For better or worse

Whether you were pleasantly or unpleasantly surprised at the news that greeted you on Friday morning, most agree that it was indeed a surprise, which is perhaps one reason why reaction so far has been so muted. No doubt some of the senior industry figures may yet have their say on the matter but, in a world full of only-too-willing pundits and soothsayers, the majority of people are of one voice in admitting that we really don’t know what is going to happen next, be it for the better or for worse.

Perhaps at this stage, any further comment would be premature except to say that, whichever way you voted, we can only hope the outcome will be positive.

…and in the meantime, we hope you enjoy this week’s issue.

Chris Church Editor

Please send all your news stories to news@the-glazine.com

This Week's News

Update, Jun 30: Sale of Sash UK to ex-Safestyle Ross and Lilburn

Former Safestyle Directors John Ross and Nick Lilburn today confirmed that they have acquired the Sash Group of companies, and added that “it will be very much business as usual.”

Sash UK, operating from a 112,000sq ft factory in, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, was listed in the Insight Data 2014 report as the UK’s 28th biggest UK fabricator with turnover of £12.3million. The news comes shortly after Sash UK celebrated 50 years since it was founded by joiners Ron Bean and Terry Morrell. As well as being a long-standing Veka fabricator, it is also credited with being instrumental in the foundation of Network Veka, of which it is still a member.

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Boom, gloom or wait
and see?

While the industry is recovering from the shock of Thursday’s Referendum vote, no clear consensus is emerging of the impact it might have and, while there is a mix of optimism and caution, the underlying theme is one of ‘wait and see’.

Leading the optimists is UK Construction Week Event Director Nigel Garnett who says: “Leaving the EU will likely mean UK construction firms will be looking to invest in British products and services like never before,” and even adds that the UK has the foundation for a boom in house building and the industry must be committed to meeting the national need for housing.

“He concludes: “The last few weeks and months have been uncertain for the UK construction industry, but now is the time to embrace the change and these new opportunities.”

But if there is to be a housing boom, the Federation of Master Builders asks who will be doing the building. With 12% of construction workers of non-UK origin – mainly Polish, Rumanian and Lithuanian – FMB Chief Executive Brian Berry warns: “It is now the Government’s responsibility to ensure that the free-flowing tap of migrant workers from Europe is not turned off. If Ministers want to meet their house building and infrastructure objectives, they have to ensure that the new system of immigration is responsive to the needs of industry.”

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More homes built
– but less value

The number of new homes planned was up 14% in May despite an overall 17% drop in contract value, indicating a strong swing towards construction of affordable homes, according to the latest Economic & Construction Market Review from industry analyst Barbour ABI.

Contracts awarded within the whole construction industry held strong during May, with £6.1 billion worth of contracts awarded and no change from the previous month, along with an 8 per cent increase year on year, according to
The top performer, after infrastructure, was commercial & retail, which increased its monthly market value by 24 per cent to £877 million.

Michael Dall, lead economist at Barbour ABI (Speaking before the Referendum vote) said: “What is telling is the increase of contract values in May from the infrastructure and commercial & retail sectors, both traditional construction benchmarks that when performing well, give a solid indication that the industry as a whole is moving positively.”

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Guild welcomes newbies

Start-ups and new entrepreneurs entering the door hardware industry are being targeted in a membership drive by the Guild of Architectural Ironmongers, which has launched a new category, Enterprise membership, specifically for businesses with just 12 months’ trading record.

Maria Powell, president of the GAI, said: “Trade associations can quickly suffer and decay if they become just an ‘old boys’ club’. The Guild is not intending to fall into that trap – we have a vibrant and successful future ahead. We are here to provide support and encouragement to the new generations coming through, and I’m very excited by some of the businesses starting up with a genuine passion for the architectural ironmongery industry.

“This new Enterprise membership offer tells these entrepreneurs that the Guild is as relevant to them as we are to the most established and prestigious brands in the market, and we can learn from each other.”

The GAI saw another increase in its membership numbers last year, including 30% of new applications coming from overseas.

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Plentific to partner with Planning Portal

‘Find a Pro’ website Plentific, has secured a partnership with the Planning Portal which will make its platform available via the Planning Portal site. The move will allow homeowners seeking planning advice to access to more than 75,000 professionals across 350 services. This is the latest partnership for Plentific, which already powers the Find a Pro search function for Zoopla.

The Planning Portal provides information to guide homeowners through the planning process for home improvement projects. By working in partnership with local authorities across England and Wales, it delivers content that clarifies planning and building regulations and is considered the home of the national planning application service. The Planning Portal currently receives over 30,000 visits every day and more than 85% of all planning applications in the UK are submitted via the website (more than 522,000 in the last 12 months).

Cem Savas, co-founder of Plentific, said: “We are delighted to have partnered with the Planning Portal. They mirror Plentific’s values by striving to make processes clear, informative and simple. This partnership is a further boost to our home improvement marketplace and will deliver high-quality leads to our trade professionals.”

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Shattered roof replaced – plus a refund

Bury St Edmunds-based Network Veka member Frames Conservatories Direct stepped in to help a local resident whose roof panes had shattered in a badly constructed conservatory from another contractor.

MD Adrian Lewis explained: “A conservatory with a lean-to roof had been constructed, with a projection that was far too long to support the considerable amount of glass involved. The panes were incorrectly fitted, and were shattering as they expanded and contracted with the weather, showering poor Mrs White and the interior of the conservatory with broken glass.”

“We were keen to start work on fixing the conservatory and also wanted to help the customer gain some compensation – both for the shocking standard of the installation, and the distressing and dangerous situation it had left her in.

“Through our Network Veka membership we have access to the services of Technical Consultant Don Waterworth who is trained as a Private Practice Building Surveyor and Building Engineer. He was able to work on her behalf to gain compensation from the original contractor and, in this case, his fee was covered through our membership, obviating any cost to the customer.

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