20 | JANUARY 2020
News
Read online at www.proinstaller.co.uk
“IT’S BEEN A
GREAT YEAR:
AND SO MUCH
MORE TO COME”
So declared Anda Gregory, Managing Director
of the Glass & Glazing Federation’s Commercial
Group, when speaking at a press event
during which she offered an overview of the
achievements and future plans of its brands.
Discussing each of the
Commercial Group’s brands,
which include FENSA, BFRC,
Installsure (formerly GGFi),
Borough IT and RISA, Anda said
that cooperation and unity be-
tween the commercial business-
es “has been unprecedented….
helping us to make more of
each company, in terms of pro-
moting each other’s businesses
and lending expertise to deliver
the best service possible.”
Referring to the rebranding of
the former GGFi to Installsure,
which was carried out, in part,
to remove confusion between
GGFi customers and GGF
membership, Anda reported that
2019 has been a record year for
applications to join the specialist
insurance and financial services
provider, facilitated by better
marketing, improved commu-
nications within the Group, the
digital distribution of documen-
tation and the simple provision
of an online application form.
Inspections and audit body
RISA was the next to receive
attention. Anda reported that
crucial changes were made to
how the team operates with sub-
tle yet highly effective changes
such as renaming ‘inspectors’
as ‘assessors’: “This has funda-
mentally changed how we do
things so that the assessors now
develop personal relationships
with the FENSA Approved In-
stallers in their area,” said Anda,
“improving customer service,
and delivering a higher num-
ber of on-site assessments with
the fitters and a greater level
of efficiency with fewer miles
covered.”
Borough IT
continues to offer
bespoke IT devel-
opment services to
the glass and glazing
industry as well as
the wider construction
sector, recently working
with LABC (Local Au-
thority Building Control)
to support government
on receiving necessary data from
Competent Person Schemes such
as FENSA. The main focus of Bor-
ough IT, said Anda, has been the
provision of delivering on a large
number of big IT change projects
for the other businesses within
the group
The British Fenestration Rating
Council – BFRC – has also under-
gone significant change, reported
Anda, including a new rebrand-
ing and website designed to
promote BFRC as the best
way for companies to prove the
energy efficiency performance
of their products. “Our bold new
rebrand reinforces the vital role
BFRC plays in proving this invis-
ible performance, and includes
a new logo, our new ‘proven
performance’ slogan, a manifes-
to which underpins everything
we say and do, as well as new
ratings labels for use in the in-
dustry,” she advised. BFRC is also
expecting UKAS accreditation
and she added that “a number of
new product developments will
be launched next year”.
BFRC will also be organising a
further Fabricators’ Forum early
in 2020, with an emphasis on the
anticipated revisions to Approved
Document L of the Building regu-
lations, and how it will affect the
UK fenestration industry.
FENSA continues to be the
highest profile brand of the GGF
Commercial Group, a position
that has been extended during
2019. Crucially, Anda reported
that despite the difficult trad-
ing conditions, uncertainty and
economic worries, FENSA job
notifications remain buoyant
with around 570,000 installations
in 2019, mirroring the number
reported for 2018.
Anda stated that it had been
recognised during a review in
2018 that customer service had
to be improved and big improve-
ments have taken place, with the
team strengthened with recruit-
ment and training.
“Safety glazing failure rates
haven’t been showing any signs