INDUSTRYNEWS
FROMTHEEDITOR
Why ‘sorry
they can’t
come to the
phone right now’
is music to my ears
I caught a phrase on the radio
this week that I hadn’t heard
before but instantly recognised
to be true: ‘never trust a builder
that’s available next week’.
» WHILE THE IMPATIENT SIDE OF ME THAT
‘needs’ something doing at home as soon as we decide
to want to have it done (the backyard rendering that’s
been five years in the making for example) is in complete
opposition, the sentiment certainly rings true when I’m
making my editorial calls and the person I’d like to speak
to isn’t available. Rather than get frustrated, or take it
personally (maybe it’s just me?!), I take comfort in the
fact that if they’re too busy to come to the phone, they’re
busy.
Of course, when I have a to-do list, I know I need to do
it, but if I got everyone first time, what would we have to
talk about? And, I have to admit as businesses started to go
back to work after lockdown, I genuinely thought everyone
I spoke to over the last few weeks would be slowly picking
up jobs again and only want to talk about coronavirus. On
the contrary, everyone has been so busy, that if I do manage
to catch them they only have a short spell to spare (again I
hope this isn’t just me).
Outside of work, I’ve been trying to keep up with the
Green Homes Grant and also the proposed changes to
planning permission; both of which have been announced
since our last issue of Clearview. You’ll notice some of the
Green Homes Grant commentary across our pages and
I’m hoping that by the next edition, we’ll have some expert
opinion of the planning permission announcement too; if
you have time to get in touch with me of course.
From fabricators to fitters, specifiers to suppliers,
manufacturers to machinery companies, I always want to
hear from all of our brands and businesses, and so do our
readers. And, while it’s always best to be busy, if you do have
a spare moment, drop me a line or give us a call because
having ‘nothing to say’ may be nothing to shout about but
it sounds like there’s plenty going on at the moment and
that’s always a good news day in my book (or in this case
magazine).
See you next time (if I don’t speak to you first)
Gemma, Editor
Manufacturing
Investors Form
New Group
European Private Equity fund Nimbus,
together with its financing source
MidCap Financial, have agreed to buy the
majority of the Customade Group out of
administration and create a new group.
» THE NEW GROUP IS MADE
up of Virtuoso Doors, Polyframe
Norwich, Polyframe Stonehouse,
REAL Aluminium, Atlas, Fineline
Aluminium and Stevenswood.
This acquisition saves over 870
jobs and provides a strong footing
for the acquired businesses to
face the post Covid -19 economic
pressures and pursue the new
owner’s ambitious growth plans.
Nimbus, the majority
owners of the new group, are
very experienced investors in
manufacturing with a strong
track record in supporting
management teams to build
strong, market leading businesses.
This transaction represents their
second deal in the UK within
the last 12 months. Nimbus was
founded in 1999 with the aim
of investing in mostly industrial
companies requiring both capital
and management support.
Having started out in The
Netherlands, Nimbus expanded
into Germany in 2004. Being
focused on industry, expansion
into the UK was the next logical
step in 2019. Nimbus has offices
in Zeist, Munich and Leeds.
Alexander de Haas, of Nimbus,
commented “We are delighted
to invest in the Customade
Group. The business has a market
leading product and customer
service proposition but has faced
unprecedented challenges in the
last six months. Our investment
will allow the group to recover
and focus on a long-term growth
strategy which will include
significant investment in the
manufacturing capability of the
group.”
The new group management
team will be led by Chief
Executive David Leng, who
added: “After an extensive process
it has been good to find an
experienced investment partner
in Nimbus to save the majority of
the Customade business in these
exceptionally difficult economic
circumstances.
“I am very disappointed for
the great staff, suppliers and
customers at the Polyframe
Halifax and Polyframe Livingston
factories. These sites were
uneconomic to re-open and we
were unable to raise funding in
these difficult times to restart
them. I would like to sincerely
thank everyone for their hard
work and understanding. For
the new restructured group we
can now look forward to a much
stronger and certain future.”
www.nimbus.com
4 » AUG 2020 » CLEARVIEW-UK.COM