K2 dealer Roof-Maker Ltd of Leicester has changed systems supplier . The company has been selling two roof systems over the last five months and says the decision to move to the new Global roof system was down to their customers. As one of the largest K2 dealers in the Midlands fabricating 30-40 roofs per week, Roof-Maker Ltd now turns over £2million a year . "Our strong customer base is used to the highest levels of quality product and service. The move to global means we can offer an unbeatable value for money product with superbly engineered product innovations. Scott Nicholas from Roofmaker With Nick Dutton
"We recognise future market leading products and we have no doubt that Global is set to take the conservatory market by storm. With many large fabricators already making the move we wanted to be part of it" adds Scott. "I was blown away when I first looked at the Global system. It eliminates unnecessary operations and components and stands conventional conservatory design on its head, mainly because it's installed from the inside rather than the outside. Customers have enthused about the quality of this system compared with others with its thicker sections and stronger fixings."
Consort, one of the first BBA Ultraframe roof fabricators, has struggled to achieve the margins it needs on conservatories and decided it was time to change. "We could see the conservatory market was experiencing massive growth, but our conservatory sales weren’t growing at all," explains Stuart Buchanan, Sales and Marketing Director of Consort. "We researched the market for a new roof, but we didn’t want to make any rash decisions. Global was our preferred choice, but we asked our customers what they thought of it before signing the deal. We told them to destroy the roof with their criticism because we wanted to be sure before committing. But they couldn’t. There was no adverse reaction at all. All our customers were not just completely happy, but keen for us to make the change.
Peterbor ough based leading trade fabricator The Omega Group has signed a supply contract with Synseal Extr usions Ltd for the Global conservatory roof. Robert Morley, Managing Director of Omega elaborates, "We were unusual in having our own aluminium conservatory roof system which was very strong and great for swimming pools and large retail conservatories. We also fabricated the K2 roof. On a recent visit to Synseal to look at its profile, I saw the global roof and knew that’s what I needed. I was impressed – it looked so strong. And since signing the deal, I haven’t been disappointed. It’s good to run one system which satisfies both the retail and the trade market. "The Global roof has lots of advantages, but I’m particularly impressed with the box gutter, the valley gutter and the aluminium woodgrain top capping. The aluminium sections are also thick and strong and the roof itself is a modern design. The other huge benefit for Omega is that we don’t have to carry anywhere near as much stock as we used to. Our trade customers love it."
"We liked lots about the roof but our customers were particularly impressed with the double skin box gutter, the gutter fixing plate, the seamless guttering joints, the way the top caps just push along and clip in to place and the way the roof is installed from the inside. A particular selling point is the aluminium woodgrain top capping. Although capping distortion is rare, it only takes one to go wrong. Synseal’s design avoids the problem in the first place. This is a big market with vast potential. We are major suppliers of complete conservatories to the trade and new build. We don’t intend to let this opportunity slip or be pushed into second place, so we have changed to the Global roof."
THE INFORMED CHOICE
Apex Windows, Spectus fabricator of four years, has signed a supply contract with Synseal Extrusions Ltd.
"We wanted to switch suppliers and had heard good things about Synseal from fabricators and installers," explains Dale Arnold, Operations Director. "But we wanted to look at several systems, to enable us to make the informed choice. Out of the three companies we looked at, Synseal came out on top. I’ve been in the industry for 25 years and I find Synseal’s approach refreshing. It is a youthful, vibrant and exciting company that wants to grow and take its customers with it. There was no hard sell. It was our choice.
Kevin Harvey, Director of Sales with Dale Arnold and Pete Featherby from Apex
Synseal - Committed to Sustainable Development
Consort Ltd has signed a supply contract with Synseal for the new Global roof.
"We have been delighted with Synseal since the switch. Unlike many other systems companies, the technical back up is excellent and nothing is too much trouble. How many systems companies do you know that will provide two of their own fabricators, for as long as necessary, to help new customers get used to the system? Although we buy in the Synseal roof system at the moment, we are thinking about fabricating it ourselves."
ISSUE NO.10 Autumn 2003
As of November 03, the transport division consists of 31 lorries.
THE SYNSEAL TIMES
In this issue we return to our regular ‘department’ feature. This time it’s the turn of our transport division. This experienced 29 strong driving team is the last point of contact for every order and between them they drive approximately 58,000 miles each week. With nineteen for windows and ten for conservatories some of the team have been with us for as long as six years, some for just 4 or 5 months since our latest recruitment campaign. They play a vital link in our successful on time and complete delivery chain. As demand for our products continues to increase the more drivers we need to stay ahead of this demand.
1.8 or 2.0?
2005, was based on the Government’s proposals in the White Paper. The latest thinking set out in the new 25 page report is that replacement windows may now get more time but that "1.8 u value should be the starting point for the standard for reasonable provision for new dwellings for 2005." It continues: "We propose that the improved standard would apply to new building work immediately following the implementation date."
We were delighted when the British Board of Agrement recently awarded Synseal’s Shield Window System a cer tificate for a u-value of 1.8. We were thrilled because 1.8 is lower than the current requirement of 2.0, but also because we understood that would be standard as of next year. And that’s what we put in our advertising and editorial to market our achievement.
Synseal wins two top product awards Trade journal Window Fabricator and Installer, will be announcing Synseal as the winner of two ‘Top Products’ awards in the December edition of the magazine. Winners of the ‘Top Product’ awards are selected according to the highest number of inquiries received for products. Synseal has won one awar d for its innovative box gutter and one for its Global roof.
Consultations are planned for 2004 and the debate is not over. While some are keen to delay the march to more stringent u values, others are lobbying hard to accelerate it. What is certain is the standards will get p ro g ressively tighter, and the industry has a duty to make customers aware of these ever more stringent standards coming down the track.
But before the ink was dry on our marketing campaign, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister moved the goal posts. The 25 page report, entitled ‘Possible Future Performance Standards for Part L October 2003’ is an official response to February’s Energy White Paper. It affects us all. Our view, expressed in our advertising and editorial that England and Wales will have to face up to 1.8 u values in
Congratulations Chris! Synseal is taking quality customer care on the road with the promotion of Chris Boyington.
SYNSEAL
Chris has been promoted to Systems Support Manager and is visiting new customers to teach them how to use Synseal fabrication software.
expand
Fabricators are looking for opportunities to save time, incr ease productivity and make more money. Synseal is meeting this demand with the launch of pregasketed Shield pr ofile. "It will save customers a substantial amount of time, "explains Andy Dunbar, T echnical Manager of Synseal. "All Synseal fabricators have to do now is cut and weld. And all they have to pay for this time saving addition is the price of the gasket, nothing more.
available, currently expected in the first half of 2004, both Shield fabricators and installers can be assured that all of the leg work involved in ironing out any potential teething problems has been done at Synseal’s expense, not yours! We have designed an exclusive gasket, which we extrude ourselves, that perfectly matches the internal contours of the Shield profile. HOT OFF THE PRESS... the first of these windows have just successfully completed the rigours of weather testing rigs.
Our Research and Development Department has been working on the development of this product now for many months. We did not want to just jump on the bandwagon at the earliest opportunity and simply put an existing gasket into the Shield profiles. When the product is made
NEW
Growing your sales as you should be. It’s always fascinated me that fabricators who are openly dissatisfied with their suppliers, continue to deal with them. Despite being a customer, a client paying for a product or service, they allow their suppliers to treat them badly.
2003/4 we are adding another 27,000 sq ft. That brings us from 87,000 sq ft in 1995 to a total of 421,000 sq ft next year, when this latest development is complete."
S Y N S E A L EXTRUSIONS LIMITED, COMMON ROAD, HUTHWAITE, NOTTS. NG17 6AD
TEL:
(01623) 443200
email:
nickdutton@synseal.com
FAX:
(01623) 550243 www. s y n s e a l . c o m
"It’s a great position to have in Synseal," says Chris, "because the best way to grow and develop is to listen to your customers. With this philosophy behind me, I can really help our customers grow their business which in turn will benefit Synseal. It’s a win-win partnership approach." If you would like extra copies of The Synseal Times for your sales teams, showrooms etc. Call Phil Else on 01623 443 200
This newsletter was printed on material from a sustainable forest.
In This
Issue
Nick Dutton, Sales & Marketing Director
In any business relationship, the bottom line is a supplier has a direct impact on the success of the customer. If a supplier isn’t 100% reliable, how can the person they supply be? If their product quality isn’t up to scratch, how can their customers be? It can’t. Some fabricators that aren’t growing as fast as they expected are sticking with their suppliers as they always have. Others though, are starting to look around and are switching to new suppliers. Synseal is one of the suppliers fabricators are switching to. Some of the fabricators we’ve been talking to just realised it was time to change. Others didn’t realise how bad their current supplier was, until they saw what we had to offer. Different companies have come to us for different reasons. To see what made them change, and what they think since they’ve switched, see our special feature on new customers on pages 2 and 3 of this edition of The Synseal Times. For those that think they’ll stick with their current supplier a bit longer and see how things go, my article on page 4 might give you food for thought.
See what top Critic thinks of SHIELD
FEATURE Synseal expand again. New Customers
CUSTOMERS PRODUCTS
New Products
When Chris leaves a new customer they are able to design their own roofs and calculate the necessary costings. He is also on hand to answer any technical queries.
AGAIN AGAIN !! Synseal is expanding its Sutton-inAshfield site again, with a purpose built extrusion hall and mixing plant. "The extra space gives us an additional 25,000 tonne blending plant, on top of the 25,000 we already have," says Gareth Edwards, Commercial Director of Synseal. "We can now house an additional 20 lines but we will continue to expand as the demand for our products continues to grow. The growth of our factory space has been phenomenal over the last few years. In 1995 we started with 87,000 sq ft. In 2001 we added 207,000, in 2002 a further 100,000 and in
Synseal launches pre-gasketed Shield
Synseal’s Global Marketing Suppor
t
It’s more than just a brochure Synseal has revealed its latest premium marketing support item for the new Global roof. A total of 25,000 books have been printed in anticipation of demand and 2,000 copies were ordered just days after launch. The 50-page book is full of product information. "It’s not just a brochure," explains Nick Dutton, Sales and Marketing Director of Synseal. "The book clearly states the benefits of the product, both technical and aesthetic. As with the Imagination book we designed for our Shield Conservatory System customers last year, the Global book comes with the option of overprinting. This means customers can personalise the book for their own business while benefiting from the investment from Synseal."
Synseal wins top product awards
Welcome to our Customer Feature pages. Whether you’ve been a Synseal customer for a while, or have just joined us, if you’d like to be included in the next newsletter, please give Helen Ahern at our PR Agency Michael Rigby Associates a call on 01453 521621.
Nick Dutton, Sales and Marketing Director of Synseal Extrusions Ltd looks at why some fabricators change suppliers when things go wrong while others stay put and suffer.
JUST A FEW CUSTOMERS WHO HAVE RECENTLY SWITCHED TO SYNSEAL
NICK’S IN THE CHAIR
Synseal comes out on top for the Conservatory Factor y
The F R O G and the F A B R I C A T O R
The Conser vator y Factory Limited situated in Frome, Somerset were fabricating one of the market leaders in roof systems for several years. "We also have a polycarbonate business in Bath and decided to look at an alternative roof system to offer our DIY customers," explain Sue and Bob Lilley, of The Conservatory Factory. "Two separate businesses with two separate roof systems. Unfortunately this was not acceptable to our existing supplier so we were forced to make a choice. We looked at several systems companies and decided the Global Roof System was the system we would fabricate. Even though this is a new system to us the enquiries have been phenomenal. Feedback from our customers has been very positive. One of the many benefits has been the speed in which fitters have been able to install the Global roof.
"Synseal appears to have the right approach to business. They want to succeed, but they also want their customers to succeed and indeed together we will succeed." Bob and Sue Lilley would like to take this opportunity to thank all existing customers for supporting them with the change of roof systems and indeed all new customers that have come aboard.
Corby Windows has been selling Ultraframe and Synseal conservatory roofs alongside each other for 18 months. One of Ultraframe’s original BBA fabricators, Corby has now announced it is to focus solely on Synseal. "This isn’t a decision we took lightly," explains Jason Wilder, Joint Managing Director of Corby Windows. "It is a big decision to drop such a big name in conservatories in favour of a relative newcomer but three main reasons motivated us to make the switch. It’s a more fitter friendly roof, it is more competitive and the features and benefits are excellent. But most convincingly our customers took the real decision. Over the last 18 months the Synseal roof consistently outsold Ultraframe. "We also like Synseal’s approach. If they see a better way of doing something they do it. If we suggest how they could improve something, they listen. They are quick acting, proactive and flexible and they provide excellent support to their manufacturing base. Being able to focus all our efforts and manufacturing capabilities on just the one roof will help us streamline our business. I’m confident our business will benefit because our customers love the Global roof."
It has always intrigued me why some fabricators change suppliers when things go wrong and others stay put and suffer, no matter what the damage to their business. The story of a frog in trouble offers some insight. Drop a frog into very hot water and it will jump out and save itself. But a frog in cold water will stay put if the water is heated slowly. Eventually it will let itself be boiled alive. The changes in temperature are so subtle the frog doesn’t notice. By the time the frog does perceive the danger it is too weak and groggy to act, and it slowly dies. Some changes are sudden and immediately obvious, and we react quickly to the threat or opportunity. Most change is imperceptible. It happens at a snail’s pace. We are blind to the difference from one day to the next. It is only by standing back and comparing what it was some time ago, with what it is now, that we recognise how much has changed. Unless we see a big or sudden difference, or someone draws our attention to it we probably won’t notice.
Mind the gap
With a £21 million turnover and eight conservatory retail outlets – one of which, The Conservatory Village is the biggest in the UK East Yorkshire Glazing have chosen Global. Sales & Marketing Director Nick Ward explains why . "We became aware of Global via the trade press, and were invited to Synseal to see it for ourselves. A tour round the manufacturing facility with Nick Dutton and Tim Armitage convinced us we’d be dealing with a professional team and getting a good quality product at a competitive price. With our ambitious growth forecasts, we also needed to be sure that we’d be dealing with a supplier who can deliver our projected increased demand for conservatories. That’s also something that Synseal has guaranteed.
"Most importantly for us was the feedback from our fitters so we set them the task to find out if global really did have all the time and ease of installation benefits we’d heard about. And we weren’t disappointed on this score either. The roofs went up quickly with no problems at all and got full fitter endorsement".
Within a limited range of temperature - not too cold and not too hot - the frog is happy, perfectly adapted to its environment. Like the frog, at a point in time, fabricators are also content and well suited to their environment. Perfectly adapted to market conditions they grow and make money with ease. But nothing stands still. The market – in effect the sum of all the actions of customers, competitors and suppliers - is constantly changing. You may not be alert enough to notice the transition, but your business feels every stress and strain as gaps open up between
glass age/2003 Nick Ward from EYG and Tim Armitage, Synseal Area Sales Manager
what the market wants – what your company needs to compete effectively and what your company provides. What was perfectly matched to the market at one time is progressively less so. The competitive lead you have over rivals starts to shrink. Unless you take action they will draw level and overtake. The level of satisfaction among your customers gets cooler and colder. At some point, depending on their needs, the gaps will prove too much and your sales will suffer.
need and what you get is how satisfied and well adapted you are to your market. It’s a measure of how competitive you are. You may compensate for your suppliers’ shortcomings in the short term, but over time you can never be more competitive than the sum of the products and service they supply. If they are weak and slow your ability to compete will be hampered, and your sales and profits will suffer.
Nick Dutton, Synseal’s Sales and Marketing Director
Because your market is in constant flux, the needs of your business change too. From day-to-day, month-to-month and year-to-year, your needs will be different. It is hard to measure the rate of change when you are in the thick of it, but change is inexorable. You may feel you are standing still, but it’s an illusion, and a dangerous one at that. If the frog had the benefit of an independent, objective measure of the temperature of the water it would sense the danger in good time to save itself. It’s the same for fabricators. If your market intelligence isn’t up to speed you don’t have the objective, independent information you need to tell you where you are and how you are doing. You are running your business as if the changes in your external environment, the market, don’t matter. Wallowing in hot water might feel good to begin with, but it is high-risk behaviour.
The complete package We choose to buy a product, but it’s a package of bundled products, service and relationships that delivers what we buy. Some of it may disappoint. The sum of the gaps between what you
Because your market is in constant flux, the needs of your business change too. From day-to-day, month-to-month and year-to-year, your needs will be different.
Kick the habit Fabricators often tell me they know the product they get is outdated or it isn’t what they were promised. Perhaps their service lets them down. We’ve all been there. You know it is damaging your business, but you give them one last chance. We don’t like the thought of change. We find good reasons to avoid it and convince ourselves that it’s probably easier to live with the problems rather than face the unknown. But eventually procrastination becomes indistinguishable from habit or apathy, which is what the frog struggles with when it’s too weak and groggy to move.
Follow your dream Settling for second best is settling for something less than you dreamed of. So take a serious look at where you are compared with where you want to be. If you’re not where you want to be, why not? What’s holding you back? If the answer is your supplier, why are you still with them? Changing to something better, to help you realise your dreams may not be as disruptive as you think. As you start to realise your dreams, you will appreciate what you’ve been missing and wonder why you never made the leap before. Further information call Nick Dutton on 01623 443 200.
Newstead’s Celebration Opening of new £60,000 Installer showcase showroom!
Synseal fabricator Newstead T rade Frames recently held a Celebration Opening event, attended by over 120 staff and their partners and 46 guests.
The day was organised as a thank you to staff and suppliers for the hard work put in during the course of Newstead’s recent expansion programme. Gary Dutton, Chairman of Synseal Extrusions Ltd opened the £60,000 showroom which is for the exclusive use of Newstead installers. Formalities were followed by guided tours round all four of Newstead’s manufacturing facilities and sales premises, totalling 79,000sq ft. "The day was really to say thank you to staff and suppliers," says Adrian Locker, Director and General Manager of Newstead. "And to let everyone share in what we’ve all achieved in the last two years. Over the last 18 months we have invested over £2 million to increase capacity and provide what we believe is a unique package of support for customers. As well as the showroom, we’ve invested in state of the art manufacturing machinery and IT systems; new trade counter facilities, and a building products one-stop shop. But we aren’t stopping there, and are already working on more projects that will give Newstead installers the edge over their competitors."
Shield Conservatory put to the test by famous critic Gary Bushell
Graham Williams of Waterford Windows and Gary Bushell
SYNSEAL P VC - U PR O FI L E SY ST E M S F OR Q U AL I T Y W I N DO W S , D O O R S & C O NSE RVAT O R I E S
Peter Wilcox, MD of Newstead Trade Frames with Chairman of Synseal Extrusion Ltd, Gary Dutton.
Synseal customer, Waterford Windows, recently put the Shield Conservatory to the ultimate test when they fabricated and installed a 6x3.5m Edwardian conservatory for the famous newspaper critic Gary Bushell. "It took 10 weeks from the time we received the enquiry to the time the job was completed," explains Colin Woodward, Partner of Waterford Windows. "Gary was so impressed he wrote us a letter to say thank you." The letter read ‘thanks for a job well done. I’d recommend Waterford Windows to anyone for product, service and price.’ "We knew the Synseal conservatory was good," continues Colin, "but to get an endorsement from such a critical person, is praise indeed! They also back up a good product with complete and reliable deliveries that enable us to keep to our schedules and provide our customers what they want, when they want it."
BS7413 KM 30983
FM 31451
NEW ROOF VENT
for all conservator y customers
Synseal has added the SkyVent roof vent to all its conservatory roofs as part of its ongoing innovation drive. "Even though the Shield and Global roofs are already two of the fastest roofs to install," says Nick Dutton, "we continue to look for ways to make it even quicker. The SkyVent cuts installation time because we are offering it pre-glazed, at no extra cost. It consists of a PVC-U outer frame which matches the internal PVC-U finish perfectly, and an aluminium sash profile which prevents any distortion. Traditionally conservatories with roof vents came at a price – much longer lead times. But buying a conservatory roof with the new SkyVent from Synseal will not affect the five day turnaround our customers already enjoy."
BS7950/7413 KM 41324
New in-line sill jointer means more choice Following the successful take up of our 90˚and 135˚ sill joiners for the 150mm sill, we’ve been inundated with customer requests for an inline version. Always keen to give our customers a choice, we have now launched our inline sill jointer. Like the angled corner joiner, it’s particularly useful for shipping long lengths of sill sections easily and securely. It is ideal when the customer has specified that any joints must remain welded, but by eliminating the need for joints on the corner of the sills it gives you and your customers choice.
SYNSEAL EXTRUSIONS LIMITED, COMMON ROAD, H U T H WAITE, S U T TO N - I N - A S H F I E L D , NOTTS. NG17 6AD
TEL: (01623) 443200 FAX: (01623) 550243 email: nickdutton@synseal.com
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