7 things ...
7 things ...
> Continued from page 30 >
Excelling in ali
While the staff may be ‘ old ’, there was something very new and exciting happening the day that Jamie and I caught up , as the factory had taken delivery of a brandnew £ 96K elumatic CNC machining centre for aluminium bifolds , inline sliding doors – and eventually windows . As so many others have experienced in the industry , Absolute has been taking more and more orders for aluminium and three or four months ago decided to start manufacturing the inline sliding doors in house , before making the decision to bring bifolds in house too . As the new CNC machine can do in minutes what it would take someone on the shopfloor three quarters of the day to do (“ and I ’ m trying to get Tony to give in and let us have a saw ” adds Jamie ), aluminium will sit alongside uPVC now for the fabricator . Jamie is also in the process of taking on two new ali-experienced fabricators plus training existing staff for when the CNC is fully installed in the coming weeks . So , you ’ ll be all set up and running by 2024 then , I asked ? “ By 2024 , we ’ ll be Exlabesa ’ a biggest customer !” was Jamie ’ s response .
Top sellers
As well as doors and windows , Absolute knows its stuff on conservatories and doors . In fact , Jim and Tony helped Supalite with the original design and development of its tiled roof system before going on to manufacture the product after its launch . They continue to supply the Supalite Tiled Roof – and have a fitting video on the website for installers – alongside a range of modern and traditional conservatories , further building their reputation as a one-stop-shop for fitters and builders , and through retail .
Show & tell
“ We ’ ve stripped back the showroom to provide just the products the customer wants to see so they can get in and out quickly ,” explains Jamie . And , as Jamie and his sales teammate Gary deal with all the customers themselves and “ know them all ”, he mentioned that most don ’ t even need to go into the showroom at all and can just visit the counter for what they need and get on with their day . Answering about the ‘ typical customer ’ at Absolute , Jamie replied that they can be anything from a 10-year supply partnership with a company that needs 100 windows a week for council work to a conservatory-only business ordering three or four conservatories a week , to a tradesperson buying their ‘ bits and bobs ’ to retail . But whatever type of customer they are , you know it will be Jamie and Gary who will sort out your order .
But , honestly …
In my experience of putting these articles together , the companies that find it the hardest to put their finger on the
secret to their success are so naturally good at what they do , they just don ’ t realise it . Of all the points above that go into making Absolute Window Co into the business it is today – smart business decisions , excellent staff retention , strong customer rapport , to name a few – it is Jamie ’ s refreshing honesty , down-to-earth attitude and no-nonsense approach that strikes me as the most important point of all . And , looking through the six previous ‘ things ’, it is undoubtedly the driving force behind all of them . For Absolute customers , honesty means providing products that you can trust will do the job you want them to , service and support you can rely on , a showroom that has just what you need in it , and a team that really know their stuff and will be there for you when you need them .
And , for a Clearview editor who ’ s a little homesick since moving from the North West , it means when you get an invite to “ come and have a brew ” next time you ’ re over there , I know he absolutely means it !
www . absolutewindowco . co . uk
32 NOVEMBER 2023 CLEARVIEW-UK . COM