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THE GL@ZINE ISSUE 145 26th October 2004
Deceuninck
Acquires Winsa to Become Number One PVC-U Window Profiler in Turkey
Deceuninck has announced the signing of a US $8m sale and purchase agreement
for the acquisition of Winsa, the PVC window profiie division of the Turkish
Pilsa Plastik Sanayi A.S., from the Sabanci Holding. The acquisition makes
Ege Profil A.S. the number one in the rapidly growing Turkish market for
PVC window systems.
[More
on this Story]
Pearsons
Becomes Largest UK Coloured Glass Supplier with Acquisition of Hetleys
and Launches The Pearsons Prize
Earlier
this month
Pearsons Glass Ltd of Liverpool announced - at an event in The Crypt of
St Paul's Cathedral, London - the company’s take over of James Hetleys
Ltd which made Pearsons the largest supplier of coloured and decorative
glass in the country. Pearsons Chairman Peter Vellins (pictured), and
MD Ray Mawson marked the occasion by launching a new competition within
the glass industry, The Pearsons Prize.
[More
on this Story]
Ultraframe
Wields Axe in Management Structure
Ultraframe's
operational review of its business processes and structure is now complete
and the company has streamlined its management structure: 14 positions
were made redundant. Two individuals were redeployed. 9 of the 12 individuals
concerned were in management roles and 2 were in supervisory roles.
[More
on this Story]
Major
Investment for Planet Group Boosts North West Jobs and Prosperity
Planet
Group Ltd, the UK installer of conservatories, is investing £2 million
in a new 35,000 sq ft factory in Lancashire as part of a growth strategy
that will create 50 new jobs. Planet will open the factory, which will
be known as Polar Glass, this month near junction 7 of the M65 near Accrington.
[More
on this Story]
Ever
Had a Holiday that you Need a Holiday to Get Over?
Not
just one, but two hurricanes made Nic Rossano’s recent family holiday
to Florida a memorable event. For having arrived just after Hurricane
Charley had hit, their subsequent departure was delayed four days by the
slow-moving Frances.
[More
on this Story]
New
Hardware Choice for Irish Fabricators
Independent
hardware distributor, Wagner, has added a further site to its distribution
network with the opening of a new depot in Newtownabbey, Northern Ireland.
Gordon Mercer, Technical Sales Representative for the area, will be well
known to customers as he has 10 years’ industry experience.
[More
on this Story]
Sapphire
Sparkles on its 4th Birthday
Just
four years after first opening for business, Newton Abbot based Veka fabricator
and installer Sapphire Window Systems has moved to larger premises and
made a number of strategic investments.
[More
on this Story]
Roof-Makers
Record Year with Global
Roof-maker,
the UK conservatory roofing company, has just recorded sales of £2.5
million over an 11 month accounting period. These record sales figures
have been bolstered by a busy start to the year with sales up 100% since
switching to the Global system.
[More
on this Story]
PBM
Rates Ultraframe the Best for Total Quality, Innovation and Service
Swansea
based PBM-DQS, independent fabricator of conservatories, has signed
an exclusive 3-year supply deal with the designer and manufacturer of
conservatory roofs, Ultraframe.
[More
on this Story]
Astra
Windows Changes to Newdawn
Astra
Windows, based in Farnworth near Bolton,
has changed its conservatory roof system
to Newera™ from Newdawn & Sun Ltd.
Astra is a well respected, established company
that has been supplying windows, doors and
conservatories to customers throughout the
North West and Staffordshire for over 16
years.
[More
on this Story]
Further
Setback to VCM & Polymers Production
Following
the delayed re-start of its VCM plant at
Rafnes in Norway on 10th October as a consequence
of its major maintenance shutdown, Hydro
Polymers has announced that further technical
problems required the plant to stop production
for a further four days commencing pm Monday
18th October.
[More
on this Story]
Coming
back to Synseal
As
the last Window Benchmarks Report from Reputations Plus
shows, Synseal Extrusions’ customers are a loyal
bunch. Seventy seven per cent of the Synseal fabricators
interviewed described themselves as ‘very loyal’.
[More
on this Story]
GBW
Partners Paddock on New Door Range
GBW
and Paddock have entered into partnership on the design
of the next generation of composite doors within GBW’s
Discovery range.
[More
on this Story]
Alcoa
Realigns Business to Better Serve Global Markets
Alcoa
has announced a reorganisation of its management structure
to better align itself with global markets. It also
announced an investment of some 64m euros in three smelters
in Spain.
[More
on this Story]
GGF
Awards Edgetech’s Super Spacer® Top Results
In
a recent government funded project, jointly commissioned by the GGF
and the DTI, a range of typical UK window systems were measured to
establish the improvement in thermal performance derived from different
spacer bar systems in insulated glazing units.
[More
on this Story]
Yale
Set to Supply Social Housing Sector
A
household name for more than 150 years, Yale Door & Window Solutions
has increased its range of residential security products available
to social housing specifiers.
[More
on this Story]
£1
Million Boost for Wakefield Council Window Firm
Metroglaze,
Wakefield’s successful council-owned window factory, has completed
summertime orders totalling over £1 million to improve school
buildings across the UK.
[More
on this Story]
Listers
Gets a Handle on Quality
Lister
Trade Frames of Stoke says that it has increased the quality of
its frames again by fitting the latest range of high impact PVD
handles to the company's door ranges.
[More
on this Story]
RegaLead
is Pilkington Activ Compatible
RegaLead
has been granted permission to use the Pilkington Activ™ Compatible
logo on its products. The supplier of creative options for glazing,
RegaLead is to feature the logo on its lead, glass cleaner and two
of its adhesives.
[More
on this Story]
THE GL@ZINE ISSUE 144 19th October 2004
Ultraframe
Streamlines UK Business to Meet Changing Market Conditions
Ultraframe, the UK‚s leading manufacturer of conservatory systems,
has today announced that it intends to streamline its UK business. This
is part of a wider Operational Review as Ultraframe reshapes and restructures
its organisation to focus on meeting the needs of its customers.
[More
on this Story]
Deceuninck
Turnover up 4% in Third Quarter but Warns of Raw Material Price Rises
Group
Deceuninck, a worldwide manufacturer of PVC window systems and profiles
for the construction industry, announced on 14th October that its turnover
in the third quarter rose by more than 4% to 160.2 million euros compared
with the historically strong third quarter of 2003.
[More
on this Story]
Pearsons
Underscore a Century of History with Acquisition of Hetleys
Pearsons
Glass Limited has a strong vision for the future. With the acquisition
of Hetleys Glass, the company is now by far the largest supplier of coloured
and decorative glass in the United Kingdom. A commitment to investment
in the best and most up to date machinery, technology and people, will
enable Pearsons to offer the best in quality products, materials and service.
[More
on this Story]
New
£9.5 Million Veka Distribution & Logistics Centre the Most Advanced
in the Industry
Extruder
of window and door systems Veka plc has completed work on an advanced
Distribution and Logistics Centre, to more than double the size of its
Burnley, Lancashire site to 400,000 feet The development represents an
investment in the UK operation of £9.5 million.
[More
on this Story]
Synseal
First to Manufacture an Entire Conservatory –Including the Components
Long
supply chains are bad news for any end user. The more hands a product
has to pass through, the more costly and cumbersome the route to market.
[More
on this Story]
New
Faces at UK's Premier Glass and Window Shows
Emap Maclaren has appointed Chris Reynolds as Sales Manager to further
develop the increasing interest shown towards Glassex 2005 exhibition,
which is being held at the NEC Birmingham from 13th to 16th, March 2005.
And to maximise the full potential of next year's GP&T 2005 Exhibition
Lesley Stevenson has been appointed as new Sales Manager for the event
[More
on this Story]
Eurocell
Building Plastics Barnsley and Swansea Depots Now Open
Eurocell
Building Plastics, the network of trade centres, has recently opened its
57th and 58th branches. The latest branches at Swansea and Barnsley have
added further quality to an already enviable network of EBP centres and
sub-stockists.
[More
on this Story]
Anglian
Launches Dedicated New-Build Facility
Anglian
Windows Group — manufacturer and installer of PVCu windows, doors
and conservatories — has invested £4 million in a new facility
specifically dedicated to the new-build market.
[More
on this Story]
Goldshield
– the First Warm Edge Manufacturer Customer in the World to Pass
CEN1279 Part 3
Edgetech
customer Goldshield has now achieved CEN1279 Parts 2 and 3, which are
the most relevant parts of the standard to sealed unit manufacturers.
[More
on this Story]
KEB
Announces Gateshead Partnering Agreement
Following
recent successful partnering schemes in Birmingham and Liverpool, KEB
Fabrications Limited has been awarded another major social housing refurbishment
project, valued at £1 million a year for The Gateshead Housing
Company.
[More
on this Story]
TriSeal™
gives European Fabricators a New Competitive
Edge
As the latest GGF testing confirms the benefits
of warm edge technology, Edgetech is introducing
its new Super Spacer® TriSeal™
at November’s Glasstec exhibition in
Düsseldorf.
[More
on this Story]
Synseal’s
Showroom Showcase
Wolverhampton
based UPVC Warehouse is always on the look
out for innovative products with great potential.
It was among the first to take Synseal’s
Shield Conservatory System and now has a
5,000 sq ft showroom to display the product.
[More
on this Story]
Listers
Launch gets Off to a Speedy Start
Lister
Trade Frames of Stoke-on-Trent celebrated the launch
of its new customer brand with a competition to find
the fastest 'beader' in the West.
[More
on this Story]
Profile
Wrappers Strengthens Expansion Plans
Midlands
based laminating company Profile Wrappers Ltd has strengthened
its plans to significantly grow its business in the
next five years by investing in additional staff and
machinery to increase production capacity.
[More
on this Story]
Eastern
Promise for K2
K2
Conservatory Roof Systems has scored
a major coup in its expansion plans
into Asia by securing a supply deal
with House Component in Bangkok, one
of Thailand's largest suppliers of conservatories,
PVCu windows and doors.
[More
on this Story]
Windows
of Success for Wakefield Business
One
of Wakefield’s untold success stories looks set
to achieve even greater successes following the recent
announcement about changes to council home ownership
in the area.
[More
on this Story]
Ian
Wood Takes Charge at DHF
Ian Wood, a leading figure in the building products
industry, has been appointed chief executive officer
of the Door and Hardware Federation.
[More
on this Story]
Profile
22’s Commercial Expertise Attracts Fabricators
Profile
22 says that its expertise in providing a trusted
window and door solution for Housing Associations
and Local Authorities is attracting new specialist
fabricators to its expanding national network.
[More
on this Story]
OFT
Study of the Impact of Public Sector Procurement
on Competition
The
OFT has published preliminary research into the
impact of public procurement on competition. It
contains an in-depth economic analysis of the relationships
between public procurement and competition.
[More
on this Story]
Alcoa
Announces Income from Continuing Operations of $298m
in Third Quarter
Alcoa
announced last week that its income from continuing
operations was $298 million, or $0.34 per diluted
share, in the third quarter, up from $285 million,
or $0.33, in the third quarter of 2003, and down
from $405 million, or $0.46, in the previous quarter.
[More
on this Story]
THE GL@ZINE ISSUE 143 12th October 2004
Aztec
Process Knocks Holes in Roof Time
Aztec
Conservatory Roof Systems says that conservatory roof processing time
can be cut by up to 50% by using the company’s new processing suite.
The suite comprises a series of equipment ranging from hand-held jigs
to free-standing pneumatic punches to enable accelerated and more accurate
processing of component parts for the Aztec roof.
[More
on this Story]
Window
Energy Rating System… a Komedy of Errors
While researching the workings of BFRC Window Energy Rating System, Saint-Gobain
Glass has uncovered a number of serious errors, to which we would like
to draw your attention. Firstly, there is a mistake in a bulletin relating
to the BFRC window energy rating system. The bulletin includes a table
designed to show a working example of the rating calculation by comparing
K glass to Optitherm SN. This would appear to rate the two products equally.
But if you apply the figures they present, the result will actually be
quite different, says Saint Gobain marketing manager Derek Dragten.
[More
on this Story]
Glazing
Industry Generosity Breaks New Records
More
than 450 glazing industry revellers partied hard at the 8th GM Fundraising
Gala Dinner, held at The Palace Hotel, Manchester on Saturday evening.
The annual event, organised by former Deceuninck CEO, Gary Morton and
the GMF team, was sold out weeks in advance.
[More
on this Story]
Where
are you Margaret?…Your Prize is Waiting …Network Veka Seeks
Balloon Bubbly Winner
Network Veka has stepped in to help Newton Abbot fabricator Sapphire Windows
to trace a mystery Champagne prize winner.
A lucky breeze blew the winning ticket from Sapphire’s prize balloon
release over 230 miles from Devon to reach ‘Margaret’ of Rochester,
Kent – but now her benefactors can’t get in touch!
[More
on this Story]
Water
Tight Deal For Lightwater Park
After
a three-way pitch for the contract, Synseal Extrusions Ltd customer Nu-Era
landed the £250,000 job of installing a conservatory at the prestigious
Lightwater Valley Theme Park.
[More
on this Story]
Homeowners
in the North-East Demand Ultraframe
The
largest manufacturer and installer of home improvement products in the
North-East of England has recently turned to Ultraframe for all its conservatory
roofing products after 27 years in the business.
[More
on this Story]
Duraflex
Backs Fastframe’s Move into New Markets
Duraflex
is working closely with Bristol-based fabricator, Fastframe, in its bid
to develop opportunities in the growing new build and commercial markets.
[More
on this Story]
All-In-One
List for CGI
Using
CGI’s Pyroguard unwired fire glass has been made even easier for
glaziers, door manufacturers and joiners now that it has a substantially
extended listing shown on its revised CERTIFIRE documentation.
[More
on this Story]
Over
800 New Conservatory, Window & Door Companies
The
latest quarterly database release from Windowbase now has over 12,200
entries of companies manufacturing or installing fenestration-related
products. This includes over 800 new companies over the previous quarter.
[More
on this Story]
Winlock’s
BoaRestrictor Breaks Records
Over
1,800 product enquiries have flooded into
Winlock Security within two months of the
launch of its BoaRestrictor, breaking all
previous records for the Telford-based manufacturer.
[More
on this Story]
K2
Dealers Sign Up For Long Term Partnership
K2
has signed up over 50% of its dealer network
to a three-year trading agreement. The Trading
Partner Customers make up more than 65%
of K2's trade sales. With negotiations already
in progress with a number of additional
customers, the company expects to secure
a further 11% of its dealer business by
signing three-year trading agreements within
the next few weeks.
[More
on this Story]
Versatile
Proves Versatility with Roof Choice
‘It's
all about choice’, says Kevin Barnard, managing
director of Versatile Limited. ‘Now that we have
established two divisions within the company, we are
able to offer product combinations that reach across
every sector of the conservatory market.
[More
on this Story]
New
Planet Appears on Horizon in Banbury
Banbury's
Cherwell Windows has a new name - Planet Oxfordshire.
The area's conservatory installer has now become part
of Planet Group Ltd - with a £160,000 investment
in its Beaumont Road showroom in the town.
[More
on this Story]
High
Profile Support for the Glassex Challenge as the GQA
Steps Forward to Sponsor
Following
a highly energetic and successful first appearance at
Glassex 2004, the Glassex Challenge – which seeks
to expose the most talented and committed window, door
and conservatory installers in the UK – will not
only be back for Glassex 2005 but will also appropriately
be sponsored by the Glass Qualifications Authority.
[More
on this Story]
Wandle
Partners with FineLine on £1/2 Million Surrey Quays Project
Kent-based
Sheerframe window-maker FineLine has recently completed a £500,000
refurbishment contract for Wandle Housing Association.
[More
on this Story]
Omega
Chooses UK Fasteners for its Reliability
Devon
based Omega Trade Frames has high expectations of all its suppliers.
‘We only use the best suppliers so that our windows are of
the highest quality,’ explains Martin Grant, Production Director
of Omega Trade Frames Ltd.
[More
on this Story]
Sarnafil
Swings into Action with ‘Designer Lead’ Solution
Eight
years since starting to install single-ply membrane, David Salisbury
Conservatories has recently started using Sarnafil Roof Assured
(SRA) PVC single-ply flat roofing membrane.
[More
on this Story]
Alcoa
Unions in Wenatchee Vote To Accept Agreement
Alcoa announced on October 8th that workers at
its idled Wenatchee, WA aluminium smelter, represented by the United
Steelworkers of America (USWA) and the Aluminum Trades Council of
Wenatchee, Washington, voted to accept a labour agreement that will
save the jobs of approximately 400 workers.
[More
on this Story]
THE GL@ZINE ISSUE 142 5th October 2004
Polyex
acquires Stereon
Alfreton based polycarbonate manufacturer Polyex Ltd has acquired a majority
stake in Victoria Plastics Ltd. Hull based Victoria Plastics Ltd trades
as Stereon and was formed by a management buy-out of the company from
GE in 2003.
[More
on this Story]
Window
Energy Rating System… Let’s Stop joKing!
The consultation document on proposals for amending part L of the Building
Regulations presents an option to include the BFRC Window Energy Rating
System (WERS) alongside maximum whole window U-values and maximum centre-pane
U-values as an alternative means of compliance for the domestic replacement
market. Derek Dragten, marketing manager for Saint-Gobain Glass UK, shares
his views on the heated debate surrounding its potential inclusion.
[More
on this Story]
Pilkington
to Introduce Energy Surcharge
Pilkington
has recently announced that its Building Products division is to introduce
an energy surcharge on its glass products sold in Europe. The surcharge
is as a result of increasing energy costs and will come into effect
on 1st November 2004.
[More
on this Story]
Synseal
Invests £9.5 Million in 18 Months to Maintain the Momentum
Synseal
says that its growth in window profile and in conservatory roof systems
in the last few years has astonished the industry. While some of its
competitors ground to a halt in the last eighteen months, and others
slipped back, Synseal has picked up speed.
[More
on this Story]
New
Planet Appears on Horizon in Leamington Spa
Planet
Group Ltd has invested £250,000 in a new purpose-built showroom
in Leamington Spa. The 5,000 sq. ft. showroom on Tachbrook Park opens
on Saturday 9th October. It is the 18th in the company’s network
of outlets across the UK and will bring at least 16 new jobs to the
town.
[More
on this Story]
Tioxide
Insurance Setback in Pinking Case
Tioxide
Europe has failed to make insurers pay out a multi-million pound claim
over the pinking of PVC-U profiles. The company manufactured two grades
of white titanium dioxide pigments in the 1990s that were used to
make window profiles.
[More
on this Story]
COROX®-CGM
Convective Glass Melting: Significant Increase of Productivity
Linde
AG, Linde Gas Division, together with The BOC Group has reached a
license agreement on marketing of the BOC Convective Glass Melting
(CGM) technology. The letters CGM are a trade-mark of The BOC Group.
Linde will offer this new technology with the registered trade-mark
COROX®-CGM to the glass industry world-wide.
[More
on this Story]
A
New Window of Opportunity for Sika Customers
Sika,
polyurethane sealants and bonding specialist, has introduced a new
range of silicone sealants for the UK Commercial Glazing Market. The
new sealant range, which Sika acquired, is named Wacker Chemie.
[More
on this Story]
£1
Million Boost for Wakefield Council Window Firm
Metroglaze,
Wakefield’s successful council-owned window factory, has completed
summertime orders totalling over £1 million to improve school
buildings across the UK.
[More
on this Story]
LVM
to Invest in a New Ethylene Dichloride Facility at Tessenderlo
Limburgse Vinyl Maatschappij (LVM), a Tessenderlo Group subsidiary,
is investing 20 million EUR in the building of a new facility which
is to produce 250 000 tonnes per annum of ethylene dichloride.
[More
on this Story]
KEB
Fabrications Accepted into Birmingham Construction Partnership
Social
housing fenestration specialist, KEB Fabrications Ltd has been awarded
another high profile contract. The Glassex Award winning Profile
22 window manufacturer has successfully been accepted into the Birmingham
Construction Partnership.
[More
on this Story]
Newstead
Expands to Stay Ahead of Demand
With
plans to maintain the momentum of growth
Newstead Trade Frames has increased
its stock holding of raw material. Adding
4,500 ft2 to its existing 79,000 ft2
site, Newstead has extended its storage
warehouse facility.
[More
on this Story]
New
President Takes Over the Reins at the
CAB
Well-known industry figure, Lennart
Jonsson, has taken over as President
of the Council for Aluminium in Building.
Mr Jonsson, Managing Director of Senior
Aluminium Systems (SAS), takes over
from outgoing President Mike Nevitt.
[More
on this Story]
Patiomaster
Invests for Success
PatioMaster North West has invested
more than £250,000 in new plant and machinery
to meet sustained demand from fabricators and installers
wanting to buy in readymade PVCu sliding patio doors
from a local supplier.
[More
on this Story]
Foilex
– Foiling for the Future
Foilex,
the specialist foiling facility, says that it offers
consistently high quality lamination, reliable and
flexible service, while guaranteeing confidentiality
at all times, to all PVCu and cellular PVC extruders.
[More
on this Story]
Mind
the GAP: General All Purpose Plastics
Races Ahead
General All Purpose Plastics (GAP)
says that it has grown 30% a year
for the last three years. GAP, which
stocks PVC-UE roofline, rainwater
products and PVC door panels from
six depots in the north of England
has a turnover of £20m.
[More
on this Story]
Plastics
Plus – on the Edge of Perfection with Holzma
How
do you use a saw to start a cut-to-size plastic
sheet operation with 5 people in 1991 and grow
to a current staff of 34 with turnover of nearly
£10m? Answer: by understanding precisely
what superior quality products your customers
need and then finding a world-leading technical
partner to supply the manufacturing capability.
[More
on this Story]
Closure
of Production Line at Danish Glassworks
Rexam,
the global consumer packaging group, announces
that it has reduced the number of production
lines from seven to six at its Holmegaard glass
container operation in Denmark as of 1st October,
2004.
[More
on this Story]