Guest Post: Protecting Glass From Vandalism

Ian Penfold from Solar Gard explains the advantages of their range of window films, as an alternative to new laminated glass units or the more extreme installation of steel bars across windows.

“We all know that broken glass poses a major threat to safety. Not just for occupants of a building, but sometimes even for general passers-by.

For example, in the event of vandalism, flying broken glass causes the vast majority injuries, rather than the missile. We have all seen the damage caused by the riots that took place in London recently and resulted in a number of high profile buildings having their windows smashed. However, covering buildings in steel, while it may prevent glass damage, will also spoil the look of the building onto which it is placed, marking it as a site of vandalism and taking away the benefits of natural light or a pleasant view for those inside. Alternatives to this measure need to be looked at.

Safety film works by holding the pieces of glass together when a window is smashed, preventing it from breaking into dangerous shards and causing injury. The newest, state-of-the-art safety and security film is made from the highest quality materials, such as tough, high-tensile polyester and ultra-strong mounting adhesives. These films aren’t the stereotype, dark silver surfaces you might see in the back of a van – most of them are made to be invisible on glass surfaces. Typically, a range of clear and solar control versions are offered, ranging from 4 to 14 Mil (100 to 350 microns) in thickness, meaning that people are still able to enjoy the view from their windows. This ensures that the appearance of a period building such as The King’s School is not affected.

By keeping the glass shards together as one pane, it also gives windows a certain degree of flexibility. This means that in event of breakage, rather than the glass breaking and blowing inwards, the film will flex, keeping all the fragments together and within the window frame.

Replacing all the glass with laminated, security glass is a costly option, and permanent alternatives such as bars or shutters can block the view and appear out of place in school or other public environment. By contrast, window film is installed quickly, uses no drilling and installation allows the normal routine around the building to continue virtually uninterrupted.

With many options available on the market, school managers and building owners should consult with a professional window film installer to ensure the right film is applied. In addition, professional film installation maintains and reinforces the integrity of existing glazing systems.

Safety and security window films have passed some of the toughest government and consumer testing to provide effective overall window safety, making it an attractive investment for a range of projects – from small- to medium-sized businesses, to public buildings, homes, hospitals and schools.”

More information on Solar Gard on their products can be found here: www.solargard.co.uk

Industry Twitter Behaviour

Social media is now getting very much embedded in our industry now. Some companies and individuals know how to handle it and use it to their advantage, some simply don't. Either way, we all have a behavior when using Twitter.

Mike Bygrave at Roseview Windows has created a poll: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/PCDZGG2

The poll ask 8 simple questions about your habits on Twitter and takes no longer than a minute to answer. I'm not going to give examples of these questions on here as it would defeat the object of me wanting you all to click on the link above and take the poll.

Once enough data has been Mike has said he will publish it - and I'm pretty sure I'll analyze the results myself to see how the industry is making the most of Twitter.

Personally, I still don't think the industry is making the most of Twitter or using it in the correct way. First of all, Twitter is mainly a B2B marketing tool. The general populous still aren't using the micro-blogging site to search for window companies, Google has that all sewn up. I believe that most businesses update their Twitter feeds with offers so that their Twitter widgets look updated on their websites. I might be wrong, but that's what I would use it for.

Twitter is better for business to business use. Suppliers contacting installers and vice versa has created an excellent online relationship that wouldn't have been there before. It's quick, simple and gets things done.

Anyway, take the poll, it doesn't take long, and all feedback on this is welcome! 

Epwin Group And Latium Merge With Immediate Effect

 A tweet from the @glasstimes Twitter account reads as follows: 

"The Epwin Group and Latium have merged with immediate effect to create Epwin Holdings, a 275million turnover building products group."

To be honest, I'm a little bit gutted I didn't know anything about this! But I'll get over it!

My immediate reaction was one of surprise. But then again, we all expected further consolidation of the double glazing market, and this announcement goes to prove what many people were thinking. 


The name 'Epwin Holdings' interests me. In the tweet it says there was a merger, but the retention of the Epwin name makes me wonder if Epwin Group actually bought out Latium. And if there was a buy-out, my next question would be about potential job losses. Will there be any? If so, how many? When would the axe fall?

How much of Latium is likely to be retained? Would Latium be swallowed up by Epwin? Will their products disappear over time? Will Epwin take on some of Latiums best products and improve and focus on them?

These are just my initial thoughts and questions on the matter. Once more details are flooded into Twitter and the online magazines, I'll be able to make a better judgement on this announcement.

UPDATE: here is the press release from the Ewpin Group:


The Epwin Group and Latium have merged with immediate effect [17/1/12] to create a significant and diverse new UK building products group.


Including established Epwin brands, Profile 22, Swish Window and Door Systems, Swish Building Products and Sierra amongst others, alongside Latium companies Spectus, Kestrel-BCE and glass processing business CET - the agreement creates a new group with a combined turnover in excess of £275m.


With more than 2,500 employees, the company, Epwin Holdings, will be led by a new senior board chaired by Epwin Group founder Jim Rawson and including Latium owner, Brain Kennedy, the existing shareholders.


Jim Rawson, chairman, Epwin Holdings, said: "This is a major opportunity for the UK building products industry. In bringing together many of it's leading businesses, in a British run, British owned group, we have the resource to invest in individual brands, product innovation and service, grow our business and most importantly, support our customers across sectors in doing the same."


He added: "We don't expect any significant changes to the operational structure of Group businesses in the medium term - this is very much business as usual for customers, employees and suppliers."


The Epwin Group was founded by Rawson in 1976. Floated on the Stock Exchange in 1987, it was brought back into private ownership in 2000. More than a decade on, it continues to deliver a lead in technology and sustainable innovation to the UK building product industry.


Latium companies, owned by entrepreneur and investor Brian Kennedy were acquired, in part, from Heywood Williams in 2005.

Funding for the merged group has been provided exclusively by Barclays Corporate, Bristol.


Brian Kennedy said: "There is a very strong commercial fit between Latium and Epwin businesses and the merger creates tremendous new opportunities for both employees, customers and suppliers."


"It has both the stability and financial resource to see out challenges and to secure new opportunities, something which we are confident will deliver advantages for not just it's member businesses but customers and the building products industry more broadly."


For further information visit www.epwin.co.uk


I hope that all the mentions of new opportunities and chances for growth and prosperity come to fruition. There have been too many company take overs, not just in the window industry but all others, where job losses has been the immediate focus. It says in the statement that in the medium-term, there will be no changes in regards to employees. But it does leave the door open a little bit in terms of long-term restructuring. But all in all, a very positive statement. I wish all companies involved the best of luck!

Job Losses At Total Window Systems

First strikes, and now job losses. I have learned that 19 jobs are to go at Total Window Systems in Devon, a company within the Epwin Group.

I'm reluctant to say that these job losses are a reaction/punishment for the strikes actually taking place. More likely it is the harsh economic environment that every window company is having to battle through in order to keep surviving. And in order to survive, tough measures sometimes have to be taken, hence these redundancies.

It can be argued that the last few months have been tough for both DB Glass and Total Window Systems. The strike last month managed to attract the attention of the local BBC stations. Of course it was covered on this site too, with probably much less of an impact! Staff during that time were able to make it clear that they were thoroughly unhappy, something which any business tried hard to avoid. These job losses only ensure the troubling times continue for a little while longer.


As always, I welcome comments, reactions or any further information from both the company and it's staff, if they wish to air their views.

Aluminium Making A Colourful Comeback

For many years PVCu has been top of the pile when it comes to materials choice for replacement windows and doors. But thanks to the recession and the inherent need for businesses to diversify and find niche areas of the market to squeeze extra money out of. 

Over the last couple of years, aluminium seems to have made a significant and sustained comeback. Success for aluminium has been found in high-end bi-folding doors and coloured frames. I'm sure that those of you down south will also report that aluminium is still a popular material choice down there. Aluminium has improved in appearance over the years and I think it is probably time for it to make more of an impact in the industry. If it is targeted at the right customers of course.

I think it is time for those companies who only sell PVCu to have a look at aluminium, especially the bi-folding doors, and add it to their product portfolio's. Aluminium bi-folds aren't going to be a regular seller unlike your standard white PVCu windows. But they are going to be those once-in-a-while high value contracts which earn you a lot of profit. As are the odd contracts where you sell coloured aluminium frames in a specialist building. You wont do it often, but when you do, this is your chance to earn a rare fat profit margin.

I am of course speaking from a PVCu installers point of view. Aluminium will probably never replace PVCu as their material of choice. I am simply saying that having the ability to sell aluminium for higher end projects, they're probably going to open a few more high value doors.

Those who sell aluminium purely will probably back me up when I say they have seen an increase in interest in the product. 

Now is the time to take a serious look at aluminium again. I'm not saying it's going to over take PVCu, especially when it still holds 85% of the residential market. But high end alumnium products could win you those extra high-value contracts every company will be desperate to get.

Knowing Your Marketing

Yesterday I was given a PDF copy of a new marketing e-book, Marketing & Lead Generation, from Dave Blakeman from RPS RoofWright. Having given it a quick read through I've found that it could be of good use to a great many of you out there.

During these recession years, the industry has evolved to be an extremely competitive one, I think too competitive. But, as the introduction to the e-book explains, it's vitally important to get your marketing right, whether it's your direct marketing or even as simple as how to negotiate with customers. Each little move can be so decisive.

The e-book covers all sorts of areas, from valuing the customer, guarantees, quotations and negotiating discounts, to lead generation, internet marketing, AdWords and everything else to do with marketing online.

Some parts of the e-book will cover familiar ground, something which I found as I was reading it, some of it however provides a lot of useful tips and reminders. As companies and sales people generally, we all get a bit lax from time to time, so the whole book, new stuff and same stuff, should provide a good little refresher session to us all.


The one part of the book which struck a particular chord with me was the negotiating discount bit. Don't go thinking it's going to go revealing some special tricks because it's not. Happily it explains that most of the time you should be saying no to customers when they ask for money off, and then hitting back by asking them why. This is a breath of fresh air for me. Many of you will know how much of a gripe I have with sales and discounts and how phony they are. This e-book guide guides you down the path of honest, profitable selling without having to rely on discounts. The correct way of doing business.


Dave is taking part in the Cycle India charity ride in a couple of weeks for the charity Heal. If you would like to donate, then click here.


Until January 20th, Dave will send anyone a copy of the e-book if they make a £20 donation at: http://www.justgiving.com/Dave-Blakeman. Once you have confirmation of the donations, email that to dave.blakeman@rpssoftware.co.uk and he will forward you a copy of the book.

The Pitfalls Of Running A Forum

While the industry gets to grips with social media; Twitter and the bloggersphere, there's one thing that has struggled to take off.

Forum's have always seemed to struggle to punch a hole in the online world of windows. I don't quite know why that is. Maybe there are a few reasons to blame?

Twitter maybe? With Twitter providing real-time responses to questions or debates, the idea of waiting for someone to comment back on a forum thread or question may seem slightly out of date and require too much time in front of a screen than anyone can be bothered with.

Effort? It takes a lot of effort from a lot of people to keep a forum fresh and interesting. People have to post different topics constantly, and ones that are interesting enough to force responses from people. The minute you start to repeat the same topics and threads, people are going to turn off and go somewhere else...or not bother at all!

People? Forums have to have a diverse range of people. GlassTalk was guilty of having the same 8-10 people posting threads and leaving comments to each other, and not really welcoming enough to new people. If small cliques start to form then people are going to feel like engaging in fear of not being talked to.

Despite what many people think, I think there is a place for an online forum in this industry. I believe there is enough to talk about to keep it interesting and maybe even force a change for good within our sector. 

What do you guys think? If there was a forum with constantly changing and engaging subjects and the site was interactive and modern enough, would you contribute to it?

Are Double Glazing Adverts Getting Better?

Is it me, or do window TV ads seem to be getting better? I used to be of the opinion that a classy double glazing advert on the TV was an impossibility. Take this infamous example:

With tacky, and unfortunately memorable ads like this one plaguing our TV screens, was the classy window ad completely out of reach?

Maybe not, over the last couple of years Everest and Anglian Home Improvements have cleverly used the push on energy efficiency to improve the image of double glazing, doors and conservatories on the telly. Anglian has just launched a new one with Laurence Llwellan Bowen (hope I've spelled that right!), which I think is quite classy. It's got a recognizable but respected voice, the imagery is slick and professional (unlike some of our industry fitters!). Unfortunately YouTube won't let me embed the video of the new ad here, but if you click this, then it'll take you straight to Anglian's YouTube channel where you can see it there.


Everest have brought out some rather slick ads out in the last couple of years, using Craig Doyle, an experienced and suave Irish TV presenter to front them. Again, their use of the push on energy efficiency and A rated windows has helped drag PVCu windows out from the tacky room and into the 'important for your carbon footprint' room. Here's a short example:

I also like the way 'sales' and 'discounts' aren't being pushed in this ad - it's clever in a subtle way. Everyone knows that a sale and discount comes with a cheap and tacky background. Everest are trying to create a luxurious and quality feel in the ad, banging a big old SALE sign in the top right hand corner is going to totally ruin that.


Maybe if all those other companies thinking of going on TV were to take a little hint from these guys, public perception of our industry might change for the better.

Poll Result: Most Against Strikes

I ran a poll recently which closed a few days ago, asking if you supported the strike action taken by DB Glass and Total Window Systems, part of the Epwin Group. These are the results:

Yes: 12
No: 16
Undecided: 5
Total: 33


So just under half of those who voted said that they were against the strike action, which doesn't surprise me, seen as though the appetite for strike action in this country is rather low.


What would be good to know, either from the company or from employees, is if the dispute has been sorted, or if there has been no solution found yet.

Social Media And The Industry

Twitter and blogs are playing an ever bigger role in communication within the industry. 2011 saw some of the biggest events in the industry played out on Twitter and blogs such as this one. Events like the Veka buyout of Bowater made the higher echelons of our industry sit up and take note...finally realizing that Twitter and the rest of social media is now here to stay in our little world, and are going to have to adapt to it, rather than social media adapt to them. 

Debates on the Green Deal and the DGCOS were also played out online. Many people were able to get involved in debates, getting their points across when previously they wouldn't have been able to when the internet wasn't such a powerful and useful tool.

So what is in store for 2012? Personally, I think Twitter will have a massive impact. The glazing community on Twitter is growing bigger every day, increasing the connections in the industry up and down the country. Debates are moving from forums and blogs into the world of Twitter. Probably because it's a more real-time platform, where reactions and replies are far quicker to gauge and respond to.

What about blogs then? Blogs will still have a massive part to play in our industry. Blogs are ideal for breaking a story, something which is very hard to do on Twitter where your 140 characters will restrict you. Blogs will still be the main platform for the larger debates and conversations.

I do have one tip for the heads of companies in our industry. Blogs and tweets are here to stay in our industry now, so your attitude to them also needs to change. Most of you tend to take an aggressive and defensive view to them, probably because you're all very worried information, right or wrong, being written about your company. Your blanket policy of threatening legal action to force bloggers to take information down will at some point fail, as one day we'll just ignore you and carry on publishing. The best way to respond would be to engage bloggers and tweeters, enter the level playing field and join to conversation. This is the right place to put anything right that has previously been said wrong. Forcing someone to take down a post makes you look iron fisted and totally out of touch with modern thinking. Don't lose your credibility by throwing your toys out of the pram.

As always, you'll see me on the online world during the coming year, I hope to see you all there!

The Green Deal Will Fail

The Guardian has published an article explaining how the Green Deal will significantly fail to meet up to the targets set by the Government.


They claim that out of the 14 million households in need of upgrades, the scheme will only actually reach 2-3 million homes. It get's worse for the Government, as the CCC (Committee on Climate Change), the Government's own body, are the authors of the report!


The reason they give is thus: currently, energy companies have an obligation to homeowners to allow them to improve their energy efficiency. The Green Deal will actually take this obligation away. The 'Golden Rule' of the scheme is that the cost of the upgrades will be outweighed by the savings made, therefore more than paying for itself. However, by taking the obligation away from energy companies, the whole scheme is then left to the devices of the market.


The worry the CCC has is that if energy bills continue to rise at a very high and regular rate, any savings to be made are going to become harder to garner, dragging out the repayment of the loan given to pay for the upgrades in the first place! Of course it's not guaranteed that energy bills will continue on it's steep rising path, but who honestly believes that bills are going to level out or even decrease? I certainly don't.


The Guardian also points out that people may not actually want the hassle of having a whole raft of upgrades being done in their home. Not everyone wants to have windows replaced! People are also going to be worried about cowboys and poor installations.


So, for all the hype and wishful thinking, the Government really needs to get to grips with the real-life details and figure out how to make this scheme work, or risk a lot of hard work culminating in nothing.

Money For Old Frames

Eurocell have just opened their £3 million brand spanking new recycling centre in Ilkeston, Derbyshire. The facility is capable of processing 12,000 post consumer waste frames per week, adding up to an impressive 624,000 frames per year. This massive new operation put them at the forefront of PVCu recycling in the UK.

In an industry which is battling against fluctuating commodity prices and constant price increases, recycling could be a bit of a magic bullet. 

If a manufacturer can count on the majority of it's PVCu raw material coming from a post consumer waste plant on site, rather than buying in new lengths all the time, then the amount of money that could be saved over time would be immeasurable. And I'm sure a massive relief on what would probably be a very strained profit margin. It would give that company more of a freedom on how it wants to run it's manufacturing process, and give them more of a say on the type of product it wants to produce and sell.

The environmental benefits are also enormous. Saving 624,000 frames from going in a hole in the ground will have a big impact. Now if every major supplier and manufacturer did the same, imagine the many millions of frames not going to landfill. Then imagine all that extra material which could be used to make brand new windows without having to waste money buying new materials!

There is also a huge commercial and advertising opportunity. Recent research has revealed that a fifth of consumers would be prepared to spend around 10% more for a sustainable and 'greener' product, and 60% of people want to buy from an 'environmentally responsible' company. So pushing the green ethics of your business and overhauling your recycling commitments has never been so important! Green is cool!

Review Of The Year: 2011

I know there are about 3 and a bit weeks left of the year, but I thought I might as well claim my spot and be the first to do a review of the year...from my point of view anyway!

Uncertainty
Before the bad years, the industry could count on the typical buying pattern. Beginning of the year used to be quiet, spring would bring a steady rise in trade, summer would see a racking up of business, autumn would see a gradual slow down, November would bring a quick sharp boost in the run up to Christmas, then December it would be hardly worth opening the doors.


The past few years unfortunately haven't provided the window industry with this regular and healthy business pattern - and this year was no exception. From week to week, revenues would fluctuate. Lead levels would look like a roller-coaster if they were plotted on a graph! This creates terrible cash-flow problems for companies, which we all know is the lifeblood of every business. We have seen some companies close their doors because of poor cash-flow, not because the orders weren't there. Banks are suddenly becoming very quick to call in their money these days!


With growth in the industry not set to return until 2015, it looks like the windows market is set to struggle for some stability in the coming few years.


Deal Or No Deal? 
The Green Deal later on in the year certainly caused plenty of debate within the industry. The Green Deal is the Governments flagship policy to get Britain's homes up to a higher standard of energy efficiency, by providing loans via the private sector to homeowners to have improvement work done to raise the energy efficiency of their property.


The GGF worked hard on behalf of the industry to make sure that energy rated windows was included as part of the deal. At first everyone seemed to welcome the plan. But as we all looked into the finer details that were available, questions were then asked about the viability of the deal. The biggest question being would the plan even work if the banks and biggest energy companies weren't prepared to stump up the cash for these loans.


My biggest worry was that even if the Green Deal was established, non-PVCu companies such as Tesco and Homebase, who have now launched their own ranges of PVCu home improvement products, would wade in and steal most of the newly generated business that the Green Deal would have created.


The GGF says that it is working hard to make sure all size and manner of company gets a slice of the Green Deal pie. But I still fear that the commercial power and reach of some of the biggest companies will dampen any improvement for the smaller installation companies in our industry. 


There are still many questions left to ask and many more answers to come. I do sincerely hope that it does bring an equal opportunity for prosperity across the whole industry, as it desperately needs it. The plan is to be implemented in October 2012, I guess only then will we be able to tell if it is going to have a positive impact on an anemic industry.

Social Media Flexes It's Muscles
2011 saw for the first time in our industry how big an effect social media sites like Twitter and blogs can have. In June of this year I broke the story of Veka buying out the Bowater Building products group. This was information that some in the industry knew about, but this site was the first to make it publicly known.


The response on here and on Twitter was immense. Various page views and visitor number records were broken. My Twitter account was even spam attacked to force it to temporarily shut down. I had employees from both companies contacting me asking if I had any extra information. It got to the point where I was feeling rather uncomfortable about having to be the one to explain the state of affairs of the company they worked for.


I got the feeling that both Bowater and Veka wanted me to keep my mouth shut, but they both probably knew I wasn't going to. 


This was the first time social media had any sort of impact on the industry and how it behaved in the online world. It forced more manufacturers to talk. But it has also forced the boards of the bigger companies to maybe have a re-think on how they deal with any sensitive information. 


Social media now has a permanent place in our industry. Whether you are a business wanting to make more business contacts. Whether you're an installers wanting to reach out to more potential customers. Or if you're an industry commentator with a blog of your own and an active Twitter user, social media now has a huge part to play in how our industry is run.


Year Of The Increase
High inflationary costs finally took it's toll on our industry this year. During the first six months of 2011 there seemed to be a never ending stream of letters from suppliers and manufacturers explaining how they would have to be increasing their prices within a matter of weeks.


The worst culprit for this seemed to be the glass manufacturers - most notably Pilkington. I think many of us will have received a letter from them explaining that pretty much all ranges of their insulating and tinted glass would be going up between 10% and a staggering 40% or more! 


The recession years of 2008/2009 and early 2010 finally translated into price rises in 2011. These were highly inconvenient as most companies were adjusting to what was a slow start to the trading year thanks to some of the worst winter weather in 30 years, and what was generally going to be one of the worst years for the industry in quite a long time.


The dilemma left for businesses was huge. Do they raise costs to cover the increases from their suppliers, meaning what was left of their profit margins was left in tact, but risk losing business as a result? Or did they absorb yet more increases, eating up what was left of a very thin profit margin already? From what I could tell and have heard over the last 12 months, it was probably a 50/50 split.


2012
So how does 2012 look? Most of you will probably agree that next year is going to be tough. I would go one step further and say that 2012 is probably one of the toughest years many of us will ever experience. No economic forecasts show any prospect of growth, which will also hit consumer spending at the same time. Prices are set to rise throughout next year as the price of raw materials remain high and inflation adds further pressure to the cost of materials.


January is the hardest time for our industry. Trade is still very slow, the poor weather puts another dampener on things, and tax has to be paid in January. This is the make-or-break time of year for companies. If a business is going to go to the wall, it's more than likely that it's this time of year when it's going to happen. The industry could see a lot of businesses pushed over the edge into liquidation. I know I seem to say this every year, but the economic conditions seem hostile enough for this to happen.


Despite what is going to be a very a tough year, I still believe that companies can make the most of what business is left to get out there. Companies have to be at their most fluid and adaptable if they are to steal as much market share as possible.


It can be done. We did it during 2008/2009 and we can do it again now. I think it will be tougher, but I think we are one of the most adaptable and durable industries the UK has to offer. We'll all just have to take it week by week and keep analyzing how we do our business.


I want to thank all of you for your support this year. This has been the best year for my blog so far, and for that I am greatly appreciative! A huge thank you to all my readers, regular or occasional. And a big thanks to all those who left a comment and joined in the conversation. I hope to see you all next year!

Have a very merry and relaxing Christmas and a fantastic New Year!

Green Deal Will Need Massive Public Awareness

If the Green Deal is to be a success (putting aside my skepticism that it will be dominated by the largest companies in the UK) then it will need to garner the same amount of public interest and awareness that the car scrappage scheme did.

The image above clearly shows that since the beginning of the year the Green Deal has become a much more popular term searched for in Google. This is a trend that is going to need to continue. These sorts of schemes only work when there is massive public awareness.

The other necessity is that for both the public and those businesses participating in it, the deal has to be easy to understand. There's nothing worse than trying to flog something which is too complicated to understand in full. Both parties will turn off to the idea. So the Government needs to make it as clear as possible to companies and customer how they qualify for the deal, what it entails, what can be bought through it etc. 

There are still many questions left unanswered about the Green Deal.  Even the initial explanation of how the Green Deal will work is still a little bit hard to digest. I'm sure in the coming months all issues with the scheme will become clearer.

Total Windows And DB Glass To Strike

It seems the growing trend to protest this year has now spread to our own little sector of the economy. It is reported on BBC Devon that Total Windows and DB Glass, both owned by the Epwin Group, are to go on strike over pay - more specifically due to not having a pay rise for the last three years.

According to the BBC Devon site, no one from Epwin Group was available for comment.

Whenever the talks of strikes comes up, the accompanying argument of the principle of the thing is also debated. According to www.thewestsouth.blogspot.com the strike was approved by over 77%. Now that's a positive response in any way you look at it. But is striking the right option?


To me, striking should only ever be the last resort, and I know this is the opinion of many others. I completely understand that they wish to be heard and want to stick up for themselves and their positions. But while taking industrial action, they should also consider that they are lucky enough to have a job (which is paid over the minimum wage) to strike over.

Personally, I wouldn't be striking right now. It is no only the Epwin Group who cannot afford to raise wages at this current time, most businesses haven't, and haven't for the last few also. In fact most businesses have cut wages in order to reduce the wage bill to make sure of the continuity of the business. Striking will only alert the company to those who are most militant and wish to cause disruption in order to get themselves heard.


Negotiations are the most sensible route to take right now. Both parties need to get round the table to sort something out. With Epwin being such a large company, large enough to be recognized by the BBC, this sort of negative publicity will only serve to damage the name locally and nationally.

It's Only A Theory!

My post about Why Advertising Does Not Work, seemed to cause a bit of a stir.


The whole point of that post was just to convey another way of looking at advertising and the effects of it. Personally I can see how the theory works, and that we probably should factor it in when we consider advertising campaigns. However I was not saying that no one should be advertising altogether. 


The theory was established back in 1944. The original Game Theory was created to try to explain how a game could end in different ways depending what decisions were made at the beginning. This same theory was then applied to other areas of life.


The problem is though that this theory is nearly 70 years old, and was diluted somewhat when it was applied to other examples. However I do still believe there is a degree of logic in what is being said. 


I'm still all for advertising, but just for it to be done properly. If the company I work for came up to me and said that we were not going to do any form of advertising at all, I would say they were being reckless and over the top. 


For advertising to work, it needs to be appealing to the customer visually and audibly. With something in it that will make customers want to get of their arse and buy whatever it is you're selling. At the moment, I think double glazing ads are lacking a little bit. Though to be honest, I've always thought that you can never make a decent advert about double glazing anyway! 

No Growth Till 2015

The latest report from Palmer Market Research makes for rather depressing reading.


It's latest research shows that 2010 was the fourth consecutive year of decline for the industry. With an industry valued at £3.7 billion for 2010, we are a way off from the high of £5.4 billion in 2006. 2010 saw a 4% in value compared to 2009. 


This year is set to see an eye watering 10% dip, with absolutely no growth for our industry until 2015, and even then this growth is set to be only very slight, which gives it scope for possible no growth if things don't improve as planned in the medium turn.


Private sector home improvements represents 80% of the industry. So falls of 10% in a single year really do have serious ramifications.


In 2010, the windows market was down 2% from 2009. And conservatories were down a massive 12% from 2009 also. The news gets worse for conservatories - 2010 saw the worst sales since 1995, with only 92,500 being sold during the whole of the year. It seems consumer confidence for big ticket items is simple not there in any amount.


The speedy slowdown of PVCu panel doors continued, showing a 22% drop in 2010 compared with 2009. But good news if you're a composite door company! 2010 saw a massive 30% increase when compared to the year previously - the silver lining in what is a very big, dark and menacing cloud.


PVCu remained the material of choice by a long way, having an 84% slice of the pie.


What this report confirms is that our industry, as well as the rest of the UK economy is set to enter a second recession, with consequences far more serious and further reaching...probably. Our industry is going to have to go through some very painful changes if it is to survive, and for a couple of years longer than what I had originally predicted.

Making A Stand

There are a lot of 'yes men' in our line of work. Those who say yes to things, but have no intention of following through on their promises.


Take FENSA for example. It was alerted to them that there was a company selling their certificates for £80 a piece. It was totally against their ethical code and when they spoke to me about it they said they would investigate, find the company and rectify the issue. So far I have heard absolutely nothing! Selling these certificates for such a large amount of money really does abuse the trust and faith of the customer in that company. Hence it was an issue I felt strongly about.


Then there is the GGF. The Green Deal is being threatened to be swallowed up by massive UK chains entering the double glazing industry for the first time, Tesco and Homebase for example. Weeks and weeks ago they promised that every company, no matter how big or small they were, would be able to have good access to the benefits the new scheme would bring. They said they had plans either in place, or being developed to make sure the boost would be shared equally. Again, so far, other than a debate about the scheme, I've heard absolutely nothing, despite the GGF assuring me they would be working hard to make sure we would all see a benefit.


So, FENSA and GGF. What are you going to do about it? This is a challenge to both of you. Either email me, or come on here and show how you are going to sort out the issues I've mentioned above. I won't let this drop and I won't let this go away. Both are important issues in my opinion and both deserve a speedy resolution.

Homebase Windows!

Here's the 'I told you so' moment!

As well as Tesco launching their own double glazing company, Homebase have now decided to enter the fray and have also launched their own double glazing service.

Having a very quick look through their online brochure, it looks relatively well set out, clear - easily explaining the order in which a customer can go about ordering their new windows. They make it clear which products are what and the brochure itself has a fresh and modern look to it. I was also particularly impressed with the price on the very back page. They quote £2900 including VAT for four casement windows and an entrance door. This to me is what four windows and a door should be being priced at, given the economic conditions right now.

So, both Homebase and Tesco look to be similarly priced, both with slick and professional sites (though Tesco's is more in-depth, but given time I'm sure Homebase will expand their site also), so look set to go head to head once the Green Deal is implemented in just eleven months time.

If you're involved in any way with these two giants of the commercial world, this is probably good news, especially if you're the companies supplying the windows and doors to them. However if you're one of the 14,000+ specialist double glazing companies in the UK hoping to get a slice of the Green Deal pie when it's put in place, it's probably just become a little harder to make the most of it. The whole reason why these companies, which have never ever sold windows before until now, are now selling them know that once the Green Deal starts, there's probably going to be a pretty sizable boost coming to the double glazing industry and they want to make the most of it. Problem is, most of us will most likely be shoved out of the way in the mean time.

Message to the GGF: don't let the commercial juggernauts swallow up what could be a potential big boost for the genuine double glazing community.

Homebase, according to their website, claim to be FENSA accredited installers. Though it's more than likely that they will be using a home improvements company, like Tesco use AJWD, to install the windows on their behalf.

As I get to know more details about this I will post them on here! 

Scottish Glaziers AC Yule And Son Collapses

Scottish glazing firm AC Yule has become yet another established name to fall victim to the harsh economic climate. The company announced it has been placed in administration with KPMG, putting 211 jobs at risk. Here is the full article, from the site www.building.co.uk: 



Scottish glazing firm AC Yule and Son has collapsed into administration, with the loss of 211 jobs.


The company, an established window fitter and glass processor, confirmed it will keep on 61 staff to try to complete current projects and outstanding orders.


Blair Nimmo and Gary Fraser of KPMG have been appointed joint administrators, and are seeking a buyer for parts or all of the business.


AC Yule is headquartered in Aberdeen, and has branches in Elgin, Livingston and Glasgow.
Blair Nimmo, joint administrator and head of restructuring for KPMG in Scotland, said: “As a result of prolonged difficult economic conditions over the last three years, AC Yule & Sons Ltd sustained a reduction in its turnover together with considerable erosion in its margins.”


“The directors proactively implemented a number of restructurings - both financial and operational - which involved significant additional share capital being injected. Unfortunately, despite these actions, losses continued to ensue which led to the directors concluding that they had no option other than to seek the appointment of administrators.”



Obviously KPMG will hope to find a buyer for AC Yule. But with only the biggest of the big boys with the cash to perform such acquisitions, the chances of a purchase in such an anxious economic situation seem slim at best. However, I wish the company and the staff all the best. I hope they do find a buyer, I hope that as many of their employees retain their jobs. And I hope for all those that do unfortunately lose their jobs that they find new and rewarding ones soon.


The above report can be found here.