Annual Predictions
It has been said that a good January means a good year and, as 2017 begins, we have invited companies from around the industry to give their predictions for the year ahead and hint at some of their plans for the next 12 months.
What is evident is that, even in the face of political and economic uncertainty, most businesses ended the year on a high, with only a few reporting any noticeable impact of last year’ s Brexit vote. Of course, Article 50 is yet to be triggered and what form that will take is still largely unknown. Only time will tell.
But, in the meantime, the industry seems set to storm into the New Year with all the momentum of 2016, geared up to take advantage of the forecasted growth areas with product innovation and customer service.
Big year ahead
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THIS YEAR IS GOING TO be a big year for the fenestration industry. The economy is set to grow faster than expected with a strong manufacturing forecast, despite concerns about the construction industry in general.
So we think 2017 will be the year people invest in their homes, as property investment remains a relatively safe bet and the shortage of houses to buy means many will stay put and think about home improvements.
Tie this in with rising energy prices, and homeowners will be considering products with better thermal performance, while giving their homes a modern makeover at the same time.
One of the big trends we’ re predicting is more people investing in natural light solutions for their homes. Our fully thermally broken roof lantern, Stratus, solves the age-old issue of rooms like kitchen / diners being dark and claustrophobic, with added benefits of keeping rooms cool in the summer and warm throughout winter. It’ s a discreet yet stylish choice for any home.
Across both PVCu and aluminium products, we’ re expecting 2017 to be another great year for colour. Following a £ 400,000 investment we now hold 80 % of our colour foils from stock, meaning we’ re already prepared to deliver coloured products quickly.
The 21-colour range of our Masterdor Craftsman doors will also appeal to savvy homeowners who recognise the functional and fashionable benefits of highend timber over standard GRP doors.
Across our WarmCore aluminium product range, we’ re expecting to see a lot of Anthracite Grey, which gives that Grand Designs feel in any home. While 2016 was one of the hottest on record, 2017 is set to be a bit cooler, so people will be relying on products like WarmCore to get modern, dynamic design without compromising on thermal efficiency. With installers increasingly looking for value added products, we’ re expecting high sales across WarmCore and Craftsman this year.
At the FIT Show in May we will be introducing a brand new member to the WarmCore family, which we expect will be another big trend for 2017 – but we’ d hate to spoil the surprise by revealing it all now, so watch this space until then.
David Leng, Chief Executive, Synseal Group
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