Pilkington
Reports Best Cash Performance for a Decade in Mixed 2002 Results
Chairman, Sir Nigel Rudd reports a robust set of results from Pilkington,
produced against the backdrop of continuing depressed trading conditions
in most of the Group’s major markets. Pressure on selling prices
in Europe and North America pulled operating profits, including joint
ventures and associates, down to £217m (2002 £238m).
'Despite the lower operating profits, our emphasis on cash generation
enabled Pilkington to generate cash inflow before dividends of £138m
(2002 £5m outflow); the Group’s strongest cash performance
for a decade', he says.
'Trading performance in the UK has been strong, helped by rising sales
of Pilkington ‘K’ glass resulting from legislative changes requiring
the use of energy-saving glass. The automotive business continues to consolidate
its position as supplier of choice of glass and glazing systems for the
world’s carmakers and has won profitable new business. Furthermore,
the restructuring 'Step Change' programme in North America is continuing
to provide positive results, and is on track to deliver annual benefits
of $35 million by March 2004.'
Dr. Hans-Peter Keitel will retire as a non-executive director after the
annual general meeting in July. Hans-Peter has been a non-executive
director since September 1995 and the Board has benefited greatly from
his experience particularly in matters relating to the German market,
emerging markets, capital expenditure projects and the construction industry.
Andrew Robb will also retire as an executive director after the annual
general meeting in July. Andrew joined the Board in December 1989,
and since then has made a significant contribution to the Group. He
was finance director until the end of December 2001 and subsequently has
been active in continuing to develop the Group’s strategic relationships
whilst remaining responsible for the legal, secretarial, corporate affairs
and information systems functions.
Christine Morin-Postel is to become a non-executive director and will
take up this appointment on 1st August 2003. Christine recently retired
as executive vice-president in charge of group human resources at Suez,
a major French company, and prior to undertaking such role was chief executive
officer of Société Générale de Belgique. The
Board believes that it will benefit greatly from her knowledge of continental
European markets and from her experience in general management and human
resources.
Turnover from continuing operations, including joint ventures and associates,
was unchanged at £2.8 billion. Operating profit, including
joint ventures and associates, was £217m (2002 £238m).
Profit before goodwill amortisation, exceptional items and taxation was
£153m (2002 £183m), a decrease of 16 per cent.
After deducting goodwill amortisation of £9m (2002 £10m),
and exceptional losses arising from the disposal of businesses and investments
of £4m, profit before tax was £140m (2002 £161m).
Following the collapse of the Argentinean peso in 2002, hyperinflationary
conditions prevail in Argentina and, as a result, Pilkington has adopted
the indexation rules set out under UITF 9 in preparing the Group's results. This
has had the effect of reducing the Group's operating profit in 2003 by
£6m, compared to that computed under historical accounting rules.
'Competitiveness in the manufacture of flat glass remains central to our
strategy and we will continue to seek every opportunity to reduce overheads
and improve manufacturing efficiency, whilst maintaining the highest levels
of safety and quality in everything we do. The North American restructuring
programme, which is now drawing to a close, is a good example of this. Generating
increased cash as a basis for future profitable growth remains a key objective.
'The Group continues to benefit from a progressive shift toward higher
value-added products in both building products and automotive markets.
'In Building Products, usage of energy-saving Pilkington ‘K’
glass has increased significantly in the UK, following changes in building
regulations. Sales of advanced fire protection products continue
to grow. The uptake of Pilkington Activ™ self-cleaning glass,
now available in all our principal markets, is rising steadily, despite
its launch in an economic downturn. We intend to make this revolutionary
product a platform for the launch of a range of multi-functional glasses
combining dual-action self-cleaning with other properties.
'During the year Pilkington began the supply of the first enhanced intruder
resistant laminated sideglazing on the BMW 7 series, and began to supply
Chrysler in North America after a gap of ten years.'
Review of Operations
Building Products
Building Products sales, including joint ventures and associates, were
£1,452 million, down one per cent on the previous year. Operating
profits decreased by 22per cent to £163 million, due to lower selling
prices in continental Europe and North America.
The Group’s Building Products business continues to be a world leader. This
year, however, Pilkington has faced downward pressure on prices in the
weak continental European market and in North America. In the UK
government legislation requiring the use of energy efficient glass in
homes and offices helped keep demand buoyant. In Australia strong
demand for new housing underpinned a good result for the year. Increased
efficiencies and improved productivity helped the business to offset in
part the worst effect of the downturn in continental Europe and North
America.
Europe
Primary Products Europe is Pilkington's largest single business and represents
the 'upstream' segment of Building Products’ European operations. Sales
in this business were lower than the record levels achieved last year.
This was due to a slowdown in continental European economies coupled with
scheduled cold repairs of two float lines during the year. European float
glass prices fell by an average of ten per cent. Despite the tough
market conditions, the business again made significant progress, further
reducing costs.
One of the two float glass lines at Gladbeck, Germany was repaired and
upgraded during the first quarter. Due to low levels of demand, the
plant start-up was delayed until July 2002. The float plant at Porto
Marghera (Venice), Italy was also repaired and recommenced production
in August 2002.
Production of the Group’s high value-added clear fire protection
range, the market-leading Pilkington Pyrostop™, was again increased
in Germany during the year to meet continued strong growth in demand for
this product.
To meet the increase in demand for Pilkington K Glass™, investment
was made to upgrade and increase the output from the Cowley Hill coating
line in St Helens.
The new innovative self-cleaning glass, Pilkington Activ™, has now
been fully launched throughout Europe and was a major attraction at the
2002 Glasstec Exhibition in Düsseldorf. A marketing campaign
is now in place in all European markets to expand the sales of this product,
with some progress already achieved.
Although the European downstream processing and merchanting business was
also affected by the poor economic conditions in continental Europe, it
was still able to deliver a fifth consecutive year of profitable growth. This
business represents nearly 30 per cent of total Building Products sales.
A steady improvement in productivity during the year, through the use
of better working practices, together with the introduction of new information
systems, resulted in lower overhead costs. Improved quality and service
remain key drivers in the business strategy.
During the year, a small acquisition was made in Finland and certain branches
within the European network were expanded and productivity increased.
All processing and merchanting customers in Europe can now place orders
on-line. Twenty per cent of all orders are now processed electronically
and this is expected to grow substantially.
Prospects
Pilkington is operating in tough trading conditions for a third consecutive
year and currently expects little change in the near term.
Pilkington will continue to concentrate on reducing overhead and further
improving manufacturing performance so as to deliver robust profits, even
in difficult markets. Furthermore, it will remain focused on the need
to generate net free cash flow to secure the future.
Chemetall
sells Glass Sealants and Casting Resins Business to Kömmerling
Chemetall GmbH, Frankfurt am Main, will sell the sealants and casting
resins business of its Glass Division to Kömmerling Chemische Fabrik
GmbH, Pirmasens/Germany. A corresponding agreement was signed on Friday,
May 23rd. The transaction has been approved by the anti-trust authorities
and is expected to be closed in June.
Kömmerling will acquire from Chemetall its Naftotherm® and Naftolan®
product lines which comprise primary and secondary insulating glass sealants
as well as casting resins for the glass industry.
Kömmerling will also take over the corresponding production facilities
and staff at Langelsheim (near Goslar) where it will continue to manufacture
insulating glass sealants and casting resins. As a result, Kömmerling
will have two production sites in Germany.
The acquisition of Chemetall's insulating glass sealants and casting resins
business is another step in the implementation of Kömmerling's strategy
aimed at the expansion of its core competences and strengthening of its
position in international markets. Combining both companies' know-how
in glass production and processing will achieve far-reaching synergies
and enhance the customer-oriented service spectrum of Kömmerling.
With its withdrawal from the major part of its glass business, Chemetall
continues the strategic concentration on its core businesses of surface
treatment, lithium and fine chemicals, which businesses will be expanded
further. Product lines not affected by the transaction are glass processing
auxiliaries of Aachener Chemische Werke and easy-to-clean coatings for
glass and other surfaces. These product lines will in the future be managed
by Chemetall's Surface Treatment Division.
Kömmerling Chemische Fabrik GmbH is a subsidiary of ADCO Europe Holding
GmbH, Pirmasens, and part of ADCO Global Inc., Raleigh, North Carolina/USA.
Chemetall GmbH is a subsidiary of Dynamit Nobel AG, Troisdorf, and part
of mg technologies ag, Frankfurt am Main.
Web: http://www.chemetall.com
Epwin
Reports Strong Performance in 2002, Dented by Refinancing and Acquisition
Costs
The Board's successful strategy following the company's return to private
ownership has produced a further set of record results, with increases
to both turnover and profits. The company's programme of product and market
diversification, most notably with the acquisition of the Swish roofline,
cladding and window business in 2000, has secured growth despite a maturing
market for PVCu window products.
Tumover: increased 5% to £168m
Operating profit: increased 12% to £14.5m
'While high consumer spending - particularly on value-enhancing home improvements
like conservatories - has continued to benefit the business, we have also
reaped the rewards of our recent round of investment in production efficiency.
Epwin's
success has always relied on its broad market penetration, setting up
specialised operations to focus on the many different sectors of our target
market. With 30 businesses, many of them market leaders, that strategy
is at the heart of Epwin's current business.
During 2002 the company strengthened its portfolio of businesses and market
presence, in particular with the ongoing growth of the Patiomaster network.
Epwin has aggressively targeted the new housing and commercial sectors,
both important areas for future growth. The company's roofline and cladding
operation, Swish Building Products, has been particularly successful in
these areas. Foilex, Epwin's foil lamination business, has also had a
strong year as foiled products increase our market share.
During 2003 Epwin Group will continue to explore new opportunities, in
particular capitalising on the company's twin strengths of broad product
range and broad market presence. For example we will be launching a composite
door package for window fabricators and installers.
During 2002 we introduced innovative new products and routes to market.
Our new composite door frame system, launched in March, gives us unique
access to the growing requirement for such doors while our Traditional
Conservatories operation has addressed installer demand for complete conservatories.
As the UK's leading supplier of PVC-UE roofline, and the only one with
a household brand name, we were well placed to take advantage of the substantial
increase in consumer demand for this product during 2002. This growth
is expected to continue during 2003.
We have retained our well-established structure of operating separate
businesses to target different market and product sectors. This approach
gives each business a clear focus and objective and ensures that the majority
of our staff are in close contact with customers. In turn this gives us
an unrivalled understanding of all our markets.
During the year Berlinex, our small Canadian subsidiary, was sold. This
move allows Epwin to fully focus on the UK market.
In July 2002 Epwin successfully refinanced the debt incurred at the time
of the public to private transaction as well as for the acquisition of
Swish Building Products. Simultaneously, the opportunity was taken to
cancel all share warrants held by loan providers. This has resulted in
a one off charge of approximately £6.6 million, which is included
in net interest payable and refinancing costs with a corresponding reduction
in Shareholders' Funds.
l am again pleased to report the continued success of Swish Building Products,
which we acquired in 2000. The success of this business has helped broaden
our product range and market scope.
Elsewhere within Epwin, Quantal, our conservatory roofing system, has
carved out a clear market for itself within this fast-growing sector.
Our Components Division has benefited from market trends. The Window Store
and Quay Plastics have added several new branches to their networks as
the role of specialist plastics distributors in the supply chain increases.
Plaslyne has also grown significantly and now offers one of the UK's widest
and most competitive ranges of plastic products to merchants and stockists.
Other areas of note include Wrekin Windows, DB Glass, Telford Extrusions
and Plastal Commercial, all of which have had a particularly good year.
Whilst we predicted that 2002 would see a tightening of the market as
consumer confidence began to fall, in reality, homeowners have continued
to invest in their properties this year due to bouyant house prices. We
believe that the current level of consumer spending is unsustainable and
anticipate a tougher market in 2003.
However, since our product range is spread widely across maintenance-free
products - such as roofline - and lifestyle products - such as conservatories
- we are cushioned against any significant changes in purchasing behaviour.
Our investment in factory efficiency, as well as product and marketing
innovations, will also assist in strengthening our position. This is also
demonstrated by the £3m investment at DB Glass to create a new glass
toughening plant, which will be operational during the second half of
2003.'
Epwin operates 30 brands covering specialist sectors of the home improvement
and new housing markets, including Profile 22, Swish Building Products,
Permadoor, Quantal Conservatory Roofing Systems, Portal and Sierra Windows.
Hunter
Douglas Acquires Thomas Sanderson Blinds
Hunter
Douglas has acquired Thomas Sanderson Blinds, a Southampton based window
covering assembler, from ISIS Private Equity Partners plc, a UK private
equity firm, and other investors. Terms were not disclosed.
Thomas Sanderson, a long standing Hunter Douglas customer, is specialised
in marketing pleated blinds for conservatories, as well as awnings in
the UK and Ireland. The company expects to have sales in 2003 of about
£40m and has 226 employees. Management will remain unchanged.
The acquisition is expected to strengthen Hunter Douglas’ position
in the rapidly growing conservatory and awning markets in the UK and Ireland.
Hunter Douglas recently also acquired three window covering assemblers
from Arquati, a leading Italian fabricator of window coverings, awnings
and picture frames.
The companies which were acquired are Haglund, based in Sweden, Iberica,
based in Spain and Silga, based in Switzerland. They assemble and distribute
window coverings in their respective markets, with combined sales in 2002
of EUR 17 million and 120 employees.
Hunter Douglas has its Head Office in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and
a Management Office in Luzern, Switzerland. The Group is comprised of
a 153 companies with 64 manufacturing and 89 assembly operations in more
than 100 countries. Hunter Douglas had sales in 2002 of EUR 1,692 million
and has about 14,800 employees.
Hunter Douglas results for the first quarter of 2003: Sales were EUR 359.1
million, 6.8% lower than EUR 385.4 million in the first quarter of 2002.
The sales decrease is attributable to 1.5% volume increase, 12.8% negative
currency impact and 4.5% increase from acquisitions.
North America accounted for 50% of sales, Europe 36%, Latin America 4%,
Asia 6% and Australia 4%. Window Coverings represented 87% and Architectural
and Other Products 13% of total sales.
Net profit was EUR 19.8 million, 2.5% lower than EUR 20.3 million in the
first quarter of 2002. The strengthening of the Euro relative to most
other currencies affected results negatively by 15.9%; while profits,
excluding the currency impact, increased by 13.4%. Profits were higher
in Latin America, Asia and Australia, level in Europe and lower in North
America.
Outlook: Hunter Douglas expects economic conditions to remain difficult
in 2003 and the outlook is uncertain. The company is therefore not making
any forecast for the year. On a longer-term basis, the company remains
optimistic because of the strong position of its products, distribution
and finances.
Plastmo
Ltd Acquires Plastmo Profiles and Abbott Group
Plastmo
Limited has been formed by the senior management of Plastmo Profiles Limited,
to acquire the entire share capital of Plastmo Profiles Limited of Northampton
and the Abbott Group of Hailsham, Sussex. The company is supported by
the Bank of Scotland who are very happy to support this venture as the
company's new Bank, as well as the ACO Group. Lead advisors were Grant
Thornton Capital & Finance Limited.
The combination of the two companies forms a closely integrated operation
with a combined £50m turnover and 500 plus employees. It creates
a dynamic major player in the UK PVCu building plastics sector.
The venture forms part of a strategy to strengthen the Plastmo brand and
to further exploit the extensive R&D facilities and market knowledge
enjoyed by Plastmo in its industry sector. The Abbott Group, which also
includes Watson & Dallas Ltd in Scotland, is a well-recognised brand
within the UK building industry, with some unique patented systems of
its own.
The Board of Plastmo Limited comprises Henrik H Jensen (Group Managing
Director), Eric Davis (Commercial Director), Robert Thiroff (Sales Director),
Mike Hulme (Operations Director), Mike England (Finance Director &
Company Secretary) and Hans Peter Meyer of ACO Group.
Henrik Jensen comments, 'We are highly motivated by this exciting development.
We now embark on a dynamic programme of product development and imminent
planned product launches that will achieve substantial market share growth.
We see this development benefiting both our existing and potential customers,
as well as our highly committed staff'.
Tel: 01604 790780
Bringing
Colour to Better Homes
A
twin gable conservatory, colour coated by Kolor-fast in Anthracite Grey
and fabricated and installed by West Yorkshire Windows, was one of the
stunning designer makeovers featured in 20th May's edition of ITV's popular
home improvement programme, Carol Vorderman's Better Homes.
It was West Yorkshire Windows fourth time on Better Homes and the company's
second coloured conservatory for the show, 'We worked with Kolor-fast
on the first one and they gave such a reliable service that we had no
hesitation in contacting them again. We were only given three weeks from
the initial phone call to completion, so we needed suppliers we could
trust and Kolor-fast had proved they could meet that challenge,' comments
Managing Director of West Yorkshire Windows, Matthew Glover. In fact,
Kolor-fast was able to colour coat the complete conservatory in an amazing
four days.
The choice of conservatory design and colour by designer, Stephanie Dunning,
followed consultation with the homeowners and a site survey. To complement
the relatively modern architectural style of the main house, a contemporary
gable design in a subtle shade of grey with a white interior was proposed.
The designer discussed the possible colour options with Trevor Draper,
Managing Director of Kolor-fast, who suggested a satin finish in Anthracite
Grey, an increasingly popular choice from the company's range of 180 standard
colours and hundreds of specials. West Yorkshire Windows then supplied
Kolor-fast with the required semi-fabricated frames with the Ultraframe
roof profiles and components for spray painting.
Trevor
Draper, MD of Kolor-fast (left) with Matthew Glover, MD of West Yorkshire
Windows
The finished conservatory provides an attractive and useful extra room
4.5m wide and with a 2.7m projection. The bespoke design incorporates
a gable feature on two sides and box gutter all the way round. 70mm internally
beaded frames provide optimum security, while two sets of French doors
with chrome handles and flag hinges complete the contemporary look. And
to preserve the conservatory's clean lines there are no top lights or
openers on any of the windows.
Following its first Kolor-fast coloured conservatory for Better Homes,
Matthew says West Yorkshire Windows was inundated with enquiries, 'Demand
for colour is definitely on the increase, and we're now looking forward
to working with Kolor-fast to maximise this excellent profit opportunity.'
Tel: 01325 256080
Web: http://www.kolor-fast.com
Synseal
Buys Second Polycarb Line
Synseal
has recently invested in the installation of a new polycarbonate line,
the company's second in less than a year. 'We wanted our own polycarbonate
lines to stay ahead of the extraordinary demand for our roofs,' explains
Nick Dutton, Sales and Marketing Director of Synseal Extrusions Ltd.
'We also wanted to keep more control over what we supply. We needed this
second line because of the success of Shield with in excess of 500 roofs
being produced in one week in May and because of the success of Global
pre-launch with new customers already committing to 200 roofs a week.
But also so that we have a back-up if we should have a problem with one
of the lines. The second line has increased capacity to 1000 roof kits
per week.'
Tel: 01623 443 200
Web: http://www.synseal.com
Nürnberg
Global Fairs Opens a Window on China
The lnternational EuroWindoor Pavilion offers European window and door
manufacturers the opportunity to present their products to the Chinese
trade public for the first time from 20-23 November 2003. Together with
EuroWindoor, the trade association of the most important European window
associations, Nurnberg Global Fairs is organising the pavilion for companies
at Fenestration China 2003. The exhibition is supported by the Chinese
Ministry of Building and the Chinese Council for the Promotion of lnternational
Trade.
As many as 13,000 trade visitors came to the last window construction
trade fair in China. Fenestration China with its new trade fair concept
is aimed at building contractors, builders' merchants, manufacturers,
consultant engineering offices and architects. Participants in the EuroWindoor
Pavilion are offered the opportunity to make initial contacts in the lucrative
Chinese market without major expense.
Altogether around 2.5 milliard square metres of windows and doors are
needed as part of the Chinese government's current Five Year Plan. The
reason behind this is the officially decreed housing construction programme
in the People's Republic, which foresees the new construction and renovation
of around ten milliard square metres of living space, especially in the
Chinese cities. This means the demand for windows, doors and curtain walls
has increased so strongly that it far exceeds the capacities of domestic
suppliers. So optimum market opportunities for European manufacturers
of windows, doors and manufacturing plants, and for material suppliers,
architects, building engineers and consultant planning offices.
As organiser of various trade events in Asia, Nurnberg Global Fairs is
a competent partner that contributes extensive know-how from the building
sector as well as the knowledge of Chinese business customs: after all,
the established fensterbau/frontale event takes place at the location
of the parent company NurnbergMesse. The lnternational EuroWindoor Pavilion
is the first time that EuroWindoor, the trade association of the European
window manufacturers, is participating at an exhibition in the People's
Republic. Although the Chinese economy has opened up for foreign companies
after accession to the World Trade Organisation WTO, the market in China
remains characterised by cultural peculiarities - and the language is
ultimately often an insurmountable obstacle to market entry, especially
for medium-size enterprises without a large international sales organisation.
The services provided by Nurnberg Global Fairs therefore include technical
and organisational preparation, stand construction, obtaining visas, interpreter
service or tips on the most important rules for business relations. The
present uncertainty caused by SARS has been discussed with the Chinese
partner and further statements will be issued on the latest situation
if necessary.
Contact for exhibitors: Dirk Lauterbach
Tel +49 (0)9 11. 86 06-86 95
Email: mailto:dirk.lauterbach@nuernbergglobalfairs.com
Web: http://www.nuernbergglobaIfairs.com
TRADA
Research on Primers will put Block on Stains
TRADA
Technology Ltd has won £70,000 of DTI funding under the Partners
in lnnovation programme for a new research project to evaluate the effectiveness
of stain blocking primers for wood joinery. Peter Kaczmar, TRADA Technology's
Coatings and Treatments specialist, will head up the research.
The project has arisen from the growing problem of discolouration and
staining of light coloured coatings. As Mr Kaczmar explained, 'The movement
and subsequent oxidation of naturally occurring compounds within the wood
can cause an unsightly disfigurement, in the form of unsightly dark brown
patches in the coating soon after painting. Corrective action can be extremely
costly, as wholesale remedial measures prior to handover of new buildings
are often required, possibly even the complete repainting of all wood
joinery.'
Experience has shown that the problem is more severe with water borne
coatings. 'The frequency of the problem is increasing, as the use of water
borne paints themselves has risen. And the problem will get worse. In
response to environmental and legislative pressures, mandatory reliance
on water borne coatings for use on wood can only increase,' he warned.
'In spite of a surge in new products claiming to hold the solution, commercial
stain blocking products are, at best, variable and at worst ineffective
and TRADA's consultancy experience bears this out. Targeted research in
this area will help to eliminate such manufacturing and in-service problems.'
The research will encompass
• a survey of the wood cladding and joinery sectors to identify 'stain-blocking'
strategies currently in commercial use
• case studies of sites where extractive staining is known to be
a problem
• comparative laboratory evaluation of different stain blocking primers
• a programme of natural and artificial weathering tests.
The results will be published in two guidance documents, a summary of
the project results in the form of product specification guidance, which
will identify to the consumer which type of products are most effective
in preventing extractive staining; and site handling and best practice
guidance, containing a distillation of the available knowledge gained
during the course of the literature investigations and case studies.
The project partners are: TRADA Technology Ltd, the Timber Research and
Development Association, Teknos (UK) Ltd, AKZO Nobel Woodcare, Becker
Acroma Ltd, Ronseal Trade Granwax Products Ltd, Valtti Specialist Paints
and Michael Abbott.
For further details concerning the research programme contact Peter Kaczmar
at TRADA on 01494 569637.
Piper
Calls the Tune with Major Expansion
Long time Veka fabricator and family owned company Piper Double-Glazing
Ltd of Kent has undertaken a major expansion programme. Its primary business
is conducted with local authorities, housing associations and commercial
organisations, for whom the company has undertaken work on many prestigious
projects.
In order to sustain its continued year on year growth, Piper Double-Glazing
Ltd has increased its manufacturing premises to 75,000sq ft with investment
of over £1.2 Million in brand new state of the art machinery.
A part of this overall investment has been to install a composite door
production facility - Armourdoor - offering a twin seal door utilising
the latest in materials and machinery.
Piper Double-Glazing Ltd - which is fully FENSA registered - is seeing
business booming, hence such a large investment fuelled by the desire
to become an even greater force to be reckoned with in the commercial
market place.
Total manufacturing capacity at the site is now over 2,500 windows and
150 doors per week plus a bespoke conservatory roof production area.
A Veka customer almost since its beginnings, Piper Double-Glazing Ltd
began trading in 1980 and was founded by its current Chairman Mr Neville
Piper. With its roots firmly planted in the building and construction
industry, the company was created to fulfil demand in that area and quickly
began to grow, increasing its annual turnover from £150,000 in 1982
to around £13.5 Million last year.
Piper Double-Glazing Ltd is making greater in-roads into the supply of
windows, doors and conservatories to the trade sector under the brand
name of Trojan Trade Frames.
The management of Piper Double-Glazing Ltd feel sure that with existing
turnover of £4 Million through their retail division Elephant Windows
and Conservatories that the company is well equipped and acutely aware
of the needs of their trade installer.
The company now employs over 150 staff and has become a well known window,
door and conservatory brand in the South-East.
Neville Piper's son Neil - now Managing Director of the company - puts
Piper's success down to organic growth and attention to detail:
'Our growth pattern has been planned and controlled at a steady rate of
around 15% year on year - I think it's important not to lose sight of
your priorities as you progress, and I am proud of the fact that we have
still retained many of our original customers from 20 odd years ago. Our
customers trust us to produce quality products and to install them with
the minimum of disruption, and we work hard at being real partners to
them at all times.
'Our relationship with Veka is also key in ensuring that things go smoothly
with delivery times and installation, and this is another partnership
that is important to us.'
Some of the company's most prominent recent projects have included involvement
in a major regeneration scheme at Pollards Hill Estate in Mitcham, Surrey
and the refurbishment of the Kingsmead Estate in Hackney working with
building contractors Galliford Hodgson and Higgins Construction PLC.
Offering a comprehensive range of Document L compliant windows manufactured
from Veka Matrix profile - including vertical sliders, top hung casement
and tilt/turn styles - Piper Double Glazing Ltd is renowned for its quality-conscious
approach. The company is ISO 9002 approved and employs fully trained and
qualified quantity surveyors. All its products are rigorously tested to
the most up-to-date British Standards and the company is proud of its
reputation for craftsmanship. As Neil Piper comments:
'We aren't in the business of churning out volume at the expense of quality.
Bespoke product manufacturing is very important to our customer base,
so we're sure we offer variety, and our service is exceptional, a fact
that is often commented upon by our customers. Our staff are very good
at what they do and they care about the end result -it's about real craftsmanship
and getting it right'.
Tel: 01843 850500 - Piper Windows
Web: http://vekauk.com
Pilkington
Invests
£3.5m at Greengate
A
£3.5m investment in extra storage space has helped boost customer
service performance at Pilkington's Greengate float production site in
the UK.
Two new warehouse buildings have been added, increasing on-site capacity
from 25,000 to 35,000 tonnes. 'The ability to hold that extra stock has
made an enormous difference,' said operations manager Tom Hughes.
'Every indicator by which we measure customer service has improved significantly
over the last three months since the new warehousing came on stream. Performance
now is probably the best it has ever been.'
The original warehouse is now used entirely for storage and the cranes
have been moved into one of the new buildings. 'It has been a major upheaval
both in terms of the actual construction work and the rearrangement of
loading and despatch operations,' said Tom.
GGF Grasp the Thorny Nettle at Convention
Grasping the nettle - issues the industry cannot ignore was the theme of this year's GGF Convention held at the Queen Hotel Chester recently, attended by nearly 100 members, delegates and guests.
A wide range of topics were covered over a solid day of seminars and discussion groups, culminating in a James Bond themed formal black tie banquet at the end of the evening.
Speakers included Kelly Butler, Head of Energy Marketing, Energy Saving Trust, Brian Waldron of Pilkington Glass and Dave Cox of 3M.
Full details of the days sessions can be viewed on the GGF website at www.ggf.co.uk, and to enquire about papers given on the day please contact Director of Public Relations Catherine Hogan on chogan@ggf.org.uk
RoofWright's
Victorian goes West
RoofWright's offer of free software to create Victorian conservatories
in 3D has paid off with copies reaching as far as Canada's west coast.
Hundreds of CDs have been sent out from the South Manchester headquarters
of RPS while hundreds more have been downloaded via http://www.roofwright.co.uk.
RoofWright's Light edition of Version 5 provides unlimited access to create
a Victorian conservatory in under two minutes. With the span and projection
dimensions entered in the dialogue box, you can view your design in 3D
as well as print it off, superimpose it on a photographic background and
alter the internal and external finishes.
'We were overwhelmed by the number of people visiting our stand at Glassex
who find RoofWright so easy to use' comments James Burton. 'Anyone with
even limited computer experience can manage this software - Roofwright
was designed for the user wanting high quality presentations with minimal
fuss. All the engineering calculations are taken care of behind the screen
so it won't let you create unbuildable roofs'.
Download a free Light version from http://www.roofwright.co.uk
or telephone 0161 426 0465 for a CD.
Tenants
get their Hands on a Masterdor
Tenants
of South Bedfordshire District Council were able to get their hands on
a Masterdor when bespoke door manufacturer, Manse Masterdor Ltd, attended
tenant meetings to demonstrate how its door-set works.
As
part of the regular tenant meetings held to discuss the improvements to
their homes, tenants were given the opportunity to view the sample door
close up. This not only enabled them to see key benefits of the door in
action (for example the three point locking mechanism), but also helped
them to choose the right look for their front door from the wide range
of colours and styles available.
Due to the success of the scheme, South Beds has already installed over
600 Masterdors in the area with many more planned. Joan Moran, treasurer
of the community drop-in centre at Kensworth, South Beds, attended the
demonstrations and commented, 'We were all very pleased when Masterdor
came to our meetings and the older members of the community found the
demonstraations of the locking mechanism particularly useful. We have
now got a much broader understanding of why these doors were chosen and
the way in which they meet our needs in terms of security and low maintenance.
Being able to choose the colour and style was a real bonus.'
Manse Masterdor's production technique of fitting a timber door into a
PVCu frame means the system is flexible in design terms and has all the
energy efficiency and good looks of a wooden door leaf, without the weather-related
maintenance problems. Endorsed by a Secured By Design licence and PAS23/24
tested, Masterdor also offers real protection against burglary or vandalism
and if damaged can usually be economically repaired rather than replaced.
John Woodhead, Building Surveyor, at South Bedfordshire Distn'ct Council
says, 'We were specifically looking for a Secured by Design door for this
project and felt that Masterdor not only complied with this requirement
but was also right for us in terms of Best Value. Being able to meet the
needs of tenants is paramount and with the help of Masterdor this door
replacement programme has been a real success.'
Tel: 01423 866868
Email: mailto:info@masterdor.co.uk
Web: http://www.masterdor.co.uk
Popular
Partners with Profile 22
A
second seminar on Project Partnering organised by Profile 22 proved to
be an even greater success than the first with more than 90 delegates
attending the Telford event.
The
overwhelming response demonstrated the need for greater understanding
to clients within the Social Housing sector of implementing a partnering
agreement, according to Profile 22's National Sales Manager Andrew Reid.
Says Andrew, one of the seminar speakers: 'It was a very successful day.
The numbers attending exceeded all our expectations. The high attendance
instills confidence in our drive to promote the partnering concept, while
informing clients that it is the right approach through greater understanding
of the subject.'
Sir Michael, one of the architects of the partnering philosophy, again
gave the principal address to an audience of Local Authority and social
housing professionals, explaining the thinking and mechanics behind the
benefits of a positive team-based approach.
Andrew Reid gave voice to the belief that the window system supplier should
be included as a partner at the earliest opportunity to offer expertise
and perspective at the design stage.
Lawrence Breakspear, Deputy Managing Director of KEB Fabrications Ltd
presented for the manufacturer and installer of window and door products
highlighting the benefits of long term partnering agreements and the development
of the 'future' order book and the pitfalls of not getting involved in
all aspects of the contract.
Bringing the seminar to its conclusion was Andrew Vickery, a Partner at
Trowers & Hamlins - a law firm involved in the drawing up of the PPC
2000 partnering contract.
Andrew covered the essential legal requirements, including how suppliers
should partner (preferably with a properly framed partnering contract)
and what a supply-partnering contract should cover. This ranges from precise
scope and pricing to KPIs and intellectual property and confidentiality.
Crucially, Andrew stressed that quite apart from the operational benefits
for suppliers, there is pressure on many clients to partner.
Communicating the Partnering concept throughout an organisation is perhaps
one of the most difficult aspects of the whole initiative, Sir Michael
Latham, told delegates. For Project Partnering to work successfully, the
whole of the organisation must wholeheartedly embrace the concept and
ensure it is fully understood by every employee. Without the full commitment
from all parties involved, the system simply would not work.
He also highlighted how legislation was forcing change in practices: 'For
example, Registered Social Landlords are increasingly being pushed towards
Egan compliant procurement which includes partnering and are instructed
to be 80% down this route by the end of their current financial year with
100% compliance by mid 2004 as a prerequisite condition to Housing Corporation
funding. Best Value Assessors assessing Registered Social Landlords will
look for evidence of partnering as part of the review process.
'Partnering is also increasingly spreading into the private sector. There
will, therefore, be pressure from clients to partner and ability to partner
and understanding of partnering will increasingly give suppliers a competitive
edge,' he added.
Questions that followed revealed the route to partnering is not always
well understood by many. Wider acceptance of the practice appears to be
hindered by negative attitudes, misunderstanding and confusion.
Afterward, delegates said they valued the opportunity to challenge, discuss
and clarify issues, as well as understand better how to approach the cultural
change that the new philosophy demands.
Mark Johnson, Building Maintenance Manager at Cherwell District Council
described the event as 'very well tailored to Local Authority needs',
adding: 'We are going through the LSVT (large scale voluntary transfer)
process, so the information will be very valuable as we make our preparations.'
A representative from Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council found the
day 'enlightening', especially through the use of case studies to demonstrate
partnering in action.
'Profile 22 is committed to supporting its customers and is actively assisting
them to champion partnering with their clients,' comments Keith White,
Managing Director.
Profile 22 is specified in more than 700 Local Authorities and Registered
Social Landlord organisations, working within the requirements of Best
Value and working actively in Partnering schemes. It is committed to meeting
the Decent Homes Standard, which seeks to ensure that everyone has a home
that meets a consistent standard.
Tel: 01952 290910