Click Here to go to the Fabricator Focus Archives
New
Factory, New Opportunities- Expansion Opens New Markets for
Leodis’ Trade Customers
Kömmerling
fabricator Leodis Windows Ltd has
just upgraded to a more spacious 12,000 square foot factory near Leeds.
The move is all part of a two-year corporate strategy of diversification
and process streamlining for the firm.
Leodis
was started in 1992 by joint shareholders and directors Malcolm Ambler
and John Passmore. In the beginning the lion’s share of Leodis’
business came from the North of England trade market – it has retained
its customer base and now its turnover split is 50/50 between trade
and commercial orders. In the middle of 2004, Leodis started to burst
out of its existing factory facility in Swillington and moved just two
miles down the road to a larger facility in neighbouring Kippax.
Malcolm
Ambler said, ‘We didn’t want to move location because that
would’ve been inconvenient for local trade customers and existing
staff. The factory’s well placed in Kippax – only five minutes
from the M1 and M62, which is convenient for our customers and delivery
schedules.
The additional 6,000 square feet of floor space has allowed more room
for the installation of the latest generation of production machinery
and the creation of a preparation space for custom-built conservatory
roofs which has already increased productivity and capacity significantly.
Leodis is now in full flow, its output has risen by 20% since moving
to the new facility and currently produces 200 frames per week with
a capacity of 600 plus. Leodis is awaiting installation of its £250,000
Stuga Cutting and Machining Centre, which will further streamline manufacturing
processes - delivery is expected at the end of 2005.
Value
Director, Malcolm Ambler explains Leodis’ diversification, ‘Conservatory
roofs are a complementary market - Manufacturing custom-made K2 roofs
provides our trade customers with a one-stop-shop, providing a conservatory
roof which matches perfectly the ovolo design of the frames. Domestic
customers who buy their Kömmerling Connoisseur windows will likely
want a matching quality finish on their conservatory, adding value and
saleability to their home.’
Quality
Leodis has been a Kömmerling fabricator since day one. It started
off in 1992 with the 58mm system, which it still uses now for some new
build orders, progressing to the GOLD and now fabricates the third generation
Connoisseur profile. Leodis Commercial Director, Steve Quinn says, ‘A
lot of fabricators sell a product on price and I think this is where
they go wrong, because the product quality suffers - if you are selling
a poor product then ultimately you are going to have problems and a
chain of dissatisfied customers further down the line. Our Connoisseur
windows and doors are based on top quality profile and fixtures, neat
construction and a finish that guarantees customer satisfaction.’
Leodis is planning to further develop its share of the commercial and
public sector contract market. Malcolm Ambler says, ‘The commercial
market is proving to be a fast growing part of the business, we’re
working proactively as well as receiving a lot of business through recommendation.
I’m sure we’ll need another 6,000 extra square feet before
too long.’
Stuga
Flowline is the Machine for Lancashire Double Glazing
Lancashire
Double
Glazing fabricates the H.W. and
Permacell profile suites in the company’s extensive premises situated
at the centre of Preston. The company is a serious employer in the Preston
area and produces around 700 windows per week on a regular basis.
Production
Director Mark Noble joined the company in 2002 and quickly saw the need
to introduce automation. Mark spent some time researching in the market
place and decided to purchase a Stuga cutting and prepping centre from
among the several he looked at. ‘The main reasons for choosing
the Flowline were the fact that the machine is built in this country
meaning that spares would be easily available, the fact that the company
specialised in this sort of machinery rather than being a dealer trying
to be all things to all people and the extremely flexible rotary tooling
system that Stuga has always used as standard on its centres.’
Said Mark. The rotary tooling system was recognised by Mark as a unique
and important feature of the Flowline, giving it the flexibility needed
for British window systems.
Mark was pleased to see the machine turn up on time in November 2002
and get into production quickly and efficiently, which was a relief
for both Mark and the Managing Director, Bill Forsyth, who also worked
hard alongside Mark researching the best possible machine for Lancashire
Double Glazing.
Looking back Mark says ‘Since purchasing the Stuga it has helped
Lancashire Double Glazing go from strength to strength. We pride ourselves
on the continuous improvements and investments we make to stay one step
ahead of our competitors, ensuring that we can offer both our retail
and commercial customers what they need. We have just recently been
awarded yet another accreditation, BS7950 - British Standard enhanced
security performance, which links onto our BS7412 Kite mark Product.
In order to achieve this latest accreditation we had numerous specification
changes with hardware, these were quickly and easily taken care of by
Stuga and the Flowline. We have not only improved the quality of our
product, but it has allowed us to increase production and reduce manpower.
The operative has been fully trained on how to maintain the machine,
which has been a very simple and effective process. It is important
in today's market to continually to improve our product, and Stuga has
helped to play a big part in Lancashire Double Glazing's success.
‘I can honestly say that Stuga has been and is still very helpful
with any problems we may encounter, although these have been few and
far between. We would not be without our Flowline that's for sure.’
For further information call Stuga on 0800-169-5444.
Web: http://www.stuga.co.uk
Stuga
Plays its Part in Lister Success
Stuga
is closely associated with Lister Trade Frames
of Stoke-on-Trent which is this year’s Fabricator of the Year.
Lister Trade recognised the need to get into advanced automation way
back in 2002 when the company ordered a Flowline-3 cutting and prepping
centre from Stuga.
Production
Director Darren Pusey (pictured) researched the market for this type
of equipment and concluded that dealing with a company manufacturing
in this country had to have many benefits with regard to spare parts
and back-up in general. Also purchasing from a specialist manufacturer
rather than a dealer meant that engineers were fully trained and specialising
only in Stuga's own focussed range of products, rather than having to
know about a wide variety of machine types and manufacturers.
The Flowline was duly commissioned in the old Lister factory in Sun
Street during January 2003 and Darren says he was amazed to find himself
in full production with the machine inside three weeks, as he had allowed
six to eight weeks in order to be safe. Within a couple of months the
Flowline was producing between 650 and 700 windows per week on a single
shift and had revolutionised production at the Lister factory.
With the high levels of marketing and customer care at Lister Trade
it was not long before Darren was recommending to M.D. Mark Warren that
a second Stuga would soon be needed if the continued expansion was going
to be efficiently managed. One problem was space and as Lister needed
to add more automation the decision was taken to move to a new much
larger factory in Govan Road, Hanley.
Lister moved to Govan Road during the early part of 2004 and Flowline
number two was duly installed in August of that year. Again Darren was
amazed that Stuga was able to get machine number two into production
in just over one week.
Lister Trade now has the capacity to produce between 1,000 and 1,400
windows per week whenever the company needs to get to this level and
thanks to Stuga and the Flowline all cutting and prepping operations
are carried out with two operators instead of the eight or more that
would have been necessary at current volumes.
The Flowlines have dramatically improved quality and consistency at
Lister Trade Frames as well as reducing scrap and profile usage in general.
M.D. Mark Warren recently mentioned to Steve Haines of Stuga that 'the
Flowlines are the best and most reliable machines he has ever purchased
in the uPVC industry'.
On the rare occasions the Flowlines do go wrong the Stuga back-up is
efficient with spare parts readily available and eight engineers geographically
based throughout the country.
Stuga believes it has been able to 'play a small but significant part
in helping Lister Trade Frames become the 2005 Fabricator of the Year;
which is a significant achievement.'
For further information please call Steve Haines at Stuga on 0800-169-5444
or Mark warren at Lister Trade Frames on 01782 391910.
The
Credits Keep Rolling as Business Goes from Strength to Strength
Atcost
Windows
of Passfield, Liphook, afamily firm which specialises in manufacturing
PVC-U windows, doors and conservatories using Eurocell
profiles, has just added a Secured By Design logo to its ever-expanding
list of credentials and is poised to obtain BSI and BBA credits before
the end of the year.
Atcost expanded into the new build sector around 18 months ago and saw
its business go from strength to strength.
'In the first nine months of activity in the new build sector, we turned
over almost £1 million and we expect to treble that in the next
12 months,' said one of the company's founder members, John Edwards.
He
said the change of direction was one of the spurs for seeking SBD accreditation
on Atcost's windows. It is also on the verge of having its doors accredited.
Not only does the Secured By Design logo show the customer that Atcost's
products have undergone stringent security and quality tests, but John
believes it has imposed a discipline throughout the company which has
further improved performance.
'There is a very good culture in this company,' he said. 'Everybody
understands that we are here for the benefit of our clients and it does
not matter whether that is a homeowner wanting a new back door or a
developer building 200+ houses. They will get the same sort of attention
from us. We are here to produce quality products within our workshop.
This is why we have undertaken to go for BSI and BBA because it helps
promote a disciplined way of working within the company and that has
got to be a good thing for everybody involved.'
Atcost has been using Eurocell's Ultimate profile to manufacture its
windows up to this point, but will soon be moving to Eurocell's Eurologik
fully sculpted system, and is in the process of investing in new state-of-the-art
machinery.
'This will be our flagship window and matches the excellence of everything
else we are now producing. Eurologik thoroughly deserves its accreditations
and is already proving popular with the developers and housing associations
we have shown it to,' said John.
As a growing company, Atcost is rapidly outgrowing the factory it has
occupied for the past 15 years - and is still keen to look at new markets.
The company also believes that there is a healthy market for conservatory
sales within the new build sector, and is well poised to take advantage
of that opportunity using Eurocell's pinnacle roof system and window
systems.
'We have an extremely good partnership with Eurocell. The company gives
us all the technical help and necessary back-up we need and it's been
a successful working relationship over the past decade,' said John.
'The beauty of building conservatories into homes from scratch is that
they become an integral part of that house and don't attract VAT. They
aren't just an attractive room but also represent a good deal for the
buyer.
'We're hoping to install a conservatory with a Pinnacle roof into a
show home in the near future - so watch this space.'
PC Calvin Beckford, Development Officer for the Association of Chief
Police Officers' Crime Prevention Initiative (ACPO CPI) which runs the
Secured By Design Scheme, believes the Secured By Design accreditation
will lead to a surge of new business for Eurocell and Atcost, as many
local housebuilders are increasingly demanding SBD certification for
their developments and Atcost is one of only two Hampshire companies
have achieved this.
'It is not easy for door and window manufacturers to join the police
Secure By Design project, as we have deliberately set high standards
to ensure that their doors and windows not only withstand the worst
of weather but, just as importantly, deter the burglar,' said Calvin.
'I am therefore absolutely delighted that Atcost have joined us and
are now able to carry the official logo for security. John and David
Edwards have worked hard and invested a great deal to achieve the police
recognised standard.'
Tel: 01773 842395
Sunwood
is Shining on Reddish Joinery
Reddish
Joinery
has grown to the point where it now has three showrooms - Stockport,
Sale and Warrington covering South Manchester and Cheshire with its
manufacturing base still in Reddish, Stockport.
It is a family owned and run company that was established in 1967 by
Doug Parrot, himself a skilled joiner, in a garage in Reddish manufacturing
anything in wood but in particular high quality timber windows and doors
for trade customers.
His
son Mike joined him in 1979 when he was 19 years old and made the decision
to move the company from being a trade supplier to concentrate entirely
on residential windows and doors, since then between them they have
developed the business substantially. Initially Mike was responsible
for the company installation team and on his father Doug's retirement
from active involvement became Managing Director. Some five years ago
his son Lee Parrott joined the company and following in Mike's footsteps,
is now running the installation side of the business.
In 1985 Reddish Joinery began fabricating PVCu windows and doors alongside
the timber business and turnover now is evenly split between the two
materials with the company using Mitremaster timber systems and Deceunick
70mm PVCu profiles.
Conservatory design and manufacture became increasingly important with
Reddish using a well known timber conservatory roof capping system.
The problem was that, apart from it being complicated with too many
components it used a mixture of aluminium and PVCu and customers paying
for a quality timber conservatory didn't like seeing the exposed screw
heads on the glazing bars particularly when they were misaligned. Reddish
looked for a more effective roof system and had no difficulty in selecting
SunWood from Newdawn.
Simplicity and flexibility have been designed into SunWood as standard
and with up to 50% fewer parts than other systems it is user-friendly
and cost effective.
SunWood offers a complete high quality powder coated aluminium roofing
system designed to fit any timber rafter width from 50mm to 67mm and
is available in a choice of white, brown or mill finish that can be
colour matched to any RAL colour. The comprehensive system includes
ridge, crestings, finials and end caps and the option of utilising the
Newdawn OGEE aluminium conservatory gutter for that extra touch of quality.
Lee Parrott commented ‘We are delighted with the change to SunWood.
Not only is it an excellent system but Newdawn has been extremely supportive
and helpful even to the point of carrying out minor modifications to
the specification to suit our particular needs. We manufacture and install
8 to 10 high quality conservatories a month many now using Newdawn's
Cervoglass roof glazing and some with quite complex designs. SunWood
is able to cope with all of them and it is so good that we are now using
the system for many of our PVCU conservatories as well.’