Annual Predictions
COMPETITION WILL BE FIERCE , SO MAKE SURE YOU CAN RELY ON YOUR SUPPLIER
DAVE WIGLEY , HEAD OF MARKETING
» LAST YEAR WAS PROBABLY TOUGHER than expected for many in the industry . Against a background of political turmoil globally , and political change in the UK , consumer confidence weakened towards the end of the year . The prospect of falling interest rates led many homeowners to delay purchases and there was a general air of cautiousness in spending behaviour .
However , post Labour ’ s first budget , despite it being composed of more stick than carrot , house prices rose by 3.7 % in November , so there are early signs of a recovery in consumer confidence coming into the year .
With the OECD ( Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development ) upgrading its growth prediction for the year from 1.2 % to 1.7 %, 2025 is likely to feel like a better place to do business . Good news all round , but not grounds to become complacent .
With a lot of fabricators coming into the year on the hunt for volume they ‘ lost ’ in 2024 , market conditions are likely to be highly competitive . Installers will have lots of choice . So , it will pay to make sure the service you offer is impeccable and your supply chains are as resilient and reliable as possible .
The Future Homes Standards comes into force this summer . With a likely tightening of standards and more rigorous policing , the wise move is to make sure you are 100 % certain the products you supply will comply . Don ’ t let the rug get pulled from under you . If you get it wrong , it ’ s potentially a terminal mistake that could take down an otherwise healthy business . Now is the time to question whether you are receiving the level of service and reliability you need from your systems house . Are they upfront with supplying independently verified U-value reports when you need them ? And is it easy to make the products they base those U-value reports on ? Don ’ t put up with sub-standard service or broken promises for another year . If you have the right support , 2025 will be a year of opportunity and growth .
www . sheerline . com
Ready to thrive in ‘ 25
ROB BREARLEY , GROUP MANAGING DIRECTOR
» AS THE LAST FEW YEARS HAVE SHOWN , one thing that is certain is uncertainty . It ’ s been another difficult 12 months for the industry , and a year in which we ’ ve sadly had to say goodbye to some longstanding businesses .
Amongst the challenges though , we believe that there are opportunities . As a leading trade fabricator , it ’ s our job to support our installers as they navigate the impact of a slow economy and fluctuating demand , and to achieve that , we are constantly looking at ways to add value .
2025 marks 25 years in business for Glazerite , and when we look back , our growth has been significant . Back in 2000 , we were manufacturing from a 1000 sq . ft factory with just four staff members , one product , and a target of 40 frames per week .
Fast forward to today and we ’ ve scaled up phenomenally while maintaining our focus on fabricating high-quality products and delivering exceptional customer service . Now , as a multi-site , multi-profile system fabricator , our 250-strong dedicated workforce can manufacture up to 4000 frames per week .
This year will see further investment in our fleet and our machinery so that we can continue to service our customers wherever they are . We ’ re also substantially
growing the marketing support packages we offer installers and improving our IT and security systems , with a full rewrite of our business operating system . These areas are critical for our business and for our installers .
We have recently added the new VEKA OMNIA suite to our range , which will help futureproof our offering by meeting the latest building regulations and impending Future Homes Standard . Meanwhile , our Deceuninck range is expanding , with the addition of the Slider 24 and Slider TT24 triple track door - excellent products we know will do well for our installers .
Looking ahead , we ’ re delighted to be exhibiting at FIT Show ; sponsoring the VIP lounge . It ’ ll be the perfect opportunity for us to meet face-to-face with industry stakeholders , suppliers , and installers and plan for what we hope will be a successful year .
www . glazerite . co . uk
24 JANUARY 2025 CLEARVIEW-UK . COM