This Week's News

London construction outlook strong for 2015 with growth forecasted at 5.3 per cent

A recent report shows encouraging signs for London construction after steady growth in 2014, positioning 2015 to be a strong year with forecasted growth at 5.3 per cent and a number of major schemes in the pipeline.

The recent report from Barbour ABI, was summarized by Lead Economist Michael Dall
He told an audience that construction output was on the increase in 2014, with London leading all regions with £28 billion, 23 per cent of the UK total and contracts awarded in London also increasing by over 10 per cent year on year.

Looking at 2015, major London construction projects due to begin include the £600 million Battersea Power Station commercial office led development and the £420 million 10 Fenchurch Street office & retail project, both helping to maintain the capital’s dominance in 2015.

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Mila And Safestyle Renew Supply Agreement

Mila and Safestyle UK have renewed their long standing supply agreement for a further two years. Mila’s Managing Director Richard Gyde and Safestyle’s Operations Director Mark Scaife signed a deal recently which will extend the partnership between the two businesses to more than two decades.

Richard Gyde said: “We have a really strong relationship with Safestyle, which is one of the UK’s largest retail fabricators producing more than 6000 items per week, but we are never complacent about our position. We work just as hard as we did 20 years ago to win and retain their business, and the process of renewing the contract gets more rigorous every time.

“Understandably, Safestyle is an incredibly demanding customer but we relish the challenges they set us to go on delivering incremental improvements at every stage of our supply contract.

“We already achieve On Time In Full performance figures for Safestyle in excess of 99% but as we move forward with the new agreement, we have undertaken to deliver even more new service initiatives which will enable us to reach even higher peaks in supply chain performance.

“For example, we are identifying a third source for Safestyle products, on top of our standard dual sourcing policy, and we have committed ourselves to complying with the Ethical Trading Initiative base code which is now a requirement for Safestyle’s suppliers, as well as reducing the tonnage of cardboard in our packaging by 22% over the course of the next two years.”

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GGF Increases Deposit Protection To Consumers

The Glass and Glazing Federation (GGF) is pleased to announce that it has recently increased the amount of deposit cover to Members’ domestic customers.

The improved deposit and stage payment consumer protection through the GGF's deposit indemnity scheme (via GGF Fund Ltd), at up to 50% of the contract value or £12,500, is a valuable sales tool for GGF Members when dealing with their prospective customers.

In addition, since the introduction of mandatory Insurance Backed Guarantees (IBGs) for replacement windows and doors in June 2014, the Federation has been pleased to see an increase in new Members joining the GGF, to take advantage of Member discounts on IBGs through GGFi, the Federation's insurance brokers.

For example, the Member discounted rate on an IBG for a window contract up to £25,000 through GGFi is just £10.60. Add this to the deposit protection cost which equates to just 0.2% of the deposits taken, then it’s easy to see how considerable savings can be made on the total cost of IBGs.

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Investment Drive For CET Glass

As part of its strategic growth plan Northampton-based CET Glass has invested in a new Bystronic high-speed IGU line. Helping to increase capacity by 30%, the new line will further enhance the fast and reliable production of double and triple glazed units. To complement this improvement in its manufacturing processes, CET has also embarked on an expansive development programme for its employees, including the introduction of a NVQ qualification in customer services.

Developed to maximise efficiency and achieve the highest level of quality and accuracy in sealed unit assembly, the Bystronic high-speed IGU line is equipped with sensors, and four sets of brushes sequenced to work on all known coatings. A scanning system detects marks on the glass while any defects are displayed on-screen, allowing for pin point accuracy during manual inspection. The glass is transported along the machine with the aid of a back board air flotation, minimising potential glass contamination after the washer.

Alongside the NVQ qualification and an internal training programme, employees at CET are also being encouraged to take a pro-active approach to work. As part of this initiative both the internal sales and customer service teams will be able to identify potential opportunities for the company’s area sales managers to talk to customers about how CET can help them further with their product needs.

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Brand Ambassador Steve Davis takes to the airwaves

Local radio listeners up and down the country will soon hear the dulcet tones of Network VEKA's Brand Ambassador, six-times World Snooker Champion, Steve Davis as he voices a new series of radio adverts for the glazing industry's leading installer organisation.

Steve, who has now worked with Network VEKA for ten years, is an intriguing focal point to homeowners and potential Network member companies for his seemingly incongruous association with the glazing industry.

Colin Torley, Sales and Marketing Director at The VEKA UK Group explains: “Steve's ambassadorship has certainly proved to be a talking point over the years! When you think about it though, the cornerstones of his remarkable career have been consistency, attention to detail, and pride in his work – exactly the kind of values that we aspire to within Network VEKA.”

Member companies were offered a choice of three professionally scripted adverts, highlighting Network VEKA's hallmark, ten-year insurance backed guarantees and personalised with their company name and contact details.

Graeme Pitt, owner of The Window Outlet in Workington, Cumbria signed up for all three adverts: “We already advertise heavily on the radio and, with the added bonus of a celebrity speaker – particularly one with such an instantly-recognisable voice fronting the campaign, listeners are sure to take note.

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Shining New Light On Access

ASSA ABLOY UK is transforming access control with the launch of Shine, a digital lock specifically designed for commercial glass doors.

Developed in line with customer demand for keyfree solutions, Shine provides an access control solution for internal glass doors, without the issue of having to drill to allow the locking mechanism to pass through. Shine provides a convenient locking solution for the commercial sector, suitable for use in office blocks and retail premises



The new digital lock is ideal for refurbishment and maintenance contracts, saving installation time and cost on site during renewal programmes. Similarly, OEMs can benefit from reduced production time and the ability to attach the lock to a variety of glass types.

Shine’s attractive touch pad allows users to gain access with a personalised 4 to 12 digit PIN code or RF card key for convenience.

Fully reprogrammable, users can also set up to 20 different codes for separate visitors; this is ideal for providing ease of access to multiple staff. Codes can be quickly and easily changed with use of an administrative code PIN, preventing access to a PIN holder group at any time, without having to inform other users or redistribute keys.

Shines’ Magic Mirror function is modern, sleek and aesthetically pleasing, keeping it in line with the design of modern buildings. The keypad numbers illuminate as soon as a user touches the digital door lock, increasing its contemporary feel. The mirror is also practical, allowing users to check behind them when entering the code, which can be useful in high traffic areas. Shine also allows users to enter fake numbers before or after entering the PIN code, in order to prevent it from being exposed.

Andy Stolworthy, Product Manager for ASSA ABLOY Security Solutions, says:

“ASSA ABLOY’s launch of Shine is an example of the continued investment in innovative locking solutions to meet the demands of the market. There is a growing trend for digital locking systems, as the UK becomes more aware and comfortable with the technology, by launching Shine for our OEM customers we are better able to service this demand.

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Back To Back Finalist

Solidor are back in the finals again at the Sentinel Business Awards 2015 which covers North Staffordshire and South Cheshire, in the Business of the Year category, having already won the award in 2014.


 
The Sentinel Business Awards are now in their 19th year and will take place at the King's Hall in Stoke-on-Trent on March 24th, 2015 and Solidor will hope to make it back to back wins in the Business of the Year category. The company employs over 150 staff and are one of the fastest growing companies in the trade sector of the glass and glazing industries.
 

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Total Package For Total Hardware From Kenrick

Kenrick has marked 10 successful years of working with national hardware distributor Total Hardware with an exclusive deal to supply more than 200,000 Standard Euro Profile cylinders a year to the Leeds-based firm.

In the last decade, Kenrick has supplied an extensive range of quality branded products to Total Hardware, including its Excalibur, Centurion and Centurion Fast-Fit shootbolts, Mushroom espagnolettes, Easi-Fit high security espagnolettes and Excalibur door locks. And now the two companies have strengthened their alliance with a deal to supply in excess of 200,000 cylinders a year to Total Hardware. The Kenrick cylinders will be held in stock at Total Hardware’s 15,000 square feet warehouse.

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Wintech Invests to Stay Ahead of Demand

Leading UKAS accredited testing specialist Wintech Engineering Limited has invested in its Telford based laboratory to ensure it stays ahead of the increased demand for its services.

“We are in the process of extending our laboratory building to facilitate more testing equipment, which should be complete in the summer,” explains Michael Wass, Technical Director of Wintech, “but we have already purchased a second enhanced security rig to ensure we meet the increased demand for security testing now. More and more companies are choosing Wintech for their testing needs because we offer high quality testing solutions at competitive prices with a personal service and flexible lead times.

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