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D&P
Creates New Chain of Confidence
A
Kömmerling fabricator is bucking
the current trend in the industry for the scaling down of manufacturing
and service by celebrating the success of its newly opened trade division
- D&P Trade Frames.
D&P Trade Frames is a spin-off from Peter and David Richley’s
window installation business which was founded with their late father
Reginald, 20 years ago. The business turns out 150 windows a week with
the capacity to produce 300 windows.
There
are plans to expand the business into buildings neighbouring D&P’s
4,000 square foot factory in Three-legged Cross, near Ringwood. D&P
Trade Frames will serve installers in the local area and has plans to
increase is operation, doubling its number of delivery vans.
Peter Richley, director of D&P Trade Frames said, ‘We’ve
been contacted by installers who are customers of struggling fabricators
finding that they’re just not getting the service because of the
downturn - so they’re looking to deal with a smaller more localised
company.’
Peter
and brother, David Richley, reflected on the companies they had worked
with over the years. Peter said, ‘For 20 years we put our trust
in fabricators and they delivered satisfactory products, with the occasional
manufacturing mix up. We ended up with a successful installation business
by choosing our suppliers wisely, knowing certain suppliers could be
relied on to fulfil certain orders.
‘There was a gap in the market for a quality product so we decided
to cater for installers in the trade who wanted quality by focusing
on a manufacturing Kömmerling, all delivered with one-to-one service.’
The brothers pride themselves on their customer service and personal
touch and receive a lot of work through recommendations from past clients.
Peter says, ‘It’s like a ‘chain of confidence’.
For us the first link in the chain is our philosophy, the point from
which all products originate. The combination of consumer confidence,
trust and understanding – it is at the start all our business relationships
-the second link is the right materials.’
David said, ‘Many installers like the quality Kömmerling profile
which few companies in-and-around Dorset produce, there are even fewer
smaller companies, our sort of size, who are actually doing it.’
D&P
Trade Frames manufactures frames from Kömmerling’s 58mm and
classically curved Connoisseur systems. Its mix of skilled and semi-skilled
staff means it can produce bespoke windows and unusual shapes for unique
installations.
Peter said, ‘The third link in our chain of confidence is quality
checking. Our people are multi-skilled and can slot into any stage of
the manufacturing process. We’ve trained our people to take ‘a
stitch in time’ attitude to the window making process - When a
stage is complete we do not progress the window to the next point, until
the window has been handed over to the next team member - so it is a
seamless level of responsibility. This way, errors are rarely made and
a quality window is produced, time after time.’
In the current market downturn, D&P Trade Frames has focused on
quality of product rather than inviting installers into a price fighting
battle by offering cheaper, poorer quality windows. David said, ‘Having
had a very strong background in the retail side, we know what the end
customer is expecting - so as a fabricator we wouldn’t try to produce
windows by half measures or provide a less than excellent standard of
service. We make sure the window is of the best quality, so that our
trade customers can share our confidence in the products D&P produce.’
David
Richley said, ‘We learned that service ‘feels right’
when we had a quality assured product, timely delivery and we were dealt
with professionally. All that, combined with our personal touch, our
20 years experience as installers, plus support from a quality systems
manufacturer has led us to create our own trade frame company. D&P
has all the qualities we expect and assure in a supplier/client relationship.
With D&P, installers get a better service and a personal touch that
you just don’t get with large fabricators.
‘It is this assurance that is giving our trade customers confidence
in the windows we produce, which is the next step of the chain of confidence,
confidence in the product. That confidence will be shared by Mr and
Mrs Homeowner, which means growth for the installer through recommendations
and in turn growth for D&P.’
http://www.kommerling.co.uk/komm_uk/komm_uk.html
Birmingham
based Mainstream Windows has been
a customer of Advantage Windows and Conservatories Ltd for over two
years. Founded in 1989 and taken over in 1999 by directors Richard Elson
and Bob Dhillon, the company both supplies and fits windows, doors,
patios and conservatories to the retail and trade sectors.
The
company employs four fitting teams, one of which is solely dedicated
to fitting conservatories. At least one full conservatory is installed
each week together with several roofs that are supplied to trade buyers.
According to Operations Director Nigel Court: ‘most retail work
is from recommendations and we also undertake supply and fit contracts
with a number of local house builders as well as Birmingham City Council
and Sandwell and Solihull local authorities. All of our roofs are supplied
pre-fabricated by Advantage from whom we receive an excellent service
and great technical support.’
When he is not overseeing Mainstream's manufacturing and installation,
Nigel is busy travelling the length and breadth of the country supporting
his 11 year old son Adam. Adam and his dancing partner Natasha are one
of the UK's most promising young Ballroom and Latin dancing couples.
Adam has been dancing since he was four years old and now competes at
national level. He is a dab hand at everything from the Cha Cha Cha
to the Paso Doble and has aspirations to compete for Great Britain later
this year.
Advantage's Group Commercial Director Danny Hague said: ‘Mainstream
is another example of the high calibre of our roof customers. The company
has been in business for sixteen years and is a solid and professional
company. We are proud to partner Mainstream and offer it our total support.
We also wish Nigel's son Adam and his partner Natasha every success
in their forthcoming competitions.’
Advantage Windows and Conservatories Ltd
Tel: 01625 856488
Mainstream Windows Ltd
Tel: 0121 430 9155
Double
Celebrations for Veka's Gemini
Oldham
based trade fabricator Gemini UPVC Ltd recently celebrated two important
milestones with a factory Open Day event on 22nd July: Twenty years
in business, and one year since the company opted to switch to Veka's
Matrix 70mm fully sculptured system, a decision that has helped increase
the company's weekly window output from 200 to 300 within that period.
The company attracted existing and potential new customers to a very
successful Open Day which featured special prizes and Veka's impressive
Big Rig mobile exhibition unit.
Founded
in 1985, Gemini UPVC Ltd is now run by brothers Paul & Michael Griffiths,
who joined their father and original co-founder Robert Griffiths as
board directors a few years ago. The decision to change PVC-u supplier
came at a time when Gemini was already on the cusp of significant growth
following its move to a new 9000 sq ft factory double the size of its
previous site. However, switching to Veka also made a big difference,
says Michael Griffiths:
‘It is simply one of the best decisions we made and has brought
us quite a bit of new business. We work very well with Veka and the
company supports us a great deal. With Veka’s help, and that of
a consultant we have recently employed, we anticipate that we will be
able to extend our output to 500 frames per week within the next 12
to 18 months.’
The Open Day was well attended and the special events organised by Gemini
proved very popular, which including the opportunity to try a racing
car simulator, with prizes being given for the best performance on the
day. Invitees were originally sent a jigsaw piece which, if it fitted
a space missing in the puzzle held by Gemini at the Open Day, won a
weekend break for two. Attendees were also able to learn everything
they need to know about Veka products from the company's Big Rig touring
exhibition unit, which attracted a great deal of interest throughout
the day.
In addition to its move to new factory premises, Gemini has also made
a number of other important recent investments. A Stuga Eco-Line CNC
prepping centre has boosted manufacturing capacity, while a new Business
Micros Evolution package has synchronised order processing, production
and delivery.
For further information please contact Michael Griffiths at Gemini UPVC
Ltd.
Tel: 0161 626 6366
All
the Meat – Less of the Gravy
Stockport-based
fabricator Alexander Windows has
come up with a solution for would-be trade customers who want the quality
of the Kömmerling window system,
but can’t compete in their market place on the price.
Alexander’s trade showroom has recently been refurbished to feature
a new, specially-designed concept, which is rapidly being snapped up
by installers who previously felt Kömmerling was out of their price
range.
Says
Marketing Director Richard Robinson: ‘Many potential new trade
customers loved our window, recognising the system as one of the best
on the market. However, we were regularly putting a lot of energy into
quoting for new trade business, only to be told the window would be
too expensive for their end-user customers.
‘We had a top quality product, but were competing against companies
offering an inferior window system with different locking mechanisms.’
So Kömmerling Lite has been introduced for its trade supply-only
customers. It comprises the Kömmerling Connoisseur profile, but
with a series of reduced specifications in other aspects of the window.
‘This means we can cut down on overall production time, making
the finished product more affordable for our trade customers who have
to compete in a more price-sensitive market.
‘We did look at a couple of other window systems to manufacture
alongside Kömmerling, in order to be able to offer a cheaper window,
but nothing on the market could give us the quality we needed. So we
came up with this new concept, which makes Kömmerling available
to a sector of the market who previously would not have been able to
afford it, by giving them all the meat, in terms of the window profile,
but not quite so much of the gravy.’
Trade business currently accounts for 28% of Alexander’s turnover,
but Richard forecasts that figure will grow considerably over the coming
12 months, through Kömmerling Lite.
Alexander Windows was founded by Managing Director Steve Wood (pictured)
and his wife Gaenor (who is Richard’s sister) in the summer of
1991. Gaenor had just given birth to their son, Alexander – and
Steve says it was the perfect name for the company, too, being strong
and dynamic, and putting them first in the Yellow Pages!
Now one of the leading fabricators in the Manchester area, Alexander
Windows employs around 60 people at its 30,000 square foot site, currently
manufacturing up to 350 frames a week, with turnover running at £4.5m.
Pumping profits into constantly improving and updating the company is
a major part of the Alexander ethos, having invested over half-a-million-pounds
in new technology and machinery in the last 12 months. ‘It’s
led to considerable efficiencies in the manufacturing process, meaning
we’re now able to make more windows with our existing workforce,’
says Steve Wood.
And moving with the times has always been a fundamental way that Alexander
Windows works as a fabricator. This is reflected in its decision to
manufacture only one of Kömmerling’s three systems. ‘Previously
we used to fabricate from the 70mm GOLD system and the third-generation
curved ovolo system, Connoisseur.
But Connoisseur’s classically-curved ovolo shape more accurately
replicates the type of windows our own installation operation, run by
Martin Edwards, was replacing. Also, it was successfully test-marketed
to our trade customers by Trade and Commercial Manager Russell Palmer,
and as a result it’s the only system we use now.’
The company prides itself on being used as a ‘working factory showroom’
by Kömmerling, and another of its long-standing key suppliers,
Elumatec. Following Alexander Windows’ purchase of a SBZ615 saw
centre and quad head vertical welder, Elumatec is now bringing potential
customers into Alexander to see the machine in action.
‘We’ve got several different types of Elumatec machines, and
it looks like we’re going to be a working factory showroom for
the company in the UK on an on-going basis,’ says Alexander Windows’
Operations Manager Sean O’Hara. ‘A number of companies have
already been in to see how we fit the machinery into our shopfloor set-up
to ensure maximum production efficiency. And several more are booked
in over the coming few weeks.’
The new saw centre and quad welder work on a production line with several
other pieces of Elumatec equipment, including two CNC machines, a four
head and a three head welder, and two single head variable angle welders.
‘It’s the way we use the combination to maximum effect, that
makes Alexander Windows such a good example for fabricators considering
investing in such state-of-the-art machinery.’
Kömmerling also uses Alexander as a ‘centre of excellence’
frequently taking fabricators considering switching to the Kömmerling
Connoisseur system, to see the plant in operation. ‘We’ve
recently had companies in from as far apart as Scotland and London,’
says Sean O’Hara.
Another aspect of Alexander’s philosophy is the company’s
moral social responsibility. ‘We benefit from the local community
– we make our living from them, so we feel it’s only right
to put something back,’ says Richard Robinson.
The company’s latest charity contribution is to sponsor its local
radio station’s calendar to raise money for Christies Hospital
in Manchester. It’s the largest cancer treatment centre of its
kind in Europe, and an international leader in cancer research and development.
‘We’ve sponsored Miss September – she’s one of the
radio station’s senior account executives, and she came along to
our manufacturing plant and was photographed amongst the windows and
the machinery.’
MR
Windows,
a Duraflex fabricator and installer
in Luton, is growing. Set up less than three years ago, the company
has just completed an extensive factory refurbishment, including the
addition of a mezzanine floor to double floor space. The investment
is set to increase capacity from 180 to 400 frames a week.
The
expansion programme also includes installation of the latest fabrication
equipment, including a new digital cutting saw, a three-head welder,
CNC corner cleaner and second copy router. In addition, MR Windows is
undertaking extra staff training and establishing a dedicated quality
control area as part of its growth strategy. Last but not least, staff
are being kitted out with company branded workwear to promote a smart
and professional image.
Mike Richardson, MR Windows’ Installations Manager and Surveyor,
believes the investment will not only boost the quantity of frames it
can produce, but will also improve the overall quality, while a reorganisation
of the factory will speed up turnaround time.
MR Windows has thriving trade and retail divisions and operates within
a 100 mile radius of Luton. Mike attributes much of company’s success
to the team’s hands-on approach. ‘We always try to deal personally
with our customers, where possible, and pride ourselves on keeping strictly
to deadlines.’
MR Windows fabricates the 70mm Featured system with factory-fitted Rolled
in Gasket from the Duraflex Diamond Suite. ‘We’ve been working
with Duraflex from day one. The company’s system is very fitter-friendly
and the fully Featured profile has particularly attractive sightlines
and details,’ says Mike.
MR Windows is planning to promote its enhanced facilities to the trade
through mailshots and personal visits to prospective customers. The
expansion of the retail operation will be advertised in the local press
and at various county shows and exhibitions over the next few months.
Tel: 08705 351351
Web: http://www.duraflex.co.uk
Carera
Windows - 'The recommended company'
As
one of HIS Systems long-standing fabricators, Stourbridge-based Carera
Windows continues to flourish. It was established in 1987 by Mark Crumpton
and Wayne North (pictured right), and they are both still at the helm
today, steering the business to an even brighter future. Their planned
expansion and investment in the company includes the opening later this
year of several new showrooms.
Mark explains: 'We offer a full package of top quality products to domestic,
trade and commercial customers all over the country. Much of our business
comes from our good reputation and the recommendations of satisfied
customers.
'Our sales pitch is simple - we just explain the facts and leave them
to think. No hard sell. Consumers today are very switched on to environmental
issues. They are concerned about thermal efficiency and are actively
looking for better products.
'We originally chose to fabricate the HIS Five Star system because it
was easy to fabricate and sell. With five chambers it offers really
low U values, especially when insulated glass is used, and it looks
good too. We make our own double glazed units and use Edgetech's Super-Spacer;
the warm edge technology cuts down on the risk of condensation.'
Gary Firth, General Manager of HIS Systems, adds: 'We have enjoyed a
long and successful partnership with Carera Windows, and are looking
forward to working with the team as the company moves forward through
its next period of growth.'
The quality of the products and service that Carera Windows offers is
backed by a 10-yearinsurance backed guarantee, and the company is BSi
registered. For further information call Carera on 01384 442490, or
for information on HIS Systems, Five Star and the complete support package,
telephone 08700 118061.