Opening Rooflight for flat roofs.
New product - Open-Lite is a flat opening rooflight manufactured using a hybrid design of timber and aluminium. The design is 100% free of UPVC and features a glass lid with black resin border for contemporary looks. The lid fully opens for access to flat roofs using specially engineered gas struts, these make the lid glide open and hold at any angle. Available with an electric motor option for automatic ventilation, the basic product opens using a smart chrome lockable handle. Open-Lite is available ex-stock in a range of popular sizes with bespoke sizes available on longer lead times.
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Opening up new sales
Leading composite door manufacturer Solidor and sister company Nice Door Panels have grown significantly over the last 18 months and there seems no sign of the growth abating, with more new customers coming on board by the week. - For Solidor the growth has been particularly impressive, as both installation companies and homeowners look towards the 2nd generation composite doors which are packed with new features. Solidor are now able to offer 14 colours inside and out including Chartwell Green and Duck Egg blue, on a proven timber-core based slab.
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Zoom Ready launches Conservatory Glass
Zoom Ready has launched a new range of conservatory glass. Zoom Conservatory Glass Relax 365 is exclusive to Zoom and comes in four ranges: Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze. The brand name reflects the high quality of the glass which gives all-year-round comfort and reassurance to the homeowner. - All Zoom Ready roofs can now be sold fully glazed at a competitive price, offering installers a complete solution and saving them the complication of sourcing glass from an alternative supplier. - Martin Randall, Chairman of Zoom Ready says, “It’s a hassle for installers to source glass once they’ve bought the conservatory roof, and buying it separately is a potential source of error.
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2012 - Still Time to Make a Change?
2011 was a difficult year and one that very few industries were immune to. You couldn’t avoid the negative press and the constant doom merchants on the TV telling us the sad state of our economy. Big names like Habitat, Oddbins and Focus DIY to name but a few, failed to change to this new and more difficult market and either closed their doors or looked for support as the economy continued its decline. - Within the Glass and Glazing Industry we saw several high profile and long established companies fall by the wayside. You have seen similar some competitors in your own areas close or continue to struggle. You may even be feeling a little vulnerable yourself to the relentless pressures that we face. So what can you do to ensure that you don’t fail like the rest?
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Safedoors’ white range now available from the Window Store
Safedoors’ latest range of low maintenance PVC-U composite doors is now available from The Window Store, offering a convenient solution for easy updates and repair work. - The White Range of ‘fit and forget’ PVC-U composite doors, offers a value for money solution for installers and developers working on residential property repairs or new builds. - Available at all The Window Store branches, the latest range from Safedoors is supplied in a choice of five made to measure doorsets with a smooth white PVC-faced skin. Each door comes complete with gold handles and letterplate, plus a full multipoint locking system. Glazed doors are supplied with minster glass as standard, in line with BS 5713.
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Kestrel backs quality with Q Card scheme
Kestrel, manufacturer of PVC-U/PVC-UE roofline and cladding, is backing its registered installers with an exclusive scheme to help them improve their credentials. - The company is offering its registered installers a free NVQ level 2 qualification in PVC-U/ PVC-UE installation, assessed on the job. Those passing the NVQ level 2 will also receive Kestrel ‘Q Card’ detailing their name, qualifications and photograph. - Having recently introduced a 35-year guarantee on all of its calcium organic white product range, the company believes the qualification and Q Cards will help to drive standards in the industry. The move also aims to reassure customers that any work carried out by Kestrel’s registered installers is of the best possible quality.
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Locking Good - The Excalibur Door Lock from Kenrick
Designed and developed to meet the most rigorous standards for residential door security The Excalibur multi-point door locking system from Kenrick provides superior performance and reliability coupled with ease of assembly and smooth operation. - Part of Kenrick’s renowned and trusted Excalibur range, which also includes a high security dual claw shootbolt, the Excalibur door lock meets the requirements of PAS 23/24 and Secured by Design. It has been function tested to in excess of 100,000 cycles and also exceeds the requirements of BS EN 1670 Grade 4 (severe) rating for salt spray corrosion resistance. - The lock’s strength is achieved through three sintered steel hook bolts, which are supported by two steel anti lift pins for added security.
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Heritage launches second-generation door selector
Bolton-based trade fabricator Heritage Trade Frames has launched its second-generation door selector increasing ease of use and featuring an expanded product range. - The SafeGuard Door Designer2 allows installers to choose from over 35 different GRP door options and combine them with a an ever expanding decorative glass range to create, price and then order a door online. - As well as expanding the traditional door range a new range of contemporary designs have been added to meet growing demand. The designer also features a choice of four different stable door options with the new system replacing their existing door designer launched by the Profile 22 fabricator in early 2010
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Hourglass in great shape for the future with £400,000 investment
Sealed unit manufacturer Hourglass Seal celebrated a strategic investment of £400,000 in fully automated machinery with a very successful open day at its headquarters in Gloucester. - Despite a bleak economic climate, Hourglass has bucked the trend with the investment into a state-of-the-art For.El Double Glazing Line from Promac. The machine has increased capacity at the factory from 2,000 to 3,500 units a week. It will also enable Hourglass to maintain its position as a leader in the field and provide its customers with the most technically advanced products available in the marketplace today. - The Right Worshipful Mayor of Gloucester Andy Lewis unveiled the new machinery, which brings the very latest technology, including a fully automatic Super Spacer Applicator, Argon Gas Coupling Press and Sealing Robot. It is capable of producing the highest performing, most cost effective and energy efficient sealed units, which benefit from Edgetech’s market leading warm edge solution Super Spacer.
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The brand new enhanced security handle from HOPPE
HOPPE (UK), the manufacturer synonymous with innovation, quality and performance in hardware for the window and door and architectural sectors, is excited to offer fabricators the most innovative handle on the market – developed to meet and exceed the latest PAS24 standard. - Roger Benton, Joint Managing Director of HOPPE (UK), explains:”On top of the daily battle to produce the best possible product whilst remaining cost effective, fabricators now have ensure that all of their newly manufactured PAS24 door sets – with a period of grace - comply with the revised PAS24 standard. At a time like this, more than ever, our customers rely on us to provide them with a solution and the brand new Enhanced Security Handle from HOPPE does just that.
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Success or failure
Prompted by the demise of AC Yule and Avocet along with the recent consolidation in the industry, I get asked what, from our slightly detached perspective, do we see as the cause of the failure by some and the tremendous success of others. - In a way the answer could be very involved, over complicated, intensely deep and only understood by those that are ahead of the game. There is of course a simple reality and it comes from the analogy that 'some people spend a lifetime looking for happiness, then at some stage realise they had it all along'. - The people that ask the question are expecting some magic marketing campaign, the key to a competitive edge or some other dark secret that automatically opens doors. - The real answer to the question appears to be that a successful business is similar to life - having a conviction about the direction they are going ensures its outcome.
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UAP TradeLocks Appointed Borg's Master Distributor in the UK
2012 has already started off to be a very promising year for the highly regarded door hardware and Locksmith tools supplier UAP TradeLocks as they secure the contract to become Borg’s Master Distributor in the UK. - UAP TradeLocks Managing Director David Jennings begins to explain about his deal with Borg: “I have known John at Borg for many years, but had never really taken a deep interest in their keypad type locks for access control.” - “I always knew they were really high quality digi-locks, but I didn't know how good they were or how comprehensive the range was until we recently began work on opening our Trade Counter and decided we needed to take on a high quality digi-lock range.” - For those of you thinking that a digi-lock isn't for you, then David suggests you think otherwise as he predicts digi-locks will make a huge sales impact on uPVC commercial doors over the next few years.
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Hot new order system for New World’s isolate fire doors
New World Developments, manufacturer of the 30-minute composite fire door Isolate, has introduced a speedy and easy-to-use internal order system to handle growing demand for contract orders. - Ideal for multi-resident and local authority dwellings with Secure by Design certification, Isolate has become a preferred choice with local authority specifiers keen to tackle growing fire concerns over medium to high rise flats. - Now the company has ensured that multiple ordering of its contract fire doors is completely streamlined to facilitate a swift and efficient customer experience. The new electronic order system ends the need for the company’s surveyors to provide hand written orders, dramatically reducing the amount of paperwork required and the time involved in preparing it.
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Network VEKA launches new image for 2012
Network VEKA has begun 2012 with a new brand identity for its corporate, advertising and marketing material. - Headed by a new logo strapline “Raising standards. Installing trust.” The new styling is based on extensive research among members, customers and the trade, resulting in “an engaging visual identity emphasising a brand that has a clear set of values – trustworthy, quality, authoritative and empowering,” according to Network VEKA MD John Ogilvie: - “In this highly fragmented market, there was a clear need for us to deliver a concise brand positioning allowing us to determine, and own, a unique territory, generating a point of differentiation to continue to deliver value to customers both trade and consumer.
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Bespoke REHAU vertical slider developed for military application
REHAU fabricator CWG Choices demonstrated its ability to meet even the most challenging customer requirements with the development of a bespoke version of its REHAU Heritage vertical slider for the MOD. - As part of the MOD’s major infrastructure PFI contract, Project Allenby/Connaught buildings which were being redeveloped for army personnel at four army garrisons across the Salisbury Plan and at Aldershot required timber box sashes to be replaced with energy efficient PVC-U alternatives. These needed to match the traditional authentic styling of the originals but at the same time also meet strict security considerations. - At Bulford Camp on the Salisbury Plain, Corby based CWG Choices collaborated with the specialist design team at REHAU to develop a version of the REHAU Heritage vertical slider specifically for this project which is externally beaded to meet the MOD’s bomb blast requirements. - CWG Choices fabricated more than 100 vertical sliders for Bulford Camp, all of which were installed by specialists WRP Windows working on behalf of the main contractor Brymor Contractors Limited.
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