‘Best year yet’
18th October 2016

THE CUSTOMADE GROUP has declared 2016 as its best year yet as it marks ten years since directors John Adams, Nick Gibbons and John Lightowlers took over the business, as well as the greatest year for investment and recruitment in the group’s 36-year history.

Since July last year, the group has increased production to record rates and created 35 new jobs within two key operations, trade fabricator Customade and aluminium glazed roof manufacturer Atlas Glazed Roof Solutions.

Both Customade and Atlas have expanded into new factories in Stonehouse, Gloucester. The group has also invested more than £1.5 million in machinery, premises, staff and stock to help Customade boost aluminium output by 50% and Atlas to double production of its glazed roofs.

Customade has expanded into its third factory. The new purpose built 34,000 square foot factory now exclusively manufactures Customade’s Real Aluminium range of windows, bi-folding doors, sliding doors, French doors, residential doors, composite doors and lantern roofs. The fabricator has also benefitted from a significant investment into new machinery for the factory, which holds around £1 million of aluminium extrusions in stock. These advances have increased production rates and helped Customade to fulfil its aluminium lead times of two weeks.

Atlas has expanded production space by 40% and now operates from a 15,000 square foot factory, which also has new equipment. The company is now fabricating 150 orangery and conservatory roofs and 40 flat rooflights per week on a double-shift basis.

The investment follows a management buyout last year in which Gareth Thomas, John Adams and Winston Osborne became Customade Group shareholders.

Nick Gibbons, Customade Group’s Operations Director, said: “This has been the best year yet for Customade Group and we are so delighted to celebrate a terrific 36 years of British manufacturing and 10 years since we took over the helm. In those 10 years, we’ve seen boom, bust and Brexit, all of which have thrown their fair share of opportunities and challenges at our industry. I’m immensely proud to have been part of a dedicated team of people that’s taken the Customade Group from a £5 million turnover company into a group that’s now at £35 million and is still growing.

“In the last decade, we’ve created hundreds of local jobs and increased our headcount from 80 to 350. We’ve more than doubled the number of PVC-u frames we manufacture and we’ve made fantastic in-roads into the modern retail aluminium market. These achievements are a credit to everyone who has been part of the business in the last 10 years and I’m tremendously excited about the future of the group.

“This milestone investment into new people, premises and machinery has strengthened our position as a leader in the supply of a complete range of fenestration products. Aluminium will continue to be the biggest growth area in our industry for many years and our aim is to match increasing demand within the retail market. With a complete range of products and a robust supply chain, we’re well placed to satisfy the growing appetite for aluminium and to help installers to take advantage of some very lucrative new business opportunities.”

www.customade.co.uk