PVCu Extra
The biggest fabricator you ’ ve never heard of ? Possibly ...
A record August , a record September , another record month in October ; a record year on a record year … When Clearview usually catches up with a company for an interview , we often start by asking how business is going . When we sat down with BSW Window Solutions to put to together a piece for our brand-new PVCu Extra feature , ‘ extra ’ almost wasn ’ t enough to cover it .
The beginning is a good place to start . BSW Window Solutions was established in Yaxley , near Peterborough , around 10 years ago with a team of 12 , and as Rob Morley , MD explains , it quickly became “ all things to all people ”.
The company now manufactures PVCu and aluminium doors , windows , rooflights and lanterns across three sites . The aluminium products are manufactured from Sheerline and Smart profile , and the PVCu has been Liniar “ since day one ”.
When we start adding some numbers – to the tune of 1,200 PVCu windows a week , up to 50 aluminium bifolds a week , a combined floor space of 60,000 sq ft ( and two more sites opening later in the year ) and 130 staff so far – you start to see where the ‘ extra ’ comes into it .
“ At times when other companies have started to ‘ pull in the drawbridge ’ we ’ ve always seen opportunities for growth ,” continues Rob . “ For instance , aluminium is really popular at the moment , but we also see the growth that PVCu has available to it . We don ’ t favour one or the other , which is another advantage , I think .
“ We believe we have the best of both worlds , and by being able to manufacture both and supply with excellent lead times ( seven days for white PVCu and 10 days for foiled , for instance ) we have built up a really good , loyal customer base .
“ And , if I said that next year we are targeting a turnover of £ 20M ; delivering mainly across the East and South East of England , the figures back up that theory too .”
BSW ’ s choice of systems and products will be explored across future features in Clearview , as the team ’ s carefully honed portfolio is clearly ticking all the boxes for customers . Likewise , when it comes to the manufacturer ’ s choice of machinery and processes ; to churn out the volume of products it does and maintain consistently high quality – across such a large production area – is certainly no mean feat .
But , from our very first conversation with BSW it was a ‘ car park full of PVCu ’ that really grabbed our attention …
“ Yes , it ’ s true when Covid hit in 2020 , we rented a car park and filled it with Liniar PVCu !” says Rob . “ We saw the demand and we saw the growth potential . We had the space to keep manufacturing and we haven ’ t stopped since either ; across all departments .”
So , if in your own words you ’ re the ‘ biggest fabricator that no-one has heard of ’ how do you get the customers for all those products ?
Rob continues : “ It ’ s from personal recommendation and professional recommendation . The main thing for us is that once new customers come to us , they stay with us . In too many businesses ( in all industries ) there is a separation between the company and the customer . At BSW , that ’ s not the case . Customers feel like
they ’ re coming to a family business , and they like it .
“ Throughout the whole company and our internal team , customers get the total package from a knowledgeable technical department to friendly and supportive sales team . And , that ’ s the same whether the customer is an installer in a van who turns up first thing in the morning for their five-10 windows a week , or we ’ re dealing with an architect at the beginning of a specification , when they ask us on-board to help close the deal .”
There is an old saying that you can ’ t please everyone all the time , and I think most in fenestration will have said that more than once in their careers . But the phrase there ’ s always an exception to the rule also rings true when thinking about BSW Window Solutions . PVCu and aluminium , residential and commercial , quality and quantity , continued growth and consistently good service . If you hadn ’ t heard of BSW before reading this article , they ’ re definitely one to keep your eye on now .
www . bsws . co . uk
60 JANUARY 2023 CLEARVIEW-UK . COM