16 | FEBRUARY 2020
News
Read online at www.proinstaller.co.uk
DO YOU KNOW UKCW?
With products from various system suppliers such as Senior Aluminium
Systems Ltd, Technal Ltd Shuco UK, Metal Technology Ltd, Alutech Ltd
and Smart Systems Ltd, UK Curtain Walling Ltd’s portfolio is vast ranging
from curtain walling, to commercial thermal and non-thermal doors,
folding and sliding doors to a multitude of window systems, aluminium
framework and glazing solutions, the possibilities for projects are endless.
Here are seven things you didn’t
know about UKCW (and you’ll wonder
how they’ve fit it all into three years…)
First draught
At 16 years old, Duncan Hague began as
an apprentice QS Estimator. In 2018 he be-
came owner and MD of UK Curtain Walling
with his wife Samantha. Although having
worked for some great employers in the
past Duncan was always keen to build on
his own brand, having always “done it for
everyone else and never himself”.
In less than 20 years, Duncan’s combined
skill set and willingness to take on new
roles and challenges had seen him stake a
claim to many different stages of the sup-
ply chain - from draughtsman to surveyor,
contract management to MD - gaining
valuable insight into the industry from all
sides, and he was still only half way into
his career in fenestration. Throughout the
1990s and up until his move to UK Curtain
Walling Ltd at the start of 2017, Duncan’s
main focus became aluminium with posi-
tions at Heywood Williams Architectural
Ltd, Crittall Warmlife Ltd, Heywood Patent
Glazing Ltd, Dyson Aluminium Ltd, Euro
Aluminium Ltd, Inter City Glazing Systems
Ltd, and finally Midas Aluminium Ltd.
Oh, the places we’ll go…
As a brand, UK Curtain Walling Ltd had
been around since 2006, when it was
purchased by Glazing Refurbishment, but
wasn’t widely known or acknowledged.
In December 2016 however, the decision
was made to move the company from
Cambridge to the north, and they needed
someone to head it up. Duncan (who had
been at Midas Aluminium for 12 years),
was the perfect fit.
the only way was up
‘ for
the business ’
As such, UK Curtain Walling Ltd began
its new life in Huddersfield, albeit in a car-
avan for the first few days, followed by an
‘upgrade’ 20ft x 10ft storage container for
around seven months. A modest base was
all that was required however, as the com-
pany didn’t need space for manufactur-
ing, instead buying materials direct from
various systems suppliers then ‘buying
time’ from fabricators to get the frames put
together for bespoke projects and enlisting
from a team of around 40
‘subbies’ according to
the size and location
of the job.
We have lift off
The only way was up for the business
from this point on, manufacturing and
installing curtain walling on high pro-
file jobs such as bridges for Manor Park
Station and King’s Cross in London, Red
Hill Station Foot Bridge London and
three-floor internal atrium at Herron
Tower, near the London Gher-
kin and Moorgate Hotel Central
London.
On the right track
One area that UK Curtain Wall-
ing became very famous for very
fast was its railway station reno-
vations, such as Derby Station refur-
bishment; new platform, curtain walling
installation with patent glazed roof, and
platform level frameless glazing; Totten-
ham Hale Station, London; new corridor
concourse, Coulsdon South Station Foot
Bridge, London, and Amersham Under-
ground Station, with more in the pipeline.
UKCW has also undertaken commercial
curtain walling projects at Energi and
Smyths at Preston, Denton; various in-
dustrial units, Barrow Brook Retail Park,
Riverside Leeds Mill Complex, Planet Ice
Elland Road, Leeds, the new Rawtenstall
Bus Station, and the team is due to com-
mence a new car showroom in Plymouth,
so distance is no object.