Weekly
Email News for the Glass, Glazing and Fenestration Industries
28th March 2006
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CRITIC'S CORNER
Profile
22 Watches The Armstrongs - Episode 5
With
three out of four of the U-Fit sales team wiped out in the previous
episode, Othello-obsessed Michael is the last man standing.
To reward him for his loyalty, and the fact he seems to be the
only one actually doing their job in the first place, John and
Ann decide to take Michael and his wife (who he met on an Othello
website) out for a meal.
Can we be watching the same programme as last week? Suddenly,
The Armstrongs have turned over a new leaf. No longer the unapproachable
bosses, John and Ann are using staff rewards as a good way of
letting their star employee know he is part of the (albeit dwindling)
team – this is to be applauded.
More
Here:
Deceuninck
Ltd
has recently launched its new Belface cladding profile. Belface
is suitable for cladding entire buildings as well as dormers,
eaves, canopies and parapets
More
Here:
HomePro
Insurance is one of the UK's leading providers
of Insurance Backed Guarantees (IBGs) and specialises in providing
insurance and services to the trade and construction industries
More
Here:
Glassex
saw the official launch of Rehau’s
REHAU-Dimension Plus Complete Conservatory Superstructure
system
More
Here:
Saint-Gobain
Glass says that it has launched
another 'first' in the conservatory roof glass market, a dual-action
self-cleaning / solar control glass, SGGBIOCLEAN COOL-LITE
ST
More
Here:
Synseal
fabricators can now get perfectly colour-matched trims for
all its window profiles
More
Here:
Synseal
has announced all its profiles are available in five additional
colours: black, grey, red, blue and green
More
Here:
'When
Spanish Ice, best known as the new name for glue chip, first
came on to the market about a year ago, most observers could
immediately see that it was something quite new and different,’
says UAP
More
Here:
Sapa
Building Systems Dualframe Window
Wall is designed to offer a cost effective alternative to
traditional curtain walling systems - with some significant
added benefits
More
Here:
Britannia
Windows
of Clevedon has launched a new hardware brand, marine spec
More
Here:
(300+ Listed Products)
Go Here:
For a directory of products sorted by product type
Go Here:
For a directory of products sorted by company in alphabetical order
TBW
Ltd
staff and their partners were able to celebrate their assessment
and reaccreditation of the prestigious Investors In People award
at the company's annual, complimentary, Christmas Dinner and
Dance on December 16th
More
Here:
Barnsley
fabricator DEM Window Solutions
has adopted WHS Halo's Eclipse esthétique sculptured
profile to be able to offer a more decorative option alongside
its existing Eclipse PCE products
More
Here:
West
End Windows, the specialist aluminium
and PVC-U trade fabricator, has announced the launch of several
new product lines as part of its growth strategy
More
Here:
Joinery
manufacturers of high quality sash windows,
A & W Gowers Ltd of Chelmsford, Essex is a
family concern with an excellent local reputation
More
Here:
Pyroguard
laminated fire glass from CGI International
has been specified for a prestigious project to upgrade all fire
doors in schools across the Isle of Man
More
Here:
Europe's
biggest racquets, health and fitness club, Next Generation, Hatfield,
sports a stunning curtain wall façade by Metal
Technology
More
Here:
New
windows from Duraflex are
helping to improve council homes in Bolton as part of a multi-million
pound regeneration scheme
More
Here:
Sandblasted
glass at a new Lancashire junior school which incorporates designs
from the children's paintings will keep its pristine look through
the use of Ritec's ClearShield
Sandblast Protect - a specialist version of the company's ClearShield
System
More
Here:
PVC-U
vertically sliding windows fabricated using Rehau's
S719 Heritage system have been installed in recently refurbished
accommodation buildings at Dean Close School in Cheltenham
More
Here:
Deceuninck
Ltd
has announced the appointment of Mike Ward as its new Sales
and Marketing Director for the UK division based at Calne, Wiltshire
More
Here:
Sealant
specialist Geocel has strengthened
its specification support team to offer specifiers, fabricators
and applicators working on SG, IG and curtain walling projects
an improved back up service
More
Here:
National
fabricator Newstead Trade Frames
welcomes Lisa Baker and Stewart Magson to its Trade Sales Department
More
Here:
Synseal
Extrusions Ltd
announced Kevin Harvey as Sales Director at the opening of Glassex
06
More
Here:
Kenrick,
the door and window hardware manufacturer, has appointed Wayne
Adams as sales manager for the South-West region
More
Here:
The
Web site for TruSeal Technologies,
Inc., a specialist in warm edge spacer systems
for insulating glass (IG), now features enhanced navigation
and updated graphics
More
Here:
All
Conservatory Outlet customers
now have the benefit of online ordering. ‘Whether
a full Conservatory Outlet member or a trade sales customer,
online ordering makes life easier,’ explains Matthew
Glover, Managing Director
More
Here:
eBuilders
has announced consumer viewing and activity statistics
to offer a glimpse of the growing power and influence
of the Internet in the consumer decision-making process
More
Here:
EN 1279 'Glass in buildings - insulating glass units'
has finally been posted in the Official Journal
of the European Union (OJ). This means that, from
next month, IGU manufacturers will be able to CE
mark their units - and by March 2007 all units must
comply with the Construction Products Directive
(CPD). And, said Adam Osborn of Notified Body BM
TRADA Certification, CE marking is the
most effective way to prove compliance
More
Here:
Palram
honoured the true spirit of Christmas this year helping
the needy and the vulnerable, by offering free building
materials desperately needed by the Crisis Open Christmas
More
Here:
KAT
UK,
the supplier of patio doors and vertical sliding sash
windows, donated £3,735.20 during 2005 to Care for
the Wild International (CWI) to aid the charity's work
in protecting wild tigers
More
Here:
One
company which has pre-empted the 'green' revolution is FSG
Technologies. It is installing the Mustang® continuous
aluminium guttering system, supplied by
Aluminium Roofline Products, on 'eco-friendly'
properties built by Paul Newman Homes.
More
Here:
More
than 500 'first generation' PVC-U frames removed from social
housing were successfully recycled as part of a major refurbishment
project at Stoke-on-Trent. Labour and funding provided by
the BPF-backed Recovinyl Scheme
helped to fulfil the project's stringent recycling specification.
More
Here:
EU
policymakers, social partners and leading safety and health
experts met on 12th December 2005 in Bilbao, Spain, to see
how to better protect European workers from noise and to award
those organisations that have already managed to implement
effective solutions
More
Here:
The
Eden Project's new education and resource facility has bespoke
PowerGlaz building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) glass/glass
laminates manufactured by Romag
More
Here:
Malcolm
Wicks recently outlined his vision for micro wind turbines,
solar panels and other microgeneration technologies at the launch
of the Energy Futures Lab at Imperial College in London
More
Here:
Fensterbau
Shows How it's Done
Having
spent some time at Fensterbau, in Nuremberg last week - along
with 100,000 other visitors (hardly any of them British, I might add)
- one can only wonder whether the Brits are just getting fed up with
trade exhibitions, particularly with information available so easily
from other sources, such as the internet, CD based demonstrations, video
conferencing, in-house shows etc etc.
In an interesting response to Lawrence Brakespear's email of
last week, which suggested that Glassex might be on its last legs, Glassex's
marketing manager makes some interesting points. One is the assertion
that Lawrence has no right to criticise a show which he has stopped
going to, whereas I would have thought that the onus of getting visitors
through the door (to justify the not inconsiderable expense of exhibiting)
lies first with the organiser, although of course the exhibitor should
be as proactive as possible in encouraging its own visitors. Perhaps
then, Lawrence was not convinced by his supplier that attending Glassex
was worthwhile.
New
Seminars help Companies Avoid Crisis
The
Window Industry is facing tough times, with more and more fabricators
and installers feeling the pressure of fewer leads, less orders and
cut-throat margins. According to Industry consultant Andrew Scott
companies need to take action now, or face extinction.
[More
on this Event]
Speakers
Confirmed for Energy Seminar
FaberMaunsell
(ODPM), BFRC and Energy Saving Trust confirmed to speak at industry-wide
seminar, Ricoh Arena May 10th.
[More
on this Event]
glasstec
2006: ‘glass technology live’
The
importance of solar energy as a key source of electricity is growing
at the same steady pace as is the potential for glass in solar building
components. A special show ‘glass technology live 2006’
organised at glasstec 2006 in Düsseldorf from 24th to 28th October,
is to focus on ‘Façade-Integrated Photovoltaics’.
[More
on this Event]
Looking
Back on Polyclose
The organisers say that once again, this 12th edition of Polyclose
was without a doubt a big success. A total of 15,364 people from Belgium
and other countries visited Polyclose in Ghent/Belgium between January
19 and January 21.
[More
on this Event]
BRE
Events
Each month BRE runs a number of
training workshops and seminars on important issues. The programme
for the first quarter of 2006 includes:
[More
on this Event]
Edgetech
to Present at GPD China 2006
Gerhard
Reichert, Edgetech's Vice President
of International Business Development, is scheduled to present ‘Improving
Long-Term Energy Performance of Insulating Glass in Buildings,’
at the upcoming Glass Processing Days (GPD) China 2006 in Beijing,
China.
[More
on this Event]
Closing
Report - 3rd Fenestration China 2005
China’s
economy keeps on growing – and puts the People’s Republic
in the headlines as the future fourth-largest economic nation in the
world. The long-term boom markets also include the building industry.
Window and facade construction was presented as a subsegment of the
industry at Fenestration China,
which took place in Peking from 16-19 November 2005.
[More
on this Event]
Get
'Six Appeal' at G06!
Make Friday 15 September a night to remember - the date for the G06
Awards Presentation, the industry's most sparkling event, has
been announced.
[More
on this Event]
Proskills
Apprenticeship And HR Events
Proskills,
the Sector Skills Council with responsibility for the Glass and Glazing
industries, in partnership with The Glass and Glazing Federation,
British Glass and the Learning and Skills Council, is holding three,
free of charge, Glass Industry launch workshops for Training and HR
staff.
[More
on this Event]
Henkel
Joins List of Interbuild Newcomers
Henkel
is among the key names on a growing list of 63 companies set to make
their first appearance as exhibitors at Interbuild 2006 the
UK's premier building and construction show (NEC, April 23-27).
[More
on this Event]
Exhibition
Calendar
Go
Here:
for upcoming exhibitions in the UK and the rest of the world.
UPDATED!!
The
Sheerframe suite of PVC door outerframes
for composite doors has successfully achieved a 30 minute fire door
rating to BS476: Part 22, the first PVC system of its kind to reach
this all-important standard.
More
here:
While many companies claim to be market leaders in the new housing
sector, the Abbott Group says
that it has proven just that by winning the manufacturer of the
year award at the prestigious Taylor Woodrow Supplier Awards 2006.
More
Here:
HOPPE
(UK), the supplier of door and window
hardware, has just received Secured by Design (SBD) certification
enabling homeowners to be as secure as possible.
More
Here:
A
lively and colourful residential and commercial development in Glasgow,
which features innovative use of glazing systems from architectural
aluminium specialist, Technal,
has won another major award.
More
Here:
Sun
Trade Windows celebrated the opening
of its second Trade Counter in the Cheney Manor area of Swindon
recently with a customer Open Day.
More
Here:
A
cost effective pay-as-you-go system of providing business leads
to reputable tradesmen and suppliers with no join up fee or
contract has been launched in the UK by Quotatis
More
Here:
Effective
use of the radio and internet are just two of the ways Conservatory
Outlet helps members target homeowners.
More
Here:
Chiltern
Dynamics and sister company BM
TRADA Certification have produced a free technical
information sheet with up-to-date information on CE marking of
windows and doors.
More
here:
As Spring approaches, Ultraframe
is helping its customers prepare for their busiest time of year
by providing installers with the tools to maximise their marketing
campaigns.
More
here:
North Western Lead
has produced a brochure with 48 photographs of decorative glass
panels: 24 with lead and film and 24 featuring Decra Bevels. NWL
trade customers can have their own logo, their own name and address,
plus full contact details professionally overprinted on the brochure
for a nominal fee.
More
here:
Bohle
has launched the latest version of its huge and highly comprehensive
catalogue of everything the glass and glazing industry could ever
need.
More
here:
Orders
in the twelve months to January 2006 rose by eight per
cent compared with 2004, and orders in the three months to January
2006 rose by 16 per cent compared to the same period a year earlier.
Orders in the three months to January 2006 rose by six per cent
compared to the previous three months, with decreases in private
housing, infrastructure and public non housing orders being offset
by increases in public housing, private industrial and private
commercial orders.
More
here:
As
part of its ongoing improvement plan Abbseal
(UK) Ltd is now offering a customised training package
to its key business partners.
More
Here:
Birmingham-based
System 10 fabricator Shelforce
has launched a training programme designed to encourage local disadvantaged
residents into the PVC-U windows and doors industry.
More
Here:
Warmseal
Ltd, based near Newcastle upon Tyne, a manufacturer of
double glazing, doors and conservatories, is proud of the success
of over 60 of its employees.
More
Here:
Part L and J (Scotland) have affected Roof Window specifications, with particular emphasis on thermal transmissions and installation systems. Fakro Roof Windows has a pro-active Research and Development section
More here:
PART L ARCHIVE
A
new exhibition plant is growing out of the desert sand: More than
2,800 trade visitors and conference participants attended the first
Intelligent Building Middle East
(IBME).
[More
on this Event]
Reed
Exhibitions plans to hold the next Interplas
on 15-18 May 2007. This is five months before K, the world’s
largest plastics event that takes place every three years in Düsseldorf,
Germany. The next Interplas was originally due to run on 7-9 October
2008.
[More
on this Event]
More leading companies are following the example of Eleco and Akzo
Nobel in backing a concerted push by TRADA, the Timber Research &
Development Association, to raise the profile of timber at Interbuild
2006.
[More
on this Event]
MosBuild+ 2005 Exhibition was
the biggest Windows & Doors exhibition ever to be held in Russia.
The event hosted over 300 Exhibitors and 40,000 visitors over the
four day International Event. The 2006 show will be 4-7th April.
[More
on this Event]
GPD
China will once again be held in conjunction with China
Glass 2006 in Beijing, China. This time, it will be held
just before China Glass. The venue will be announced later.
[More
on this Event]
While
Lawrence may have missed some of the latest additions to Glassex, he was
clearly not motivated enough by his last few visits to think it was going
to be useful to him to visit ever again, which I wouldn't have thought
was a mindset the organiser would wish to encourage.
The other assertion, that numbers are down because stands have stopped
serving free beer, is also questionable. No-one forks out a small fortune
in train fares, or hotels, in order to consume a lesser value in alcoholic
beverages. It is not about drinking, it is about hospitality, and I can
report that hospitality is still very much alive and well at Fensterbau,
where I have never seen extreme drunkenness in my 21 years of attending
the show.
And what about that well worn PR phrase the 'tyre kicker', or the 'lads'
day out'? Apparently, the UK window industry is better without these kind
of people, and yet in Germany they are welcomed, fed and watered and given
promotional items. Why? Because they are regarded as the future of the
industry, and given the respect that an apprentice deserves. Who knows
which one of a crowd of lads is going to end up running a multi-million
pound company?
Finally, the fact that a large majority of these so called 'tyre kickers' actually pay to attend trade shows in Germany reinforces the different attitude to exhibitions on the continent.
The reason that Fensterbau is 8% up in visitors and 6% up on floor space despite the fact that the German market is still on its knees, is simple. Messe Nuremberg offers a platform which is attractive enough to get all the major players from every sector of the market exhibiting, and this, in turn, makes it worth turning up to see.
More
news from Glassex this week, with a number of
reports from exhibitors, including Cervoglass, Aluplast,
Baypolejacks, BVC, Glazekart, Goldweld, K2, Newdawn,
Phoenix, Selecta, Unique and Window Widgets. Part Four
of our Glassex Review will appear next week, so keep
sending in those comments!
Our third Glassex Review is here.
Our second Glassex Review is here.
Our
first Glassex Review is here.
In
Response
to Lawrence
Breakspear
We
could not
have been
expected
to let Mr
Breakspear's
letter go
unanswered,
and so as
not to disappoint,
it is my
duty to
respond
by first
expressing
my disappointment
that his
correspondence
is made
somewhat
hollow by
the fact
that he
didn't actually
attend Glassex
this year.
Nonetheless,
at the risk
of restoring
some weight
to his remarks
I must point
out a number
of errors
in his 'observations'.
[Read
the Rest
Here]
Sculptured
Suite from
Swish
Responding
directly to
the demands
of the industry
and its customers,
Swish Window
and Door Systems
has announced
its new fully
sculptured
suite. Feature
70 opens up
a whole new
area of window
design to
Swish Authorised
Fabricators
and Installers,
combining
good looks
reminiscent
of traditional
timber frames
with all of
the benefits
of a top quality
low-maintenance
PVC-U system.
[More
on this Product]
Product
of the Week
Archive here
PROJECT OF THE WEEK
Rockdoor
is a Perfect Fit for
Rock Cottage
Finding
the right door to
protect Rock Cottage
against 50 mile an
hour winds from the
Irish Sea was easy
with Rockdoor. Mr
and Mrs Bean moved
to their 250 year
old home in Castletown
on the Isle of Man
in 1988. But the old
timber doors just
weren't up for the
salt levels and high
winds on the coast.
[More
on this Project]
Harry
Houdini To Do It Again?
With the battle for
fourth place continuing
to excite, the relegation
dogfight at the foot
of the Premiership
is just as entertaining
(unless you support
a team caught up in
it of course!). While
some have suggested
that West Ham's warm
welcome to the returning
Harry Redknapp extended
as far as Alan Pardew's
team selection, Pompey
deserve credit for
another quality performance,
notably from Pedro
Mendes who has taken
it upon himself to
score the goal of
the week every time
he unleashes a shot.
[More
on this Here]
THIS WEEK'S NEWS
Glassex
2006
Review:
Part
3
More
news
from
Glassex,
in
our
Exhibition
Review
Part
3:
this
week
we
feature
Cervoglass,
Aluplast,
Baypolejacks,
BVC,
Glazekart,
Goldweld,
K2,
Newdawn,
Phoenix,
Selecta,
Unique
and
Window
Widgets.
[More
on
this
Story]
HOLZ-HANDWERK
&
fensterbau/frontale
2006
Set
New
Record
for
Visitors
The
exhibition
duo
fensterbau/frontale
and
HOLZ-HANDWERK
2006
has
set
a
new
record
with
some
100,000
trade
visitors
(2004:
92,294)
and
a
distinctly
larger
international
share.
1,184
exhibitors
from
30
countries
showed
their
products
and
services
for
woodworking,
windows
and
facades
in
the
Exhibition
Centre
Nuremberg
from
22-25
March
2006.
[More
on
this
Story]
Thyssen
Polymer
Changes
Name
at
Fensterbau
Thyssen
Polymer,
no
longer
part
of
the
Thyssen
Krupp
group;
since
it
was
acquired
by
Deceuninck
three
years
ago,
exhibited
at
Fensterbau
2006
last
week
under
a
new
name
–
Inoutic.
[More
on
this
Story]
Anglian
Appoints
New
Chief
Exec
Alex
McNutt
has
been
appointed
Chief
Executive
of
Anglian
Group
following
the
retirement
of
Larry
Condon.
McNutt
has
extensive
experience
in
the
Home
Improvement
and
Building
Products
markets
and
was
previously
President
of
ADT
Fire
and
Security
Systems.
[More
on
this
Story]
FMB
'Disappointed'
by
Budget
The
Federation
of
Master
Builders
says
that
small
construction
firms
up
and
down
the
country
will
be
disappointed
with
the
Chancellor's
tenth
Budget.
Commenting
on
the
Budget
speech,
FMB
Director
of
External
Affairs
Andrew
Large
said,
'Yet
again,
the
Chancellor
has
ignored
the
strong
case
for
a
reduced
rate
of
VAT
for
domestic
building
work.
[More
on
this
Story]
Pilkington
Activ™
Succeeds
in
Unique
Home
Results
from
the
unique
Project:LIFE
research
experiment
have
now
been
assessed
and
according
to
David
Wilson
Homes
who
originated
the
concept,
some
significant
design
issues
have
emerged
from
the
project.
[More
on
this
Story]
Super
Spacer®
Brings
in
New
Custom
for
Clayton
Glass
Since
choosing
Edgetech's
Super
Spacer®,
Durham-based
sealed
unit
manufacturer
Clayton
Glass
Ltd
has
attracted
new
customers
specifically