26
FEBRUARY 2014 PRO INSTALLER
PRO NEWS
www.proinstaller.co.uk
Driving Best Practice
in Construction
Following the highly successful launch of The Built
Environment Hub for the
West Midlands in June
2013, at the end of January,
more than 100 developers, contractors, architects
and engineers from across
the Midlands gathered at
Nottingham Council House
to take part in the launch
of the East Midlands Built
Environment Hub.
tity Surveyors and Construction
Professional Group Chairman,
David Bucknall OBE, chaired the
event.
“We believe it crucial for the
Midlands construction industry
to speak with one voice and have
strong regional representation,”
said David Bucknall. “It is vitally
important for our organisation to
engage at a national level with
government and major public
sector bodies, to influence policy
and industry initiatives which
safeguard the interests of the
Midlands construction sector and
the associated building technologies supply-chain.”
The Built Environment Hub
drives best practice in construction product and process innovation in the Midlands and facilitates networking and knowledge
exchange by providing learning
platforms to strengthen improve-
Keynote speaker Alan Coole
from Scape (pictured) was joined
by Don Ward, Chief Executive of
Constructing Excellence - a member-led organisation charged with
driving the change agenda in
construction in order to produce
a better built environment.
One of the most recognisable
faces in Birmingham business,
former Chairman of Rider Levett
Bucknall and the RICS Quan-
ment throughout the industry such as local Best Practice Clubs
and Events and Demonstration
Programmes.
The new East Midlands members will join high profile counterparts in the West, including:
Stepnell, Saint Gobain, O’Brien,
Seddon Contractors, Frame Wise,
Thomas Vale, Willmott Dixon,
Keepmoat and MITIE Property
Services, together with dozens
of the industry’s most celebrated
and ground-breaking businesses
.By getting involved, members
have access to training, technical support and opportunities to
promote projects where business
objectives have demonstrably
benefitted from the application
of best practice methods and innovative construction technology
and techniques.
www.builtenvironmenthub.org
fensterbau/frontale Window Store Eastbourne
& GGF join forces
celebrates record year
for international
The Eastbourne branch of The Window Store is celebrating
a record year with turnover up 32% on 2012.
trade show
In a groundbreaking
move, NürnbergMesse,
organisers of fensterbau/frontale have joined
forces with the UK’s
Glass & Glazing Federation (GGF) for this international event which will
take place this month in
Nuremberg.
Many members and staff
of the GGF have visited
fensterbau/frontale in the
past, but this close co-operation will help stimulate trading relationships
between the UK and the
global window market.
All companies attending
are invited to join the GGF
on their UK pavilion stand
to discuss industry issues
and network with colleagues and friends from
around the world.
Elke Harreiß, Project
Manager of fensterbau/
frontale commented:
“Many companies from
the UK fabricating
windows, doors, conservatories and curtain
walls are visitors here
at fensterbau/frontale in
Nuremberg. Installers are
also present at the show.
True industry innovations
are launched by manufacturers of components and
hardware at fensterbau/
frontale. So, when the
British fabricators and
manufacturers come to
Nuremberg as visitors
in March, they will hear
fresh ideas straight from
the ‘horse’s mouth’ which
they then can bring home
and introduce to the UK
market.”
Research has revealed
that trade counters are
now one of the fastest growing sectors.
With three new depots
opening every week
competition is tough
but the Eastbourne
branch has risen to the
challenge with frame
sales are up 17% on
2012, and composite
doors, a phenomenal
45%.
The Window Store says
that this success is largely
down to the strength and
quality of the Eastbourne
team. Under the leadership of branch manager
Paul Fear, the focus for
2013 was customer service.
As the building and construction sector slowly but
surely picked up pace, and
with 20,651 local builders
now supplying windows,
doors and conservatories,
the building products supplier wanted to be ready,
across every facet of the
business. The performance
increases at Eastbourne are
proof of how effective this
response has been.
The growth in product
sales also supports the latest industry figures, with
composite doors continuing to be the success story
of the window and door
industry.
Justin Davies, general
manager for The Window
Store said: “We believe that
people make a business
and the Eastbourne team
have certainly proved
this point. A strong, high
quality team allows you to
The Eastbourne team (absentee:
Mark Grooms, order processor)
grow sustainably and with
confidence. 2013 was a
bumper year for The Window Store, with Eastbourne
striding out as our highestranking branch; something of which the team is
incredibly proud.
“Last year we saw a shift
in our customer base with
more and more of our
customers offering complementary and ancillary
services, something that we
were able to support with
confidence, and that has
played a big part in making
2013 such a stand-out year.
It’s a cliché but we really
are a one-stop-shop; a local
business where tradesmen
can put a face to a name,
pick up all they need and
get advice - and that’s invaluable,” added Justin.
www.windowstoreplastics.
co.uk or call 01323
647374. Twitter @The_
WindowStore.