Happy Birthday

Just 40 years and four days ago, The Glass and Glazing Federation came into being. Indeed, its origins go even further back but that is the day that several industry bodies came together to form the Federation as we know it. No one needs to be reminded of what it has done for the industry along those four decades so instead we are happy to pass on their news of all the events and initiatives they have planned to support the industry and its many sectors and functions in the year to come. Read Story

By coincidence, another organisation is celebrating a birthday with some welcome support for many smaller businesses. The British Safety Council is marking its 60th anniversary with a package of freebies for those with under 50 employees (not to mention charities with under 100) to help them keep up to speed with health, safety and environmental risks. Read Story

To both organisations, we say Happy Birthday and to them and everyone else, we hope you enjoy this issue.

Chris Church Editor

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

This Week's News

GGF set to celebrate
40 years

2017 is a special year for the Glass and Glazing Federation as it prepares to celebrate its 40th anniversary with a year-long programme of events and initiatives.

The Federation was founded on the 17th January 1977 by the change of name of the flat glass association to the Glass and Glazing Federation and the incorporation of the insulating glass, safety glazing and glass benders associations thus amalgamating the representative bodies of the major parts of the industry at that time. The first offices were in Mount Row in Mayfair, London and many of the founder members are still active GGF members today.

This week, the organisation announced some of the highlights planned for the year.

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DW3 names Martin Dickie as window MD

DW3 Products Group has announced the appointment of Martin Dickie as Managing Director of Residence Collection and Window Widgets, the DW3 Window Division.

With over 20 years’ experience in PVC windows and doors, he was in at the inception of Door Stop, working on various projects until its sale to Masonite Group three years ago. As Business Unit Director Door Stop he ran and integrated the company into Masonite UK, taking sales from £26m to £38m in two years before becoming Business Development Director Masonite UK. Most recently, he was General Manager of National Hickman, another Masonite UK company.

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British Safety Council launches free support offer

The British Safety Council has launched a free service for small businesses and charities to help them manage health, safety and environmental risks.

The initiative, introduced as part of the organisation’s 60th anniversary year, offers a range of services free of charge for 12 months.

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Further signs of house sales slowing

The number of houses being sold in the UK fell by 7.3% in the year to November, according to the latest figures from the Office of National Statistics.

The figure further reinforces last week’s news that the number of properties coming onto the market had dropped by nearly half. Neither figures make welcome reading for the retrofit window sector where a house move is seen as one of the biggest catalysts for a household to look to home improvements.

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Don’t ‘bank’ on good advice, says survey

Nearly half of all SME owners say their business has suffered a negative impact from a piece of advice given by a mainstream bank in the last year, and one in six say their business is in a worse position as a result, according to figures published this week by one commercial lender.

The survey, by Amicus Commercial Finance, showed that of those who have used the bank to help them support their business with working capital or overdraft facilities, nearly a third (30%) wouldn’t describe the bank as ‘helpful’ and nearly half (46%) of SME owners suggested they wouldn’t describe them as ‘flexible’.

Read More Here...