‘Towards reality’

Amid all the environmental issues touching this industry, from energy efficiency to recycling and beyond, the one factor that has seen less of the spotlight so far is the matter of glass production itself. That is about to change somewhat when industry figures meet later this month under the auspices of Glass Futures to discuss taking the plans for a £40million research facility at St Helens ‘from ambition to reality’.
Read more

Rather less progress is signalled in the latest new housing figures which show the Government’s target of 300,000 new homes a year by the mid-2020s is still a very long way from becoming reality. Read more

By way of contrast, something which is approaching fast is the deadline for entries for the G19 Awards so if you think you are up to it but haven’t entered, you’d better get moving
Read more

And then of course, if that isn’t enough of a mixed bag, there’s the Katlady. Read more

So we hope more than ever that there is something in this week’s issue for everyone.

Chris Church Editor

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

This Week's News

£40million glass research centre plan ‘moving towards reality’

Glass industry leaders will hear later this month how plans for a new £40million glass research facility are moving ‘from ambition to reality’ as the Glass Futures organisation meets to hear how the facility can benefit the£1.6billion sector in the UK.

The purpose-built research facility, aimed to based on the former United Glass site in St Helens, will include an experimental glass furnace capable of producing 30 tonnes of glass a day and is said to be the only one of its kind in the world.

Read more

House building still sluggish

New house building starts fell 9% in Q1 over the previous quarter and the same amount over same period last year, according to Housing Ministry figures published this week.

The news is echoed by a separate report by Barbour ABI and Construction Products Association showing that the decrease in home building contracts in some areas of the UK outweighed signs of growth in others.

Read more

Countdown to G19
– are you ready?

It’s that time again, when the industry’s brightest and best are preparing their submissions to be recognised in the G19 Awards. If you think you or your company deserve to be called into the spotlight at the high-point of the industry calendar and haven’t already entered, you have just three weeks from tomorrow until the 31st July final deadline for entries.

“We already have a wealth of really strong entries,” said organiser Tony Higgin, “and with the two new categories for Trade Counter of the Year and Sustainability Initiative of the Year, we are seeing a broader range of disciplines than ever reflected in the submissions, so this, our 16th G-Awards event is looking like another vintage year.”

Read more

Buyer found for troubled Leeds installer

TWS (Selby) Ltd, a Leeds-based installation business that was place in administration last month is to continue trading after an undisclosed buyer was found for the 20-year old company.

Administrators Rob Adamson and Mike Kienlen or Armstrong Watson were called in after the family-run business was unable to recover from the effect on cash flow and creditors’ demands following the harsh winter of 2017.

Read more

Installer denies taunting cat-lover who sued him over ‘unsafe’ conservatory

A conservatory installer has found himself in the media spotlight after he denied taunting a cat-loving customer by renaming his business Katlady Services after she had sued him for £20,000 over a botched installation.

Paul Anderson, who ran Ancrum Windows Ltd in Dundee had been ordered to pay Caron Scrimgeour for the job, which was described by an expert as “the poorest I’ve seen in 30 years” and had to be completed by another contractor.

Read more