HYDRO
BECOMES WORLD LEADER WITHIN ALUMINIUM BUILDING SYSTEMS
Hydro Aluminium has reached agreement to acquire the Technal Group, finalising
the deal announced on October 30th 2001. The Technal Group is a major
European player in the aluminium building systems sector, which has its
headquarters in Toulouse, France and its UK subsidiary based in Leeds.
In 2001 the Technal Group had a turnover of EURO 275 million, approximately
10 per cent up from 2000. Hydro paid approximately EURO 73 million for
the equity of the Technal Group and assumed at the same time the EURO
38.3 million debt of Technal.
The Technal Group is one of Europe's market leaders in the design, manufacture
and distribution of high performance aluminium glazing systems, including
doors, windows and curtain walling systems. It has a presence throughout
Western Europe including France, Spain, Portugal and the UK as well as
export operations and licensees in a number of other countries.
In the UK, Technal has established a strong market position over the past
20 years. In addition to its Leeds head office, it has a southern sales
and distribution centre located in Basingstoke and has recently opened
an office in Dublin to further expand its market share in Ireland.
Hydro Building Systems is part of Hydro Aluminium Extrusion, one of the
seven business sectors of Hydro Aluminium. With this acquisition Hydro
Building Systems will be the world leader in building systems based on
aluminium extrusions, with over 3,200 employees and operations in more
than 20 countries.
'With the acquisition of the Technal Group we will not only be by far
the biggest player within aluminium building systems in France and a leading
one in the rest of Europe, but also have a strong position for further
growth, especially outside Europe', says Jan Fredrik Meling, Executive
Vice President of Hydro Aluminium Extrusion and Head of Hydro Building
Systems.
'The Technal brand with its excellent reputation ideally complements our
WICONA and DOMAL brand range as well as our geographical spread. It is
our intention to retain our decentralised business concept and run the
Technal brand in parallel to our existing Wicona and Domal ones.'
Patrick A Tanguy, Chief Executive Officer of the Technal Group, stated,
'We are pleased to become a part of Hydro Building Systems. We believe
that combining the strengths of both companies will accelerate the development
of global presence of Hydro Building Systems.'
Bob Welsh, General Manager of Technal in the UK, said, 'The acquisition
of the Technal Group by Hydro Building Systems has created a major force
in the international building industry. Our new parent company shares
our vision to build on Technalís already strong presence in the
UK and Ireland. The scope and scale of Hydro will support our continued
growth and will ensure we remain at the forefront of product innovation
in the aluminium systems sector to the benefit of our customers and specifiers.'
Ultraframe crashes into the glass business
Ultraframe,
a leading international designer and manufacturer of conservatory systems,
is set to shatter the conservatory and glazing sectors with the launch
of ConservaglassTM, a dedicated conservatory glazing system which promises
to 'leave other proprietary systems - such as Pilkington K glass - in
the shade'.
Fundamental to 'creating a conservatory for all seasons', Conservaglass
offers a combination of performance characteristics far better than any
comparable product - and will 'future proof' the sector against any potential
changes to the Building Regulations.
ConservaglassTM simultaneously offers good thermal performance - 25% better
than Pilkington K glass - and lower solar heat gain, in this instance
being twice as effective as Pilkington K. A 'peel clean' factory film
helps installers to hand over pristine conservatories, while a 'easy clean'
finish reduces homeowner maintenance. ConservaglassTM double glazed units
(DGUs) are also guaranteed for 20 years - double the typical industry
norm.
ConservaglassTM enhances summertime comfort in conservatories by reducing
overheating. Thermal modelling of a conservatory over a typical UK summer
shows that this could increase usage by up to 70 hours over Pilkington
K Glass - and makes it twice as effective at excluding solar heat.
ConservaglassTM DGUs offer thermal performance 25% better than Pilkington
K Glass - providing for warmer conservatorY interiors in winter. The U
value of ConservaglassTM is l.1 WmK2oC, meaning that it wiil meet any
prospective changes to Part L of the Building Regulations as and when
amended.
Its weather-directed face - features a special silicon dioxide coating
which gives the surface an 'easy clean' surface. This coating differs
from other proprietary offers in that water sheets off rather than beads,
obviating unsightly rings left by other systems.
ConservaglassTM features a unique 'peel clean' film that is applied to
the outer and inner faces of the unit. This low tack film is left on until
installation is complete - then being peeled off to reveal pristine clean
units. This saves installer time on cleaning down, and also provides for
protection against scratching duilng transit and handling.
ConservaglassTM DGUs are guaranteed for 20 years - double the typical
industry norm. The system will be manufactured, and fully Kite Marked,
to BS EN 5713: 1979 - the standard for hermetically sealed flat double
glazing units. The glass is toughened to BS EN 6206 - the standard for
impact performance of safety glazing in buildings.
'This will greatly reduce the possibility of call-outs to the installer,
while freeing the consumer from the traditional fear of problems with
failed DGUs'.
ConservaglassTM comes in two marginally differing versions - for roof
or walls, offering a complete glazing solution for conservatories. Roof
DGUs differ from those for walls by having a slight tint to help in solar
glare reduction. The system is distributed in two ways. Roof DGUs are
offered as part of a Selection of modular roofs' - where glass and roof
come in single priced packages. These come in three styles - Victorian,
Georgian and Lean-To - providing 16 size options; and are available from
Ultraframe in five working days from confirmed order. Alternatively, roof
- and wall - DGUs can be sourced in custom shapes and sizes.
NEW
PARTNERSHlP FOR SAPA AND CDW
A new partnership has been forged between Sapa Building Systems and CDW
Systems. CDW Systems has become a Glostal trade fabricator, fabricating
the complete range of Glostal ptoducts for the commercial sector, to complement
its existing commercial door, ground floor framing and curtain walling
operation.
CDW Systems Ltd, formed in 1992, has enjoyed considerable growth over
the last 10 years, establishing itself as one of the leading commercial
door fabricators in the Country, with its products being specified by
many local authorities and contractors. This growth has meant a move to
new premises from its old base in Cheltenham, to nearby Gloucester, maintaining
close proximity to the motorway system fot easy distribution.
Peter Urquhart, Managing Director of CDW Systems explained the reason
to become Glostal fabricators: 'As well as strong growth in our commercial
door and framing range, we were receiving increased enquiries for commercial
windows and high-performance products such as tilt & tum, pivot and
Glostal Stormforce doors. With our move to new premises we felt the time
was right to extend the fange we offer. We took the decision to use the
Glostal system because we are familiar with it and we felt their range
represented one of the most comprehensive avaitable. For our customers
it means they can now order all their commercial requirements from one
single source, which we feel is a major step forward'.
Jon Palethorpe, Sales Director for Sapa Building Systems followed this
by saying: "We are naturally delighted with this new partnership.
CDW fabricates for customers from all over the country, but being based
where they are, it particularly strengthens our South West dealer base
having them on board; especially as we ourselves are seeing an increasing
number of specifications for Glostal products coming out of this region.
But, as CDW already distribute around the country, I'm sure that all of
our customers, no matter where they are geographically, will take advantage
of the capacity CDW have for providing commercial fabricated only products.'
The extent of CDW's commercial expertise is a matter of satisfaction for
Peter as he lists some of the projects they have fabricated for, which
include hundreds of school refurbishments, the BBC, Granada Motorway Services,
and, more locally, a great number of Gloucestershire Police Stations and
the Stroud and Swindon Building Society. As CDW do not offer any site
installation service, it is never in competition with its customers, which
is another strength.
Mila
has introduced Centra-Lock
In a move that will give window and door manufacturers and installers
a major boost to sales, hardware manufacturer and distributor Mila has
introduced Centra-Lock, the UK's first affordable, practical and easy-to-fit
household central locking system.
Making
its debut at Glassex, Centra-Lock locks and unlocks doors and windows
by operating a small, hand-held transponder unit, just as for a car. The
electronics, designed for rigorous use, are housed in units that may directly
replace existing handles for doors and windows, utilising existing espagnolette,
shoot bolt and multipoint locking systems used throughout the replacement
door and window industry.
Centra-Lock is as easy to install as conventional handles, and may be
sold as a retrofit or for new installations. It may be installed as a
standalone unit, for example on a front entrance door, or as a fully integrated
system on doors and windows throughout a house. The system runs off batteries
that automatically give a warning one-month before they need changing,
and the advanced technology designed by Mila ensures that the system monitors
itself every hour to ensure all linked units are functioning correctly.
The state-of-the-art system has total flexibility, allowing homeowners
to leave any windows open if required. But should a window or door be
left open accidentally a buzzer will give a warning. Another enhancement
will be the availability of special smoke detectors. In the event of fire,
these wiil automatically unlock doors and windows to allow quick release
for safe egress.
With the use of such devices now standard on most cars, Centra-Lock is
expected to be an immediate hit with homeowners whose primary reaction,
according to research, is 'Why hasn't such a device been available before?'
Mila's Marketing Manager Kelvin Green believes that this is the biggest
thing to hit the door and window market for years: 'Centra-Lock will actually
stimulate sales because it is a sexy device that brings with it very real
benefits to homeowners, which they can immediately envisage. This is the
first real change to the way we lock our homes for literally hundreds
of years!'
Heritage
Unveils New Glass Bevelling Technology
USA based Heritage Sign & Display recently unveiled new glass bevelling
technology at its facility in Pennsylvania. The new automated glass-bevelling
machine is the first of its kind in the industry, enabling Heritage to
produce custom straight and wave bevels with a single piece of equipment.
This new technology allows Heritage to greatly expand its line of custom
point of purchase (P.O.P.) advertising signs and displays to include custom
bevelled mirrors and a wide variety similar products.
The Wave 2000 beveller is the first and only machine of its kind. Designed
by Samtech, a Korean company specialising in glass cutting machinery,
and built in Italy by Delta Machinery, the Wave 2000 is the only beveller
to combine wave and straight beveling in a single process, performing
all the edge grinding and polishing in one digitally controlled operation.
Samtech bills this machine as 'the first major innovation in glass bevelling
in the past 1000 years.'
'This new capability allows us to do more than just bevel mirrors,' explains
Jason Amodea, company President. 'We view glass bevelling as an alternative
to conventional framing techniques. We'll be able to integrate this technology
with our current product line. It's just one more thing we can offer our
clients to help their product or service stand out in a highly competitive,
visually oriented marketplace.'
In addition to enhancing their line of custom P.O.P. displays, the acquisition
of the Wave 2000 beveling machine affords the company an opportunity to
branch out into new areas, including upscale licensed collectibles as
well as custom mirrors for the retail market and interior decorating industry.
Because it provides major timesavings and production control advantages
over more costly and time-consuming conventional beveling methods, the
new machine also allows Heritage to act as a cost-effective resource for
other companies.
Heritage Sign and Display is an award winning designer and manufacturer
of custom P.O.P. signs and displays. Its modern, 55,000 sq. ft. factory
houses facilities for custom woodworking, CNC milling and routing, vacuum
forming, UV and conventional screen printing, acrylic fabrication, mirror
making, mirror beveling, custom framing, product assembly, packing and
shipping.
Sales contact: Heidi Mann (570) 645 8701 ex 117
http://www.popsigns.com
heritage@popsigns.com
IDEAL
WINDOWS FOR THE IDEAL HOME
JELD-WEN (UK) Ltd - the UK supplier of doors, windows and stairs - is
a supplier for the Daily Maii's prize show house at this year's ldeal
Home Show Exhibition.
The company was invited to supply 11 of its Boulton & Paul windows
for the Daily Mail Show House, which is a replica of a £250,000
property the newspaper is giving away through its readers' competition.
The 2002 show house will be situated in the Show Village, an exhibition
space designed to reflect the English Countryside.
A total of 11 windows from the Sovereign Stormsure Horizontal Bar range,
were supplied fully glazed and ready to fit. From the Boulton & Paul
collection, Sovereign Stormsure windows are fitted with Low E glass to
achieve thermal insulation that meets Part L. For security, the windows
are also compliant with BS7950 and meet the requirements set by Secured
by Design - the police approved security specification to assist with
the development of greater security in the community.
Adam Turk, JELD-WEN Sales and Marketing Director, said: 'lt goes without
saying that we're delighted to have been singled out to supply our Sovereign
Stormsure windows for the Daily Mail house. With our new product catalogue
hot-off-the-press The ldeal Home Show is the ideal launch pad for what
promises to be a successful trading year ahead.
lncorporating John Carr Doors and Boulton & Paul window and stairs,
JELD-WEN provides security-enhanced products that not only meet the latest
Part L energy efficiency regulations, but also conform to Building Regulations
Part M, which are designed to make accessibility more convenient for the
disabled.
The Daily Mail ldeal Home Show Exhibition runs from 6 March to 1 April
2002.
GBW
HITS THE TARGET
Eighteen months since CBW moved to new state-of-the-art premises in Worcester,
the company has announced record sales growth backed by an ambitious investment
programme.
GBW relocated to its new 46,000 sq ft factory and offices to meet increasing
sales demands, boosted by an expansion into composite doors and new product
lines for panels. The company has achieved an overall growth of 44% for
this year and, with the Discovery composite door range proving highly
successful in both the domestic market and with local authority specifiers,
sales figures are currently up by an impressive 100% on last year.
Following the move GBW has invested consistently in new product development
and production equipment, including bringing in its own transportation
fleet. In addition, significant resources have been put into sales personnel
with the necessary skills and experience to target new markets. Customer
support has also been strengthened and there is now a team of professionals
in place, all with previous experience in customer services. Each member
has been assigned to a specific sales area to provide customers with a
dedicated contact for a more efficient and personal service.
As part of its ongoing investment strategy to enhance service levels,
GBW is currently in the process of installing a new IT system. The integrated
package will link customer services with finance and production in order
to further improve order tracking, and smooth the progress of orders through
the system.
Looking to the future, GBW is planning to consolidate the growth it has
achieved, and build on its expanding customer base, which now includes
a considerable number of major national and regional players. More new
products are in the pipeline, and following a successful appearance at
Batimat in Paris, further expansion into export
markets is under way.
Commenting on what has been an exciting year for GBW, Director of Sales,
Geoff Foster says the business has developed into a sound and profitable
operation over the past year and is now a major player in the highly competitive
door and door panel market. 'I believe key to our success is our fresh
approach to targeting new markets, in particular with our Discovery door
which we are confident is the best of its type available today. This,
together with the focus we've placed on getting the service element right,
first time - on time, confirms our position as one of the top three specialist
door and panel companies.'
Geoff Foster GBW
Tel: 08705 388377
Fax: 08700 778377
CE
mark for windows and curtain walls
Key event of the meeting of the European fenestration trade in Antalya
early November 2001 was adoption of the product standards for windows,
external pedestrian doors and curtain walling. The texts of these standards
and all papers and reports given at the EuroWindoor-Fall Meeting are now
available on CD-Rom. The CD-Rom is entitled "CE Mark For All Windows"
The CD-Rom includes contributions relating to economy, politics, law and
technology. It documents all the meetings of the FAECF ana FEMIB EuroClubs
as well as the papers given at the workshops on training and further education,
market and statistics, public relations, environment, economy and legislation.
The CD-Rom contains also the presentations of the Annual Meeting of Pensad,
the Turkish trade association which took place the day before the EuroWindoor
meeting, as well as a report on the organization and the goals of the
EuroWindoor China Club.
Focal point of the meeting was to speed up European standardization with
the aim of introducing the CE-mark as soon as possible. Only this "passport"
for construction products will enable the European industry to operate
on a truly open market without any barriers to trade and achieve cost
savings. The CD-Rom documents the product standards for windows, external
pedestrian doors and curtain walls adopted by EuroWindoor. Further information
to "read" on the CD-Rom covers the project of establishing a
quality mark at the European level.
The CD is compatible with both regular PC and Macintosh-systems and available
at 15 Euros plus shipping costs upon request from the EuroWindoor office
- Phone: +49 (69) 95 50 54 0, Fax 09 - 95 50 54 11, or:
eurowindoor@window.de