Clearview National January 2020 - Issue 218 | Page 76

ALUMINIUM
The fabricator you’ve
almost definitely seen, but
probably never heard of
What do McDonalds, Asda, Subway, B&Q, Costa, and
Waitrose all have in common? Well, besides being international
brands with branches on almost every corner of the UK,
they are also just a few of the major commercial projects
that HB Aluminium has worked on in recent years.
» BY PROXY, THIS MEANS
that the Leeds fabricator, situated
on a modest industrial estate just
off the M62, is in part, something
we probably all drive past several
times a day, by way of its curtain
walling, windows, entrances, and
shopfronts; even though you’ve
probably never heard of it.
In fact, HB Aluminium has
been operating for more than
30 years. And, although the
fabricating and fixing teams have
worked with some of the biggest
names in the world, MD Ian
Dewhirst attests the company’s
success to one simple motto:
“a decent product at a decent
price.” HB Aluminium uses
100% Kawneer profile (unless
the product specified requires
a different material), which is
all cut or sawn then made up
on-site at California House, on
the outskirts of Leeds, on the site
of a former train engine works
(Fowlers).
“Our major USP is that we
start and finish the majority of
jobs on time,” Ian continues,
“which in the commercial sector
is incredibly important. But
whether we are working on a
single door or a full specification,
the ethos is the same, and that’s
why people keep coming back
to us.”
This added value of punctuality
on projects, with a quality
product that is fairly priced, is
already on track to be the perfect
recipe for specifiers and architects;
but add in the precision of having
its own team of fixers as well as
fabricators means that the supply
chain is shortened to a length
that can be properly managed
and maintained; decreasing the
margin for error.
Ian adds: “We directly employ
all our own fabricators and site
fixing teams, all of which are
fully trained and accredited
by Kawneer themselves for
76 » JAN 2020 » CL EARVI E W- UK . C O M
fabrication and installation of
Kawneer aluminium windows,
patios, doors and curtain walling
systems.
“Our fixing teams are all
directly employed by HB
Aluminium - and we have
managed to accrue a team of
foremen and fixers with a wealth
of experience and knowledge
and equipped them with the
right training and tools to
ensure efficient and quality site
installations.
“HB Aluminium believes
that having our own fabricators
and fixers means that we can
offer a premium service to our
clients - having full control of the
fabrication and site installation
process means we can react better
to clients’ instructions and site
issues.
“We know we are lucky to have
a close knit, dedicated workforce;
some of whom have been with us
since leaving school - a testament
to the family-oriented atmosphere
we’ve tried to foster.
“On top of that, over the years,
facilities have been improved
and new machinery has been
added resulting in a factory well
equipped to fabricate aluminium
windows and doors to the highest
standard.”
It’s a method that clearly
works, as all the aforementioned
multi-billion pound businesses
can vouch for, as well as countless
transport depots, hospitals,
schools, office premises and more.
So next time you’re at a drive
through take-away, grabbing a
coffee, going for a meeting or
picking up some groceries, you
may just been passing through the
work of HB Aluminium.
www.hb-aluminium.co.uk