SYNSEAL
Corby Windows Group
PART
Highly regarded Corby Windows Group appeared at Glassex displaying the Shield Conservatory System on stand CO31. Philip de Clermont, Managing Director of Corby Windows Group commented. "Fitters like it because the Shield Conservatory is a complete product and is extremely fitter friendly."
Like it or loathe it, Document L is here to stay. If you are reading this on or after April 1st, the legislation is now in force. Suddenly it’s serious, despite the unfortunate choice of starting date. You must be Fensa registered or inform building control of every installation you undertake, or else you are breaking the law. Even if your installations are Document L compliant. Penalties for non-compliance are not cheap. An installer could be fined £5,000 per noncompliance and £50 per day for every day until compliance is met.
HOW IT WORKS Tim is pictured receiving his award from Synseal chairman Gary Dutton at Glassex.
Congratulations to Tim Armitage for achieving the
"Best Salesperson of the Quarter"
The easier and cheaper option would seem to be to register with FENSA. Once registered a company must notify FENSA of each installation it undertakes. From a job consisting of one replacement window to 1000 you will need to register it. Inspections will then be carried out
randomly to check that the new standards are being met. For PVC-U frames the minimum standard is a U 2 value of 2.0W/m k or better. Metal frames are 2 permitted a U value of 2.2 W/m k. The good news for Synseal customers is that we started a long time ago to prove our compliance in an effort to provide peace of mind for customers. Tests carried out show that our systems meet the relevant U value standards with room to spare if glazed with Pilkington K glass or similar. Hard coat low E will enable you to comply, while soft coat will improve performance still further. Contrary to what some suppliers are saying, you don’t need gas filled units, although you can use them to give you that little bit extra. Nor do you need additional chambers within the profile to comply. The benefits of extra chambers are marginal, and there may be downsides in fabrication and use. If you require further information on Document L the person to speak to at Synseal is our resident Doc L expert Bob Priest.
Meeting your Conservatory needs
The new Conservatory Division at Synseal now consists of five team members, all there to assist you in any way they can. Dave Bingley is Operations Manager, Chris Boyington is Technical Sales, Jennie Thorpe is Sales Negotiator and Aaron Housley and Carl Patrick deal with order processing.
(Left-right, Aaron, Carl, Chris, Jennie and Dave)
Although Frame-Up are not currently fabricating conservatories, Andy Pudney, Manager of Frame-UP sees it as the way forward for the company and is intending to fabricate the Shield Conservatory in the future. "We have already asked Synseal if we could have one of their Conservatory Systems on our Glassex stand next year. We had in the region of 500 visitors this year, I am confident with the new conservatory we could get even more next year."
PANELS PLUS Force 8 displayed Synseal’s patio door at Glassex this year and Dennis Sumner, Managing Director of Force 8 was very pleased with how it was received. Hardly surprising though as it was voted the best on the market in November 2000 in an independent study of 320 patio buyers. (Source: Michael Rigby Associates). "There must have been approximately 10% more visitors to Glassex than last year, which is obviously good news for us. We were opposite the Synseal stand which I thought was impressive. It was obviously a success because the stand was busy every day right until the end of each day."
Panels Plus had a stand at Glassex just two stands away from Synseal. Nick Lake, Communications Manager of the company said "The Shield Conservatory System was well received by Glassex visitors and certainly got the attention of other exhibitors. We are of course also very pleased with how well our own Synseal door surrounds and canopies went down at the show."
ISSUE NO.4 Spring 2002
THE SYNSEAL TIMES Launch
In This
We are pleased to announce that following the success of the virtual tour of the conservatory on CD we are launching the same virtual tour on video. The video, like the CD, will be a user-friendly sales aid to help all our customers sell the benefits of the innovative conservatory.
Issue Glassex 2002
DID YOU KNOW….
Congratulations to Tim Armitage for winning this quarter’s ‘Best Salesperson’award. With fifteen years experience in the industry, Tim was pleased with his award and is happy to be working for such a successful company. "The number of sales achieved in the last quarter is a continuation of the success achieved last year."
Frame-Up Windows
Video
Synseal - Committed to Sustainable Development
Conservatory Quarterly Trends Sponsorship The Conservatory Quarterly Trends Report begins its 6th year in 2002 with a new sponsor, Synseal Extrusions Ltd who has taken over sponsorship from Ultraframe. The report is also moving from Conservatory Industries to a new host. The next Quarterly Trends survey, The Synseal Shield Report will be featured in Conservatory Magazine, the sister magazine of Glass & Glazing Products. Future reports will also have a fresh look with more charts and tables. New features also include a monthly index and confidence tracker. For the latest information visit www.521621.com.
Conservatories Cover Even More Ground To keep up with the demand for the new Shield Conservatory System, Synseal have had to increase their delivery fleet. An expansion already warranted with four conservatory system trucks doing 4,000 miles a week between them, a total of 208,000 miles a year. "The demand for the system was increasing at such a pace we needed specialised conservatory trucks," comments Vince Irving, Logistical Director of Synseal Extrusions Ltd. "The way a conservatory is loaded is different to window profile, so different trucks are required to ensure that the quality product that leaves the factory is still a quality product when it reaches the customer." Answer to Logic Quiz
Every week Synseal sells over 300 miles of window profiles, that's over 15,000 miles a year. Producing 1000s of windows every week, we estimate that close on 1 million Synseal windows and doors are installed every year.
DID YOU KNOW…. Naturally Synseal is a BS5750 registered company (ISO9002). You wouldn't want a profile supplier who’s not. All Synseal PVC-U window systems carry the prestigious BS7413 Kitemark earned by undergoing extreme testing for shape retention, colour fastness, weather resistance, impact strength, cold resistance and even heat resistance. And for security, all Synseal profiles have been tested and passed the rigours of the British Standards Advanced Security Kitemark BS7950.
DID YOU KNOW…. The combined Synseal service record of the 7 strong board of Directors is over 80 years.
Several customers have asked us for extra copies of The Synseal Times to hand out to their sales team, and place in their showrooms. If you'd like to get extra copies of the newsletter to use in this way, call Phil Else on 01623 443 200
S Y N S E A L EXTRUSIONS LIMITED, COMMON ROAD, HUTHWAITE, NOTTS. NG17 2JL
TEL:
(01623) 443200
email:
nickdutton@synseal.com
FAX:
(01623) 550243 www. s y n s e a l . c o m
Future Corby Force 8
This newsletter was printed on material from a sustainable forest.
FEATURE Conservatory Trucks
Synseal returned to Glassex 2002 after a gap of two years with a lot to show. The verdict? Four days of exhilarating, overwhelming responses to the launch of the state-of-the-art Shield Conservatory System. Nick Dutton, Sales and Marketing Director comments: "We were right to return to the show because we had something big to say. The response exceeded even our expectations. Our presence was like a wake up call to the industry. It was so good to see the penny dropping as visitors to our stand saw for themselves the benefits of buying a complete conservatory instead of the roof and windows separately. "You could feel the buzz throughout the whole exhibition as customers and potential customers packed onto our 16m x 37m stand, the largest floor area ever used at Glassex by a system company or a conservatory roof supplier. The massive stand and the 15 members of staff
we had manning it at any one time, were needed to cope with the number of visitors we had. So much so, that at the time of writing, we’re still analysing visitor numbers. We went to Glassex to show our customers but first indications are that we’ve had in the region of 300 enquiries from non-customers alone. The icing on the cake for us was one of our last visitors who came to the NEC from Kent at 3pm on the last day, just to see the Shield Conservatory System. "I'd like to say a big thank you to those who helped make the show another Synseal success, especially those who took time out from running their own businesses to visit and see the Shield Conservatory System for themselves. Remember you heard it here first… one day all conservatories will be made this way."
Document L Synseal Voted No. 1 AGAIN
Did You Know?
For those of you who missed the latest in the Glass Age series of articles “Nick’s in the Chair”, here’s another chance to see Synseal’s Sales and Marketing Director “Profit from the Core” article.
NICK’S IN THE CHAIR
PROFIT FROM THE CORE In the fourth of a series of articles from Synseal’s Sales & Marketing Director Nick Dutton, argues that fabricators and installers need to make money from core products as well as from optional extras.
SCENES FROM THE SHOW Synseal’s stand, the largest stand ever booked by a systems company or conservatory roof supplier, was busy throughout the show. Features of the stand included the eight full-sized conservatories, TV screens demonstrating the benefits of the new system and an example of how the glazing bars are securely located inside the building, a key feature of the conservatory was on display for closer examination. We would like to thank everyone who helped make the show such a success.
A BRIGHT FUTURE Future Fabrications were one of the many Synseal customers awaiting the new Shield Conservatory System in the months leading up to its launch. "We use the Shield profile to fabricate all our conservatories and we were really keen to start using the new conservatory system," comments Paul Neal, Managing Director of Future Fabrications. "Although we don’t install the conservatories we fabricate, the new system is beneficial to us in terms of aesthetics. It makes sense that a conservatory should consist of one and the same profile for the entire frame. We are certainly optimistic that Synseal's latest development will underpin more sales for us." "We’ve seen Synseal change dramatically over the last couple of years, working hard to emphasise their position as market leader. We use them because our customers like to know that the top level supplier is the best out there." Paul believes Synseal’s particular strengths lie in the continual improvement of design and innovation and the wall thickness which reflects changes in the window industry as a whole. Further affirmation that Synseal drive the market. "The style and quality of windows have improved greatly over the years as manufacturing processes have become more sophisticated. A significant change is the increasing use of
the reverse weld method and design with the internal beaded feature. Synseal really lends itself to this design. Paul Kirby, Sales and Marketing Director of Future Fabrications was delighted with the company’s success at Glassex. "The show went extremely well for us this year. We’re pleased with the number of leads we had for our windows, doors and conservatory systems alike. The new conservatory system is big news for the market and I think generic roof suppliers will really have to sit up and take notice of Synseal."
Forty years ago Gillette, a world leader in shaving technology, achieved a marketing breakthrough. They saw that the key to persuading consumers to change to their new shaving system was to give away the razor for nothing and charge more for the disposable blades. It caught the public’s imagination and profits soared. But before long competitors did the same and offered cut price blades. And when manufacturers sought to improve margins and charge for the razors again consumers objected. It took time and effort to re-establish a razor’s value.
Options ‘creep’ in cars and windows Some marques of car are sold as basic models, with manufacturers making their margins on high priced extras. Others sell added value packages bristling with built in ‘extras’. But extras have a habit of turning into essentials, and giveaways get taken for granted, as consumers resist paying more for what they see as part of the basic product. To avert a recession last year US carmakers threw in all the extras and cut prices to tempt people to buy. It worked too well. Sales boomed, but losses were huge and this year they are paying for that strategy with investment cut backs and redundancies.
Giving it all away In the late 1980s shoot bolts and low E glass were sold as optional extras on windows. Few priced them fully but now many include them in their standard window, using them to prop up their prices rather than asking a premium for the added value those benefits deliver. Thus added value becomes a give away that eats into margins. However, added value needs to be sold not just added to the product, so customers pay more for the additional benefits.
Carried away by glass age/2002
clever ideas
when you have to because you can no longer make money on the building itself. When conservatory roofs and bases are sold with a small mark up, and the entire margin has to be made on the windows and doors that sit between them you know fresh thinking is needed. It’s time for conservatory companies to start to make money on the roof using different roofs.
Theory is one thing practice another. What works in one market may not work at all in another. And smart marketing ideas can hurt those that apply them without smart thinking about the implications. A cornerstone of marketing thinking is the need to differentiate your products and service. If customers cannot see a difference between your products and the alternatives why should they pay more or pick you at all?
Like peas in a pod
Better on the inside
Nick Dutton, Synseal’s Sales and Marketing Director
Trying to choose between one company and the next in a Yellow Pages beauty parade is hard when the homeowner sees near identical windows sporting similar generic hardware. That’s why we branded Shield hardware to match Shield profile. Shield windows and doors look good and the branded hardware clearly says Shield. The homeowner does not have to search for clues.
It’s a duck A line up of near identical conservatory roofs sitting on top of different windows and doors also makes it hard for professional conservatory companies to differentiate themselves and ask the premium their expertise deserves. With little that’s visible to choose between them price can become the deciding factor and margins a casualty. One solution to help distinguish the product and recover lost margins is to sell extras the homeowner might pay for. But if it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck and looks like a duck, then it probably is a duck. Dressing it up with a few add-ons may not be a difference people will pay for. Selling extras is good sense, but not
If customers cannot see a difference between your products and the alternatives why should they pay more or pick you at all?
True difference is more than skin deep. It starts with design and the assumptions that go into it, challenging every aspect to improve performance, the way it looks, and the way it’s fabricated and installed. That’s what we did when we designed the new Shield Conservatory system. Installers assemble the conservatory from the inside, without having to scramble around on the roof. This produces a more secure conservatory that’s also easier, quicker and safer to install. Designing a Shield roof to fit Shield profile makes a better-looking conservatory with common sightlines and integrated features - a conservatory system not a conservatory roof system on windows.
Missing millions Supplying differentiated products at the right price, with innovative designs that save unnecessary product cost, puts profit back into the hands of conservatory companies. This allows them to make money on the core product and the optional extras. Conservatory companies have seen their profits erode and have been left to make good the missing millions by selling extras and decorative add-ons. The industry needs more than this. It needs genuine innovation and benefits people will pay for, differentiated products that enable companies to sell the difference without giving it all away. They need a new opportunity to profit from the core.
Voted Number 1 Synseal achieve another first, coming top in both Value for Best Value for Money Money and Overall Rating according to the respected annual Benchmarks report from Reputations Plus Ltd, which compares systems companies’ performance in the eyes of 18th 19th their customers. In the 2001 20th 21st survey Synseal’s customers 22nd rated Synseal more favourably Worst Value for Money for Value for Money and for Copyright: Reputations Plus Ltd 2001 Overall performance than any other systems company’s customers rated their own 3.0 supplier.
Value for Money Rating 2001 by Customers SYNSEAL 1st
8th 10th 17th 16th
15th 14th
7th
6th
5th
4th
3rd
2nd
9th
System Companies Rated in Survey
22 System Companies Rated in Survey
Overall Rating 2001 by Customers Overall Rating 2001 by Customers SYNSEAL
LOGIC QUIZ....LOGIC QUIZ....LOGIC QUIZ....LOGIC QUIZ.... 1) The Victorian conservatory was sold in the South it wasn’t mahogany
3) Bob did not sell the White Edwardian conservatory 4) The sales man who covers the East did not sell the P Shape or the Light Oak conservatory 5) Neville went to Scotland and was very happy with the sale of an 18 foot Lean To 6) The Mahogany on White was sold in the West but not by Tim
PVC-U P R O FI L E S Y S T E M S F O R Q U A L I TY W I N D OW S & DOORS
13th 12th 11th
These results go some way to explaining Synseal’s fast 2.0 growth over the last few years. Marketing gurus have impressed on us all that customer delight, the ultimate in customer 1.0 satisfaction, should be our 22 System Companies Rated in Survey Copyright: Reputations Plus Ltd 2001 goal, and if we attain it fast Based on the 2001 independent annual Benchmarks report from Reputations Plus Ltd, which compares systems companies’performance in the eyes of their own customers. profitable growth will be our reward. "We try to go that extra mile for customers," comments Nick Dutton, Sales and Marketing Director of Synseal Extrusions Ltd. "In December for example we showed our support for customers by sending each of them two boxes full of marketing support materials for the new Shield Conservatory System. This alone cost Synseal £50,000 – quite some support. "I’m delighted with the results of this latest Benchmarks report. We value our customers very highly and it’s great to know they are so pleased with the support we give them."
2) One of the Mahogany conservatories was sold by Nick but it wasn’t the Lean To or the Victorian
SYNSEAL
BS7413 KM 30983
FM 31451
BS7950/7413 KM 41324
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 2JL
Bob Nick Tim Neville
TEL: (01623) 443200
Victorian P Shape
Record in this grid the
Edwardian
information from the Lean To
clues, by using a cross
White
for a definite ‘no’,
Mahogany
a tick for a definite ‘yes’. Transfer
Light Oak
these to all sections of the grid, thus
Mahogany on White
eliminating all but one possibility.
Question: What colour was the Victorian roof? see foot of back cover for answer
FAX: (01623) 550243 email: nickdutton@synseal.com
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