12 | AUGUST 2020
News
Read online at www.proinstaller.co.uk
WHAT A TITAN
DIFFERENCE A
YEAR MADE
This time 12 months ago, Titan Trade
Windows supplied aluminium but
was much better known as a uPVC
fabricator, with a comprehensive product
portfolio using predominantly Spectus and
more recently Optima profile. Building up a
formidable reputation over some 15 years as a uPVC
fabricator and supplier to the trade - with almost
every type of window, door, and even conservatory
one could imagine - is certainly impressive, yet with
a name like ‘Titan’ it just wasn’t enough. That’s
why the Alfreton outfit took it to the next level, and
we caught up with them to see how it was going…
“Aluminium fabrication was
something we’d been thinking
about for some time,” began
Leigh Titchener, Titan’s MD. “And,
as suppliers we weren’t new to
the market, and had been keeping
a close eye on it. Watching
the demand increase steadily, we
saw it as the perfect time to start
investing in our own machinery
and start fabrication. As a business
that was already well-known
and regarded for our uPVC product
and service, we wanted to
replicate that with aluminium.
“Bringing it in-house was not
only something that we thought
could be a lucrative move in the
long term, but gave us full governance
over what we were sending
out to customers across both
materials. Furthermore, for those
projects that required a combination
of uPVC and aluminium
components, being a fabricator of
both now means we can manage
the whole process from start to
finish; which should be easier for
our customer - the installer - and
ultimately their customer too.”
Aluminium hasn’t replaced
uPVC for Titan Trade Windows,
but the team has certainly gone
above and beyond in setting up
the new venture; the launch of
which almost precisely coincided
- not so helpfully - with a global
pandemic and a UK lockdown.
With the operation back up and
running now though; the shaky
start isn’t so much a distant
memory but Leigh and the team
are allowing themselves to return
to the initial excitement they
had when they first set up for
aluminium.
Like many other businesses,
thankfully Titan has not seen
a decrease in demand, and
post-lockdown production is running
smoothly, no doubt a nod to
the careful thought and consideration
that went into the original
plan right from the beginning,
and an encouraging thought for
anyone customers looking to
place an order; either uPVC or
aluminium (or perhaps both).
“We started fabricating aluminium
because the demand was
there, and it still is there,” continued
Leigh. “No one knows what
the future holds (this year has
proven that and then some!) and
we can’t prepare for everything.
But, what we can do is choose
what we believe to be the best
systems and the best products,
and nurture the best staff and
develop the best processes to be
in the strongest position.
“Based on experience and
extensive research, we asked
ourselves ‘who is an established
company, based in the UK, market
leading but also can provide
personal, technical support
required, and the same level of
professionalism we offer to our
own customers?’ The answer was
AluK.
“Add to that, the challenges
that a new venture of this size
and significance poses, such as
learning a new manufacturing
process, sourcing new machinery,
training staff, even getting our
head around a new portfolio;
any brand that can make this
transition as smooth as possible
is a major advantage. Again, that
answer was AluK.
“The ultimate goal when you
start something like that is that
your peers recognise you can
monitor the market and confidently
adapt to present trends
and future forecasts, the industry
notices an ambitious and competent
business that can take on
new processes without neglecting
your current ones, and that your
customer can come to you on
day one and think you’ve always
been doing it. Finally, the staff
should feel stimulated by the new
venture but also supported in
their evolving roles. It’s a balancing
act for sure, but we wouldn’t
have done it if we didn’t think we
could pull it off, and we certainly
have no regrets.”
www.titantradewindows.co.uk
Next time, Leigh picks his
favourite AluK products
to fabricate and fit…