COUNCIL FOR ALUMINIUM
IN BUILDING
FIT SHOW 2017
PAVILION
BIG THINKING ALUMINIUM
Justin Ratcliffe, CEO, Council for Aluminium in Building (CAB) looks forward to
a record-breaking CAB Pavilion at the FIT Show, which will highlight aluminium’s
growing presence in the domestic and home improvement sectors…
» » The 14-member strong 400m2 CAB
Aluminium Pavilion in Hall 8, NEC at the FIT
Show, is testament to the growing interest
in the use of aluminium in the door, window
and conservatory markets in housing. It also
highlights how the Association has taken on
board the FIT Show strap line ‘Think Big’.
According to Robert Palmer, Palmer Market
Research, ‘since 2008 aluminium has seen
exponential growth of 37% in value terms’
in this sector. This is impressive because it’s
been delivered while the market as a whole
grew by just 2%.
CAPTURE THE IMAGINATION
The event has really captured the
imagination of the residential aluminium in
building sector with Hall 8 dominated by
the material. In fact, it is aluminium’s largest
ever presence at a UK construction show
since the early 1980’s. CAB, for its part,
will be highlighting aluminium’s significant
presence in the domestic/home improvement
sectors and the potential for further growth.
According to Palmer in his report on The
Window, Door and Conservatory Markets in
Housing 2016, ‘aluminium as a material type
and bi-fold doors remain in the ascendancy,
building share in new markets’. Palmer
predicts that there will be growth in the bi-
fold door market of around 50% to 35,000
door sets by 2020. CAB’s latest State of the
Market Survey (Q4, 2016) highlighted tha t
despite the uncertainty that prevailed last
year, there was still a lot of confidence in the
future with 70% net balance of respondents
expecting sales to increase over the next 12
months (60% in the next quarter).
FOLLOW THE TRAIL
The 14 CAB members on the Pavilion
represent a wide cross section of the supply
chain: Adshead Ratcliffe & Co; AkzoNobel
Powder Coatings; Alpro Architectural
Hardware; Aluminium Bending Specialists;
Dales Fabrications; Dyer Environmental
Services; Howells Patent Glazing; HW
Architectural; RAICO UK; Sherwin-Williams
Diversified Brands; Valspar Powder Coatings,
74 M AY 2 01 7
Vent Engineering, Vertik-Al and VINCI
Technology Centre UK. There are a further
19 CAB members with their own stands
throughout the FIT Show with all members
being highlighted in the form of a ‘CAB Trail’.
The exhibition’s timing is good in so many
ways as there are a great number of new
aluminium products being launched at the
exhibition by CAB members keen to highlight
their focus on this sector. With an anticipated
audience of over 10,000 during the 3 days,
a seminar programme, extended opening
hours and a fantastic Master Fitter Challenge,
there is a lot to both excite exhibitors and to
entice visitors.
LOUNGING AROUND
With its renowned technical expertise, the
CAB Technical Team will be on hand in the
CAB Lounge area (CAB 01) to answer queries
on relevant standards, regulations and best
practice issues. The Lounge will be a draw for
any fabricator/installer interested in adding
aluminium to their existing range or wanting
to know how they can take part in CAB’s
training provision for member companies. We
will be taking bookings for our Fabricator/
Installer courses which include 3 relevant
NVQ Units. For the initial one day courses
the units will cover Health & Safety, handling
materials and fabrication or installation of
windows. Successful candidates will receive
a GQA Skills Card. Courses are scheduled
to run in Sheffield, Birmingham and London
during 2017. Fabricators undertaking more
complex works may be interested to know
learn how they can sign up for our series
of leading contractual awareness courses
organised by CAB and presented, throughout
the UK, by Knowles.
CAB is also interested in talking to
fabricators and installers about the array of
membership benefits available in 2017 and
beyond and how being part of CAB can help
demonstrate competency in the market place
and always being up to date with the latest
standards, regulations as well as contractual
issues.
OVERWHELMING SUPPORT
We have been overwhelmed by the
aluminium sector’s support for the FIT Show,
so much so that we are partnering again with
the exhibition in 2019 and are already on the
floorplan. Now that’s thinking BIG!
Join us on the CAB Pavilion and CAB
Lounge (CAB 01) - we look forward to
seeing you! For more information on CAB
and its activities contact the Association
on 01453 828851 or email julie.harley@c-
a-b.org.uk