellar.

Already having a basement in the house the job seemed rather straight forward for the installers; they just needed the perfect glass for the cellar door.

This had to be completely clear, safe, look appealing and also be suitable to walk on when the door was closed. TuffX recommended that their Clear Toughened glass would be appropriate for the job. The Installers ordered the glass in 31.5mm clear toughened.

The client and homeowner were very pleased with the glass and the finished wine cellar, with the home-

owners having said “We love our new cellar, it is something we have been discussing for a long time.

With never using the cellar that was built in with our home we finally came around to getting it installed.

We host many diner parties so it comes in handy for us. The clear glass gives it the perfect finish and everyone is so impressed who comes to visit.” www.tuffxglass.co.uk WINDOW NEWS JANUARY 2017 67

ON SITE

Glassolutions Brings Secure, Sustainable

Glazing To Mammoth Elephant & Castle Project State of the art glazing solutions and a strong understanding of the needs of inner-city dwellers has helped GLASSOLUTIONS to secure a major role in the creation of two new residential and retail spaces in Elephant & Castle, part of one of the largest regeneration projects currently taking place in Central London.

Led by the integrated property company Lendlease, in partnership with Southwark Council, the Elephant Park regeneration project will deliver close to 3,000 homes by 2025, and GLASSOLUTIONS’ is working on the latest phase, West Grove, which is due to complete in 2018. It is GLASSOLUTIONS’ highest value contracting project to date.

West Grove aims to create stateof-the-art retail and residential spaces which will connect Wal68 WINDOW NEWS JANUARY 2017

worth Road to the improved transport hub at the Elephant & Castle, with GLASSOLUTIONS providing the design and installation of aluminium windows, doors and curtain walling for the phase.

The focal building on Highwood Gardens, designed by Allford Hall Monaghan Morris Architects, is located at the corner of Walworth Road and Deacon Street. With extensive retail space on the ground floor plus thirty storeys of residential accommodation, the building will be the tallest in Elephant Park.

Orchard Gardens, designed by Panter Hudspith, is located at the corner of Walworth Road and Heygate Street, and will include an eighteen-storey residential building with ground floor retail space, which will include affordable units for local businesses. This plot adjoins with Walworth Town Hall

to create Walworth Square, a new civic focal point for the area.

With daylight-maximising inset balconies, residential blocks arranged to avoid single aspect north-facing homes and fittings chosen to save on water wastage and fuel consumption, the West Grove development was designed with sustainability and energy efficiency in mind. This was therefore a primary focus for GLASSOLUTIONS when specifying systems and materials, as the glazing specification needed to meet high standards of thermal efficiency as well as adhering to the respected guidance of the Centre for Window Cladding Technology.

Additionally, the aim of Elephant Park to create housing of the highest quality in the heart of the city meant that GLASSOLUTIONS’ proposal had to fulfil very specific requirements to satisfy several professional bodies.

The installation was required to be Secured by Design compliant, as well as adhering to the professional values of the Lifetime Homes Standard and DDA requirements. GLASSOLUTIONS’

ON SITE proposal embraced all of these requirements, ensuring that the glazing specification would provide security and durability as well as energy efficiency and aesthetic benefits.

GLASSOLUTIONS began work on the site in late 2016. To create the buildings’ envelopes, GLASSOLUTIONS has specified Wicona aluminium systems fitted with SGG STADIP SILENCE acoustic safety glass for both the outer and inner panes. This specification incorporates SGG’s popular PLANICLEAR coating to reduce tinting, maximise light transmission and increase solar gain, improving the overall energy rating of the glazing installation. GLASSOLUTIONS’ 16mm argon gas 90% filled sealed units will incorporate 1.5mm acoustic clear PVB interlayers for resilience and noise reduction, as well as a black warm edge spacer to reduce thermal bridging.

With anticipated LT values of around 68% and g values of 45%, the specification will provide the ideal internal climate with optimum natural daylight, ensuring that residents’ homes will be secure, energy efficient, comfortable, and shielded from external noise.

Says GLASSOLUTIONS Commercial Manager, John Foster: “We’re excited to be a part of the Elephant Park regeneration project. Being involved with the construction of the masterplan has been a great opportunity for us, and it’s particularly gratifying to see first-hand the effect that this project will have on the local area.

“The complexes on West Grove will provide secure, desirable living space in the heart of London, with the additional benefits of affordability, energy efficiency and a great balance of communal and private spaces. It’s a fantastic feeling to know that GLASSOLUTIONS is a part of that.” http://glassolutions.co.uk

Hazlemere Enters The Dragons’ Den

With Major School Renovation

Architectural glazing specialists Hazlemere are respected throughout the industry for their wide-ranging commercial experience – but it’s educational projects that the long-established firm arguably excels at the most.

Hazlemere recently had a chance to demonstrate that industry-leading expertise, with the refurbishment of the historic Desborough College building in Maidenhead, Berkshire.

The firm installed approximately eighty windows in the nineteenth century property, replacing existing sashes with high quality aluminum alternatives from Sapa.

Founded as Maidenhead Grammar School in 1894, the institution became a comprehensive under educational reforms passed in the 1970s, which saw it rechristened as Desborough School to honour athlete, politician and ex-pupil Lord Desborough.

Today, it’s more commonly associated with another former stu-

dent – multimillionaire businessman-turned-TV personality Peter Jones CBE, best known as one of the investors on BBC business show Dragons’ Den. Jones cites his experiences at the school as one of the key reasons he eventually went into business, and returned in 2008 to give a talk to current pupils.

Hazlemere Sales Director Tony Beale commented: “After years of completing jobs for school, colleges and universities, we’ve learnt that planning is crucial when it comes to working at educational institutions.”

“Desborough is a thriving boy’s academy with over 700 pupils – and for part of the eleven week period we were working at the site, lessons were still going on.

That meant we had to rigorously plan our work schedule to minimise disruption, and, more importantly, keep pupils as young as 11 safe while our installers carried out heavy-duty work.” www.hazlemerecommercial.co.uk WINDOW NEWS JANUARY 2017 69

MARKETING

Comparemywindows.com

set to launch “We know that more than 70 percent of people start their search for windows on the internet. But what happens when they go online? Mostly they can find companies but they get very frustrated when they can’t find prices.

For most other products, it’s simple to get prices, and we believe windows should be no different.

“From our research, we know that people aren’t looking for the lowest price. They want to deal with companies they can trust, and having prices up front is part of that. Getting a price gives them the confidence to call or email to make the appointment.

The new price comparison site for window prices for homeowners, Comparemywindows. com is a revolutionary way for installers to get high quality enquiries. From today, installers can pre-register with the site to be included as a window and door supplier on Comparemywindows.com.

Chris Dickman of Comparemywindows.com says: “We believe Comparemywindows. com will change the way windows are sold. Homeowners will get the information they want upfront and installers will get qualified hot leads.

The new site will be going live very soon, and Comparemywindows.com is looking for forward thinking installation 70 WINDOW NEWS JANUARY 2017

companies to work with.

“We know that qualified enquiries are the lifeblood of any business and Comparemywindows.com has been set up to deliver exactly what installers want from sales leads.

“Homeowners want to feel they’re in the driving seat when it comes to buying windows.

It’s the biggest criticism of the industry and we’ve tackled it head on. Researching the internet, we found that people expect companies to be open and honest about their products and prices, and Comparemywindows.com gives window installers the chance to do exactly that.

“That’s why we created Comparemywindows.com as a price comparison site for homeowners. Like the way we use Comparethemarket.com and Trivago to compare insurance and holidays, people looking for windows and doors can get prices from installers in their area. Companies can promote themselves direct to serious buyers on a website that will be ranked highly on Google in their local area.

“Before Comparemywindows. com goes live, installers can pre-register to add their products, services and prices to the site,” says Chris. “Combining details on local installers, advice and prices, we will make it a great experience for homeowners. www.Comparemywindows.com will go live in April 2017.”

MARKETING

Mobile Web Usage Beats

Desktop For the first time, mobile web usage has overtaken web usage on traditional computers and laptops, a new study has found.

The shift highlights the changing tides in computing, and the rapid movement towards mobile and tablet devices as the most popular way to consume information.

Essential Reading For 2017,

The New Force 8 Door

Brochure

The new 2017 Composite Door Brochure from Force 8 is packed with new and exclusive innovations, some of which are exclusive to Force 8. The new brochure has solutions for every aspect of domestic door systems, from traditional to contemporary. Whether you are looking for a stable door or a unique arched door, the new Force 8 brochure has the product you are looking for.

Force 8 has been manufacturing window and doors for over 25 years, so they understand the industry and the market needs.

The 60 page brochure is filled with stunning photography covering the full range of doors and glazing available from Force 8, giving the reader an unparalleled variety of options. The brochure has been laid out in a clear and concise format with precise illustrations and simple, but informative descriptions. “We wanted to create a brochure that was easy on the eye, simple and uncluttered”, comments Dennis Sumner, Managing Director of Force 8. “With such a wide variety of door products available, it was difficult to compact everything into just 60 pages,

but we are very pleased with the result, and the initial reaction from our customers has been exceptional”.

Included within the brochure is the New Decadence Range, which is exclusive to Force 8, a collection of etched designs and is available with the new Urban Glazed cassettes in aluminium or colour-matched finish. All our doors are fitted with the Force 8 high standard security locking systems and are available with traditional or contemporary hardware.

As you would expect from one of the UK’s leading profile bending companies, there are many examples of the unique Force 8 one-piece bend frames. Combined with their exclusive arched composite door system, makes an unparalleled product package only available from Force 8. “We never produce a brochure unless we have new and exclusive products to promote”’ comments Dennis.

“Our new 2017 door brochure is no exception to the rule”.

To get your copy of the Force 8 Door Brochure, email info@force8.co.uk www.force8.co.uk

The study by Statcounter found that in October 2016, 51.3% of web pages were loaded on mobile devices – the first time it surpassed that of PCs, desktop and laptop computers. For small and medium-sized businesses, that’s big news – especially if their websites are outdated and not optimised for mobile devices.

Statcounter based their findings on over 15 billion page views per month, to over 2.5 million websites. Whilst internet usage from traditional computers still accounts for the majority of those views, its share is reducing month-on-month. In October 2009, PCs were responsible for almost 100% of web usage. Now, after developments in mobile technology that have seen the release of faster, more capable smartphones with endless functions, the computer’s internet usage share sits at just over 55%.

There is a fear that if the trend continues, sole traders, small and even medium-sized businesses could be left behind, relying on archaic websites that aren’t viewable on a mobile. That problem has been compounded by recent changes search engine giant Google have made to their algorithm – now, mobile-optimised websites are being ranked better, while those without mobile optimisation are ranking worse. www.purplexmarketing.com WINDOW NEWS JANUARY 2017 71

MARKETING

Commercial Doors Made Easy, In Jack

Aluminium’s New Brochure

Fabricators can find everything they need to create high-quality, secure and thermally efficient commercial doors, in the new TD68 Jack Door brochure from systems specialist Jack Aluminium – available to download at www.jackaluminium.co.uk.

“As part of our marketing support for fabricators, we’ve launched the brochure so they can give their customers a simple, at-a-glance reference to the benefits of the Jack Door system,” says Ash Pearson, Sales Manager at Jack Aluminium.

“The Jack Door gives fabricators an easy route towards meeting PAS 24 and Secured by Design.

It’s the ideal choice for schools and colleges, hospitals, local authorities and other commercial buildings where security is essential.”

The brochure covers the most comprehensive range of PAS24 commercial doors available, including controlled access, emergency exit and remote access, and a wide variety of hardware and colour options.

All door profiles have in-built strength, security and thermal efficiency, backed by extensive independent testing. “The Jack Door helps fabricators to meet robust specification guidelines.

The TD68 system has passed PAS 24 and is fully Q marked, so it is ready for fabricators to attain Secured by Design status. www.jackaluminium.co.uk 72 WINDOW NEWS JANUARY 2017

Shepley’s Professional

Installer Marketing Support Goes Online Social media and a professional website now play a big role in driving sales for fabricators and installers around the UK. Though finding the time to take advantage of these opportunities can be hard for busy installers, that’s why Shepley offers customers the professional Visage Sales and Marketing Support Package.

One of the UK’s largest sole fabricator of REHAU PVCu windows, Shepley, provides customers with the most complete Marketing Support Package through its Visage retail brand, generating sales leads for customers since 1986.

Introduced online, in the showroom and in the home, the support includes brochures, social media, showroom point of sale and fully Google optimised websites to help customers grow their businesses and be the stand out installers in their area.

“Our customers want professional websites and to harness the power of social media to win sales in their area. But they are really busy and don’t often have the time to focus on them, they need someone to help and that’s where we come in,” says Ian Griffiths, Sales Director at Shepley.

“Customers tell us it’s on their to do lists and our Visage Marketing Support allows them to tick it off. We offer fully Google optimised websites that make sure customers are at the top of the Google rankings in their area. We can provide content and fantastic photography for their new website and use our social media support to drive customers to it.

“There’s even a personalised door designer to help homeowners choose their preferred door and get a quote online.” http://shepley.com/

MARKETING

Digital Vs Traditional: Which Marketing Methods Are Installers Choosing?

Jeremy Brett, Managing Director of the CPA Despite the rise of digital and online marketing, installers are still using traditional methods when it comes to finding new customers.

This is according to a recent survey where more than half (60%) of installers questioned said their primary way of attracting new customers is by word of mouth. Surprisingly, just 21% of installers said their website was their main method of generating leads.

Installer Industry Report. The CPA commissioned Insight Data to carry out the survey, which asked more than 12,000 installers a series of questions about their business performance and expectations for the industry.

Installers listed leads from suppliers, magazine advertising and door drops as ways they attract new customers, suggesting these traditional methods haven’t yet been made obsolete by the explosion of internet marketing.

However, the report found that once a company had been recommended to a consumer, the overwhelming majority search online to check their accreditations and verify the company’s past work, meaning a top-performing and informative website has a vital role to play.

Jeremy Brett, Managing Director of the CPA, comments: “While the internet is a powerful tool, installers shouldn’t underestimate the power of word of mouth recommendations to homeowners from trusted sources such as friends, family and neighbours.

These statistics come from the Consumer Protection Association Annual

“It also makes sense that the older generation of homeowners, who

aren’t as tech savvy, will rely on drop cards, print advertisements and word of mouth to find out information on local installers. Print is very much still alive.”

Jeremy goes on to say that the CPA’s members are amongst the installers benefitting from word of mouth recommendations, and that being an accredited installer makes it more likely for homeowners to buy from them.

He comments: “Homeowners are more likely to choose, and recommend, trusted, accredited tradesmen, which is why CPA members have such successful conversion rates when it comes to new customers.

But it’s about the whole package and having a responsive and informative website backed up by a multi-channel marketing campaign. This, together with CPA membership is a winning formula.” www.thecpa.co.uk WINDOW NEWS JANUARY 2017 73

TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT

New Ways To Learn And Boost Skills For Door

Hardware Experts Around The World the needs of our customers, our career development and individual status in the industry.

“However, we recognise that CPD is also about a personal and bespoke professional journey, and the same programme of CPD obviously does not provide the same fit for everyone.

“That’s why the GAI and IAI have listened to the concerns and suggestions of its members on the issue of CPD point collection, and have decided to introduce new ways of collecting points in 2017.

Our CPD learning will be structured to meet the individual developmental and personal learning needs of all of our members.”

Under the rules of the new scheme, Registered Architectural Ironmongers (RegAIs) will still be required to gain or maintain their RegAI status over a one calendar year period, and during this time each individual must still collect 10 CPD points which are to be recorded on a log sheet.

New ways to access CPD (Continuing Professional Development) for architectural ironmongery professionals have been launched by the Guild of Architectural Ironmongers (GAI)and its sister organisation, the Institute of Architectural Ironmongers (IAI).

In response to feedback from members, they are now introducing a more flexible programme that gives learners more control over how they gain CPD points.

In addition, they are starting off a new process where different methods of learning will be introduced on a regular basis to meet the needs of their membership worldwide.

Rachel Tipton, the GAI’s manager of education, said: “CPD is the single most important way in which we each develop and enhance our abilities, and set ourselves apart as architectural ironmongery professionals. In an industry like ours where standards are changing all the time, to neglect CPD is to neglect 74 WINDOW NEWS JANUARY 2017

But now, some of those points may be gained through additional routes, such as personal knowledge, development at trade shows and exhibitions, reading industry related articles, and learning via Guild and Institute approved podcasts and videos from trade bodies including the RIBA and BSI. RegAI status is the benchmark standard for architectural ironmongers. Every RegAI is a qualified GAI Diploma holder and has been able to prove they are fully up-to-date with industry standards, regulations and legislation.

These qualified architectural ironmongers work with architects, interior designers, contractors and others to schedule and specify the hardware and access control for every door in a building, and, window for the project. It’s a complex, responsible role, and a hard one to master, given that hardware is subject to more than 58 British and European standards.

Further information on the GAI education programme, including CPD, can be found at http://www.gai.org.uk/education-4/the-education-hub

TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT

GQA Assessors Are Trained In TruFit Fenestration assessors from GQA Approved Centres have been trained in the theory and application of TruFit® impregnated expanding foam installation tape from Edgetech UK. The training was given by Richard Willetts, Divisional Sales and Technical Manager at Tremco Illbruck, Edgetech’s manufacturing partner for TruFit. It was held at Tremco Illbruck’s dedicated training facility which includes a hands-on space to install windows.

“The training gave the assessors the knowledge to make sure everything is being installed correctly. Fenestration assessors also ask installers questions about how installation foam tapes work and the benefits it provides.

“We look to test the knowledge of installers applying for or updating their GQA Continued Competence Card. Now we can assess their understanding of how TruFit seals the window perimeter and how it makes it weatherproof.”

crease in the use of impregnated foam installation tapes since the recent revision of the BS82134:2016 standards. The revision sees foam fitting tapes, like TruFit, added to the code of practice for the survey and installation of windows and doors.

TruFit reduces heat loss compared to traditional silicone sealants, and saves time and money for installers so it’s no surprise that it’s growing in popularity. It has also made it a product that GQA was keen to develop its knowledge of. Now 14 assessors from GQA Approved Centres have been given dedicated guidance about how TruFit works and on how to install it effectively, with further training sessions already arranged for 2017. www.trufit-it.com

Yale CPD Seminars Help

within our dedicated Specification team can successfully cover the wide range of topics required.

Martin Sadler, Technical Officer and External Quality Advisor at GQA says: “Our fenestration assessors are seeing TruFit used more and more when assessing installers onsite.

“We know there’s been an in-

To Ensure Compliance Yale is offering expert advice on safeguarding residents and properties with its free RIBA accredited CPD seminars.

As one of the leading names in home security, Yale specification support service is able to provide expert guidance and advice for both the refurbishment and new build market.

The information provided in the CPD sessions aims to educate attendees on the latest building regulations, British standards and up-to-date guidance from Secured by Design and the National House Building Council.

John Pearl, Project Specification Manager for Yale Door and Window Solutions, said: “By seeking advice and learning all the facts, you can avoid costly mistakes with your window and door ironmongery specification.

“Being members of RIBA’s CPD Providers Network, we understand that continuous professional development plays an important role in job progression, so we’re delighted to be able to offer these free seminars and to help contribute to growing expertise within the industry.”

“As the experts in home security, we can provide up-to-date information to help specifiers select hardware that will not only successfully address safety, security and fire escape issues, but will also maintain and improve professionalism and knowledge on subjects relevant to your job.

Yale DWS currently offers four CPD seminars – ‘Specifying Windows’, ‘Specifying Doors and Windows’, ‘Secure Escape’ and ‘Open and Shut Case for Natural Ventilation and Sustainability’.

Each session aims to specifically address your personal concerns and challenges.

“With cumulatively over 36 years industry experience each individual

To find out more, please visit www.yaledws.co.uk WINDOW NEWS JANUARY 2017 75

EXHIBTION NEWS

Materials 2017 Celebrating Form, Functionality, and Finishes New confex embraces the use of materials during all stages of architecture and construction, from structure to finishing.

Find out why the concept was conceived and what sets it apart from existing events. Visit www.materials2017.co.uk for more information Materials 2017 – the new conference and exhibition focused entirely on the cutting-edge of material solutions for architecture, construction, and design – was conceived from the burning necessity for a nuanced perspective on building product specification and procurement.

Sustainability, cost, life-cycle performance, thermal and 76 WINDOW NEWS JANUARY 2017

acoustic efficiency, and potential for re-use and recycling are just some of the variable characteristics which must be taken into account when choosing materials for a project. Materials 2017 delivers a transparent platform where construction professionals can gain confidence in their specification choices down to the last of these details.

SelfridgesBirmingham_aluminiumfederationIn addition to showcasing striking aesthetic designs created with different materials, the conference and exhibition will explore functionalities of materials which extend beyond the visual. The emphasis on materials for structures, envelope, façades

and finishes is testament to the fact that Materials 2017 adopts a comprehensive and multifaceted approach to architects’ needs.

Materials 2017 Chair and Moderator Ruth Slavid said: “I think it’s really important to have an event that focuses on materials. Architects, of course, talk about form, space, and light, but in order to create those you have to create them with the materials – whether they’re structural materials or the building envelope.”

To register for your free ticket to Materials 2017, please visit www.materials2017.co.uk/register

EXHIBTION NEWS

Elumatec Innovation Wows Show-Goers At BAU

disposal, and a protective hood that shields operators from flying debris and saves space by allowing them to work right up close to the machine even while it’s in operation.

“We had a fantastic time at BAU – even better than we’d expected,” commented Phil Heavey, elumatec UK managing director.

“BAU is always a great event, but this year we were blown away by the level of interest and enthusiasm we experienced. We were inundated with visitors from around the world, enjoying the hospitality and examining our offerings in detail.”

Machinery manufacturer elumatec is celebrating a rush of new enquiries and boosted brand awareness following a successful appearance at the BAU show in Munich, Germany.

A construction industry institution for over 50 years, BAU has become the world’s leading trade fair for the building and architecture sectors, routinely attracting thousands of attendees from

around the globe. 2017 was no exception, drawing 250,000 visitors, 80,000 of them from outside Germany, and 2,120 exhibitors from 45 countries. elumatec wowed show-goers with its latest offering, the SBZ122/75 – the most innovative and advanced of the company’s CNC machining centres, boasting a versatile 5-axis design, inclined beds for easier access and waste

“The SBZ 122/75 was obviously the star of the show – but our SBZ 628, a cutting and machining centre for aluminium profile, also received a great deal of attention.”

“All in all, it was a hugely productive, enjoyable week, and we’re really looking forward to progressing some of the new relationships and connections we were able to establish.”

For more information call 01908 580 800 or visit www.elumatec.co.uk

Business Micros Aluminium Reports From Bau Orgadata, creators of the number one LogiKal aluminium processing software, were at BAU last week to demonstrate the newest features and updates of the system.

The team from Business Micros Aluminium, Orgadata’s UK partners, joined them in Germany to demonstrate the new features to UK visitors and preview innovations which they themselves will be launching at FIT. Managing Director Dean Hodges said: “Orgadata were showing version 11 of LogiKal which we’ll be releasing in the UK later this year. The feedback was really positive, particularly on clever new features such as a hardware wizard which improves the interface and overall user experience, and faster processing of reports.

“Probably the most interesting thing for UK visitors was the new Infoserver module which we’re planning to feature on our stand at the FIT Show. This is a Factory Process Control (FPC) option which we think adds a very significant new dimension to LogiKal and gives customers a solution they’ve been asking us for.

WINDOW NEWS JANUARY 2017 77

CHARITY

£1,000 For Charity Goes Viral On Facebook For the third year running, Stevenswood, the UK national network of Local Trade Centres for windows, doors and more, has donated £1,000 to charity rather than send Christmas cards.

Stevenswood asks its Facebook followers to vote for their favourite charity and the money is donated to the organisation that gets the most votes.

“In previous years, it’s worked really well,” says Ron Hepburn, CEO of Stevenswood. “This year, it went ballistic. I watched the numbers grow over the holidays. Imagine my surprise when in the first 48 hours we’d reached more than half a million people! We had reached more than 1.2 million when we closed the competition, and we had nearly 18,000 comments with people’s favourite charities.”

The winning charity with 1,462 votes was Prince Fluffy Kareem.

grateful to Stevenswood for their generous initiative to help a charity! PFK provides free services, ranging from feed to medical treatment, to the working animals by the pyramids in Cairo. Thanks to Stevenswood we are now able to help even more animals and by extension their low-income owners.”

The UK based charity supports the work of Marte and Sherif helping the working animals and their owners in the pyramid area in Cairo, Egypt.

Emma Thompson, President of Prince Fluffy Kareem, was very happy when she heard the news. She said: “We are very

Ron adds his congratulations to Prince Fluffy Kareem: “It was a clear winner and a deserving cause. £1,000 makes a big difference to smaller charities and we are happy that we can support them. Thank you to everyone who participated.

The phenomenal results of this year’s competition show that Facebook is an important platform for businesses dealing with homeowners.”

See the results on Facebook @ stevenswooduk

Trojan’s Terry Dolman To Compete

In Endurance Event For Charity The Trojan Group’s Design Director, Terry Dolman, is taking part ina team skiing event to raise money for Snow-Camp, a youth charity that works with disadvantaged inner city young people.

Between 19 and 22 January 2017, Terry and a team of three other skiers will be competing against other teams to clock up over 150km of GPS-tracked skiing or boarding in two nonstop days across the 15 resorts of the Portes du Soleil ski area in France. The team that successfully visits the most checkpoints and clocks up the most kilometres will win the AJ Bell Alpine Challenge 2017. Terry comments: “It’s all about strategy, stamina, teamwork and good fun – and I can’t wait!”

Terry is taking part in the event to raise mon78 WINDOW NEWS JANUARY 2017

ey for Snow-Camp, a charity that works with disadvantaged inner city young people. The charity’s programmes support young people by combining snow-sports lessons and intensive youth work sessions to engage, challenge and motivate young people, transforming attitudes and behaviour and developing key life-skills.

Terry says: “Through no fault of their own, many young people don’t get the good start in life they need. Snow-Camp is a charity that gives opportunities to young people and the transformations they achieve are incredible. I’m proud to be supporting the work they do.”

If you would like to sponsor Terry and his team and raise money for Snow-Camp, visit uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/The_4_Monkeys

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