Clearview National August 2019 - Issue 213 | Page 68

OUTDOORLIVING
CUSTOMERS’ OPEN MINDS AND EXTENDED WALLETS
POSE BIG OPPORTUNITY EVEN FOR SMALL INSTALLERS
Peter Gray
» » IN HIS OWN WORDS, IT’S
been an “interesting year” for
award-winning Premier Supplies
owner, Peter Gray. Here, he talks
openly about the changes facing
the industry today and what it
means for installers now, and in
the near future…
This time last year, we were
looking for more growth and at
the end of the year successfully
acquired a window manufacturing
operation in Glasgow. But as
most of you know in the glazing
industry the pace of change is very
fast. No sooner had we acquired,
welcomed, and restructured our
new team in Scotland- where we
now manufacture windows and
bi-folds - that further changes were
afoot in the industry that were to
significantly affect the supply-
chain.
“As most of
you know in
the glazing
industry the
pace of change
is very fast”
With the changing structure
of Synseal to Aperture, and many
other alterations across the top
of the supply-chain, this left
fabricators responsible for assuring
installers and altering supply-
chains quickly to meet consumer
demand during tricky market
conditions. A process which is still
on-going today. These changes
were no surprise to Premier as
the industry continues to evolve
at a fast pace and the reality
is conservatory installers and
customers are still out there; they’re
just buying orangeries, extensions
and garden rooms now.
New products
Already a leading fabricator of orangeries, we’ve also extended our
range by offering the Guardian Extension, which we recently showcased
at the FIT Show. Most installers know about the Guardian Warm Roof,
which is an established leading product. The Guardian Extension really
takes this to a new level, by providing an innovative alternative to the
traditional single storey extension. Working in partnership with leading
brands Guardian, Kingspan and Velux, we’re proud to be offering the
Guardian Extension which is a great product for homeowners and I
honestly believe this will transform the home extension market in the
UK. So right now, we’re working closely with large installers, providing
training on this great new product and helping them to capitalise on
this which will open up so much more work for them.
“To us it’s all about evolution,
conservatory installers and
customers are still out there; they’re
just buying orangeries, extensions
and garden rooms now”
More lucrative projects available
So where conservatory jobs previously represented big projects for
installers, many now get asked for a single-story, open-living extension
where the glass is the key feature whether that’s bi-folds and a flat-roof
light or large-span patio doors and lanterns – there’s a clear trend in
modern glass extensions that doesn’t look set to change anytime in
the near future. We’re currently working with larger installers helping
them take on these lucrative Guardian Extension projects which are
the modern-day alternative to a traditional extension. With good eco-
credentials, competitive rates and a short build time these are a real hit
with consumers.
“With good eco-credentials,
competitive rates and a short
build time these are a real hit”
Installers only
As they say, one size doesn’t fit all and as such Premier now also offer
a fit service for smaller installers only, which helps them say ‘Yes’ to
larger, more complex jobs. We’ve listened to the smaller installer firms
and offered them a truly white-label fit service that enables them to take
on more jobs. This service is particularly aimed at installers comfortable
fitting doors and windows, but who want more support for fitting bi-
fold systems and other products all the way up to a full Guardian Warm
Roof or Extension.
68 » AUG 2019 » CL EARVI E W- UK . C O M