your
weekly e-mail news :: 26th November
2002
http://www.theglazine.com
Orders
in the twelve months to September 2002 rose by five per cent compared
to orders in the previous twelve months and orders in the third quarter
of 2002 rose by 11 per cent compared to the same period a year earlier.
Orders in the third quarter of 2002 rose by 22 per cent compared to the
previous quarter.
The
world's largest architectural and automotive glass conference, Glass
Processing Days, will be held from June 15-18, 2003 in Tampere, Finland.
For more information visit glassprocessingdays.com
Adshead
Ratcliffe has an answer to sealing specialist frames and metal and
glass joints: Arbosil 1096 Anthracite
Titon
Commercial is launching a new concept in electronic door access
control: Butler
Sash
UK has extended its product portfolio by offering PVCu garden gates
Lorient
Polyproducts has extended its range of flexible intumescent glazing
gaskets to include a new size designed for the latest thicknesses of
fire resistant glass
Plastmo
fabricator VIP Windows & Doors Ltd is now manufacturing PVCu inward-opening
French market windows
Avocet
offers a comprehensive range of Door Closers
Product
Archive
For a directory of products sorted by product type
For a directory of products sorted by company in alphabetical order
Duraflex,
has appointed Frank Yorke as Commercial Sales Manager
Lee
Mitchell has joined his father as Hallmark's sales representative
for the South East area
David
Shuttleworth has been appointed to the position of managing
director of Kawneer UK
Ultraframe
has appointed Mick Rowley as Technical Support Manager for
Scotland and the North
Ultraframe
has appointed Jane Blanchard regional sales manager for the
South East of England
Siegenia-Frank
(UK) Ltd, has appointed Chris Collins regional sales manager
for central England
Rutland Windows and Conservatories, a Eurocell fabricator
and a Pinnacle Conservatory Roof installer, has recently
completed a job at Hucknall Town Football Club
Specialist
fire protection glass from Pilkington UK has been used
for the redevelopment project, The Tun in Edinburgh.
Purpose-built
glass reinforced plastic (GRP) roofs manufactured by
Hallmark Group have been installed as part of a large
refurbishment project organised by B&N Housing
Clearwater
Court in Reading is the newly constructed headquarters
of Thames Water plc, and makes extensive use of Pilkington
Insulight Insulating Glass Units incorporating Luxaclair®
Blinds
Anglian
Technical Window Films were on hand to assist when a
subterranean shopping complex situated near to the company's
headquarters flagged up concerns regarding the glazing
following a Health & Safety audit
Architectural
Glazing Solutions (AGS) has produced a detailed fact sheet on
overhead glazing, looking at unexplained glass failure and solutions
with laminated architectural glass
A
free, DTI funded leaflet advising building owners and occupiers
on legal liability and damage limitation in respect of building
façades, has been produced by BRE and industry partners
A
new suite of literature from HW Plastics isdesigned to help installers
generate sales in the consumer market.
Whiteline
has included a template library in its latest brochure, allowing
customers to picture how the design they have selected will look
The
British Woodworking Federation has produced its latest Architectural
& General Joinery Guide for architects and designers
Solaglas
(part of the worldwide Saint-Gobain Group) was recently granted
a National Training Award by 'UK Skills' on behalf of The Department
for Education and Science
Jack
Postan, of MPH Windows, explains to GQA Chief Exec Allan Murray
how his organisation dovetailed the in-company fabrication training
programme with the GQA NVQ for the Production of Glass Supporting
Fabrications.
Customers
and staff at Midlands-based conservatory roof manufacturer, Newdawn
and Sun, are benefiting from a new training suite at the expanding
Alcester site.
The
GGF has issued an up-to-date position as regards publication
and enforcement of the forthcoming European Standard for
insulating glass units (EN 1279)
CE
Marking requires companies to have their units tested
to EN 1279: Dave Frost explains.
Delegates from the British Plastics Federation Windows Group recently
travelled to Behringen, Germany to visit the Veka recycling plant
as part of the organisation's bid to formulate policy for dealing
with end-of-life PVCu windows
Glass
recycling officials revisited the site of one of the UK's first
glass bottle banks for a 25th anniversary celebration. Stanley
Race, who launched the UK's first ever bottle bank 25 years ago,
toasted the scheme's success alongside glass industry experts
in South Yorkshire.
Designers
must now comply with regulations to limit solar overheating in
buildings, as Paul Littlefair of BRE explains.
Features
now archived include:
Dave Frost on the implications of CE Marking to the sealed unit
manufacturer:
Phil Mundell on what Part M means to the Door Manufacturer;
Mike Fawcett on the 'Dilution' of Fire Glazing Standards;
s
Gary Dean on glass fusing;
Glass Production Software from Hanic.
For
a full list click here
In the October 1st issue of The Gl@zine, we ran an editorial under the heading 'The Return of Esther Rantzen?' which warned of a public backlash against the double glazing industry and even government intervention if aggressive sales practices and poor customer service continued to be the order of the day.
There are several different measurements used, and most understate the real cost of hiring the wrong person. At CrossLane, we calculate the cost like this.
Say you recruit a salesperson; the process will take 3 months, and a great deal of effort.
Meanwhile, the territory is unworked, and you lose three months of potential sales revenue.
Customer
Services Manager: Permacell Finesse
If you have drive, enthusiasm, personality and
a desire to strive for excellent customer service then this challenging
position will provide the opportunity to exploit these skills and
attributes.
Click here
for details
LIST
YOUR C.V. HERE FREE
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JobShop section is of interest to prospective employers. If you
are thinking of taking on staff, why not take a look at the people
we've got on offer? We currently have ELEVEN high quality CVs
on file. Click
here to view them.
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Exhibition
List UPDATED!
for upcoming exhibitions in the UK and the rest of the world.
The primary tool in TRADA's armoury is a new website, 'ask TRADA', available
worldwide from October
A
new online teaching aid for construction students and practitioners has
been launched by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
With
'MyGlaverbel.com', the Glaverbel Group is offering a new approach to and
vision of its world of glass for use in architectural and decorative applications
Each
year, Barbour Index commissions independent research into important topical
issues affecting the construction industry. This research is published
in an annual report. The tenth Barbour Report was published at the beginning
of July
Deceuninck has received the PP (Pollution Prevention) Award 2002 from
Ms. Vera Dua, Minister of the Government of Flanders for Environment and
Agriculture.
Piper
Double Glazing of Ramsgate has received an honourable mention among the
fastest growth businesses at the second annual Inner City 100, the small
business awards
Three
external, glass-block walled, cylindrical staircase towers have been praised
by the jury who bestowed RIBA's 2002 Regional Award on the new Pfizer
Headquarters, at Walton Oaks in Surrey.
Gary
Birrell of Airdrie window manufacturers Pyramid has been selected as George
Wimpey West Scotland's winner of the Company's biannual award
Leamore
Windows has been a fabricator of Eurocell's Ultimate 70mm window system
for the past five years and is currently experiencing signs of organic
growth.
Profile
22 fabricator, Slaithwaite Developments Ltd, designed and installed a
garden shelter housing the spa pool
Martin
Byford came fourth in the Clio Cup Championship. Racing cars is just a
hobby for Martin thanks to financial assistance from ventilation manufacturer,
Titon.
Rounders
team K2 Ladies have been together for 5 years and are sponsored by The
Burnden Group plc
KAT
UK has developed a new marketing strategy based on furthering the market
presence of its tiger imagery
Software
house, Windowlink, is using a trendy Smart Car sporting eye-catching livery
to drive forward its new customer support initiative.
Conservatory
samples in disarray? Spread all over the boot of the car in a complete
mess? Midlands-based conservatory roof manufacturer, Newdawn & Sun,
has found an answer
Synseal
Extrusions Ltd along with its customers across the UK have raised £15,000
for this year's the Children in Need appeal.
Dave
Darby, md of Veka fabricator & installer Sapphire Windows of Newton
Abbot in Devon, has raised £1,150 for worthy causes after having
his haircut of 36 years shaved off
Kestrel
Building Products is the latest local company to lend its support to the
Donna Louise Trust, the charity currently building a children's hospice
at Trentham near Stoke-on-Trent
Adrian
Vicker, sales director at hardware manufacturer Roto Frank, will be taking
his motorbike on an epic three-day journey from toe to tip of Great Britain
to raise funds for the BBC's Children In Need appeal.
The
collaboration between Curvet Spa from Pesaro, which for the last 25 years
has specialised in manufacturing safety glass and curved glass, and Bekaert
ECD Solar Systems LLC , the manufacturer of flexible solar cells and solar
modules with brandname Uni-Solar®, has resulted in a solar electric
glass panel in a curved form.
Following
the launch of Conservaglass™, Chris Richardson, technical director
of Ultraframe (UK) Ltd, considers some of the factors concerned in the
selection of IGUs for conservatories.
Kim
Rehfeld, Managing Director of HomePro, looks at the nature, and benefits,
of Insurance Backed Guarantees - now necessary for FENSA compliance
FENSA,
GGF and BBA have agreed on their understanding on fire escape provisions
and Part L.
The
Health and Safety people help to avoid tragedies, working with companies
to resource health and safety requirements, control safety costs and satisfy
legal obligations
I'm afraid to say that the momentum is still building up. Last week we reported on the OFT launching an investigation into doorstep selling following a 'super-complaint' from the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux (NACAB). Now, this week, we have received a damning report from Which? which paints a sorry picture of the 'Big Five' nationals - Coldseal, Zenith, Staybrite, Anglian and Everest - leaving a trail of dissatisfied customers in their wake.
In a survey conducted of 3519 Which? readers who had had double glazing installed in the past two years, an astonishing 75% of customers of three of the nationals had experienced problems. Two fifths of respondents had problems with delivery and installation, the wrong doors or windows were delivered to 15% and a similar number complained of damaged units. Customer service was poor overall and the persistent stereotype of the pushy salesperson is still all too common.
In
its conclusions, Which? took a side swipe at the Glass and Glazing Federation
- which the Big Five are all members of - saying that 'GGF membership
doesn't necessarily guarantee good quality work.' Furthermore, only one
per cent of people with problems went on to complain to a professional
body such as the GGF.
In
light of these findings, perhaps it's no surprise that more and more consumers
are going to local, independent window companies (only 25% of the Which?
sample had bought from the nationals). As a reminder that there are still
plenty of good guys out there we also report on a recent Business Award
for Customer Service won by a local fabricator, a common enough story
in these pages, but still worth pointing out, I think.
Please
email me at tony@theglazine.com
Tony Higgin, Publisher
THIS WEEK'S NEWS
National
Window Companies 'A Pain in the Glass' says Which? Report
In a survey of its readers, published on 7th November
2002, Which? found that six out of ten respondents experienced difficulties
with double glazing companies. National chains caused the most problems.
[More
on this Story]
Deceuninck
fabricator wins Business Award for customer service
Deceuninck
fabricator Great Harwood Windows Ltd has won the prestigious East Lancashire
Business Award for customer service. Over 100 companies entered this
category, but the judges were impressed with the Blackburn based company's
commitment to customer service.
[More
on this Story]
Which
Trade Fabricators Have you Heard of?
Shepley recently commissioned research into installers'
perceptions of trade fabricators and the overwhelming message from this
research was that installers know very little about trade fabricators.
[More
on this Story]
Who
Will be Caught with their Trousers Down in 2003?
The
window industry is facing one of the most significant phases in its
history, yet window companies in general appear poorly prepared to combat
saturation and less ready still to face up to the issue of replacing
the replacements. Who will be the first to be caught with their trousers
down in 2003?
[More
on this Story]
Management
team buy out Ultraspan from Ultraframe
The management team at Ultraspan, including director of sales Steve
Abrahams, has purchased the Company from the Ultraframe group.
[More
on this Story]
The
VEKA Charity Calendar 2003 - Now it's Time for the Girls!
If you deal with PVC-U window systems supplier VEKA and perhaps wondered
if the girl on the other end of the line looks as good as she sounds,
now's the time to find out!
[More
on this Story]
New
Kitemark Scheme Launched for Double-Glazing Installation
BSI has launched a new Kitemark scheme to ensure the
quality of PVCu window installations. A double-glazed window is only
as good as the installation. Double-glazed windows on their own can
achieve the Kitemark but if a window is not properly installed it may
not last.
[More
on this Story]
Vat
Reduction ‘Crucial to Prescott’s Urban Crusade’, says
NFB
The
National Federation of Builders (NFB) is calling on the Chancellor to
reduce the level of VAT on refurbishment projects in his pre-Budget
report later this month to help bring thousands of vacant, disused homes
back into use.
[More
on this Story]
Perfect
Partners for Pilkington Activ™
The
UK launch of Pilkington Activ™, the dual-action self-cleaning glass,
has now taken place, causing interest from not just homeowners looking
to save both time and money on window cleaning, but also the trade who
are keen to add the new product to their own portfolio.
[More
on this Story]
Darby
Reinvestment Programme
As
part of the reinvestment programme already under way, and with an eye
on future compliance with Part L / Part J of the Building Regulations,
the Darby Group proposes to install a new cutting table at its location
in Scotland.
[More
on this Story]
Avocet
Raises the Roof
Avocet
Hardware has completed the first phase of a £3.5m project to establish
an automated picking and despatch operation at its National Distribution
Centre in Brighouse.
[More
on this Story]
Structural
Glazing in Research and Practice - Customer Service via Glass Competence
Centres (GCC)
Wacker
has set up Glass Competence Centres (GCC) worldwide in order to provide
customers with individual, project-specific consultancy right through
from planning to implementation.
[More
on this Story]
Support
for EU Energy Directive
At
a conference to review the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive
- which has been adopted by the EU Council of Ministers - there was
overwhelming support for its introduction in the UK as soon as possible.
[More
on this Story]
Asahi
Glass Reports Consolidated Results for Fiscal 2003 First Half
Asahi
Glass Company Limited released its consolidated operating results for
the first half of fiscal 2003, ended September 30, 2002, on November
18th. Net sales edged down by 2.0%, to Y632,873 million ($4,921 million).
Operating profit dipped 35.1%
[More
on this Story]
Business
Micros 12 Per Cent Up
Software supplier Business Micros has reported a 12 per cent increase
in turnover in the year since it was bought out by directors Graeme
Bailey and Jim Cronie.
[More
on this Story]
Commercially
Aware, Customer Driven
When
Indigo Products Limited opened its commercial division it determined
to tender only for those contracts it felt confident in fulfilling with
high quality and on site service performance.
[More
on this Story]
Schott
on Course in Difficult Times
With
virtually constant sales of 1.98 billion euros (2.004 billion euros
in 2000/2001) and a satisfactory profit comparable to that of the previous
year the Schott technology concern stood up well to the weak world economy.
[More
on this Story]
PPG
Industries Forecast
Earnings
of PPG Industries for the fourth quarter are forecast to be between
55 and 60 cents a share, according to Raymond W. LeBoeuf, chairman and
chief executive officer.
[More
on this Story]
Assa
Abloy - Interim Report for the Third Quarter of 2002
* Sales increased by 13%, with 3% organic growth
* Income before tax increased by 28% as a result of ongoing improvements
and increased Group co-ordination
[More
on this Story]
Cotswold
Windows goes from Strength to Strength
In
order to accommodate a growth in business, HW Systems fabricator, Cotswold
Windows has recently moved into new premises in Toddington, near Cheltenham.
[More
on this Story]
Activity
Centre gets Warm Response from Sash
Youngsters
throughout the UK are reaping the benefits of a newly refurbished activity
centre on the outskirts of Barnsley - thanks to local window manufacturer
Sash and a selection of the company's suppliers.
[More
on this Story]
Alcoa
Foundation Celebrates 50 Years; Announces International Social Venture
Initiative
As
part of a worldwide celebration of its 50th anniversary, Alcoa Foundation
announced an international Social Venture Initiative designed to improve
the effectiveness and sustainability of nonprofits by applying business
and entrepreneurial models in their organisations.
[More
on this Story]
ARCHIVES
You
can view previous issues of THE GL@ZINE in our ARCHIVE
NEWS SECTION
There are also archives for the following sections:
Should you wish to advertise on THE GL@ZINE, please contact Tony Higgin at tony@theglazine.com or telephone 01923-461527, mobile 07977-981753.
A Ratecard is available as a PDF download (147K, less than 15 seconds with a 56K connection) on this link: www.theglazine.com/ratecard.pdf
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© 2002 B2BZine Company.
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