Pro Installer February 2025 - Issue 143 | Page 44

Business
44 | FEBRUARY 2025

Business

Read online at www . proinstaller . co . uk

Morley Glass named Yorkshire Business of the Year Awards finalist

Uni-Blinds ® integral blinds manufacturer Morley Glass has been recognised by the Yorkshire business community for the achievements of its post-consumer IGU recycling initiative by being shortlisted in the Sustainability category of the Yorkshire Business of the Year Awards 2025 .
The thorough judging process aims to identify the companies that the judges believe are innovating , disrupting and thriving , and this has already involved a visit by members of the judging panel to the Morley Glass HQ and manufacturing facility near Leeds back in September .
This visit enabled the awards judges to see for themselves how Morley Glass is successfully reducing the amount of waste glass generated by the UK ’ s window and door industry needlessly going to landfill , and raising funds to support good causes across Yorkshire .
The initiative was developed back in 2021 by Morley Glass in conjunction with Saint-Gobain Glass . It has already generated around 2,000 tonnes of cullet ( crushed glass ) from post-consumer IGUs collected from integral blind customers , who are able to divert their end-of-life glass away from the general waste skip into recycling .
The value of the cullet as a raw material for making new glass has enabled Morley Glass to create a fund to support charities , groups and individuals involved in environmental and social improvement projects . So far around 200 grants have been provided , for everything from primary school vegetable-growing projects
to a community theatre company which is working to bring together refugees , asylum seekers and settled communities .
The sustainability benefits that post-consumer IGU recycling delivers versus landfill disposal are far-reaching . To date , this volume of cullet has saved over 2,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions from
the glass manufacturing process and over 1,100 ‘ energy years ’ – that is the amount of energy a typical home would use in a year . It has also saved the need for more than 2,600 tonnes of sand , the main virgin raw material used for glass production .
In addition to the recycling scheme for IGUs , Morley Glass also seeks to minimise waste by ensuring products are reused wherever possible . It diverts its empty steel drums , used by its sealant supplier , away from recycling into re-use through a partnership with a waste management specialist .
And the thousands of wooden boxes used by its integral blinds partner Pellini S . p . A . to supply ScreenLine ® products every year are donated to good causes . Local schools use them for art and design projects , and they are also an essential raw material for The PIECES Project , an inspirational initiative which is working to help young people to unlock their entrepreneurial and creative potential .
The Yorkshire Business of the Year Awards winners will be announced at a high-profile black tie awards evening in Leeds on 20th February 2025 .
www . morleyglass . co . uk

SHELFORCE STRENGTHENS TEAM AS GROWTH CONTINUES TO SURGE

Leading window and door manufacturer Shelforce is expanding its workforce and investing in new machinery to meet increasing demand following another record-breaking year .
The Birmingham-based company , which specialises in providing high-quality PVCu windows , doors and fire doors for local authority building projects , has welcomed Teresa Szkurdziuk and Sarah Melding to strengthen its customer service and processing team , while all agency staff have been made permanent due to continued business growth .
The company is also currently recruiting for three new team leader positions across its fire door manufacturing , window manufacturing , and storage and dispatch departments , with a £ 500,000-plus investment in new machinery also planned . Howard Trotter , Business Manager at Shelforce , commented : “ Our order books are full well into next year , and strengthening our team is vital to maintain our high standards and meet the increasing demand we ’ re experiencing .
“ Teresa and Sarah have already made a huge difference to our processing capabilities as we ’ ve gotten busier , while making our agency staff permanent solidifies the brilliant team we have built for the future .”
The team leader positions have attracted significant interest , with 20 applicants including several internal candidates . “ We ’ re delighted to see internal candidates stepping forward ,” said Howard , with Shelforce nominated for this year ’ s Training and Development Initiative of the Year award at the G24 Awards .
“ At Shelforce , we place huge emphasis on helping our workforce move into more senior roles and developing their skills . It ’ s a fundamental part of our culture and success .” The expansion follows exceptional business growth , with Shelforce achieving a record turnover of £ 8.9 million last year and on target to reach £ 11- 12 million this year .
“ This growth reflects the hard work of our entire team and the trust our customers place in us ,” concluded Howard . “ With these new appointments and investments , we ’ re well-positioned for continued success .”
www . shelforce . com