Clearview National January 2020 - Issue 218 | Page 73

AL UMINIUM Launching in March 2020, Sheerline® is set to revolutionise the way aluminium windows are made, installed and sold says Garnalex CEO Roger Hartshorn. Aluminium, but not as you know it » AFTER DECADES OF PVC-U dominating the residential window market, aluminium is on a roll. Over the past 15 years residential aluminium sales have grown steadily thanks to the popularity of aspirational bifolds and large, slim sliders. Around 50% of installers now sell at least some aluminium and most see this trend continuing to grow. Like these installers, I think aluminium is the future. So when I started to look at the aluminium sector, I was surprised at how little investment there’s been since the 1970s and 1980s. In contrast to PVC-U windows, which have been transformed in looks, performance and delivery, not much has changed with aluminium. Aluminium windows and doors look much the same, and are fabricated and installed in much the same way as they were decades ago. Viewed with my technical background, I’d say aluminium has had an innovation bypass over the last 30 years. However the biggest shortfall I see is in the levels of service and support, where PVC-U leaves aluminium standing. REINVENTING ALUMINIUM We established Garnalex in 2018 to address this and to transform the entire customer experience of aluminium. Our aim is to start an aluminium revolution by reinventing the way aluminium windows are fabricated, installed and sold. We’ve recruited the best technical, design and production brains in the industry and invested over £9m in a state-of-the- art aluminium extrusion facility to ensure that quality and service are built into our foundations. That’s the first big difference with Garnalex. Most aluminium systems companies buy-in aluminium profiles and components, while we manufacture both. We aim to have full control over the products we sell, so we can offer unparalleled levels of reliability to our customers. We’ve been sharing images and videos of the factory as it’s been coming together over the last few months on Twitter and LinkedIn, but it’s hard to show the true scale of the factory and the level of investment if you’re not walking round it. For example, as part of our commitment to sustainability, we’ve invested in our state of the art SMS HYBREX aluminium press which uses up to 55% less energy than a traditional press. This 170 tonne behemoth uses 9-inch aluminium billets to produce up to 4 tonnes of extruded aluminium an hour. We’ve also totally integrated manufacturing, logistics and SAP with our in-house GarnerSys software for improved efficiency, leading to higher quality and outstanding service. That’s another difference. With a clear focus on quality, Garnalex was recently accepted to join ‘Made in Britain’, an organisation that recognises excellence in manufacturing and promotes British-made products across all sectors. CHANGING THE WAY ALUMINIUM IS MADE, INSTALLED AND SOLD Our technical and design teams have spent the past 18 months studying aluminium windows and doors. They examined everything from performance and looks to how products are extruded, fabricated and installed. They even looked at fabricators’ experience of service and customer support to develop a new window system, and the service that supports it, from the ground up. The result is Sheerline®, a next-generation window and door system that’s been engineered for performance, looks, ease of manufacturing and installation - and service and delivery. Sheerline windows and doors are designed to be easy to install and a dream to sell. We’ll be telling you more at our March launch, but fabricators and installers who’ve seen it say Sheerline is #TheFutureOfAluminium. You may have received a letter and postcards inviting you to our Sheerline Ambassador Workshops. We’re hosting a series of workshops from early 2020 to give fabricators and installers the opportunity to meet the team, see our state-of-the-art factory and learn more about this truly innovative system. The response has been instant and phenomenal - we’ve had well over 120 RSVPs in the first couple of weeks, and the invitations haven’t all gone out yet. Fabricators and installers who want to be the first to sell it can register their interest in Sheerline Ambassador workshops by emailing [email protected], calling 01332 883960 or registering online at www.sheerline.com/contact C L E A RV I E W-U K . C O M » J A N 2020 » 73