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HW
Plastics'
installer, L&L Installations
of Tewkesbury, is now well underway to getting fully back on its feet
after a serious fire eighteen months ago.
Commented joint MD David Lannen; 'It was a most unfortunate time for
us as one might imagine, but through the perserverance and determination
of our loyal workforce together with an immensely impressive dose of
understanding from our customers, we opened our brand new showroom at
the end of April. We had a large turnout from our customers and we also
invited HW Plastics, our profile supplier to support our venture.'
'Building on the strength of purpose we have observed during the previously
testing times, we are looking forward to incresing our output from 120
frames per week to 180. Our market is predominantly domestic and we
are looking to attract new busness through a number of new marketing
initiatives over the coming months', commented John Lannen, the other
half of the partnership.
'It is now coming up to one year since we gained the important and prestigious
Quality Mark, part of the requirement from HW Plastics, when we signed
up for AIMS, their Approved Installer Membership Scheme'.
The Quality Mark is the Governments badge of approval for installers,
reassuring their customers that they are employing a registered company
that has passed a series of stringent assessments to gain inclusion.
L&L Installations performed well, prompting the Quality Mark assessor
to report the following: 'As a benchmark for the industry, I have absolutely
no reservations whatsoever about recommending this company for the Quality
Mark approval. management and workforce should be congratulated on their
performance.'
MDs David & John Lannen are delighted with the result. 'When HW
Plastics suggested AIMS and the Quality Mark we thought it was an excellent
idea, and are glad to have received such a pat on the back from our
assessor. We know we provide a good service - and now everyone else
does too'.
Rapid
Frame Rolls Out Windowlink
Walsall-based
fabricator, Rapid Frame Ltd, is
to offer its retail customers Windowlink’s
Focus Plus and Vector Plus presentation and pricing software as part
of a new added value sales initiative. The personalised packages will
enable installers to produce accurate quotations at the click of a button
using up to date pricing and specification data.
The full Rapid Frame price list has been incorporated into the software
and the packages will be installed at selected customer sites and their
own individual pricing details (such as fitting etc) added. With both
their own and the frame costs built into the software, Rapid Frame’s
customers will be able to calculate end-user prices on screen during
the design and ordering process. The integrated pricing facility also
means homeowners can immediately see the effect that any changes in
specification might have on the overall price.
Rapid Frame’s Technical Manager, Dean Crowther, is overseeing the
introduction of the Windowlink programs. ‘I’ve been in the
window business for many years and have used lots of different packages.
Focus and Vector are really easy to install and have been designed so
that even a computer novice could use them. I’m sure our customers
will find them a real benefit to their business. The advantages will
be two-fold – our customers will appear even more professional
and efficient and our orders from them will be totally accurate and
error free.’
Established over four years ago, Rapid Frame is a successful Schuco
system fabricator operating a nationwide service. Production capacity
currently stands at up to 550 frames per week, which includes output
for both windows and conservatories. Rapid Frame is planning to phase
in the new Windowlink software and will issue it initially to its top
ten customers, ‘And once they are up and running we’ll start
rolling it out to our other installers,’ adds Dean.
Windowlink’s Vector Plus for conservatories and Focus Plus for
windows and doors combine 3D presentation and quotation facilities with
fully integrated pricing modules. Stored price matrices and pricing
rules are set up within the program alongside comprehensive product
specifications and options. Vector programs incorporate a library of
all popular conservatory styles, decorative window leads and choice
of roof glazing. Windowlink’s Focus package also now offers a full
Georgian layout facility.
Tel: 0870 770 1640
Web: http://www.windowlink.com
Everwhite
Hits the Spot in the Isle of Wight
Allan
Humphryes, owner of Appley Ltd,
is no stranger to the industry, having successfully run his window,
door and roofline business on the Isle of Wight for the last nine years,
after working for a Swish and Veka distributor for a further eight years
in Hampshire.
‘With 80% of our business involved in stocking roofline products,
and 20% installation, we know from experience how important it is to
work with a supplier who can satisfy both sides of the business’,
comments Allan. ‘We switched to Everwhite 18 months ago and haven’t
looked back. Everwhite has a quality product that’s delivered on
time and in the same pristine condition as when it left the factory.
That’s no mean feat considering we’re in the Isle of Wight.
The packaging is ten times better than our previous supplier due to
the simple common sense of packing the board edge to edge so it doesn’t
get broken. As well as getting the big things right, it’s the small,
common sense touches like this that show how Everwhite understands what’s
important to stockists and installers, and delivers it.’
Tel: 01685 882 447
Sash
Windows UK Ltd
is a PVCu vertical sliding window specialist, manufacturing the Spectus
Vertical Slider.
Based in Bradford the company serves trade customers nationwide. In
an increasingly competitive market Sash Windows UK has grown rapidly.
The company has recently moved to new premises in order to add a
production line for Elite 70 - Spectus' new co-extruded, fully shaped
system.
Sash Windows UK's Managing Director is Jason Lee. With over twenty years
experience in the window industry - working for fabricators, systems
companies, and installers - Jason is quietly confident that his company
can match any for quality & service.
'I have been in the industry long enough to understand what customers
want. They simply want keen prices, good quality and reliable service.
None of this is rocket science. All that is required is a conscientious
approach to business and a real understanding & appreciation of
the product.'
Jason's particular expertise is in organising fabrication, having set
up manufacturing lines for a number of major companies. 'Efficient manufacturing
is the bedrock of a trade window company, I find once that is sorted
everything else falls in to place around it.
'Of course fabricating the best window systems in the industry helps,
which is why we manufacture the Spectus Vertical Slider and Elite 70.
Both systems are well designed and have features that make manufacturing
as easy as possible.'
Aura Moves in the Right Direction
Quantal
fabricator Aura Conservatories has
moved into larger premises, following a successful year that culminated
in the achievement of BBA certification.
The new 6000 sq ft factory includes a specially designed roof build
floor, spacious warehousing and a suite of new offices, all of which
will enable Aura to continue to offer its customers quality products,
superior service and reliability.
Director Chris Yates explains, ‘We saw a 30% increase in our business
during 2003 and found that we were rapidly outgrowing our old factory.
By investing our profits in these new premises we feel that we can maintain
the natural growth of the business.
‘Our team is committed to total customer satisfaction, and it is
vital to us that we keep in touch with their needs. For example, we
have found that our customers prefer us to use unmarked vans for our
site delivery service. Also, the attractive, durable Quantal roof allows
them to differentiate their sales offer in the market place.
‘With our new building and BBA, 2004 promises to be an excellent
year for Aura’, concludes Chris.
Aura fabricates the Quantal roof for trade customers right across South
West England, and is part of the fast-growing Approved Quantal Fabricator
Network. For further information visit http://www.quantal.co.uk,
or telephone 01626 836403.
To contact Aura Conservatories telephone 01626 355663.
Turkingtons Profits Boosted by Profitmaker Software
The
only way to service an industry properly is to know that industry well
from all angles of the supply chain. This was one of the drivers that
attracted Turkington Windows and Conservatories
to Profitmaker software over four
years ago. A long established name in Northern Ireland, Turkington Windows
and Conservatories, has been in business since 1951. Two thirds retail
and one third commercial, the company manufactures up to 300 frames
per week for windows, doors and conservatories.
Ian Young, General Manager comments ‘Profitmaker was designed by
one of us, a former window and door fabricator / installer, so it’s
not just the latest offering from another generalist software company.
Tailor-made for the industry, all aspects of a window company’s
business have been covered. It means we can structure our business in
a way that a window company should be structured, by being able to pull
jobs through by sales, rather than pushing jobs through by production.
We use the software to schedule jobs in the factory based on our fitting
crew capacity. Within 10 minutes we know by when a job can be completed,
and use the software to generate all the paperwork, customer letters
and invoices. It even calculates the sales reps commission by job. Once
the order has been placed, the software generates all the necessary
information required for the job from start to finish including lead
times, profit margins, orders and production times.
‘The time and cost saving benefits are great. Take a simple inquiry.
In life before Profitmaker we would have to call the person back having
rooted through the piles of paperwork. As well as saving us up to half
an hour on each customer, it makes us look and behave more efficiently
and professionally.
Tel: 0870 241 3089
Web: http://
www.profit-maker.net
From
Dream to Reality in just Six Short Months
Steve
Butler, Managing Director of Croston Conservatory
& Window Centre, is overseeing the finishing touches
to the company’s new premises based at Stephen H. Smith's Garden
Centre in Bolton. ‘The spirit of co-operation has prevailed throughout
the relationship with Stephen H. Smith’, commented Steve. ‘It
just goes to show what can be achieved when people put their minds and
energies into a project’.
Steve Butler has been a strong supporter of the Spectus brand for 15
years. In the early days, Spectus Systems was a company in its own right.
Now HW Plastics Ltd., a key member of the Heywood Williams Group, embraces
the brand.
Steve, a recent convert to HW Plastics' new window suite Elite 70, has
built a showroom complex at the site comprising a central show room
and office suite with a range of conservatories displayed around the
perimeter. These include Victorian, flat roof Georgian, Elizabethan,
classic 'P'shape and Edwardian styles. A full range of finishes can
be seen including light oak, mahogany and rosewood.
Commented
Steve: ‘I was attracted to the Elite 70 profile from HW Plastics
for a number of reasons. Clearly there has been a demand for the product
since the launch at last year's Glassex exhibition; my sales team were
asking for it mainly due to the attractive shape and 'fitter friendly'
design’.
‘We have a great team of people committed to the success of the
company. From humble beginnings in 1988 with just five people employed,
the company has grown into a medium sized manufacturing operation employing
120 people'.
Management development is a key to further success. Chairman, Mike Barton
has invested a great deal of time and energy into the development and
growth of individual talents and skills, which has enabled Croston Conservatory
& Window Centre to differentiate itself in this highly competitive
market place.
Steve Whalley, responsible for the production and scheduling of installations
said: ‘The layout of the conservatory styles will appeal to our
customers as it offers them a 'one stop shop' approach’.
Steve Butler has indicated that this project will probably be the first
of many. There are already expansion plans in place linked to other
garden centres. ‘Meeting the demand will be the real challenge
as we move forward - in today's climate however, this is a pleasant
challenge.’ concluded Steve.
Modplan
– A Benchmark for Fabricators
As
sales continue to increase for nationwide fabricator Modplan
Limited, trade sales manager, Chris Reeks, is in no doubt
of the reasons why.
‘In simple terms, it is our commitment to exceeding customer requirements
through continuous improvement’, explains Chris. ‘That means
starting with the right suppliers, in order to achieve the levels of
quality product and service that our customers have come to expect.’
Having
grown over the years to become one of the largest Veka fabricators in
the UK, the team at Modplan was not surprised to hear that Veka Plc
had been voted number one overall in the 2003 Benchmark Study of Attitudes
to Window Systems Companies.
Modplan works closely with Veka in a number of directions, not least
in the development of new products. Heavily involved in the initial
development programme, working in conjunction with its trade customers
on the design, testing and implementation of the Matrix patio door,
the product continues to form a major part of the company’s production
output. ‘We manufacture all our windows and doors using the Matrix
58mm system,’ continues Chris, ‘which retains immense popularity
with installers, not simply because of the quality profile, but because
it is easy to fit and the slim sightlines provide great consumer appeal.
The introduction of co-extruded gaskets at the start of this year has
also been well received, creating greater efficiency in production and
installation, whilst eradicating the chance of gasket shrinking.’
Colin Davidson, National Sales Manager for Veka, considers product range
and availability to be critical. ‘At a time when some suppliers
are reducing the number and type of window systems to their customers,
Veka and Modplan continue to offer a choice. The Matrix 58mm system
offers numerous sales and installation solutions, which has been confirmed
by the demand from Modplan's customer base.’
Like many within the industry, Modplan has seen conservatory sales soar
during recent years. Veka helped to design and now supply, a pvc roof
bar for the Versatile roof system, which is designed and manufactured
by Modplan’s sister company, Versatile Limited. ‘Our conservatory
package is immensely popular and provides customers with unrivalled
differentiation from competitor offerings,’ says Chris.
The unique roof system, which has recently been awarded certification
as an Approved Conservatory Roof System by Network Veka, has a GRP ring
beam that acts as an integral gutter, improving aesthetics, simplifying
installation and saving a great deal of time on site. Veka approval
means additional benefits for Veka Network members, as certification
of the roof system will now bring the complete conservatory into the
insurance backed guarantee scheme.
Chris is a keen advocate of the Network Veka system. ‘If the scheme
is used to full advantage, member companies can gain many benefits,
not least the backing of a national brand whilst retaining local identity.
It has a great finance scheme, which allows installers to get on with
what they do best, rather than trying to become a finance broker and
the opportunities for additional sales leads can be very beneficial.’
Modplan works as closely with its customer base as it does with suppliers,
which is why the company offers the GU door lock and holds ‘Sold
Secure’ approved fabricator status. ‘Security is a major concern
in today’s environment and we felt that the Sold Secure scheme,
would enable our customers to offer the consumer peace of mind,’
says Chris. Chosen due to its close ties with constabularies and insurers,
tests for the scheme are equivalent to that for PAS024, or Secured By
Design, but the human intervention tests are far more realistic than
other approved security schemes, as they apply methods more commonly
used by real burglars, rather than a set application of tools and time
permitted.
‘As many insurance companies and brokers offer discounts on ‘Sold
Secure’ approved products and there is wide promotional coverage,
together with a comprehensive support package for installers who wish
to become approved themselves, the benefits to our customers are considerable.
‘Commitment to continuous improvement includes a stringent quality
procedure, with every product checked before and after it goes on to
the next stage of production, resulting in less wastage, improved cost
efficiency and total customer satisfaction. These high standards of
quality are backed up by Modplan’s service criteria, providing
fast and simple communication procedures, both internally and with the
customer base. The company also runs an NVQ scheme across the whole
of the business, encouraging individual development, which inevitably
leads to increased skills, motivation and greater awareness of customer
expectations.’
Chris concludes, "For Modplan the only true bench mark is total
customer satisfaction. We will always be striving for improvement, but
increased sales and the level of loyalty we receive from our customers
shows that we are on the right track!’
Colin Davidson echoes Chris’s comments, 'While Veka has been recognised
for its approach to the PVCu window market, it is encouraging to see
how Modplan has continued this through the supply chain to the end user.
It is no surprise then that our joint approach to customers, through
the combined business ethos of Modplan and Veka, has provided successful
long term growth.'
Tel: 01495 246844
Surebuild
Cavity Closers for Newbuild Sector
Specialist
cavity closer company Surebuild Plastics Ltd
reports that it has seen sales soar since its launch in January.
Derbyshire-based
Surebuild manufactures cavity closers using profile from Sheerframe
window systems company L.B. Plastics Ltd. The business was set up by
former L.B. employee Andy Malton in response to the growing demand for
effective closers, driven by the increasingly demanding thermal performance
requirements of the building regulations.
The Sheerframe subframe cavity closer is suitable for use with most
PVC window profiles and with timber windows too. It acts as a template
for the bricklayer, seals and insulates the cavity opening and provides
a dpc around the window reveal, acting as a simple fixing system for
the finished, glazed window which can be fitted from inside or outside
of the building.
Delivered to site pre-assembled and ready for use on both flush and
rebated reveals, the subframe features an integral co-extruded gasket
to optimise weather performance. Once the window is installed the subframe
is completely concealed.
The system is BBA approved and covers all standard cavity sizes. Surebuild
offers a rapid turnaround from order to delivery and supplies fabricators
and installers direct. In response to demand, the company is currently
developing a distribution network via builders’ merchants outlets.
Trade
Glaze’s Double Celebration
Adding
to the company’s 10th Birthday celebrations Trade
Glaze, which is based in Lincoln has just achieved BBA approval
for its Window System. The company which fabricates Eurocell’s
Ultimate 70mm and 60mm Window System’s currently produces around
150 windows per week, from its 5,000 sq-ft factory unit on the Allenby
Industrial Estate.
Managing Director Martin Houtby already has a number of housebuilders
on his client list, but as a result of the recent approval, combined
to additional factory capacity, he has identified the growing commercial
and trade sectors as areas in which he wishes Trade Glaze to expand
into. This will add to the retail arm of the business which Trade Glaze
strongly supply and promote to, with the majority of the company’s
work coming from recommendations or repeat business.
Martin Houtby Trade Glaze MD commented, ‘We have now been operating
for 10 years and the BBA approval is important for our long term development.
The business has grown steadily over this period and with new marketing
strategies it should continue to do so in the future. We also hope to
develop our relationship with Eurocell, from which more success will
be derived.’
Eurocell:
01773 842 100
Web: http://www.eurocell.co.uk