INDUSTRY NEWS
Directors mark MBO anniversary
» DIRECTORS AT THE GLAZERITE UK Group have marked a year at the helm of the nationwide fabricator , following last summer ’ s management buyout .
Led by Group Managing Director Rob Brearley , alongside fellow directors Mark Johnston , Jeff Dunn , Darren Rhodes , and Matthew Thomas , the team has spearheaded a number of improvements to unlock further opportunities for its customers , against a challenging backdrop of raw material shortages and energy price hikes .
Rob explains : “ Glazerite was already a highly respected company staffed by dedicated employees when we took it over . Following completion of the MBO in July 2021 , we ’ ve begun to rollout a programme of improvements to further benefit installers , our people , and how we operate as a business .”
Recent changes have included a sixth site , with the opening of Glazerite North in Barnsley . Meanwhile , investment into new
machinery and equipment has continued across the business , as well as the addition of new vehicles that meet Low Emission Zone ( LEZ ) emission standards , making deliveries to LEZ-based customers easier and more sustainable .
Rob adds : “ By encouraging contributions and input from everyone , we have been able to strip out unnecessary , time-consuming , and costly tasks across all functions . This is particularly notable in the manufacturing side at each division ,
Fabricators call for an alternative approach to price rises where we ’ re embedding LEAN principles ; headed up by longstanding Glazerite employee , Melanie Jacobs .
“ In addition to empowering employees to contribute ideas on how we run the business , we offer development and a clear career road map . We ’ ve got some real success stories already , particularly amongst our younger cohort , with the likes of 24-year-old Oliver Bailey heading up purchasing at our North West Division , and Eleanor Austin , 23 , being promoted to Purchasing Manager at our site in the Midlands .
“ We ’ ve taken the reigns at the toughest of times and had to contend with some tough external factors such as raw material shortages , nationwide resourcing issues , and spiralling prices . Fortunately , we ’ ve navigated these successfully and look forward to realising our ambitions for growth .”
www . glazerite . co . uk
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» CENTRAL WINDOW Systems , Conservatory Outlet , Listers , Roseview , Prefix Systems and SolarFrame have joined forces to urge firms in the sector to work together to find new efficiencies and to combat the unending barrage of price increases being introduced - especially at a time when consumer demand is down .
Recent publicly available data shows that household spending has reduced by up to 50 % compared to the same period last year and bosses believe the last thing consumers and retailers need to contend with now is a further rise in the cost of products .
The recent proposal of price increases from the very top
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of the chain are due to take place in September and would happen just as the energy cap is set to rise again , with manufacturers and retailers set to be stuck in the middle with pressure from both sides .
These changes could exacerbate a suppressed market and be counterintuitive to campaigns promoting the financial viability of purchasing new , energy-efficient windows and doors or extensions for their homes .
Employing thousands of staff and amassing more than £ 130m sales between them , the six companies believe their involvement in both manufacturing and retail gives them a unique insight into consumer pain points and a worrying dip
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in demand that some firms in the industry are failing to see coming .
Greg Kane , CEO of Wakefield-based Conservatory Outlet explained : “ The determination has always been there to shield our customers from these price hikes . We ’ ve held the line and absorbed all incoming increases throughout 2022 but there obviously reaches a point when this becomes unsustainable .”
Roy Frost , Managing Director of Listers , went on to add : “ As an industry , we have worked tirelessly throughout
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the pandemic to face countless challenges , but this barrage of price increases simply must stop .
“ We ’ re not trying to single out particular suppliers , more a case of looking for a more sensible and collaborative approach that focuses on the all-important consumer at the end of the chain .”
www . conservatoryoutlet . co . uk
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18 AUGUST 2022 |
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CLEARVIEW-UK . COM |