VIEWPOINT

Wolverhampton Glass Provides Free Install

For Struggling Customer

Roland Hunt, (Centre) and the Wolverhampton Glass Team

West Midlands-based installer Wolverhampton Glass came to the rescue for a customer who was made redundant just a few days before the completion of his conservatory roof installation.

Mr Hunt had contacted Wolverhampton Glass to replace his old plastic conservatory roof, but disaster struck just before the installation date as he was made redundant unexpectedly.

New CNC Machine

Investment To Drive Down Lead Times For Euramax Solutions

When the 58-year-old looked at his finances he knew he would not be able to afford the final payment which included having the roof fitted, leaving the project unfinished.

He need not have worried though. When Wolverhampton Glass heard his plight, they did the install for free, much to Mr Hunt’s delight.

Managing director Neal Harper explained: “We had the roof in stock and had only taken a deposit, but Mr Hunt simply couldn’t afford to have it fitted after being made redundant and was understandably devastated when he told us.

“We agreed that he would have to cover the cost of the roof and to be fair to him he did not argue and paid the balance of that cost. “ www.wolverhamptonglass.co.uk uPVC window and door manufacturer Euramax Solutions has invested £300k in a new CNC machine at its 205,000 square foot facility in Barnsley.

The upgrade to the Avantek’s SuperCut cutting and machining centre will drive down lead times, significantly improve dimensional accuracy, and improve reliability by around 5-10%, says Euramax.

And with the company supplying to the off-site and modular construction sectors, national builders’ merchants, new build and holiday home and leisure markets, the new investment will strengthen its lean manufacturing and highly efficient ‘just in time’ approach.

Euramax Solutions managing director Nick Cowley said: “Our customers expect our products to be to the exact same high-quality standard and ready to go on arrival every time. tion of CNC machinery will make our uPVC profile processing and cutting even quicker, even more accurate in terms of cut size, preparation details, handles, and even more reliable.”

“As one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of uPVC windows and doors, we pride ourselves on being a real asset as a supplier with our quality and service and it’s important for us to be able to fulfil customer orders as quickly as possible. Our new CNC machine will help us to continue to do that; it’s a significant investment and shows the confidence in the market that we have.”

Magic Of The Cup Helps 5 Star Pass £12M Sales For First Time

563563247A leading home improvement specialist in Worcestershire is on course to hit a record year – buoyed in part by the power of local sponsorship.

5 Star Windows and Conservatories, which employs more than 120 people at its two showrooms in Kidderminster and Worcester, has seen orders go past £12m for the first time in its 22-year history.

Driving this growth has been a shift in consumer spending during lockdown towards homes and a new commercial deal with Kidderminster Harriers that has seen it become a main sponsor and the sole sponsor of the North Stand at Aggborough Stadium.

In addition, the 5 Star brand has been displayed on the sleeves of the first team’s home and away strips during the National League North Season and during the club’s historic run in the FA Cup, which saw it come so close to knocking out Premier League West Ham United. “I like to think we’ve become a lucky charm for Kiddy and, likewise, it has certainly helped drive new business to our company,” explained Richard Manser, managing director of 5 Star Windows and Conservatories.

“We are deeply passionate about our roots and the town we work in and wanted to put something back and make a bit of a statement in the process. The relationship with chairman Richard Lane has been really strong and the exposure our brand has received has been phenomenal, including live television and all the press coverage in the lead-up to and after the games.”

He continued: “What has been really telling is the ‘feel good’ spirit it has created, and we’ve had numerous customers come in and say they’re visiting us because we’re backing our local football team.

“It is superb to see Kiddy doing so well and people coming to watch their games. Just last week, we saw the highest midweek attendance for a game in more than 20 years when we beat Hereford 3-0.”

5 Star Windows and Conservatories has established a strong reputation across Worcestershire and the surrounding counties, having installed more than 32,000 windows and completed over 3,250 conservatories, orangeries and lifestyle extensions during the last two decades.

The company, which is part of the Conservatory Outlet network of retailers, is looking to capitalise on recent investment in its £150,000 training academy and the introduction of new products across its two showrooms in Kidderminster and Worcester.

Richard went on to add: “We have always been very proactive when it comes to our marketing, and this is something we really focused on when Covid-19 first struck.

“Rather than hold back on spending, we decided to continue with all our activity, and, in some instances, we increased what we were doing, including a really productive radio advertising campaign and our own 5 Star jingle.

“One other example is in digital marketing where we tapped into the backing of Conservatory Outlet and its agency DigitalKog to target new customers. This was a great success, and the combined expertise and creativity has seen our enquiries grow by more than 25% over the last eighteen months.”

5 Star Windows and Conservatories has capped a strong year with its recent accreditation to IS014001.

The award, which covers its environmental policies, joins its existing ISO9001 (quality) and ISO45001 (health and safety).

Focus On Safety And Quality With Fleet Upgrade Sternfenster has added four new lorries to is fleet, which prioritise the safety of other road users while ensuring all products reach their destination damage-free, as well as upgrading its existing vehicles. The 18-tonne ULEZ-compliant DAF lorries represent an investment of £480K and are modern additions to the trade fabricator’s established fleet that offer improvements in key areas. Primarily, the hard-sided trailers are fully kitted out to comfortably transport 70 frames and 175 glass units per box: carpet-lined runners on the walls, and foam protection on all securing poles, reduce impact damage, while extra pole locking positions have also been included to secure the glass stanchions. “Sternfenster is committed to guaranteeing that all windows and doors leave our premises in perfect condition,” Sternfenster’s sales director Nathan Court said. “It is also our responsibility to ensure that they are delivered to site in one piece and blemish-free, which is why we’ve invested in our fleet. “The window and door supply chain has come under immense pressure over the last two years. We need to do all we can to reduce the areas in production where pressures can occur, and that includes delivery. “As well as focusing on the careful handling of products, all our lorries are tracked, so that customers can be kept up to date with estimated delivery times.” Sternfenster has a people-first strategy, which has influenced the design of certain aspects of the tractor unit. For example, all vehicles are fitted with DVS (driver vision standard) and forward-facing cameras to help ensure the safety of all road users, including pedestrians and cyclists. Driver comfort is also paramount, and the cabs are kitted out with microwaves, televisions and fridges. “We are a recognised as an Investors in People Silver Award-winning employer, and we understand that looking after our staff is not only the right thing to do, but we also benefit as a business,” Nathan said. “In the case of our drivers, if they are refreshed and happy when they deliver our products, it helps to reduce the possibility of human error.” Sternfenster has also spent a further £60K refurbishing its existing lorries to bring them up to a similar standard. For more information visit www.sternfenster.com, www.sfplus.com

The Business Pilot Barometer offers a monthly analysis of the key trends defining window and door retail. It draws on real industry data collated by Business Pilot, the cloud-based business management tool developed by installers for installers.To find out more see www.businesspilot.co.uk/barometer

The Business Pilot Barometer The economic side-effects of war?

We have already warned that the raising of the energy price cap next month will see average household energy bills top £2,000 a year and could even hit highs of £2,350 by this time next year.

By Neil Cooper-Smith, Senior Analyst, Business Pilot

It’s too early to say what the impact war between Russia and Ukraine will have on the UK economy but it is likely that it will add fuel to inflationary growth, with prices already rising at their fastest pace for 30 years.

As one of the world’s largest exporters of oil and gas, sanctions on Russia are likely to push wholesale energy prices, already at record highs still higher. That may bring their energy consumption into sharper focus but with so much uncertainty about the impact of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, rising inflation and a squeeze on incomes, the question is will homeowners be prepared to spend?

What we’re seeing on the ground is a definitive slowdown, less so in month-on-month change but on previous years.

Sales were down 1% February on January this year, leads dropped by 10%, while conversions also fell by 3%.

Although relatively small changes, there is clear evidence that with Furlough and Stamp Duty breaks behind them, plus the opening-up of the economy, some of the heat has gone out of the market.

Year-on-year sales in February 2022 compared to 2021 fell by 8%. Compared to 2020 – still pre-lockdown – sales are down 36%.

This is in line with a general fall in consumer confidence recorded by GfK consumer confidence index falling seven points in February to 26 – the lowest reading since January 2021, which was one of the worst points of the Covid-19 crisis.

With UK inflation rising, for those for whom new windows and doors were an aspirational or discretionary spend, the prospect of tying up cash in home improvements may now be less appealing.

Conversely, those with cash, who have perhaps held off improvements because of long lead times and inflated prices, may decide that with energy prices rising, now is a good time to invest.

The point is we don’t know, which is why good business discipline and effective lead management is going to be even more important.

The Business Pilot Sales Dashboard is part of our

comprehensive business management platform. It tracks leads, demos, daily, weekly and monthly sales, plus closing ratios. You can literally review where you are against KPIs, and the status of leads. It’s there at your fingertips as a day-to-day management tool.

Having that visibility means you can maximise conversions which, when the market is tougher (which we believe it will be), delivers an even greater return.

Business Pilot is a powerful CRM, which mobilises the power of cloud-based technologies, to give installers complete visibility of each and every element of their operation from leads and conversions to job scheduling, cost of installation, service calls, and financial reporting.

Accessible across all devices, from desktop to phone, it supports installers in running their businesses more profitably.

“ADF1 makes no sense whatFabricator Calls For Change soever, it is just going to cause more financial pressures for the end consumer at a time when fuel bills are already set to go through the roof,” explained In Trickle Vent Legislation That Greg Kane, CEO of Conservato ry Outlet. Could Escalate Energy Prices For Homeowners

The boss of a major window and door fabricator has hit out at new Government legislation due to come into play in June that will see trickle vents become mandatory on all refurbishment/replacement projects.

Conservatory Outlet’s Greg Kane believes the ‘ADF1’ regulation contravenes the demand for houses to be more energy efficient and could instead lead to homeowners facing up to a £500 increase in energy costs. The experienced CEO, which has been in the sector for more than 20 years, is now calling for Ministers to rethink and make the introduction advisory rather than mandatory.

This proposed solution would mean that a double glazed, double sealed PVC-U window is replaced with the same type of window that carries product test certificates showing that the airtightness has not been made worse. The decision is then down to the homeowner if they want to introduce trickle vents or not.

“It goes against other legislation that is coming in to improve energy efficiency and we’ve yet to see any concrete evidence for punching holes into what will be hundreds and thousands of doors and windows every year. To make matters worse, the Glass and Glazing Federation (GGF) predict that 94% of homeowners don’t want trickle vents.”

He continued: “There are also significant concerns around an increase in noise and possible pollution from car emissions finding their way into buildings.

“We have to give people the choice and this is what we will be joining with the GGF to lobby

Government and opposition MPs to consider.”

Conservatory Outlet employs over 150 people at its manufacturing facility in Wakefield, where it fabricates more than 10,000 windows and doors every year.

The ADF1 legislation, which will go live on June 15th, comes at a hugely pressurised time for the fenestration sector with unprecedented demand being delivered against the backdrop of supply chain disruption and rising material prices.

This latest potential change could exacerbate production difficulties, with new tooling required for the volume of products that will require trickle vents as standard.

Greg went on to add: “As an industry, we have worked tirelessly to raise standards over the last twenty years, yet the Government seem hellbent on putting in regulation that will cause an unregulated grey economy develop.

Greg Kane “There are so many unanswered questions. For example, thousands of installations are being sold every day for completion after June 15th so what does that mean for them or how will non-compliance be rectified or managed by the Local Authority Building Control.”

He concluded: “We’re hoping most of the glazing industry will put pressure on the Government to rethink before this comes into play. It’s not a case of being against trickle vents, it’s just a case of giving homeowners the choice of doing what is best for their homes and their own personal situations.”

www.conservatoryoutlet.co.uk

Security Matters

By Wojciech Brozyna – MD of Aluprof UK With various security standards now sited for door and window installations, it can be difficult to determine which ‘standard’ should be acceptable when choosing new windows and doors. Often confusing is PAS24 and Q-Mark, so what do these ‘standards’ refer to and what do they mean? According to the British Standards Institute (BSI), there are currently twenty-three standards that are relevant when specifying windows and doors. Not all standards are applicable to any one product, but one product will need to pass a selection of these standards, depending on its design and material composition. One of the most basic specifications for all products, will be a pass to meet ‘BS 6375-1:2015+A1:2016 – Performance of windows and doors – Classification for weather-tightness and guidance on selection and specification’.

Basically, a standard which aims to determine that the window or door will keep the weather out when used in a given location, perhaps a products most basic function.

With a simple latch, the door or window can be ‘closed’ against the weather and keep the warmth inside and help increase sound attenuation. Adding a simple lock will improve security, but will it meet current methods of possible attack when an intruder seeks access? The ‘PAS 24:2016 – Enhanced security performance requirements for door-sets and windows in the UK. Door-sets and windows intended to offer a level of security suitable for dwellings and other buildings exposed to comparable risk’ is a ‘Product Assessment Specification’ which is referenced to in the Building Regulations Approved Document Q1, Security in dwellings. By specifying multipoint locking arrangements for enhanced break-in security and allowing simple egress by the optional use of thumb turn devices on doors, forms part of this standard along with the testing of products. This enhanced security specification has quickly become the minimum requirement for home security, ease of use and what is required in products used in new build homes and home improvement.

As explained, PAS24 is a BSI standard, this differs from a Q-Mark which is a mark of quality. Sometimes known as a ‘third-party’ certification process, this approach involves both initial and ongoing standards testing of products that are being produced, together with audits of the production facility. The reason for this? Random testing of products demonstrates that up to 50% of typical door and window production will initially fail the claimed security standard requiring remedial work to bring them up to standard. Quality certification, therefore, ensures that every door and window in production meets the standard, not just the ones currently undergoing testing.

BM TRADA offer the Q-Mark certification scheme which involves initial type testing and the implementation of factory production control audits. In order to maintain certification, a company undergoes periodic audit testing and factory production control audits from BM TRADA. This certification is regarded in the UK as one of the most rigorous and intensive processes currently awarded. The quality of the Q-Mark Certification scheme is recognised by the NHBC and the National House Building Council.

Membership of the Q-Mark scheme is purely voluntary, but any company entering the scheme shows their commitment to offering quality products, as a result Q-Mark is increasingly being specified by contractors. Aluprof UK has several systems of doors and windows which meet PAS 24 and offer Q-Mark certification, more information is available on our website or on the BM TRADA portal where our certificates can be viewed