AUGUST 2018 | 21
News
Read online at www.proinstaller.co.uk
LACK OF GUTS HOLDING
BACK UK INNOVATION
Following a period of consolidation
and unrest in the industry, smaller
firms need to show guts and embrace
innovation if they are going to survive.
This is the view of Terry Rich-
ardson, who is founder and Manag-
ing Director of the TWR Group.
The number of companies
trading in the glass and glazing
sector is falling but the average
approve expansion at Heathrow
Airport, Adam Marshall, Director
General of the British Chambers
of Commerce (BCC), said:
“Finally! Business has been
waiting years for decisive,
cross-party action in the nation-
al interest - and decades for the
expansion of our main gateway to
the world.
“Now that Heathrow expansion
finally has a green light from
Parliament, it must now pro-
ceed at pace. The sooner we see
diggers in the ground, the sooner
this decision will boost business
confidence, supply chain compa-
nies and trade links around the
world.
Astra Door Controls MD
Phil Gallagher has been working
with Small Business Standards
(SBS), the European Commission
organisation representing the
interests of SMEs in Europe, to
help improve the way in which
European Standards can help
small businesses innovate and
compete in the European market.
This culminated in him being
part of the panel at a standards
Q&A chaired by the political
editor of the FT and attended
by senior figures from BSi and
the World Trade Organisation
amongst others.
number of frames being produced
each week is on the rise – as more
and more small and medium sized
manufacturers and installers are
acquired by larger companies.
In the current trading con-
ditions, several industry heav-
yweights are also seeing their
profits squeezed.
Terry believes that to not just
thrive but survive, leaders need
to invest more heavily in research
and development.
He comments: “Compared to
many of our European neigh-
bours, we don’t invest as heavily
in innovation and research and
development in the UK.” This new
initiative went live at the end of
February (2018) and the group’s
Managing Director Terry Rich-
ardson says that they have been
inundated with enquiries, with the
forward order book showing the
business is on course for its busi-
est ever quarter of trading.
Heathrow decision
demonstrates UK still
open for business
Commenting on the vote to
ASTRA CONTRIBUTES
TO STANDARDS DEBATE
“Amid growing uncertainty over
Brexit, big decisions like this are
needed to show our investors and
trade partners that the UK remains
open for business. Further bold
moves on infrastructure, investment
and connectivity must follow.
it must now
‘ proceed
at pace ’
“As Heathrow expands, it must
deliver on its promise of better
connections to other airports
around the UK - so that business-
es everywhere can benefit from
improved links to key destinations
around the world..”
www.britishchambers.org.uk
SBS is a European non-profit
association which aims to repre-
sent and defend small and me-
dium-sized enterprises’ (SMEs)
interests in the standardisation pro-
cess at European and international
levels. Phil Gallagher was part of
the panel discussion at SBS’s Annu-
al Conference in Brussels that was
entitled “SME-compatible standards:
a prerequisite for market access?”.
The debate addressed issues
around the ways in which stand-
ards can help and hinder SMEs to
compete in the EU and asked if all
standards be tested for their SME
compatibility, especially if they are
intended to support EU policy.
Conservatory Outlet Group Welcomes
New Retail Sales Director
Conservatory Outlet Group
has appointed industry-renowned
sales expert Paul Clifton as Sales
Director at its North-East flagship
retailer, Pennine Home Improve-
ments.
The announcement coincides
with the departure of Derek
McLaren, as he begins his retire-
ment following ten very successful
years.
Having spent his 30-year career
firmly in the home improvement
industry, Paul Clifton brings to
the Group an unrivalled skill set
and vast experience of retail sales.
Over the past 15 years, Paul has
worked as a business development
consultant for a wide variety of
retailers to help them improve and
expand their sales performance,
and is regularly invited to speak at
industry events, trade shows and
forums.
No stranger to Conservatory
Outlet, Paul has also spent the
last five years working with the
national dealership network in a
consultancy capacity, supporting
the implementation of robust sales
strategies across its 23 retailers.
www.conservatoryoutlet.co.uk