Annual Predictions
Time to catch our breath
Phew …. 2020 is finally over , and I imagine all of us welcomed the end to what , at times , was a real grind .
Gary Morton , CEO , Central RPL
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» WHAT IS MORE encouraging is that hopefully , before too long , we may be back to something approaching normality .
The first coronavirus vaccines are being rolled out as I write , and by the summer we could finally be in a position to say goodbye to Zoom and Teams , and get back to the kind of personal contact our industry thrives on .
But despite the huge challenges we and most businesses in the sector faced in 2020 , it was not all bad .
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Our two fabricators , Central RPL and Central ASL , had a fantastic second half of the year , experiencing surging demand following the end of the first national lockdown .
As 2021 begins , that has given us the confidence to finally implement a decision we have been quietly planning for a while .
In February 2021 , RPL and ASL will merge together to form Central Window Systems LTD .
We believe this clearer brand proposal will allow us to combine
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the strengths of both companies – market-leading products , significant business support modules , hugely experienced senior teams – and offer a better service to customers , new and old .
We ’ ve all felt the impact of the huge home improvement boom that kicked in during the summer and was still in full swing as the year came to a close .
So now is a chance for the sector to catch its breath and give some very stressed employees a
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well-earned break . It will also help to ease materials shortages .
Overall , I am fairly confident window and door sales will remain strong throughout the new year .
There are still huge opportunities for installers able to provide an extensive range of stylish , premium quality products – and at Central Window Systems , that is exactly what we will be offering customers .
www . centralrpl . co . uk
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2020 ‘ BETTER THAN EXPECTED ’
Despite the many challenges the fenestration industry has faced this year , for AT Precision , a leading supplier of bi-fold hardware , 2020 has gone better than expected .
» THE DURHAM-BASED COMPANY are one of the leading suppliers of cast aluminium bi-folding door hardware , ventilation systems , extruded gaskets and cleat systems to the UK fenestration industry , selling their Everglide Range to over 100 fabricators across the country .
“ 2020 has actually turned out better than we thought it would ,” says Sales Director Michael Hewitt .
“ In April , when we were forced to close with the national lockdown , we thought all our projections for the year were out the window .
“ But when we reopened in the summer , it seemed the lockdown had the opposite effect . The fenestration industry was booming , and we quickly smashed all our targets .”
With a surge in sales after lockdown , the window industry supply chain suffered , meaning many companies struggled to get their hands-on materials .
A fragile economic climate also meant that fabricators were looking to save money , and AT Precision was there to help – by buying their hardware directly from them instead of from systems companies , fabricators could potentially save thousands of pounds a year .
Given the success of 2020 , AT Precision is expecting the surge in sales to continue into 2021 , and have prepared accordingly .
In recent months , the company has taken on new staff and opened a new 10,000 square foot factory , kitted out with two new extrusion lines – a PVC extrusion line and a flexible extrusion line for gaskets .
“ We ’ ll really be pushing these products in 2021 , and with the industry how it is at the moment , we believe they ’ ll be a huge success ,” says Michael .
Michael Hewitt , Sales Director , AT Precision
“ All in all , I believe that in the new year , everyone in the fenestration industry will continue to reap the benefits of 2020 , and we look forward to seeing what the future holds .”
www . atprecision . co . uk
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