INDUSTRYNEWS
A step into the modular market
» THE HOUSING CRISIS, SKILLS
shortage and lack of affordable homes are
issues that continue to plague the UK’s
housing market. Modular builds, which
involves constructing elements of a building
offsite in a factory-controlled setting, can
be constructed 30-50 per cent quicker than
traditional constructions, with qualitycontrolled
assembly sites and less material
waste helping to provide more sustainable
results.
Based in Barnsley, South Yorkshire,
Euramax has collaborated with modular
expert Ilke Homes to supply windows and
doors for 2,000 of its homes. Ilke Homes,
also based in Yorkshire, manufactures and
supplies customisable modular homes, with
a completion time of seven days, as well
as offering turnkey development contracts
and strategic partnerships with housing
associations, private developers and local
authorities.
Richard Banks, commercial director at
Euramax, said: “Previously, Ilke Homes had
been receiving separate deliveries for glass
and window frames, which would then be
sorted into specific module requirements. This
meant that there was double the handling of
products, increasing the risk of damage.
“In addition, transportation of products
was also increased as there were multiple
stillages of glass and frames that were sent
to the production line. Instead, Euramax
has provided Ilke Homes with the glass and
window frames in one stillage, ensuring they
have everything they need for each module.
“We understand how important modular
construction has become to help deliver the
thousands more houses needed to alleviate the
UK housing crisis — and we’re dedicated to
supporting this in any way we can.”
With skilled workers producing modules
at dedicated assembly sites, the construction
method reduces the amount of noise and
dust onsite to create a more environmentally
friendly building process.
Racheal Kaye, procurement manager at
Ilke Homes commented: “Receiving the
glass and frames for each module in specific
stillages means that we can save time and
costs as handling, transport and damage is
reduced. This not only optimises our own
process, but greatly reduces our impact on
the environment, helping us to maintain
modular’s greener construction status.
Euramax even provided module identification
numbers to help us to identify the correct
stillage for the required module, making the
process even simpler.”
www.euramaxuk.com
Roofing products acquired from
failed business administrators
Following appointment on 16 March 2020 as joint administrators of Aperture Trading Limited,
Chris Pole and Will Wright from KPMG’s Restructuring practice have confirmed that they have
sold certain assets of the company to Altrincham Doors Limited and Altrincham Roofs Limited.
» ULTRAFRAME HAS ACQUIRED
from the administrators of Aperture Trading
Limited, certain of the assets relating to the
Global, Celsius and Stratus roofing products,
including the tools and equipment but
excluding others, such as the customer or
supply arrangements.
By way of background, the Synseal business
failed in March 2019, with its business being
bought out of administration by Aperture
Trading Ltd. A year later, despite this fresh
start, the business failed a second time going
into administration again in March 2020.
This time no buyer was found for the whole
business nor was a buyer found for any of the
roof businesses as continuing enterprises.
We note that the sales of Global roofs had
fallen dramatically from annual sales of c.£30m
around 5 years ago to a run rate of under £5m
this winter, pre Covid-19. In recent years,
there has been a shift away from glass roofs to
solid pitched roofs and to flat roof extensions
within the home extension market. This market
trend accounts for some of the decline of the
Global roof although the scale of its decline
is symptomatic of more fundamental issues
within the wider Global product offer.
The Celsius and Global roofs are complex
systems with the Global roof having around
2,000 parts. A large amount of Global parts
were extruded or sourced from the Huthwaite
extrusion plant, which has also been mothballed
by the Administrator. While we will talk to all
industry stakeholders to understand the future
potential of reintroducing elements of these
roofing systems at a later date, relaunching
them in the current economic climate is not
feasible.
The Stratus lantern is different, being a
much simpler product with just over 100
parts and therefore it is more feasible for
Ultraframe to manufacture Stratus from its
existing facilities. We hope that with our track
record of improving roofing products, and the
fact Stratus is a much simpler product, we can
restart production of the Stratus lantern soon.
www.ultraframe-conservatories.co.uk
8 » JUN 2020 » CLEARVIEW-UK.COM