Heywood
Williams puts 'Market Leader' Up for Sale
Heywood
Williams Group PLC announced on 28th June that it plans to sell its Plastics
Division (including Spectus and Kestrel/BCE) following a strategic review.
In future, Heywood Williams will focus on its specialist distribution
businesses, which represent 80% of Group turnover.
The group’s main businesses are focused on the distribution of branded
building products and are the Hardware Division (including Mila, Door
Panels and Window Ware) and LaSalle Bristol (in North America).
The Plastics Division, which is the UK market leader in PVC extrusions
for windows and cellular building products, had gone through a difficult
period in 2003 and 2004, but customers say management changes and the
introduction of the new Elite range of window systems has put it back
on track.
Robert Barr, Chief Executive of Heywood Williams, said:
'Despite significant progress being made at Plastics we have taken the
decision to sell the Division to accelerate the achievement of our aim
of creating a focused branded building products distribution group. We
intend to complete the sale in 2005'.
Flamstead
Buys Ravenscroft from Receivers
Ravenscroft Plastics has been purchased from the Receiver by Flamstead
Holdings Ltd, the parent company of HL Plastics Ltd and Tarpey Harris
both of whom are based in Derby.
The new company will be know as HL Ravenscroft and will continue to operate
from its site in Tewkesbury, Glos.
Roger Harthsorn, Managing Director said, 'This accelerates our trade extrusion
expansion by 3 years and will lay the foundations for our future ambitions
of further developing our own product lines and manufacturing process.'
Flamstead Holidngs already consists of HL Plastics, a trade extruder and
injection moulder, along with Tarpey Harris a precision toolmaking company.
With the addition of HL Ravenscroft the combined group turnover is now
£12m.
Telephone 01332 832389
Seventy
Five Jobs Created Through Eurocell Conservatory Expansion
Eurocell
recently unveiled ambitious plans which will enable its output of both
bar length and prefabricated conservatories to rise to 50,000 units a
year.
The expansion is being facilitated in part by the opening of a new conservatory
manufacturing facility at Eurocell's 100,000sq ft Birchwood Way site in
Alfreton, and will create around 75 new jobs, compared to the eight presently
retained by the company in conservatory production.
The move effectively increases the company's prefabricated conservatory
production fourfold, and further endorses its intention to substantially
grow its share of the quality PVC-u conservatory market, as Managing Director,
David Leng explains:
‘This expansion represents a huge investment by Eurocell and demonstrates
our commitment to strengthening our presence in this sector of the market.
In addition to substantially increasing our production capacity, we have
also recruited conservatory industry specialist Paulo Getty, who takes
up the new role of Conservatory Operations Manager and will be coordinating
and driving forward our ambitious expansion plan.’
The new facility lies on the same Industrial Estate as Eurocell's 150,000
sq ft Fairbrook House headquarters and newly built profiles factory. Operating
on a double shift system, the new fabrication unit will initially output
around 1,000 conservatories a month, marking a dramatic step up from current
production.
Tel: 01773 842395
Email: mailto:david.wigley@eurocell.co.uk
More
Networking for Thirsty PIGS
The
next Publicity In Glazing Society event is taking place on Thursday, 7th
July from 6pm onwards at the Slug & Lettuce, off Leicester Square
in London.
The evening is open to anyone connected with marketing, advertising or
publicity in the glass and glazing business and on the strength of the
free bar, usually attracts the great and the good of the industry‚s
media.
For first timer's, take the tube to Leicester Square, come out of the
Covent Garden exit, go to the top of Cranbourne Street and turn left on
to Upper St. Martins Lane. The Slug & Lettuce is on the left, next
door to Stringfellows.
The event on Thursday is being sponsored by Mike and the team at Michael
Rigby Associates, Jason & Sarah of WHS Halo, John Hatcher, Editor
of Window Industries, David North of Communiqué on behalf of Pilkington
and finally, Steve Wightman of Senior Aluminium Systems, who has threatened
to expose his plastic once again.
One assumes for the sake of decency that he means his credit card.
All are welcome and given the likely heat levels in the subterranean confines
of The Slug and Lettuce visitors may wish to adopt an appropriate dress
code such as beachwear for the ladies, football kit for the men and sarongs
for all those in PR.
The Slug & Lettuce
020 7379 4880
14 Upper St. Martins Lane
London
WC2H 9DL
Map Here
Waste
Action Forum Focuses on Health & Safety
Health
and safety, construction waste and the financial implications of recycling
will be the focus of the next Waste Action Forum, being held on 7th and
8th July in Barnsley. Professionals from local authority waste management
departments will hear presentations from government and industry on the
latest developments in waste and recycling.
Over 50 local authority delegates will be attending the event, which is
the first to be run since Rexam Glass was taken over by Ardagh Glass to
become Redfearn Glass. The event is run by Redfearn Glass and supported
by Glass Recycling UK (GRUK). The Forums use interactive presentations
from local authorities, industry representatives and government organisations
to help local authorities devise best practice for effective waste management
and recycling.
Presenters at the July Forum will include Trevor Hay of The Health &
Safety Executive, who will explore ways in which to increase recycling
rates while reducing the increasing number of accidents and deaths in
the industry and Simon Harrison from the Isle of Man government, who will
deliver a client's point of view of energy from waste contracts.
This will be the seventh Waste Action Forum in the series which continues
to deliver informative and highly relevant presentations on issues affecting
local authority waste management professionals. Other presenters at the
event will include after dinner speaker Eric Isley, MP for Barnsley; Ruth
Plant of Lichfield District Council; Mark Shelton of Cambridgeshire County
Council; Nigel Wilmshurst of Ceres Logisitics and Jon May of Taylor Woodrow.
'We are delighted at the continued success of and enthusiasm for the Waste
Action Forums,' said Nigel Pritchard of Redfearn Glass. 'The Forums have
received acclaim from several government organisations and we continue
to attract a high calibre audience from local authorities.'
Australia's
Lend Lease Buys Crosby from Berkeley Group for £261m
Lend
Lease Corp Ltd said it has agreed to buy UK-based urban regeneration specialist
The Crosby Group Plc, a subsidiary of The Berkeley Group Holdings Plc
for about £261m. Lend Lease said the acquisition is expected to
be completed early in July and will be mildly earnings accretive to the
property and construction group's fiscal 2006 earnings following the impact
of IFRS accounting standards.
Its most high-profile property is the Bluewater shopping mall in Kent
and its biggest residential development is in Greenwich, South East London.
Crosby operates in Leeds, Manchester and Birmingham, areas where the government
is forecasting a five to 10 per cent increase in annual housing demand
over the next 20 years.
Berkeley Group said the sale of Crosby allows the group to focus on its
core market in London and the South East of England, and gives Berkeley
greater financial flexibility for the future. It is expected to make a
contribution to earnings.
Crosby reported turnover of £229.8m with an operating profit of
£26.7m and profit before tax of £18.8m for the year ended
April 30th, 2004. For the six months ended October 31st, 2004, Crosby
reported turnover of £122.9m, an operating profit of £18.4m
and profit before tax of £14.1m. These results include Crosby's
share of its joint ventures.
Lend Lease's chief executive Greg Clarke said: 'Given the estimated shortfall
in housing supply in the UK, and the UK government's policy of encouraging
large-scale, master planned urban regeneration projects to meet this shortfall,
the combination of Crosby with Lend Lease is very timely.'
SynerJy
Blue Now Available from Synseal
Synseal
Extrusions Ltd has announced SynerJy, the fully sculptured suite that
integrates windows, doors, patios and conservatories, is now available
in blue-white.
‘While other companies are withdrawing blue-white profile from the
UK market we appreciate there’s a proportion of the market that want
this colour,’ explains Nick Dutton, Synseal’s Sales and Marketing
Director.
‘Many of our Global Blue customers wanted the simplicity and elegance
of SynerJy but in blue-white to match their roof.
'SynerJy Blue perfectly matches the Global Blue roof. And fabricators
who want to offer their customers the choice can supply SynerJy in our
standard colour and SynerJy Blue without the upheaval of new tooling.
'SynerJy
has been a massive success since its launch and now we can offer customers
all the benefits of SynerJy in blue-white with SynerJy Blue.’
For more details about SynerJy Blue visit http://www.synseal.com
Tel: 01623 443200
Force
8 Adds SynerJy Profile to Range
Arch
frame maker Force 8 has now added the SynerJy profile suite to the company’s
range of fully finished products alongside Rehau and Veka.
The Stockport-based company is offering ready-to-install arched doors
and windows, conservatory sunbursts, roofs, complete conservatories and
patio doors in the newly launched SynerJy system.
Force 8, which was established in 1988, says that it is now believed to
be the most advanced arch maker in Europe with the emphasis very much
on the technical expertise of its two directors – Dennis Sumner Snr
and Dennis Sumner Jnr. Both men are qualified mechanical engineers and
have designed and built all the bending equipment, specialised jigs and
tooling which they believe sets their business apart from the rest.
They have also invested around £500,000 in CNC saws and corner cleaners
and in 2005 have purchased an additional Urban Vertiquad Welder which
they say transforms what was once a cottage industry into a modern, streamlined
production line.
Force 8 has a capacity of more than 200 arch doors and various bespoke
frames per week and supply customers across the UK from small independent
installers to the largest ‘super fabricators’.
Delivery times start at just one week for an arched window, sunburst frame
or opening circular window, and fixed 600mm circular windows are available
from stock.
Dennis Sumner Jr says the reason why the company can offer such consistent
and competitive delivery times is the efficiency and attention to detail
throughout the factory. He says: 'We have stringent checking and monitoring
systems in our production set up which are designed to eliminate costly
and time consuming mistakes. For example, all orders are checked by the
sales director before they are processed, then they are inputted separately
into two computers which are linked via a ‘Wizard’ programme
to highlight any differences.
‘We have double-cut saws which means that opposite sides of the frame
must be the same length and must be parallel and after the intermediate
operations, the Urban Vertiquad welder is used whenever possible which
guarantees that all the frames are perfectly square.’
Force 8 says that its products offer a number of advantages over the company’s
competitors. Perhaps the most significant of these is the rolled in gasket
used in all the Rehau and Veka profiles as well as the new SynerJy suite.
The gasket is in the frame which saves installation time and it is welded
into the corners so cannot shrink or pull away. If required, frames can
also be supplied fully glazed.
In addition to this, all the arched doors manufactured by Force 8 are
fitted with flag hinges and hook locks and are one-piece frames. Dennis
Sumner Jr adds: ‘For woodgrains in particular, we believe a one-piece
bend is essential - a penned in joint looks very obtrusive. But one-piece
bends also preserve the profile strength by eliminating shoulder bends
and we think this is equally important.’
Force 8 aims to make arch making look as easy as squares and the company
believes that it has the technical expertise and resources to do that.
The company offers a comprehensive range and as well as arches also supplies:
one piece bow windows, arched vertical sliders in the Rehau Heritage S719
system, run-through sash horns and ‘curvy’ and stable doors.
Norvik
Puts a New Name on Success
As
part of its continuing success and development, Barnsley-based fabricator,
Norvik, is changing its name to better reflect the full scope of its product
offering.
Previously known as Norvik Conservatories Ltd, as from 1st July the company
will now be called Norvik PVCu Window Systems Ltd. Managing Director,
Steve Day (pictured) comments: ‘On talking to potential customers
we discovered that many were under the impression that we only supplied
conservatories because of our name, so we decided it was time to address
this misconception. Of course we still supply high quality conservatories,
but now include a full range of windows, doors and patios.’
The original name was based on Norvik’s initial concept to fabricate
a range of PVCu conservatory roofs for trade outlets. Having achieved
considerable success in this niche market, Steve and his team decided
to take on board the fabrication of windows, doors and patios from the
Duraflex Diamond Suite. Since then the company has gone from strength
to strength and now has a turnover of over £5 million. Indeed, since
it was established back in 1988, Norvik has cultivated an enviable trade
and new build customer base, and has recently completed a £300,000
factory extension as part of a five-year plan to boost production capacity
to 4,000 frames a week.
Norvik is currently in the process of writing to all its existing customers
to inform them of the name change. Steve concludes: ‘We believe changing
our name is an important but necessary step. We now want to reassure all
our customers that every other aspect of the company remains unchanged,
and we’ll continue to offer them the very best products and service.'
OFT
Wins Landmark Ruling in Scottish Court
Interim
enforcement orders have been granted against a Scottish-based double glazing
supplier for providing poor goods and services to consumers, following
OFT action.
In the first court action of its kind in Scotland by the OFT the Court
of Session granted the interim enforcement orders under Part 8 of the
Enterprise Act 2002 against MB Designs (Scotland) Ltd and its directors,
Martin Black and Paul Bett, for breaches of the Supply of Goods and Services
Act 1982 and the Sale of Goods Act 1979 while selling and installing conservatories
and replacement windows and doors. The move follows a number of complaints
which were referred to the OFT by trading standards departments in Scotland.
The OFT's case was that MB Designs had supplied goods of unsatisfactory
quality and which were unfit for their purpose, as well as supplying goods
that did not match the original description or contract. The company also
failed to take reasonable care when installing goods or appointing third
party installers.
The interim enforcement orders mean that MB Designs will be required to
improve its trading practices to supply conservatories and replacement
windows and doors that are fit for their purpose, are as described and
fitted to a satisfactory standard. If the interim enforcement orders are
breached, this could lead to further action for contempt of court.
MB Designs was given the opportunity to sign undertakings that it would
not repeat these breaches, which it refused.
Welcoming this judgment, Sir John Vickers, OFT Chairman, said:
'This is a good result for Scottish consumers having work done on their
home. They are entitled to have the job done well. The OFT will continue
to protect consumers from suppliers that cause harm to consumers through
bad workmanship.'
Derek
Scott Buys Skotskil (Joinery) Ltd
On
13th June 2005 Derek Scott purchased 100% shareholding & assets of
Skotskil (Joinery) Ltd, which manufactures high performance timber windows
and external door-sets. It was incorporated in 1990, is located in owned
premises in Glengarnock, Ayrshire and has 47 employees.
Skotskil designs and manufactures new and replacement windows and door-sets
to a highquality. All products are made to order from premium timber sourced
from managed forests. Products are supplied either with base coat of stain
or fully finished, with all ironmongery fitted, timber fully treated and
factory glazed ready for installation by the customer/contractor.
Skotskil
manufactures an extensive range, ensuring supply of products that perfectly
complement the planning considerations for the building.The most popular
window designs include, Sash & Case Look-A-Like, Fully Reversible,
Tilt & Turn and Side Slide Reversible. Should the range not provide
exactly the design required, Skotskil is happy to modify a design to suit
the clients desired specifications. Bespoke windows are a growing area
of Skotskil.
All products are designed and manufactured to the relevant quality standards.
All window products are high performance rated and MACDATA (wind &
water tightness) tested to BS 6375 Parts 1 & 2, which guarantees the
products satisfy planning and building control regulations. Products are
supplied with a 30-year guarantee (10 years for glass) and there is a
track record of a high level of customer satisfaction and a low level
of product replacement. Skotskil is fully committed to quality products
and processes and to this end has full BS EN ISO 9001 accreditation.
The factory in Glengarnock is fully equipped for manufacturing timber
windows and door-sets. Treated timber is bought from a number of local
suppliers and is cut and shaped to the customer's requirements and specifications
by Skotskil’s craftsmen. The products are then assembled and painted
with water based paints, preservatives and stains. Prior to despatch all
ironmongery and glass is fitted.
Tel: 01505 682829
Email: mailto:sales@skotskil.com
Web: http://www.skotskil.com
Laird
Summarises Impact of IFRS
The
Laird Group PLC is required to report its results for the first six months
of 2005 using IFRS for the first time. The comparative data, (the results
for the six months to 30th June 2004 and for the 12 months to 31st December
2004) will also be reported under IFRS.
It is intended to issue the interim report for 2005 early in September
of this year. In advance of that date, the impact of the conversion to
IFRS on the comparative data has been summarised in this announcement.
The principal changes on adopting IFRS in place of UK GAAP for the year
ended 31st December 2004 are summarised below:
• The adoption of IFRS has no cash impact.
• Profit before tax is £20.0 million higher due to:
o Goodwill of £17.4 million previously written
off against reserves is no longer written back in calculating the gain/(loss)
on sale of businesses.
o The resulting gain on sale of £3.6 million
together with the operating profit of £3.2 million on discontinued
operations is disclosed after profit before tax on the primary statement.
o Goodwill of £11.3 million is no longer amortised.
o There is an increase in the charge for share based
payments of £0.7 million.
o Amortisation of £1.2 million is charged on
acquired intangible assets.
• Underlying profit before tax is £0.7 million lower due to
an increase in the charge for share based payments.
• Shareholders’ funds increase by £17.6 million, including
£9.5 million as a result of the final dividend now being accounted
for when paid.
• Underlying earnings per share increase by 0.4p after a tax charge
of £8.0 million (17.6%).
Underlying profits and earnings under UK GAAP are stated before exceptional
items and goodwill amortisation. Underlying profits and earnings under
IFRS are stated before exceptional items, amortisation of acquired intangible
assets, deferred tax on acquired intangible assets and goodwill, and any
impact arising from the fair valuing of financial instruments.
It is possible that further changes will be required to the comparative
data before it is published in the interim report and the final report
and accounts for 2005, as not all the IFRS statements have been formally
endorsed by the EU and further interpretative guidance on the standards
may be issued.
The conversion to IFRS in respect of the Group’s 2004 financial statements
is set out in detail, together with Ernst and Young’s report to the
Directors for the year ended 31st December 2004, in a report that can
be downloaded from the company’s website at http://www.laird-plc.com
or obtained from The Laird Group PLC’s registered office at 3 St.
James’s Square, London SW1Y 4JU.
The Laird Group PLC will issue a trading update for 2005 on 7th July 2005.
Masterframe’s
BPIs Buck Downward Trend of Market
Masterframe
says that its Bygone Preferred Installers’ business is up (35%) in
volume while the rest of the market struggles. ‘The core casement
PVC-U market has hit saturation, with some larger trade companies rumoured
to almost be 40% down on last year. But for the Bygone Preferred Installers
(BPIs), life just gets better and better.’
Sales of Masterframe’s advanced Bygone Collection sliding sash window
(which is exclusively sold by BPIs) are up by 25% on last year. Last month
the Bygone Collection website (http://www.thebygonecollection.co.uk)
had three times as many enquiries than January, and is substantially up
on the same period last year.
Masterframe’s
Bygone Preferred Installers at a selling ‘master-class’ at Cranfield
Alan Burgess, Managing Director of Masterframe, is delighted, but not
surprised: ‘With regular seminars and selling master-classes at Cranfield,
our BPIs just get better at what they do. And the leads are better quality
too – we’ve put into place a persistent marketing campaign so
homeowners are better informed, and actively seek out the Bygone Collection
window. And because they know it’s a premium product, they’re
prepared to pay more.’
Tel: 01376 510410
Web: http://www.masterframe.co.uk
Graphite
Capital Sells Door Manufacturer to SIG for £47m
Graphite
Capital, the UK mid-market private equity specialist, has sold its majority
shareholding in LS Group (LS) to SIG, the supplier of insulation, roofing
and commercial interiors products. The deal values LS, the bespoke door
manufacturer, at £47m.
The transaction provides Graphite with a total return of 6.1 times its
investment and an internal rate of return of 60 per cent. Graphite acquired
a 70 per cent holding in LS in 1999 when it backed the £13 million
management buy-out of the recently merged Leaderflush and Shapland businesses
from Whitecroft plc.
LS
is the UK’s leading producer of high-performance purpose-made interior
door sets, chiefly for non residential buildings, including offices, hotels,
hospitals, schools and public buildings. It operates from three sites,
Barnstaple, Langley Mill and Sheffield, and employs 560 people.
In the year ended 2 April 2005, LS achieved sales of £37m, operating
profit before interest and goodwill of £5.5m, profit before tax
of £3.7m and had net assets of £15.3m at that date.
SIG is paying £45.3m (in cash out of existing resources) including
assumed borrowings, for 93.5% of the ordinary share capital. Existing
LS management are retaining the remaining 6.5% of the equity, which will
be purchased at a later date, at a price subject to a minimum of £1.7m
and a maximum of £5.2m, dependent upon future profit performance.
David Williams (pictured), Chief Executive of SIG plc commented 'LS provides
an important extension to our existing commercial interiors product range.
It concentrates on the growth market of specialist door sets, especially
where fire, acoustic and high security performance requirements exist.
'LS makes an excellent strategic fit, and there is a high level of commonality
with our existing activities, including customers, projects and production
processes. SIG has been a successful producer of specialist doors for
over 10 years and the acquisition of LS takes SIG firmly into the top
of the first division, and strengthens our position and our product range
in the growing non-residential construction sector. We look forward
to working with the existing management to ensure the continued successful
development of the business.'
Half
a Million PVC-U Frames per Week from Windowbase?
No,
Windowbase has not moved into the PVC-U business, but its researchers
now ask PVC-U fabricators how many frames they make each week.
By splitting the fabricators into seven groups, ranging from under 50
to over 2000 frames per week, a pattern of the industry emerges from the
national database of 2,500 PVC-U fabricators. Of course, not all of these
were ‘straight window frames’, many were forming the glazed
parts of conservatories, some were doors and some were clearly bent into
arched products.
‘Now we have this information and are keeping it up to date,’
says Mike Davis, ‘it can be examined in many different ways. For
instance, even we were surprised how many small companies there are producing
up to 100 frames per week. Just under two-thirds of all companies who
said they fabricated PVC-U claimed to be making under 125 frames per week.
In Wales, the small fabricators accounted for over three-quarters of the
companies, while in Yorkshire and East Anglia, it was only just over half
( 54%). Counting those making over 700 per week as ‘large’,
East Anglia led the way with just 10% of the companies in this size category.
(An even higher percentage was recorded in Northern Ireland, but for a
very small number of companies.) However, the Northern region lacks large
companies with only 0.8% of the total making over 700 fpw.’
The numbers produced will no doubt be somewhat higher in the Summer, but
this data will provide added guidance to the other company size measures
provided by Windowbase – by installation teams and numbers of employees.
This latest release of UK window, door and conservatory companies, provides
information on some 12,100 organisations active in the industry; Windowbase
emphasises that all the information provided comes from the companies
themselves.
Contact: Mike Davis
Tel: 01706 644 308
Email: mailto:miked@winbase.co.uk
Web: http://www.winbase.co.uk
The above Chart shows the percentage of PVC-U fabricating
companies in each region that are ‘small’ (<125 fpw) ‘medium’
(125-700 fpw) and ‘large’ (> 700 fpw) in the first half of
2005 as given in the Windowbase Fabricators & Installers database
released on May 30th 2005.
* The figures for Northern Ireland are based on a relatively small group
of companies.
Guardian
Welcomes President Fox to Launch of Mexican Float Glass
On
7th June, Mexican President Vicente Fox officially inaugurated Guardian
Industries’ 24th float glass plant in El Marqués, Querétaro,
Mexico. Mark LaCasse, managing director of Guardian’s Latin American
operations and Querétaro’s Governor, Francisco Garrido, accompanied
President Fox during his tour of Guardian’s state-of-the-art glass
manufacturing facility.
The ceremony began a 2-day event that included a reception and tours of
the plant for Mexican dignitaries, Guardian employees, customers, suppliers
and residents of El Marqués.
'We are honoured that President Fox and Governor Garrido could join us,'
said Russ Ebeid, president of Guardian’s glass group. 'Their presence
underlines the significance of Guardian’s investment in Mexico.'
Ebeid went on to thank Mexican Secretary of the Economy Fernando Canales
and the mayor of El Marqués, José Gómez Güemez,
for their assistance in the construction and launch of the plant.
Construction of the $120 million manufacturing facility began in late
July of 2003 and was completed one year later when the first ribbon of
glass was pulled in August 2004. The 12-month construction period made
this plant the fastest float glass plant ever built by Guardian and reflects
the competence of the Mexican construction industry and its workers. Following
an extensive search that included other countries in the region and several
Mexican states, Guardian chose to build in El Marqués based on
its proximity to customers, a strong and energetic workforce and cooperative
state and municipal governments.
'Guardian has established aggressive goals for world class quality and
service in Mexico,' said LaCasse. 'We will load and ship trucks 24 hours
a day, every day of the year, to provide just-in-time service to our customers.
We are excited about serving our Mexican customers as well as export customers
throughout Latin America.'
The Mexican facility employs approximately 300 people and produces about
650 tons of glass daily. Additionally, the plant will generate as many
as 1,000 more jobs in related supplier and logistics industries. The plant
joins other Guardian glass making operations in Brazil and Venezuela allowing
the company to provide a full range of glass products to its Latin American
customers.
Guardian Industries Corp., based in Auburn Hills, Michigan, is a worldwide
manufacturer of float glass and fabricated glass products for the commercial
and residential construction industries. Guardian Automotive provides
exterior systems to the global automotive industry and is a Tier 1 global
automotive supplier.
Guardian’s Building Products Group, headquartered in Greenville,
South Carolina, includes a substantial fibreglass insulation manufacturing
operation and occupies a significant and growing position in the building
materials distribution business with more than 100 strategically located
distribution centres and brokerage offices in the United States and Canada.
Guardian, its subsidiaries and affiliates employ 19,000 people and operate
facilities throughout North America, Europe, South America, Asia, Africa
and the Middle East.
Everwhite
Commits to Calcium Zinc
Everwhite
Plastics Ltd says it is the first UK manufacturer to change to Calcium
Zinc for all its roofline products.
Vince Richardson, Technical Director, explains why Everwhite has taken
this big step: ‘The Vinyl 2010 voluntary agreement means everyone
will have to change eventually for environmental reasons, but if it’s
better for our customers we want to do it now.
There’s already a high demand for lead free products from Local Authorities
so the change will make it even easier for our stockists to sell to this
market. Extensive tests show there’s less discolouration and it resists
fading longer than other materials. Calcium Zinc products are also easier
for installers to sell because the products are more appealing to homeowners.
We all know it’s better for the environment too, so everyone will
benefit from Everwhite’s move to Calcium Zinc.’
Tel: 01685 882 447
Plastic
Industry Leaders Go for Innovation at Seville Meeting
EuPC,
Brussels, the EU-level representative body for more than 30,000 European
plastics processing companies with their 1.5 million employees throughout
Europe, held its Annual Meeting and its General Assembly on 25-28 May
in Seville, Spain.
The main issue tackled in the programme of the EuPC Annual Meeting was
the future of the key plastics conversion sectors, the role of innovation
and overcoming barriers to it.
EuPC Packaiging Division focussed on regulatory trends, particularly in
the field of plastics in contact with foodstuffs where there are growing
concerns at the impact of the draft `Super- Regulation'. Successive presentations
demonstrated the need for a lighter legislative touch.
In the field of Automotive and Transport the spotlight was put on future
market developments for plastic parts in cars. The meeting heard that
while end of life vehicles legislation could to some extent hinder the
development of automotive plastics, plastics materials will be required
to a greater extent in future to help the automotive industry deliver
on cuts in fuel emissions.
In Building and Construction innovation was centre-stage with the use
of plastics in the production of solar energy highlighted alongside the
improvement of collection, recycling and re-use of PVC waste which is
also playing an important role in EuPC activities.
CEOs from 20 countries as well as EU policy makers exchanged views on
international trade and highlighted opportunities and obstacles when operating
across borders.
A major feature of the meeting was a round table discussion addressing
the potential role to be played by the London Metal Exchange (LME) in
helping to resolve plastics raw material supply volatility. Set against
a background of the LME launching its contracts for PP and LLDPE on the
final morning of the meeting delegates had the first May prices relayed
directly to them from London. The panel of leading polymer producers,
converters and consultants, in an animated debate laid bare the issues
raised by the launch allowing the stakeholders present to form their own
conclusions on the impad of a 'LME reference price' for plastics materials.
Elections were also held for a proportion of seats on EuPC's 13-strong
Steering Committee. Giovanni Bechis (Unionplast), Bernhard Borgardt (Packaging
Division), Peter Davis (BPF), Joachim Eckstein (IVK), Gunter Schwank (GKV)
and David Williams (EQA), were all elected to serve in the period 2006-2010.
Finally the meeting provided an opportunity to honour EuPC's very first
President: Alberto Schiavi of Unionplast was appointed as Honorary Past
President in recognition of his strong service for many years to both
EuPC and the plastics industry.
Correct
Fire Test Documentation is Vital, Warns DHF
Ensure
that all industrial and commercial fire doors and shutters carry the correct
documentation to prove they have been appropriately verified. This is
the strong recommendation to specifiers, contractors and building control
officers from the Door and Hardware Federation (DHF).
The federation says verification ideally should be in the form of certification,
or doors and shutters can be verified if they have undergone the appropriate
testing or assessment.
The advice follows the successful outcome of discussions between the DHF
and fire certification authorities which has resulted in approved certification
schemes for both products and installation being put in place.
When specifying a fire product, ensure that the door supplier offers third
party accreditation and product certification, both of which provide complete
traceability through the labelling applied to the product. This gives
a significant degree of comfort to the specifier who wants to ensure the
fire resisting doors he chooses are of the correct design and have been
properly installed.
BRE Certification, through its organisation the LPCB, has schemes for
certified products and installation which have been recently updated to
respond to the changing needs of the passive fire protection industry.
Certifire, a scheme from Warrington Certification Ltd, one of the leading
fire testing organisations, also covers certification of fire tested products.
And FIRAS, which is an independent third party scheme, certifies the installation
of fire doors and shutters.
Ray Nowell, technical officer for the DHF, said: 'We have been actively
working with both Certifire and BRE in the development of these important
certification schemes and we are delighted they in place. All member companies
of the DHF offering fire-tested products will in future be able to show
documentation that their products are covered by one or both of the schemes.
Certification is certainly the preferred route, and specifiers, contractors
and building control officers should look for this in the first instance.
'The federation has worked long and hard to ensure that the many new standards
and regulations coming into force work to the benefit of the industry
and serve to raise levels of safety and quality. Now that the schemes
are in place, which relate to fire safety and product performance, our
members are ideally placed to offer products that specifiers, contractors
and building control officers know will be certified and fit for purpose.'
He said the fire related documentation to look for will be in the form
of certificates of quality and performance to established standards, test
reports, showing how the door or shutter has performed when tested to
the relevant standard, or oversize assessments which give an opinion of
how the product would perform if it was tested to the relevant standard.
Specifiers, contractors and building control officers should also check
all documentation is relevant, complete and that it is appropriate for
the product as installed.
Tel: 01827 52337
Email: mailto:info@dhfonline.org.uk
Web: http://www.dhfonline.org.uk
At
a recent event in Cardiff involving Window Fitters Mate and Indigo Products,
there were prizes galore on offer for the fastest glazier in town.
The idea of a customer open day surfaced just a few short weeks ago as
a result of the increased demand by Window Fitters Mate for the new Elite
70 window and door suite recently introduced by Indigo Products. Since
the introduction of Elite 70 to WFM Group, sales of the product have begun
accelerating. As part of HW Plastics and Indigo Products support to WFM,
an initiative involving all three parties gave the builders in the Cardiff
area a chance to show what they were made of. Every visitor to the event
was invited to become the fastest glazier in the west!
The competition was very fiercely contested, but the clear winner was
David Lewis from Wright Glass (pictured). ‘I was quite surprised
how quickly and easily the window glazed’, said David. ‘It’s
certainly going to be a consideration for us going forward’.
John Averill, Window Fitters Mate Branch Manager in Cardiff, together
with his colleague Dexter Roberts and Dave Stearman, National Sales Manager
with Indigo Products, summed up the event: ‘The weather was on the
chilly side, which did affect the turnout a little. However, all those
customers who did make the effort to come along were pleasantly surprised
to see how easy the new Elite 70 window was to glaze. We plan to roll
out more of these events across the UK later this year’.
New
CNC Investment Gives Anders the Cutting Edge
Salford-based
glass processor and glazing contract specialist, Anders Glass has increased
its ability to produce high quality glass designs with investment in new
state-of-the-art CNC technology.
The CMS FT 2.18 machine is the most powerful CNC processing system on
the market, with the ability to process glass up to 50mm thick. It will
complement Anders’ existing top of the line processing equipment
that enables it to produce anti-bandit, bullet resistant and fire resistant
glass as well as architectural glass for balustrades, structural assemblies,
A.P doors and canopies.
While assisting Anders with its continued success in the architectural
sector, the CNC investment also reinforces its growing commitment to the
glass furniture market, with the ability to process any thickness of glass
into complex shapes, for example for UV bonding, vanity units, splash
backs and kitchen work surfaces.
'In addition to standard doors, partitioning and balustrading, we are
being increasingly asked to produce specials such as vanity units or breakfast
bars, in both commercial and domestic applications,' says managing director,
Simon Anders. 'This new machine gives us the flexibility and capacity
to produce some really exciting work.'
Anders Glass has been one of the few exclusive stockists of Pilkington’s
multi-laminated fire resistant Pyrostop glasses for over 15 years. During
this period it has gained vast experience in processing Pyrostop, making
fire rated IGUs and installing fire resistant glasses and screens. Investment
in this new machine will enable Anders to now cut even the most complicated
shapes with greater speed and accuracy.
Tel: 0161 736 2487/8
Email: mailto:enquiries@andersglass.co.uk
Deceuninck
Opens a New Subsidiary in Croatia
Group
Deceuninck, a worldwide manufacturer of PVC window systems and profiles
for the construction industry, has announced that its Thyssen Polymer
division in Zagreb (Croatia) has taken new offices with storage space.
In addition to Turkey and Russia, the countries that made up the former
Yugoslavia have become an important growth market for PVC window frame
systems. Their political stability and the progress of their accession
to the European Union have given a great boost to tourism, which has helped
the investment climate on the Croatian coast. Moreover, a great number
of government measures have ensured the rapid rebuilding of the country
in recent years. The takeover of Thyssen Polymer had already given Deceuninck
a strong foothold in the region.
The Thyssen Polymer division has been operational in Croatia and neighbouring
countries for around seven years. 'The strong increase in the demand for
PVC buiiding products led us to start looking for a local office that
would provide a favourable environment for further growth and expansion.
The majority of our clients operate within a 200-km radius of the capital,
Zagreb, hence our choice of this location,' states Clement De Meersman,
CEO of Deceuninck. The new subsidiary is located in Dugo Selo, on a centrally
located and easily accessible industrial zone, just 20 kilometres from
Zagreb. Zagreb is itself an ideal location for supplying clients in the
neighbouring country Bosnia-Herzegovina.
The site has a storage capacity of 1500 m2, including 900 m2 of covered
warehouse space. It also has around 200 m2 of office space as well as
a showroom and a training area for new manufacturers. During the start-up
phase, the new subsidiary will provide work for six permanent staff.
Part of Deceuninck's strategy is to progress as rapidly as possible from
its current strong position to a leading position in this strategically
important growth region.
Deceuninck is an integrated group of world format, specialised in compounding,
tool fabrication, design, development, extrusion, finishing, gaskets,
recycling and injection moulding of PVC-U systems and profiles for the
building industry. The company is active in more than 60 countries, has
31 subsidiaries (production and/or sales) and is supported by 3043 personnel,
670 of them in Belgium. In 2004 the Deceuninck Group achieved consolidated
sales of 582.1 million euros.
Derek
Vaughan Managing Director of The UK Trades Confederation debates whether
‘competence schemes’ benefit or penalise a trade.
The construction industry is Britain’s biggest, as there are an estimated
two million people working within it. However, recent reports warn that
there is a shortage of skilled tradesmen which could reach crisis point,
and the future of construction projects is in jeopardy because of inadequate
training schemes in the industry. It has been predicted that by 2007 there
will be a shortage of approximately 350,000 skilled construction workers.
It could be argued that barriers like Public Sector accreditation and
the Government’s new e-procurement initiative 2005 which requires
suppliers to Local Authorities to be able to trade online, could deter
existing and new tradesmen from continuing within the industry. In the
same way, new building regulations like Part P have made it more difficult
for tradesmen to operate unless they undergo an assessment to prove they
are a ‘competent’ person. But without the regulation of these
trades they are highly vulnerable as rogue traders, the UK’s number
one complaint, will continue with their shoddy workmanship giving the
construction industry a bad name.
Should it therefore be the Government’s aim for all trades to go
through a ‘competence scheme’? Perhaps regulating each trade
will raise its profile as learning a trade is still seen as second rate
in career terms and this in turn may solve the shortage of construction
workers. If these trades are seen as skilled professions that require
qualifications and a level of ‘competence,’ it would change
the perception of school leavers that these jobs are not just the ones
to fall back on if you do not go to college.
Let us compare four different trades: Painter and Decorators, Domestic
Electricians, Window Installers and Roofers. So far, only two of these
trades have a Government approved ‘competence scheme’ in place.
The most common route to becoming an electrician is through a four year
apprenticeship scheme. Individuals already engaged in electrical work
who wish to be formally recognised opt for doing an NVQ. However, since
the beginning of 2005, the Government requires all domestic electricians
to be Part P registered by an approved assessment body like ELECSA. To
become Part P registered, domestic electricians have to demonstrate that
they are ‘competent’ to be able to self-certify their installation
which otherwise would need approval from the Local Authority Building
Control department.
Similarly, since April 2002 all replacement glazing in dwellings has to
comply with improved thermal performance standards (Part L) and be certificated
by either the Local Authority Building Control or a FENSA (Fenestration
Self Assessment Scheme) registered installer. The scheme set up by the
Glass and Glazing Federation allows installation companies that meet certain
criteria to be able to self-certify their work as they have gone through
a ‘competence scheme.’ This means Local Authority Building Control
departments can rely on the trade to self-certify, otherwise it would
be impossible to check every electrical or window installation in the
area. For example it has been estimated by FENSA that 1– 1.2 million
installations of replacement glazing happen every year.
The building regulation Part L also includes roofs in its mission to save
energy and reduce C02 emissions from new houses but there is no ‘competence
scheme’ as yet, although this is currently being looked at by the
Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM). Ray Horwood, Chief Executive
of the National Federation of Roofing Contractors (NFRC) explains:
‘Competence in the roofing sector is best guaranteed by the use of
companies that belong to reputable Trade Associations who vet their members
and publish detailed codes of practice backed up with insurance schemes.
Such Trade Associations also ensure adequate levels of Health and Safety
are endorsed. Changes to the building regulations could mean that a ‘competent
person’ scheme would be desirable in the roofing sector and the NFRC
would certainly support any increase in overall standards within the industry.
However, before moving to a new scheme it would be important to determine
that such a scheme brought with it increased efficiency and flexibility
in the completion of work in order to offset the increased costs to the
contractor’.
Undoubtedly, having a ‘competence scheme’ is the most effective
way of making sure building regulations are complied with. However, as
Ray Horwood points out the increased costs which can include higher liability
insurance, extra administration and the actual cost of applying for the
‘competence scheme’ need to be justified to the tradesman to
demonstrate what is in it for them. The UK Trades Confederation (UKTC)
continually has to update its membership package through forming alliances
with Government approved assessment bodies so its members can comply with
new building legislation at discounted prices. In addition, UKTC tries
to find ways to reduce the overheads of ‘competence schemes’
by providing extra facilities like free websites and email facilities
as well as finding simple business care solutions to help reduce administration.
An industry where there is no ‘competence scheme’ planned as
yet is Painting and Decorating. Although there are no real hidden hazards
to the consumer a level of ‘competence’ is needed to deliver
a professional job and to follow a code of conduct on someone else’s
property. The Painting and Decorating Association (PDA) is a regulatory
body that currently has over 2500 members which have been vetted to a
high standard. Members of the PDA have to provide references, have five
years’ experience or appropriate qualifications, have their work
examined, give evidence of adequate Public Liability Insurance and agree
to the Association’s Code of Practice. However, David Powis, Chief
Executive of the PDA does confirm that having a ‘competence scheme’
would definitely be beneficial to the trade in stamping out the rogue
painters and decorators:
‘There is in fact a Construction Skills Certificate Scheme (CSCS)
for various specialist trades, which the PDA has encouraged all its members
to obtain. In addition, many members who deal with Local Authorities have
been audited by a Government approved accreditation body and have ISO
9001 approval. However, until we have a fully regulated trade – which
is something we would not oppose – we will never entirely eliminate
the ‘cowboy’ element, but the PDA has made it easier for the
public to select reputable and qualified tradesmen through the Yellow
Pages’.
Therefore it can be concluded that there is definitely two sides to the
coin as to whether ‘competence schemes’ are beneficial. On the
one hand it raises the credibility of the trade in the public eye and
regulates the construction industry, but is it at the expense of the tradesman
who would arguably say that they are already competent? Maybe each time
the Government brings in a new building regulation that requires the trade
to prove themselves ‘competent’ it should be grant funded, especially
as there is a national shortage of skilled construction workers!
The UKTC would like to hear what you think, email mailto:derek@uktc.org
Asahi
Glass to Enter into Business of Glass Substrates for HDDs
Asahi
Glass Co., Ltd. will expand its Electronics and Energy materials operations
on a full-scale basis as part of the medium-term management plan 'JIKKO-2007,'
which started this fiscal year. As part of the initiatives, Asahi Glass
has decided to enter into the business of manufacturing and selling glass
substrates for hard disk drives (HDDs), which are expected to be widely
used for consumer electronics for which the market is forecast to rapidly
expand. A fresh demand for HDDs is also expected from manufacturers of
products in which HDD's functions can be fully utilised, including mobile
phones.
The market for HDDs used in personal computers and car navigation systems
is estimated to grow by 10% or more every year, and demand for glass substrates
for use in HDDs is forecast to rise by about 30% annually. Recently, the
use of HDDs has also spread into digital home electronics and portable
music players. Furthermore, it is anticipated that HDDs will soon be increasingly
used in mobile phones. As the application of HDDs becomes diverser, the
use of more compact HDDs - such as 1.8-, 1.0- and 0.85-inch models - has
been increasing, in addition to 2.5-inch disks that are widely used for
notebooks. At the same time, HDDs, which utilise perpendicular magnetic
recording technology to further increase storage capacity, are expected
to be produced in volume.
Asahi Glass possesses technologies for polishing glass for liquid crystal
displays or for semiconductor manufacturing equipment (synthetic quartz)
as well as for various other types of precision glass. Regarding glass
substrates for HDDs, for many years now, Asahi Glass has been researching
and developing glass materials, and technologies for circular processing,
precision polishing and cleaning. In order to expand the electronics and
energy materials operations through the integrated use of these technologies,
Asahi Glass has opted to enter the HDD glass substrate business, which
is expected to grow in the future.
The following are the strong suits of Asahi Glass in glass substrates
for HDDs
1. Anticipating that its customers would adopt perpendicular magnetic
recording technology in their manufacturing processes, Asahi Glass is
utilising high strain point glass for its substrate. Hence, the company
has the competitive advantage of processing glass substrates at higher
temperatures than its peers are capable of.
2. To harden the glass, Asahi Glass has developed its own proprietary
technology, unlike the commonly used chemical techniques. With this proprietary
technology, Asahi Glass now can produce glass substrates with a high thermal
resistance. This substrate can also maintain its strength even if it is
thin.
Currently, Asahi Glass is making such glass substrates for HDDs on an
experimental basis at its Japanese plants seeking to produce them in volume.
Asahi Glass also plans to begin manufacturing this substrate in October
2005 at Asahi Glass Precision Technology Co., Ltd., a wholly owned Thai
subsidiary established in January 2005. This project is estimated to require
about 2.0 billion yen. Through these efforts, Asahi Glass aims to earn
about 10.0 billion yen in sales from this business in 2007.
To meet its customers' needs, Asahi Glass is striving to continuously
develop better materials and polishing technologies, as well as proactively
expand this business by accurately identifying trends in glass substrate
demand.
Tel: +81-3-3218-5509
Email: mailto:info-pr@agc.co.jp
Alcoa
Provides Additional Details on Significant Second Quarter 2005 Events
On
23rd June Alcoa provided details on its previously announced sale of Elkem
shares , global restructuring programme, and other second quarter 2005
events. The company will record an after-tax profit of $219 million, or
$0.25 per diluted share, on the sale of its shares in Elkem, the Norwegian
metals company, in the quarter. The company also expects to record a $100
to $120 million net tax benefit in the quarter, and after-tax charges
of $220 to $250 million, $0.25 to $0.28 per share, as part of its previously
announced plan to streamline operations.
'When we created a new global business structure last year, we took a
new look at optimising our operations in order to better serve our customers,'
said Alain Belda, Alcoa Chairman and CEO. 'Today's actions demonstrate
the value of that new design by showing that we can accelerate cost savings
and put the company on a solid footing for the long term.'
The second quarter restructuring will lead to the elimination of approximately
6,500 jobs across the company's global businesses. The charges also encompass
plant closings and consolidations, and asset impairments. The company
anticipates that the restructuring will be implemented over the next 12
months, and result in annualised savings of approximately $150 million
before taxes.
In the first quarter of 2005, the company recorded after-tax restructuring
charges of $25 million affecting approximately 1,800 positions, resulting
in an anticipated $45 million pre-tax in annualised cost savings. The
combined first half restructuring is expected to be between $245 and $275
million, affect approximately 8,300 positions, and save $195 million before
taxes on an annualised basis.
'In total, the restructuring we have undertaken this year should generate
nearly $200 million in annual cost savings, helping put our businesses
in a better position to compete globally and serve our customers,' said
Belda. 'While eliminating jobs is unsettling, we will do our best to minimise
the impact on our employees and the communities where we operate.'
Included in the second quarter restructuring are the following major pre-tax
components:
• Optimisation of the company's global extrusion production operations
to increase productivity, resulting in charges of $65-$70 million, comprised
of approximately $20 million for asset disposals at various U.S. and European
extrusion plants, with the remainder representing severance costs associated
with the elimination of 1,000 positions.
• Closure of the Hamburger Aluminium-Werk GmbH aluminium smelter
in Hamburg, Germany (the company owns a 33 percent equity interest in
the facility), as a result of the partners' decision to close the plant
because of high energy prices, resulting in charges of $85-$95 million.
Approximately three-fourths of the charge is an impairment associated
with the investment, while the remainder is for layoffs and other costs
as a result of the shutdown.
• The remaining charges are comprised of various layoffs including
250 positions in the primary products group, approximately 80 positions
in the global mill products business, and approximately 160 positions
in various corporate functions.