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Aluminium Extra
Aluminium Extra
Our mates in aluminium
Mike Andrews - owner of AluMate - who in his
own words “swapped Microsoft Windows for doors
and windows” discusses staying surefooted and
hotfooted, making plans (and preparing for them to
go wrong), plus expansion during lockdown…
» ALUMATE WAS ESTABLISHED
around five years ago when Mike was
approached by two partners of WindoorMate
looking to start a new aluminium
manufacturing business. Hoping to bring
the ‘uPVC ethos’ of service, people, support
to the aluminium sector, the trio spent the
first 12 months or so looking at the market
and exploring ways they could channel
their combined experience into a the new
venture.
Mike himself had spent his earlier years -
from studies to previous career roles - in IT
solutions; developing software, providing
support, and acting as consultant for a variety
of clients, which in the late 1990s, led him to
the beginning of a 15 year relationship with
Griffin Windows (part of MASCO).
“Like with so many people in this industry,
I almost fell into fenestration,” Mike says. “I
was working with Griffin Windows through
my own company as a consultant, and was
asked several times to take up a permanent
position. I joined the board as IT Director in
1999 and am proud to have been part of the
team that transformed a £10M turnover into
a £32M turnover before the business was sold
to MASCO Corporation. I was then part of a
team that took the group forward to being a
£120M business.
“It was an exciting time and a great insight
into the door and window industry. After a
stint of almost 15 years, I made the decision
to return to consultancy, hoping to help SMEs
make the most of technology to maximise
their businesses. Then, when I was approached
by WindoorMate to help set up AluMate, I
couldn’t resist and started researching straight
away.”
Within just five years, AluMate had grown
from “a small unit and basic equipment” to
a brand that required increased capacity and
a new location “but only to the next valley”.
Manufacturing the complete portfolio of
AluK products - windows, doors, bifolds,
sliding, plus selected Eurocell models such as
48 » M AY 2020 » CL EARVI E W- UK . C O M
‘a customer could easily order
every component required
for a complete project’
the Skypod and Aspect II uPVC BiFold, the
customer base of trade and retail clients now
reached “the bottom left quarter of the UK”
from its Porth premises. And, with a careful
and considered catalogue that combines the
very best of aluminium and uPVC, a customer
could easily order every component required
for a complete project such as a new build, full
renovation or an extension assignment.
Mike’s methodical approach to any project
and the ‘step by step’ technique, honed from a
lifetime in software design and development,
initiation and implementation, undoubtedly
contributed to the early success of AluMate.
Yet, when the best laid plans lead to a much-
needed expansion into a new 26,000 sq ft
premises, and the factory is forced to close
down seven days after the move, what happens
next?
“We moved in on the Wednesday, spent a
few days setting up ready to start work on the
Monday, and by the following Wednesday,
the announcement was made to temporarily
close,” begins Mike.
For a man who has spent the majority of his
career delivering solutions in innovation and
efficiency however, while no one could have
predicted the current circumstances, few who
know Mike would be surprised to learn that,
through careful planning and preparation, he
hasn’t been too fazed, and is already thinking
about the next stage.
“I am a very careful planner, especially when
it comes to finances, but I also never assume
that things will go to plan,” explains Mike. “I
always keep an eye on cash flow, and while we
never could have imagined the situation we are
in now, we wouldn’t have made the move if we
couldn’t do it comfortably.
“In terms of production, we knew what we
had to do to get ahead before we moved, and
we already had a schedule for the first few days
at the new premises, so we were already up-to-
date when we downed tools. This means we
are ready to simply switch on and get going as
soon as the decision is announced that we can
get back to work.
“And in the meantime we’re supporting
customers who are new to working remotely,
offering help and advice, particularly when it
comes to software and technology so that for
them, as it is for us at the moment, work is
just on pause, not at stop.”
www.alumate.co.uk