Installers:
Are You Up To The Glassex Challenge?
A star event at this year’s Glassex will be The Glassex Challenge
to find The Glassex Installer of the Year. Just think how that title will
boost your customers’ confidence and sales! The Glassex Challenge
will take place throughout Glassex 2004 with four teams competing each
day in a competition designed to promote and reward excellence in door,
window and conservatory installation. The Glassex Challenge will also
be an exciting spectacle for visitors to the event, as the teams will
be competing in the main halls of the exhibition area. There are thousands
of pounds worth of Dewalt tools up for grabs for successful entrants,
and track days as prizes for the overall winners.
Who can enter the Glassex Challenge?
Companies can enter the Challenge providing they meet the following criteria:
• The team must be made up of two members
• Each team member must have Five years industry experience
• The company must be FENSA registered (www.fensa.org.uk)
If you meet those criteria click here to enter: www.glassex.co.uk/challenge.asp
Please note:
Tools and equipment will be provided by the Organiser. Entrants to supply
their own protective goggles, gloves and shoes.
How will the Challenge work?
Teams will be expected to install a door, a flat window, a bay window
and a conservatory roof, with entrants judged on speed, finish, and health
and safety issues. 16 teams will be short listed to compete against one
another during Glassex. The shortlist will be compiled through heats or
by random selection depending on the total number of entries. At Glassex
prizes will be awarded each day to the team that achieves the best combined
score across each installation. At the end of Glassex two further prizes
will be awarded to the best combined door and window score and the best
conservatory score amongst the 16 teams.
Judging will be carried out by The Essential Support Team (T.E.S.T.) www.test-training.org.uk,
the UK’s leading specialists in training and recruitment for the
glazing industry. Network VEKA will supply the doors and windows used
in the Challenge, with the conservatory roof provided by Total Conservatory
Roof Systems.
For further information contact Gerry Sherwood by email at gerry.sherwood@emap.com
or by ‘phone on 020 8277 5528.
Please note, all team members must register to attend Glassex in order
to gain entry to the exhibition hall. Register online by clicking here
or telephone 0870 429 4594.
Big
Expansion Reflects Style Group’s National Growth
Style
Group UK plc, manufacturer and supplier of PVCu windows and doors, has
announced the acquisition and relocation of six new regional developments,
boosting job prospects in those areas.
The expansion programme includes the opening of six new sales and installation
sites at Swindon, Chester, Reading, Birmingham, Hull and Bradford.
The
developments come hard on the heels of the Group’s recently announced
record results, which showed rises in both turnover and profits. They
reflect the continuous expansion of both sales offices and installation
units to meet increasing customer demands throughout the country.
The new units will be added to the Group’s existing network and will
strengthen its national identity. Launched in 1992, the Group incorporates
three specialist companies covering manufacture, trade supply and retail.
With an annual turnover in excess of £100m it has its head offices
in Bradford, West Yorkshire and now has a further 40 offices across the
United Kingdom.
Chief Executive John Ross emphasised the new sites are vital for future
development of the Group. He explained:
‘We have experienced rapid growth in the last ten years and to ensure
it continues we must have the right infrastructure in place to operate
at the level our customers rightly expect.
‘The new offices are a mix of sales and installation sites and both
are vital for our future. Obviously we never stop looking to expand our
sales territories but equally once an order is placed it has always been
a priority to manufacture, deliver and install as promised and on time.
‘Through our Safestyle brand, we now sell £2m worth of windows
and doors every week and to achieve our targets we need well trained teams
of installers strategically positioned around the country. They must work
from sites that are modern, easily accessible and close to the main motorway
links.’
The continuous growth of the Group is also good news for local economies.
Style Group’s Head of Installations, Graham Wilde, explains: ‘New
job opportunities are a definite possibility, particularly in the installation
units. We currently employ 225 teams, which equates to over 400 specialist
workers. If sales continue to rise as forecast we will expand accordingly.’
£250,000
Investment Elevates Radius Plastics
Radius
Plastics, the UK specialist profile bending company, has almost completed
work on a new factory extension and added new specialist manufacturing
equipment, as part of a £250,000 investment programme. ‘The
work is the latest phase of Radius’ plan to revolutionise customer
service, product quality, and deliveries, in a section of the glazing
industry that has been notorious in these areas.’ says the company.
The ‘Radius Express’ scheme, which will be supervised by a Radius
Plastics Director, will significantly shorten order-to-delivery lead times.
This, and new production IT systems, will ensure customers are fully informed
about order progress, and that they receive shipments to accurate schedules.
Customers will be given a firm delivery date for orders, which they can
then use in turn to schedule installations accurately with their customers.
This is with an average order turnaround from Radius of around two weeks,
virtually unheard of from specialist profile benders.
Despite the labour and time intensive production requirements of complex
shaped frames, product quality will be further enhanced, despite Radius
already enjoying low rejection rates through the company’s quality
control section. In addition, all products will be covered by a guarantee
in keeping with industry standards, enabling installers to offer a comprehensive
guarantee to their customers for all products they supply, and in line
with industry standards.
‘The manufacture of special shaped frames is very complex and logistically
intensive, which is why so many companies in this sector have got away
with poor service for so many years,’ explained Radius Plastiics’
Mike Crewdson. ‘This has changed forever at Radius Plastics as we
have brought our service and product quality into line with the standards
expected from other sectors of the industry.’
Tel: 01744 885983
Edgetech
IG Inc Expands with New Subsidiary Edgetech Europe Ltd
As
a firm indication of its ambitions to take pole position in Europe as
well as in the US, Edgetech IG Inc, the Super Spacer® bar manufacturer
has set up a new subsidiary, Edgetech Europe Ltd. Market leader in Northern
America – where over 85% of the market uses warm edge technology
– the company claims that Super Spacer’s no-metal, all-foam
formula provides one of the best thermal performances replacing standard
cold edge aluminium spacer bars.
Torsten Keemss, previously General Agent for the company in Continental
Europe, becomes managing director of the new German based subsidiary.
‘The rapid expansion of our operations across Europe over the last
18 months led to the establishment of Edgetech Europe Ltd as the next
logical step in our expansion programme’, he said.
This latest investment on the continent by Edgetech I.G. Inc. follows
hot on the heels of recent expansion in the UK. Edgetech UK Inc experienced
65% growth in 2003 and is budgeting for a 70% increase in 2004 leading
it to invest in a new warehousing and distribution centre based in Coventry
to service the UK and Ireland.
Tel: 02476 363614
New
Clients for Lambert GT Services
Lambert
GT Services Ltd now has a further two clients producing high quality toughened
glass. Tri Warm in Smethwick and Phoenix Door Panels in Somersham are
the latest companies who have chosen a Lambert GT Services Ltd toughening
plant.
Tri Warm has purchased a Lambert GT Services Ltd 1300 x 2700 plant, with
Cyclone CAT aspiration system, and full noise attenuation reduction complex.
Tri Warm says it has immediately benefited from this investment with a
large number of new clients now purchasing toughened glass from the company.
This has enabled it to run double shifts from the offset.
Tri Warm says it has been able to operate successfully because of the
excellent level of support provided by Lambert GT Services Ltd. The intricate
level of training and the full two year service contract has given the
company the confidence to take on large orders from the beginning. The
Cyclone Cat system (which Lambert GT Services Ltd can fit to almost any
toughening plant for around £25,000 plus VAT, plus compressor) has
been instrumental in the decrease of cycle times and breakages, and the
increase in productivity and financial saving for Tri Warm. Lambert says
that this has also been the case for all the other companies that have
invested in this state of the art addition to tempering technology. LGT,
part of the Lambert group is currently in the process of installing Cyclone
CAT systems throughout the UK. This development has been extremely popular
with current Lambert GT Services Ltd customers and companies with competitor’s
machines alike.
Phoenix has invested in a specially designed 600x1000 toughening plant
perfectly accustomed to the company’s needs. After only one week
of production Phoenix says it has witnessed its investment dramatically
reduce processing costs, whilst also ensuring a steep rise in productivity
levels. Phoenix’s Glazing Manager Phil Lane has been extremely impressed
with the results. ‘It has been a massive financial saving for us.’
Phil stated.
Lambert GT Services Ltd will be exhibiting its full range of toughening
plants and the Cyclone CAT system at Glassex 2004. Peter Lambert and David
Cahill invite you to stand G89.
Tel: 01675 430438.
Email: mailto:sales@lambertgtservices.co.uk
Web: http://www.lambertgtservices.co.uk
New
Cervoglass™ for Perfect Conservatories Roofs
James
Price plc, the Aintree based double glazed unit manufacturer and specialist
glass processor has launched the Cervoglass™ range, a new generation
of advanced conservatory roof glazing under its Tuff X brand.
The secret of Cervoglass™ lies in a coating contained within the
double glazed roof units that reflects up to three times the amount of
solar heat compared with conventional glass units. Cervoglass™ dual
sealed units make conservatory living a pleasure throughout the year by
blocking solar heat from outside in the summer whilst reducing heat loss
in colder periods.
The special ‘easy-clean’ coating in Cervoglass™ prevents
rain and water from forming droplets so that when it rains the water spreads
evenly over the surface of the glass and washes any dirt away leaving
a spot free finish.
There are three Cervoglass™ products in the range - Cervo™,
Cervo Bright™ and Cervo Sol Bright™. ‘All help to reduce
harmful CO2 emissions and provide excellent U-values whether air or Argon
filled with first class solar factors and visible light transmissions.’
Says the company. Cervo™ consists of dual sealed 4mm clear toughened
glass; Cervo Bright™ Argon filled 4mm clear toughened and 4mm Low
E toughened; Cervo Sol Bright™ Argon filled solar controlled 4mm
blue tinted toughened and Low E 4mm toughened.
All Cervoglass™ toughened glass units from Tuff X are dual sealed
on the latest robotic Lisec system, are Kitemarked BS 5713 and can be
heat soak tested to DIN 50049-2-1.
Tel: 0151 523 7070
‘Holy
Trinity’ Means Start-Up Fabricator Beats Early Targets
'Consistent
Quality,' 'Personal Touch,' 'Caring For The Customer's Individual Needs.'
Those three key criteria are helping to push Kömmerling start-up
fabricator H.W.L. Trade Frames Ltd. well ahead of its business plan targets.
'That's what we demand from our suppliers, so that’s what our customers
expect from us,' says director Mark Haley. And that philosophy has led
to the company’s order book growing at a far faster rate than it
had originally foreseen. At just 14 weeks into its manufacturing life,
the company was producing 180 windows a week, while the forecast for this
very early stage in the company’s development was just 60.
Set up with an initial investment of £250,000, H.W.L. employs a
total of 15 people. The company’s new state-of-the-art window machinery
includes a Pertici electronic saw, Haffner auto bead saw, URBAN three-head
welder and URBAN corner cleaner.
However, if growth continues at the current rate, first-year turnover
will be £1.3m, putting it well into profit, and giving the opportunity
for further investment in additional machinery.
With that anticipated future investment, the 10,000 square-foot factory
at Armley, in Leeds, has capacity to produce 500 frames a week - and while
that is as far ahead as its directors want to look at the moment, they
know for sure that they never want to get too big that they lose the qualities
which they believe have made the company so appealing in its infancy.
Having left the relative safety of high-ranking jobs with established
window companies in the Midlands and the South, to create H.W.L., Mark
and his co-directors Phil Langton and Tim Wilkens, are frequently asked
why they have set up a small manufacturing business when the window industry
seems to be moving away from small and medium sized fabricators towards
so-called 'super-fabricators.'
Pictured,
from left: sales advisor Ian Cockcroft, and directors Tim Wilkens, Phil
Langton and Mark Haley
The answer revolves around providing the windows trade with a ‘Holy
Trinity’ which the directors say are often missing in the super-fabricator’s
repertoire - consistent product quality, the personal touch, and individual
customer care.
'By their very nature, large super-fabricators just don't have the time
to devote to the personal requirements of each individual customer,' says
Mark. 'Super-fabricators generally provide windows in bulk quantity which
serves certain sections of the industry very well.'
However, he says H.W.L.'s customers at the quality end of the market have
a very different outlook. ‘For example, one of our customers installs
windows in New Build properties in the £500,000 to £3m price
bracket, and needs the assurance that every single window will be of the
consistently same high quality. And installers of replacement windows
value the personal touch and knowing that we manufacture their windows
to their own specific requirements.'
Mark feels another reason the company is exceeding early expectations
is its decision to exclusively manufacture the classically-curved Kömmerling
Connoisseur window system from the European PVCu extruder, profine International
Profile Group. "The fact that all Kömmerling profiles in the
UK have been extruded using Calcium-Zinc stabilisers instead of Lead for
the last three years is a major selling point for us.
‘As a start-up company we needed something different to offer on
top of our personal touch, individual customer care, and a recognised
quality product. The Lead-free Connoisseur gave us that extra edge in
the quality window market, and ensured that our order books were full
right from the start.
‘When people change their cars they look to upgrade to a better,
higher-spec model whenever possible, and the same is now true with windows.
Several of our medium to large installers across the country are replacing
existing PVCu windows which were originally fitted around 10 to 15 years
ago.
‘As well as wanting to have one of the most thermally-efficient and
environmentally-friendly windows on the market, many of our installers’
domestic customers now prefer Connoisseur’s classically-curved appearance
to the rather boring flat or chamfered look which has dominated the market
for so long.’
While H.W.L.'s directors are looking for controlled growth, they have
no intention of becoming a super-fabricator. Says Mark: 'Super-fabricators
have their place in the industry - but they’re definitely not for
everyone. Our customers tell us they prefer to deal with a company which
understands their own particular, individual requirements.'
They chose Leeds to be the company’s base because of its cost-effectiveness
for a manufacturing facility, the quality of the area’s workforce,
and the City’s proximity to the motorway network for their nationwide
distribution. Says Sales Director Tim Wilkens: ‘We now have three
delivery lorries on the road all the time. And the way things are going,
it could well become four in the foreseeable future.'
Right
Approach to Conservatory Design from S&J
Independent
trade manufacturer of conservatory roofs, S&J Marketing has signed
an exclusive deal with software supplier RoofWright to secure a unique
software package for its regular customer base. The move will enable S&J’s
customers to design conservatories with ease and improve turnaround times
and customer service.
Paul Smith, S&J Marketing’s general manager, said: ‘Our
regular customers have been delighted with the software that we have provided
them with at no cost and it has already made a significant impact to the
efficiency of many of their businesses.’
Jon Twigge, RoofWright’s sales director, added: ‘The RoofWright
software will enable S&J customers to design, and present to customers
a full range of conservatories and transfer their orders electronically
to S&J for fulfilment, without duplication, error or delay. This means
that more orders can be processed with greater speed and accuracy’
Using
RoofWright, S&J’s customers can access any number of designs
from standard templates or create a ‘one-off’ using the freehand
designer. These designs can be viewed from any angle in 3D, refined with
the customer, super imposed onto a background photo of the customer’s
home and printed out as part of a quotation.
The design is then supplied to S&J for quotation and manufacture.
Using the fabrication version of RoofWright, S&J is able to generate
the detailed drawings, parts and cutting lists to build the conservatory,
while minimising build time and speeding up order turnarounds.
Rapid Prototyping Systems Ltd - the creators of RoofWright - produces
software to support business efficiency. It has a number of products available
to improve the complete business life cycle, including customer and contracts
management, purchasing and stock control.
All conservatory roofs are manufactured with a standard five day turnaround
at S&J Marketing’s state-of-the-art factory facility in Duston,
Northamptonshire. Using the latest developments in design and materials,
all conservatory roofs have been tested and approved by the BBA. They
are available in both white and a range of woodgrain finishes.
Contact: Paul Smith, S&J Marketing Ltd
Tel: 01604 585900
Email: mailto:paul@sandj.co.uk
Contact:Jon Twigge, RoofWright
Tel: 0161 426 1120
Website: http://www.roofwright.co.uk
Consumer
Credit Licensing Annual Update
The
OFT carried out a total of 1119 licensing actions in 2003. Some 778 licence
applications were withdrawn following challenge from the OFT, 228 warning
or advisory letters were issued and 113 Minded to Revoke/Refuse notices.
In addition, the OFT refused 34 licences and revoked 19 licences.
Offences taken into account in the refusal or revocation of licences include
theft of vehicles, forging documents, taking risks with creditors' money,
making false trade descriptions, taking monies without permission, drug
offences, handling stolen goods, violent disorder and supplying false
information on licence applications.
Under the Consumer Credit Act 1974, businesses that are involved in consumer
credit or hire must have a consumer credit licence. The OFT has a duty
to protect the interests of consumers by monitoring the fitness of those
holding and applying for licences.
In considering fitness the OFT can take into account a number of factors
including:
* any offence or conviction connected with the business or anyone involved
in running the business
* failure to comply with the provisions of the Consumer Credit Act or
other consumer protection legislation
* consumer complaints
* evidence of unfair business practices
* evidence of discrimination on grounds of sex, colour, race or ethnic/national
origin.
Penny Boys, Executive Director of the OFT, said:
'Where we have sufficient evidence, we will use our powers to refuse or
revoke credit licences to keep out unfit traders from the consumer credit
market. But we need more proportionate powers to ensure that all those
with consumer credit licences deal with borrowers fairly. We welcome the
Government's intention to reform the Consumer Credit Act to give the OFT
these powers.'
Schott
Achieves Operating Plus in 2002/2003
Change
will continue to be an important aspect for the Schott international technology
group in the current 2003/2004 fiscal year (to September 30th). At the
group’s annual results press conference in Frankfurt am Main on February
17th, 2004 the new Chairman of the Board of Management Dr. Udo Ungeheuer
indicated that structural reorganisation was to be speeded up. He referred
in this connection to the 'biggest modernisation process in the corporation’s
history ever'. The objective of the measures that have been introduced
is to improve international competitiveness and to create the prerequisites
for a stable growth in sales and profits.
For 2003/2004 the group expects moderately positive business progress.
In the first four months of the fiscal year order intake was up on the
figure for the previous year with sales at the previous year's level.
But there are still no clear signs of growth from important customer groups
such as telecommunications and the semiconductor industry. In addition
to this there are unfavourable euro/dollar and euro/yen exchange rates
to be taken into account.
The current business situation is marked by a widely varying picture in
individual industries and regions.
In the 'Home Tech' Strategic Business Unit 'Ceran' glass-ceramic
cooktops and processed flat glass products are continuing their growth
pattern. In particular the good development in the important Japan and
China markets is very encouraging. Even thirty years after Ceran®
was first launched, Schott is continuing to demonstrate high potential
for innovation with Ceran Suprema®. Thanks to a new material composition
up to 16% faster boil-up times can be achieved.
The 'Electronics' strategic business unit is still not in a position
to record any sweeping recovery in components for the telecommunications
and semiconductor industry. By contrast there is good demand in the case
of electronic packaging components for automotive and consumer electronics
and also for fiber optic components for automobile lighting. The classical
television glass business continues to be marked by severe pressure on
prices and far-reaching structural change towards flat screens using display
glass. There has been a successful start-up for the manufacture of high-precision
cut tubing for microdiodes at the Suzhou works in China.
In the 'Advanced Optical Materials and Components' strategic business
unit a major order from an electronics group in Asia in particular is
ensuring that capacity for Zerodur® glass-ceramic is being well utilised.
This material with its zero thermal expansion is a key component in the
LCD lithography growth sector. Demand for materials for the semiconductor
industry continues to be unsatisfactory.
In the 'Pharmaceutical Systems' strategic business unit ampoules
and vials for the pharmaceutical industry are showing stable demand. Schott
sees a great market potential for syringes which - in compliance with
customers‘ requirements - can be manufactured from either special
glass or plastic.
The new 'Solar' strategic business unit brings together the group’s
activities in photovoltaics and solar heating technology. In the case
of photovoltaics Schott is recording a good demand, but is faced with
massive competitive pressure from Japanese suppliers as a result of the
weak yen.
In the 2002/2003 fiscal year Schott was not able to escape the effects
of the weak overall business situation. Worldwide sales stagnated at 1.95
billion euros with the share of business outside Germany falling from
79% to 76%. The profits from normal business activities were 34 million
euros. However, said Chief Financial Officer Klaus Rübenthaler at
the annual results press conference, special future-proofing measures
in particular contributed to a group net loss after taxes of 75 million
euros. In the previous year a 60 million euro surplus had been achieved.
The restructuring measures involve in the first place the transfer already
announced of television glass production from Schott Glas, Mainz, to STV
Glass in the Czech Republic and the closing-down of special glass tubing
production at the American subsidiary company Schott Scientific Glass
Inc. of Parkersburg. The US market will be supplied from other facilities.
In the fiscal year under review EBITDA was 201 million euros, in the previous
year it was 283 million. At 196 million euros investment in tangible assets
remained at the previous year's level. Schott’s equity ratio remains
satisfactory at 30% (previous year 34%). The Schott Group’s solid
finance structure provides the basis for the tasks ahead. On the balance
sheet date the Schott Group employed 19,350 people, just under half of
these being in Germany.
The further reorganisation of the group will concentrate essentially on
three areas:
Consolidation with a view to increasing profitability. This includes for
example the recent sale of the group accounting centre. Another of the
measures is the transfer of production to facilities with a more favourable
cost structure plus a greater geographical proximity to their customers.
In the case of service functions such as Purchasing and Personnel there
are plans to improve structures and processes with a view to further increasing
efficiency.
Setting up of businesses in growth markets. Here the focus is on a strengthened
presence for Schott in Asia, above all in the People’s Republic of
China. The technology concern also sees some highly promising prospects
in a number of high-tech fields: photovoltaics, solar heating technology,
thin glass for large format TFT displays (in Jena Schott has recently
brought on stream Europe’s most advanced float plant for high quality
thin glass), coating technologies for adding value to glass and plastic
components plus glass-ceramics for LCD technology.
Another move to pursue the further development of the group is the legal
transformation of Schott Glas into a joint stock corporation. The Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung
will hold all the stock of Schott Glas AG. Stock exchange listing is therefore
excluded.
Chairman of the Board of Management Dr. Ungeheuer emphasised to the press
in Frankfurt that Schott had the potential to successfully cope with the
far-reaching process of change. He indicated that he was also confident
about the current fiscal year. 'We have the opportunity, in spite of difficult
background conditions, to return to a positive group profit'.
Alcoa's
Pinjarra Efficiency Upgrade Approved; Alumina Production To Increase By
600,000 mtpy
Alcoa
announced on February 6th that Alcoa World Alumina and Chemicals (AWAC),
- a global alliance between Alcoa and Alumina Ltd, with Alcoa holding
60% - has received the Western Australian Government's environmental approval
for its previously announced US $270 million Pinjarra alumina refinery
efficiency upgrade.
Work on the project, which will increase production at the facility by
600,000 metric tons per year, will begin next month. The construction
phase is expected to take nearly two years, with completion by the end
of 2005.
In November of 2003 Alcoa's AWAC announced the completion of a 250,000
mtpy construction expansion of its Jamalco alumina refinery in Clarendon
ahead of schedule. AWAC also has broken ground on a 250,000 mtpy alumina
expansion at its Paranam alumina refinery in Suriname.
Web: http://www.alcoa.com
Alcoa
Sells Its 10% Stake in Alscon
Alcoa
confirmed on 19th February that it has sold its 10 percent stake in the
Alscon smelter in Ikot Abasi, Nigeria to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Alcoa assumed the stake as part of its acquisition of Reynolds Metals.
Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
The Alscon smelter was 70 percent owned by the Federal Government and
20 percent held by Ferrostaal AG. Only a portion of the facility has ever
been operated and has been idle since mid-1999.
The Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), an agency of the Nigerian government,
is working to privatise Alscon.
Web: http://www.alcoa.com