6 | APRIL 2020
News
Read online at www.proinstaller.co.uk
GGF Lobbies Government on Covid-19 Issues
The GGF is now in direct communication with Government Ministers
and Departments to campaign for change on the following issues:
1. More financial sup-
John Agnew, GGF Managing Director
port for the glass, glazing
and renewables sectors, at
least equal to that given
to the retail, hospitali-
ty, leisure and tourism
sectors.
2. A reduction in the
rate of VAT from 20% to
5% on all energy efficient
glass and glazing prod-
ucts and on the instal-
lation of windows and
doors.
3. In view of the poten-
tial lockdown and isolation,
that installers and glaziers
are included in the “es-
sential workers” category,
to access homes where
energy efficient measures
are paramount to making
their homes healthy, safe
and secure.
4. For the Government
to open up more channels
to ECO funding to ensure
homes are made health-
ier.
5. To grant GGF Emer-
gency Glaziers the same
status as all emergency ser-
vices during any lockdown,
curfew and/or isolation
periods.
The GGF will be using
its political advisers and
political communication
channels to create greater
awareness of these issues
and to urge the Govern-
ment to make changes
as businesses UK-wide
struggle to cope with the
dramatically changing trad-
ing environment.
As part of its Business
Continuity Support, the
GGF has set up a special
daily e-alert for all Mem-
bers, is receiving feedback
direct from Members on the
operating issues they are
facing daily, and has created
a new platform on its web
site www.ggf.org.uk to
house all the latest govern-
ment guidance on financial
and business support.
THREE CHEERS FOR
FREEFOAM’S 30TH YEAR
2020 is a significant
year for Freefoam Building
Products, with the com-
pany marking 30 years of
trading.
In 1990 founding Man-
aging Director Tony Walsh
set up an extrusion plant
in Cork, Ireland, with one
co-extrusion line. With a vi-
sion to provide the growing
home improvement market
with high quality, long
lasting, low maintenance
PVC fascia and soffit, to
replace traditional timber
products, the business grew
into a leading manufacturer
in Ireland. Today Freefoam
Building Products employs
over 300 team members
across three locations. Man-
ufacturing facilities consist
of 30 extrusion lines in Ire-
land and the UK, producing
PVC-U and PVC-UE fascia,
soffit, gutter and cladding.
Tony Walsh, now Chair-
man, remarked: “This is an
incredible milestone for
any company. Freefoam
has achieved this success
through a combination of
factors. First and foremost;
the hard work, passion,
and exemplary commit-
ment by our team members
whose cooperative spirit
throughout the company is
at the heart of our busi-
ness. The development and
continued improvements to
our product range and our
innovation to create best
in class building products
that are guaranteed to
provide value and longevi-
ty to homeowners has also
proved to be a winning
formula. We have dedicated
ourselves to 30 years of
product innovation, man-
ufacturing and business
process improvements and
efficiencies to provide our
customers with the highest
quality building product
solutions and services.
Throughout 2020, we will
be looking back at where
we started, what we have
achieved, and what our
plans are for the future.”
FENSA to Now Reach Even
More Homeowners Through
the Power of Radio
Building on the impact created by
www.freefoam.com
TV commercials launched a year ago,
FENSA’s radio ad campaign, another first
for the organisation, will run two brand
new 30 second commercials that stress
the importance of the FENSA Certificate,
still the most widely recognised and
available official compliance document
in the replacement window and door
industry.
The new radio ads are part of a wider
campaign being undertaken by FENSA to
reach homeowners choosing new win-
dows and doors and to drive them to the
FENSA website. There they will be able to
find a local supplier and arrange for them
to quote for the work with the confidence
it will be compliant and signed off with a
FENSA Certificate.
The radio campaign will run from March
until December and will be heard nation-
wide on major stations including Heart,
Talk Radio, Capital, Magic and many oth-
ers; while TV advertising has been extend-
ed into 2020, following its extraordinary
success throughout last year.
FENSA Director of Membership Chris
Beedel says: “With a poll that shows
73% of homeowners would only consider
using a FENSA Approved Installers and
the launch of our new lead generation
website early in April, FENSA is now one
of the most powerful installer support
programmes in the industry as well as the
most widely issued installation compliance
certificates. It’s a very exciting time to be a
FENSA Approved Installer.”
www.fensa.org.uk