Pro Installer August 2016 - Issue 41 | Page 20

20 AUGUST 2016 PRO INSTALLER PRO NEWS www.proinstaller.co.uk Window Manufacturer Wins Business Growth Award Swish fabricator Building Product Solutions (BPS) has celebrated winning the Business Growth Award, recognising its growth in turnover of more than 60% over the previous 12 months. CAMDEN GOES RAPID Leading trade frame manufacturer, Camden, has recently commissioned three new cutting machining centres from Italian machinery supplier Emmegi. They will be installed at Camden’s state-ofthe-art manufacturing plant in Antrim. The machines, manufactured by German based Rapid are part of Camden’s quest to see a programme of continuous improvement across the business and add further resource and support to its two other cutting machines which are already installed at the site. Seamus Lavery said about the installation: “Customers are looking more and more for their chosen fabricators to supply products faster and our customers are no different. “The Rapid machines are one of the fastest and most accurate PVCu cutting machines on the market, and their introduction will further enhance our manufacturing capabilities, increase production efficiency and help us keep pace with the growing demand for our market-leading Inliten range of windows and doors.” A key feature of the newly fitted Rapid VIAFC is its modular construction, and how by separating the sawing unit and processing module, productivity is increased significantly. Jim O’Connell for Emmegi commented: “I’ve been working with Camden on this and other projects installing new machines, and it’s good to see a company which puts innovation at the heart of their business, recognising their customers’ demands and acting on them through investment and continuous improvements.” The three new Rapid machines, alongside further investment in automated and robotic technologies, are an integral part of Camden’s drive to reduce turnaround times at the same time as driving through product quality. The latest investment is part of Camden’s ongoing commitment to capitalise on world class production capabilities. Camden operate one of the most advanced start to finish window and door manufacturing plants in Europe – with state of the art recycling, profile extrusion, frame fabrication, composite door production and glass sealed unit facilities all on-site. Building Product Solutions won the accolade in July at the Sheffield City Region Awards 2016. The company which was presented with the award in front of over 500 guests at the Magna Science Adventure Centre in Rotherham was highly commended on its business growth. “The judges recognised that we have increased our turnover by over 60% in the last 12 months and we have now increased our staff to 70,” said Lynne Darwin, Building Product Solutions Sales Director. On top of that, Lynne was also named in The Manufacturer’s Top 100 and even singled out as an exemplar. “I am a big believer that if you get the right people, you can do a lot of good things,” she said. “And it’s nice to get some recognition for all the hard work we have all put in over the last year.” Building Product Solutions specialises in the niche new-build sector, with its expertise winning a client base that includes the top ten house builders. The company currently supplies 1,500 windows a week, using the Swish 24/7 system, to over 165 sites within a two-and-a-half hour drive of its base in Rotherham. www.buildingproductsolutions.co.uk Strongest sales from northern builders’ merchants Builders’ merchants in the north have reported the strongest sales in the country compared to this time last year, according to the Builders Merchants Federation (BMF). The federation has released data which shows that sales rose, despite the uncertainty which led up to the EU referendum. The BMF’s sales indicators report showed that June sales in the northern region were up 13.9% compared to 2015. This compares to an increase in June sales across the country of 3.1%. This upwards trajectory for builders’ merchants is in contrast to the wider construction sector which according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed a decrease in construction output of ‘our core customers seem confident in level of demand for the second half of the year’ 0.4% in quarter 2, 2016, following a decrease of 0.3% in the previous quarter. Steve Robinson, north east regional chairman of the BMF and managing director at builders’ merchants JT Dove said: “JT Dove continues to experience brisk demand throughout its branch network in the north east, Cumbria and Scottish Borders. “There has been lots of speculation about a downturn in the building trade as a result of the uncertainty leading up to Brexit, but our core customers seem confident in level of demand for the second half of the year.” John Newcomb, Managing Director of the BMF, said: “Economic and political uncertainty in the run-up to the EU referendum was expected to cause a slow-down in the construction sector. However, sales data from our builders’ merchant members is telling a very different story, particularly in the north. “We are confident that our members will continue to perform strongly, and the BMF will work with the government to ensure the best outcomes for our members as the Brexit deal is negotiated.” www.bmf.org.uk