Skills (again)

Not everyone is holding their breath waiting for the latest instalment of the government’s Brexit can-kicking because most in our industry are only too aware that the skills crisis will not wait to be solved. Last year, the hopes and fears on the topic were crystallised with the formation of the Building our Skills body and now the GGF is adding its own weight with some stern words for government on what needs to be done to tackle the problem. Read more

Elsewhere, the Stevenswood story is back in the spotlight with the group created by an imaginative exchange deal a couple of years ago now revealing further ambitious expansion plans.
Read more

And finally, there may be good news for the postal workers – not to mention generations of paper boys and girls – who find low-level letterboxes to be a distinct pain in the back. Vicky Ford’s bill may not expect to live beyond its second reading in March but it does highlight the fact that putting them on the bottom rail was maybe not such a good idea in the first place.
Read more

Chris Church Editor

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

This Week's News

Stevenswood targets 12 more stores in 12 months

Stevenswood, the national trade counter group formed out of the exchange deal with Polyframe in 2016, this week signalled plans to grow from 38 outlets to 50 in the coming year, with the bulk of new openings building on its push into the south of England.

The £35million turnover group, backed by Cairngorm Capital, says the growth will add £10million to sales and has also declared its ambition to double the current store count ‘in the medium term, after a short period of infrastructure and system consolidation’.

The growth programme will be led by managing director Joe Trueman, pictured, who was appointed in 2017 following the Truemans acquisition. He said: “In the past year we’ve continued to fine-tune the business, expanding the product range available to our customers and creating the platform for future growth by investing in our infrastructure and systems. Going forward, our strategy will shift towards organic branch opening. In the coming months we will finalise new locations but expect the majority to open in the South of England.

Read more

Steel body backs
Scotia growth

Ayrshire-based Scotia Double Glazing has expanded into new purpose-built premises, merging five former factories into a single 50,000sq ft unit, after agreeing a six-figure deal with UK Steel Enterprise (UKSE). The move will also enable to the company to expand its trade business and move into aluminium bi-fold and curtain walling manufacture.

The business received additional investment from UKSE - a Tata Steel subsidiary set up to help growing companies operating in former steel producing areas realise their full potential - to develop the new headquarters facility that will support increasing customer demand.

The move to the new factory, in Kilmarnock, means the company is looking to expand its current workforce of 180 staff by 10% over the next two years.

Read more

GGF calls for apprenticeship reform to tackle skills shortages

The GGF is urging the Government to change its policy towards apprenticeships to tackle shortages of skilled installers, surveyors and manufacturers in the face of migration issues.

The call comes after the government’s Migration Advisory Committee sought the views of industry representatives including the GGF about the migration challenges affecting recruitment.

Read more

Commons hears
letterbox safety bid

A bid to ban low and high level letterboxes from residential doors has been put before parliament as the latest stage in a 60-year campaign by the CWU postal workers’ union to establish a legally enforceable minimum height for the safety of its workers.

Conservative MP Vicky Ford moved a bill in the House of Commons for all new doors to have letterboxes no lower than 70cm or higher than 170cm.

Read more