By the time they get to phoenix

Last April, the Government cracked down on unwanted ‘double-glazing’ and other cold-callers by forcing them to display their real caller ID Read Story.

For those who wondered why so many were still up to their tricks, the answer – and the possible solution – came this week with the news that many of them were ducking fines simply by phoenixing their businesses and carrying on. Not for long however, because very soon the directors themselves will not only be personally liable but could face much bigger fines of up to £500,000. Read Story

Still on the matter of dodgy dealings, we now learn that anyone with a couple of quid to spare can buy all kinds of burglary tools online. The lock and hardware people are understandably outraged but have also grasped the headline as another reason why we should be spending more than a couple of quid on keeping our homes secure. Read Story

Also, staying with locks and doors, Assa Abloy has another brand under its wing with the acquisition of Trojan Read Story and AMA tells us that sales of bi-folds are set to go on doing very nicely for a few years to come. Read Story

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

Assa Abloy acquires Trojan

Assa Abloy has acquired Trojan Holdings Limited, the £20million door and window hardware supplier, with the declaration of plans to further expand its product offering for its customers.

The company says that, given the strong commercial synergies between Trojan Holdings Limited and Assa Abloy Limited, in particular with the Yale Door and Windows Solutions business, the acquisition will create opportunities for both businesses to leverage their respective capabilities enabling them to service and develop their combined customer base more effectively into the future.

Trojan Holdings Limited will continue to operate as an autonomous business unit, retaining its existing commercial and operational team.

Read More Here...

Bi-folds go on growing
– AMA

The UK market for bi-fold doors is expected to match last year’s 12% growth this year, then put on a further 7% a year until 2020, according to a new report by AMA Research.

Rising from a low installed base, bi-fold demand has increased sharply in recent years. The market is a relatively new and expanding sector, worth over £70m at manufacturers prices.

A key driver of market growth has been consumer interest in bi-folds, the report continues, with the residential market accounting for over 50% of sales, while suppliers themselves have contributed to the growth of the market through new developments in frame materials, styles, colours and features.

Read More Here...

Anger at ‘burglar’s
dream’ lock-picking kits
on open sale

The Door and Hardware Federation has joined the outcry against online retailers openly selling lock-picking tools including full instructions, saying the phenomenon is further proof that door manufacturers and installers should use higher spec locks as standard.

The response follows the revelation in a Sunday newspaper that kits can be bought online for as little as £2, with some kits disguised as pens to escape police searches, and some adverts even carrying the written endorsement of unashamed burglars. Both police and the Master Locksmiths’ Association condemned such sales. The MLA described the kits as ‘a burglar’s dream’.

DHF CEO Bob Perry said “The ability to purchase thieves’ tools on the internet, and the opportunity to go online to learn lock attack methods, has been a concern to police, lock manufacturers and security professionals for some time. The online availability of lock picks just adds to the burglars’ armoury of equipment they can obtain to attack door locks.”
He added that the TS 007 standard was established to combat such threats: “Locksmiths and security specialists are increasingly advising their clients to replace Eurocylinders with TS 007 rated cylinders and handles to provide a three-star domestic security solution.”

Read More Here...

New crackdown on
cold-callers

The Government is to get even tougher on nuisance cold callers by making company directors personally responsible for fines of up to £500,000 each to stop them ducking out by liquidating their companies.

Companies, many of them window businesses and often masquerading as official energy saving bodies, have always risked hefty fines for cold-calling homes and businesses that are registered with the Telephone Preference Service, but up to now many have phoenixed their businesses to avoid paying. From next spring, the revised law will not only close the loophole by putting directors themselves in the dock but also make the maximum fine much bigger.

The latest crackdown follows the news last April (read here) that nuisance cold-callers would be forced to show their correct phone number of caller ID.

Read More Here...

GM girls take to the water

GM Fundraising has announced its latest epic fund-raiser – and there isn’t a bloke in sight. Paddle to Pedal, or GMFP2P will see an all-female team of 12 canoe 100 miles down the River Wye, then cycle 120 miles on to Hope House, GM’s beneficiary, and even have a go at abseiling in the middle. The event, to take place in August next year, had a special launch event with headline sponsors the Epwin Group at its HQ in Telford.

“This is the first time GM Fundraising has organised a challenge for females only” said GM Fundraising chairman Gary Morton, “Thanks to the efforts of headline sponsors Epwin, we have recruited a group of keen and competitive ladies to take on this challenge, which will see them canoe 100 miles and cycle around 120 miles, with an abseil thrown in the middle.”

“We are lucky that Epwin is also providing the canoeing expertise in the form of their Financial Director, Mike Bache. Of course, being veterans of most GM Fundraising cycling challenges, myself and Alan Sadler will be supporting the team with the cycling leg.

Read More Here...

We Have Email

From:
Martin Nettleton
Managing Director
Euroglaze

I have been in this industry long enough to remember the days when the boundaries within the supply chain were much more blurred than they are now.

Lots of systems companies used to fabricate, it was routine for fabricators to install and some hardware companies even manufactured their own doors. As far as I was concerned though, that model had largely been discredited as the industry had given up the idea that it was good business to compete with your customers.

Read More

From:
Dan Sullivan
Managing Director
Doorco

Back in July, I wrote to set out Doorco’s pricing strategy post-Brexit. While others took immediate action to hike prices, we pledged to keep an eye on the currency markets to see how things played out. This is exactly what we have done and to date no Doorco customer has had to absorb a price increase.

We are committed to this positon but unfortunately, due to no immediate signs of recovery in GBP sterling against most other currencies, we have no option but to implement a price surcharge.


Read More