Clearview National May 2018 - Issue 198 | Page 24

PROUD SPONSOR OF INDUSTRY NEWS INDUSTRYNEWS THE GLAZING SUMMIT SEALS THE DEAL WITH NEW SPONSOR » » HODGSON SEALANTS, ONE OF THE UK’s largest specialist sealant manufacturers has been announced as the latest sponsor of The Glazing Summit, this year’s landmark industry conference. Celebrating 50 years in business, from its beginnings as a putty manufacturer in the 1960s, Hodgson Sealants now make a full range of premium sealants including silicones, new generation hybrid sealants and glazing tapes for the fenestration and wider construction industries. “We’re really pleased to be supporting The Glazing Summit this year,” comments Charles Hodgson, Owner of Hodgson Sealants. “With five decades of experience in the industry, we’ve certainly seen it all – first as a long-standing family-run business, but also as a key supplier to the glazing industry.” With over 150 industry professionals already registered, The Glazing Summit is the must-attend event for business owners, directors and leaders from across the industry. Taking place at The St Johns Hotel & Conference Centre in Solihull on 22nd May, the one-day event hosted by Insight Data and sister company Purplex Marketing will tackle the hot topics of the industry through expert panels, debates and talks. www.glazingsummit.co.uk GET INSTANT ACCESS TO ALL YOUR ESSENTIALS » » SNICKERS’ NEW ALLROUND TOOL Vest is the ultimate in tool-carrying technology. Versatile and adjustable, the ergonomic design features a wide range of hard-wearing pockets for a variety of tools fixings and accessories. It’s lightweight, hard-wearing, comfortable and easy to keep clean. The Tool Vest’s ergonomic comfort also looks after your back by providing for comfortable heavy tool carrying through the specially designed wide shoulders, elasticated back and an integral waist belt to take pressure off your shoulders. It comes with Cordura® 500 reinforced front holster pockets for enhanced durability and easy-access angled rear holster pockets. There’s also Cordura® reinforced breast pockets plus a knife fastener, an easy-access padded mobile phone compartment and detachable ID badge. What’s more, the integrated internal expander means the tool vest can be easily expanded and worn over a jacket in colder weather. www.snickersworkwear.co.uk NW small businesses starting to think bigger again » » CONFIDENCE AMONG SMALL North West firms has recovered against a backdrop of lower inflation, progress on Brexit talks and a positive Spring Statement, according to the latest Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) Small Business Index (SBI). But confidence in the region remains in negative territory with the quarterly SBI measure for the North West standing at -3 in Q1 2018 (up from -17 in Q4 2017). The report’s findings show that – for the coming quarter – 31% of NW small firms expect their performance will improve, 39% think they’ll remain the same, while only 31% lack confidence. 24 » M AY 2018 » CL EARVI E W- UK . C O M Furthermore, 52% of firms in the region now report revenues are either stable or increasing, with 29% of firms planning to increase investment, and almost half (44%) expecting to expand operations over the coming 12 months. North West Regional Chairman, Simon Edmondson, said: “I suspect we are in for a bit of a roller-coaster ride and as such economic sentiment will wax and wain like this probably until well past Brexit. But for now at least, let’s the take the good news that positivity is returning and hope that Government policy can ensure it keeps going in that direction.” www.fsb.org.uk